The Dig ND

Terms and policies

1. Terms of Use

Effective October 25, 2026. By using The Dig ND (thedignd.com) (the "Site"), you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site. The Site is owned and operated by Leon M. Walter of Fargo, North Dakota ("we," "us").

1.1 What the Site is. The Site publishes results, records, schedules and ratings for North Dakota high school girls' volleyball, along with season guides, history and fan polls. It is independent. It is not operated, sponsored or endorsed by the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA), any school, conference, newspaper or other source it cites.

1.2 Results and ratings. Results come from public sources and from reports by participating schools, verified as described in the Score Reporting Policy (section 4). Ratings are produced by a published formula described in the Ratings and Independence Policy (section 5). We work to keep everything accurate, but results can contain errors and ratings are estimates. The Site is provided for information and entertainment. Do not rely on it for official standings, seeding, eligibility or any decision of a school or association. Official records are kept by NDHSAA and the schools.

1.3 School accounts. Accounts are issued only to coaches and athletic directors we approve, one per school. You must give accurate information, keep your login private, and tell us promptly if it may have been misused. You are responsible for what is reported through your school's account. We may suspend or remove an account that reports false information or breaks these Terms.

1.4 Acceptable use. You agree not to:

1.5 Content and ownership. The Site's design, text, ratings, rating formula documentation and compiled presentation belong to Leon M. Walter. Game results themselves are facts and belong to no one. You may share links to the Site and quote individual results or ratings with credit to The Dig ND. School names, nicknames and logos belong to the schools; the Site displays a school's logo only with that school's permission (section 8). Content you submit is covered by the Community Submissions Policy (section 7).

1.6 Links and sponsors. The Site links to other websites and displays sponsor messages under the Sponsorship Policy (section 6). We are not responsible for other websites or for sponsors' products and services.

1.7 Disclaimers. The Site is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose and uninterrupted availability.

1.8 Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent the law allows, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, or for any loss arising from use of or reliance on the Site. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Site is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim or $100.

1.9 Changes. We may change the Site and these Terms. Changes to these Terms take effect when posted with a new effective date; material changes will be noted on the Site. Continued use after a change means you accept it.

1.10 Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of North Dakota. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Cass County, North Dakota.

1.11 Contact. Questions about these Terms: info@thedignd.com.

2. Privacy Policy

Effective October 25, 2026. We collect as little as the Site needs, we never sell personal information, and the Site shows no ad-network or tracking ads.

2.1 What we collect.

From What Why
Visitors Pages viewed, approximate region, device type, referring site, collected without tracking cookies Count visitors and show sponsors overall traffic
Poll voters One vote per poll, with a device or session marker to limit repeat voting Run fair polls
School account holders Name, school, role, school email, phone (optional), login records Verify who reports results and contact them about reports
People who submit content or contact us Name, email, the material sent Review submissions, credit contributors, answer questions
Sponsors Business contact and billing details Run sponsorships

2.2 How we use it. Only to operate the Site, verify results, run polls, handle submissions, run sponsorships, keep the Site secure, and meet legal obligations. Sponsors receive overall traffic figures only, never information about individual visitors.

2.3 Sharing. We do not sell or rent personal information. We share it only with service providers who host or run the Site for us (for example, hosting, database and email services), under their own confidentiality and security terms; when the law requires; or to protect the Site, its users or others from harm.

2.4 Cookies. The Site uses only the cookies needed to keep account holders logged in and to limit repeat poll voting. It uses no advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

2.5 Children and student-athletes. The Site is meant for a general audience of fans, families, coaches and media. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them; if we learn we have, we delete it. Information about student-athletes that appears on the Site is covered by section 3.

2.6 Retention. Account records are kept while the account is active and for up to two years after. Submissions we decline are deleted within 90 days. Results and their source records are kept permanently as part of the historical record.

2.7 Your choices. You may ask to see, correct or delete personal information we hold about you by writing to info@thedignd.com. We will respond within 30 days. Results and verification records that form the historical record are corrected rather than deleted.

2.8 Security. We use reasonable safeguards, including encrypted connections and access limited to people who need it. No system is perfectly secure.

2.9 Changes and contact. Changes take effect when posted with a new effective date. Questions: info@thedignd.com.

3. Student-Athlete Information Policy

The Site is about teams. Most high school players are minors, so individual information is kept to what schools already make public.

3.1 What the Site shows about current players. Only name, school, grade and position, and only when the school submitted it (for example, in a preseason questionnaire) or it comes from a public honor or announcement: all-region and all-state teams, state awards, and college commitments the school has announced. Every player listed on a "players to watch" list shows the reason she is listed.

3.2 What the Site does not show about current players unless the school gives written permission: photos, individual statistics or leaderboards, profiles, contact details, social media accounts, or any information about health, injuries, eligibility or discipline.

3.3 Former players. Graduates may appear in history features (state tournament recaps, all-time teams, records) using public sources such as newspapers and yearbooks. Photos are used only when the person who submits them has the right to share them.

3.4 Removal. A player, parent or guardian, or school may ask us to remove a current player's name or details by writing to info@thedignd.com. We remove it within 7 days. A team's results are not removed, since they are public records of the school.

4. Score Reporting, Verification and Corrections Policy

A result counts on the Site only when it is confirmed by the other school or by a third-party source. No result is accepted on the owner's word alone.

4.1 Who can report. Coaches and athletic directors with an approved school account (section 1.3). Each report gives the date, opponent, match score in sets and, if available, the points in each set. Reports must mark matches against JV teams; those count in records but not in ratings.

4.2 How a report becomes official.

  1. The report is posted as pending. It does not count in records or ratings.
  2. The opposing school is asked to confirm or dispute it.
  3. It becomes official when the opposing school confirms it within 48 hours, or when the same result appears in a third-party source: NDHSAA, ND ScoreFeed or a newspaper.
  4. If it is not confirmed within 48 hours, or the schools disagree, the owner verifies it against a third-party source. If no source confirms it, it stays pending.

4.3 Every verification cites its source. The source's name, a link or copy, and the date checked are recorded with the result and shown on the match.

4.4 Results from other sources. Results the Site collects from public sources follow the same rules: when two sources disagree, the result is held until a third source or both schools settle it.

4.5 Corrections. Anyone may request a correction at info@thedignd.com or through the link on each match. Corrections are verified the same way as new reports. Every change to a result is logged with the date, the old and new score, and the source; the log is public on the match.

4.6 Misuse. An account that reports false results may be suspended or removed (section 1.3).

5. Ratings and Independence Policy

The Site reports facts and formula results, not its owner's opinions. Team ratings come only from the Win Value Rating (WVR), a published formula applied the same way to every team.

5.1 How ratings are made. The WVR uses only match results: who won, the set score, and the strength of each opponent. The full method is published on the Site's "How the ratings work" page.

5.2 No manual adjustments. No team's rating is ever raised, lowered or reordered by hand.

5.3 Formula changes. Any change to the formula is published with its reason and test results, applied to every team at once, and made between seasons unless a correction is needed during a season, in which case it is announced on the Site.

5.4 Predictions and projections (win chances, preseason projections) are calculated from the same formula.

5.5 Opinions on the Site come from others and are labeled: fan polls are marked as fan polls and kept separate from ratings, and preseason previews are attributed to the coaches who wrote them.

5.6 Disclosure. The Site's owner, Leon M. Walter, is a registered NDHSAA volleyball official. Officiating has no connection to the Site's ratings, results, sponsorships or content, and the owner never verifies a result on their own account (section 4.3).

6. Sponsorship and Advertising Policy

Schools, booster clubs and businesses may sponsor pages on the Site. A sponsorship is the sponsor's own decision. It does not mean the Site or its owner endorses the sponsor, and it does not reflect the views of the Site's owner. Sponsorship buys a place on the page and nothing else: it has no effect on ratings, rankings, results, previews or any other content.

6.1 Same terms for everyone. The same sponsorship options and prices are offered to every school and booster club. Current options and prices are listed at thedignd.com/sponsors.

6.2 Labeling and placement. Every sponsor message is labeled "Sponsor." Each page carries at most two sponsor spots, placed beside the content and never inside a rankings table or list of results. The Site uses no pop-ups, auto-playing video or ad networks.

6.3 Not accepted: gambling or sports betting; alcohol, tobacco, vaping or cannabis; adult content; political or issue campaigns; weapons; and any message that is false or misleading, or that targets a school, team, player, coach or official.

6.4 Review. We may decline or remove any sponsor message that does not meet this policy. A sponsor whose message is removed for a policy reason receives a prorated refund.

6.5 Officiating. The Site's owner is a registered volleyball official. Sponsorships have no connection to officiating assignments or decisions.

7. Community Submissions and Polls Policy

Fans, former players and schools may send photos, programs, newspaper clippings, records and stories for the Site's history and season features. Every submission is reviewed before it appears.

7.1 Your rights in what you send. You keep ownership of what you submit. By submitting, you confirm you have the right to share it (you took the photo, own the item, or have permission), and you give Leon M. Walter a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to publish, crop, caption and display it on the Site and in the Site's own promotion. You may ask us to remove it later at info@thedignd.com; we remove it within 14 days.

7.2 Credit. Submissions are credited as you ask: your name, initials, or "submitted by a reader."

7.3 What we won't publish: anything that breaks section 1.4 or section 3, material you don't have the right to share, or claims about people that we can't check against a source.

7.4 Newspaper material. Clippings are used to verify results and history. We summarize and cite them, and publish a short excerpt or an image of a clipping only when the publisher allows it or the use is brief and credited.

7.5 Polls. Polls are fan opinion, labeled as such, and never affect ratings. One vote per person per poll; we may remove votes that appear automated or repeated. Results show the vote count and the time the poll closed.

8. School Logo Permission Policy

The Site shows a school's logo only after the school gives permission through the Site's logo permission form. Until then, the school's page shows its name and colors.

8.1 Who can give permission. A person with authority to approve use of the school's marks, such as the superintendent, principal or activities director. The form is sent from or confirmed through an official school email address, and the owner confirms it with the school before any logo appears.

8.2 What the school grants. A non-exclusive, royalty-free permission for the Site to display the logos the school provides:

The school chooses which of these uses it allows on the form.

8.3 What the Site will not do. Alter a logo other than resizing it; use it on merchandise or anything sold; place it in or beside a sponsor message, unless that school is the sponsor; or suggest the school endorses the Site or any sponsor.

8.4 Changing or withdrawing permission. A school may change or withdraw permission at any time by writing to info@thedignd.com. The logo is removed within 7 days. Past printed or downloaded copies can't be recalled.

8.5 Records. The Site keeps each school's signed form, the logo files and any changes, with dates.

9. Copyright Complaints and Contact

If you believe material on the Site infringes your copyright, send info@thedignd.com a notice with: the work you own, where it appears on the Site (link), your contact information, a statement that you believe in good faith the use is not authorized, and a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the notice is accurate and you own the right or act for the owner. We will review it promptly and remove material that infringes. The person who submitted it may send a counter-notice to the same address.

Contact for everything else (corrections, removal requests, school accounts, sponsorships, privacy): info@thedignd.com.