West Middlesex Youth Soccer. Ontario Canada

RULES AND BY-LAWS

The League Rules and By-Laws shall be in effect upon the conclusion of the regular meeting in January.

The League Rules and By-Laws may be amended, repealed or re-enacted at any meeting by a majority vote, provided the amendment is received twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting or such notice is waived by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at a meeting.
Upon the adoption of these Rules and By-Laws all previous Rules and By-Laws are repealed both the repeal shall not effect the validity of any appointment made or things done under the authority thereof.

ARTICLE 1 NAMES

1a Wherever the word LEAGUE is used, it shall mean:

WEST MIDDLESEX YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE (WMYSL)

1b Wherever the word ASSOCIATION is used, it shall mean:

WESTERN COUNTIES SOCCER ASSOCIATION (WCSA)

ARTICLE 2 REGISTRATIONS

2a All teams playing in the WMYSL and Cup Schedule must be duly registered with the League Registrar and under no financial obligation to the League no later than April 15th. Each Club must register their own teams with WCSA. A copy of the Registration form must be given to the League Registrar. If any players are added to teams after the initial registration, then a copy of the changes must be given to the League Registrar. Each team must be registered as a Recreational Team through the Association. Failure to so will result in disciplinary action being taken by the League Executive. Payment in full for those players being registered must be made at that time. No registration will be accepted without payment.

2b The Official League closing date for registration and roster adjustments shall be June 30th of the current year.

2c Any exceptions to sub-paras (a) and (b) will require the consent of the Executive.

2d The League recognizes the WCSA registration as the ONLY permissible method of registering teams in this League, regardless of the various registration formats allowed by WCSA. The forms are to be neatly printed in ink, typed or computer-generated. The master is available to all members electronically.

2e Any clubs that register a team and subsequently folds that team after the final schedule has been issued may be subject to a fine of $250.00. This would be tabled at the next meeting for discussing and voting on should the club be able to prove any extraordinary circumstances relating to this happening.

ARTICLE 3 QUALIFICATIONS

3a Any team wishing to play in WMYSL and Cup Schedules must be affiliated with an area forming part of WCSA.

ARTICLE 4 AGE GROUPINGS

4a In any one year, the League may operate age divisions from U-10 up to U18.

4b The Leagues reserves the right to amend and modify the age groups as necessary at the start of the season. This will ensure good representation of teams in any one division.

4c Notification of the divisions and the years of birth associated with the division will be given to the Clubs.

4d A player may be registered in any age division provided he/she has not yet reached the stipulated age before the 1st of January in the current playing year.

4e Each team in each division will be identified by a distinctive Team Name, which will be recorded on the players card.

4f The League reserves the right to allow overage players on certain teams each season. If a Club wishes to have an overage player on one of their teams, then the Club must present their request at a League meeting, and explain why they are making the request.

ARTICLE 5 PLAYER TEAM LIMIT

5a A maximum of twenty-five (25) players may be registered to a team and participate in any one game. A minimum of seven (7) players are required to play a game.

ARTICLE 6 TEAM PLAYERS

6a Players may only be called up from a lower division to dress a maximum of fourteen (14) players at any one game. No trial players are allowed in Playoff or Cup games. No player may play more than three (3) games in an older age division. If he/she does, he/she shall remain with that team and cannot return to the younger age division.

6b No team shall bring up players of a different gender as trial players where the Club involved has an older age division of the gender. (For example, a U-11 girl can not be used as a trial player for a U-13 boys team if the Club involved has a U-13 girls team.)

6c Players from one age group can not be used as trial players on another team in the same age group.

ARTICLE 7 LAWS

7a All games shall be played under the Laws in accordance with the Rules of the Canadian Soccer Association, and Ontario Soccer Association unless otherwise designated within these Rules and By-Laws.

ARTICLE 8 DURATION OF GAMES
8a The duration of games shall be two (2) equal halves as outlined below for each age group.
U-10, U-11 30 Minute Halves
U-12, U-13 35 Minute Halves
U-14, U-15 40 Minute Halves
U-16 and up 45 Minute Halves

Games will start at 7:00 PM. There will be a five (5) minute break between halves for all divisions and no overtime in regular league games.

8b All games must start promptly and not later than fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time.

8c Failure to field a team fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time will result in the default of the game (ARTICLE 12). This rule will be enforced by the referee who will report any breach to the League Scheduler.

8d If time is limited, two (2) equal halves shall be played.

8e The referee shall be the official time keeper as outlined in the Laws of Soccer.

8f A game must have reached the three-quarter (3/4) mark to be final. If stopped prior to the three-quarter (3/4) mark, determined by the referee, the game shall be replayed in its entirety.

8g The Executive reserves the right to waive paragraph 8f upon review of the reason for stoppage.

8h On hot days, if agreed prior to the game, adequate water breaks will be allowed at the discretion of any of the coaches or referees.

ARTICLE 9 EQUIPMENT AND FIELDS

9a The Home Team shall provide the match ball which shall be properly inflated and conform to the size stipulated below:
SIZE 4 U-11, U12

SIZE 5 U-13, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18

9b Nets and corner flags are to be installed by the Home Team and in good order fifteen (15) minutes prior to the playing time. Lines must be clearly visible and there must be no dangerous obstruction to play, including grass over 5 in length.

9c The referee, in the case of total or partial contravention of paragraph 9b, will give the Home Team fifteen (15) minutes to correct the situation. Failure to correct the situation will result in default of the game (ARTICLE 12) by the Home Team and the Home Club will be fined $25.00.

9d All players must wear shin guards and have their shirts tucked into their shorts. Further, thermal pants (cyclist pants, tights) can be worn provided they are the same colour as the uniform shorts and they do not extend below the knees.

9e Each Club shall register its colours at the January meeting.

9f Each Club shall registers its playing fields and provide field location maps at the March meeting.

9g All Teams must play in their registered colours and uniforms except the goalkeeper, who shall wear a distinguishing colour.

9h All sweaters in registered colours must have different numbers, at least six (6) inches high on the back of the sweater.

ARTICLE 10 PLAYER SUBSTITUTIONS

10a Players may be substituted at the following times

-at half time -when a goal is score.

-at a goal kick -in case of an injury

-at a throw-in, when the team with possession of the ball calls for a substitution, both teams may substitute.

ARTICLE 11 PLAYING TIME

11a All players are required to play at least fifty (50) percent of the game time.

ARTICLE 12 DEFAULTS

12a Any team defaulting a game shall automatically be deemed to have lost that game by a score of 1-0. Such defaulting team will also be liable for any expenses incurred because of the default and will also be liable for further punishment by the League. Non-payment will be subject to disciplinary action by the League.

ARTICLE 13 DROP OUTS

13a Should any team drop out of the League, all games played by that team shall be declared null and void in the League standings, if less than fifty (50) percent of the games have been played.

13b If more than fifty (50) percent of the games have been played, the balance of the games shall be given to the opposition as defaults.

ARTICLE 14 DETERMINING CHAMPION & RUNNERS UP

14a Should two (2) teams or more finish with an equal number of points in the League standings at the completion of the regular schedule, a deciding game(s) shall be played on a neutral field.
Officials to be assigned by the league.

14b Should the teams be tied at the end of regular time, two (2) ten (10) minute overtime periods shall be played. If still ties, a five players, not sudden victory, shoot-out will continue with new shooters until a winner is decided.

ARTICLE 15 GAME SHEETS

15a Every team shall provide to the scheduled Referee, a Game Sheet in triplicate, fifteen (15) minutes prior to the start of the game. The names of the players and their numbers must be listed clearly. Failure to produce a Game Sheet will result in a twenty-five (25) dollar fine being levied to the offending club. (Reference Appendix 2, GAME SHEET)

15b Upon completion of the game, the top (white- original) copy of each game sheet is to remain with the scheduled Home Club Referee. Any cautions and or ejections are forwarded to the League Director at Large in accordance with Article 17, sub article 17g. Copies of the Game Sheets must be retained until the Final League Standings have been confirmed by the League.
The second (yellow- duplicate) copy of each game sheet will be given to the Visiting team coach.
The third (pink- triplicate) copy of each game sheet will be retained by the Home team coach.Ensure that the final score is clearly marked, and the game sheet is signed by the scheduled referee.ARTICLE

16 REFEREES

16a Referees must carry a current validated Referee Card, and must be properly attired in a referee uniform. If a referee is not properly attired, the issue is to be raised at the next League meeting and dealt with accordingly.

16b In all games the Referee shall be appointed by the Home Team unless the League is in charge of the game.

16c Home Clubs failing to provide a currently validated referee will be subject to a $25.00 fine.

16d In the case of the referee not showing up, teams may mutually decide on a person to officiate the game. If such a decision is made, no protests or appeals will be heard by the League against that person. If such a decision is made, then Article 17a does not apply.

16e In the case no one is agreed upon, the visiting coach may refuse to play the game and ask for the game to be rescheduled, the Visiting team will become the Home team. The referee fees shall be paid by the Club that was responsible for the original default.

16f Referees will call the coaches and teams to the centre of the field to show player cards. Other than that action, Referees are not involved in the player card check process and can not force a coach to show cards. If a problem with a player card develops, the referee can only advise both coaches why the game is being played ``under protest``, and so noted on the game sheets.

16g All misconduct reports shall be forwarded immediately within twenty-four (24) hours of the game to the League Director at Large. See Appendix 3

16h All referees are to have knowledge of and observe all League Rules and By-Laws herein.

16h To file a complaint against a referee, you write to the League Director at Large stating game night, location played, teams played, age division, referees name and why you feel the referee was unfair- Conduct or Law Discrepancy.

ARTICLE 17 PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

17a All players must be in possession of a West Middlesex Youth Soccer League card stamped with the WMYSL seal over their picture, to play in a game. Players cards must be signed by the League Registrar.

17b Each Team shall show their Players cards to the opposing coach prior to the start of the game. Failure to show the cards or produce them shall cause the guilty club to be fined $25.00.

17c Any player arriving late must show his/her card to the opposing coach prior to being allowed to enter the field.

17d Coaches must ensure that any player arriving late is added to their Team sheet.

17e Full size photocopies of the Players cards will be acceptable providing they are sealed over the players picture and carry the original signature of the League Registrar. The Registrar is responsible to compare the actual players card with the photocopy prior to signing the photocopy. Staples or tape are NOT PERMITTED when fastening the photo to the Players card. Photos must be securely glued to the Players cards and shall be of the correct size to enable ease or embossing.

17f Players cards will remain valid for three (3) years. The Registrar shall stamp or mark the card such that it is clearly validated for each of the two subsequent seasons. The validation sticker or stamp used shall be of a different colour each season. Cards will remain the property of each Club and shall be returned to the Club by the coaches at the end of the season.

ARTICLE 18 INELIGIBLE PLAYERS

18a Any team found guilty of playing an ineligible player will automatically default the games in which the player was involved.

18b In addition, the offending Club, if proven to have knowledge of the fact, shall be fined $50 payable to the League. Non-payment will subject the Club to disciplinary action.

18c Players that have been registered in a Competitive League shall not be allowed to participate in the WMYSL during the same season.

LDYSL INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE

18d Any players registered in the Intermediate League are not considered to be registered in a competitive league.

18e If a Club has more than one Recreational Team in an age group, and also has an Intermediate Team in that age group, the Intermediate Team must consist of an approximate equal number of players from each Recreational Team.

ARTICLE 19 DISMISSALS

19a Any player dismissed from a game by the Referee will automatically receive a one (1) game suspension, and will sit out the next regularly scheduled game that his/her team plays.

ARTICLE 20 CAUTIONS

20a Any player accumulating three (3) cautions during the season will automatically receive a one (1) game suspension, and will sit out the next regularly scheduled game that his/her team plays.

20b A ZERO TOLERANCE policy on violence or dissent has been adopted by this League. This appears as the League Code of Conduct. Coaches or entire teams found to be severely (or repeatedly) violate this policy will face sanctions by the League including fines and/or dismissal from the League for future games and the subsequent season.

ARTICLE 21 PROTESTS AND DISPUTES

21a All protests and disputes under the jurisdiction of the League shall be dealt with by the League Executive.

21b All protests must be submitted in writing to the League Secretary or President and be accompanied with a fee of twenty-five (25) dollars. The protest fee will be refunded in cases where the protest is upheld.

21c Such protests shall be mailed within forty-eight (48) hours of the date of the protested game (excluding Holidays and Sundays). The date of the postmark will be taken as the limited date in all cases.

21d A copy of the written protest must also be mailed to the opposing coach within the same time limitation.

21e The decisions of the League Executive are binding, but may be subject to appeal to the Association. The Executive report of the dispute and the decision must be submitted in writing to the disputing parties within a reasonable time.

21f Representative from Clubs having jurisdiction over the two teams involved in the protest or dispute can be involved in the debate but cannot be involved in the final decision of the case.

21g Sanction which may include loss of game shall be at the discretion of the League Executive.

21h Any protests which are not submitted in compliance with all the above regulations will be ruled out of order and will not be heard.

ARTICLE 22 APPEALS

22a All player and team appeals to the Association are subject to Association regulations, however, any League disciplinary decisions shall remain in force until the Association appeal hearing.

ARTICLE 23 NOTICES

23a All notices served by the League shall be served by the League Secretary via the mail to the last known address of the person(s) for whom the notice is intended, with a copy to the Club Representatives.

ARTICLE 24 TROPHIES

24a Failure of a Club to return League trophies won the previous year by teams that the Club sponsored will result in automatic suspension of the Club from the League. The suspension will be lifted upon (a) the return of, and/or (b) payment for said trophies.

24b All trophies are to be returned to the League at the April meeting.

ARTICLE 25 RAINOUTS

25a Games can only be cancelled for the reason of bad weather at the discretion of the referee prior to the start of the game. If the game is cancelled by the Referee, the Home Coach will contact the League Scheduler so that the game can be rescheduled if necessary (paragraph 8f).

ARTICLE 26 OTHER MATTERS

26a All matters not provided for in these Rules and By-Laws shall be decided in accordance with the Constitution of the WCSA, the WMYSL or the Laws of Soccer. Such matters will be discussed and voted on at the Executive or League Meetings.

ARTICLE 27 SCORE REPORTS

27a The game scores must be handed into the League Statistician by both teams. The game score report shall include the information from the Match Report: the game number, time, location, winning team name score, the losing team name score, the date of the report and any infractions that occurred and comments pertinent to the game. Scores can be emailed to the WMYSL score email. Scores are to be reported by the midnight following day after the scheduled games.
Should the scheduled game NOT BE PLAYED for any reason, the home team is to report with a brief explanation as to why the game was not played and the information will be passed on to the Scheduler for rescheduling or not.

Failure to provide GAME SCORES by the designated deadline will result in a Ten (10) dollar fine being levied to the offending club. Any games not reported will be defaulted for both teams and considered a loss for both (this also goes for ties with regards to the team(s) that did not report their score).

ARTICLE 28 PERFORMANCE BONDS

28a All clubs playing in WMYSL will provide a performance bond at the April meeting in the amount of $200.00. Fines and other fees- as determined at league meetings will be deducted from the performance bond monies (after a successful motion in favour) at a duly constituted League meeting. League fees will not be deducted from this bond.

28b The bond must be topped up to the $200.00 level by a Club playing in the WMYSL if the remaining balance falls below $100.00. The bond money will be placed in a separate account in trust.

ARTICLE 29 LEAGUE DURATION AND SCHEDULING

29a The league will start on the second Monday in May of each year. The regular season will be completed by the 3rd Friday in August of each year regardless of the number of teams in each division.

29b Each team must play the equal number of games in their respective divisions.

29c A schedule will be issued by the 1st Thursday in April. This will allow for any amendments in advance of the final schedule. The schedule will be in place by the 3rd Thursday in April and will be posted on the website by the 4th Thursday in April. The Executive has the right to reject any schedule that does not meet these stipulations.

29d No games to be scheduled on Statutory holidays during the regular season.

29e No postponements of games will be permitted without the consent of the League. For any games to be rescheduled, teams must give notification with valid reason to the league Scheduler at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled date. Any unauthorized games played will be voided. No games shall be rescheduled after June 15th except weather related reasons or extreme circumstances.

APPENDIX 1: TEAM COLOUR SCHEME

St. Marys - Royal Blue & Yellow, wear pinnies against Strathroy
Coldstream - Dark Green
South Huron - Canada Red
Glencoe - Green and Black
Grand Bend - Orange
Kensal Park Red - Purple
Lucan - Green
North Middlesex - Red and black
Stratroy-Caradoc -White and Black
Falcons -Yellow
West Lorne - Orange
Wallacetown - Purple and white
Away teams are to wear pinnies if there is a uniform colour conflict.