Constitution
Somerset County Schools
Football Association
Constitution
1. This Association shall be called the ‘Somerset County Schools Football Association’.
2. Objects – the objects of the Association shall be:
(A) The mental, moral and physical development and improvement of school pupils through the medium of Association Football.
(B) To help Teachers’ Charities and such other charitable purposes as shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting.
3. Membership.
(A) FULL MEMBERSHIP – Membership of the Association shall be open to Schools and properly constituted Football Associations ('formal or informal') within the County of Somerset subject to the payment of an affiliation fee. A properly constituted Association is one that satisfies conditions laid down by the English Schools Football Association and is a member of that body.
(B) ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP – Bordering Associations may affiliate as Associate Members and may take part in all Inter-Area County Competitions. Associate Members may not nominate players for the Representative sides of Somerset county Schools Association.
(C) PRIMARY MEMBERSHIP – Primary Membership of the Association shall be open to Primary Schools and properly constituted Primary School Football Associations within the County of Somerset. A properly constituted Association is one which satisfies the conditions laid down by the English Schools Football Association and is a member of that body.
4. Affiliation Fees – Secondary Age-range, £50.00 per annum. Middle Age-range £20.00 per annum. Schools not entering any competitions £5. Fees payable by A.G.M. of previous season. The Affiliation Fee will be reviewed yearly at the Annual General Meeting.
5. General Committee – The Officers of the Association shall be the President; Chairman; The Hon. Secretary; The Assistant Secretary, The Administration officer; The Hon. Treasurer; Girls Representative; Competitions Secretaries; Primary Representatives and Team Managers. The Association shall be normally governed by a General Committee consisting of the Officers and one representative from each Affiliated area, along with members of the Division and Region of the E.S.F.A. Council, and the representatives of the Somerset F.A.
All matters relating to competitions, disputes, discipline, etc., shall be dealt with by the Executive Committee which shall consist of the Chairman; Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive Committee will refer such matters as it sees fit to the General Committee.
6. Election of Officers – Election of Officers shall take place at the Annual General Meeting which shall be held before the last Friday in June.
Nominations and voting shall take place at the A.G.M. where candidates for office must be nominated, preferably before the meeting, by at least two delegates who shall be responsible for ensuring that the nominee wishes to stand for office.
7. Annual General Meeting – The Annual General Meeting must be held before the last Friday in June and any member of the affiliated school or Association may attend with the power to vote, one vote per school, School Association or Area Association.
At the A.G. M. the report of the Association for the previous season will be received for acceptance; an audited financial report will be presented for acceptance; the election of Officers will take place; and the motions for the change of constitution and/or competition rules will be receipted and decided.
Motions for discussion at the A.G. M. must be received by the Hon. Secretary in writing at least seven days in advance. Motions for discussion must be proposed by one delegate and seconded by another delegate in membership.
8. Programme – The Association shall have the power to arrange Inter-County, Inter-Area and Inter-School Competitions as well as competitions for Individual Competitors.
The Association shall have first claim upon any pupil selected for an Inter-County or Inter-Area match. The only matches exempt are those controlled by the E.S.F.A.
Any pupil selected for a county team under statutory leaving age should be accompanied by a teacher/representative wherever possible unless the County is providing transport. The responsibility of finding a teacher representative rests with the pupil’s school or area.
9. Disciplinary Procedure –
A. Somerset County Schools F. A. and/or English Schools F.A. will deal with all disciplinary matters in S.C.S.F.A. Competitions, i.e. all those listed in the handbook.
If a particular issue is to be delt with by SCSFA and not ESFA, the following guidelines will be taken into account:
B. In the event of an official caution or sending off, the Referees shall send a written report to the Secretary within 5 days of the date of the match.
C. In the event of a player being cautioned for the first time in a Somerset schools competition, the Committee, upon reading the referees report, shall have the discretion to reprimand the player or if deemed necessary call a Disciplinary Meeting at which the player and School / Association may attend if the player refutes the offence.
D. In the event of a player being cautioned for the second time in the same competition (in a subsequent game) the Committee, upon reading the referees report, shall have the discretion to reprimand the player or call a Disciplinary Meeting at which the player and School / Association may attend if the player refutes the offence. The player will be suspended from the following round of the competition, unless the Committee deem the offence to be of a more serious nature and in which case this suspension may be extended beyond one game.
E. In the event of a ‘sending off’ or a second or subsequent caution within the same game, the Committee, upon reading the referees report, shall have the discretion to reprimand the player or call a Disciplinary Meeting at which the player and School / Association may attend if the player refutes the offence. The player will be suspended from the following round of the competition, unless the Committee deem the offence to be of a more serious nature and in which case this suspension may be extended beyond one game.
F. Suspensions will not usually be 'carried over' to the following season unless the Committee deem the offence to be of a very serious nature in which case they have the discretion to apply this.
G. Decisions of the Committee shall be reported to: -
1) The divisional or regional representative, as appropriate to the age group.
2) The Somerset County F. A.
3) The Headmaster of the player’s school.
4) The Referee,
5) The Player,
6) The Player’s Parents.