What is a grievance?
A grievance is a complaint against another member (or team) based on something that happened at a NAGVA tournament.
What can a member grieve about?
Pretty much, about anything related to volleyball or tournaments. According to the bylaws: ... [any member] may seek a redress of any volleyball‐related or tournament grievance that directly affects it, her, or him ...
In practice, you can grieve if the following 3 criteria are met:
Something happened at a NAGVA event that directly impacted you in a negative way
There is a member or group of members you believe are responsible for what happened
You believe there is something the individuals in #2 above or NAGVA can do to repair the situation and the damage done to you
Example: You believe that John, the captain of a team you played against, used a player that was not eligible to play in the division. This satisfies the 3 criteria above and you could file a grievance against John (and, maybe, the ineligible player) asking for sanctions and a ruling on the appropriate rating of the ineligible player.
Should I file a grievance?
Ultimately, it is up to you. You are entitled to file and to receive a response. However, many situations and disputes can be resolved amicably without filing a grievance. When in doubt, feel free to contact any Board member to discuss any issues or for support in filing a grievance
How do I file a grievance?
The process is very simple: log into your profile, go to Forms, and fill out the Grievance Form.
What happens after I file a grievance?
The process involves several steps:
The Director of Eligibility will acknowledge receipt of your grievance
They will decide whether your grievance will be heard by themself, by the Board's Executive Officers or by the full Board of Directors
The Director of Eligibility will typically share your grievance with the members you're grieving against and give them an opportunity to respond and provide documentation
He/she will share with you (and the other parties) the decision on the grievance
How long does the process take?
There are several deadlines to ensure the grievance process moves along at a reasonable pace:
Eligibility will acknowledge receipt within 7 days of receiving your grievance
Eligibility then has 10 days to rule on your grievance if he/she is considering the grievance him/herself
If Eligibility decides to forward your grievance to one of the other decision bodies, he/she has 20 days from the receipt to do so
If the Executive Officers or the full Board are considering the grievance, they have 10 days from receiving the complaint from Eligibility to reach a decision
Decisions must be communicated to all parties within 5 days of being reached
What happens if I don't agree with the decision reached on my grievance?
Any party adversely affected by a grievance decision has the right to appeal:
To the full NAGVA Board of Directors if the grievance decision was made by the Director of Eligibility of the Executive Officers of the Board
To the General Membership if the grievance decision was made by the full Board of Directors