Constitution

1. The league shall be known as the Sligo Leitrim Schoolboys Girls League.

2. Affiliation is confined to Association Football Clubs within the Sligo/Leitrim area and its environs properly affiliated clubs shall be likewise affiliated to the appropriate bodies such as the FAl, SFAI FAIWF etc. 

3. The Committee can only be changed at the Annual General Meeting. 

4. Where, for whatever reason, a vacancy occurs within its ranks the Committee may co-opt from within the affiliated clubs memberships to fill any such vacancy, other than that of an officer. 

5. Where, for whatever reason, a vacancy occurs within the ranks of the Officers (other than the Chairperson who shall be replaced by the Vice Chairperson)the League Committee shall elect his/her replacement from within the Committee for the duration of that season only. 

6. The Committee shall be composed as follows: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurers, and not more than ten (10) other members, one of whom must be the League Child Protection Officer who shall carry out his/her duties in line with current FAI guidelines and practices. 

7. At the first committee meeting after the AGM the committee shall elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and officers who must have been a member of the committee within the previous year. 

8. The Committee, may at its discretion, appoint persons from within its ranks to various roles such as fixtures secretaries, child officer, assistants to the Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurers, Registrar and/or any other such roles as the Committee deems suitable in any one season, including an administrator who shall be paid an agreed remuneration. 

9. All correspondence shall be directed in the first instance to the League Hon. Secretary 

10. The administrator of the League shall be a voting member of the Committee. 

11. No member club shall have more than 2 current representatives on the Committee in any one season 

12. Five (5) current members shall constitute a quorum at any Committee meeting. 

13. Persons eligible for membership of the Committee in any season shall comprise a. The outgoing Officers and Committee members from the previous season b. Members of the league who are not currently under suspension. 

14. Members must be present at the AGM or convey in writing their willingness to be considered in order to be eligible for election to the Committee. 

15. The Committee shall have the power to do, but not solely, the following 

a. To promote and foster the game of association football within the League's catchment area. 

b. To hold regular meetings to carry out the business of the League. 

c. To organise and conduct all youth schoolboys/girls football competitions as deemed appropriate within any one season within the League catchment area. 

d. To enter League representative teams to participate in any football competition, tournament etc as deemed appropriate in any one season. 

e. To select all League representative squads/teams through its appointed manager/coaches. 

f. To suspend, fine or otherwise deal with any club, team, player or club member who is in breach of these rules, or brings the game into disrepute. 

g To charge League affiliation fees as recommended from season to season by the League Hon. Treasurer at the League AGM. 

h. To appoint referees for all League competitions and, by direction of the relevant body, games between teams from within the League and teams from outside the League.

i. To obtain professional or legal advice where it is considered necessary. 

j. To employ a person or persons at reasonable cost to carry out work for the League, as it is considered necessary. 

k. To authorise person/s to make public collections, organise fundraising, source sponsorship and raise funds on behalf of the League and its interests. 

l. No other group, body or person(s) shall be authorised to carry out any of the above or use the name of the League to raise funds without prior knowledge and written permission of the League Committee. 

m. To deal with any matter not covered by these rules as they deem necessary. 

n. To appoint and delegate authority to any sub-committee to deal with any matter as the Committee deems appropriate in any one season. 

16. The role and duties of league officers shall be as follows: 

a- Chairperson i. Shall conduct Committee meetings in accordance with the standing orders. 

ii. Ensure that such meetings are called according to rules. 

iii. Ensure that the decisions taken are in accordance with the Rules of the League. 

iv. Sign minutes of all meetings upon their adoption. 

v. Sign any documentation jointly with the Hon. Treasurer in connection with any investment, withdrawal or expenditure of League Committee monies as directed by the League Committee. 

vi. Present his/her address to the League AGM. 

vii. Prepare an agenda for all Committee meetings 

b. Vice Chairperson

i. To assist the Chairperson as he/she shall see fit. 

ii. To deputise for the Chairperson at all meetings, where appropriate, in the Chairperson's absence 

iii. To conduct any meetings in the absence of the Chairperson. 

iv. To perform any role/s within any League subcommittee/s.

c" Honorary Secretary

i. He/She shall deal with all correspondence as directed by the Committee 

ii. Report the contents of all correspondence to the appropriate meeting/s.

iii. Record the minutes of all meetings. 

iv. Publicise notices or decisions as directed by the Committee. 

v. Record attendance at all Committee meetings and present the same to the AGM. 

d. Honorary Treasurer 

i. He/She shall maintain and present for inspection by the Committee and properly affiliated clubs, as deemed appropriate and subject to reasonable notice, all financial records and statements of the League, such notice shall consist of no longer than ten (10) working days. 

ii. Lodge with the appointed banker/s all funds in whatever accounts approved by the Committee from time to time, all such lodgements to be completed within ten (10) working days. 

iii. Sign any documentation, together with the Chairperson or the Hon. Secretary, in connection any investment, withdrawal or expenditure of monies of the League as directed by the Committee. 

iv. Submit to the AGM a detailed financial report on the workings of the Committee. 

v. Make available at each Committee meeting a record of all account transactions that have taken place since the previous meeting including all lodgements, and cheques issued whether such cheques have been drawn down or not 

vi. Operate a financial records book which is to contain all the details of the Leagues money transactions to include payments, lodgements, bank fees, standing orders, and any other relevant information. 

17. The Annua General Meeting shall be held in the month of June, a minimum of l5 working days notice must be given to properly affiliated clubs. The Committee shall decide the exact date for the AGM. 

18. Additions/deletions/amendments to these rules can only be submitted by the Committee and or its properly affiliated clubs. 

19. Additions/deletions/amendments to these rules can only be carried out at the Annual General Meetings by a majority vote of properly affiliated club delegates present and voting. 

20. Proposed additions/deletions/amendments to these rules from properly affiliated clubs must be submitted in writing by email no later than 1st of April. 

21. Proposed additions/deletions/amendments to these rules from the Committee must be issued in writing to the properly affiliated clubs along with the notification of the date and details for the AGM and the financial report to be presented at the AGM. Such notice shall also contain those rules proposals received from properly affiliated clubs which have met the criteria laid down for their submission. 

22. Properly affiliated clubs shall be entitled to two delegates at the AGM both of whom shall be entitled to vote on any issue put to a ballot. 

23. A Special General Meeting may be requested by a minimum of two thirds of the registered clubs within the League or by the league committee at its discretion, any such request by the clubs must contain the following: 

a" The reason for any such request, only such stated business can be discussed and voted on at the Special General meeting.

b. The signatures of each club current Hon. Secretary as listed on that season's register of affiliated clubs to the League. 

24. A minimum of 15 days notice must be given in writing by registered post to the League Hon. Secretary of any such request. 

25. Any such request must be accompanied by a fee of €500 to offset the costs of room hire etc, such fee must be forwarded, in the form of a bank draft, along with the request for the Special General Meeting" 

26. Attendance and voting rights at any Special General Meeting shall be the same as those contained within the rules for such matters as those at the AGM.

27. Competitions will be organised by the Committee and individual trophies or medals will be awarded to the winners and runners-up in all Competitions, except for the u11 league. 

28. The provision of trophies shall be at the discretion of the Committee. Where a perpetual trophy is awarded, such trophies are the property of the Committee and are to be returned to the Committee no later than March 1st each year, failure to do so will render those affiliated clubs in possession of such Trophies Iiable to a fine not greater than €100. 

29. Fixtures under the jurisdiction of the League will be published in advance through the newspapers, website and email. 

30. The League Registrar shall keep and maintain an accurate record of all team and player registrations, all teams entering the Leagues must register their players on systems mandated by the FAI/SFAI for each season giving full details as contained on the form which must be signed by the players parent or guardian. 

31. No player registration will be accepted without the appropriate registration fee as detailed at the previous League AGM. 

32. Affiliated clubs are solely responsible for the accuracy of all details submitted on the official registration form and acceptance by the Committee of such forms is no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information contained therein. 

33. All players must be registered at least 2 days before playing in any competition run by the Committee. The Committee may provide an exemption to the 2 day rule in exceptional circurnstances, but all players must be registered before competing in competitions run by the League. Where a breach of this rule occurs, the result of the relevant fixture will be forfeited by the team who has breached the rule. 

34. No player can play for more than one affiliated club team in the same season without being properly transferred by means of the official transfer form and re-registered on the registration system provided by the FAI/SFAI. 

35. No player can be transferred to any other club after the 31st December of the current season. 

36. The transfer period for all football under the jurisdiction of the SFAI up to and including the Under 16 grade shall be: 

a. From 1st August to 31st December when transferring between teams both competing in the winter season. 

b. From 1st August to 31st January when transferring from a team competing in the winter season to a team competing in the summer season. c. From 1st January to 30th April when transferring from a team competing in the summer season to a team competing in the summer season. d. From 1st August to 31st August when transferring from a team competing in the summer season to a team competing in the winter season. 37. No player can be transferred to any other team within the same club playing in the same competition after 1Sth December of the cunent season. 

38. The League may organise one or more Divisions for the same age group and may designate each Division as being of a Higher or Lower Standard. A player who has played a competitive game in a designated Division within an age group may not compete in a Division designated as being of a Lower Standard in that age group. A player who has played a competitive game in a Designated Division may compete in a Division designated as being of a Higher Standard but is then subject to the above rule. 

39. No player may transfer more than once in any one season. 

40. All transferred players must be re-registered to their new team at least two (2) days before playing in any competition run by the Committee. 41. To be eligible to play in any underage competition a player must not have reached that age before 1st January in the year of completion of the season. 

42. Requests for pitch inspections must be requested through the appointed official of the local branch of the lrish Soccer Referees Society before 1pm on the day immediately before a game when inspections may be required. The administrator of the League must also be informed that a pitch inspection has been requested at the same time as the official of the Referees Society. Where a pitch is deemed unplayable the game must revert to the opponents' pitch immediately if available and the League Secretary must be informed. 

43. Any club failing to comply with the above set procedure for pitch inspections or attempting to call off a game or making any alterations including match time, venue, date set by the League administrator without following the correct procedure will be fined €200. 

44. All teams must be properly attired i.e. with a complete set of jerseys, shorts and socks, shin guards and regulation footwear. Jerseys must be numbered. 

45. ln any given fixture, the designated home team shall provide, and have the right to use, 4 regulation footballs of their choosing, which are in good condition and properly inflated for each game. Where the match official deems that the footballs chosen by the home team are not of the correct requirements or in suitable condition, footballs provided by the opposing team should be used. The size and weight of footballs used should be as provided for by FAI/SFAI guidelines for school boys/girls football. 

46. AII clubs must ensure that two mentors and a separate linesman, over 16 years of age, must accompany each team and if there are girls playing or in the event of a girls team then one Coach or assistant must be a female accompanying the team. ln the event of a referee deciding that a game will not proceed because the above is not complied with, clubs may be fined and forfeit the game. 

47. All games must take place at the appointed time, in order to ensure this all teams should be at the ground at least 10 minutes before kickoff. 48. Duration of games shall be as per standards published by the FAI/SFAI for a given age level. 

49. Extra time and penalties may be utilised where necessary in knock out type competitions. 

50. ln all League type competitions 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat. 

51. All affiliated clubs are responsible for the conduct of their players, managers, coaches, mentors and supporters whilst during, before or after any game. 

52. Referees reports of misconduct will be reviewed by the Committee which shall deal with all such reports and has the authority to impose sanctions to include suspensions and or fines. 

53. The match card, in whatever format as is required by the League, must be completed and approved by the responsible official of each team prior to kick off of all games. Both the Christian name and surname of all players and substitutes must be entered on the card. 

54. ln the event of a team withdrawing or being removed from the League the results of all their games in the current season, including any knock out type games played will be declared null and void. Walkovers will be awarded against such teams in any scheduled unplayed games in knock out type competitions. 

55. Clubs which withdraw teams from the League after having their entry accepted by the Committee will incur a fine of a minimum of €100. 

56. Seven (7) substitutes from a maximum of seven 7 named on the match card may be used in all matches run by the Committee. 

57. All 7 substitutes named may be used in all matches run by the Committee 

58. All competitions run by outside bodies FAl, SFAI, FAIWF etc., are subject to the relevant rules of those competitions in all regards including substitutions. 

59. Roll on Roll off substitutes may be used in all competitions run by the committee. 

60. The Committee shall have the power to deal with any breach of these, and any matter not covered by, these competition rules, as they consider necessary for the smooth running of the competitions and to determine whatever sanctions or fines and their amount as the Committee see fit are to be imposed. 

61. Affiliated clubs shall be eligible to lodge a protest against any affiliated clubs team according to the following criteria which shall apply to all matches run by the Committee: 

a The team manager/mentor shall request the name and date of birth of a maximum of 3 opposing players at half time. 

b. Such requests must be made through and carried out by the match referee in an orderly manner and without causing distress to the players in question. 

c. Similar requests can be carried out in similar fashion regarding any players taking part in any game after halftime. 

d. Affiliated clubs seeking to inspect the registration details of players under these circumstances can do so by application to the committee through the League registrar. 

e. Requests for such inspection shall incur a fee of €10 and shall relate to a maximum of seven 7 players registered to the team in question.

 f. All protests must be fonivarded by registered post to the Hon. Secretary of the League within 4 working days, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays excluded, and must be accompanied by a fee of €25, which shall be forfeited if the protest is not up-held, such protest fees must be in the form of a bank draft/cheque made payable to the League. 

g An exact copy of the protest must be sent by registered post to the Honorary Secretary of the accused club within the same time frame. 

62. Any Committee decision made in relation to teams up to and including under 16 shall be eligible to be appealed to the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland subject to the rules governing any such appeal. 

63. Any Committee decision made in relation to age group teams above under 16 shall be eligible to be appealed to the Connacht Football Association subject to the rules governing any such appeal. 

64. The Committee shall have the power to quote and invoke the rules of the FAl, SFAI, CFA and the FAIWF in any deliberations and or decisions deemed appropriate to any matter brought to the Committees attention. 

65. Players coming from other District League areas must have a confirmation of release from the league, together with a confirmation of transfer from Club in that league. 

66. Failure to attend meetings at the request of the League Committee will render clubs/individuals liable to a fine of €50. 

67. League entry fees, affiliation fees, player registration fees and any other fees due to be paid on registration day each year. The date of registration day is to be determined by the Committee and notified to Clubs. No team will be eligible to play in any competition, whether run by the Committee or any outside body, unless all registration monies are paid. 

68. An affiliated Club with 2 or more players, or one player if a goalkeeper, engaged in an international, interprovincial or Representative match or training session/camp for an official Republic of Ireland, interprovincial or Representative team may apply for a postponement of an arranged League Fixture. 

69. Application for permission to postpone such arranged League Fixture must be made to the League Administrator within three days after the selection for the representative; international or interprovincial team and notification of the application for a postponement must also be sent to the opposing club within the same time. 

70. All league fixtures go ahead as scheduled unless a postponement of the fixture has been granted. AII applications will be dealt with on a case by case basis. Any such request for postponement may only be made for Fixtures in the age group in (or the age above or in the case of a girl one age below which the lnternational matches will be played. 

71 . An affiliated Club involved in a Cup/Shield semi-final or final, or a final fixture that decides the outright winner of a league competition, may make a single request in writing that this fixture is not played on a given date. This request must be made at least 2 hours before the official list of fixtures is published for a given game week. Where this rule applies to a Cup/Shield final, a club may make such a request prior to confirmation that the relevant club will be involved in the final. 

72. Each affiliated Club is obliged to have public liability insurance on their grounds and premises, a copy of which must be produced to the Committee upon request. Entry to the League will not be accepted until such a copy of a club's insurance is produced at the beginning of the season and a copy of any renewal when insurance is being renewed where appropriate. 

73. Clubs, teams, club officials or players suspended and or fined by the Committee will remain so until: 
a. The suspension is served in full. 

b. Any fine is paid in full. 

74. Any team giving a walkover shall be liable to a fine of €30. 

75. Where a walkover is awarded, the team receiving the walkover will be credited with a 3 - 0 win. 

76. No affiliated club shall organise or participate in any friendly match against any team without having notified the Committee in writing. All such fixtures should be officiated by an official who holds a current FAI referring license. The Committee reserves the right to refuse the right for such fixtures to take place. 

77. Where disciplinary matters in a league or cup competition is not regulated and administered using digital systems provided by the FAI/SFAI, a player who receives a red card, either as a straight red card or as the result of 2 cautions, shall serve a suspension from the club's next competitive game in the relevant competition at the assigned age level of the relevant player. The enforcement of this penalty shall be the responsibility of the club where the player is registered. Failure to apply a relevant suspension will result in the result of the relevant game being forfeited to the opposing club. 

78. The following additional suspensions shall apply for more serious misconduct:

a. At least 2 matches for serious foul play (particularly in the case of the use of excessive or brute force). 

b. At least 3 matches for assaulting (deliberately pushing, pulling, striking, butting, elbowing, punching, kicking etc.) an opponent or a person other than a Match Official. 

c. At least 6 matches for assaulting by spitting at an opponent or a person other than a Match Official. 

79.Where a player assaults a Match Official, the disciplinary rules of the Football Association of Ireland shall apply. 

80. ln relation to serious misconduct, suspensions are at the full discretion of the Committee to impose stricter impositions if the offence warrants the same. 

81. ln relation to such offences, a player/manager etc. has the right to a personal hearing, provided the club requests the same within 7 days of receipt of disciplinary notice. The club will be responsible for any costs incurred. 

82. Players cannot play again untii: a. Suspension is served in full. b. Fine is paid in full. 

83. Severe penalties will be imposed on a Club which plays a player who they know to be under suspension. 

84. Suspensions will carry from season to season. 

85. Clubs and not individual players are responsible for paying fines. 

86. The Committee shall from time to time appoint persons to manage/coach/mentor/liaise and assist with its representative teams. All such appointments, and the methods employed to effect those appointments, will be at the sole discretion and preserve of the Committee at all times. 

87. No such appointed person/s may co-opt or utilise the services of any other person/s relating to any representative team without the prior permission of the Committee. 

88. All such appointed persons shall carry out the Committees policy at all times including those relating to the FAI Emerging Talent Programme. 

89. All such appointed persons shall be conversant with, subject to and comply with all current FAI code of ethics guidelines and rules. 

90. All travel, training and fixtures programmes planned by such appointed person/s in relation to representative teams shall at all times be subject to the prior permission of the Committee. 

91. All costs associated with all League representative teams must have had prior approval of the Committee before being incurred or paid. 

92. All potential sponsorship of such representative teams shall be the sole preserve of the Committee and no person/s may agree on or enter into discussions on such matters without the prior permission of the Committee. 

93. Only players who are currently properly registered to the League shall be eligible for inclusion in any representative squad or team. 

94. All matters of a disciplinary nature relating to all representative teams shall be the sole preserve of the Committee and all reports of such matters shall be made in writing to the League Hon. Secretary. 

95. All funds received through public collections, fundraising, source sponsorship or any other funds on behalf of the League and its interests, and shall be lodged to and only to the League bank account. No manager, coach, parent or volunteer has the authority to open or use any other bank account for league monies given for Representative team expenditure. 

96. The Committee may at its sole discretion remove any such appointed person/s at any time it deems appropriate and appoint such replacement person/s as it sees fit.

Date 25July 2024 

Finola Monaghan Secretary