BATTLE RIVER SOCCER ASSOCIATION (BRSA) OPERATING POLICY

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to outline the course of operations for the Battle River District.

Policy Changes:

Additions or amendments to this policy may be approved at any meeting of the BRSA Board of Directors, (as outlined in the Bylaws.) The Operating Policy shall not contradict anything contained within the BRSA Bylaws.

Sections:

1. CODE OF CONDUCT

2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

3. JURISDICTION OF DISPUTES

4. COMMITEES

5. ADMINISTRATION

6. OUTDOOR TIER IV YOUTH COMPETION RULES

7. DISCIPLINARY GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Date of currency: March 9, 2006

1. CODE OF CONDUCT

The Code of Conduct for the Battle River Soccer Association applies to all persons involved with the sport of soccer in the Battle River District. The term Members, as used in Section 1, includes but is not limited to:

§ All Youth & Senior Players, Team Officials and Game Officials;

§ All Members as defined through the Bylaws or Policies of each Club; and

§ All other individuals who may become involved such as Parents and Spectators.

1.1 Obligation

Members have an obligation not only to abide by the By-Laws and Operating Policy of the Association but also to act in a manner that evidences their commitment to the principles and intent of the By-Laws and Operating Policy.

1.2 Treatment

All members should expect to be treated equitably and fairly in all matters. Members shall not discriminate against other members by means of different, unequal or inconsistent treatment applied to individuals or segments of the members.

1.3 Private Interests

Private interests shall not provide the potential for or the appearance of an opportunity for benefit, wrongdoing or unethical conduct. It is important to emphasize that conflict of interest relates to the potential for wrongdoing as well as to actual or intended wrongdoing.

1.4 Information

Information or data entrusted to members for use in their capacity or position shall not be disclosed or disseminated in a matter that may cause embarrassment to the Association, or that betrays a trust or confidence. (FOIP)

1.5 Deportment

Members shall at all times exhibit deportment that maintains the Association’s reputation, and shall at no time harm or hinder the Association or its ability to represent the sport.

1.6 Harassment

No member shall harass another member by actions that include, but are not limited to, unwelcome remarks, invitations, requests, gestures or physical contact that, whether indirect or explicit, has the purpose or effect of humiliating, interfering with or creating an intimidating situation for the other member. Harassment will be considered any such inappropriate behavior, be it ethnic, religious or sexual in nature.

1.7 Interaction or Involvement

The interaction or involvement of members under the jurisdiction of the Association shall not result in threats, intimidation, or inflicted physical distress between such members, whether implied or explicit.

2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

2.1 Disclosure

On election to the position of a Director of the Association or a Director of a Member of the Association, the newly elected director, shall immediately disclose in writing any personal, professional or business activity that may be construed as a potential conflict of interest, and periodically thereafter update such disclosure.

2.2 Interests

A Director of the Association or a Director of a Club of the Association shall not permit his/her own interests to conflict in any way with his/her fiduciary responsibilities to the Association.

2.3 Benefit

A Director of the Association or a Director of a Club of the Association shall not benefit directly or indirectly from any transaction with the Association, unless it is to the clear advantage of the Association as determined by the Board of the Association.

2.4 Abstention from Voting

A Director of the Association or a Director of a Club of the Association shall declare a conflict of interest and abstain from voting on any discussion matter relating specifically to his/her involvement with another soccer organization, private business interest or outside not-for-profit charitable organization.

2.5 Compensation

A volunteer Director of the Association or a volunteer Director of a Club of the Association shall not receive compensation for his/her services, except for compensation for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of his/her duties on behalf of the Association.

2.6 Reporting

Any deviation or perceived deviation from these Conflict of Interest Rules shall be acted upon only if reported in writing by the complainant to the Association concerned.

2.7 Punishment

Any Director who, by personal or business conduct violates any part of section 1 may be suspended from the Board of Directors by two-thirds majority vote of the entire Board of the Association concerned after an investigation has been made at which the Director concerned has been given a proper hearing with a full opportunity to explain his/her action. When such a hearing is being initiated, notice of such hearing shall be given to all concerned in writing, not less than 7 days before such hearing. Such suspension will remain in effect until ratified by the membership of the Association concerned at its next General Meeting.

3. JURISDICTION OF DISPUTES

All Members, Affiliates, Registrants, Clubs, Players, Referees or Officials shall not refer disputes with the Association or any other soccer Association to a court of law but shall be required to submit any disagreements to the jurisdiction of the Association.

4. COMMITTEES

There shall be established the following committees, whose make-up shall be reviewed yearly, normally at the Outdoor Planning Meeting. The President or Vice-President of the Executive Committee shall be an ex-officio member of each Committee.

4.1 Discipline Committee

The responsibility of this Committee is to oversee all matters of misconduct brought to the attention of the District that have occurred while participating in the game of soccer as either a Player, Coach, Referee or Spectator.

4.2 Technical/Development Committee

The initial responsibility of this committee is to look towards the hiring of a Technical Director/Contract Coach for the District. Further responsibilities of this committee will be to create, maintain and develop ideas to increase the number of referees, coaches and players currently involved in the District by way of courses, training sessions, recruiting and advertising.

4.3 Transfer Committee

It shall be the responsibility of this committee to hear and grant or disallow the transfer of players to other teams, communities or districts.

4.4 Referee Committee

It shall be the duty of this committee to regulate all matters dealing with the establishing and maintaining of referee standards. To help support and guide the committee, it will include the ASA Referee Advisor, whose position is defined through ASA as follows:

4.4.1 ASA Referee Advisor. Job description.

5. ADMINISTRATION

5.1 Monies Owing

All monies owing to the Association shall be due and payable within thirty (30) days of invoicing unless otherwise stipulated.

5.2 Late Payment Penalties

Penalties for late or non-payment of monies due shall be as established by the board.

5.3 Paid Staff as Elected Director

No paid employee of any affiliated Association, league or club and no paid employee of this Association may sit as an elected member of the Board of Directors of this Association or a Board of a member of this Association.

5.4 Provincial Tournament Declaration

Declarations for communities wishing to host Provincial tournaments shall do so through the District at least three weeks prior to the deadline set by ASA.

5.5 Coaching Clinics

BRSA will coordinate a minimum number of two Coaching Clinics within the District prior to the start of the Outdoor season. Each Club shall subsequently be billed based upon the participation of the Coaches who attend from their respective Club. The Club Host for each clinic shall designate a local contact.

5.6 Referee Clinics

BRSA will coordinate Referee Clinics prior to the start of the Outdoor season. Each Club shall subsequently be billed based upon the participation of the Referees who attend from their respective Club. The Club Host for each clinic shall designate a local contact.

5.7 Administration Fee

All Youth and Senior players residing within the confines of the Battle River District are required to pay an Administration fee to BRSA per registered season, whether Outdoor or Indoor. Each Club must complete the BRSA Player Registration Form, containing a complete list of all the registered Players within the Club. The Executive, prior to each of the Indoor and Outdoor Seasons, will set a deadline for submission of this form. Administration fees will be set with the approval of the year’s Budget. These fees will go towards the soccer programs within the Battle River District; specifically, but not limited to: direct Administration costs, Coach Development, Player Development and the proliferation of the sport of soccer throughout the Battle River District.

5.8 District Releases

All Youth and Senior players residing within the confines of the Battle River District and wishing to register within another ASA District must obtain a District Release from BRSA. Releases must be obtained and Administration fees paid for each registered Season, whether Outdoor or Indoor. Releases may come in an Individual or Team format. The release must be obtained and fee paid prior to the Season start date; failure to do so will result in sanctions.

The BRSA District Release form shall be used for this purpose and may be signed by one of three individuals: the District Registrar, District President or District Vice-President. A complete list of all District releases, (either Individual or Team), given in each Season will be kept by the District Registrar. Such information will be kept solely for the purposes of obtaining an accurate count of the number of Youth and Senior players residing within the District boundaries.

In order to recover administrative costs, Clubs shall be assessed a fee of $10 for Individual releases and $25 for Team Releases. Active Clubs with Membership in the BRSA shall be exempt from all District Release Fees for their Teams.

5.9 Executive Incentive

To recognize the efforts, time and energy spent by BRSA Executive Members during the course of their tenure, each shall be given an Honorarium at the successful completion of their year of service on the BRSA Executive as follows:

• Chair $300
• Vice-Chair $150
• Treasurer $150
• Secretary $150

Executive Members will continue to be compensated for out of pocket expenses directly related to District Business and are expected to provide receipts for these expenses.

5.10 Travel Expenses

District Members who are required to travel for business related to District operations are entitled to receive compensation through BRSA as per ASA guidelines. Current stipulations in ASA guidelines provide for accommodation, mileage and meal allowance. 2005 Rates were as follows:

• Private Vehicle – $0.35 cents per kilometer
• Meals Daily – $35.00, or (Breakfast – $7.00, Lunch – $10.00, Dinner – $18.00)

5.11 Monetary Penalties

Monetary penalties for missed deadlines, (normally established at the Outdoor Planning Meeting), will be charged to each Club based on the following:

§ Outdoor Tier IV (U12 to U18) Team Declarations – $150/amendment

§ Outdoor Tier IV (U12 to U18) Team Official List, BRSA format– $25/day

§ Outdoor Tier IV (U12 to U18) Team Rosters, ASA format – $25/team

§ Outdoor Player Registration List (all Clubs) – $25/day

6. OUTDOOR TIER IV LEAGUE COMPETION RULES

6.1 General

The Association shall support and maintain the principals of the Laws of the Game as established by the Federation International Football Association Board (FIFA), except as provided in the BRSA Youth Competition Rules. It is the intent of the Association to abide by the Rules and Regulations as put forth by FIFA and the amendments made to them by the CSA and ASA except for the following changes that shall apply to BRSA District competitions. Teams entered into leagues operated by the district will follow all rules applicable to the league in which they are playing.

6.2 Changes

Changes shall come into effect in the playing season immediately following their adoption.

6.3 League Play

All Community Clubs with teams from U12 to U18 shall participate in an interlocking traveling league.

6.4 Registration

Teams shall be comprised within Age categories of players who have not attained the limiting age before the first day of January of the year for which they have registered. Players in age categories who reach the limiting age on the first day of January shall continue to be eligible to play in the category for the remainder of the year. All players shall be registered through the BRSA District on the appropriate ASA Team registration form. ASA Team registration forms must be submitted to the Registrar prior to the start of the regular season. Changes and additions to the ASA Team registration forms may be made up to May 31. Added players may not be compete until the ASA Team registration form has been received by the Registrar.

6.5 Balanced Teams

All Tier IV Teams within a Club for the Outdoor Tier IV League shall be formed on the basis of equal playing ability given the number of registrations received by the Club. Consideration can be made for Players who have specific requests about which Team they wish to compete on, however Clubs need to be particularly cautious about how this affects the overall balance of their other Teams within the same age division. Concerns about Teams being formed unequally will be referred to the Transfer Committee. If it is determined that the Tier IV team has been formed whereby there is an inequality in playing ability amongst the Players, the offending Team will be reclassified to Tier III for the remainder of the Outdoor Season. They will be permitted to finish the Tier IV season on an ‘exhibition’ basis and subsequently be ineligible for a Tier IV Provincial Tournament berth. Further sanctions may be placed on the offending Club, by the Transfer Committee, depending on the circumstances of the case

6.6 Referees

The provision of Referees shall be the responsibility of the home team. They must have the following minimum qualifications:

• U12 – class 5
• U14 – class 4
• U16 and U18 – class 3

Battle River Referees must be familiar with all rules contained within section 6 & 7 of the BRSA Operating Policy. ASA mandates require that all previously qualified Referees to attend an Outdoor Refresher Clinic prior to the start of every season.

6.7 Discipline Reports

For any game in which a Referee issues either Cautions (Yellow Cards) or Ejections (Red Cards), at the completion of the game the Referee shall submit the game sheet and any ASA required disciplinary report to the BRSA Administrator within forty-eight (48) hours of the completion of the game. Information to be provided shall include:

• The name of the Team Official or Player cautioned/ejected;
• The time of occurrence; and
• The nature of the occurrence.

Additional information may be provided at the Referee’s discretion.

6.8 Referees

Official’s fees shall be the responsibility of the home team. Rates of play for regular season play shall be determined by each Club individually.

6.9 Linepersons

The provision of Linespersons shall be the responsibility of the home team and may be of any age. For U14, U16 and U18 games, two (2) Linespersons must be provided.

6.10 The Ball

The home team shall supply the game ball for a game as specified below

• U14, U16 & U18 – ball size #5
• U12 – ball size #4

6.11 Fields of Play

Due to the nature of the rural setting within which the Battle River District exists, it is important to have an understanding that fields within our District may be ‘rough around the edges’. However, obvious hazards such as standing water, trenches, large holes, glass, big stones/rocks or dog poop will not be present on the playing field. Clubs are responsible for ensuring their fields are marked on a regular basis for goal, half, penalty and touchlines. Marked lines, whether by chemical or paint application, should clearly outline the area of play. Coaches have a responsibility to report conditions to their communities who can bring the problem to the District’s attention. The referee, at all times, has an onus entrusted upon him/her to ensure safety.

6.12 Number of Players

The maximum number of registered Players per Team is twenty-two (22), with no limit on the number of Players allowed to dress per game. The minimum number of Players shall be 7, less than 7 players shall result in a forfeit by that Team. Only registered Players shall be permitted to play.

6.13 Player Transfers

Transfers between players within the same Age Division for BRSA Regular season games are not permitted. For BRSA Playoffs, ASA Competition Rules shall be applied.

6.14 Trialists

Players from a lower age group may play a maximum of three games at a higher Age Division without penalty to the Team. After three games however, they must automatically be transferred to the higher Age Division.

6.15 Substitutions

The following rules shall apply:

• An unlimited number of substitutions may be made during the game.
• With the permission of the Game Official, substitutions are limited to a maximum of three (3) at any one time during the stoppage of play.
• The Game Official must be notified of goalkeeper changes, and these may only be made at the discretion of the Game Official.
• No substitution is permitted for a player who has been ejected from the game.
• All substitutions when not playing must remain quiet and well clear (minimum 5 feet) from the sideline and not behind the goal lines.

6.16 Technical Area

All Teams competing in the Battle River Tier IV Outdoor League are to enforce a Technical Area for Players and Team Officials. Each field should have markings upon it, for both the home and visiting teams, as per the following guidelines:

• The area should be either side of the halfway line on the same side of the field;
• A minimum of five meters should separate each area from the halfway line;
• The technical areas should be, where possible, on the opposite side of the field from the spectators;
• If the layout of the field does not allow adequate room to locate the area on the opposite side of the field, then spectators should not be situated within ten meters of the technical area.

During game play Team Officials must remain within the Technical Area and spectators must remain well clear. Further reference to the FIFA Technical Area can be found in the FIFA Laws of the Game.

6.17 Player Equipment

The following rules shall apply:

• No player shall be allowed to play without shin pads or proper footwear.
• No player shall be allowed to play unless he is fully dressed in the uniform provided by his community. This uniform shall consist of a matching jersey, shorts and sock. Those communities that do not supply complete uniforms shall be allowed to field their team with just a jersey. These players shall wear some type of short no less than three inches above the knee.
• Each jersey shall have a Player number a minimum of six inches high and displayed on the back of the shirts.
• The keeper shall wear colors distinctive from the other players and officials
• In the event of a color conflict the home team shall have pinnies of an alternate color.
• At the game official’s discretion, he may allow players to wear sweatpants during inclement weather.
• No casts, as per ASA policy, will be allowed on the field of play.

6.18 Schedules

An inter-locking schedule shall be established and distributed to each member at dates determined by the Association, normally two weeks prior to the start of the season. For Age Groups with more registered Teams than able to accommodate in one Division, Teams will be divided into equal Divisions. The Board of Directors will make required decisions concerning multiple Divisions prior to a deadline provided at the Outdoor Planning Meeting. This deadline will normally fall in the first week of April.

6.19 Game Nights

League games for the 2006 Outdoor Season will be scheduled as follows:

• U12 will play Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings;
• U14 will play Monday and Wednesday evenings;
• U16 will play Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
• U18 we be assessed after April 1^st, based on number of registered teams in the District

6.20 Game Times

All games shall commence at 7:15 PM unless the coaches of each team and the officials have made prior arrangements.

6.21