The REC Refund Policy
Summary
The refund terms for The REC. It forms part of the registration agreement: by registering and paying, a player confirms they have read and agreed to it.
Every date in this policy is relative to that season's tip-off. Nothing here is fixed to a calendar date, so the policy stands from season to season. Each season publishes its own tip-off date, and the windows below resolve from it automatically.
The version given to a player at registration governs that player's registration. TCL may update this policy for future seasons, and doing so does not change the terms anyone already registered under.
Why the terms are structured this way
Registration fees are not held in reserve. They are committed, often before the season begins, to secure a place and to fund the season: venue bookings, referees and staff, equipment, and for Premium players, personalized jerseys produced to order. Once those commitments are made on a player's behalf they cannot be recovered.
The refund windows track when TCL's money goes out, not when the player changes their mind.
Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Amount paid | What the player has paid toward their registration for a division. Unpaid balances are not counted |
| Processing fee | 5,000 RWF, covering payment and refund processing. Deducted from refunds and credits in every case except cancellation or non-placement by TCL |
| Season Start Date | The date of the first scheduled games of that season, meaning tip-off. Set and published per season |
| Roster Lock Date | Seven days before the Season Start Date, when teams and rosters are finalized. Derived, never set separately |
| Personalized Inventory | Items produced to order for a specific player, including Premium personalized jerseys |
Publishing the tip-off date is what activates this policy for a season. Until a season has a tip-off date, its Roster Lock Date does not exist and no request can be placed in a window.
Refund eligibility
Eligibility depends on when TCL receives the written request by email, not when the player decided.
| When the request is received | What the player is eligible for |
|---|---|
| Before the Roster Lock Date (more than 7 days before tip-off) | Refund of the amount paid, less the processing fee. For Premium players, also less the cost of any Personalized Inventory already ordered |
| On or after Roster Lock, before tip-off (the final 7 days) | No cash refund. A season credit equal to the amount paid, less the processing fee and any Personalized Inventory already ordered, may be issued by the CEO or COO. Credit is valid for the next season of The REC only and is non-transferable |
| On or after the Season Start Date (tip-off onward) | No refund and no credit, except in the specific cases below |
Examples
Using a 100,000 RWF Premium fee, paid in full, with the jersey already ordered at 15,000 RWF:
- The player emails 10 days before tip-off: the refund is 100,000 minus 5,000 minus 15,000 = 80,000 RWF.
- The player emails 3 days before tip-off: no cash refund. A credit of up to 80,000 RWF may be offered.
- The player emails after tip-off: no refund and no credit.
Deposits
- Refunds are always worked out on the amount paid, never on the full fee.
- When a player withdraws, any balance not yet paid is cancelled.
- If the deductions come to more than the amount paid, nothing is refunded and nothing more is owed.
Who decides
The CEO and the COO both hold refund authority, equally. Either can approve or decline any refund or credit, and neither needs the other. Nobody else can commit TCL to a refund or a credit, on a call, on WhatsApp, or in writing.
This applies to every decision in this policy: refunds, credits after Roster Lock, medical credits, and any case that does not fall cleanly into the tables here.
The specific cases
| Case | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Processing fee | Deducted once payment is confirmed, in every case except cancellation or non-placement by TCL |
| Personalized inventory | Premium jerseys are produced to order and cannot be reused or resold. Once ordered for a player, the cost is non-refundable regardless of when the request comes |
| TCL cancels the season | The player chooses: a full refund of the amount paid, or a full season credit. Nothing is deducted |
| TCL cannot place a player | Same as above. Full refund or full credit, at the player's choice. Nothing is deducted |
| TCL cancels a division for insufficient numbers | TCL contacts affected players within 2 business days of the decision. The player chooses: a transfer to an available division, paying or being refunded the price difference, a full credit, or a full refund including the processing fee. If the player has not chosen within 7 days, TCL refunds in full. A refund is paid within 14 business days of the player's choice |
| Medical or injury | With a note from a doctor or clinic, the CEO or COO may issue a credit for the weeks the player cannot play, toward the next season of The REC. The credit is the amount paid, less the processing fee and any Personalized Inventory already ordered, multiplied by the weeks left in the season and divided by the total weeks. Weeks left are counted from the week TCL receives the email. Medical circumstances do not entitle a player to a cash refund |
| Removal for conduct | A player removed for violating the Player Code of Conduct is not entitled to any refund or credit |
| Overpayment or duplicate payment | Refunded in full once verified |
Credits are valid for the next season of The REC only. They are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
How a player requests a refund
By email to info@thecommunityleague.com, including full name, division, payment method, transaction reference, and the reason.
Requests made by any other channel are not valid refund requests. Not WhatsApp, not social media, not verbally. The date the email is received is what determines eligibility, so anyone raising a refund on any other channel should be directed to email immediately, before a window closes on them.
Processing
- Approved refunds and credits are processed within 14 business days of approval
- Refunds go to the original payment method, in Rwandan Francs
- Any charge from the player's own bank or mobile money provider for receiving the refund is the player's
Version 2.0, 8 October 2026