Constitution

WEST OF SCOTLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE Constitution & Rules 2026/27

MISSION STATEMENT To develop, promote, foster, co-ordinate and sustain association football at club, league and development level throughout the West of Scotland.

INDEX Definitions & Interpretation|4 Constitution & Rules|5 A. General|5 • Name|5 • Objectives|5 B. Membership|5 • General|5 • Admission|6 • Stadia|7 • Official Club Annual Return & Subscription|8 • Provision of Services|8 • Club Official Cards|8 • Relationships — Club & League|8 • Confidentiality|9 • Communication|9 • Obligations|9 • National & Representative Teams|9 • National & Regional Competitions|9 • Misconduct to Influence a Result|9 • Sponsorship & Broadcasting|10 • Resignation|10 C. Governance|10 • Board|10 • Election of Office Bearers|11 • Powers of The Board|11 • Board Executive Card|12 • Secretariat|12 • Media Enquiries & Releases|13 • Constitutional Amendments|13 • Remuneration & Expenses|13 D. Life Members & Long Service|13 E. Meetings|14 • Board Meeting|14 • Special Board Meeting|14 • General Meeting|14 • Development League General|14 • Annual General Meeting|14 • Special General Meeting|14 • Attendance & Voting Rights|15 • Agenda & Minutes|15 • Venue|15 F. Finance|15 • Bank Account|15 • Responsibilities of Treasurer|16 • End of Year Accounts|16 • Financial Disputes|16 • Matches Organised by the League|17 • Cup Competitions|17 • Dissolution|17 G. Discipline|17 • General|17 • Player Eligibility|18 H. Registrations|19 • General|19 • Unregistered/Trialist Players|19 • Permanent Transfers|19 • Temporary Transfers|20 • Delayed Transfers|20

DEFINITIONS & INTERPRETATION In the Constitution & Rules, the terms used shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following meanings: a. Associate Member means a Club in its first year of membership that meets the criteria required to participate in League and Cup competitions but is not a full member of the League. b. Club means a Football Club which as a member of the League is eligible to participate in the League and Cup competitions except where the context otherwise requires, includes the owner and operator of a member club. c. Competitive Fixture means a league or cup match recognised or played under the auspices of the League. d. Completion Date means 30th June each year or such other date as set by the Management Committee by which all business relating to that season must be completed. e. Confidential Information means all information, details, and data of any kind in connection with the business, sponsorship or finances of the League or any Club which is confidential, or which might reasonably be regarded as being confidential to the League, member Club or Sponsor of the League. f. HMRC refers to His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs g. CWPO refers to Child Well-being Protection Officer h. Development League means the combination of clubs with teams participating in the under 20’s West of Scotland Football Development League i. EoSFL refers to the East of Scotland Football League. j. Ex Officio means an office bearer or committee member of the League who does not have the right to vote. k. FIFA refers to the game’s world governing body, Federation Internationale de Football Association. l. Full Member is a Club that satisfies the criteria of membership of the League and has full voting rights. m. Geographical Boundary refers to the local authority areas of Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Glasgow City, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire. n. IFAB refers to International Football Association Board who determine the Laws of the Game. o. In Writing means written correspondence either by letter, text, what’s app message or e-mail. p. Judicial Panel is a body of the Scottish FA in terms of the articles of association of the Scottish FA. q. Judicial Panel Protocol means the protocol relating to the operation of the Judicial Panel promulgated by the Board of the Scottish FA from time to time in accordance with the articles of association of the Scottish FA. r. Laws of the Game relate to the laws of the game as determined by the IFAB. s. League means the combination of Clubs in membership of the West of Scotland Football League, or in context of competition rules, the West of Scotland Football Development League. t. MFL refers to Midlands Football League u. NCL refers to North Caledonian League v. NOSFL refers to North of Scotland Football League w. Official Matches relates to any fixture in a competition recognised by the League. x. Play-Off means a competition which is held pursuant to the League Rules to determine the Champion club of the First, Second or Third Division, or additional promotion or relegation places. y. Pyramid refers to the SPFL; SHFL; SLFL; WoSFL; EoSFL; SoSFL; MFL; NCL and NoSFL z. PLB refers to the Pyramid Leagues Board, a Scottish FA body to oversee the development of the football pyramid aa. Registered Ground means the stadium stated by the Club in their annual return to the League or deemed to have been registered in accordance with the articles of association with the Scottish Football Association, to be the venue where the Club shall play their home matches. bb. Scottish FA refers to the Scottish Football Association Ltd, the governing body for football in Scotland. cc. SAFA refers to the Scottish Amateur Football Association. dd. Scottish Community FA refers to the Scottish Community Football Association ee. SHFL refers to the Scottish Highland Football League ff. SLFL refers to the Scottish Lowland Football League gg. SLFL (West) refers to that division within the SLFL hh. SPFL refers to the Scottish Professional Football League ii. SoSFL refers to the South of Scotland Football League. jj. SSFRA refers to the Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association kk. SYFA refers to the Scottish Youth Football Association ll. South Region Challenge Cup refers to a Cup competition involving member clubs from the League, EoSFL, SLFL and SoSFL. mm. Trialist is a player who is under assessment and evaluation by a Club to play for the Club in official matches but who is not registered to that Club. nn. Unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to one gender shall include reference to other genders.

CONSTITUTION & RULES DESIGNATION OF RULES BY LETTER & NUMBERING Rules shall be designated or referred to by a letter and a number. The letter identifies the relevant section of the rules, and the number identifies the numbered rule within that section. A - GENERAL NAME 1. The name of this combination of clubs shall be the West of Scotland Football League, hereafter referred to as the League. 2. The name of the combination of clubs participating in development football shall be the West of Scotland Football Development League, hereafter referred to as the Development League. OBJECTIVES 3. The objectives of the League and Development League shall be: a. To conduct each season League and Cup competitions between member clubs b. To conduct such other competitions as may be decided from time to time c. To be the governing body for all clubs in membership of the League d. To support member clubs to develop better facilities for players, officials and spectators e. To play and promote the game of association football throughout the West of Scotland f. To foster and develop the game of association football for talented young footballers at development level. g. To oversee a development structure for talented young footballers playing in our development league that supports their development in the game. h. To provide opportunities for clubs, officials and supporters to participate in football for the benefit of the whole community i. To provide support for our clubs to deliver quality education for all in the game irrespective of age, disability, race, gender or sexual orientation. j. To provide support for our clubs to provide quality First Aid education covering both physical and mental wellbeing 4. All member clubs shall be bound by the constitution and competition rules. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary proceedings being instigated against the offending club of individual. B - MEMBERSHIP 1. All Clubs must be committed to the principles of the Scottish FA Quality Mark, National Club Licensing, and the Scottish Football Pyramid. 2. No club shall have more than one team participating in the League and/or Development League competitions at any one time 3. All clubs will be required to pay an annual subscription to the League, the sum of which will be determined by the Board each season and confirmed to clubs at the Annual General Meeting. a) The Treasurer shall invoice all clubs for their subscription by no later than 1st May each year. Payment by clubs shall be received by no later than 31st May. Thereafter the club shall be required to pay an administration fee under rule G3. A Club that has not paid its annual subscription, including the administration fee in full by the date stipulated on the subsequent invoice shall automatically cease to be a member of the League. b) An associate member club shall pay the membership subscription in full by the date stipulated on the invoice

4. Clubs in membership of the League, as well as in membership of the League and the SoSFL may apply to participate in the Development League. This shall be done on a form approved by the League. 5. Clubs participating in the Development League will be required to pay an annual subscription, the sum of which will be determined by the Board. Clubs will be invoiced by the Treasurer. A club that has not paid this invoice in full, shall be subject to an administration fee under rule G3. Failure to pay the amount in full, including any administration fee, by the date stipulated on the invoice, the club shall automatically cease to be a member of the Development League. 6. It is mandatory that all Clubs purchase group insurance as organised by the League. 7. The League is required to subscribe to and implement the Scottish FA Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy or have their own Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy which must comply with and does not counteract the policy set out by the Scottish FA. 8. Each club shall appoint a Child Well-Being protection Officer (CWPO) who shall be named in the club’s Annual Return as a condition of membership. The CWPO must also complete all training and fulfil all other expectations as identified by the League and the Scottish FA. ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP 9. An application by a club to join the League can be made at any time in the manner prescribed by the Board. The application shall not be valid until the application is returned to the General Secretary and an application fee determined by the Board, received into the League’s bank account 10. Upon completion of the process, a successful club shall be awarded an accreditation to confirm that it meets the criteria for membership required by the League. This accreditation shall be valid for a period of three years after which the club shall require to be re-assessed 11. Should the Board deem there to be a vacancy in League membership, any new member club(s) shall be selected from the list of clubs awarded their accreditation by the 31st December in the season preceding the vacancy arising clubs who are deemed by the Board, to have met the required criteria of the League. The successful club(s) will be chosen from by a panel consisting of members of the Board and the SAFA. 12. Upon a successful application to join the League, the Club will join the lowest division of the League. 13. There shall be two (2) levels of membership. a) Full Membership b) Associate Membership 14. Full Membership will be granted to a club that meets, in full, the entry requirements for membership of the League and has previously been an Associate Member of the League for a period of one (1) year. Full Members shall have full voting rights at League meetings. 15. Associate Membership will be granted to a new member club that has achieved in full, the entry requirements of the League but is in its first year of membership of the League. During this period, the Board will monitor the general conduct of the club both on and off the field. If such conduct is satisfactory the club will automatically become a full member at the following Annual General Meeting. Should the level of conduct fall below the standard expected for full membership of the League, the Board may recommend to Full Member Clubs that full membership be refused. If such a recommendation is agreed, the club will no longer be a member of the League. An Associate Member club will have the same voting rights as a Full Member club 16. A club relegated from SLFL (West) that is based within the WoSFL geographical boundary will automatically become a full member of the League and shall play in the Premier Division. A club based outwith WoSFL geographical boundary that is relegated from SLFL (West) AND had been promoted to SLFL (West) from WoSFL, and was previously a member of the WoSFL will be eligible to be return to WoSFL Premier division as a full member

17. Any Club in membership of the league, or applying for membership of the League, must be in receipt of a valid Scottish FA National Club License or satisfy the requirements of the Scottish FA Minimum Operating Criteria and also satisfy the required ground criteria set by the League which is available upon request. Any club in membership of the League failing to adhere to these requirements shall be subject to Disciplinary Proceedings 18. All Clubs eligible to participate in the Premier Division are required to work in partnership with the League towards obtaining their Scottish FA National Club License 19. A Club in full membership of the League may, with the agreement of the Board, go into abeyance. The Board will decide the period of abeyance and specify a date by which the club must advise the General Secretary of whether it will return to full membership or resign its membership of the League. A Club returning to play in the League after a period in abeyance shall re-enter the League in the lowest division of the League. 20. During a period of abeyance, a club shall have its voting rights suspended; have no interest in the property and assets of the League, nor shall they be entitled to any refund of membership subscriptions or other funds from the League. STADIA 21. All clubs shall have their own dedicated home ground. 22. No Club shall be permitted to groundshare without obtaining the permission of the Board. Any such arrangement shall be reviewed on an annual basis. 23. A groundshare agreement between the Clubs and/or landlords and signed by the Club Secretaries, shall be submitted to the General Secretary by no later than 31st May. An existing agreement will not be automatically continued into subsequent seasons. This agreement must include details confirming which Club has priority rights on the park and the length of the groundshare agreement. In cases where a club not in membership of the League is the landlord, this agreement must show that the member club(s) have priority of lets over all other lets to ensure their fixtures can be fulfilled. The agreement will also confirm that the club has access to the facility a minimum of 90 minutes prior to the scheduled kick off. For avoidance of doubt the priority required will be as follows: - a) Priority 1 – first named League club b) Priority 2 – second named League club c) Priority 3 – all other clubs, including any youth teams attached to any Development League club or otherwise and any club in membership of any other league or association. Priority 1 and 2 clubs must have access to the facility to ensure any fixtures set by the League can be fulfilled. This shall include the cancellation of lets of Priority 3 clubs to ensure that full pre and post-match requirements can be achieved. 24. All Registered Grounds shall, as a minimum requirement, meet the criteria set by the League by 31st March each season. 25. All member clubs, if requested by the League, must make their home ground available to host any fixture organised by the League for which they will receive the sum totalling 10% of the net gate receipts, after all match expenses have been paid. The minimum sum clubs will be guaranteed to receive will be £300. The host club shall provide sufficient staff on the day of the match to cover spectator entry, hospitality and any other role requested by the League. 26. No Club shall remove to another ground other than the one designated in its Official Club Annual Return without first obtaining the consent of the Board. In such circumstances the ‘home’ club will be responsible for any agreed rental to the Club or landlord hosting the match. 27. Where rule B27 applies, the landlord club shall be responsible for ensuring that rule B30 and B31 is applied. In circumstances where a home fixture for the tenant club is postponed due to a failure to implement these rules, the landlord club shall be deemed responsible and may face a disciplinary investigation.

28. Any Club wishing to make any alterations to its registered ground by altering the playing dimensions of the pitch must first receive the written consent of the Board. OFFICIAL CLUB ANNUAL RETURN 29. Each club shall complete an Official Club Annual Return form each year provided by the League and will return the completed form to the Secretary by no later than 31st May each year. The information on this form shall be used by the League in the Club Directory and website. 30. The information provided in the Official Club Annual Return must reflect the Club’s information on the Scottish FA Comet system. 31. Any alterations to a Clubs Directory must be communicated to the General Secretary within seven (7) days of any change being actioned by the Club. 32. Any change of competition entry by a club once their Club Annual Return has been submitted shall incur an administration fee as per G3 PROVISION OF SERVICES 33. All Clubs must provide services and facilities pursuant to any contract relating to sponsorship, Radio and Television coverage of the League. CLUB OFFICIAL CARDS 34. The League will issue a maximum of ten (10) Club Official cards to each member Club at the Annual General Meeting. Display of these cards will provide free admission to the ground for that number of visiting Club Official for matches in which their Club is participating. 35. No visiting Club Official will be entitled to free admission to the ground they are visiting, stand or committee room without producing a Club Official card. Any Club or Individual abusing this privilege by allowing their Club Official Cards to be used by an unauthorised person(s) will be referred to the Discipline Secretary for investigation and possible disciplinary action. 36. Club Official cards are the property of the Club. They are not transferable and where a card has been lost or misplaced, a replacement card will not be issued. 37. It is expected that the home club shall provide hospitality to opposition players and committee. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CLUBS AND THE LEAGUE 38. In all matters and transactions relating to the League, all club officials shall behave towards each other club, officials and the League with the utmost good faith. 39. No Club, either by itself, its Officials, employees, or voluntary staff under the control of the Club shall by any means whatsoever disparage, belittle, discredit or unjustly criticise any other Club, the League or officials, employees or players of any Club or League. 40. Any complaint raised against any other Club, the League or officials, employees or players of any club or League, must be lodged in writing to the General Secretary and must contain the particulars of the grounds upon which it refers. An exact copy of the complaint shall be sent to the Secretary of the club against whom the complaint has been raised. Any complaint against an individual club official, employee or player shall also be sent to the Secretary of his club within the same timescale. The complaint shall then be investigated by the Discipline Secretary Where the Discipline Secretary considers there to have been a potential rule breach, he shall refer the matter to the Disciplinary Committee 41. At its discretion the Disciplinary Committee may order any club or person engaged in a complaint to pay a sum to meet either in full or in part, expenses incurred in the hearing of the complaint.

CONFIDENTIALITY 42. A Club, or individual connected with a club shall not either during it membership of the League or at any time after its membership has terminated, disclose or divulge either directly or indirectly to any person, firm or company whatsoever or otherwise make use of any confidential information as to the business or finances of the League or any of its transactions or affairs, or as to any other matters which may come to its knowledge by reason of its membership, without the prior written consent of the Board, except when required by law to statutory and regulatory authorities, including the Scottish FA in accordance with their articles, and to such employees of a Club to whom such disclosure is strictly necessary for the purpose of their duties and only then to the extent so necessary. COMMUNICATION 43. Unless otherwise instructed, Clubs will engage with the League and Development League and will be required to respond within seven (7) days to all requests and instructions. Any Club that fails on three occasions during the playing season to respond as requested will be reported to the Discipline Secretary who will consider if any action is appropriate under article G1 of the constitution and rules. 44. Communications from the Board will normally be conducted by e-mail and sent to the club designated e-mail address. E-mails will be considered to have been received when sent, unless a failure of delivery notice or an automated response indicating the recipient’s unavailability is received. 45. It is the responsibility of the home club to confirm the final score of all official matches to the League and Development League Fixture Secretaries on the designated number provided by the League within 45 minutes of the conclusion of the game. This should be done in the prescribed format as stipulated in the competition rules, naming both teams and the score i.e. home team 1 away team 1. Failure to comply with this request will result in the matter being referred to the Discipline Secretary for consideration under rule G3. NATIONAL & REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS 46. Each Club shall support the Scottish FA and other football associations in relation to all international fixtures in accordance with the provisions of the Scottish FA Articles and the FIFA Statutes and Regulations. 47. All Member Clubs shall release players selected for any representative match or training session organised by the League in accordance with the Scottish FA registration procedure. It shall be deemed an offence for any Club Official to attempt to dissuade or discourage any player from accepting and invitation to represent the League. If more than two players of any one Club are required for any representative game, the said Club will be permitted to seek to postpone any match scheduled within the period the said players are unavailable for selection. NATIONAL & REGIONAL COMPETITIONS 48. It is mandatory for all eligible Clubs to compete in the Scottish FA Cup each season as well as any cup competition under the auspices of the League. The Board will prioritise participation in the Scottish FA Cup, Scottish Communities Cup and the South Region Challenge Cup for the member clubs involved in these competitions. 49. Only competitions listed in rule B48 shall take precedence over any league or cup fixture organised by the League. The League competition shall take precedence over any other competition. MISCONDUCT WITH INTENT TO INFLUENCE A RESULT 50. A club, official, team official or other member of team staff, player, or other person directly or indirectly offering or receiving a bonus or any other inducement to or from another club, official, player, referee or other person to influence the result of a match or otherwise affect the conduct of a match shall be deemed guilty of serious misconduct and the matter referred to the Disciplinary Secretary for appropriate action.

51. Any club, official, team official or other member of team staff or player who has been approached to be the target or is the target of attempted bribery must notify the General Secretary forthwith who will determine appropriate action. SPONSORSHIP & BROADCASTING 52. The League may enter and agree contracts with commercial sponsors and broadcasters and grant certain rights, as the Board may in its discretion determine, to such parties in relation to the League, League Cup, and any other competitions under the auspices of the League. 53. All clubs participating in the competitions undertake to provide any rights, facilities and other services as may be necessary for the League to meet its obligations. 54. Clubs shall not transmit, in whole or in part, in any form by means electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise via the internet or any other platform a fixture under the auspices of the League without the consent of the Board and the home club and the Scottish FA. 55. A home club may not object to a visiting club recording the match if it is solely required for analysing the match or to provide video evidence for any potential disciplinary appeal. 56. Subject to rule B54, Recording and Live Streaming of matches by clubs is permitted only with the permission of the home club and must not interfere with any other broadcasting commitments arranged by the League or any other relevant league or association. RESIGNATION 57. Any Club in membership of the League who subsequently resigns their membership or is expelled from the League shall have no interest in the property and assets of the League, nor shall they be entitled to any refund of membership subscriptions or other funds from the League. 58. Any Club resigning their membership of the League or Development League before the end of the season in which they are participating shall have all results expunged. 59. Any club resigning or being expelled from the Development League between the closing date for applications and the completion of the season shall be required to pay an administration fee of £350 to the Development League. C - GOVERNANCE BOARD 1. The affairs of the League shall be governed by a Board consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair, General Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Discipline Secretary and Treasurer plus a maximum of 10 representatives from member clubs of the League. 2. The Board shall appoint a Representative to the Scottish FA Congress and a representative, and an alternative representative, to the PLB. 3. The Board shall appoint a Child Well-Being and Protection Officer who will be responsible for ensuring that the League meets all statutory requirements and to support member clubs to meet their obligations in this area. 4. The administration of the Development League shall be delegated to a sub-committee appointed by the Board and shall have full executive power to deal with any matter arising, with the exception of Disciplinary matters which will be the reserve of the Disciplinary Committee.

5. In the interest of good governance, the Board may also from time to time co-opt representatives, who may or may not be affiliated to any member club. Any co-opted member will be an ex-officio member of the Board but shall be eligible to vote in any Disciplinary or other sub-committee meetings that they attend. ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS 6. All members of the Board are elected to serve the requirements of the League and not represent the interests of their own club, or any other organisation outwith the League. 7. The members of the Board shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting for a period of one year and will be eligible for re-election without limit of time. 8. Current Board members seeking re-election to their position at the Annual General Meeting, must notify the General Secretary in writing, no later than 31st March, of their intention to do so. 9. All new candidates seeking election to the Board shall require to be proposed by one club and seconded by another. This shall be done by the appropriate club secretaries, in writing to the General Secretary by no later than 31st March, stating the position for which they are seeking election. 10. In the event of the office of Chair falling vacant during his term of office, the Vice Chair shall assume the position until the following Annual General Meeting. If both positions are vacated, the General Secretary shall invoke rule C11 and assume the responsibilities of the position until the new Chair is appointed. 11. Should a vacancy arise during the season on the Board, the General Secretary shall invite nominations and if required, an election shall be held at a Special General Meeting or the next appropriate General Meeting of the League 12. In the event of the required number of nominations for each post not being exceed by the date required, the nominated person(s) will be deemed to be elected 13. If more than the required number of nominations are received for a position(s) a ballot shall be taken of member clubs. The candidate with the majority votes shall be elected to the position. In the event there is more than two candidates for any position, voting shall be by the Alternative Vote System. 14. In the event of a position being vacant, the Board have the power to co-opt an individual to that position should they deem it appropriate to do so. 15. An official of the Board shall not be a member of more than one Club in the League and shall not hold an executive position within any other Scottish FA Affiliated National Association, other than the Scottish Community FA, unless otherwise agreed by the Board. POWERS OF THE BOARD 16. The Board shall be responsible for establishing the rules for all competitions under the auspices of the League 17. A member of the Board will not be entitled to vote on any issue before it when the Club he represents is involved. He must declare an interest and leave the meeting at that time. It is incumbent upon all committee members to notify the meeting of any potential conflict of interest that may arise from any matter being discussed. 18. The Board will have the power to deal with Clubs, Officials, or players in breach of League and/or Cup rules or infringements. This will include complaints and protests, match postponements, crowd disorder, failing to fulfil a fixture, and/or bringing the game into disrepute. This list is not exhaustive, and any infringement will be subject to disciplinary procedures. Sanctions available may include fines, suspension, points deduction, expulsion, or any other sanctions deemed appropriate.

19. Should any question arise that are not embodied in these rules, the Board shall have the power to make an appropriate ruling. 20. The Board shall have the power to temporarily suspend, amend or add to the rules, including competition rules, as circumstances may dictate from time to time, as it deems appropriate in its reasonable discretion to facilitate a) The smooth running of the competition; or b) To take account of any unforeseen circumstances that may arise or in order to ensure the League is capable of meeting any commitments put upon it under the terms of any contracts or agreements with other bodies or sponsors 21. Any matter not provided herein will be determined and dealt with by the Board whose decision will be final and binding on all Clubs and parties concerned. 22. Any amended rules under C21 will be subject to ratification at the following AGM of the League 23. The Board will have the power to delegate any matter to a Sub-Committee comprising of members of the Board and any other co–opted persons who have skills and knowledge that would enhance the work of the Committee. 24. The Board may delegate any matter to a Disciplinary Committee. The Board may co-opt other person(s) with appropriate skills and knowledge onto the Disciplinary Committee. 25. The Board will appoint auditors, who have no official League connections, to examine the League’s accounts and procedures and report to the Annual General Meeting. This appointment shall be ratified by member clubs at the Annual General Meeting. BOARD EXECUTIVE CARD 26. The League will issue to all members of the Board and Past Chairmen and Honorary Life Members of the League a membership card for each season, which upon production will admit the holder to the ground, stand and committee room of all League clubs in all competitions organised by the League. 27. Clubs in membership of the League shall be bound to recognise these cards and make provision for this recognition. SECRETARIAT 28. The General Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Fixture Secretary and Disciplinary Secretary shall oversee all administrative functions on behalf of the League. 29. The General Secretary shall oversee the general administration of the League and liaising with member clubs and other bodies as appropriate. 30. The Assistant Secretary shall be responsible for the administration required on behalf of the Board, including minutes and providing advice, support and liaising with member clubs when required 31. The General Secretary shall make available a copy of the constitution and rules of all League and Cup competitions under the auspices of the League at the start of each season, a copy of which shall be made available on the League website. 32. The Fixture Secretary shall be responsible for all matters concerning official matches under the auspices of the League. 33. The Disciplinary Secretary shall administer all functions as per paragraph G of the Constitution.

34. The General Secretary shall for all intents and purposes be the legal holder of the Trophies in trust by the Board. MEDIA ENQUIRIES & RELEASES 35. All requests from the media for information shall in all cases be referred to the General Secretary who will determine an appropriate course of action. 36. The General Secretary shall be responsible for the issue of any media release in the name of the League unless otherwise determined by the Board. 37. No member of the Board shall address any matter concerning the League or a member Club via the media, their personal social media, or other platforms without the consent of the Board. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 38. Amendments to the Constitution may only be made at at an appropriate Special General meeting or the Annual General Meeting. 39. The process and timescale for any proposed amendments to the constitution or motions shall be:- a) Proposal to be received by the General Secretary no later than 28th February b) Outwith a proposal from the Board, any proposal must be signed by the club secretary of the proposing club and seconded by the club secretary of another member club c) A copy of the proposed amendments shall be circulated to clubs no later than 10th March d) Any amendments to a proposed change must be sent by the club secretary to the General Secretary by no later than 31st March e) A copy of the agreed amendments shall be issued to the Scottish FA for approval by no later than 20th April each year. f) The Board retain the right to strike out any proposal or amendment if advised by the Scottish FA that it would not be accepted by the Scottish FA. g) A copy of the original proposal plus any proposed amendments will be circulated to clubs no later than 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting. h) The Board may include and emergency amendment or motion outwith the stipulated timescales only if required to address a situation arising after 28th February i) Once accepted, all constitutional amendments and competition rules shall be effective from 1st July. REMUNERATION & EXPENSES 40. In recognition of the work undertaken by the Board members for the benefit of the League and its member clubs, an honorarium shall be made each year following the Annual General Meeting. The Treasurer shall present a recommendation of payments to be made to Board members at the Annual General Meeting. 41. Anyone representing the League on official business shall be entitled to the re-imbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. Where the expense is for car travel, the mileage rate shall be the rate permitted by HMRC. Any other expenses must be made on the form provided and accompanied by appropriate receipts. All claims are subject to the approval of the Board and expenses refunded by bank transfer. D - LIFE MEMBERS & LONG SERVICE AWARDS 1. Upon retiral, any individual completing five (5) years’ service on the Board shall be designated as an Honorary Life Member of the League 2. Honorary Life Members shall receive a badge or token of the League, and Honorary Life Membership certificate and an Honorary Life Membership card, the production of which shall guarantee entry for all official matches played under the auspices of the League and will accord the privilege of attending all General Meetings of the League on an ex-officio basis

3. Any existing Life Member of the Scottish Community FA who has or previously had an involvement with a club now in membership of the League shall be afforded the same privileges as an Honorary Life Member of the League. E - MEETINGS BOARD 1. Meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of each month or as decided by the Board. All elected members shall be entitled to one vote, and the Chair shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. 2. All meetings of the Board shall require a majority of all members to be present to be quorate. SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGS 3. Any three members of the Board may apply for a Special Board Meeting to be convened. Any application should be in writing, stating the business for which the meeting is requested, this being the only business that can be discussed at the meeting. GENERAL MEETINGS 4. General Meetings will be held on the last Thursday of August, November and February to discuss relevant business and inform Member Clubs on the work of the League. 5. The General Secretary shall issue an agenda and all relevant paperwork to member clubs in writing via email to the club secretary or other nominated individual no less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting. DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE GENERAL MEETINGS 6. There shall be a minimum of two meetings each season for member clubs of the Development League to discuss relevant business. 7. The Development League Secretary shall issue an agenda and all relevant paperwork to member clubs in writing via email to the club secretary or other nominated individual no less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 8. The Annual General Meeting will be held on the last Thursday in April each year or as otherwise decided by the Board. 9. A Notice and Agenda will be issued by the Assistant Secretary, detailing all the business to be transacted and the nominations for the positions on the Board and any other relevant bodies, no less than fourteen (14) days before the date of the meeting. This shall be done in writing via the Scottish FA Club Admin System. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 10. Member Clubs shall have power to call a Special General Meeting. A Special General Meeting will be held upon receipt of a requisition in writing and supported in writing by a further nine (9) full member Clubs, within fourteen (14) days of the requisition having been received in full by the General Secretary. The requisition must state the business for which the meeting is being called, this being the only business that can be discussed at the meeting. 11. The Board also have the power to call a Special General Meeting of members if deemed necessary.

ATTENDANCE & VOTING RIGHTS 12. At all Development League General, General, Annual General and Special General Meetings, Club’s in membership will be required to send a delegate to the meeting. All delegates must be a club official named as such on the Scottish FA Club Administration system. Members of the Board may also attend in addition to their Clubs representatives. All delegates must be a club office bearer and named as such on the Scottish FA club administration system. Any club may apply for an exemption to this rule by writing to the General Secretary giving the reasons why the request for an exemption should be granted. This application must be received by the General Secretary prior to the meeting and any such exemption shall be at the discretion of the General Secretary. Clubs will be permitted to have one other member of their club present at any meeting, but this member shall not be permitted to vote on any matter at the meeting. 13. At all General meetings stipulated in Section E or other meeting deemed appropriate by the Board, all clubs must be represented by their Club Secretary. In the event the Club Secretary is unable to attend he must arrange for an alternate delegate who is listed as a club committee/board member on the Scottish FA Comet system to represent the club at the meeting. The Club Secretary must notify the Assistant Secretary no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting of any change. Board members may also be the delegate for their club at General meetings. Should a club fail to attend such a meeting without prior exemption granted by the General Secretary, they will be required to pay a forfeit of £100. In addition, any club failing to send a delegate to 3 or more meetings in a season shall be referred to the Discipline Secretary. Club observers may also attend meetings but are not permitted to vote or address the meeting. 14. The Chair, or in his absence the Vice Chair shall preside at all meetings. In the event of either being unable to attend, the General Secretary shall assume the role 15. At all General meetings stipulate in Section E, each delegate shall be entitled to one vote. All decisions arrived at will be by majority vote with the Chair having the casting vote only which he shall cast in favour of the status quo. AGENDA & MINUTES 16. Outwith rule C36, clubs should submit agenda items for discussion at all General Meetings to the Assistant Secretary no later than 21 days prior to the date of the meeting. An emergency item may only be included on the agenda if the topic is due to an event that has occurred after the 21-day deadline. 17. The Assistant Secretary shall record a minute of all meetings, and these shall be issued to the club secretaries via email. VENUE 18. All meetings will be held at a venue approved by the Board. In the event of the designated venue being unavailable, the General Secretary will select a suitable alternative. Sub Committee Meetings will be held at an appropriate venue. 19. At their discretion, or if a physical meeting is not possible, the Board will make arrangements for an online meeting to be conducted via Zoom or similar appropriate platform. F - FINANCE BANK ACCOUNT 1. All clubs have a responsibility to ensure that all required payments to the League are paid timeously. Failure to pay any invoice issued by the League by midnight on the date stipulated on the invoice shall incur an administrative fee as per rule G3. Failure to pay any subsequent invoice by the date stipulated shall result in a referral to the Discipline Secretary. 2. Any club unable to pay any outstanding invoice or debt to the League must contact the Treasurer prior to the expiry date of the invoice

3. to discuss alternative payment options. Any such decision shall be at the discretion of the Treasurer who may also add an administration fee as per G3 onto the outstanding sum. 4. The funds of the League and the Development League shall be controlled through an approved bank account standing in the name of the League and Development League. The Chair, Vice Chair, General Secretary and Treasurer will be co-signatories to the account and have access to view the accounts online. Cheques to be signed by any two of the designated signatories RESPONSIBILITIES OF TREASURER 5. The Treasurer shall maintain accurate financial records which he shall present at all meetings. 6. Where possible, transactions by the Treasurer shall be made via online banking. Clubs should also endeavour to make all payments to the League via online banking. Clubs that are unable to make payments by this method should make the payment by deposit at a branch of the Bank of Scotland or make arrangements to pay by cheque directly to the Treasurer, ensuring that payment deadlines are met for receipt of the payment. 7. The Treasurer shall send an invoice as appropriate detailing the latest date for payment. Full payment must be received by the date specified unless otherwise agreed by League Treasurer. Clubs however may pay in advance of the invoice being issued to the relevant bank account. 8. For all matches arranged by the Board, all income and expenditure shall be checked by the Treasurer and a member of the Board, and a financial report presented to the first meeting of the Board after the match. END OF YEAR ACCOUNTS 9. The financial year for the League and Development League shall end on the 31st of March each year. 10. The final accounts shall be audited, and a report circulated to member clubs prior to the Annual General Meeting. FINANCIAL DISPUTES 11. The Board will have the power to settle financial disputes arising between member clubs provided notice is given to the General Secretary within 28 days of the dispute arising. This notice should be provided in writing and a copy sent to the Secretary of the other club(s) involved in the dispute. A dispute regarding player registration should be referred to the Scottish FA Registrations Department. 12. Where the Board find a club is liable to pay a sum to another club, official, player or football organisation, the officials, members or registered players of the Club shall be liable to ensure that instruction is fulfilled within fourteen (14) days of the written decision of the Board being issued. The Board have the authority to make a pro-rata division thereof amongst officials, members or players.. 13. Any official, member or player suspended under rule F10, shall be unable to play or act on behalf any club in membership of the League during the period of their suspension. This rule shall not apply to any dispute which falls to be determined by the Scottish FA. 14. Each member club shall keep accurate and true accounts of their financial matters, and these accounts will be made available to the Board if so requested, along with all receipts and invoices, for inspection in connection with any financial irregularity ascertained. This documentation shall be made available to the Treasurer within 24 hours of any request being made.

MATCHES ORGANISED BY THE LEAGUE 15. For a Cup Final, Play-off, Representative match or any other fixture organised by the Board, the League shall incur all expense necessary to stage the match. Gate receipts and any other designated income from the game, unless otherwise dictated by the Board, shall be accrued by the League. The above shall not include any match that has been moved to a neutral venue by a club due to the unsuitable nature of their own facility or by the League due to a decision taken by them. 16. The host club will retain all income from any half time draw, refreshment kiosks and bar, as well as any other income stream agreed in advance with the League. CUP COMPETITIONS 17. Where stipulated in cup competition rules under the auspices of the League, the cost of the match officials shall be deducted from the gross gate receipts. A ten (10) percent levy shall then be deducted from the balance and paid to the League with all remaining monies divided equally between the participating Clubs. Home clubs should ensure that an accurate record of attendance is controlled by the issuing of numbered tickets for full price and concessions. 18. All home clubs will be required to complete a financial return form as provided by the League detailing income and expenditure from the match and signed by the Treasurers, or other accredited club officials, of both clubs. This must be sent to the League Treasurer via e-mail within 72 hours of the completion of the match. The League Treasurer shall then invoice the home club for the relevant amount. DISSOLUTION 19. In the event of a decision being made by an Annual or Special General Meeting of the League to dissolve the League, said decision requiring support of two-thirds of delegates present and voting, then the same meeting shall determine the disbursement of residual funds upon dissolution, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, bearing in mind the League’s objectives. G - DISCIPLINE GENERAL 1. Any Club, Official or Player in breach of the Constitutional and/or Competition rules, as well any instances of complaints or protests, match postponements, crowd disorder, failing to fulfil a fixture and/or bringing the game into disrepute, will be subject to disciplinary procedures. This list is not exhaustive. Sanctions imposed may include a monetary fine subject to a maximum of One Thousand Pounds (£1,000), suspension, points deduction, relegation, refusal of promotion, expulsion or any other sanction deemed appropriate 2. Upon receipt of a Clubs annual subscription, the Club shall: a. be deemed to have agreed to abide by the constitution and rules of the League. b. be held accountable for the conduct of officials, players, employees and volunteers regarding the constitution and rules of the League. c. be deemed to consent to abiding by the decisions of the Board subject to the right of appeal as provided for under the current Judicial Panel Protocol of the Scottish FA. d. be deemed to have agreed to abide by the Scottish FA Articles of Association, Registration procedures, Disciplinary procedures and Scottish FA Board directives. 3. Should a club be suspended, the conditions and period of that suspension will be specified. Whilst in a period of suspension, a club shall have its voting rights suspended; have no interest in the property and assets of the League, nor shall they be entitled to any refund of membership subscriptions or other funds from the League. Neither shall the club be eligible to play any matches. either competitive, friendly or development league fixtures. Should a suspension result in a fixture under the auspices of the League being cancelled, the Club will face additional disciplinary action. 4. Any breach of the League rules shall be investigated by the Discipline Secretary

5. The Discipline Secretary shall record all off field misconduct and rule breaches. If a potential rule breach is identified, the Discipline Secretary shall issue a Notice of Complaint to the Club or individual(s), outlining the alleged offence and requesting a written statement in response to the allegation which must be received within five days. Upon receipt of this reply, the Discipline Secretary shall determine whether the matter should be referred to the Disciplinary Committee. 6. Where an allegation concerns an administrative rule breach, including but not limited to a team line error, late payment, failure to return a financial form, late match result notification, etc, the club shall be required to pay an administration fee of £30. 7. A Disciplinary Committee shall be made up of any 3 members of the Board, unless the Board co-opt an appointed person(s) under rule C14. The Club or individual to whom the alleged breach of rules refers, shall be afforded the opportunity to address the Disciplinary Committee in all cases. Unless otherwise stipulated, all disciplinary hearings will be conducted via Zoom. 8. The Discipline Secretary shall make all necessary arrangements for the disciplinary hearing, including notifying clubs of the time and venue of the hearing and provide appropriate documentation to all parties involved in the hearing. 9. Ignorance of the rules or procedures will not be accepted as a legitimate defence. 10. Clubs will have the right of appeal to the Scottish FA under the terms of the Judicial Panel Protocol against any decision or sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY 11. It is the responsibility of all Clubs to ensure that all players taking part in a match are eligible to do so and any breach of player eligibility rules is a strict liability offence. To play in any match under the jurisdiction of the League all players must be eligible in terms of the Scottish FA Articles of Association, Registration Procedures and Disciplinary Procedures as well as the League Constitution and Competition Rules. 12. A club playing an ineligible player(s) in a league match under the jurisdiction of the League or Development League, they will be subject to the following sanctions – a) An automatic 3 point deduction for each fixture the ineligible player participated, and b) A monetary fine of £100 for each offence The Disciplinary Committee shall not waive or modify the application of this rule in any circumstances. 13. A club playing an ineligible player(s) in a cup tie under the jurisdiction of the League or Development League, the offending club will: a) Be disqualified from taking further part in the competition that season and their opponents in the match will be awarded the tie. b) A monetary fine of £100 for each offence; and c) Any other sanction the Disciplinary Committee deem necessary The Disciplinary Committee shall not waive or modify the application of this rule in any circumstances. 14. Where a club has played an ineligible player(s) in an earlier round of a cup competition, the club will be immediately debarred from taking any further part in the competition that season. If they have been eliminated, the opponents that the offending club last played in the competition may, at the discretion of the Board, be advanced to the next round. In addition to the foregoing, offending clubs will be subject to disciplinary action, including a fine of £100 for each offence and any other sanction that a Disciplinary Committee may deem necessary 15. Where a question of player eligibility arises due to a question of suspension, clubs are advised to check Comet and the weekly Scottish FA Disciplinary records for confirmation. Where further clarification is required, clubs should email the Scottish FA Disciplinary Department at for confirmation 16. Parent Club Loans are not permitted between two League clubs 17. To determine whether a player is cup tied, the Club Secretary should contact the Assistant Secretary for clarification. This should be done no less than 48 hours prior to the match.

18. Clubs will have the right of appeal to the Scottish FA under the terms of the Judicial Panel Protocol against any decision or sanction imposed by the Disciplinary Committee H - PLAYER REGISTRATIONS GENERAL 1. Subject to rule H5 below, all players must be registered for their club by the Scottish FA. 2. Player registrations shall be completed in a format determined by the Scottish FA. All written agreements must be submitted at the time of registration. 3. Any Club that has failed to appoint a CWPO, or meet the requirements of that position, will not be permitted to register or play any player under the age of 18 years. Any club breaching this rule will face disciplinary proceedings for a potential breach of player eligibility rule. 4. To be eligible to play in matches held under the auspices of the League and for registration purposes, a player will have attained the age of 16 years and if from outwith Scotland, must have obtained an International Transfer Certificate. To participate in Development league, Players must have attained the age of 16 years and be born on or after 1st January 2007 5. A player who is listed on the team lines of a club for a match in the League will be deemed to have played in that match provided he is in the starting eleven or is a used substitute. UNREGISTERED/TRIALIST PLAYERS 6. A trialist is an unregistered player or a player registered with a club playing under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, the Scottish Welfare Football Association, or the Scottish Youth Football Association. With the exception of an unregistered player, the player needs to have the relevant written permission to play trial games in the League competition. Players last registered outwith Scotland and who have yet to receive an International Transfer Certificate may not play in the League competitions. PERMANENT TRANSFER / REGISTRATIONS 7. A player may be transferred by the Club with whom he is registered to another Club within the Scottish FA pyramid system, or other national association, provided the Club and Player are agreeable to such a transfer. 8. Subject to rule H7, A professional status player may have his registration cancelled at any time during the season only with the written agreement of both the Club and the player concerned 9. Subject to Rule H7 and H8, a player registered on an amateur registration may have his registration cancelled at any time during the season by the Club. There is no requirement for the player to provide written agreement of the cancellation 10. A player registered on an amateur registration form who exercises the “7 day rule” on or after the 8th July to terminate his registration with a League club, will not be eligible to play for another League club under an amateur registration in that season, nor play as a trialist. 11. A player on an amateur registration with a League club shall be eligible to exercise his rights under the “7 day rule” between 1st June and 7th July each season, and be eligible to register and play for another League club on an amateur registration form or play as a trialist 12. Other than a recognised goalkeeper, signed in an exceptional circumstance and with the permission in advance of the League, any player who is registered after 23:59 hours on the 31st March, who was registered with another club in the pyramid after 23:59 on the 31st March will not be permitted to play a competitive fixture for the club prior to 30th June. This rule also applies to players whose last registration was with a national

association outwith Scotland and who is subject to an international clearance application submitted after 31st March. For the avoidance of doubt, a recognised goalkeeper may only play in that position. 13. Subject to rule H14 and H15, the registration of a player whose previous club was a member of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, Scottish Youth Football Association or Scottish Welfare Football Association club shall be permitted after 23:59 hours on the 31st March and the player will be eligible to play in competitive matches. TEMPORARY REGISTRATIONS 14. A player may have his playing registration transferred on a temporary basis to or from a club in membership of the Scottish FA and/or any other League providing the rules of any such league so permit. 15. Temporary Transfers shall be for a defined period, not exceeding 30th June; be for a minimum of 28 days and subject to the player’s consent. The players contract shall revert to the lending club upon the termination of the temporary transfer. 16. With the agreement of all parties, a termination clause may be inserted into a temporary transfer agreement, drawn up by the lending club and lodged with the Scottish FA by the borrowing club, that permits any party to terminate the agreement early, provided the minimum 28-day period has been served 17. A Temporary Transfer shall not be permitted in any one season after 23:59 hours on the 31st March, with the exception of an emergency temporary transfer of a goalkeeper in exceptional circumstances and agreed in advance by the League. For the avoidance of doubt, a recognised goalkeeper may only play in that position. 18. Subject to rule H18, a player whose temporary transfer expires after 23:59 hours on 31st March, shall be eligible to have the temporary transfer to the borrowing club extended to a period no later than 30th June, provided that there is no break between the two temporary transfer periods. For the avoidance of doubt, a temporary transfer to a different club shall not be permitted. 19. A player whose registration has been temporarily transferred may only play for the borrowing club during the period of the transfer. The player’s temporary registration may be transferred to another club within the same division. 20. No Club shall register more than four (4) players on a Temporary Transfer at any one time. DELAYED TRANSFERS (DUAL CONTRACTS) 21. Clubs may register a player registered with an SYFA club on a dual contract provided the agreement with the SYFA is adhered to in its entirety.