To register for any Invado event, players must sign-up online through the event page at www.invado.ca. Occasionally, when registration deadlines have passed and online windows have closed, late teams/individuals may be able to submit reg fees via e-transfer, but registration is only complete once team or individual registration forms have been completed and submitted.
OF COURSE! Each session, Invado averages about 5-6 teams made up, entirely, of individual registrants (or players who sign up by themselves - or with a friend or two). We always match individual registrants with other like-skilled players (whenever possible), too - so no one feels bored or 'out of place,' etc.
Typically, Invado 'regular' indoor leagues offer 4 timed games a night, while MAX indoor leagues feature 6 games a night and are priced accordingly.
We're always worried about making sure the leagues are safe, fair, and fun for everyone. That's why we use the records from each week to create the schedules for the week that follows. In other words, if your team does really well (goes undefetaed, let's say) - you'll move up a tier to play stronger competition. If you have rough night, then you move down. This approach and system makes each of our (usually) three tiers evenly matched and hotly contested, whether the players on the court are pros or beginners.
YEP! Invado's new E-waiver has been created in conjunction with our partners at the OVA (Ontario Volleyball Association) as must be completed prior to each Invado event. Players under the age of 18 must have a parent/guardian receive and complete the E-waiver, while adult participants need to complete one for themselves, of course. The E-waiver will be emailed to each player at the time of registration (individual registrants receive them in their inboxes instantly, as do team members registered by a team captain), and players/parents/guardians must check a box indicating their agreement to the terms & conditions listed, prior to submission. Once completed, player names will appear as bold on the team rosters listed at www.invado.ca (leagues only), meaning that they are eligible for league play.
The standard length for an Invado league is, generally, 10 weeks of play (10 game days). There are some exceptions to this and prices are always adjusted to reflect those exceptions (pro-rated rates).
In an indoor league, teams usually play 4-6 timed sets per night (depending on the league) during the regular season. No ties are allowed, so if the whistle blows and the score is squared up, you'll need to serve out the final, deciding point! It keeps the night moving and allows each tier to show up, play their games, and get back home or wherever they need to be! It also helps us schedule the night so teams are almost NEVER SITTING OFF!
For beach leagues, teams play at 4-5 matches per night with the same format (as above) for the regular season.
As for the playoffs, they're never timed, follow a best 2 of 3 format, and ALL TEAMS ADVANCE! Invado playoffs are always tiered (whenever possible), so the games are evenly-matched and result in lots of winners and - of course - PRIZES!
Yep - all teams make the playoffs in Invado leagues. And, of course, the playoffs are tiered, so all teams have a fair shot at the loot (prizes awarded for the winners of each tier!).
Players must be, at least, 16 years of age to play in any Invado 'adult' event. This rule may be 'relaxed' to include 15 year-olds, if the player has extensive club (indoor or beach) experience. The reason why we allow participants, under the age of 18, to join our 'adult' events is because we match players based on ability level, rather than age. We, also, do our best to keep our younger players on teams with league members known and trusted by Invado staff, or with other players of a similar age, whenever possible.
Of course, if you - or your child - are too young for our 'adult' events, keep in mind that we always offer a full slate of youth leagues & events, each and every session!
Because Invado has tiered leagues, our points have to reflect the varying levels of competition that a given team would face from week to week. That is, 'all wins and losses are not equal.' For example, a team that has a 2-2 record in Tier 1 should not be tied with a team that has a similar record in Tier 3. So, how does the formula work and why might your team have more wins than a team that's sitting higher than you in the standings? Well - here's the answer...
Want an example? Let's suppose we have 4 teams (Teams A, B, C, & D) that all have a 2-2 record after the first night, but they all played in different tiers (Tier 1-4). They shouldn't be tied in the standings or in the same tier the next week, should they? So, in this scenario, here are the points that would be earned:
Team A (Tier 1) - 18 Points (4 points for 2 wins, 2 points for 2 losses, and 12 points for 4 games played in Tier 1)
Team B (Tier 2) - 14 points (4 points for 2 wins, 2 points for 2 losses, and 8 points for 4 games played in Tier 2)
Team C (Tier 3) - 10 points (4 points for 2 wins, 2 points for 2 losses, and 4 points for 4 games played in Tier 3)
Team D (Tier 4) - 6 points (4 points for 2 wins, 2 points for 2 losses, and 0 points for 4 games played in Tier 4)
Seems like the numbers get pretty big pretty fast, eh? But all that matters is that the standings stay 'true' and that results take into account how tough the match-ups are from week-to-week. Some people think we over-think this stuff and our answer is....darn right! If we didn't, matches wouldn't be much fun for anyone and that's why people call us 'the volleyballogists!'
Yes - just let us know your friend's name (in the handy 'I'm registering with a friend' field) at the time of registration and we'll be sure to place you, together, on the same team!
Roster caps and 'Freeze Dates' exist to prevent teams from adding players to their rosters too close to playoff night or having dormant roster players who only show up for the league playoffs. Prior to 'Roster Freeze Dates' and roster caps, we would have a few teams trying to add 'ringers' to their teams in the days leading up to playoffs or listing strong players who only intended to show-up on playoff night. In response to this unfair practice, rosters were capped and 'roster freeze dates' implemented in order to ensure that the players listed on the roster were ACTUAL team members and not just late additions or names sitting on a roster all session and never playing until playoff night
Occasionally, Invado offers cash prizes to the Tier 1 champions in some league formats/locations. The reason why we reserve the cash prizes for the Tier 1 victors is in order to protect the other tiers from having teams intentionally 'tank' in the weeks leading up to the league playoffs (i.e. if cash was offered in lower tiers, lower ranked Tier 1 teams may intentionally lose games in order to move down in the standings and gain a shot at the 'easier' cash prize on offer in the lower tier). So, cash prizes (if offered) are only available to the top tier in order to ensure that the lower tiers can enjoy their league games and playoffs without intentional 'sand-bagging,' which ruins everyone's fun, of course.
Each league we offer features multiple tiers, so teams of all levels of play are welcome to sign-up! Our unique 'floating tiers' ensure that only like-skilled teams face-off, each night, and our proprietary points system ensures that the overall league standings (point totals) reflect the actual skill level of each team (i.e. teams consistently playing in higher tiers will appear closer to the top of the standings). So, sign-up for whichever league night/format you prefer and we'll make sure that you're on the right court and playing against like-skilled opponents, each & every night!