MECTA exists essentially to "promote, publicize and encourage physical fitness through track and field". It also creates an environment for social interaction and friendly competition between corporations (" any company, partnership, joint venture or government entity which conducts business or engages in business activities in the State of Maine")
The draft is a way to allow individuals not affiliated with a company (or those whose employer does not have a team associated with MECTA) to participate in events.
How does the draft work?
Anyone desiring to compete in MECTA, but is not able to affiliate with an existing team according to Article V of the By-Laws of the MECTA, can participate.
The draft coordinator will maintain a database for the current year containing all of the registrant’s information, and confirmation of their payment status. Draft list status updates will be given at each monthly meeting prior to the season the list will be brought to the MECTA meeting prior to the deadline for team registration. This will be the meeting where the Individual Draft for the current season is held.
At the scheduled meeting for the Individual Draft the draft process will begin by reviewing the entire Draft List of individuals for accuracy. It will be verified that the $50 payment has been received from each individual on the list. If it has not been received but is clearly understood that it is forthcoming, the meeting attendees may vote to approve that name for the list. Otherwise the name will be deleted from the list.
Upon completing verification of the Draft List, each team will have the opportunity to choose one athlete for their team from that list. Teams that are unable to attend the meeting may email there selection to the draft coordinator at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Teams may abstain if they wish. As individuals are selected, their names will be taken off of the list as they are now assigned to teams. Once each team has had the opportunity to select one individual the names remaining on the list will be put into the "hat". Teams will select from the "hat" in an order based on their current team roster, with the smallest team picking first. Teams will select names in that order until all names are drawn and all individuals have been assigned to teams. Teams may abstain from this process if they wish. Only teams that are in attendance at the meeting may participate in the phase of the draft process.
Once all individuals have been assigned to teams, the team assignments will be confirmed with the MECTA Board member who maintains the team rosters. This Board member will insure that the individuals are accurately registered to their assigned teams and assigned numbers for the first meet of that season.
If additional people are interested in being drafted after this meeting, the next team scheduled to make a selection will have the opportunity to take that person. If a team decides to waive the option to select an individual, they will lose their right to select again until the full order of teams has been completed.
This draft order will continue for the remainder of the season insuring all interested individuals are assigned to teams and allowed to compete.
Team Captains are responsible for contacting the individuals that have been assigned to their teams prior to the next meet of the season. They may obtain contact information from the draft coordinator.
Draft Rules
1. Individuals not employed by a current MECTA team may choose
to pay an individual fee and be selected as a draftee by a
current MECTA team.
2. The draftee fee will be $50 per draftee.
3. The purpose of allowing individuals to compete in MECTA should be
to encourage more companies to enter the league while at the same
time distributing athletes in such a way as to help maintain current
membership. Every effort should be made to distribute draftees in a
fair and open process that keeps the league’s overall health, growth,
and stability as the top priority.
4. Teams are encouraged to divulge any and all information they have
on draftee's to other teams so captains more in the know will not
have an advantage over new teams or over teams that are not as
familiar with the athletes.
5. In order to distribute the draftees evenly, a draft will be held at
the April team captains’ meeting where teams may select individuals.
6. A draft director will be selected and will contact all previous
year’s draftees to inform them of the fee schedule and request
information such as sex, age, event interest, and projected
times/distances using a standard form. The draft director will
compile this information and distribute it to team captains prior
to the April team captains’ meeting.
7. The total number of draftees will be limited to 15% of the total
MECTA membership. If this limit is reached during a round, the
round will be allowed to finish, but another round will not be
started even if there are remaining athletes.
8. Any teams who merge after selecting picks will immediately release
all draft picks back into the pool.
9. Teams may choose to keep up to five (5) of their own draftees from
the previous year. However, a team will forfeit one pick in the
current year’s draft for each draftee retained. Also, a returning
draftee may opt not to join the same team and reenter the draft to
be selected by a different team.
10. Teams will select draftees in reverse order of total points scored
in the previous MECTA season. The team that scored the fewest
points will select first. New teams will select after the previous
year’s highest scoring team in the order in which team fees were paid.
11. A round is completed when each team has either selected a draftee,
abstained from selecting a draftee or forfeited a selection by
protecting a previous year’s draftee.
12. Four or more individuals from the same company who compete as
draftees in the same year will not be eligible to compete as
draftees in the following year, but must form a new team.
Every effort by MECTA membership will be made to assist them
in this process. In the event of special circumstances, a vote
can be made by the MECTA Captains to allow exceptions to this
rule on a case by case basis.
13. Draftee's will not be allowed to compete in any MECTA meets until
the $50 draftee fee is received by the treasurer.
