Registration is open

1/16/2017

Benicia Bocce League 2017 Team Registration Notice

Attention all BBL Capos, league members and enthusiasts,

Team registration for the 2017 season is now open. It’s a new year and with the construction of the new courts underway, many changes are in the works for the upcoming season. Below are details of the more significant ones we all need to be aware of.

Divisions

Due to extra courts and anticipated demand, the league will be reorganized from the current 4-division format into a 7-9 division format with each division playing the same night or day each week. Each evening, Sunday through Friday will be its own division. If demand warrants we will also create 1-3 weekend divisions that would play on Saturday and/or Sunday mornings at 9:00am & Saturday evening at 6:00pm. Each evening division will consist of 8-9 teams. The number of teams in the Saturday/Sunday morning & Saturday evening divisions will be dependent upon demand. The league will not be divided into competitive and recreational divisions for the 2017 season since we anticipate a significant influx of new players of unknown skill levels. The league will re-evaluate this option at the end of the 2017 season for the 2018 season. The makeup of the new divisions will be announced sometime in late March or early April.

Registration (Closes March 1, 2017)

Registration is now 100% on-line only and should only take a few minutes to complete. 
Registration dues remain the same as last year at $350 per team, plus $10 for each team member for City of Benicia maintenance fees. Payment is due upon submission of your application. All major credit cards are accepted. Though not mandatory (except for the Capos), we encourage all league members to include your email address in the roster section of the form to keep you informed of league activities. To complete the application, each new or existing team must designate a Capo (captain) & Co-Capo and have a minimum of 6 team members (including the Capo & Co-Capo) and a maximum of 12 team members. The league is open to men & women and you need not be a Benicia resident. There is no minimum age requirement but  more than ½ of the team must be at least 18 years old. 

Returning Teams

Returning teams from the three 2016 evening divisions have priority for the 6 new Sunday-Friday evening divisions they prefer to play, with top priority given to teams wanting to play on one of the 2 nights they played previously.  However please provide your 2nd and 3rd division choices in the space provided in the application. Several returning teams from the Saturday/Sunday day division have expressed a wish to move to one of the evening divisions. If you do, you will have 2nd priority for the evening division vacancies. Returning Saturday/Sunday day league teams wishing to continue playing on weekends will be placed in a new weekend division if demand warrants it. From initial estimates from the waiting list, we expect the demand will be there to create at least 1 weekend division but we won’t know for sure until registration closes and we review all preferences.

New Teams

We anticipate we will be able to place all new teams somewhere but your first or second preferences are not guaranteed. New teams that have split from existing 2016 teams will have 3rd priority for any evening division they prefer to play. New team priority is determined by the date you signed up on the waiting list. Newly formed teams consisting of all new members have last priority for any evening division they desire to play. If we can’t place your team somewhere agreeable, your registration money will be fully refunded.

Teams Looking for Players and Players Looking for Teams

If you are a returning or new team looking for players, or an individual looking to join a team you can go to the Find-a-Team Facebook page we have created to connect teams with individuals. Press the +Join Group button and let others know of your interest.

***** Remember, Registration closes March 1st. *****

Liability Waiver Forms

Signed liability waiver forms are required from all teams/players, which are due at the Capos Meeting, the date to be determined. We will send out new 2017 forms in fillable PDF format after the close of registration.

Season Schedule

We anticipate a later start to the season this year due to new court construction and we won’t know a date for sure until construction nears its final stages. As of now, construction is scheduled for completion mid-May, weather permitting. It’s been raining quite a bit lately. The number of matches may have to be reduced and/or bye weeks eliminated for the 2017 season.

Capos Meeting

Attendance at the Capos Meeting, held before the start of the season, is mandatory for all Capos & Co-capos. The date, time and location is still to be determined.

Playoff Format

With the new division structure, the playoff format will definitely change for the coming season. The playoff structure will be determined after the new league divisions have been determined and we know the number of teams in each division.   ​

Thanks everyone. It's an exciting time for our league. We look forward to seeing you on the courts.

 - Benicia Bocce League

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