Commonwealth League FAQs | wellesleyfieldhockey

Commonwealth Field Hockey League FAQs

The growth of youth field hockey in the metro Boston area has exploded over the past 5 years. Wellesley Youth Field Hockey (WYFH) has played a key role in this growth.

Before the Commonwealth Field Hockey League was started, WYFH, formerly called Wellesley Scoops, offered weekly field hockey to local area youth each Sunday at Wellesley College. WYFH had over 200 players, mostly from Wellesley, but also had good representation from Newton, Natick, Needham and other local town.

What is the Commonwealth Field Hockey League?

Fall 2019, the Commonwealth Field Hockey League was founded and run by Franklin's recreation department. In its first couple of years, most of the towns participating in this league came from Franklin and its neighboring towns. Since then, this league has grown to around 21 towns!

The Commonwealth Field Hockey League runs in the Fall since field hockey's main season is in the Fall.

Commonwealth Field Hockey League's Mission

Emphasizes fun, while developing skills, teamwork, good sportsmanship, self confidence and integrity
Strives to provide equal playing time for all players
Creates balanced teams at each age level
Adheres to a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct of players, coaches and spectators.

Commonwealth Field Hockey League's Responsibilities

In exchange for each member town's commitment, the CFHL will:

Enable competition
Create weekly game schedules for member teams
Post the weekly game schedule
Coordinate with umpire scheduler to arrange umpires as well as junior umpires, when available

Commonwealth Field Hockey League's Competition

The league aims to keep games friendly while acknowledging competition. It is not a pressure filled win at all costs environment.

Town programs agree to the following:

Provide balanced teams in an age group in an effort to compete successfully against teams from other towns
The score will not be posted, broadcasted or announced in any way - either during the game or afterwards
Teams should adjust their play if the game is lopsided (e.e., move player positions)

Age Divisions

Currently, the CFHL has the following age levels:

Grades 1/2
- 7v7 (no goalie) played on a short field (60 yards x 35-40 yards)
- Two 20-minute running halves, 5 minute halftime
- WYFH does not register teams in this division.
Grades 3/4
- 7v7 (+ goalie) played on a short field (60 yards x 35-40 yards)
- Two 20-minute running halves, 5 minute halftime
- WYFH recommends no more than 14 players per team.
Grades 5/6
- 10v10 (+ goalie) played on a full regulation size field
- Four 10-minute running quarters, 2 minutes in between quarters with a 5 minute half-time
- WYFH recommends no more than 19 players per team.
Grades 7/8
- 10v10 (+ goalie) played on a full regulation size field
- Four 12-minute running quarters, 2 minutes in between quarters with a 5 minute half-time
- WYFH recommends no more than 17 players per team.

Wellesley Youth Field Hockey expects players to make field hockey a priority in the Fall. Players who are rostered to a team are expected to make 100% of the scheduled games unless there is an illness or family/personal matter.

Will we still play if it rains or snows?

Similar to WYFH's practice policy, the Commonwealth Field Hockey League expects games to be played even if there is inclimate weather (unless of course there's a state of emergency). Unless it is thunder and lightening, we will play outside on the turf field.

If there is a risk of thunderstorms, parents should stay close by since there is no real shelter at Sprague Field.

If a game is cancelled, communication will be sent via TeamSnap and a notification will be posted to Instagram.

Sportsmanship Policy

Wellesley Youth Field Hockey teaches fundamental basic field hockey skills. We teach respect and good sportsmanship. We encourage friendly competition but recognize that our program is focused on teaching a new team sport to our players. Therefore, patience and respect from our coaches, players and parents are key to positive player experience.

If a player is disruptive to the learning experience, coaches will politely/kindly ask a player to sit out for a drill until the player is ready to engage in a positive way.

Click here to see additional information on WYFH Code of Conduct.