The South Coast

The South Coast

Referee Association

BY-LAWS

June, 1989

Amended, May 1997

Amended May 2006

NAME: This body shall be known as the SOUTH COAST REFEREE ASSOCIATION, with an abbreviated title of “SCRA”.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Association is to improve the level of officiating the game of soccer throughout southern Orange County through education and practical experience.

ARTICLE 1. MEMBERSHIP

Section A. Voting Members

All USSF-registered Soccer Referees are eligible to become members of this Association. Their application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Members in good standing shall have, at regular meetings and at the annual general meeting one vote. As used hereinafter, the term member specifically refers to a voting member as described in this section.

“Members in good standing” is defined as any member who earns ten (10) or more points annually (June 1 - May 31) and is in good financial standing with the Association on April

1st each year. Points are earned as follows:

a. One (1) point for the completion of a match assigned by the Association,

b. One (1) point for attendance at the monthly membership meeting,

c. One (1) point for attendance at the monthly Board of Directors meeting (SCRA Board members only),

d. One (1) point for each match formally evaluated/assessed (USSF Qualified Assessors only)

e. One (1) point for each State activity attended, and,

f. One (1) point for each training session presented

For new members and reinstated members who are unable to accumulate the necessary points within the Association’s year based upon the date of joining or reinstatement, the Board of Directors will waive the requirements for those members.

“Good financial standing” is defined as members arrears not exceeding $25.00 on April 1st.

Section B. Affiliate Members

All persons interested in soccer refereeing are eligible to become members of this Association. Their application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Affiliated members shall receive the correspondence of this Association and may attend all regular meetings and the annual general meeting. Affiliate members shall not have a vote in the affairs of this Association, nor shall they be eligible for selection as Officers of this Association. Affiliate members may not be assigned as a soccer referee by this Association.

Section C. Trade Members

All persons who are employed in a business allied to soccer (uniforms and equipment suppliers, wholesalers, manufacturers to the soccer market) are eligible to become trade members. Their application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Trade members shall receive all correspondence of this Association and may be invited to attend all regular meetings and the annual general meeting. Trade members shall not have a vote in the affairs of this Association, nor shall they be eligible for selection as Officers or members of the Board of Directors of this Association. Trade members who are not USSF registered soccer officials shall not be assigned by this Association to officiate.

Section D. Termination of Membership

Membership terminates upon written notification of resignation, abandonment or disciplinary action as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors. “Abandonment” is defined as “severance of Association ties due to inactivity for a period of one year”.

Section E. By-Laws

Every new member shall have a copy of this Association’s by-laws made available to them when approved for membership.

ARTICLE 2. OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Officers of this Association shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. They shall be elected at the annual general meeting and voted for separately by ballot, and shall receive the majority of all votes cast. They shall hold office for one year and until their successors are selected except the President who shall have a 2 year term. They shall be eligible for re-election, with the exception of the President, who is eligible for two consecutive 2 year terms only.

To be eligible for election to the Board of Directors, a candidate must:

Have been approved as a voting member at least twelve (12) months prior to the closing date for nominations,
Be in good standing with this Association, California Soccer Association South, Inc., and with the USSF, and,
Be a currently registered USSF referee (any grade) on the date nominations for elections are closed.

ARTICLE 3. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND BOARD

OF DIRECTOR MEMBERS

The duties of the Officers and the Board of Directors shall be as implied by their respective titles and as specified in the by-laws in the following sections.

Section A. President

The President shall appoint all standing committees. He shall be Chairman at regular meetings and Board of Directors meetings. He shall have one vote to break a tie. He is an ex-officio member of all committees. The President, or other official designated by the President, shall be responsible for negotiating and monitoring contracts with the various soccer organizations. All contracts shall be presented to and approved by the Board of Directors.

Section B. Vice-President

The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of his duties and shall exercise all powers of the President in his absence. He shall also function as Membership Chairman. He shall have one vote.

Section C. Secretary

The Secretary shall keep a roll of all members of this Association and shall give notice of meetings. He shall conduct all correspondence and keep record of same. He shall take notice of all meetings, keep records and mail copies of same to each Board member at their request. He shall have one vote.

Section D. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive all moneys due this Association. He shall keep a detailed account and record of all funds. He shall pay all bills charged against the Association after same have been approved by the Board of Directors. Any two of the following are authorized to sign: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer. He shall give a short report at regular meetings. He shall, upon request by any member, give a detailed account of his books, provided the request has been received two (2) weeks prior to the meeting by the Secretary. He shall have one vote.

Section E. Delegate

The Delegate shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. He shall attend all meetings called by the State Association pertaining to soccer referees and meetings wherefore his presence may be required. In case the Delegate is unable to attend one or more of his meetings, he shall notify the President who in turn shall appoint an alternate delegate in order to ensure the Association’s representation at the subject meetings. He shall have one vote.

Section F. Director of Assessment

The Director of Assessment shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Director of Assessment shall be, at a minimum, a USSF registered Referee Assessor. He shall plan and direct the assessment program. He shall maintain a file of assessments which is accessible by the respective members. He shall have one vote.

Section G. Director of Instruction

The Director of Instruction shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Director of Instructor shall be, at a minimum, a USSF registered referee instructor. He shall plan and direct the instructional program. He shall be in charge of all Rules sessions at regular or any special rule meetings. He shall coordinate the appearance of instructional speakers. He shall use the newsletter to publish pertinent instructional material. He shall coordinate and document training attendance of the membership. He shall have one vote.

Section H. Director of Assignment

The Director of Assignment shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors and may be removed from assignment responsibilities, with cause, by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at a regular or special Board meeting. The Director of Assignment shall follow the guidelines established in the “Referee Assignment Policy” as indicated in Standing Rule 7. In cooperation with the Board of Directors, he shall be responsible for all assignments. He shall distribute general information pertaining to assignments. He shall have one vote; his vote shall be excluded from the vote for his removal.

Section I. Director of Development

The Director of Development shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Director of Development shall be, at a minimum, a USSF registered Referee (grade 8). He shall be responsible for overseeing the development and maintenance of referee skills of SCRA Referees, with special emphasis on youth referees and those referees desiring upgrades to higher-level badges. He will act as liaison between referees and assessors and will work with the assignor to provide assessment and mentoring opportunities for SCRA referees. He shall have one vote

Section J. Past President

The Past President, as long as he remains active in the Association, unless elected to the Board of Directors, shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors for one (1) year following their term of office. He shall have one vote.

Section K. Retiring Officers

All Officers, upon retiring from office, shall deliver to the President all records, books, papers and other property belonging to this Association.

Section L. Misconduct or Neglect of Duty

1. All Officers and Directors shall conduct business of this Association in accordance with the prudent-man concept. Serious misconduct or neglect of duty shall render an Officer or Director liable for dismissal from office.

2. In the event of misconduct or neglect by an Officer, that Officer may be removed by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors with approval of the majority of members present at the general membership meeting.

a. The affected Officer shall neither vote nor be counted in the 2/3 apportionment.

b. The motion or resolution for removal from office shall be published as due notice and the matter shall be debated and voted on at the immediately following general meeting. A majority of votes cast for removal shall be sufficient to dismiss the Officer or Director from office.

3. For any other complaint of misconduct or neglect of duty by an Officer or Director, such complaint shall be investigated in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order: Offences Elsewhere Than a Meeting: Trials - Steps in Fair Disciplinary Process:

a. Confidential investigation of committee whose members are not objected to by the accused.

b. Report of resolutions either exonerating the accused or preferring specific charges.

c. Formal notification of the accused.

d. Formal hearing before the membership at a general meeting.

Section M. Summary of Voting Officers and Directors

The following table depicts a summary of voting Officers and Directors.

Title # Votes Elected Appointed Board of Directors

President 1 (Tie breaker) X X

Vice-President 1 X X

Secretary 1 X X

Treasurer 1 X X

Delegate 1 X X

Director of Assessment 1 X X

Director of Instruction 1 X X

Director of Assignment 1 X X

Director of Development 1 X X

Past President 1 Ex-Officio member

ARTICLE 4. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting shall take place in May of each year and each member shall receive notice at least ten (10) days prior. The agenda of the annual general meeting shall be as follows:

A. Roll Call

B. Reading of the Minutes (previous annual meeting)

C. Report of the Secretary

D. Report of the Treasurer

E. Report of the President

F. Report of the Delegate

G. Change of By-laws

H. Miscellaneous

I. Election of Officers

J. Suggestions for improvements/promotion of good soccer

ARTICLE 5. REGULAR MEETINGS

There shall be one (1) regular meeting of the membership a month, which shall include a rules meeting. Any monthly meeting may be dispensed with, with the approval of the Board of Directors. It will be the duty of the Chairman to present the regular meeting with a well balanced agenda. All members are requested to attend. All Affiliate members are invited to attend.

ARTICLE 6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS

There shall be a corresponding stated Board of Directors meeting for each scheduled regular meeting of the Association. The President shall have the right to call a Board of Directors meeting whenever he deems it necessary. The Board of Directors meeting shall deal with all matters pertaining to soccer and referees and it shall handle all business matters entrusted to it by the members. Its decisions shall be final, subject to Article 7. The Board of Directors shall have the power to deal with all differences and controversies which may arise or any other matter not covered by these by-laws.

ARTICLE 7. RIGHTS

Any member of this Association shall have the right to appeal a decision made by the Board of Directors at the next regular meeting of the South Coast Referee Association, at which time, all cases may be reviewed and voted upon by the members present. Majority vote of the members shall be required.

ARTICLE 8. VACANCIES

When a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint a member who is in good standing to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. Such appointment shall be ratified by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Should the vacancy occur in the Presidency, the Vice-President shall succeed for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the event these two Officers shall become unavailable, the members shall elect their successors for the remainder of the term, at the next regular meeting. The Director of Instruction shall act as Interim President and conduct this meeting.

ARTICLE 9. GENERAL

Section A. Fines, Penalties, Dismissals

Any member who violates the codes of conduct of the USSF, USYSA, CSA-S, or CYSAS, shall be censured according to the rules of those groups. All charges against a member or an Officer of this Association shall be made in writing to the Secretary of this Association, setting forth full details. Any adverse decisions against a member may be automatically appealed. The member shall be advised of his right of appeal and the steps to be taken in the appeal process. Members guilty of misconduct may be subject to warning, censorship, fine, loss of membership privileges or other activities as may be appropriate as may be permitted under the above process.

Section B. Finances

1. The dues of this Association and the schedule for payments for the ensuing year shall be determined at the annual general meeting.

2. The Association shall have no power to assess its members except when a state of financial emergency exists as determined by a majority of the membership and then only to the extent determined by a majority of the membership.

3. If the Director of Assignment performs all the tasks associated with the assigning and without a contract entered between this Association and another entity for the purpose of assigning, he shall be paid per assignment. He shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses as approved by the Board of Directors. If the Director of Assignment performs all the tasks associated with the assigning and without a contract entered between this Association and another entity for the purpose of assigning, he shall be paid per assignment. He shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses as approved by the Board of Directors.

4. Contracts for work performed for the Association can be entered into, provided:

a. All proposed contracts approved by the Board of Directors

b. No contract shall extend beyond the term of the current Board of Directors except when approved by a majority of the membership.

5. For purposes of obtaining approval of a majority of the membership as required by Article 9, Section B, a vote shall be taken after due notice by ballot or division at a general meeting. Ballot by mail can be used in special circumstances as determined by the Board of Directors. Voting by proxy is prohibited. The membership will be notified, in writing, as to the time and place of the vote, if at a meeting, or, as to the time mail ballots shall be opened, if ballot by mail.

6. This Association’s financial records shall be audited for the calendar year prior to the first general meeting of the new fiscal year and shall be available to any member who requests the information.

Section C. Dress

The official dress of members of this Association for officiating matches shall be as specifies by USSF. No exception shall be allowed.

Section D. General Rules for Referees

1. In order to be in good standing a member shall:

a. Pay all moneys due the Association in accordance with the requirements to maintain voting member status as defined in Article 1, Section A herein. Failure to comply with this provision shall be sufficient cause to remove the member’s name from the active rolls and suspend said individual’s rights of membership in this Association until such time as the individual makes restitution to the Association, including any and all reinstatement fees. The Board of Directors shall be authorized to require a performance deposit from any member who has been delinquent more than once.

b. Respect and obey any and all decisions made by the Association.

c. Attend all meetings for which he received notice.

d. Participate in the affairs of the Association.

2. For a member to be declared not in good standing, a hearing shall be conducted in accordance with Article 9, Section A.

3. No member shall be allowed to change his assignment. Realignment of responsibilities as a result of one or more officials not appearing for a match or becoming incapacitated during a match, shall not be considered as assignment for purposes of this paragraph, provided it be in accordance with the SCRA Board of Directors procedures.

4. No member shall be allowed to request or accept any assignments to any game or games in which he has a conflict of interest.

5. No member, except the Director of Assignment, shall assign himself. No member shall interfere with official assignments approved by the State or this Association.

6. As a matter of courtesy, members shall furnish copies of any correspondence directed to the governing bodies of soccer (local, State, Federal or international) or any other soccer organization which might tend to reflect upon, or affect the reputation, or business of this Association.

7. A member officiating in a game wherein a player has been cautioned or ejected for misconduct, shall make his report in accordance with the rules of that league. In addition, when a player has been ordered from the field for misconduct, a copy of the report shall be delivered to the President and Assignor of this Association within forty-eight (48) hours. In addition, when a referee has been assaulted, a telephone call or other immediate for of communication shall be made to the President of this Association and a copy of the report shall be mailed to the appropriate Association within the stipulated time.

8. A member, when assigned to a game, shall be on the playing field before the official game time for the start of the game by a time determined by the governing Association.

9. Any member who is unable to fulfill his assignment shall notify the Director of Assignment as soon as possible and may be subject to penalty if no notification is given.

10. To be eligible for USSF game assignments, members must be currently registered with USSF.

11. Availability for game assignments shall be maintained at all times. If games are assigned in compliance with the Referee’s latest stated availability, but the Referee declines the assignments, the Referee may be subject to fines and penalties.

Section E. Procedural Rules

For any circumstances not covered in these by-laws, ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER

shall govern.

Section F. Gender

Where the male gender is used herein the female gender shall be construed to have the

same meaning and intent.

ARTICLE 10. FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year for this Association shall begin June 1st and end May 31st.

Adopted June 1989

Amended May 1997

STANDING RULES

STANDING RULE #1

GAME CONDUCT

All games assigned by this Association shall be conducted using the diagonal system of

control.

In case a member assigned as the referee, does not show up in time for his match, the

following procedures shall be followed:

a. If neither assigned Assistant Referee is qualified as defined by USSF to referee the game, the game shall NOT be conducted.

b. If one of the assigned Assistant Referees is rated to referee the same game level, he will assume the responsibilities as the referee and conduct the match utilizing a club linesman on the other line, thereby adhering to the diagonal system.

c. The absent referee may be fined an amount up to, but not to exceed, the total game fee. The members that showed up for their assignments will be paid from that fine. If the members who showed are paid at the field, the fine will go into the Association’s treasury.

d. Assistant Referees are to allow the same 15 minute grace period for tardy officials that they are required to do for tardy teams.

In case a member assigned as an Assistant Referee does not show up in time for his match, the following procedures are to be followed:

a. The referee will conduct the match utilizing a club linesman in the place of the absent member.

b. Referees are encouraged to allow the 15 minute grace period for tardiness before starting the match.

The referee shall receive 60% and the single Assistant Referee shall receive 40% of the

fee collected.

Referees need to be at the field at least 30 minutes prior to game time unless instructed otherwise. Referees who arrive late may be subject to fines and penalties as determined by the Board of Directors.

STANDING RULE #2

FEE COLLECTION

The following are SCRA procedures for collection of officiating fees:

1. All game fees should be collected PRIOR to the start of the game.

2. For a three person Referee team, non-tournament game fees are distributed with the referee getting 40% and the assistant referees dividing the balance in half. A fee schedule will be distributed each year with specific pay rates for the 3-person, 2-person and 1-person Referee assignments based on game length/player age.

3. Tournament fees received for games shall be paid in accordance with the agreed upon contract price negotiated between the Association and the Tournament being supported.

4. If any checks are accepted as payment, the referee will take the check, if only one check was received. If two checks are received the senior assistant referee will take the second check.

5. If the game is canceled due to weather prior to the start of the second half, the fees collected shall be returned to the teams. In all other cases resulting in a cancellation, no fee, or part of a fee shall be returned.

6. In cases where games are not played because a team or teams did not show up, Field(s) not available for scheduled games, EACH official is to complete the “CLAIM FOR PAYMENT OF FEES” form. This form must be sent to the Treasurer within seven (7) days of the subject scheduled game. These claims will be discussed at the next regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting and approved payments will be made within seven (7) days from that meeting.

7. A schedule of fees from the leagues serviced by this Association will be published.

STANDING RULE #3

FIELD PLAYABILITY

1. The referee has sole responsibility regarding the playability of the field.

2. If a referee cancels a game because, in his opinion, the field in not playable, that decision pertains only to that specific game. Referees assigned to any subsequent games on that field have the responsibility of making that determination at the scheduled game time.

3. It is the responsibility of the Assistant Referee to be available as scheduled for any subsequent games unless the referee has excused them.

STANDING RULE #4

TOURNAMENT ACCEPTANCE RULES

1. A written request for tournament officials is to be submitted to the SCRA Board of Directors at least sixty (60) days prior to the first playing date. This request, at a minimum, should contain the following information:

a. Name and dates of the tournament,

b. Number of games by age category for each date,

c. Playing minutes per half for each age category, and,

d. Rules of competition to be used.

2. The fees for the officials will be based upon the fee schedule in effect on the dates of the tournament or as agreed upon by the SCRA Board of Directors.

3. In addition to the fees for the officials, SCRA will charge a fee to cover administration expenses. This fee shall be negotiated, but it shall not be less than the actual cost to the Association.

4. A minimum deposit of 75% of the officials’ fees and the total administrative fee is to be submitted, by certified check, or money order, to the SCRA Treasurer at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the first game date of the tournament.

5. The balance of the fees are to be submitted by the end of the last playing date of the tournament.

6. The game assignment schedule (field/age categories/playing time) is to be submitted to the SCRA Director of Assignment at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the first game date of the tournament.

STANDING RULE #5

MEMBERS’ DUES

The dues for members shall be a one time charge of twenty-five ($25.00) for new members only. All individuals requesting reinstatement pursuant to actions taken in accordance with Article 9 shall be subject to a reinstatement fee of $25.00. Returning members will not be assessed this charge. All members shall be assessed 10% of all fees the member received from games assigned by this Association. Dues may be suspended and/or rebated at the direction of the Board of Directors.

JUNIOR MEMBERS’ DUES

Members are considered “Junior members” if under the age of nineteen (19) during the year in which they become a member. There shall be no one time charge, however, each junior member shall be assessed 10% of all fees he receives form games assigned by this Association.

STANDING RULE #6

DIRECTOR OF ASSIGNMENT PAYMENTS

The Director of Assignment shall be paid per game assigned at a rate determined by the Board of Directors. The Director of Assignment shall be reimbursed for reasonable operating expenses such as telephone, printing, postage as they relate to assignments as approved by the Board of Directors.

STANDING RULE #7

REFEREE GAME ASSIGNMENT POLICY

1. It is the practice of SCRA to provide quality referees to all requesting organizations utilizing the best qualified officials for the match assigned. All games will be assigned with a team of officials selected based upon ability, availability and perceived game difficulty.

2. It is the intent of SCRA to assign officials at a level commensurate with their proven abilities. It is suggested that assignments to higher level matches will only occur after a referee has demonstrated game control and appropriate fouls and misconduct recognition at a lower level.

3. Assignment of officials will be rotated from field to field, week to week based upon availability and demonstrated skill level.

a. Officials will not be assigned to the same team on a routine basis. All attempts will be made to avoid assignments which give the perception of favoritism or where there have been significant referee/coach/team interactions.

b. All referees who accept assignments from Associations other than SCRA shall notify the Director of Assignment as soon as possible so as to preclude assignment conflicts and degradation of performance.

4. Officials should not be assigned to officiate a game when a member of their immediate family is playing in that division. (Reference Coast Soccer League Competition Rules and Regulations)

5. In tournament matches, referee game assignments for quarter final, semifinal and final games should go, wherever possible, to those referees who have worked the tournament and whose performance has been acceptable.

6. Assignments shall be made within ten (10) days of receipt of game schedule, but not less than 72 hours prior to games whenever possible.

7. The Director of Assignment, or his representative, shall be personally available by telephone to handle any last minute scheduling problems up to 11:00 A.M. on Saturdays and up to 9:00 A.M. on tournament days, unless present and available for problem resolution at the tournament site.

8. It shall be the responsibility of the official to notify the Director of Assignment, or his appointed designee, if a game assignment cannot be made. If a conflict occurs within twenty-four (24) hours of kick-off time and the Director of Assignment cannot be reached, the referee should make every attempt to find a qualified replacement in addition to notifying the Director of Assignment

9. The Director of Assignment shall present to the Board of Directors as requested by the Board of Directors, an up to date status report of assignments made for all referees. The report shall contain the name of the referee, current USSF levels, date and time of games, locations and game levels assigned.

10. The Director of Assignment shall use current USSF ratings in making appropriate game assignments.

11. Upon direction from the Board of Directors, the Director of Assignment shall not assign a referee if there has been a breach of the Referee Code of Ethics.

12. Referee assignment complaints should be made in writing, to the Secretary. Written complaints shall be presented to the Board of Directors for appropriate response and action. Verbal complaints may be presented to the Board of Directors by any member referee at any regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting.

13. The Director of Assignment shall coordinate with the Director of Assessment in assigning the appropriate level of games to those referees desiring a field evaluation or assessment for upgrade purposes.

CRITERIA TO BE USED IN THE ASSIGNMENT

OF REFEREES

IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE

Availability and dependability

Proven proficiency of Officiating (e.g. USSF Badge level) to include fitness

Provides complete and timely game reports

Attendance at meetings

Professional conduct (Refer to USSF Referee Code of Ethics)