FC Aztec Youth

The objects of the Club shall be to provide facilities, promote the game of association football, to arrange matches and social activities for its members and community participation in the same.

3. Status of Rules

These rules (the “Club Rules”) form a binding agreement between each member of the Club.

4. Rules and Regulations

(a) The members of the Club shall so exercise their rights, powers and duties and shall, where appropriate use their best endeavours to ensure that others conduct themselves so that the business and affairs of the Club are carried out in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of FC Aztec, The Football Association Limited (“The FA”), County Football Association to which the Club is affiliated (“Parent County Association”) and Competitions in which the Club participates, for the time being in force. Where a breach of the above Rules and Regulations does occur then the committee will meet and discuss the breach and rule on any actions to be taken against any said member or members.

The Club will operate a 3-strike rule:

i. Strike 1: Will be a verbal warning the content being an explanation of the breach, the findings of the committee and the warning given to the member/members by no less than 3 committee members. The member/members in breach of the Rules and Regulations could be suspended from the club register for a period decided by the club committee.

ii. Strike 2: Will be a written warning the content being an explanation of the breach, the findings of the committee and the written warning posted to the member/member’s address. The member/members in breach of the Rules and Regulations could be suspended from the club register for a period decided by the club committee.

iii. Strike 3: Shall be the immediate removal of the member/members from the club register.

iv. Strike 3: Can also be implemented without the first two strikes being applied if a serious breach of the Rules and Regulations occur. This could be a physical assault of another club member, match official and or visiting members of other clubs. A serious breach of child welfare policies in accordance with FA guidelines.

(b) No alteration to the Club Rules shall be effective without prior written approval by the Parent County Association. The FA and the Parent County Association reserve the right to approve any proposed changes to the Club Rules.

(c) The Club will also abide by The FA’s Child Protection Policies and Procedures; Codes of Conduct and the Equality Policy as shall be in place from time to time.

5. Club Membership

(a) The members of the Club from time to time shall be those persons listed in the register of members (the “Membership Register”) which shall be maintained by the Club Secretary.

(b) Any person who wishes to be a member must apply on the Club Registration Application Form via our website www.fcaztec-youth.co.uk election to membership shall be at the discretion of the Club Secretary and granted in accordance with the antidiscrimination and equality policies which are in place from time to time. An appeal against refusal may be made to the Club Committee in accordance with the Complaints Procedure in force from time to time. Membership shall become effective upon an applicant’s name being entered in the Membership Register.

(d) The FA and Parent County Association shall be given access to the Membership Register on demand.

(e) No player shall be eligible to participate in any match, whether league, cup, tournament or friendly, unless that player’s details have been completed in full and the player is entered on the Club Register for the relevant season, being the period from 1st July to 31st May.

6. Annual Membership Fee

(a) An annual membership fee shall be payable, due in ten monthly instalments from August each year, and shall be determined from time to time by the Club Committee and set at a level that will not pose a significant obstacle to community participation. Any membership fee shall be payable on a successful application for membership and annually by each member.

i. A further registration deposit set out by the club shall be payable and is non-refundable, due to the costs incurred to register such member.

ii. Any fees paid shall not be refundable, once the season has commenced, except for the club being required to change the date and time of training sessions which may pose a problem for individual members. These cases will be reviewed individually by the committee, and a full or partial refund may be awarded.

(b) The Club Committee shall have the authority to levy further subscriptions from the members as are necessary to fulfil the objects of the Club.

7. Resignation and Expulsion

(a) A member shall cease to be a member of the Club if, and from the date on which, he/she gives notice to the Club Committee of his/her resignation. A member whose annual membership fee or further subscription is more than two (2) months in arrears shall be deemed to have resigned.

(b) The Club Committee shall have the power to expel a member when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Club for them to remain a member. An appeal against such a decision may be made to the Club Committee in accordance with the Complaints Procedure in force from time to time.

(c) A member who resigns or is expelled shall not be entitled to claim any, or a share of any, of the income and assets of the Club (the “Club Property”).

(d) Upon termination of membership all clothing and equipment with the club logo on purchased by the club or indirectly by a sponsor must be returned to the club within 14 days of membership termination.

8. Club Committee
(a) There shall be a Club Committee and two additional sub-committees to manage the operations of the Walking Football group and the Powerchair group.

i. The Club Committee shall consist of the following Club Officers: Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and a minimum of two Child Welfare Officers, elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Club Officers may appoint additional Committee members where this is in the best interests of the Club.
ii. The Walking Football Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice Treasurer, and Welfare Officer.
iii. The Powerchair Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, Secretary and Welfare Office.

(b) Each Club Committee Officer shall serve from the date of appointment until the next Annual General Meeting ("AGM"), unless otherwise decided at an Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM"). No person may hold more than two Club Officer positions at the same time. The Club Committee is responsible for managing the Club’s affairs. Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of the Club Committee Officers present at the meeting. If votes are tied, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote. Committee meetings shall be chaired by the Chairperson or, in their absence, the Vice Chairperson.

(d) Minutes shall be kept of each AGM, EGM, and Team Officials’ meeting, and stored electronically. Any member may inspect the minutes by giving the Club Secretary at least seven days’ written notice.

(e) Any member of the Club Committee may call a meeting of the Club Committee by giving at least seven days’ notice to all Committee members. The Club Committee shall hold at least six meetings each year.

(f) An outgoing member of the Club Committee may be re-elected. Any vacancy on the Club Committee arising between Annual General Meetings shall be filled by a member proposed by one Club Officer and seconded by another.

(g) Except as provided for in the Rules and Regulations of the FA, the Parent County Association, and any applicable Competition, the Club Officers shall have the power to decide all questions and disputes arising in relation to the Club Rules.

(h) The position of a Club Officer shall be vacated if such person is subject to a decision of The FA that such person be suspended from holding office or from taking part in any football activity relating to the administration or management of a football club.

9. Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings

(a) An AGM shall be held in each year to:
i. Receive a report of the activities of the Club over the previous year.
ii. Receive a report of the Club’s finances over the previous year.
iii. Elect the members of the Club Committee.
iv. Consider any other business.

(b) Nominations for election of members as Club Officers or as members of the Club Committee shall be made in writing by the proposer and seconder, both of whom must be existing members of the Club, to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the AGM. Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM shall be given in writing to the Club Secretary not less than 21 days before the meeting.

(d) The quorum for a Committee Meeting shall be four committee members.

(e) The Chairperson, or in their absence the Vice Chairperson, shall take the chair. Save as set out at (f) below, each club officer present shall have one vote, and resolutions shall be passed by a simple majority. In the event of an equality of votes the Chairperson of the Meeting shall have a casting vote.

(f) Any member aged under 18 years may not vote in a general meeting save that one of his or her parents/guardians may vote on his or her behalf.

(g) A committee member, or in their absence a manager, shall take Minutes of the AGM, EGM and Team Official’s meetings and store electronically.

10. Club Teams

(a) At the AGM, the Club Committee shall appoint a team manager and team coach(s) and/or team assistant(s) to be responsible for each of the Club’s football teams. The appointed managers and coach(s) or assistant(s) shall be responsible for managing the affairs of the team. At managers meetings the team manager, coaches and/or assistants shall give a report on their teams’ progress. The team roles are as follows:

(b) To ensure the safety of all young people and volunteers, effective supervision is required to be no less than 2 adults at training sessions and on match days. As a minimum requirement one of these must hold a minimum of FA Level 1 Coaching qualification, valid safeguarding, emergency aid qualifications, and DBS clearance and preferably both adults will hold one of the above roles. An occasional helper may supervise a session pitch side without DBS Clearance in the event of volunteer shortages, but this must not be a regular occurrence.

(c) For safety and wellbeing purposes a parent/guardian of a player is expected to attend all training sessions and matches in the under 6 to under 10 ages to provide escorted supervision for when a player needs a toilet break, the coaching staff cannot be expected to do this for safeguarding and best practice reasons set by the FA.

11. Transfer Policy

(a) The Club will operate its own transfer window for inter club transfers. A written request to transfer must be submitted by the parents of the member to the Club Secretary for consideration by the Club Committee between 1st May - 31st August or 1st January - 31st January. Inter club transfer requests submitted outside these dates will not be considered unless there is deemed to be a serious child welfare issue. Transfers can only be completed in accordance with the timescales set out by the respective leagues. Any costs incurred by the club shall be payable by the parents of the member.

(b) The Club reserves the right to recommend inter club transfers of a member subject to agreement with the team managers and member within the periods set out in 11a.

12. Club Finances

(a) A bank account shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Club (the “Club Account”). Designated account signatories shall be the Club Treasurer and at least one other committee member. All monies payable to the Club shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in the Club Account.

(b) The Club Property shall be applied only in furtherance of the objects of the Club. The distributions of profits or proceeds arising from the sale of Club Property to members are prohibited.

(c) The Club Committee shall have the power to authorise the payment of remuneration and expenses to any member of the Club (although a Club shall not remunerate a member for playing) and to any other person or persons for services rendered to the Club.

(d) The Club may provide sporting and related social facilities, sporting equipment, coaching, courses, insurance cover, medical treatment, away-match expenses, post-match refreshments, and other ordinary benefits of Community Amateur Sports Clubs as provided for in the Finance Act 2002.

(e) The Club may also in connection with the sports purposes of the Club:
i. Sell and supply food, drink and related sports clothing and equipment.
ii. Employ members (although not for playing) and remunerate them for providing goods and services, on fair terms set by the Club Committee without the person concerned being present.
iii. Pay for reasonable hospitality for visiting teams and guests (agreed by the club committee); and
iv. Indemnify the Club Committee and members acting properly during the running of the Club against any liability incurred in the proper running of the Club (but only to the extent of its assets).

(f) The Club shall keep accounting records for recording the fact and nature of all payments and receipts to disclose, with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the financial position, including the assets and liabilities of the Club. The Club must retain its accounting records for a minimum of six years.

(g) The Club shall prepare an annual “Financial Statement,” in such format as shall be available from The FA from time to time. A copy of any Financial Statement shall, on demand, be forwarded to the FA.

(h) The club’s property, apart from the bank account, must be held by between two and four custodians, and one of them must be the Treasurer. They must only deal with that property in line with decisions made by the Club Committee. If the decision is recorded in the meeting minutes, that will be accepted as proof that the decision was made.

(i) On their removal or resignation, a Custodian shall execute a Conveyance in such form as is published by The FA from time to time to a newly elected Custodian or the existing Custodians as directed by the Club Committee. The Club shall, on request, make a copy of any Conveyance available to the FA. On the death of a Custodian, any Club Property vested in them shall vest automatically in the surviving Custodians. If there is only one surviving Custodian, an EGM shall be convened as soon as possible to appoint another Custodian.

13. Fund Raising

(a) Club and team events can only be organised with prior consultation and consent from a committee member.

(b) Any monies raised from events will be handed over to the club Treasurer with a costing spreadsheet of the event and any receipts within 28 days of the event finishing.

(c) The use of the club’s name and logo for non-sanctioned events is prohibited and subject to copyright laws and will be treated as a serious breach of the club rules.

14. Fines

(a) In the event of the club being imposed fines in accordance with FA and League disciplinary procedures regarding inappropriate actions of its members, Officials, Parents, Guardians or Spectators. The Club retains the right to pass on such fines to the offending person(s) where it deems necessary in accordance with the Clubs constitution and codes of conduct. Notice in writing will be given to the offending person(s) of the fine imposed.

(b) The club will cover the cost of the first two yellow cards per player in a season, upon the third yellow card being received and any further, all fines will be passed on to the player/parent/guardian. Notice in writing will be given to the offending person(s) of the fine imposed.

(c) Fines arising from red card offences are always payable in full by the offending player/parent/guardian/manager/coach/club official. Notice in writing will be given to the offending person(s) of the fine imposed.

(d) Should the club receive a fine from The FA and/or any associated League/Cup competition due to late or non-completion of match statistics on relevant systems, the fine will be covered by team funds. Notice in writing will be given to the offending person(s) of the fine imposed.

15. Dissolution

(a) A resolution to dissolve the Club shall only be proposed at a General Meeting and shall be carried by a majority of at least three-quarters of the members present.

(b) The dissolution shall take effect from the date of the resolution, and the members of the Club Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Club.

(c) Any surplus assets remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Club shall be transferred to another Club, a Competition, the Parent County Association or The FA for use by them for related community sports.