Mid-County/Lake Ridge Adult Soccer League (Coed Division)
BYLAWS AND GUIDELINES
I. TITLE
The name of the association shall be "The
Mid-County/Lake Ridge Adult Soccer League", hereafter referred to as
"this league." This
association is sponsored by Mid-County Soccer Association and
II. OBJECTIVES
A. The primary objective of this league shall be the promotion and encouragement of coed soccer through community participation and good sportsmanship. This league shall stand as a reflection of athletic quality, healthy competition, and soccer education within the community.
B. In furtherance of objective "A",
this league will consist of a scheduled season of games, played at the fields
at
C. Other objectives are to engage community activities, to encourage adult coed participation, and to promote the finest qualities of soccer.
III. AFFILIATION
This league will be
affiliated with Metropolitan, DC, and Virginia Soccer Association, Mid-County
Soccer Association, and
IV. MEMBERSHIP
Membership in this league is open to any individual who has an interest in furthering objectives A through C and:
A. If male, is
at least 21 years of age at the scheduled opening day of the season. Females must be at least 18 years of age at
the scheduled opening day of the season.
B.
Is
not suspended or expelled from any other previous the
league for disciplinary reasons.
League membership is subject to limitation
based on Board approved team roster and league size. Teams will consist of no
less than 16 and no more than 24 members.
V.
BOARD OF TEAM REPRESENTATIVES
Management of this league shall be vested in a board of team representatives chosen by a majority vote of registered team members. Each team will have one representative. If the representative is absent form the board meeting it is his/her responsibility to send an alternate representative to represent his/her team. The league commissioner will be nominated and elected by majority vote of board members. The term of commissioner is one year. League and board decisions will be made under the following provisions:
A. Decisions on league bylaws, rules, size, and guidelines shall be approved by 51% majority vote reached by quorum.
B. Quorum will consist of at least 50% of the team representatives present at a scheduled board meeting.
C. The commissioner will have not vote unless deadlock occurs in quorum decisions.
D. Majority vote can be obtained over the phone by commissioner and/or vice commissioner if the situation necessitates immediate action or conditions make a scheduled board meeting infeasible.
E.In order to hold board member and team status in the league, a team must have at least eight participants registered by the first board meeting of each season.
A. Commissioner: Chairman of the board, liaison with MDCVSA and MDLRASL, financial liaison with MDCVSA and MDLRASL, constructs regular season and tournament schedule, prepares issues for board decision vote, corresponds to team representatives, reschedules make-up games, and league point of contact.
B. Vice Commissioner: Acting commissioner in case of absence, advertises league registration, and keeps standings updated and posted at the field.
C. Secretary: Document and records board decisions, and takes minutes at board meetings.
VII. GUIDELINES, RULES AND REGULATIONS
A. Unless noted in the bylaws, all rules and regulations accepted and documented in the FIFA rulebook govern play in this league. Interpretation of these rules vested in the referee(s) directing play at the time.
B. Slide tackling will not be permitted in this league. The definition of a slide tackle will be treated as a foul with the he awarding of an indirect free kick for dangerous play awarded to the victimized team at the spot of the foul. The referee may choose to verbally warn, issue a yellow card, or issue a red card dependent on his/her judgement of the severity of the foul.
C. Shinguards will be worn at all times during league play. The referee will judge what constitutes a shinguard. Failure to wear and approved pair of shinguards will result in expulsion from the game until suitable shinguards are worn.
D. Fighting will not be permitted in this league. In addition to sanctions outlined in the FIFA rulebook and a two game red card suspension (see VIIQ), formal petition for an additional league penalty may be submitted to the board by any registered member of this league for fighting in, around, and/or during game play. A majority vote (secret ballot) of 70% is required to approve a league penalty. A league penalty in this case may vary from game suspensions to permanent expulsion.
E. A win shall be awarded 3 points, a tie shall be awarded 1 point, and a loss shall receive no points.
F.
In the event that a tie incurs at the end of the season, the winner of
the head to head game shall receive the higher ranking. If the head to head game resulted in a tie or
was not played, then the team with the less amount of goals scored against
receive the higher rank. If the tie
still remains, the team with the most goals will receive the higher rank. In the unlikely event a tie still remains,
the board will decide an appropriate determining factor.
…G. A team cannot field more than seven men at any time, although a team may choose any number of women.(7 males and 4 females) unless both teams can only field three women for a game, teams can field 8 men and 3 women but only if both team captains agree before the start of a game. The number of males agreed on will not change after the game begins.
H. The minimum number of people needed to play a game is seven. One of these players must be a female. The game will be a forfeit if a team does not meet this requirement within 15 minutes after scheduled game time (official time kept by the referee present). If a player is subsequently ejected for disciplinary reasons or lack of shinguards, the games is a forfeit. A player may leave the field for an injury or rest once the game has started as long as permission is requested to the center referee prior to leaving.
I. A game protest must be filed within 24 hours of the beginning of the game. The protest must be submitted , in writing, to either the commissioner, vice commissioner, or referee assignor to be considered filed. Protests will only be considered on policy or interpretation, not on referee' judgment calls. A committee consisting of the commissioner, the vice commissioner, the team representatives from the teams involved, and the rules chairman, must meet within five days of protest filing and decide by a 70% majority vote if the protest is valid and what action to pursue.
J. A forfeit shall be counted at a 3 - 0 loss.
K. There will be a $10.00 late charge assessed to all players registering after the scheduled close of registration.
L.
A team may not add male players after the add
on forms are turned in to the commissioner unless a player gets injured and is
replaced for the remainder of the season.
The injured player may not return for the remainder of the season
including the tournament. In order for
an injury replacement to be valid, a letter stating the name of the injured
player and the replacement player as well as a completed registration form
(including replacement player’s signature) must be turned in to the Lake Ridge
Office no later than
M. No alcoholic beverages are permitted in, on, or around the field area. In addition, if for any reason any player becomes unresponsive or incapacitated during any point of the game, the player shall be removed from the game and cannot return to the present game. Judgement of unresponsiveness is vested in the referee(s) present.
N. Injuries, regardless of their cause, must be
reported to the head referee who will then inform the commissioner. The commissioner will then notify a member of MDLRASL staff.
O. Metal cleats shall be allowed during play. Softball, baseball, track spikes, and golf shoes will not be allowed.
P. Each player (excluding goalkeepers) must wear like and same color shirt (Lake Ridge shirt) with his/her number clearly visible.
Q. If a players
received a yellow card he/she must leave the field for five minutes. The player may be substituted. Yellow card issued by a referee must be
reported to the referee assignor. The referee assignor will keep a record of yellow
and red cards. A second yellow card,
received anytime during regular season and tournament, will be counted as a red
card and require suspension for the next game played. (the player may
finish the current game) If the player
received a red card for reasons other than fighting, he/she is suspended for
the remainder of the current game and the next played game. If the next game is postponed, suspension
will occur in the next game played. A
red card for fighting results in a two game suspension (the next two games
played). If a player receives a red card
or a season total of two yellow cards in his/her final game of the season,
suspension will be held pending the first game of the next season. Two red cards issued in any one season
prompts immediate expulsion for the remainder of the season and requires
petition to the board to return next season.
The board may or may not grant re-admittance.
R. A player may appeal a red card to the board, but reversals will only be granted in extreme cases. Cases in judgement are usually not acceptable. A player may not appeal his/her first yellow card.
S. Expulsions will be made without whole or partial refund.
T.
If for any reason a player sustains an open or bleeding wound,
it shall be immediately brought to the attention of the referee. That player should be removed until such time
as the wound is cleaned and fully covered to protect from contact. Judgement of fully covered shall be vested in
the referee.
U. In the tournament at the end of
the season there will be overtime if a tie occurs at the end of regulation
time. Teams will play
V. If a team forfeits two games in the season the team will be eliminated from the end of the season tournament.
W. Substitutions:
Substitutions will be limited to the
following:
a. At any stoppage
of play by either team at goal-kick, after goals, and at throw-ins IF both teams are there, else only by team with possession of the throw-in.
X. NO
Jewelry will be worn by any player during the game according to FIFA guidelines.
Y. The duration of each game will be 90 minutes
of playing time divided into 2 equal periods.
VIII. DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution of the
association, the funds in the treasury, after all the creditors have been paid,
shall go to a not-for- profit youth soccer league or team within Prince William
County for the promotion of the game.