Constitution
The Title and Constitution of the Lancashire Schools' Football Association1. The Association shall be called the Lancashire Schools' Football Association and shall be affiliated with the English Schools' Football Association.
Objects
2. The mental, moral and physical development and improvement of schoolchildren and students through the medium of association football and to help such charities as the Council of the Association may from time to time determine.
Membership
3. Membership of the Association shall be open to Schools' Football Associations in Lancashire and to individual schools (subject to the approval of Council) provided that teachers in schools in affiliation shall be insured as per the rules of ESFA, but no application for affiliation shall be accepted from an association already affiliated or from an individual school already affiliated through an association. Associations which cater for primary schools football only will be accepted as Associate Members.
Management
4. All associations before being affiliated to this Association shall satisfy the Council that they are properly constituted associations. All associations and schools shall also satisfy the Council that they are playing football according to the rules of the Football Association Ltd. No school shall be registered by more than one competiting association. All affiliated schools and associations must agree to abide by the rules of the LSFA.
5. The Association shall be governed by a Council Committee of one representative per association in full membership, a Secretary and a Treasurer. If the representatives of the English Schools' Football Association is not a member of this Council he shall become one ex officio. Council shall have the power to co-opt.
a) Each affiliated association in full membership shall have one representative on the Council. Each representative must be a full-time teacher or an AOTT and must be nominated by his own association. Associations may also nominate candidates - being teachers or an AOTT - for the offices of Treasurer and Secretary. Nominations for these offices shall be sent to the Hon. Secretary no later than the first post of May 12th and where no new nomination is received the officer shall be deemed to be elected unopposed, but should an officer retire he must give notice to the Hon. Secretary by the May 1st and the Hon. Secretary shall then notify all associations and areas concerned.
b) Voting papers shall be forwarded to each affiliated association eligible to vote at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting with the names of candidates nominated for the posts of Secretary and Treasurer. Each association in full membership shall have two votes on each voting paper - viz: one vote for the Secretary and one for the Treasurer.
c) All voting papers must be returned to the Secretary at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting. The votes shall be counted by two appointed scrutineers and declared at the Annual General Meeting.
d) If any election shall result in a tie, the names of the candidates heading the poll shall be re-submitted to eligible associations for a postal vote and in the event of a further tie Council shall decide.
6. For the transaction of business at a Council meeting five members shall form a quorum. The Council may fill any vacancy that occurs in this body, appoint such Committeees or Commissions of the Council and make any such regulations for the management of the Association and control of the game as from time to time may be necessary. An Executive Sub-Committee elected annuallly by the Council shall have the power to act for the Council in an emergengy.
Life Membership
7. Life membership of the Association may be conferred as a recognition of outstanding service to schools' football by the request of Council at the discretion of the AGM. Life Members shall be invited to the AGM and shall be guests of the Association at such functions as the Council may decide.
Affiliation Fee
8. An affiliation fee of £25 per association in full membership or £5 per association in associate membership shall be made to paid to the LSFA Secretary or Treasurer by the date of the Annual General Meeting. Council shall determine the cost of the Affiliation Fee for the following season at the Annual General Meeting.
Meetings
9. The Annual General Meeting of the association shall be held in June. The Secretary shall give 14 days clear notice to all affiliated associations of the place, the day and the hour of such meetings. An agenda specifying the nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting shall accompany the notice. At a General Meeting the voting power shall be vested in the Officers and Members of Council, together with one teacher or an AOTT representative from each affiliated association that has participated in Lancashire Cup Competition the previous season. All associations in full membership shall be full voting membersof the LSFA with one vote at the Annual General Meeting.
10. Notice of any business (other than the declaration of the result of the election of Council, appointing Auditors, the consideration of the accounts and Balance Sheet, and the Report of the Council, and not being such as requires a special resolution) to be submitted at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Secretary by the end of May.
11. The Council have power at any time to convene a Special General Meeting. The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting at any time on receiving a request stating the objects of the meeting and signed by the representatives of at least five affiliated associations eligible to vote under Rule 9. An agenda of the business to be transacted at a Special General Meeting shall accompany the notice convening the meeting.
Finance
12. The Council shall control the association's finances, which shall be used solely for the futherance of the objects stated in Rule 2. The Hon Secretary, the Hon Competitions Secretary and the Hon Treasurer shall be granted additional honoraria each year, the amount to be determined by the AGM.
13. In the event of the association being dissolved, the Council shall release the property and assets and call in all monies due to the association and after discharge of all liabilities distribute the surplus as shall be determined by the AGM or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
Conduct
14. Players, officials and spectators are only allowed to take part in (or attend) any matches on condition that they observe the rules, regulations and by-laws of the Football Association Ltd and every affiliated association is required to obseve such rules, regulations and by-laws.
15. Every association is responsible to the Council for the actions of players, officials and spectators, and is required to take all precautions necessary to prevent spectators threatening or assaulting officials or players during or at the conclusion of matches.
Discipline
16. Lancashire Schools' Football Association has opted in to the English Schools' Football Association centrally managed discipline system. The ESFA handbook and the ESFA website (www.esfa.co.uk) give procedures that will be followed when discipline reports are received from a referee who has officiated in an an English Schools' Football Association National Competition match. All matches organised by District and County Associations should follow the same guidelines. All discipline reports should be sent to the English Schools' Football Association by post (ESFA, 4 Parker Court, Staffordshire Technologyy Park, Stafford, ST18 0WP) or by email (competitions@esfa.co.uk) and a copy should be sent to the LSFA Secretary.
County Matches and Trials
17. The Council shall have power to arrange Inter-County matches. For home County matches, the County Manager will determine the meeting place and time for the players and the parents should make the necessary travel arrangements. For away Inter-County fixtures travel arrangements shall be in the hands of Council.
18. The Council shall provide badges and ties for players who have taken part in official County matches. It is expected that all schools who take part in Lancashire Schools' F.A. County Cup competitions shall make their players available for selection for the respective district and county team.
19. The Association staging County Matches or Trials shall be entitled to receive 25% of the net profits occuring from the game.
Precedence of Matches
20. ESFA National Competitions take precedence over local District and County Schools' football matches. The precedence of eleven a side Schools' Football Competition matches is as follows:
a. U15 Inter-Association Trophy
b. U13 inter-Association Trophy
c. U18 Inter-County Trophy
d. U16 Inter-County Trophies
e. U14 Inter-County Trophies
f. U18 Schools' and Colleges' Trophies
g. U16 Schools' Cups
h. U15 Schools' Cups
i. U14 Schools' Cups
j. U13 Schools' Cups
k. U12 Schools' Cups
Alterations to Rules
21. These rules may be altered at the Annual general Meeting or by Council to conform with essential ESFA Rules. Notice of Motion for alteration of rules must be sent to the Hon Secretary as set out in Rule 10, and a copy of alterations or additions shall be sent to each affiliated association in accordance with Rule 9. These rules may also be altered at a Special General Meeting convened for that purpose: notice of meeting and suggested alterations to be sent to each affiliated association at least 14 days before the date of the meeting in accordance with Rule 9.