Peace Country Bantam Football League Constitution and By-Laws Article 1, Name: The name of this organization shall be the Peace Country Bantam Football League or the PCBFL. Article 2, Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide a safe, fun, football experience to the young people participating in the Peace Country Bantam Football League with an emphasis on participation and skill development. Article 3, Objectives: a) To promote the physical, mental, emotional and social growth of all participants, b) To provide a uniform set of goals, standards and guidelines for the membership, operation and conduct of league members, c) To provide a safe, organized framework in which the development of leadership, athletic skills and attitude of good sportsmanship by all participants and spectators, d) To formulate policies, through its governing body, that will foster the philosophies of the league, e) To further the interests of tackle football in the membership and promote a safe, educational and pleasant football experience for all involved, f) To act as liaison between football Alberta and other related organizations and the league members. g) To promote minor tackle football through a program of sound public relations. Article 4, Membership: a) Any adult volunteer who does work for the benefit of or on behalf of the other members of the league either by; Coaching, Officiating, Training, Management, Fundraising or other, b) Any young person who is a member of a team in the PCBFL, c) Any new team, wanting to participate in the PCBFL, needs to be voted in with a majority vote by the board of directors for the league, d) Only members of the PCBFL can compete in Bantam Provincial Championships for this zone. 1
Article 5, Voting/Non-voting Members: The voting members of the league shall be the board of directors. There will be a chairman and secretary selected, not to be one of the six (6) team representatives, by election or volunteer who will not have voting authority unless a tie breaking vote is needed. a) The Board of Directors shall consist of one (1) representative from each of the following teams: a. Grande Prairie Broncos b. Grande Prairie Raiders c. Grande Prairie Norsemen d. Peace River Prospectors e. Sexsmith Shamrocks f. Wembley Bulldogs b) Membership on the board of directors is an appointed representative from each of the six (6) teams, c) All voting will be done by majority rule in effect, d) Voting may be done by proxy with written consent from the board, e) Voting can be done by email vote with majority rule in effect. Article 6, Powers and Duties: a) The league Board of Directors will have the power and the responsibility to: a. Govern all competitions between league teams, b. Sanction or forbid competitions between league teams, c. Approve and enforce penalties for any violations of the rules of the league or for any other reason they deem necessary, d. Accept and act as trustee for all trophies and awards issued by the league, e. Schedule and arrange competitions between league teams, f. Act as a coordinating, collating and interpretive body for league statistics, g. Act on behalf of the league in dealing with other similar organizations and Football Alberta, h. Teams not complying with the league code of conducts will result in suspension of league competition and possibly expulsion from the league. 2
Duties of Officers: 1. Chairman (non-voting) a. Preside over all meetings of the league, b. Represent the league with other bodies such as the City of Grande Prairie, school systems, parks and recreation departments or organizations, sport groups, other football organizations, Football Alberta and others, c. Represent the league with groups, organizations or businesses that sponsor or may sponsor any league activities, d. Arrange for, implement and evaluate coaches, players and officials development, e. Dispose of the day to day and emergent business of the league. 2. Secretary (non-voting) a. Shall record, organize and keep minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, b. Shall be responsible for all correspondence to and from the league, c. Shall be responsible for the organization and keeping of all league documents. By-Laws of the Peace Country Bantam Football League By-Law 1, Meetings: a) An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Board of Directors and all members shall be held every June, b) A wrap-up meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held not more than one (1) month after the leagues season is over, c) Other meetings may be called by the chairman when needed, d) Agenda items must be given to the secretary ten (10) days before the scheduled meeting day, e) The secretary shall distribute the Agenda to all members of the board before the meeting, f) Notwithstanding item e, emergent meetings may be called without a formal agenda. g) The quorum for any league meeting shall be sixty (60%) percent of the voting members. 3
By-Law 2, Players: a) Grade seven (7) to nine (9) players must be in compliance with Football Alberta Rules, b) Each player must reside in the Peace country. By-Law 3, Coaches: a) All coaches in the PCBFL are volunteers, b) Each team is required to have one (1) member be certified NCCP level 1 technical as the minimum c) Assistant coaches are, at all times, under the jurisdiction of the Head Coach, d) All coaches must exhibit behaviour which is consistent with the league s Mission Statement, Goals and Objectivise: a. Coaches will conduct themselves according to good sportsmanship and fair play, b. Coaches will not use abusive or profane language while participating in league sanctioned activities, c. Coaches will not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs while participating in league sanctioned activities, d. Coaches will not use tobacco while participating in league sanctioned activities. e) It will be the coaches duty to ensure that team organization, procedures and techniques with safety and the prevention of injuries as their prime directive, f) Individual teams will be responsible for all the equipment for their team, g) The league will provide a Coach s Code of Conduct Form which all coaches must sign and adhere to or not coach, h) Teams must submit to the league a valid criminal record check for each coach and assistant coach before the first league game or the team will not be allowed to participate, i) A coach may be barred from further participation in the PCBFL for any of the following violations: a. By striking any other coach, official, player, spectator or other precipitants in the PCBFL, b. Any sufficient cause such as unsportsmanlike conduct or profane language, c. Knowingly permitting a player to re-enter the game once he is badly bruised or injured thus jeopardizing the players health or permitting a previously injured player to practice or play without a written release from a doctor, d. Attempting to discourage, run-off or cut less desirable players, 4
e. Is under the influence of alcohol or drugs while participating in league sanctioned activated. By-Law 4, Team Organization: a) The league shall consist of six (6) teams: Broncos, Raiders, Norsemen, Bulldogs, Prospectors, Shamrocks, b) Recruiting no coach will recruit players from outside his/her team boundaries to play for his/her team, c) Each team is expected to maintain safety as its prime concern. Safety in regards to: equipment, organization, procedures, techniques, conduct and discipline. By-Law 5, Officials: a) The league shall endeavor to maintain a list of officials for their competitions, b) Each competition shall have at least two (2) certified officials present on the field, c) Officials cannot be connected to a team through their child or as a coach, d) Volunteers may be used as minor officials such as timers, chain operators and downs man, e) The rules governing league completion shall be those in the CAFA rule book. By-Law 6, the Game: a) Each competition shall consist of four (4) quarters of playing time, each being twelve (12) minutes long, b) Between the second and third quarter there will be a ten (10) minute half-time, c) Each team will be allowed up to three (3) time outs per half that will stop the clock for thirty (30) seconds when called, d) Bantam competitions will be timed as per the rule book, e) The playing schedule of the league will include competitions which will have each team playing each other at least two (2) times in a season, f) The home team, playing the first game at the field is responsible for setting up field markers, etc., g) Each team is responsible for cleaning up their sideline and change room area after their game, h) The teams that play the final game of the night/day are responsible for picking up field markers and for picking up trash from their side of the field, i) The home team will provide three (3) individuals to man the chain crew for each game, j) Play-offs consisting of Semi-Finals and Final shall be schedules after the regular season. 5
By-Laws 7, Play-Offs: a) The placement of teams for the play-offs will be based on their win-loss record over the regular season, b) In the event of a tie in the standing at the end of the regular season, the points for and against between the tied teams will determine the standing for the playoffs, c) Semi-Final competitions shall be between the 1 st and 4 th place teams and the 2 nd and 3 rd place teams, d) Semi-Finals winners will challenge for the league championship. By-Law 8, Rules and Discipline: a) Over and above those rules which are included here, the coaches and or governing body of ach team may set rules and standards of conduct for the members of his/her team provided they are consistent with the leagues Mission Statement, Goal, and Objectivise and in no way puts any player at risk, b) The control of the game, players, coaches, spectators, etc. is under the jurisdiction of the game officials, c) During any game, if the referee deems that the general conduct of the game, or the discipline of the players, spectators or coaches, is unsatisfactory, he/she may halt the game and hold an immediate, on field, conference with coaches of the teams involved. His/her efforts, through the coaches, to evaluate the play to sportsmanlike standards must be upheld failing which he/she would declare the game ended, d) The conduct of a player is the responsibility of the coaches of his/her team, e) The conduct of coaches, team staffs and officials is the responsibility of the league, f) Protests over the conduct of players, coaches, staff members and officials during a specific game, practice or team event must be submitted, in writing, to the league, not more than seven (7) days after the disputed event. The league is then obligated to investigate the claims and render a decision, g) The league has the authority to suspend, from league activates, any player, coach, member or official that has been found guilty of improper behaviour after investigation, h) A vote to suspend by the league must be a majority, i) The conduct of spectators reflect upon the teams they support, therefore the following behaviour will not be permitted: a. The consumption of alcohol or other illegal substances while being a spectator, b. The use of foul language / or abuse while being a spectator, c. The throwing of objects in the stands, on the sidelines, or on the field. 6
j) The game officials have the authority to have spectators removed should they refuse to conduct themselves in a proper manner By-Law 9, Alteration or Amendments: a) Alterations, amendments or additions to the by-laws must be approved by a majority vote at a Board of Directors Meeting, b) Notice of proposed By-Law changes must be submitted to the secretary, in writing, not less than two (2) weeks before the meeting of the Board of Directors. This constitution was passed by the originating Board of Directors on January 3, 2013 and duly accepted as the governing document of the Peace Country Bantam Football League. 7