Amended
at the June 18, 2001 Annual Meeting
10.0 NASHUA
YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE BY-LAWS
10.1 ARTICLE I - NAME
10.1.1 The
name of the organization shall be the NASHUA YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE, an
independent New Hampshire Non-Profit Corporation organized under the provisions
of NH RSA 292:2, as amended.
10.1.2 The
headquarters of this organization shall be in the city of Nashua, New
Hampshire.
10.1.3 The
mailing address of this organization shall be Nashua Youth Soccer League, Post
Office Box 6282, Nashua, New Hampshire 03063‑6282.
10.1.4 The
Operating Committee shall, prior to July 1st of each year, determine and vote
upon the organization(s) which NYSL shall affiliate with for the coming year.
10.2 ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
10.2.1 The
purpose of this organization is to provide the opportunity to play soccer to
all eligible children, in the Nashua area, who wish to play.
10.2.2
This organization operates on the principles of
sportsmanship, fair play, adherence to the rules of soccer and healthy
competition.
10.2.3 This organization shall maintain a
recreational philosophy with all members of this organization serving the
greater good of the league.
10.3 ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Membership
in this organization shall be divided in two categories: PARTICIPATING MEMBER
and VOTING MEMBER
10.3.1 PARTICIPATING
MEMBER: Participating membership is open to all youth who exhibit a sincere
interest in the sport of soccer and who become a registered player pursuant to
the rules and regulations of this organization. No youth may participate (practice or game) in any NYSL sponsored
activities until his/her formal application is received and processed by the
duly elected Director of Registration (Registrar) or his/her designated
representative. No other representative
of the league has the authority to accept and/or register a player.
10.3.2 VOTING
MEMBERS: A voting member is the coach or other designated representative of
each team within the Nashua Youth Soccer League, or a designated instructor
from the Instructional Division. The
director may designate one instructor for every twenty instructional players.
10.3.3
RIGHT TO VOTE: Voting members shall have the
right to vote. Those members entitled
to vote shall do so in person or through an individual to act as proxy. Proxy must be made in writing and signed by
the voting member so assigning the proxy.
An assignment of proxy must be accepted by the secretary of the
organization prior to the opening of the meeting at which the vote is to occur.
10.3.4 Any member may be discharged from
league duties as well as all league representation by a two-thirds vote of the
Operating Committee, upon due notice, for conduct inconsistent with the purpose
of the league as set forth in Article II, but only after a thorough
investigation has been made and an opportunity for defense has been given.
10.4 ARTICLE IV - OPERATING COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
10.4.1 The
officers of this organization shall be a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson,
Secretary, and Treasurer. These
officers shall constitute the Executive Committee. No member of the Executive Committee shall be an officer in
another youth soccer playing organization.
Any vacancy which occurs in one of these offices, for any reason, shall
be filled as prescribed in Article VI, Section 6. These officers shall be elected by the voting membership as
prescribed in Article IV, Section 10.
10.4.2 CHAIRPERSON:
The Chairperson shall be the chief executive and the presiding officer of this
organization. He/she shall preside,
when present, at all meetings of this organization, shall appoint committees as
and when needed, and shall in general perform such duties as is customary for
presiding officers. He/she shall have
the power to call meetings of the organization. He/she may, subject to the approval of the Operating Committee,
sign contracts and make agreements on behalf of the organization.
10.4.3 VICE-CHAIRPERSON:
The Vice-Chairperson must have served for at least one year as an operating
committee member before he/she may be elected as Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson shall assume the
duties of the Chairperson in the latter’s absence. He/she shall function as parliamentarian at all meetings of this
organization.
10.4.4 SECRETARY:
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of this
organization, certify official records, maintain a list of names and addresses
of all members, and issue notice of meetings.
He/she shall also conduct the correspondence of the organization. He/she shall also maintain a copy of all
business correspondence formally developed, received, or transmitted by the
NYSL. The Secretary will maintain and
retain the most current, approved and dated copy of the NYSL By‑Laws and
NYSL General Rules.
10.4.5 TREASURER:
The prerequisite for assuming the position of treasurer is that the person
elected be "bonded" at league expense. The treasurer shall collect all the money due the organization
and deposit such funds in the organization's account. He/she shall pay, upon approval of and in a manner designated by
the operating committee, all bills owed by the organization. He/she shall submit a report of financial
standing at each regular meeting, or at any time that such a report is asked
for by the Operating Committee.
10.4.6 DIVISION
DIRECTORS: There shall be one director elected for each gender/age playing
division by the voting membership of that division. These Division Directors shall be elected for a two year term
under the following guidelines:
Even Year
Elections Odd
Year Elections
Girls Under
10 Girls
Under 12
Boys Under
10 Girls
Under 14
Boys Under
12 Boys
Under 14
Boys Under
16 Girls
Under 16
Boys Under
19 Girls
Under 19
In the event age
divisions are combined due to a limited number of applicants, election years
will be based upon the oldest age group of the combined age divisions.
Each director will serve
on the Operating Committee and be responsible to the Operating Committee for
the functions of his/her division.
These functions shall include, but not necessarily be limited to
communications with each team within the Division, placement of head coaches,
assistant coaches and assignment of players, re‑scheduling of games and
other responsibilities which, from time to time, may be required by the
Operating Committee.
10.4.7 DIRECTOR OF OFFICIATING: The Director of Officiating shall be elected by the voting membership in even years for a two year term and shall maintain a close liaison with and be generally responsible for the development and welfare of the referees within the framework of the organization's rules and regulations. He/she shall oversee the scheduling of referees for each league game. He/she may appoint a paid scheduler as needed. The Director of Officials shall serve on the Operating Committee.
10.4.8 DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING: The
Director of Purchasing shall be elected by the voting membership in even years
for a term of two years and shall serve on the Operating Committee and shall be
responsible to the Operating Committee for obtaining competitive price
information on those items which the organization may desire to purchase. He/she shall, at the direction of the Operating
Committee, purchase those items which it deems necessary.
After purchasing any
items, the Director of Purchasing shall be responsible for delivery, acceptance
and final distribution of the item as may be normal or otherwise directed by
the Operating Committee.
10.4.9 DIRECTOR OF FIELDS: The Director
of Fields shall be elected by the voting membership in even years for a term of
two years and shall serve on the Operating Committee and shall be responsible
to the Operating Committee for obtaining and maintenance of any and all playing
fields which the organization may require in fulfillment of its goals and
purposes, and will be elected by the voting membership.
10.4.10 ELECTION/LENGTH OF SERVICE: A
Vice-Chairperson shall be elected every year.
The Vice-Chairperson shall serve one year as Vice‑Chairperson and
ascend to the position of Chairperson and serve for one year as Chairperson.
The Secretary shall be
elected during odd numbered years and the Treasurer during even numbered years;
both shall serve for two years.
An individual may not be
elected to the Vice Chairperson/Chairperson position or any other officer
position for a period of more than two years.
The maximum length of
continuous service in any combination of officer positions shall be (5) five
years. He/she may be elected to
additional officer positions only after a hiatus of service of one fiscal year
for each (5) five continuous years as an officer/director.
10.4.11 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive
Committee shall consist of the officers, i.e., Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson,
Secretary, and Treasurer. The Executive
Committee shall have the following distinct functions:
a. It may resolve any matter of urgency, not
requiring the pledging of league funds, which occurs between normally scheduled
meetings of the Operating Committee.
b. It may propose compromise regulations to
the Operating Committee for any matter not capable of resolution by the
Operating Committee at the conclusion of the meeting at which it was discussed.
c. It shall function as a nominating
committee for the Operating Committee in the event of a vacancy in any position
on the Operating Committee for which
the election will be held.
10.4.12 No single team may have more than
one representative nominated or elected to any of the offices which serve on
the Executive Committee.
10.4.13 DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION:
The Chairperson shall recommend to the Operating Committee a person to function
as director of the Instructional Division.
The Director of the Instructional Division shall also chair a committee
of parents who shall advise and otherwise assist with the running of this
division. This position is to be filled
every July by the incoming Operating Committee.
10.4.14 DIRECTOR OF REGISTRATION
(REGISTRAR): This Director shall be elected by the Voting Membership in odd
years for a two year term as a member of the Operating Committee. This Director shall be responsible for the
fall and spring registration of players.
This Director shall chair the Membership/Applications Standing
Committee.
10.4.15 DIRECTOR OF COACHING: This Director
shall be elected by the Voting Membership in odd years for a two year term as a
member of the Operating Committee. This
Director shall be responsible for the training of coaches. Additionally, he/she shall represent the
interests of coaches in the Operating Committee. The Director of Coaching shall be responsible to the Operating
Committee for obtaining the completed and approved coaching application from
each Division Director prior to the first game of the season.
10.4.16 DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY: This Director
shall be elected by the Voting Membership in odd years for a two year term as a
member of the Operating Committee. This
Director shall be responsible for keeping league standings, communicating
standings to the media, publishing the newsletter, chairing the Publicity and
Promotions Standing Committee and coordinating all league advertising.
10.4.17 IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN: The previous year's Chairman will remain on
the Operating Committee as a non‑voting advisor. In this capacity, he/she will act as counsel
and advisor to the Operating Committee.
At the discretion of the Chairman and the Operating Committee, the
Immediate Past Chairman may be appointed to chair ad hoc committees that may be
established per these By‑Laws.
10.5 ARTICLE V - MEETING
10.5.1 The Chairperson shall be required
to call at least two general meetings of the voting membership each year. One meeting will be scheduled at the
beginning of each season.
NOTE:
The annual meeting for the purpose of electing a new slate
of officers and Operating Committee shall be held during May or June. The term of office shall be from July 1st
through June 30th, or completion of the Spring season.
10.5.2 The Chairperson may call
additional special voting membership meetings as the need arises.
10.5.3 The Chairperson shall be required
to call a special voting membership meeting within 15 days after ten or more
voting members request such a meeting.
10.5.4 The Chairperson may call Operating
Committee meetings as the need arises.
Normally, the Operating Committee shall meet once each month, during
normal playing seasons.
10.5.5 The Chairperson shall be required
to call an Operating Committee meeting when three or more members of the
Operating Committee request such a meeting.
Said meeting must occur within 10 days of the request.
10.5.6 During all meetings, the Roberts
Rules of Order (Revised) shall resolve all questions pertaining to
parliamentary procedure.
10.5.7 Twenty-five (25) members or 50% of
the total voting membership, whichever is lesser, shall constitute a quorum at
all regular or special voting membership meetings for the transaction of
business for the organization, providing that notice of the meeting has been
published.
10.6 ARTICLE VI - OPERATING COMMITTEE
10.6.1 The Operating Committee shall be
the governing body of this organization.
It shall have full power to transact all business for the organization
that fall within the scope and purchase of the organization unless otherwise
noted.
10.6.2 All communications sent to the
organization shall be presented in writing to the Secretary who in turn shall
present them to the Operating Committee.
10.6.3 The Operating Committee shall
consist of not less than seven members. These members shall be the officers and
directors of this organization which are described in Article IV of these By‑Laws.
10.6.4 51% of all members of the
Operating Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
10.6.5 The officers of the organization
shall also be officers of the Operating Committee.
10.6.6 If for any cause there shall be a
vacancy in any of the offices of the organization, the Operating Committee
shall, by nomination and election, fill each vacancy for the unexpired term.
10.6.7 Neither the Executive Committee,
nor any officer, shall have the power to incur any obligation on behalf of the
organization, without prior approval of the majority of the Operating
Committee.
No obligation shall be incurred
which is in excess of:
A. The
total assets then held by the Treasurer and not otherwise pledged or required.
B. In
excess of the annual budget as approved by the membership.
10.6.8 Operating Committee members shall have the right to vote on all matters presented to the Operating Committee under these By‑Laws. Those members entitled to vote shall do so in person or through an individual to act as proxy. A single Operating Committee member shall have only one (1) vote, regardless of the number of Operating Committee positions simultaneously held.
10.7 ARTICLE VII - COMMITTEES
10.7.1 Each year, the Chairperson of the organization shall, soon after ascending to office, appoint no fewer than two (2) members of the organization to serve on any or all of the following standing committees. These appointments shall be confirmed by the Operating Committee:
A. Membership/Applications
B. Game Schedules
C. Publicity
and Promotions
D. Finance
and Insurance
E. Disciplinary
Committee
F. General Rules/Playing Rules
G. Playing Fields
H. Equipment/Inventory Control
I. Referees and Safety
10.7.2 All standing committees shall work
under the direction of the Operating Committee.
10.7.3 The Chairperson shall appoint
additional committees as he/she deems necessary.
10.8 ARTICLE VIII - ELECTIONS
10.8.1 At the meeting prior to the annual
meeting of the voting membership, the Nominating Committee shall present to the
membership a slate of candidates for office.
Additional Nominations may be made from the floor.
NOTE
The
Nominating Committee shall consist of at least three (3) members appointed by
the Chairperson.
10.8.2 The secretary shall prepare a
ballot containing the names of all of those individuals nominated plus
sufficient blank spaces for write‑in candidates. This ballot shall be
submitted to the voting membership at the annual meeting.
10.8.3 At the annual meeting, one ballot
will be handed to each voting member for the purpose of voting.
10.9 ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS TO THESE BY-LAWS
10.9.1 The By-Laws may be amended at any
duly called meeting of the organization, by a 2/3 majority of the voting
membership present at a general meeting, provided that any and all changes to
be voted upon have been delivered, in writing, to each voting member.
10.9.2 Proposed amendments to these
By-Laws, when signed by at least six (6) Voting Members, may be submitted in
writing to the Secretary. The
Chairperson shall cause such proposed amendments to be voted upon at the next regularly
scheduled meeting of the voting membership.
10.10 ARTICLE X - MISCELLANEOUS
10.10.1 All incoming money shall go to the
Treasurer for prompt deposit in the organization's account or accounts.
10.10.2 All checks, drafts, or other orders
for payment issued for payment in the name of the organization must be signed
by two members of the Executive Committee; preferably, one of the signatures
will be that of the Treasurer.
10.10.3 The Treasurer shall establish a Long
Term Asset Account which shall be used for Non‑Operating Capital
purchases such as Storage Buildings, Playing Fields, etc. This account shall have set aside, as a
minimum, 3% per year of the Income received from all registration receipts for
that Fiscal Year. Withdrawals/Purchases
from this Long Term Asset Account must have the approval of at least 2/3 of all
NYSL coaches assigned at the time the vote is taken.
10.10.4 The fiscal year of the League, for
both budgeting and accounting purposes, shall begin on July 1st and extend
through the following 30th day of June.
10.11 ARTICLE XI - COACHES
10.11.1 Applicants for coach must espouse and
emulate the philosophy of this organization as stated in ARTICLE II - PURPOSE,
Sections 1,2 and 3. Coaches are required to read and sign a copy of the NYSL Coaches Code of Ethics.
10.11.2 Whenever possible, one experienced
coach will be assigned to each team.
Coaches serve at the discretion of the Nashua Youth Soccer League.
10.11.3 The organization's philosophy is to
assign the coach with his/her child, if so desired by the coach.
10.11.4 Assignment to position of Head Coach
does not require that the coach have a child playing on that team or in the
league.
10.11.5 In the Instructional Division,
Instructor's positions, not coaches positions, will be assigned based on
experience with those players not having prior soccer skills. Said experience will be up to the evaluation
of the Operating Committee or the Instructional Director.
10.11.6 Pursuant to Article IV, Section
10.4.6, all coaches must complete and provide to their respective Division
Director the NYSL Coaches Application Form Prior to their being given a team
assignment each season.
10.12 ARTICLE XII - PLAYING DIVISIONS
10.12.1 When the number of applicants
received by the NYSL Director of Registration warrants, the following age
divisions will be formed as Playing Divisions:
Under
19 (Ages 16-18)
Under
16 (Ages 14-15)
Under
14 (Ages 12-13)
Under
12 (Ages 10-11)
Under
10 (Ages 8-9)
10.12.2 Separate Playing Divisions will be
formed for male and female players. No
Playing Division will field a team(s) comprised of both male and female
players.
10.13 ARTICLE
XIII - INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION
10.13.1 A separate instructional division
comprised of both boys and girls up to the age of 8 years will be formed to
provide a more instructional environment for youth wanting to learn the basic
skills of soccer.
11.0 THE
NASHUA YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE GENERAL RULES
These Rules contain
revisions approved by Team Coaches in April 1984, April 1985, December 1985,
October 1988, May 1991 and May 1993, February 1996, March 1997, March 1998 and
June 2001.
11.1 EXCEPTIONS
Any exceptions to any
and all rules can only be made with special permission of the Operating
Committee.
11.2 ELIGIBILITY
FOR PLAYERS
The eligibility for
playing in a division shall be the applicant's age as of
October 1st of the year
that the player would enter the fall segment of a fall/spring division team
assignment.
The divisions shall be:
BOYS GIRLS
Under 19 (Ages
18, 17, 16) Under 19 (Ages
18, 17, 16)
Under 16 (Ages
15, 14) Under 16 (Ages
15, 14)
Under 14 (Ages
13, 12) Under 14 (Ages
13, 12)
Under 12 (Ages
11, 10) Under 12 (Ages
11, 10)
Under 10 (Ages
9, 8) Under 10
(Ages 9, 8)
CO-EDUCATIONAL
Instructional
(Ages 7, 6)
11.3 DIVISIONAL
ASSIGNMENTS
Players will be assigned
to the appropriate age and gender division by the Director of Registration as
stated in Section 11.2, ELIGIBILITY FOR PLAYERS.
Transferring a player
outside of his/her age division should only be done when both Division
Directors agree that the move is in the best interest of the player and
concurrence is obtained from the Executive Committee.
11.4 EQUIPMENT
AND APPLIANCES
Footwear
must be worn and shall be considered to be not dangerous by the referee.
Sweatpants and sweatshirts are permissible, but must be worn under the NYSL uniform,
with hoods tucked inside the shirt. Shin guards are required to be worn during
both practices and games. Eyeglass retainers are required during games. Players with dental braces are required to
wear a protective mouth guard during both practices and games. Prohibited items
include, but are not limited to:
plaster casts, bracelets, belts, earrings, watches, necklaces, hair
accessories made of hard material, and other items that the referee may
consider to be dangerous. Finger
splints must be completely wrapped and taped to at least one adjacent
finger. Knee braces must have any sharp
or hard edges covered and padded.
11.5 NUMBER OF PLAYERS
The number of players
assigned to a team should not be
less than 14, and shall not be more
than 17.
11.6 ROSTERS
No player shall
participate in a league game or practice without being properly
registered. Players shall only be
considered registered when his/her application is received by the Director of
Registration and assigned a player number.
No other representative of the league has the authority to accept and/or
register a player.
11.7 PLAYING TIME
All
players must play at least 2 periods of each game, and all players must play 3
periods before any player may play 4 periods. NYSL rules regarding player participation are in effect during any NYSL
game including all playoff and championship games. In matches that continue into overtime, ALL players must play in
at least one of the overtime periods.
The
coach will indicate, on the score sheet, the names and numbers of all players
attending the game and the quarters in which they have played. Coaches will
deliver referee signed game sheets to the divisional director or his/her
representative on the day of the game. The referee's signature indicates only
the accuracy of the score. Players may be held out of play for disciplinary
action provided that this action is noted on the score sheet, and that prior
notification is given to the Division Director.
11.8 GAMES
Kick off times and dates
of games may be changed only by mutual agreement of the teams involved and the
Divisional Director.
The Divisional Director
must be notified of all such changes at least 72 hours prior to the originally
game schedule. The coach of the team
requesting the change shall be responsible for notifying the Director of
Officiating.
11.9 INTERPRETATION
Any questions regarding
the interpretation of these rules shall be resolved by the Rules Committee and
may be appealed to the Operating Committee.
The rules played under
are those laid down as the laws in the Laws of the Game by FIFA and superseded
or complemented by rules stated herein.
11.10 SUBSTITUTIONS
Normal
substitutions are allowed only during the break at the conclusion of each
quarter of play. Teams playing short
may, with the consent of the referee, build up to full strength with late
arriving players at a normal stoppage in play. Substitutes will be allowed
anytime a player is injured or ill. Fatigue is not an injury and is NOT a reason
for substitution. If the referee decides that excessively hot weather exists,
he/she may allow free substitutions, using USYSA guidelines. Because free
substitutions are allowed at the end of each quarter, notification of
goalkeeper's change to the referee at the beginning of each quarter is not
necessary. Goalkeeper changes at any other time during the game will require
notification to the referee.
11.11 INJURIES
The referee will stop play immediately for serious injury. Play will not be stopped for minor injuries until the attacking team loses the advantage. If the game was stopped so