Winter 2025 Season Begins Wednesday, January 22, 2025

TSVL has introduced an update to the registration policies since Fall 2024 to help in the recruitment and retention of members of underrepresented groups in the league.

TSVL’s research and Member Survey data highlight that joining and forming Intermediate Division teams rely heavily on referrals and general word of mouth, which advantage larger, well-connected communities, but create barriers for members of groups currently underrepresented in the league.

The groups currently underrepresented in TSVL, and which are defined as part of the Equity Priority Groups (EPG) are:

1. Gender Minorities: Women, Two Spirit, Non-Binary
2. Members Identifying as Transgender
3. Racial and Ethnic Minorities: African (all regions), Black/African Canadian, Central Asian, Caribbean, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, Pacific Islands, South Asian

Each of these groups represents less than 5% of the players in the division. With an average of 7.5 players per team, EPG members currently find themselves often the only member of their group on the court, not just on their team.

REGISTRATION

Registration takes place early in each new season (August, December, April).  The cancellation and refund policy for TSVL are found under League Policies on tsvl.org.

NEW: EPG Team Allocation

3 Teams satisfying the following eligibility criteria and steps will be allocated spots in the Winter 2025 season of the Intermediate Division:

1. ELIGIBILITY: Minimum 3 individuals on the official team roster are members of an Equity Priority Group(s) (see section above for definition).
2. Individuals will be provided the option to self-identify during registration as a member of an Equity Priority Group(s). TSVL expects that all self-identification is made with honesty and consistency with the individual's lived experience.
3. The Captain of the team must email the Intermediate Division Coordinator intermediate@tsvl.org and copy the VP Operations operations@tsvl.org to indicate their team’s eligibility and to request an EPG Team Allocation spot. All teams requesting an EPG Team Allocation spot will be reviewed for eligibility. TSVL reserves the right to make the final decision on eligibility.
4. If more than 3 teams satisfy the eligibility criteria and steps, then the earliest 3 Team Timestamp, as determined by the timestamp of the 6th eligible individual (including the minimum number of EPG members), would be part of the EPG Team Allocation, with the remaining teams prioritized according to the priority ranking criteria for the Intermediate Division.
5. If fewer than 3 teams satisfy the criteria and steps, then the remaining spots would be reallocated to teams according to the priority ranking criteria for the Intermediate Division.

Restrictions: Team Composition

Please note the following restrictions as they relate to Competitive Division players and/or teams:

• Teams CANNOT play in the Competitive Division and the Intermediate Division simultaneously.
• Intermediate teams may have a maximum of two (2) players who currently play in OR previously played in the Competitive Division. All Competitive level players who wish to play in the Intermediate Division must do so with the approval of the Intermediate Division Coordinator.

PRIORITY RANKING

In the event TSVL cannot accommodate all registered teams, teams will be given spots in the division based on these rankings. The priority ranking is divided into 4 groups.

PRIORITY 1

A team consisting of at least 6 players with at least 4 Returning Players* from any Intermediate Division team’s roster (subs not included) in Fall 2024.

NOTE: Priority 1 status will not be given to any team that has also registered in the Competitive Division. If any team chooses to register in both the Competitive and Intermediate Divisions in the Winter 2025 season, they will have Priority 2 status in the Intermediate Division.

PRIORITY 2

A team consisting of at least 6 players from any division as a Returning Player* in Fall 2024 (see definition below).

PRIORITY 3

A team consisting of at least 6 players with at least 4 Returning Players* from any division in Fall 2024.

PRIORITY 4

A team consisting of at least 6 players with 1-3 Returning Players* from any Fall 2024 division.

*Returning Player Definition

“Returning Players” are players who were registered on a team’s roster in the Fall 2024 season.

Subs do not count as Returning Players — unless they ended up officially registering onto a team’s roster later on in the Fall 2024 season. 

How Priority Rankings Work

Within each priority ranked group, teams are again ranked based on registration timestamps. A team registering online is only assigned a priority rank after their sixth team member is registered. The team’s timestamp is the time of their sixth member’s registration. If a subsequent team member’s registration alters the team’s priority ranking, a new rank will be issued with the timestamp of this subsequent member’s registration.

Teams that do not meet any of these Priority Rankings can still register, they will just be accepted after teams with a Priority Ranking.

We welcome all interested teams into the registration process!

Questions about the priority ranking or registration process? Contact the Intermediate Division Coordinator at intermediate@tsvl.org 

FORMAT
The Intermediate Division consists of 16 teams. Teams will get a chance to play against most other teams in the division per a schedule. Half way through the season, the division will be split into four pools, with movement between pools. Competitive formation is generally expected. There will be development nights at the beginning of the season to facilitate learning this.

DEVELOPMENT
Above all, the Intermediate Division is intended for players who seek development, and/or stress-free, but skillful play.  Development in the Intermediate Division takes place throughout the season. In the first weeks of play, teams will attend mandatory coaching sessions. Throughout the season, mentors are expected to provide feedback to encourage skill development for individuals and for the team as a whole. Some Monday night development sessions will be dedicated to Intermediate players as well.
The Intermediate Coordinator will also encourage development throughout the season. They will share online resources, encourage players to arrive early at gyms to run drills before play, and will check in with players throughout the season.

Season Map Fall '23

 

Intermediate Team Rosters Fall '23

 

(This will be updated when the schedule is completed): Click here for Fall 2023 Schedule and Standings

RECRUITMENT NIGHT - JAN 9 7:00pm - Rosedale SS

For Intermediate (and Competitive) teams who are still looking for players and free agent players still looking for a team, we are having anIntermediate + Comp Division Player Recruitment Night at Rosedale SS.  Please only attend if you are looking to recruit a player(s) and only send 1 or 2 representatives from your team to scope out the recruits - we will have opportunities for team practices in the upcoming weeks.

For individual players still looking for a team, either attend this recruitment night and/or reach out to the ID Coordinator at intermediate@tsvl.org

ROSTER FREEZE

The last day to add players to your team’s roster is ?? W'24. All roster additions must be pre-approved by the Intermediate Division coordinator by e-mailing intermediate@tsvl.org

SUBSTITUTE/DROP IN OVERVIEW

1. Substitute players are allowed in the Intermediate Division, per the Intermediate Substitute Player Policy outlined below.
2. Substitute players and drop-in players are considered the same thing and the terms are interchangeable. These players do not need to be TSVL members in order to play for the first 3 nights they sub.
3. The Sub List is considered a resource for Intermediate teams to know who is available to play when they are in a pinch. While it is not necessary to be on the Sub List to act as a drop-in player, it is a useful way to get your name out there if you want to be called on to sub (and potentially get picked up by a team mid-season). Both members and non-members can be on the Sub List.

POLICY

1. Intermediate teams are responsible for contacting substitute players themselves and must appropriately register their player and notify the Intermediate Division Coordinator (Intermediate@tsvl.org) before the substitute player is used.   If someone else is registering for the substitute player, the sub must complete the waiver of liability form.
2. If a team uses substitute players in any matches without following the above protocol, all matches involving said players will count as defaults.
3. All subs/drop-ins must register as a sub before they play.
4. Subs/drop-ins cannot already be on an Intermediate team.  There are also restrictions about how many Comp players are allowed.  Check the separate policy for this information.
5. A player can only sub/drop-in for the same team 3 times during the season.
6. Subs/drop-in players can play an unlimited number of times during the regular season, but are not allowed to be used during playoffs.
7. Teams can have maximum 2 sub/drop-in players per night, and up to 6 subs/drop-in players per season. As mentioned, they may not use the same sub more than 3 times during a season, or use any sub during playoffs.

FEES
Subs play for *FREE* the first 3 nights they sub! After that, a sub can buy a TSVL membership ($20), which covers any subbing for the rest of the season. This is for subbing across all divisions. This policy was created to make it easier for teams to get subs and avoid playing short-handed or default, and make it easier for subs to get more TSVL action throughout the season!

REGISTRATION(Please read Sub Rules & Fee Info, prior to registering)

SUB REGISTRATION LINK   Only use this link if you've been asked by a captain to sub.

WHO'S ON THE SUBLIST?  CHECK IT HERE:

ID SUBLIST LINK

GET ADDED TO THE SUBLIST:

Email intermediate@tsvl.org. Provide your preferred email contact, court position(s), and pool(s) you wish to sub for.

GET A TSVL MEMBERSHIP (needed after subbing on 3 occasions)

Click here to purchase a TSVL membership ($20/season)

GHOST & DEFAULT PENALTIES

The ghost rule continues as usual: teams playing with a ghost player will only lose serve and not a point when the ghost player rotates into the serving position. Also, with respect to matches defaulted, teams that default will gain points as if they lost the match (i.e. 1 point). The team that defaulted will still lose a defaulted set by a score of 10-0.