Soccer7s

1. The name of the Club shall be SOCCER SEVENS CLUB (FORRES AREA). (Hereinafter referred to as ‘the Club’)

The Club will be non-profit making. All income being used to provide and upkeep Club equipment.

2. The aims of the Club shall be: -

(a) To promote the playing of soccer sevens by boys and girls in the age groups 8 – 16 years in and around the Forres area.
(b) In line with the policy of the Scottish Football Association to encourage fun and enjoyment in soccer with the emphasis on encouraging skill, not competitiveness.
(c) To encourage adults through the appropriate SFA coaching course to acquire the necessary skill and qualifications to promote the game of soccer sevens.
(d) Where there is no soccer provision in the Forres area for age groups out with 8 – 16 years, the Club will help to encourage and organise such provision, but not for the age group beyond 16 years.
(e) To provide organised league and cup competitions, skill days and soccer festivals when and where appropriate to further seven-a-side soccer.

3. Membership of the Club will be open: -

(a) Free of charge to adult helpers and office bearers.
(b) To junior members by payment of appropriate administration fee to assist with the purchase and maintenance of equipment. This fee will be payable at the commencement of all Club organised skills days, competitions and festivals. The Management Committee of the Club will endeavour at all times to keep membership fees to a minimum and inability to pay will not debar children from membership where sufficient reserve funds are held by the club. All children in the catered age group will be invited to join, including those challenged by physical or mental handicap. Ultimately and when sufficient funds exist, the Club’s activities will be run without charge to junior members.

4. Office bearers and Formal Club posts shall consist of:
(a) Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. In addition the
Posts of Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer.
(b) Child and Coach Protection Officer
(c) Football Development Officer

5. The Management of the affairs of the Club will be vested in and conducted by a Committee comprising the Office Bearers and up to 15 co-opted members. Where a vacancy occurs during the term of office, the Committee should be empowered to co-opt a member to that post. A co-opted member will serve only for the period or part of it of the term in which he or she was co-opted but will be eligible for re-election at the next Annual General Meeting.

6. The Committee have the following powers: -

(a) To manage, conduct and carry through the routing business of the Club and to decide what special business, if any, should be submitted to a general meeting of the members for decision.
(b) At Committee meetings (5 being a quorum, inclusive of at least 2 office bearers, the Chairperson, whom failing a Vice-Chairperson, shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberate vote.
(c) To frame, alter and amend from time to time the Rules and Conditions relating to soccer competitions, skill days and festivals.
(d) In the event of any members contravening said Rules and Conditions or falling foul to the agreed discipline of the various competitions and activities carried on by the Club to terminate forthwith his membership if in their discretion such termination is justified.
(e) To enter into on behalf of the Club any contract, lease or other agreement necessary to carry out any of the objects and aims of the Club, any deed to validly executed by the Club if subscribed on their behalf by the Chairperson, whom failing the Vice Chairperson, and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary.

7. The Annual General Meeting of members (10 being a quorum) shall be held at the beginning of the month of November and the ordinary business to be submitted shall include: -

(a) Secretary’s Report and Honorarium
(b) Treasurer’s Report
(c) Fixing of any course or league and competition fees for junior members
(d) Appointment of Secretary, Treasurer, their assistants and auditor.
(e) Appointment of Child and Coach Protection and Football Development
officers.
(f) Appointment of Chairperson of completion of his/her second term, or on the grounds he/she is resigning.
(g) Appointment of Management Committee Members in lieu of those retiring or to fill casual vacancies.
(h) Any general business considered incidental to the normal conducting of the club’s affairs.
(i) Any other business shall be deemed special business.

Seven days notice by press advertisement shall be given prior to the date of any Annual General Meeting and such advertisement shall specify generally the nature of any special business to be considered. A member desiring to put forward special business to be considered must intimate in writing to the Secretary prior to the 26th October the nature of any such special business. At any Annual General Meeting the Chairperson, whom failing a Vice-Chairperson, shall preside and, on a vote in the event of equality, he shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote.

8. The Club shall be associated with, although not affiliated to, Forres House Community Centre and upon the Club folding or falling into abeyance for whatever reason, the funds and equipment will be the property of Forres House to promote soccer within the Forres Area. Forres House being in the control of the Grampian Regional Council or nay subsequent local authority. This agreement will not, however, be binding if any subsequent change to Forres House Community Centre prevents the equipment’s use by the local community at large (i.e. falls into private sector control).

9. All adult members of the Club will have to have a Disclosure Scotland check. This will be done through the Secretary and the Central Registered Body in Scotland. At all times confidentiality will be undertaken. The only members of the Club to see any results of these checks will be the Secretary, Chairperson and on exceptional circumstances the Child and Coach Protection Officer. If a person leaves the club and then returns, the Disclosure Scotland check will be submitted again.

10. In order to honour the membership of our junior members of the Soccer Sevens
(Forres Area), it is to be the responsibility of all adult members of the Club to ensure, that the general running and business of the Club takes priority over any other activity. Any event out with the Club will not take precedence over our league, cup and invitation tournaments and under no circumstances will fixtures be re-scheduled without first being approved after consultation and deliberation by the Management Committee.

Team Selection will be carried out in three parts:
Part One - Team Selection shall be carried out by the Management Committee on an agreed date. The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Football Development Officer will be excluded from this process but
may be in attendance.
Part Two - Once teams have been selected they will be handed to the Club Secretary in sealed envelopes.
The teams will then be ratified by the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Football Development Officer. This process is to identify anomalies missed during the
selection process and/or to balance team’s strengths and weaknesses.
Part Three - The full Management Committee will meet on an agreed date and any anomalies/strengths/weaknesses highlighted during ratification will be addressed. Once changes have been made and the Management Committee are satisfied then the team selection process will be complete.

11. Managers / Coaches Duties / Responsibilities

(a) All managers/coaches receive a brief on the running of the club and their responsibilities, prior to the start of the season
(b) Managers/coaches are to contact parents and players to arrange a suitable time where they can all meet so the team can be introduced to one another as well as explaining the clubs rules and procedures.
(c) Managers/Coaches are to arrange training for their team at least once per week if possible.
(d) All players must be informed of the rules.
(e) Games must be played in accordance with the fixtures programme. Should a game need to be re-arranged for any reason, the fixtures secretary is to be informed at least 24 hours before. All children must be informed of the cancellation as well as the opposite team manager/coach. Coaches/assistants who call off a match or fail to turn out for a fixture and/or cannot agree with opposition team coach/assistant to play the match within the specified time will forfeit the match with a 1-0 score and 3 points being awarded to the opposing team.
(f) You are responsible for the child’s welfare during training and match days. Children with any medical condition should be closely monitored at all times.
(g) You are responsible for the safety and washing of your allocated team’s football shirts. Children are not to take shirts home after the games.
(h) Managers/coaches are to inform the Chairperson or Vice – Chairperson of any welfare or injury problems to team members.
(i) You are to ensure that all children are given equal playing time during games.
(j) Managers/coaches are to stop children from swinging on cross bars.

(k) Managers/coaches have the right to remove any player from the field of play should at any time that child becomes abusive in any manner to fellow team and/or opposition players, managers/coaches or members of the watching public. The manager/coach should also enforce this ruling if any player becomes physical towards another player that is deemed an act that can harm. If managers/coaches fail to carry out this action and a player is sent from the field of play by the referee/match supervisor, punishment will awarded accordingly by a decision agreed by the Management Committee on completion of a disciplinary hearing.

12. General Rules.

(a) The no pass back rule applies to all sections.
(b) Juniors, Intermediates and Seniors will all take normal throw-ins.
(c) Goals cannot be scored direct from kick-ins or throw-ins.
(d) Goalies.
(i) Junior and Intermediate keepers can kick from hand.
(ii) Senior Keepers throw from hand only
(iii) Junior goal kick can be taken from hand
(iv) Intermediate goal kicks can taken from anywhere inside the box.
(v) Senior goal kicks as (d.ii)
(vi) The six-second rule applies to seniors only.
(f) Swearing is prohibited. One warning will be followed by a caution (yellow card). Swearing at the referee will result in an immediate sending off.
(g) Tackling from behind and two footed tackles is forbidden and may result in a sending off.
(h) Teams are to shake hands before and after games.
(i) Matches are to be stopped when there is a nine clear goal difference (e.g. 9-0, 11-2).
(j) Teams are responsible for ensuring that all nets, posts, hammers, boxes and pegs are returned to the container after the last match. Any damaged item is to be reported to the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson immediately.
(k) Children are not permitted to enter the storage container. Managers/coaches are to pass out equipment to the children.
(l) Players who are sent off will receive an automatic one-match ban. A disciplinary committee will meet if the sending off offence is deemed to require a stronger punishment. The disciplinary committee will compose of the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson and a designated manager from each section. The hearing must take place within 7 days.
(m) Players in a team that does not have a full sponsored strip (shirt/socks/shorts) must wear white socks and shorts. Shin guards must be worn with socks pulled up. Players not wearing shin guards will be sent from the field until correctly dressed.
(n) Glasses are not to be worn when playing, unless they are specifically designed plastic lens sports glasses.
(o) Junior section will be trophy free football and no points will be awarded for any games played.
(p) Senior and Intermediate league points are three for a win, two for a draw and one for a loss.
(q) In the event of a tie during the league and cup phase, teams with equal points will go into a play-off.
(r) During a play-off, if after the allotted time it is still a draw, 5 minutes each way golden goal will be played. After this, if there is still no result, a five 0each, followed by sudden death penalty shoot-out will take place to decide the winner.
(s) Substitutes can be used as often as possible, on a roll-on, roll-off basis.
(t) It should be encouraged that the same children are not used as first subs during every match.
(u) In the senior and intermediate sections, managers must not field players from other teams. All players must be registered.

13. Referees and Fixtures rules

(a) Games must be played in accordance with the fixtures programme.
(b) The minimum number of players required for a game to be played is six.
(c) Teams who do not turn up, or fail to meet the required minimum players must play the fixture within 7 days. Coaches/assistants who call of a match or fail to turn out for a fixture and/or cannot agree with opposition team coach/assistant to play the match within the specified time will forfeit the match with a 1-0 score and 3 points being awarded to the opposing team.
(d) Managers who cancel games are responsible for re-arranging the game and getting a referee. Results must be forwarded to the fixtures secretary immediately.

14. Discipline and Procedures

The following actions will result in disciplinary proceedings:

(a) Any act that contravenes the Soccer Sevens (Forres Area) Child and Coach Protection Policy, in particular:

(i) Sent from the field of play for abusive language to another player or adult.
(ii) Sent from the field of play for any form of physical contact that harms or is considered an act deemed to harmful towards another player.
(iii) Any player seen to damage possessions not belonging to him/her.
(iv) Any player seen to take possessions not belonging to him/her without the consent of the owner.
(v) Any player seen wilfully damaging property belonging to the Club.
(vi) In addition to General Rules (12.1) any players who accumulate three
Bookings will automatically receive a one-match ban.
(vii) Any disciplinary action decided by the Management Committee for players who are sent off the field of play for a serious offence at the end of league phase will see that punishment carried forward to the cup phase.
(viii) Players who receive a red card (one match ban) during the last game of the league season will see that punishment carried forward to the cup phase.
(ix) If a player is sent off the field of play on cup final day, a letter will be sent out to the parents explaining the sending off then the player will receive a clean slate for the new season.
(x) Any player who continually persists in non-compliance of the rules and code of conduct of the club, shall upon a formal decision agreed by the Management Committee be immediately expelled from the club.

15. This Constitution was read and adopted at the Annual General Meeting held at Forres on Sunday 12th November 2006. This replaces the original constitution adopted at the inaugural Club meeting held on 19th August 1993 and any other adopted constitutions thereafter.

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