The Governing By-laws of
The Northern Counties Soccer Association
September 1, 1997 - August 31, 1998
I. NAME
This Association shall be known as the Northern Counties
Soccer Association of New Jersey, also referred to as N.C.S.A.
II. PURPOSE
The Association shall be a non profit educational
organization, the purpose of which shall be to develop, promote and govern the game of
youth soccer. The Association shall conduct business with due respect to the spirit of the
game and for the benefit of the players.
III. COLORS
The representative colors of the Association shall be blue
and white.
IV. AFFILIATION
This Association shall be affiliated with the New Jersey
State Youth Soccer Association (N.J.S.Y.S.A.) and comply with the authority of the
N.J.S.Y.S.A., United States Youth Soccer Association, U.S.S.F., and F.I.F.A.
V. MEMBERSHIP
A. CLUB CONCEPT
B. DEFINITIONS
1. CLUB
A Club shall be defined as an organization that manages youth
soccer teams, of a given gender, participating in competition conducted by the N.C.S.A. It
is recognized that one organization may manage boys and girls teams.
2. MEMBER CLUB
A Member Club shall be defined as a Club that meets the
following requirements:
a. Has elected officers
b. Has access to (1) field for each (4) teams
c. Has at least one team in (3) consecutive divisions
d. Has been elected to membership
3. PROBATIONARY CLUB
A Probationary Club shall be defined as a Club that:
a. Meets requirements a.b.c. of section V.B.2
b. Has been accepted by the Board of Directors into
competition for a (4) consecutive season probationary period. Upon completion of the (4th)
consecutive season, a Probationary Club may be elected to Member Club status upon the
recommendation of the Board of Directors and approval by 2/3 of the Member Clubs [cr]
Approval shall be by written ballot.
4. ASSOCIATE CLUB
An Associate Club shall be defined as a Club that does not
meet requirement of section (V.B.2.c) or is only entering the spring season competition
Associate Clubs shall only be accepted by the Board of Directors on a seasonal year basis,
provided such participation does not cause undue hardship for Member or Probationary Clubs
or complications in the schedule.
C. RIGHTS OF CLUBS
1. A Member Club shall have:
a. The right to vote in accordance with the By Laws.
b. The first right to enter teams into each division in each
season of competition.
c. The first right to Association sponsored tournaments.
d. Any and all rights expressly set forth in the By Laws.
2. A Probationary Club shall have:
b. Preference over Associate Club in entering regular season
competition or any Association sponsored tournaments.
3. An Associate Clubs shall have:
D. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLUBS
All clubs and teams shall be governed by the of the
Association, the Rules of Competition, all the and regulations as adopted by the Board of
Directors, and all other applicable rules and regulations of the NJ State Youth Soccer
Association.
E. REMOVAL OF CLUBS
A Member Club can be removed from membership for any
violation of the or Rules of Competition by recommendation of the Board of Directors and
approval of 2/3 of the remaining Member Clubs. Said approval to be by written ballot.
Member Clubs who specifically violate any of the requirements
in section (V.B.2) shall have one Seasonal Year to correct violation. Failure to correct
the violation will cause the club to automatically lose its member status without due
process.
Probationary and Associate Clubs may be removed from the
Association by an affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Board of Directors (no
abstentions permitted) for any violation of the or Rules of Competition. (see Definitions
V.B.)
VI. FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
A. REGISTRATION FEES
The full season fees shall be determined by the Board of
Directors and paid by each team as required in the Rules of Competition.
B. BOND
A Bond, set forth in the Rules of Competition, shall be
deposited with N.C.S.A. by each Club at the time of admission and shall serve as security
for the fulfillment of any and all obligations, financial or otherwise, for the scheduled
season.
Any money due N.C.S.A. at the end of the Seasonal Year shall
be deducted from the Bond, at which time the Board account must be brought to current
status on the club or team shall be considered to be delinquent.
A team withdrawing from the Association must request a refund
in writing of any bond money within one year of withdrawal or the money shall become the
property of N.C.S.A.
C. FINES AND UNPAID FEES
Payment of fines or fees by a Club shall be due within thirty
(30) days from issuance of notice or issuance of the Games Conduct Committee’s
report.
D. DELINQUENCY
Any club owing monies to N.C.S.A. for more than thirty (30)
days shall be considered delinquent. Any club owing money to N.C.S.A. for more than sixty
(60) days shall be automatically suspended from competition.
The time period described above will exclude any delay in
payment due to a protest, reconciliation of the balance or any other legitimate reason.
The treasurer shall forward the names of any suspended clubs
and their officers to the N.J.S.Y.S.A..
E. REINSTATEMENT
Any club which has resigned from the Association or has been
suspended by N.C.S.A. must pay all open balances, unless waived by the Board of Directors,
prior to being reinstated.
VII. COMPETITION
All teams expecting to participate in N.C.S.A. competition
must file a registration application in accordance with the Rules of Competition. Clubs
seeking re-instatement re-enter N.C.S.A. under Section VB3. Probationary Clubs.
VIII. SCHEDULES
Prior to the start of each season the Games Chairman shall
prepare a schedule of games which shall be approved by the Board of Directors. The
schedule shall then not be altered except as provided for in the Rules of Competition.
Each division will be divided into age groups and flighted
"A", "B", "C" etc. The "A" flight will represent
the highest level in the division. "B" the second highest, etc.
IX. RULES OF COMPETITION
The Rules of Competition shall be the "Laws of the
Game" as published by the F.I.F.A. with special modifications stipulated by the
Association under the "N.C.S.A. Rules of Competition."
X. ANNUAL DATES
A. FISCAL YEAR
B. SEASONAL YEAR
The seasonal year shall commence on September 1 and end
August 31, of the following year.
Each team is entitled to representation in accordance with
the following;
A. REPRESENTATIVES
All representatives and/or their alternates shall be
registered with the Association Secretary and must present their coach’s passes or
accepted equivalent before being allowed to participate in the business of the
Association. One representative, authorized in writing by his club, and in possession of
the teams coach’s pass or the teams coach written proxy of the coach may represent
multiple teams from that same club.
B. VOTING
Each Member Club shall be entitled to one vote for each
registered team in good standing, at General. Special, and Annual Meetings. Such team
shall be entitled to one representative (team coach or alternate) to vote in person or by
possessing the coaches pass or written proxy of the coach represented.
The order of business at all meetings shall be credentials,
roll call, minutes, communications, officer reports, unfinished business, new business,
good of soccer, open to the floor, adjournment.
A. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held during the
month of June. Order of business at the AGM shall be the same as the order of business at
all meetings , except that the election of Officers shall precede new business.
B. GENERAL MEETINGS
General Meetings shall be held a minimum of (4) times per
Seasonal Year as called by the President. Each Member, Probationary or Associate club
shall be notified in writing at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
The Pre Season Fall and Spring General Meetings, is a
mandatory meeting for all team Head Coaches or an Assistant coach from that team. No other
individual may substitute. Failure to attend this meeting will result in a Club fine as
designated in the Rules of Competition. Trophies must be secured at the last regular Fall
season meeting and the AGM by all Clubs. Failure to do so will result in a fine as
outlined in the Rules of Competition.
C. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
A special general meeting may be called by a majority of the
Board of Directors or by written petition of twenty-five (25) percent of the Member Clubs.
D. QUORUM
At all General, Special and Annual meetings, a simple
majority of Member Teams shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
At all Board meetings, a simple majority shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
E. MEETING RULES
All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with
ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER as revised.
F. FAILURE TO ATTEND
Failure of any team (Member, Probationary or Associate) to be
represented at General or Special Meetings shall result in a fine for each of the first
two occurrences. Failure to be represented at three meetings shall cause the team to lose
it’s voting privileges, if applicable, and may result in disciplinary action by the
Board of Directors.
XIII. AUDIT
The books and accounts of the Association shall be available
for audit once yearly, during the month of June. Seven (7) days prior to AGM, a balance
sheet, certified by an auditing committee appointed by the Board, shall be issued to the
Association and shall be submitted at the AGM. No Association Officer shall be on the
audit committee.
XIV. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors, which shall consist of the Officers
of the Association, shall: (1) conduct the day-to-day business of the Association. (2)
Make whatever decisions are necessary to govern this Association in accordance with the
throughout the Fiscal Year and (3) set forth the Rules of Competition prior to the start
of each Seasonal Year.
XV. OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION
The Officers of the Association shall be elected at the AGM
and serve for a (1) year term which shall be the same as the Fiscal Year.
A candidate shall only be elected if he/she is personally
present or the Association has received a letter signed by the absent candidate stating
his/her intention to hold office.
The Officers of the Association, who shall also serve as
Members of the Board of Directors, consist of the President, Vice President, Games
Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Games Conduct Chairman, Rules Chairman, Referee Chairman,
Division Commissioners, League Registrar, Internal Development Chairman, and any other
additional persons the Board may need to consult, subject to ratification at a General
meeting by a simple majority of Member teams present. Duties of the Officers shall be as
listed.
A. PRESIDENT
The President shall supervise all activities of the
Association as well as the work of the Officers. The President is the general
representative of the Association on all matters. The President will also serve as the
Chairman of all Board and General meetings and has the power to appoint special
committees. The President shall also serve as the official spokesperson for N.C.S.A. but
may delegate this authority to other persons.
B. VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President shall succeed to the powers of the
President in the President’s absence and shall assist the President as necessary. The
Vice President shall also be an ex-officio member of all standing committees as defined in
these Bylaws.
C. SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
The Second Vice President shall assist the President, Vice
President and Games Conduct Chairman as necessary.
C. GAMES CHAIRMAN
The Games Chairman shall be responsible to prepare and
propose the Fall and Spring play to within N.C.S.A. and shall assist the Division
Commissioners in flighting of teams within the appropriate competitive flight. The Games
Chairman will also prepare, propose and coordinate team registration, the League Schedule
of Play and any changes to said schedule. The Games Chairman will also be responsible for
the League Directory which shall include all necessary contact information, field
directions and forms required for play within N.S.C.A.
D. SECRETARY
The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the
General membership and the Board of Directors and shall be the custodian of all
correspondence received or initiated by the Board of Directors or any standing committees
and shall give notice of all meetings. The Secretary shall also handle the procurement of
all supplies, forms, stationary, etc. for the Association.
E. TREASURER
The Treasurer shall administer the management of all monies
of this organization. Monies shall be deposited in institutions or Funds approved by the
Board in the name of this Association. All checks in amounts in excess of $500.00 shall be
countersigned by both the President and the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall give a monthly
report of disbursements, receipts, balances, and other financial information, and be
responsible for the filing of all forms and reports required by state or federal
government agencies.
F. GAMES CONDUCT CHAIRMAN
The Games Conduct Chairman shall preside over all meetings of
the Games Conduct Committee.
The Games Conduct Committee shall administer to acts of
misconduct referred to it through referees’ reports, league officials’ reports,
and protests. The Games Conduct Committee shall consist of the Games Conduct Chairman and
two regular and one alternate member appointed by the Games Conduct Chairman.
G. RULES CHAIRMAN
The Rules Chairman shall be responsible for implementing and
administering the and N.C.S.A. Rules of Play. Interpretation of the and Rules of
Competition shall be made by the Rules Chairman with reference to the N.J.S.Y.S.A.. rules,
and the U.S.S.F. rules and decisions. (See IX definition)
The Rules Chairman shall also recommend to the Board of
Directors changes to the or Rules of Competition as required.
H. REFEREE CHAIRMAN
The Referee Chairman shall administer the assignment of
referees to al associate matches. He/she shall maintain a list of active referees, a copy
of which shall be provided to the Secretary. The Referee Chairman shall coordinate all
matters regarding refereeing within N.C.S.A. and the N.J.S.Y.S.A.. The Chairman shall,
with the approval of the Board of Directors, appoint assistants. Assistants to the Referee
Chairman shall not be members of the Board of Directors.
I. LEAGUE REGISTRAR
The League Registrar shall be the custodian of all team and
player information and shall have the authority to verify the credentials of any player
for any cause. He/she shall coordinate with the Registration Chairman of the State as
necessary.
J. INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT CHAIRMAN
The Internal Development Chairman shall be responsible for
the initiation, implementation, and administration of policies and programs regarding
league growth, league select team operation, and league participation in O.D.P..
K. DIVISION COMMISSIONERS
or age group within a Division competing within the
Association, Boys Division 1 & 2; Boys Division 3, Boys Division 4; Boys Division 5,
Boys Division 6; Girls Division 1 & 2; 3 & 4; 5 & 6. The Division
Commissioners shall coordinate all activities within their respective divisions. The
Commissioners shall, with the approval of the Board of Directors appoint assistants. Said
assistants shall not be members of the Board of Directors
XVI. DISCIPLINARY ACTION
A. DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY
The Board of Directors shall take any of the disciplinary
action required with respect to any other players, coaches, managers, team assistants,
teams, or clubs or officers of any club. A simple majority of the Board of Directors
present (no abstentions permitted) is required for suspension.
B. APPEAL
Any person or group disciplined by the Games Conduct
Committee may appeal to the Board of Directors. Said appeal must be made in writing within
10 days of notification of the Games Conduct Committee’s decision.
Any person or group disciplined by the Board of Directors may
appeal the action at a Special General Meeting as defined in Section XII.C. A 2/3 majority
of voting Members present will be required to overrule the Board of Directors’
actions.
Should any person or group wish to further appeal any adverse
decision, the line of authority shall be from the league membership to the Area
Commissioner: from the Commissioner to the Board of Directors of the New Jersey State
Youth Soccer Association, from the N.J.S.Y.S.A.. to the U.S.Y.S.A.: from the U.S.Y.S.A. to
the U.S.S.F: and from the U.S.S.F. to F.I.F.A.
XVII. INSURANCE
A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
All teams registered with the Association shall be required
to have in effect a medical insurance program as specified by the Association covering its
players for the seasonal year, unless the club authority provides written proof to the
Board of Directors of the Association that any or all players are covered by some other
form of acceptable insurance.
B. PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE
All officers and other officials of Member, Probationary and
Associate Clubs (including but not limited to club officers, team coaches, etc.) teams,
shall be covered against personal liability claims for performing acts and duties related
to the work of the Association.
XVIII. DISSOLUTION
Should this Association ever be dissolved all assets
remaining after payment of Association debts shall be distributed on a prorated basis to
the then Member, Probationary, and Associate Clubs, taking into account any delinquent
monies owed by said Clubs to N.C.S.A.
XIX. BY-LAW CHANGES
Changes or amendments to these may be effected at the AGM
upon as affirmative vote of the majority of the voting Members present. Notice of motion
of the proposed changes or amendments to the Bylaws must be made by Member Clubs in
writing to the Association Secretary by May 15th. The Secretary of the Association shall
give each Member, Probationary and Associate Clubs notice of proposed changes or
amendments 14 days before the Spring AGM. All changes or amendments shall be distributed
to all Member Clubs at the General Meeting following ratification.
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