BY-LAWS
of the
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA SOCCER REFEREES ASSOCIATION
(enacted 5/21/07)
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this association shall be the NORTHWEST LOUISIANA SOCCER REFEREES ASSOCIATION, herein referred to as NWLSRA.
ARTICLE II
AFFILIATION
The NWLSRA shall be affiliated with the Louisiana Soccer Association (LSA),
U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), Louisiana
State High School Athletic Association (LSHSAA), the
National Federation of High Schools (NFHS), and
the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA). NWLSRA may affiliate, as they see fit, with
other soccer leagues that provide liability protection for referees.
ARTICLE III
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the NWLSRA shall be to
train and support soccer referees, provide services to affiliated leagues and
to encourage continued participation as a referee.
SECTION 1:
To train and support soccer referees
1. Offering classroom instruction in the Laws and/or Rules of the game of soccer.
2. Offering Testing and Recertification Testing for affiliated governing associations.
3. Offering field training.
4. Providing assistance with maintenance and upgrade assessments.
SECTION 2:
To assist member assignors and associated leagues
1. Offering web-based assigning tools.
2. Offering consolidated game billings to leagues.
3. Offering game fee distribution to referees.
SECTION 3:
Encourage continued participation as referees of the game.
ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP
SECTION 1:
The NWLSRA fully supports the policy of equal opportunity, and will not discriminate in membership eligibility on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. This association will neither accept invitations from, nor participate in any activity or organization that does not conform to this policy, or that discriminates on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin.
SECTION 2:
Eligibility for
membership shall consist of the following:
1. U.S. Soccer/NFHS/NISOA registered referees, assignors, instructors, or
assessors.
2. Minimum age shall be twelve years old.
3. Referees of other affiliated leagues. (article II)
SECTION 3:
Continued
membership shall require the following:
1. Yearly recertification by affiliated
associations and leagues.
2. Compliance with the rules and Code of Conduct of the affiliated associations, leagues and the NWLSRA.
SECTION 4:
Termination of
membership shall be by:
1. Voluntary resignation.
2. Failure to recertify annually.
3. Majority vote of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 5:
Each member shall have ONE vote at all general membership meetings.
SECTION 6:
All referee members shall pay dues, as set by the Board of Directors. Payment shall be withheld from games fees by the Treasurer.
ARTICLE V
GOVERNMENT
SECTION 1:
The NWLSRA shall be a nonprofit organization.
SECTION 2:
The governing body
of the NWLSRA shall be known as the Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as the Board. It shall consist of the following elected
members:
1. President.
2. Vice President.
3. Secretary.
4. Treasurer.
5. Director of Instruction.
6. Director of Assessment.
7. Director of Recruitment and Retention
SECTION 3:
The Director of Instruction shall be an active, currently registered referee instructor. The Director of Assessment shall be an active, currently registered assessor. Provisional ratings by U.S. Soccer are acceptable for either position.
SECTION 4:
Each member of the Board shall have ONE vote. The President shall vote only in the event of a tie. A majority of the filled Board seats constitutes a quorum for purposes of conducting business. A majority vote of those Board members present shall be required for action.
SECTION 5:
Any member of the Board who is consistently (habitually) absent from THREE regular meetings shall have that office declared vacant at the discretion of the Board. The President shall then appoint another member to fill the unexpired term of that office. If the President's office is vacated, the Vice President shall assume that office and appoint a member to serve the remainder of the term of the office of Vice President.
SECTION 6:
Members of the Board may be removed from office for cause by a two-thirds vote of the Board members present at any meeting, provided there is no less than fifteen days written notice.
SECTION 7:
The following shall be the duties of the members of the Board:
1. President - As chief officer, the President is charged with the overall
administrative and executive functions of the association. He/she shall appoint
such committees as he/she deems necessary to carry out the functions of the
NWLSRA. He/she shall assign duties to all officers as required. As chief
officer, the President is to take prudent and reasonable action in cases not
covered in the association By-Laws, and such authority is implicit in the
office. He/she shall cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie at Board
meetings. He/she or a designated representative shall represent the association
at the semi-annual meetings of the Louisiana Soccer Referee Association. He/she
or a designated representative shall represent the association in all community
and public affairs. He/she shall appoint
league Referee Assignors subject to majority approval of the board and approval
by the associated leagues.
2. Vice President - The Vice President shall succeed
to the powers of the President in his/her absence.
3. Secretary - The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings, attend
to all correspondence, keep a referee roster, and keep association records. The
Secretary shall provide at least seven
days notice to the association members of all
membership meetings. This notice may be by phone, mail or electronic media.
4. Treasurer - The Treasurer shall collect the money of the association and
shall keep a detailed account of income and expenses. No money shall be
disbursed unless it has been previously allocated by the Board. When called upon, he/she
shall submit a verbal report of the finances at meetings and to the President. A written
report will be provided at each Board meeting.
He/she shall withhold member dues from game fees
and sign all checks. He/she shall coordinate with the league scheduler for
Referee Assignor fees.
5. Director of Instruction - The Director of Instruction shall be the lead
instructor for all clinics offered to referees. This shall include, but is not
limited to securing instructor, facilities and material for all clinics. He/she
shall provide current interpretations on the Laws of the Game and Points of Emphasis.
6. Director of Assessment - The Director of Assessment shall be the lead assessor for purposes of upgrade/maintenance within the U.S. Soccer referee grade system. He/she shall schedule assessor for both upgrade/maintenance and informal continuity assessments. He/she shall keep records in connection with referee assessments. He/she shall provide feedback to the Director of Instruction to evaluate the association's instructional program.
7. Director of Recruitment and Retention - The Director
of Recruitment and Retention shall be responsible for the overall referee
recruitment and retention efforts. He/she shall
contact each referee individually, twice, during each soccer season. The
Director of Recruitment and Retention shall be a liaison for the general membership
regarding in-service training requirements,
game assignments and upgrade requirements. The Director of
Retention will maintain a record of participation in NWLSRA in-service training
and provide a yearly summary for each member
Section 8:
The Board shall establish by majority vote such rules and Codes of Conduct as it deems appropriate and necessary.
ARTICLE VI
ELECTIONS
SECTION 1:
Elections shall be by a majority present at a meeting or participating in an electronic vote to be held on or before May 31st of each year. Failure to conduct a vote by May 31 will result in the expiring offices being vacated. The new Board will take office on May 31 of each year.
SECTION 2:
Dual office holding of each elected position shall not be permitted.
SECTION 3:
The term of each office shall be two years, with the President, Secretary, Directors of Instruction and Recruitment and Retention elected in even years and the Vice President, Treasurer, and Director of Assessment elected in odd years.
ARTICLE VII
MEETINGS
SECTION 1:
General membership meetings shall be held bi-monthly during the playing season and as needed during the off-season. Meetings may be called at any time by the President with notice given to all members seven days in advance by the Secretary.
SECTION 2:
The Board shall meet, as needed.
ARTICLE VIII
DISCIPLINE
SECTION 1:
The Ethics and Grievance Committee shall be responsible for reviewing and acting upon all complaints submitted in writing to the association and shall take any disciplinary measures deemed necessary. A letter of grievance must be submitted and postmarked within 72 hours of occurrence and must be directed to the President of this Association, with a $25.00 (twenty-five dollars and no cents) non-refundable fee.
SECTION 2:
The Ethics and Grievance Committee shall consist of the following Board members: President, Secretary, Director of Instruction, Director of Assessment, and league Referee Assignor. If any Ethics and Grievance Committee member is a party to the issue at hand, the President shall appoint another Board member as a replacement. A majority vote of the Ethics and Grievance Committee is required for any sanctions imposed.
SECTION 3:
The Secretary shall notify, in writing, all parties directly involved, advising the individual(s) of the nature of the charges filed, or complaint submitted, along with the date/place/time for the scheduled hearing. The hearing procedures specified by the associated governing body shall be followed.
SECTION 4:
The hearing shall be within 30 days of the filing of the complaint.
SECTION 5:
When complaints
are upheld, the action taken is to be from among the following:
1. Letter of reprimand.
2. A fine.
3. Suspension from all active participation in the association for a fixed
period of time.
4. Combination of 1, 2 and 3 above.
5. Dismissal from the association.
SECTION 6:
Members who have received a penalty under ARTICLE VIII may appeal the decision and penalty to the associated governing body.
ARTICLE IX
ASSESSMENT
SECTION 1:
The Assessment Committee shall review and evaluate the performance of referees on the field giving constructive criticism and instruction. USSF maintenance and upgrade assessments must be coordinated through the state association.
SECTION 2:
The Assessment Committee shall consist of senior referees, assessors and instructors.
SECTION 3:
Whether for promotional purposes or not, each referee should be assessed once a year. Those wishing an additional assessment must make their wish known to the Director of Assessments and Referee Assignor.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended in the following manner. An amendment must be introduced at a general membership meeting. It may then be voted on at either the next regularly scheduled meeting, a special meeting called for this purpose or by an electronic vote.