Tallahassee Soccer Association

By-Laws of the Tallahassee Soccer Association

Article I - PURPOSE

A. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Tallahassee Soccer Association, hereinafter referred to as TSA, is to provide a means for members and other approved organizations to participate in organized soccer in a social atmosphere.

B. PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the TSA is one of camaraderie and friendly, controlled competition. The competitive aspects of the game are secondary in importance to the recreational benefits to the members and to player safety.

C. POLICY

It is the policy of the TSA to promote and facilitate interest in the sport of soccer primarily among that segment of the population qualifying for membership.

D. STATUS

TSA is established and conducted as a nonprofit organization under the laws of the United States and will maintain tax-exempt status.

E. PRINCIPLE PLACE OF BUSINESS

The principle place of business shall be in the City of Tallahassee, County of Leon, State of Florida.

F. NATIONAL AFFILIATIONS

TSA is affiliated with the International Football Association (FIFA) for rules of play. TSA is also governed by Florida State Soccer Association (FSSA) and is a member of United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

G. STATUS OF THE BY-LAWS

The Association shall be guided in all its activities by the provisions of these By-laws.
Once initially adopted by the Board of Directors, these By-laws can be repealed, amended, or added to by a majority of those members in good standing that vote. Notice of proposed changes to these By-laws shall be made available to members of the Association at least one week prior to the date on which balloting is to take place.

H. MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS

The annual meeting of the membership shall take place at a convenient date close to September 1 of each year.
Election for Directors shall take place at the annual meeting of the membership.

I. SELECTION OF AWARDS

The Board will approve the selection of awards for members from time to time.

J. RULES AND OPERATION PROCEDURES

The Board will maintain a set of rules and operating procedures for the Association to include provisions not included or established by the By-laws. These rules and operating procedures shall be updated on an annual basis at a minimum.

K. COMMUNICATION

The Board will maintain good communication with the membership and community as a whole and insure that all relevant information about TSA activities reach all members.

Newsletter. A newsletter will be provided at a minimum on a seasonal basis.
E-mail. An e-mail will be maintained for questions and communicating to members.
Website. A website will be maintained and updated on a regular basis.
Phone number. A phone number will be maintained with an answering service for members and questions.

Article II - MEMBERSHIP

A. AGE REQUIREMENTS

Membership in the TSA is limited to men and women who have reached at least their 18th birthday.

B. DUES AND FEES

Membership in the TSA may be gained by meeting the age eligibility requirements and by the payment of membership dues. Dues shall be determined by the time of application. Pro-ration of dues will be calculated on a quarterly basis. Membership renewals will be due the first day of September each year. Seasonal or league registration fees will be paid prior to the first scheduled match of the season.
Non-payment of annual dues will result in the cancellation of membership.
Non-payment of season fees, without prior discussion with the registrar, will result in the cancellation of registration for that season.
Fee structures agreed upon under any existing membership plan will be preserved for the duration of that agreement as long as the membership is in good standing.
Annual dues and fee schedules will be established by the Board of Directors in conformance with the following guidelines:
- Annual dues will be set at a level which will cover administrative costs of the Association.
- Seasonal registration fees will be set at a level which will cover field use and associated expenses.
- A schedule of dues and fees will be presented to the Board of Directors by the budget committee as a part of its proposed Annual Operating Budget (see Article III, paragraph J).
- Any alteration of fees must be approved by a unanimous vote of the Board.

C. MEMBERSHIP

Rights and privileges stated or implied in these By-laws are available only to regular or honorary members of the Association.
Regular Membership. A regular member in good standing is someone who has satisfied the requirements for membership in TSA and has either paid membership dues in full, or is current in meeting an installment obligation agreed to under a bona fide time payment plan authorized by the Board of Directors.
Honorary Membership. Honorary membership is a member in good standing. Honorary members are granted by a unanimous vote of the Board. An honorary member shall not be required to pay dues but is otherwise entitled to all rights and privileges as a regular member. A list of the honorary members will be kept by the Board.

D. RIGHTS AND PRIVELEGES

Only members in good standing may be elected to the Board of Directors of the TSA.
Members in good standing shall have the right to one vote at elections for positions on the Board of Directors and on other matters which may be submitted for consideration by the voting membership. Voting by proxy will not be allowed.
Members shall have the right to register for all league play sponsored by the Association.
Members shall have access to the soccer fields at all times approved for general use by the Board of Directors. Persons who are not members of the Association or that are currently serving a suspension, will not have access during TSA playing times without specific prior authorization of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE III - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A. MEMBERSHIP

The Board of Directors shall consist of seven persons elected by popular vote of the voting members of the TSA.
All Directors shall be members in good standing of the Association.

B. TERM

Each Director shall be selected for a term of two calendar years.
Directors may be re-elected to consecutive terms.
Terms of Board members shall be staggered.
Prior to each election, the Board of Directors shall make an effort to find appropriate members for the Board. The Board may appoint a nominating committee. The candidate selection effort should make an attempt to represent the membership's diversity.
Candidates for Board elections will be presented to the membership and may be nominated from the floor at the annual meetings held for this purpose.
Voting for the Board will be conducted as deemed appropriate by the Board and the results will be presented at the annual meeting of the membership. The voting procedures should attempt to maximize membership participation.

C. VACANCIES

Vacancies shall be deemed to occur whenever a Director during his term of office becomes unable or unwilling to complete his duties or is removed. Should a Board Member miss three consecutive meetings (regular or special) without being excused by the President or a majority of the Board, the Board Member may be removed by a majority vote of the Board.
Vacancies on the Board shall be filled either through a special election by the membership by selection and vote by the Board of Directors. Directors appointed by the Board to fill a vacant seat serve only until the next annual meeting regardless of the time remaining in the vacant term.

D. OFFICERS

At the first meeting after each annual election, the members of the Board of Directors shall elect from among themselves a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers as they may from time to time deem desirable.
Officers may be re-elected to successive terms.

E. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

President. The President shall preside at all meetings of members and Directors and discharge the duties of a presiding officer. The President shall also perform whatever other duties the Board may from time to time prescribe.
Vice President. The Vice President shall attend all meetins and, in the absence of the President, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President. The Vice President shall also have whatever powers and duties as may be assigned by the Board.
Secretary. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the members and Directors and shall keep, or cause to be kept, a true and complete record of the proceedings of those meetings. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the members or Directors and shall perform whatever additional duties the Board may from time to time prescribe.
Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have custody of Association funds and securities. The Treasurer shall keep full and accurate account of receipts and disbursements and shall deposit all Association monies and other valuable effects in the name of and to the credit of the Association in a depository or depositories designated by the Board.
Whenever an officer is absent, or whenever for any reason the Board of Directors may deem it desirable, the Board may delegate the powers and duties of an officer to any other officer or officers or to any other Director or Directors.
Such other officers as are created from time to time shall have such duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to them by the Board in minutes of meetings duly adopted or by Resolution of the Board.

F. MEETINGS

Regular meetings of the board shall occur, at a minimum, prior to the start of each season of scheduled league play and at such other times as determined by the Board.
Special meetings may be called by the President, or by a majority of Board members, for any purpose related to the responsibilities of the Board.
At the discretion of the President, meetings may be conducted by joint telephonic communication.
At all meetings of the Board of Directors, 4 of 7 of the members of said Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of TSA business.
The current version of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be followed at all meetings of TSA unless otherwise agreed upon by the participants.

G. RECORDS AND RECEIPTS

A written record of the proceedings of each Board meeting shall be furnished to each Board member and be posted for review by any member of the Association.
The Association shall maintain such financial records as are necessary to reflect receipts and disbursements of all funds by the Association. Such records shall also reflect the financial condition of the Association at all times. Copies of all financial reports shall be furnished to each Board member and be provided upon request to all members.

H. TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS

The act of the majority of the Board members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be considered acts. An affirmative vote of four Board members is necessary to:
- enter into a contract;
- borrow money;
- approve or amend the Annual Operating Budget;
- submit a proposed amendment to the By-laws to the voting members of the Association.
At the discretion of the President, meetings may be conducted by joint telephonic communication.

I. COMMITTEES

The President, with concurrence of the Board, may from time to time establish and abolish committees from among the members of the Association as may be deemed necessary, expedient, or contributive to the performance of the duties of the Board.
The Disciplinary Committee shall be a standing committee. See Disciplinary Committee.
The President shall appoint a Chairman and a Vice Chairman, if needed, for each committee established.
All committee members shall serve at the satisfaction of the Board.
All committees must submit minutes of each meetings to the board within a reasonable amount of time.

J. ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET

The Board shall prepare and members shall adopt an annual estimate of revenues and expenditures and approve an Annual Operating Budget. This budget shall serve as the official financial plan of the Association. An Annual Operating Budget must be approved for the coming fiscal year at the annual meeting of the members. This budget shall take effect September 1st of each year. No expenditures above those budgeted for any line item in the Annual Operating Budget shall be approved without a formal modification to the Annual Operating Budget.

ARTICLE IV - POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE ASSOCIATION

A. POWERS
The Association, through its Board of Directors, shall have the power to:

Effect any or all of the purposes for which it is organized.
Make contracts and incur liabilities consistent with the purpose, philosophy, and policies set forth in Article I.
Establish eligibility requirements for membership in the Association, as well as in any league or activity sponsored by the Association.
Establish levels of membership and levy and collect membership dues and fees.
Adopt rules governing the conduct of Association activities as well as access to and use of playing fields and all other facilities owned by, or under the control of, the Association.
Operate concessions intended to generate revenues for the Association treasury.
Establish and distribute a Rules of Play to governing behavior in all activities sponsored or sanctioned by the Association.
Impose fines and penalties on groups or individuals failing to comply, after due notice, with any rule or code of conduct duly established by the Association.
Deny membership, expel from membership, or refuse access to or participation in Association sanctioned or sponsored activities to any group or individual who violates Association rules or codes of conduct.
Impose special fees or assessments on its members whenever determined necessary to maintain the solvency of the Association by vote of a majority of the members in good standing of the Association.
Adopt special rules of play for any league, tournament or exhibition sanctioned or sponsored by the Association.

B. DUTIES
The Association, through its Board of Directors, shall have the following duties:

To adopt an Annual Operating Budget in accordance with the requirements of Section J of Article III.
To provide to the members of the Association an annual report on the general condition of the Association.

ARTICLE V - RULES OF LEAGUE PLAY

A. LEAGUE PLAY
All league play sponsored by the Association shall be conducted in accordance with Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) rules, except for the local modifications noted below. FIFA rules will be available for review by members as requested.

The slide tackle shall not be used.
The Goalkeeper shall not be touched, or harassed, while in possession of the ball within the penalty area.
Game times, breaks and periods will be set by the Board prior to the season commencement, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon between the referee and the two participating teams.
Every player should be allowed to play. Each shall play at least one-half of every game unless cautioned, in which case, his game suspension may count, at the discretion of his Captain or Team Representative, as forfeited playing time.
Substitution regulations will be set at the commencement of each season. Injured and cautioned players shall be substituted any time play is stopped by the referee. Substitutes shall enter from midfield after being signaled by referee.
Any player who receives a yellow card will be suspended from play for the balance of the period when cautioned and the next one, if any is left to be played.
Any player who receives a red card shall be immediately ejected from the game and suspended from playing for at least the next scheduled league game. Teams may not substitute for players who have received red cards.
Players are required to wear shinguards at all TSA-sponsored play, including league games, practice and pick-up games.
Any player who is injured during play and has visible bleeding must leave the field immediately and not return until the bleeding has been stopped and the wound is covered.

B. SEASON COMMISSIONER

The Board will appoint a season commissioner. The duties of the commissioner will be outlined by the Board each season.
The commissioner enforces all TSA guidelines and rules to the best of their ability, oversees the team selection and season activities.

C. DETERMINATION OF TEAM ROSTERS

The assignment of players to teams in league play sponsored by the TSA shall be guided by the principle of competitive parity among teams.
Team selection process will be decided by the Board prior to the start of each season.
The committee will take into account requests from members to play with specified other members. Assignments will be made as requested as long as the competitiveness of the teams and the philosophy of TSA is not affected.
Members that complete Season registration forms and pay applicable fees will be assigned to teams on a first come first served basis.

D. ADDING PLAYERS TO TEAMS

Players who register after registration has been closed will only be assigned to team rosters under the following circumstances:
- to fill the spaces of previously registered players who have been removed from the season roster, or
- to fill empty roster spaces.
The Board shall be responsible for assigning late registrants to team rosters, while maintaining the competitive balance of teams.
Players who register late will be assigned to team rosters on a first come, first served basis until the teams are full.
Team limits and roster limits are set by the Board on a Season by Season basis.

E. PICKUP
All pickup play sponsored by the Association shall be conducted in accordance with TSA Rules of Play.

Only Members in good standing can only participate in pickup games.
Pickup times and locations will be set by the Board as needed.
The slide tackle shall not be used.
The Goalkeeper shall not be touched, or harassed, while in possession of the ball within the penalty area.
Timely substitution will be required if there are more than enough members to constitute two fair sides.
Players are required to wear shinguards at all TSA-sponsored play.
Any player who is injured during play and has any visible bleeding wound must leave the field immediately and not return until the bleeding has been stopped and the wound is covered.
The Board or their designee has the authority to allow or prohibit non-members or members not in good standing from the pickup events.

ARTICLE VI - DISCIPLINARY ACTION

A. POLICIES

In game situations sanctioned or sponsored by the Association, the referee shall have sole and unchallenged authority to control action on the field in accordance with Article V. All members, guests and spectators shall abide by the decisions of the referee.
In non-game activities at the playing fields sanctioned or sponsored by the Association, members, guests and spectators shall conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner consistent with the philosophy of the TSA.

B. DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE

The Disciplinary Committee shall be composed of three to five members in good standing of the Association to include a FIFA certified official appointed to one calendar year term by the President and approved by the Board of Directors.
The Disciplinary Committee shall have authority to hear complaints and to suspend members from league play and pickup for misconduct.
The Committee shall have authority to recommend to the Board of Directors expulsion from Association membership and/or denial of future access to TSA league play or pick-up play. This applies to any member or non-member guest who, in their judgment, is guilty of repeated or flagrant violation of Association rules or who is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct inconsistent with the TSA philosophy of the Association.
Decisions of the Board, in accordance with recommendations from the Disciplinary Committee, are not appealable.

C. VIOLATION POINT SYSTEM

During scheduled league play sponsored by the Association, penalty points shall be charged to offending players according to the following point system:
- Yellow cards result in the assessment of two penalty points. Red cards shall result in the assessment of three penalty points. A yellow and a red card in the same game shall result in the assessment of five penalty points.
- Any player accumulating six penalty points during a season shall automatically be suspended for one game and must appear before the Disciplinary Committee before being allowed to resume league play. If the suspension cannot be completed in the current season, the player shall serve the suspension during the next season in which the player registers.
- Any player accumulating eight penalty points during a season shall automatically be suspended for the balance of that season and shall be suspended for a minimum of five games. If there are fewer than five games remaining in the current season, the player shall serve the remainder of the suspension during the next season in which that player registers. The player must appear before the Disciplinary Committee before being allowed to register for another season.
- Red card suspensions (Article V, Section A. 7.) shall be assessed independently of any penalty point suspensions.

D. COMPLAINT SYSTEM

Complaints alleging violation of Association rules or unsportsmanlike conduct inconsistent with the philosophy of the TSA may be filed against any member, guest or spectator by any referee or Captain or Team Representative in an Association sponsored league or activity or by any two members in good standing of the Association.
All complaints must be filed, in writing, with the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee within one week of the date of the alleged incident(s).
Within a reasonable amount of time, the Disciplinary Committee shall convene to hear the complaint.
Both the complainant and the person or persons against whom a complaint has been filed shall be afforded reasonable notice and given the opportunity to appear before the Committee to present any additional or clarifying information.
In accordance with Section B of this Article, the Committee shall render a decision or recommendation to the Board on each complaint, based on the best information available to them.
The Disciplinary Committee shall be responsible for providing a written report of the findings and decision/recommendation of each complaint to the Board within a reasonable time after the committee meeting.

E. FIGHTING

Fighting is expressly inconsistent with the philosophy of the Tallahassee Soccer Association.
Players receiving red cards because of fighting must appear before the Disciplinary Committee which shall have the authority to assess or recommend additional penalties beyond those provided in Paragraph C of this Article.
Failure of any individual involved in a fight to appear before the Disciplinary Committee after being given reasonable notice shall result in suspension from league play and denial of access to TSA sponsored activities until he or she appears before the Committee. Further sanctions may be recommended by the Disciplinary Committee.
A written report of the rulings and/or recommendations made by the Committee shall be provided to the Board within a reasonable amount of time.

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