NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION

1. (A) This Competition shall be designated the Hampshire Premier Football League and known as the Puma Engineering Hampshire Premier Football League and shall consist of not more than eighteen (18) Clubs approved by the sanctioning authority who shall be Full Member Clubs. 

All such Member Clubs must be affiliated to an affiliated County Football Association and their names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date on the Form “D” to the Hampshire County Football Association. The area covered by the Competition Membership shall be the County of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight together with any Clubs who have Headquarters situated within ten (10) miles of the Hampshire County border as defined on the 31st March 1974. (The Headquarters will be the ground on which they play their home matches unless they have an official HQ i.e Registered Club House).

This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Hampshire County Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in Divisions each not exceeding eighteen (18) in number.

The formation shall be Member Clubs first teams in a League of one (1) Senior Division and their Reserve teams in a Combination League of one (1) Division that is restricted to those Clubs that have a first team in the Senior Division. It is not a requirement that a Clubs Reserve team must enter this Competition. The two (2) Divisions shall compete in a Championship and Cup Competition restricted to teams in these respective Divisions.

This Competition wishes to become a designated Charter Standard League. Existing Member Clubs have two (2) years (until the end of the 2012-13 season) to achieve the Charter Standard club award or face expulsion from the League. New Member Clubs have one (1) year to achieve the Charter Standard Club award. The League has the right to refuse membership to a Club if it fails to demonstrate commitment to achieving the award.

This Competition and its Clubs shall support the FA’s Respect programme. As such it recognises that everyone in football has a collective responsibility to create a fair, safe and enjoyable environment in which the game can take place. A Respect League values the contribution of Match Officials, players and spectators and ensures that they are treated with courtesy and fairness by opposing players, Club officials and spectators. The League and its Clubs will seek to play fixtures in a fair, competitive but not antagonistic environment.

Member Clubs shall not enter any of their teams playing in the Competition in any other Competitions (with the exception of F.A. and County F.A. Competitions) except with the written consent of the Management Committee of the Competition.

Member Clubs are required to give a suitable e-mail address to the Competition Secretary as part of their Club details on registration as well as confirm that they have access to the internet.

Fixtures, Bulletins, Result Cards, registration Forms, Transfer Forms and Competition Correspondence shall only be accessed on the League Website.

Clubs are to have on-line banking and will commit to using Full Time.

All participants shall abide by The Football Association Regulations for safeguarding Children as determined from time to time.

(B) At the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, a majority of the delegates present shall have power to decide or adjust the compilation of the Divisions at their discretion. When necessary this Rule shall take precedence over Rule 12.

ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT

2. (A) Applications by Clubs for admission to this Competition or the entry of an additional team(s) must be made in writing to the Competition Secretary and must be accompanied by an Entry Fee of £50.00 per team which shall be returned in the event of non-election. Such applications must be received by 1st March. A non-refundable Ground Inspection Fee of £50.00 must accompany each application.

At the discretion of a majority of the accredited voting members present applications, of which due notice has been given, may be received at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. The Entry Fee shall apply.

When League Rule 12(B) is applied or a team seeks a transfer or is compulsorily transferred to another Division no Entry Fee shall be payable.

(B) The Annual Subscription shall be £50.00 per Team payable on or before the 1st June in each year. Clubs failing to comply shall be fined £30.00.

(C) Each joining Club shall within fourteen (14) days of election pay a Deposit of £100.00 which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the Competition provided they have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all orders of the Management Committee.

(D) A Club shall not participate in this Competition until the Entry Fee, Annual Subscription and Deposit have been paid.

(E) Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in writing by 15th June of its Parent County Football Association affiliation number for the forthcoming Season, failing which they shall be fined £25.00. Clubs must advise the Competition Secretary in writing, or on the prescribed form, of details of its Headquarters, Officers and any other information required by the Competition.

OFFICERS

3. The Officers of the Competition shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting and elected thereat. Elected Officers shall be a President, Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Treasurer, Competition Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Registration Secretary, Referees Secretary, League Development Officer and League Welfare Officer.
(N.B. Auditors/Verifiers are not Officers).

MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION

4. (A) The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association by a Management Committee comprised of the Officers, Life Vice Presidents, up to two (2) Independent Members and two (2) Club Members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All Participants shall abide by The Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by The Association from time to time.

The League may nominate Life Vice Presidents who shall be ex-officio Members of the Management Committee and shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

(B) Retiring Officers shall be eligible to become candidates for re-election without nomination. All other candidates for election as Officers or Members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the Secretaries of two (2) Member Clubs, not later than1st April in each year. Names of the candidates for election shall be circulated with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. In the event of there being no nomination in accordance with the foregoing for any office, nominations may be received at the Annual General Meeting

(C) The Management Committee shall meet at least quarterly.

On receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds (2/3rd) of the Members of the Management Committee the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Committee.

(D) Except where otherwise mentioned all communications shall be addressed to the Competition Secretary who shall conduct the correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings.

(E) All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through their nominated Officers.

(F) Excluding Life Vice-Presidents, any Member of the Management Committee absenting themselves from three (3) consecutive Meetings, shall, failing a satisfactory explanation in writing be considered to have resigned and the Committee shall have the power to fill any such vacancy that may occur during the year.

POWERS OF MANAGEMENT

5. (A) The Management Committee may appoint sub-committees and delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary. The decisions of all sub- committees shall be reported to the Management Committee for ratification. The Management Committee shall have power to deal only with matters within the Competition and not for any matters of misconduct that are under the jurisdiction of the Football Association or affiliated Association

(B) Subject to the permission of the Hampshire County Football Association having been obtained the Management Committee may order a match or matches to be played each season, the proceeds to be devoted to the funds of the Competition and, if necessary, may call upon each Club (including any Club which may have withdrawn during the season) to contribute equally such sums as may be necessary to meet any deficiency at the end of the season. (See Rule 6(e)).

(C) Each Member of the Management Committee shall have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee Meetings and have one vote thereat, but no Member shall be allowed to vote on any matters directly appertaining to such Member or to the Club so represented or where there may be a conflict of interest. (This shall apply to the procedure of any sub-committee).

In the event of the voting being equal on any matter, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

(D) The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the Competition, including any not provided for in the Rules.

With the exception of League Rules 5(i), 6(h), 11 and 19, for all breaches of Rule a formal written charge must be issued. The respondent shall be given seven (7) days from the date of notice to reply to the charge and given the opportunity to:-

(i) Accept or deny the charge
(ii) Submit in writing a case of mitigation, or
(iii) Put their case before the Management Committee.

Except where these Rules provide for the imposition of a set penalty any Club, Club Official (limited to Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer) or Player alleged to be in breach of a Competition Rule must be formally charged in writing and given the opportunity to present their case before the Management Committee. Financial penalties can only be imposed if included within the set penalties for breaches of Competition Rules. All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of The Football Association shall be dealt with in accordance with F.A. Rules by the appropriate Association.

With the exception of Clubs playing at Step 7 of the Football Pyramid and the FA Women’s Premier League, the maximum fine permitted for any breach of Competition Rule is £250.00 and, when setting any fine, the Competition must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the offence, taking into account any mitigating circumstances.

(E) All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 16.

Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within fourteen (14) days.

(F) Five (5) Members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee and three (3) Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by any sub-committee of the Competition.

(G) The Management Committee, as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill in an acting capacity, any vacancies that may occur amongst their number.

(H) A Club having failed to comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee, or failing to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition shall be liable to be fined or otherwise penalised at the discretion of the Management Committee.

(I) All fines and charges shall be paid within fourteen (14) days of the date of posting /
e-mailing of the written notification.

Any Club failing to do so will be fined a maximum of £50.00. Further failure to pay the fine including the additional sum within fourteen (14) days will result in fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the outstanding payments are settled.

(J) A member of the Management Committee appointed by the Competition to attend a Meeting or Match may have any expenses incurred refunded by the Competition.

(K) The Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur in the membership of the Competition between the Annual General or Special General Meeting called to decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition season.

(L) The business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee shall be transacted by electronic mail or facsimile.

(M) A Club failing to be represented at a Meeting of the Management Committee when requested to do so shall be fined £50.00 and failing to be represented at three (3) consecutive Meetings without satisfactory reasons being given shall be further dealt with as the Management Committee may determine.

(N) A Club/Team/Player may be charged by the Competition with bringing the Competition into disrepute if any conduct by the Club/Team/Player is deemed to warrant such action. A Club/Team/Player found guilty of such an offence shall be liable to be fined or dealt with by the Management Committee as it deems fit.

(O) The Management Committee shall establish a procedure for inspecting Club’s grounds from time to time as well as a procedure for inspecting the grounds of Club’s applying for Membership of the Competition.