USQ Update
Event Sanctioning Program in 2018-19 Season
Information on how to apply for event sanctioning next season, including financial support grants, is now available.
USQ’s Event Sanctioning program is available for both official and unofficial events. The program aims to standardize tournament play and provide a higher standard of quality and safety for players nationwide. In the 2017-18 season, 16 events were sanctioned, and approximately $1,000 was distributed in financial support grants. Additional information will be available in USQ’s annual report, which will be published in fall 2018.
In the 2018-19 season, $1,500 will be available for financial support grants. Typical awards of financial support range from $150-$300 and are generally used towards tournament essentials including field reservations and medical staff costs.
New application deadlines are in place for events requesting financial support, with the goal of increasing transparency for TDs who are applying for financial support. If financial support is requested, applications must be received by the following dates:
- For events September 15 - October 31: August 30, 2018
- Grants will be awarded starting the week of September 3.
- For events November 1 - December 31: September 13, 2018
- Grants will be awarded starting the week of September 17 .
- For events January 1 - February 28: November 15, 2018
- Grants will be awarded starting the week of November 19.
- For events March 1 - April 30: January 17, 2019
- Grants will be awarded starting the week of January 21.
For best consideration, TDs are encouraged to submit their sanctioning application as early as possible. Please note that there is limited financial support available for events outside of the September 15 to April 30 time frame. Applicants hosting events between May 1 and September 14 are encouraged to apply at least three months in advance. If financial support is requested, a full itemized event budget, including both expenses and revenue, must be submitted with the application along with a statement of need and purpose for the requested funds, specifying the amount of funding requested.
For events not requesting financial support, applications must be received at least one month before the tournament, though applications received after that point will be considered on a case by case basis.
New for next season, Quidditch Canada (QC) members may attend USQ-sanctioned events without paying an additional $10 per person sanctioned event registration fee. However, Quidditch Canada members will not be covered by our accident insurance policy unless they pay the $10 per person registration fee. More information on how players can participate in sanctioned events is available on this page.
Additionally, for unofficial matches involving Quidditch Canada teams or players, including fantasy tournaments featuring both American and Canadian players, we will accept QC head referee certification in lieu of USQ head referee certification. Lead assistant referees will still be required. QC referees need to have passed the written QC assistant referee, sitch referee, and head referee tests to serve in the LAR role. Certified HRs and LARs must still be paid the standard league fee ($15/game for HR and $10/game for LAR) for these games.
TDs can apply for event sanctioning here. For questions, email Events Director Mary Kimball at events@usquidditch.org.
