MEDIA INFORMATION

2009 CALGARY STAMPEDERS MEDIA POLICY

The 2009 Calgary Stampeders Media Policy was created in conjunction with the 2009 Canadian Football League National Media Policies and Procedures. All Stampeders policies adhere to the CFL document and are subject to change in accordance with the document. The Stampeders communication staff also reserves the right to respond on a case-by-case basis with other measures to help the media do their job and/or to protect the football club.

MEDIA REGULATIONS:
A. Game Day Access
    i) Pre-Game: Media accredited with Press Box passes are allowed on the field until five minutes prior to kickoff. Media accredited with Sideline passes may remain. There will be absolutely no locker-room access prior to the game. Game Day pre-game interview requests must be arranged 48 hours in advance and must be conducted no later than two hours prior to game.

    ii) During Game: Media granted on-field Sideline access during the game must remain outside the Players’ Box and within designated areas at all times. Any members of the media found inside the Players’ Box or outside of designated areas will be relocated and credentials may be revoked at the discretion of Stampeders communication staff.
    Because of limited space in the press box, auxiliary media areas will be created. One is in the media room — where the pre-game media meal is served — and the other is a designated area at field level. This field-level area will be located on the pavement in the southeast corner of the stadium and media must remain in the designated area or risk having credentials revoked.

    iii) Post-Game: With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, media with Press Box passes will be escorted to a designated area of field level until the game’s completion. In certain circumstances, controlled on-field media availability (players only) may occur immediately following the conclusion of the game to a maximum of five minutes after the final whistle (as determined by Stampeders communication staff). Timing should be indicated on the stadium score clock. Following on-field availability, there will be a period designated as “team time” where no interviews will occur and the locker-room is closed to the media. “Team time” will last no more than 15 minutes, at which time head coach/general manager John Hufnagel will be brought to the designated interview area. Once media is finished speaking with Hufnagel, the locker-room will open to working media.

B. Day Before Game
A pre-game press conference will be held the day before games in a designated interview area of the home team. Both head coaches (and possibly a player) will attend to answer questions from members of the media between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time. Both head coaches shall make best efforts to conduct back-to-back press conferences in the same venue. If a team is not able to practice the day before a game or is unable to do a formal media conference because of flight delays or some other occurrence, the coach and some select players will be made available to the media at a designated hotel or facility.

C. Practice Days
Practice schedules for the upcoming week will be released in advance — usually on Game Day — and are accessible at Stampeders.com.

    i) Open practices: The Stampeders will provide media with a minimum of 20 minutes to observe practices. In accordance with the CFL Media Policies and Procedures, teams have the right to close practices at all times outside of this period.

    ii) Shooting practice: Stampeders communications staff reserve the right to restrict photography (still or video) during portions of practice. Photographers cannot shoot during team and skelly drills but generally can shoot stretching, individual and fundamental drills. Plays should never be described or exposed publicly.
Tripods are permitted only on the East sideline of McMahon Stadium and must be manned at all times or completely removed from the field of play. For the protection of players, television and still photographers must remain at least five yards off the field of play, behind the line of scrimmage and out of the end zones.

    iii) Coach interviews: John Hufnagel will be available to the media immediately after practice sessions. Interviews with assistant coaches must be requested through the Stampeders communications staff and they will be available as soon as possible after practice.

    iv) Player interviews: On practice days, the locker room, excluding separate training and Stampeders personnel areas, will be opened to the media. To assist with specific requests, media are encouraged to identify players of interest to Stampeders communications staff in advance.

D. Off-Day
While coach and player media availability is not required on off-days, Stampeders communications staff may accommodate in special cases and/or upon specific requests from the media for interviews.
Coaches, players and office staff will redirect media approaches outside of designated interview times to the Stampeders communication staff.

E. Training camp
The Stampeders locker-room is closed during training camp. Players and John Hufnagel are available immediately after the morning and afternoon sessions. Assistant coaches can be made available upon request but their availability is entirely dependant upon their meeting schedules. Regular-season rules apply with regards to shooting practice during training camp.

Contact:

Mitch Bayliss
Coordinator, Community and Media Relations
403-284-6441
mbayliss@stampeders.com

Main switchboard: 403-289-0205
Fax: 403-282-1843