JMS Terms of use and rules

All 90-minute JMS sessions are not refereed; like other pick-ups, players police their own behavior. There is a captain at every session to balance teams and handle any misbehavior issues should they occur (which is rarely). Please contact the session captain with any concerns.
By registering with the site, you acknowledge that hockey is a physical sport and injuries sometimes occur. You agree not to hold me, JMS Hockey, or the session captains responsible for injuries you sustain on the ice. You also agree to pay for any icetimes you register for. If you cancel less than 48 hours before a session begins, you can be responsible for all or a portion of the skate time you promised to attend.

By registering with the site, you agree to obey the JMS rules:

• No fighting allowed. Ever. Fighting is grounds for ejection without refund for that session.
• Wear full gear. You can leave off the shoulders, but everything else is required. You must have a helmet, but you are allowed to play with no mask or a half shield, though this is NOT advisable. YOU may be a great skater with perfect control, but what about when someone ELSE falls and their stick comes up? If you do need gear, e-mail me, I have loaner pieces.
• Bring a white and a dark jersey. Do not bring yellow, grey or orange as they are neither "dark" nor white.
• "Don't ask, don't tell" -- don't tell someone else what to do unless they ask... and if you ask someone for advice, be clear about what you're asking, or you may hear tips and coaching from them for the entire session.
• Don't come drunk. You won't be allowed to play and your credit will be forfeit. Be responsible: don't come drunk and don't drive drunk!

Using the site

1a. How do I join the JMS community?

Agree to the simple rules and take the online assessment. Follow the Google Checkout link and directions to add money to your JMS account. The funds should appear in about 20 minutes. Go to the "skate times" page and choose the session you'd like. Click it to see more information about it or to sign up.

1b. When are registrations usually available?

I post icetimes on Sunday for the following Friday. For midweek icetimes, such as Tuesdays, I'll post the next week's ice the next day.

1c. What do I need to make the website work correctly?

The website is best viewed with Internet Explorer 6.0 or better or Firefox 2.0 or better. Other browsers will most likely work, but are not supported at this time.

1d. What should I do if I have problems signing up on the website?

First, verify you are logged in. You should see your login name at the top of the screen on the left and a logout link on the top of the screen on the right. Next, check the system requirements (listed in the previous question) to verify you are running a supported browser. Finally, if neither of those things are the solution, please record the date/time, and take a screenshot of your error or the screen you are having trouble with and email both to webmaster@jmshockey.com

1e. What if someone made an inappropriate post to the forums?

Contact me and the forum moderator immediately with the information about the post.

1g. I forgot my password, help?

Use the "forgot password" link under the signup blanks on the main page. Be sure to check the appropriate e-mail (work or home?) for the password reset, as well as any spam or junk folders that might catch an autogenerated message.

1h. I was logged in and then I came back and I wasn't. What's up?

To protect you and your account, the system will time out users after 30 minutes of inactivity. The best method, of course, is to log out when you're done.

1i. How do I edit my post?

Go to the post and below the wide green bar, at the right you'll see a small button that says "EDIT." Click it.

Different experience levels

3a. How do I know what level I am?

Take the online assessment and answer questions with neither excessive pride nor modesty. As a rule of thumb, the sessions should roughly shake down like this:
Level 1 = absolute newbies, AHA beginner school and WHAM C3
Level 2: AHA D2 and WHAM C2
Level 3: AHA D1 and WHAM C1
Level 4: AHA C2 and above, WHAM B2 and above

3b. How does the online assessment work?

After completing it, you can automatically sign up for the level at which your answers placed you. Some people may wish to play at more than one level; e-mail me about this.

Since the survey is self-reporting, I reserve the right to reassign skate levels.

3c. What if I'm a goalie?

There is a special section for goalies in the online assessment. Some people like to skate out and take a net; if you are one of them, do the skater portion of the online assessment and then e-mail me about taking a net, and I'll adjust your profile accordingly.

3d. Help, I think I screwed up the survey!

Send me an e-mail and explain what went wrong.

3e. Why do you ask for personal stuff, like phone number, age and sex?

Phone number: this is most important for the wait list; cancellations happen last minute an not everyone watches e-mail all the time, so I need a more immediate form of contact for these situations. Or, in unusual circumstances, like arena closure due to weather or mechanical problems, or if you left your wallet in the locker room, etc. I will never call you without a reason and never share your private information.

Address information: we use this information to help you find sessions that are near you to skate at. We will never send you anything in the mail.

Age: I've had some requests for a 50+ skate, so I need a way to track those folks.

Sex: Occasionally I hear about women-only ice opportunities and don't want to blast the guys with these.

3f. When do you have sessions for absolute brand-new neophyte skaters?

I run the Level 1 session, for the brand-spankin-newbies, from about October into the summer, depending on how long they keep showing up. Most neophytes disappear in the summer and I can't support a level with such low numbers during that time.

3g. I have never, ever played hockey before. Should I come anyway?

Yes. The only way to get better is to get icetime. JMSers are pretty friendly and we've all been a gawky beginner, usually not too long ago.

Money

2a What does it cost?

It's $15 per session. I had a bonus program for a while (dating back to the last price increase in 05 or 06) but icetimes kept rising to the point where I was losing money and had to do away with it, alas. Goalies always play free.

2b. How do I buy credits?

Choose the "add money" button. You will be taken to Google Checkout and the directions are simple and easy to follow. After you've made your purchase, you can click the link in the middle of the screen to return to the JMS site.

2c. When do credits show up on my account?

In about 20 minutes! This time may be longer if Google Checkout takes a while to validate your charge; usually this happens when there's an address on your account that doesn't match.

2d. Can I give money to someone else?

Yes, just choose the "add money" feature, but instead of adding to your own account, use the option towards the bottom of the page. Type in the other person's user name and follow the directions.

2e. How long are the funds in my account good for?

As long as you're registered with the site. Your JMS account will never expire. You can put money on your account today and not use it for six months or a year. Or you can use it all in two weeks.

2f. I put money on my account but I don't know if I can skate every Friday for the next five weeks.

Then don't sign up. Your account is charged only if you sign up to play. You can sign up for this Friday, next Tuesday, then nothing for three months and come back when you're ready. The only sessions you're charged for are the sessions you register for.

2g. What about refunds if I can't come or move out of town?

See below for standard procedures relating to cancellations. All other refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

2h. I'm having a problem with Google Checkout!

Google Checkout is separate from JMS, so please use that site's help and feedback features.

Prep for the first time at JMS

4a. What do I bring to my first JMS skate?

A full set of hockey gear. This includes: jock/jill, shin pads, hockey socks, hockey skates, breezers, shoulder pads, elbow pads, helmet and stick. I do have loaner equipment, available free. Just make sure we talk about this in advance, so I can bring it.

Also bring a white and a dark jersey. Dark does not include grey, yellow, orange or light blue as these make it tough for everyone to tell which team you're on. It's best to have a jersey that's at least 80% white or 80% dark-some jerseys may technically be "dark," but with so much white on them that they're confusing to teammates and opponents alike. Just use your common sense.

4b. How do I find the locker room?

Usually the arenas will post which locker rooms we have, but the best bet is to follow the other adults towing hockey bags and ask if they're going to JMS.

4c. Is there a locker room for women only?

Nope. Most locker rooms have a bathroom where men or women can put on their jock or jill. I put on my sportsbra and jill in the bathroom and then the rest of my gear in the main room.

4d. Should I bring my wallet or purse to the ice?

Don't EVER leave anything valuable in the locker room. Richfield especially is a problem. I bring only my essential stuff and take valuables to the bench with me.

On the ice: how it works

5a. How do you choose teams?

We toss sticks into the middle after warm-up. Someone -usually the person I have asked to run the session (the captain)-will divide them up between the two sides. Whichever team ends up with more white jerseys is white; the other is dark.

PLEASE, no yellow, orange or grey jerseys for either team; they are too confusing in the whole light-versus-dark dichotomy.

5b. What if there is only one goalie?

Rinks have a "shooter tutor" or board to hang over the open net, with five holes in the corners and the lower middle. It's better than nothing. PLEASE don't "guard" the board when it's up instead of a goalie. This isn't fair and is bas sportspersonship.

With no board, we can tip the net; to score, you must bank a shot off the boards or lift the puck to hit the front (formerly top) netting. The person running the session will switch the teams halfway through so everyone gets a chance to shoot on the goalie. Goalies always skate free, so encourage the ones you know to contact me about playing with JMS.

5c. Will I play the same position all night?

No. We play pick-up style. The subs sit on the bench in order of when they came off the ice. When the next player comes off the ice, he or she will call out the position to the first player in line. The person coming off the ice sits at the end of the line.

5d. How short should shifts be? How do I know when to go to the bench?

Shifts should be short: two minutes maximum. **People don't understand how short two minutes really is. Get in the habit of checking the clock when you go out and when you get back to the bench. **This is one of the strange things about hockey: the more tire we are, the longer we stay on the ice. Why? I don't know, but I'm as guilty as the next person. When you're tired, get off the ice!

5e. If there is no ref, how do we manage icing and offsides?

For offsides, watch your own blue line. If you notice a player was offsides when entering your zone, holler. This is a surprisingly effective learning tool. For icing, we either chase it or let the goalie send it back up the ice-usually depending on how tired we are!

5f. My teammates and I need practice, can we play on the same team at JMS?

Maybe, it depends on which team you end up on! But *JMS is not a substitute for team practices.* JMS exists so adults of varying ability levels can play pick-up in a fun and friendly format. There are other venues for games and practice. And it's a real drag to play pick-up against a line of guys who have been playing together for two years. If you're plotting to come to JMS to dominate, don't bother coming.

5g. My team needs more practice as a unit. If we can't come to JMS and play together there, what can we do?

Post on the forums-someone is always looking to scrimmage.

5f. Do you ever cancel a session?

Rarely. Usually this happens in the summertime, and I will always refund the money and do my best to move skaters to another session. I hate to have to do it so I work hard to avoid this.

Lots of sessions fill at the last minute; it's not unusual (though certainly not preferrable) for a session to have three skaters in the morning, but 16 by icetime that night. Don't start to worry until it's about four hours before icetime and there are only eight skaters. I do absolutely everything I possibly can to make a session work, sometimes we will pull the nets in and play 3-on-3 on short ice.

Keeping it fun, friendly, and pedagogical

6a. I want to complain about someone at my session. How do I do that?

You can try to resolve any issues yourself--we're all adults. I'm here to run things, but that certainly doesn't mean you have to keep mum if someone is taking long shifts or being too chippy. Don't sit and be bitter for an hour and a half.

If you do say something, make sure your comment to the other skater is friendly, mature and appropriate.

If that doesn't work or if you don't want to say something to the skater, contact the captain and ask her or him to use their authority to adjust the situation.

You can also drop me an e-mail. If you do this, you MUST find out the person's name. Saying "The guy in the blue helmet was really fast" doesn't help and I won't be able to change the situation.

6b. One person was taking really long shifts. What do we do in this situation?

Best solution is to remind everyone in general to take short shifts, as people tend to get crabby when singled out. If it's STILL a problem, contact the person running the session. If it's still a problem after that, the person running the session will contact me, though you're free to drop me a note too. Make sure you get a name or I can't do anything about the situation.

6c. One person was being very chippy and/or a jerk and/or clearly unsuited for this level. What do I do?

First of all, get a name. Then either suggest to the person (or ask the captain running the session to suggest) reasonably that they modify their behavior. I can send a note after the fact, but a few words on scene should make a difference right away.

PLEASE make sure you tell the session captain. I pick the captains specially and they are good at spotting people who are in the wrong level or who are too aggressive, so I'll need to hear their opinion on the situation as well.

Once I know something is up, I will do my best to resolve the situation via e-mail, etc., not using your name.

6d. What if the teams aren't even and one is stronger?

People - especially nascent hockey players - have sensitive egos. Skaters on the stronger team won't realize that the score is 8 to 1; for some reason we never notice the teams are unbalanced unless we're on the weaker team.

To even up the teams, some of the stronger players on the dominating team should switch with some of the weaker players on the other team. If you're on the weaker team, discuss it with your bench ("Should we try to even up the teams?") and then send someone over to the other team to ask for some players.

Let the weaker players decide for themselves to change teams. Do NOT start pointing fingers and telling people they should change teams. If you don't want to handle it yourselves, contact the session captain and he or she will even up the benches.

6f. So what is allowed and what isn't?

• Slapshots are okay, but don't take one through traffic.
• No checking allowed, ever.
• Don't take the puck away from your teammates.
• Don't give unsolicited advice.

Waitlist and cancellations

7a. What is the cancellation policy?

You may cancel up to 48 hours before icetime and the funds will be re-credited to your account. If you cancel less than 48 hours before icetime, you may be responsible for some or all of the cost. Ice is expensive and I can't underwrite no-shows. I also understand last-minute stuff happens to everyone, and I want to help both the person who has to cancel and also the person who didn't get on the roster but still wants to play. So we use a wait list. (See below for more info on that.)

If you have to cancel less than 48 hours before icetime, I will do everything I can to fill your spot, including contacting wait-listers. The more time I have, the better. I can't do much a few hours before icetime. And it is a pain for me to have to take you off the roster, contact a wait-lister, make sure she or he still wants to skate, move them to the list, debit their account and re-credit yours. Advance notice is always better.

Days we skate (Mondays, Tuesdays and especially Fridays) can be hectic. The more time I have to find a replacement skater for your canceled spot, the more likely you are to get a full refund. And then we'll both be less stressed.

7b. So what do I do to cancel?

Log into the site, go to the session and click the cancel button under the skate. You can cancel yourself from the list automatically at any time, even within the 48-hour pre-icetime window. However, if you do cancel less than 48 hours before icetime and someone doesn't take your spot, then you will not be refunded for the session fee.

Sessions are posted a full week before icetime and are locked only 48 hours in advance, so if you need to cancel, it helps us both if you do it sooner rather than later.

7c. I canceled, where is my refund?

If you canceled more than 48 hours before icetime, whether you receive a refund or not will depend on whether or not someone fills your spot. I'll do what I can, and you're welcome to encourage JMS pals of the appropriate ability level to sign up and take your spot.

7d. The session is full but I still want to play. What do I do?

Sessions are posted a full week in advance, so make a note to sign up earlier next week. Then, log in to the site and click the waitlist link under the session you want to play.

Signing up for the waitlist does not debit your account, but you must have funds in your account to cover the icetime fee if you are bumped to the main roster.

You must have a phone number on file to sign up for the wait list. I will e-mail or call (on short notice) if a spot comes open.

Being on the wait list is not a guarantee that you will play. If someone cancels, I will contact you. If you don't hear from me, it means there was no room. Do not just show up at the arena. If a spot is open, I will call.

7e. So, I'm on the wait list. How do I know if I get to play?

Wait for me to contact you about a cancellation. Do not just show up at the rink!

I can't predict cancellations. They happen when someone has a flat tire or gets sick or has to work late or gets injured. As soon as I hear about a cancellation, I will contact the first person on that session's wait list. If she or he wants the spot, they get it and the second person on the wait list moves up to the wait list number one spot.

Sometimes the wait list gets long, but it all depends on who is available. I have had to reach down to the sixth person on a wait list a few times before, because numbers one through five made other plans or decided they didn't want to play.

7f. How will you contact me about the wait list?

I will send an e-mail first, and then call as time gets short. If you're on the wait list, check your e-mail as you can.

7g. How do I cancel from the wait list?

Log into the system, go to that session and click Òcancel.Ó You will not receive any refunds to your account because the wait list does not debit your account when you sign up.

7h. I think I signed up for a wait list, how can I tell?

Go to the session and the status bar at the bottom of the screen will tell you if you're on the wait list and if you are, what number.

7i. There is an open spot but I got put on the wait list. Why?

The session locks 48 hours before icetime, but the waitlist feature will trip as soon as the session has 21 skaters. If someone cancels, which is allowed before the session locks, then that spot is open. If the system just moved Wait Lister #1 into that spot, neither I nor the wait lister would know she or he had been moved. And of course it wouldn't be fair for someone to be able to just grab that open spot an jump in front of the folks who are already on the wait list.

So I have to move people manually from the wait list to the main roster; by doing this, it ensures that I have communicated with the wait lister about the spot. Make sure to have the best contact number listed on your account, so if you're a wait lister I can reach you right away to tell you a spot is now open.

Miscellaneous

8a. Can I bring my kid?

Usually, no. I run JMS so adults who would be over their head at other open pick-ups can play with people of their own skill.

There are lots and lots of places where kids of all ages and abilities can get more icetime. JMS is for adults. But if the benches are REALLY short and it's less than 48 hours before icetime, I will consider it... provided YOU are okay with your kid playing with much larger people who are not very skilled (ie, not good at stopping and might fall over on your child) and your kid knows pick-up etiquette (short shifts, no incessant scoring, etc.).

8b. Can I bring a guest?

Yes, but you will have to contact me about this. If this person is here from out of town and will be skating only once or twice, I will add them to the roster as a JMS Guest. If it's a friend, trying out JMS, they should create their own userID (both for placement purposes with the online skills assessment, as well as having a record of all their JMS sessions, going back to this very first one).

8c. Can I play two sessions in one night?

Usually, no. Because I run JMS to help beginner adults get more icetime (and therefore improve), I'd rather have more people get 90 minutes of ice instead of less people get three hours. Sometimes I will let people skate more than one session if the session following theirs is appropriate for their ability and desperately in need of skaters.