BY-LAWS
1. NAME
The association shall be known as the North Alabama Soccer Federation (hereinafter referred to as "NASF").
2. PURPOSE
The purpose of the NASF shall be to develop, promote and administer the game of soccer amongst adults in the greater metro Birmingham area and surrounding communities.
3. AFFILIATION
The NASF shall be an affiliated branch of, and comply with the authority of, the United States Soccer Federation (hereinafter referred to as "USSF").
4. AUTHORITIES
The NASF shall be governed by its By-Laws except when superseded by USSF laws.
The authority of the NASF shall be exercised by the NASF Board (hereinafter referred to as "the Board"). The Board shall be composed of a representative from each affiliated team as defined in section 7 herein and a duly elected Executive Committee as defined in section 8 herein.
5. MEMBERSHIP IN THE NASF
Membership in the NASF shall be by affiliated teams.
Teams may apply for membership to a member of the Executive Committee. New teams may be admitted at the beginning of either the fall or spring season meeting. Majority vote of the Executive Committee is required for admittance.
Membership in the NASF may be revoked for cause; majority vote of the Board is required for revoking membership.
Any team consisting of seven or more players rostered together during the prior season will continue to carry the same rights and obligations as the prior team.
Teams playing in a traveling league in Alabama will be eligible for membership in the NASF.
6. OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP
All member teams and their players shall abide by the by-laws of the NASF and all applicable rules and regulations of the associations with which the NASF is affiliated.
Each affiliated team shall submit properly completed player and team registration forms and fees prior to the first scheduled official league game.
Any affiliated team failing to submit the proper registration forms and/or fees by the required deadline shall be declared not in good standing.
The Executive Committee is hereby given the authority to determine the proper action required for teams not in good standing. Such action can include immediate suspension, forfeiture of games played, reasonable extensions of the deadline or other appropriate action. The Executive Committee shall report all actions involving teams not in good standing at each regularly scheduled Board meeting. The Board may overrule actions taken by the Executive Committee's by a majority vote of the Board.
7. THE NASF BOARD
Each affiliated team shall appoint, from amongst its members, a team representative. The name, address and telephone number of the representative shall be given to the NASF Secretary at the beginning of each season. The team representative will be the team's official Board member and the point of contact between the NASF and the team.
The NASF Board shall be composed of the team representatives (hereinafter referred to as "team reps") and the Executive Committee.
Each team in good standing is entitled to one vote on the Board. In the absence of the team rep at any Board meeting, another rostered team member may cast vote(s) on behalf of the team. Any such substitute must give his or her name to the NASF Secretary prior to the start of the meeting.
Officers may act as their team rep or have a separate team rep but in no case can an Officer and a team rep from the same affiliated team both vote on any motion.
If the team rep is changed, the change must be conveyed to the NASF Secretary in writing.
8. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The NASF Officers shall be President, Vice-President(s) and Secretary/Treasurer. Together, the Officers shall comprise the Executive Committee.
Officers shall be elected for a one year term at the end of each spring season; the officers' terms shall commence at the opening of the fall season and conclude at the opening of the following fall season. There is no restriction on re-election of Officers.
NASF officers shall be nominated only by current members of the Board. Nominations must be submitted to a member of the Executive Committee two weeks before the close of the spring season for consideration. Nominees must have been actively rostered for the previous two seasons and must be approved by a majority vote of the acting executive committee.
Elections shall be held at a meeting called by the Executive Committee prior to the close of the spring season. The Secretary/Treasurer shall announce the elections by mailing a notice to each member of the Board at the address last provided by each member.
The President shall conduct all meetings of the Board. The President shall establish committees as required and appoint committee chairs. S/he shall be the chair of the Executive Committee.
The Vice President shall be responsible for scheduling, player registration, awards, tournaments, reporting of standings and other related activities.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall receive, deposit, expend and keep records of all NASF funds. S/he will establish a bank account in the NASF's name that will allow checks to be signed by either the Secretary/Treasurer or the President. S/he will be prepared to report on the NASF's financial condition at each Board meeting. S/he shall also keep an accurate record of all meetings and provide each Board member with a copy of such records upon request. S/he will keep the By-Laws current and in order to reflect any approved changes.
The Executive Committee is hereby delegated the authority of the Board for the conducting of NASF business between Board meetings subject to the modifications of its actions by the full Board at its next meeting.
9. MEETINGS
There shall be a season meeting prior to the beginning of both the fall and spring seasons and another at the close of the spring season; the meetings shall be general organizational meetings. Acceptance of new affiliated teams and changes in the By-Laws can occur only at these meetings. Fees, registration, procedures, etc. will be established at this meeting. Election of Officers and the filling of vacancies can occur.
Other meetings may be called with the sufficient notice by the President and must be called by four or more Board members to the NASF's Secretary/Treasurer.
Meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
At all meetings of the Board, sixty percent (60%) of the Board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Decisions of the Board shall be made by majority vote of the teams represented at the meeting unless a different requirement exists in these By-Laws.
10. ROSTERS
Each first division team may have a season roster of up to twenty five players. A player, once rostered with a team, may not be removed from the roster during the season. Players may be added to the roster at any time during the season until the twenty five player limit has been reached.
All other teams may have a season roster without a limit on the number of players. A player, once rostered with a team, may not be removed from the roster during the season. Players may be added to the roster at any time during the season.
Current season rosters must be submitted to the Alabama Amateur Soccer Division (AASD) Registrar along with new player registration forms at the beginning of each season and also each time a player is added to the roster during the season. A copy of the roster shall also be submitted to the NASF Secretary at the beginning of the season and any time a player is added to the roster.
Each first division team must present a copy of its team roster, approved and stamped by the AASD Registrar, to the referee prior to each league game with a maximum of eighteen players.
All other teams must present a copy of its team roster, approved and stamped by the AASD Registrar, to the referee prior to each league game. There will be no limit on the number of players, but each player must be on the approved roster.
A player may not be on more than one NASF season roster with the exception of a player/coach. An individual rostered as coach on one team may be rostered with another team as a player. The player/coach must be listed as coach on his/her primary team to be eligible.
Players may be dropped from one roster and added to another team's roster only between seasons and only with the agreement of the team reps. A processing fee, payable to AASD, will be assessed. Poaching of players will not be allowed.
11. LEAGUE STRUCTURE
For the purposes of competition, the NASF shall be divided in to three or more wholly separate divisions.
The first division will emphasize advanced soccer skills. Teams in the first division will be those that have proven through competition to be at a higher level of skill and/or teams formally or informally affiliated with colleges and composed primarily of college aged players.
The remaining divisions will emphasize the development of soccer skills.
Prior to the beginning of each season, the Executive Committee shall meet and divide the affiliated teams in to three or more divisions. The Executive Committee shall consider the number of teams desiring to play, the relative performance of the teams during the prior season, the appropriate division for any new teams, and any other factors with the objective of establishing divisions that will be as internally competitive as possible. Changes to the division of teams made by the Executive Committee may be made by majority vote of the Board at the season meeting. All teams will abide by the divisional structure determined for the season.
12. RULES OF PLAY
The season year shall be from September 1 through August 31.
Only players that will be eighteen years of age at the start of the season shall be eligible to play on a NASF affiliated team.
The rules of play shall be as written in "The Laws of the Game" as published by FIFA with those modifications stated herein.
Where uniform colors of competing teams are similar, the home team must effect a change of color.
The designated home team for each scheduled game is ultimately responsible for the condition of the grounds, including proper field markings and proper equipment. The home team shall also provide a game ball and corner flags acceptable to the referee.
Players may be substituted at the following times, but only with the consent of the referee:
Prior to a goal kick by either team
After a goal by either team
After an injury and play has stopped, the injured player may be substituted; the opposing team may also substitute one player
At half time
When the referee stops play to caution a player, the cautioned player may be substituted
On your own team's throw-in
Both teams shall be responsible for reporting the match score to the NASF President, or individual s/he may designate, by a deadline to be established and communicated to all team reps at the season meeting. Repeated failure to report scores by the designated deadline may result in forfeiture of the match at the discretion of the President.
Any team delaying the start of a game by more than fifteen minutes shall be subject to a forfeit at the discretion of the referee and the opposing team representative. Any additional time allowed by the referee shall be deducted from the time allowed for the first half of play.
In the event both teams do not have at least seven players to begin and finish a scheduled game, and the referee finds the grounds to be playable, both teams will be assessed a forfeit. In the event only one team fails to have the required number of players to begin and finish a scheduled game, and the referee finds the grounds to be playable, that team will be assessed a forfeit.
Any team forfeiting a game will be declared not in good standing. Any team declared to be not in good standing that forfeits a game will be assessed a fine of $50.00 for the first offense and $75.00 for the second offense. Any team forfeiting more than two games in a season are subject to suspension at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
13. DIVISIONAL STANDINGS
Divisional standings shall be computed as follows unless modified by a majority vote of the Board:
Competition points, awarded as follows:
Win = 3 points
Overtime / PK win = 2 points
Overtime / PK loss = 1 point
Loss = 0 points
Teams shall be ordered in descending sequence by the number of points earned
Where teams have the same number of points, they shall be further ordered in descending sequence by the number of wins obtained
Where teams are still tied, they shall be further ordered in descending sequence by the number of ties they have had (fewest to most)
Where teams are still tied, they shall be further ordered in descending sequence by the number of losses they have suffered (fewest to most)
If a tie still exists, head-to-head competition shall be used
The final tie breaker shall be the least goals allowed
Forfeits shall be considered a 3 - 0 loss