BLACKTOWN & DISTRICTS SOCCER FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Inc
SECRETARY'S MANUAL

The Club Secretary is the lynch pin around which every other club matter works. If you are not successful as a Club Secretary, then invariably, your Club will not succeed.

The Secretary is the servant of the Club, the Club is not the servant of the Secretary. One of the best ways in which to serve your Club is to ensure that your Club is well informed. Many Secretaries decide which information they will relate. It is this arbitrary misuse of power that brings a Club undone. Information is the property of all members. The Secretary's job is to inform correctly and without bias.
It is however the sole responsibility of the Secretary to issue statements of Rules and Policy on the Clubs' behalf. Many Committee Members feel that when asked a question by a member, that they should give an answer. If the question refers to Official Club Policy or Rules, then it should be directed to the Secretary only. As per the Rules, the Secretary cannot misinterpret a Rule. It is also the Secretary from whom ALL correspondence must flow and return. A Secretary should never allow others to write letters on the Club's behalf. It is imperative that Secretaries make all other members aware of this as repercussions will come back to the Secretary alone.

If you are the Public Officer of your Club, then in law, you are its' owner and are responsible for its' actions. You must be cognisant of all Rules, and of the fact that your Club Rules are part of, and are last in, a long list of preceding Rules.

To be affiliated with the BDSFA Inc., you must be Incorporated under the Association Incorporated Act. To become Incorporated, you must first have your Club name accepted and submit your Rules to Fair Trading, Association Incorporation Division. When making your Clubs Rules, you must follow the guidelines of the "Model Rules" for Incorporated bodies.
You have two choices only. You can accept the Model Rules as your own, or you can offer a replacement version of that Rule which, if accepted by Associations Incorporated (Fair Trading), will become your Rule. Be aware that if you do not offer a Rule in replacement, then the Model Rule will apply even if it is not in your Rules.

The game of Soccer is governed by F.I.F.A. Rules, the Management of soccer is governed by Federal and State Laws, FFA; Soccer NSW Ltd and the B.D.S.F.A. As Club Secretary, you are deemed as knowing all the Rules of all bodies. Ignorance is not an acceptable plea.

To assist new and old Secretaries alike, and possibly form a platform for incoming Secretaries to either affiliated Clubs or the Association Management Committee, the following is a month by month description of some of the working needs of a Secretary.

SEPTEMBER

The season has ended for most and it is time to tidy up and prepare for the off season. Those who have teams participating in Champion of Champions should read the section concerning that competition. Make sure your team managers have a copy of the Soccer NSW Ltd Handbook, which contains the Rules. Be aware that State Fines are much higher that the BDFSA Inc fines and some carry repercussions that you may not wish to bear. The winning team MUST retain the team sheet and are responsible for it's posting to the appropriate body, (usually stated on the bottom of the Team Sheet. Late team sheets may result in a fine and/or the loss of the match. Incorrect team sheets can also carry the above penalties. In all State Competitions, the score must be rang through to the Association Secretary before 5pm on the day of the match, or as soon as possible after that time if the match is running late.

Reclaim all Club property NOW!!! Some of your coaching staff may not return next season, it will be too late to start looking for gear three weeks before the competition starts. Take back all team strips and check them for wear and tear. Check all training and match balls
DO NOT STORE YOUR GEAR IN YOUR CLUB CANTEEN.
Many clubs have found themselves well out of pocket after a midnight raid by local thieves, or worse still, on two occasions the villains could not gain entry to the canteen/storeroom and burnt it to the ground.

When you have all gear at hand, you can organise replacements for next year and make allowances for preseason purchases. This may also effect the amount of disposable income to be spent on Trophies and Awards.

If you are fortunate enough to have teams that have been successful, your committee must decide upon the best way in which to reward the players. Every Club is different, but bear in mind that you will not be receiving any more money from members until late February. Do not leave yourselves either broke or in debt when buying trophies. Beware of the year when all the Committee members children win competitions so it is unanimously decided to buy "winners jackets". Next year when others win competitions and there is little money left for trophies.....

The Association awards the Club a Winner and Runner Up Plaque and Medals for each player for each age group/s division for the competition, excluding Roo Ball, who each receive a pennant from the Association. Some Clubs like a member of the Management Committee to attend presentations. Write your preference if any, when you inform your dates.

NOTIFICATION OF A.G.M.

Some Clubs hold their A.G.M. at presentation day, some hold it separate. If your A.G.M. is on a different date, the Club Presentation is an excellent time to distribute your A.G.M.. notices, as most of your membership will be present. Either way, your entire membership MUST be informed, in writing of your impending A.G.M.. Check your Rules to ascertain what is the notification period and who is entitled to be at your A.G.M. and invite everyone. Ensure that your membership is aware that they, too, can change rules and by laws, request their active participation in rule forming. It is not the prerogative of Club officials to decide upon whom they will invite to have a quorum that will enhance the Committees' ideas.

On the Notice convening your A.G.M. must be an agenda and a list of business that includes any proposed changes to the Rules. A nomination form for Elected Officials must also be included. A Committee needs a regular intake of new persons, and new ideas. The attitude of "if it's not broke don't fix it" is bad for Clubs and Sport.

If your Club prefers for an Association M.C.M. to be their returning officer or assist at A.G.M. the Management Committee will make themselves available on request.

OCTOBER

October is the usual month for Club A.G.M.'s. The Association will send out notifications for its' A.G.M., which is held in November, along with proposed changes to Rules and election information. You should discuss the Association business with your membership and send your nominated delegates to the Association meeting fully informed and carrying your memberships' wishes.

On completion of your Clubs' Annual General Meeting, you must inform the Associations Department of the Department of Fair Trading the relevant details of any change in rules or personnel. Forms are available from their web site. You must also inform the BDSFA of your new Committee.

NOVEMBER

The Association Annual General Meeting is held in November. Attendance is compulsory, as are all General and Special General Meetings. It is preferable that Secretaries attend meetings as it is their function to inform their membership. At the A.G.M. rules may be changed, officials of the Association, P & D C, Appeals Board and perhaps Life members will be elected.

If you wish to be a part of any of these Committees, you may fill in the election forms distributed by the Association or you may be elected to a vacant position from the floor. Nominations for a position are not allowed from the floor if a nomination for that position is received in writing, and persons may only nominate for one position only.

The proposed Rule changes will be distributed up to 28 days prior to the meeting, discuss them with your membership and vote the way your Club directs you. Delegates should not have "personal votes" unless directed by their membership. Rules need a 2/3 majority to allow a change, By Laws require a simple majority. Please be aware that an abstention from voting is the same as a "no" vote. Want to read that part again, an abstention is a no vote. If we have 20 people in a room, each eligible to vote in a ballot requiring a simple majority (51%); 8 vote "yes" and 6 vote "no"with 6 abstentions, the motion is lost because it needed 11 positive votes to be carried. These simple rules also apply when casting votes at your Club meetings.

DECEMBER AND JANUARY

These are the months when planning is paramount. Good planning means a good season. Planning during these months is best as the distraction of playing is not apparent. Some committee persons will take holidays, some not. Do not leave the planning to those who are present. Ask everyone before holidays for their written thoughts and use all information.

FEES.

When making up your registration fees, there are a couple of items to consider.

The most important is that you are not a charity. Be aware of the difference between "non-profit" and charity.

It is your job to offer your product at the best possible price, but you must avoid the pitfalls of offering a cheap service to entice more members. First, add up all the external fees required, EG. B.D.S.F.A. Fees, Insurance, State Fees etc.

Secondly, remember the general costs of putting a team on the Park. Consider the following:

1. Cost of Shirts
2. Cost of training and match balls.
3. Field rental and electricity. (training lights etc.)
4. Cost of administration and Club Magazine if any.
5. The added cost of winning.

When you have duly weighed all possibilities set your fees and commence advertising for players, coaches and staff.

ADVERTISING

Your advertising dollar MUST be spent wisely. The Association usually places a half page advertisement in the local papers with all Clubs' contact numbers. The large advert stands out well and in reality, Clubs would be better served using their funds to use other media for their personal advertising. Letterbox drops, local shops and schools are good methods of recruiting. Aim your advertising at YOUR market. It is of little use placing ads in local papers that cover too many areas, when your job is to be more specific. Many Clubs will still use the newspapers to get their message over. If this applies to you, ask for the placement to be in the sports pages, or take advantage of offers made by the Local Press at this time of the year to have your advert placed with ads of similar ilk.

Some Clubs use the direct mail approach to old players. This works well to remind players that a new season has arrived and to inform them of fees, registration times etc. At approximately 50 cents a letter, this is by far the most economical method of securing old players. One benefit of this method is that all the old players are informed first of the impending registration periods. They can then avail themselves of early registrations to ensure their place in the team. It will avoid a possible confrontation with players and parents who return late to find the team full.

If player and parents are informed early and do not take advantage of the situation, then they can hardly criticise later.

The Association now has a web site on the Internet which includes your own clubs' site. Your Club's message can be placed on the site at no cost. Many Clubs take advantage of this and we have already had much success through this media. The Publicity Officer is there to help. Contact him direct.

REGISTRATION

All players and Team Officials must be registered with the Association using the Programme supplied. Clubs must photograph all players as per the Rules. The Data recorded must be passed to the Association immediately.

The B.D.S.F.A. Rules state that before a person may register with the Association, he must first be a member of a Club. Club Membership forms are made available to each Club either for their use or to use as a template for a personalised version. One version or another of the form MUST be filled in by registering players.

The reason for this is that the form contains a declaration from the player, or his parents if he is under 18 years old, that he is whom he states himself to be and that he is eligible to register. It also states that the player agrees to abide by the Club and the B.D.S.F.A. Rules. This form will be invaluable to the Club should the player be subsequently found to be ineligible.

Registration falls into two main categories:

1. Players who have been previously registered.
2. Players registering for the first time.

The Association Registrar will produce a format needed by Club Registrars earlier than February. Ensure that the Club Registrar is made aware of its' contents and is familiar with the Association Registrars requisites.

1. PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED PLAYERS.

Players who have been registered in the immediate prior season may use their I.D. Card to re-register. However, please check the following:-
1. The players' name is correct. This may sound silly, but at times a player's home situation may change and he may be known by a different name or Female players may have married in the off-season etc. Under the Rules, a player may use a different name to that which he is known as long as the Association Registrar is made aware.
2. The address is the same.
3. Check the date of birth.
4. Check the players' insurance qualifications. ( Players who work MUST pay Senior Insurance, the Association Registrar will assume that a Sunday player is a "Senior" unless otherwise stated so ensure that this information is correct or the Club may find itself out of pocket.
5. ENSURE THAT THE "CLUB" IS CORRECT. Without a doubt, this is the area that causes that most amount of problems. Players often move from Club to Club, in the hurry to register players, the "CLUB" is often missed and the old Club is billed for the player. By the time the mistake is noticed it is difficult to detect for which new club the player registered.
6. Ensure that "Age Eligibility" is correct.

If all the information is correct, you may proceed to register the player/s.

Some Clubs re-register their previous years' players in the belief that they will return. When they do not return, or register with another Club, problems commence and at times, when persons, through no fault of their own, become inadvertently unfinancial. If the player does not sign a form to signify his intentions, then he/she cannot be deemed a member of your Club.

Speaking of unfinancial players, each season the Association receives requests to deem players unfinancial to the tune of 1000's of dollars. Our rules allow for players to be declared unfinancial, however, there must be a clause in your club registration form to ensure the player is aware that a payment was expected. The player must receive a letter of demand prior to being placed on the list. Once on the Soccer NSW Suspended players list, the player will be ineligible to play anywhere in the State without first clearing their debt.
If Registrars and Treasurers were doing their job correctly, this would never occur. Make it a policy, NO PAY - NO PLAY.

2. NEW PLAYER REGISTRATIONS.

New players are somewhat easier to register in as much as if you follow the criteria for the information required, then you can hardly go wrong.

It is the responsibility of the Club to ensure that all the "Player Information" is correct. If a player is found to be subsequently ineligible, there are $500.00 fines and losses of points and occasionally Clubs may be placed on Bonds, SO BE SURE, NOT SORRY.

Player information criteria:-

1. You MUST confirm the players' date of birth by viewing an original birth certificate or passport or other original official document.
Although the onus is on the Club to verify the credentials of their registrations,
random checks are instigated throughout the year by the Association Registrar. Similar consequences as those mentioned above are the result of incorrect birth details.
2. Players address
3. Players' insurance criteria.
Please note: Sunday players will be deemed as "Senior" if not otherwise signified, so please ensure that this space is filled in correctly or you will be charged for Senior Insurance.
4. Please ensure that either the player, or a representative of the player signs the
registration form. Failure to obtain a signature leaves the Club in an awkward spot should any action be warranted against the player or the players parents. This signature is your only legal statement that the player will be playing under your terms and Rules.
5. Clubs photograph all players and the Association produces the ID Cards.

Please note: registrations are to be paid for immediately the information is transferred to the Association. Accounts will only be issued to clubs who have not paid, along with a late fine.

SPECIAL NOTE RE FFA

The FFA's National Registration Regulations mean you now have to comply with providing the information they require whilst registering your players. The programme provided by the BDSFA Inc has the necessary extra fields inserted for your use.

FEBRUARY/MARCH

THE FIRST GENERAL MEETING OF THE YEAR IS HELD IN FEBRUARY

TEAM NOMINATIONS

Once you have registered enough players to consider your teams, Team Nomination Forms must be completed and returned to the Association Secretary.

Nomination Forms are provided by the Association and the Rules regarding Grading must be read before completing the form.

Teams are graded on a basis of the winner and runner up of each division except first division are promoted into the next higher division, last and second last of each division, except the lowest division are demoted into the next lower division.

If a Club has a vast change in player personnel which could effect the grading, then the Club MUST inform the Association of why a different grading must be considered. Each year, some Clubs complain about the way in which one or more of their teams "suffered" in the grading. The Management Committee are not psychic and cannot be held responsible for Clubs who do not perform their duties correctly. If you have a team that may deserve special consideration, please write stating your reasons for the grading to change. Please note that a letter does not automatically mean a team will be re-graded as there may be other factors to consider. In all cases, the rules allow for a difference of ONE division only if a team is to be re-graded.

Some Clubs also Nominate teams with the sole purpose of winning a competition. Whilst the object of sport is to win, there is little point of nominating a team into a division where the Club knows every other team in that division will be cannon fodder for their team. Most of us as their Objects " to Foster Soccer " but there are some whose objects go by the by when it comes to team nominations. No team can benefit from lack of good opposition.

Remember, when nominating, there are fines for withdrawal and late nominations may not be accepted. Do your home-work and try as best you can to be right first time. Should you have two teams in the same age group and division (EG U/12-1 white and U/12-1 green) then both teams players must be nominated to the Association and players from either team must not play in the other team.

COACHES REGISTRATION

All Coaches must be registered with the B.D.S.F.A. in order to coach a team. Registration forms are made available each season and MUST be forwarded to the Association Registrar.
To be accepted for registration, a person must be accredited with the Australian Coaching Council.

From 1995 it is illegal to allow a person to coach a team who is not certified. It is
your responsibility to ensure that all coaches are accredited with the A.C.C.

What is accreditation?
The Australian Coaching Council has designed a scheme in which a coach must have a
Junior License and over a period of four years, must accumulate enough points to keep his accreditation. Coaching a team is NOT normally enough to maintain accreditation. Each season, the Club Secretary must signify the years efforts in a log book provided by the ACC in order for the coach to receive accreditation points.

Where a person cannot attain enough points to ensure his accreditation, courses are made available through the BDSFA Inc and other Senior Bodies, each of which carry a number of points that accrue towards accreditation. It is your responsibility as Club Secretary to make sure that your coaches attend the necessary courses.

What are the ramifications for using an uncertified coach?

As directors of your Club, you are insured for public liability through our Soccer Insurance. After 1995, the Insurance Company will not accept claims if the team coach is not accredited. This will leave the whole club liable for prosecution. The scenario could be that a parent or player sues the Club for $1,000,000, the Insurance Company does not pay.
THIS LEAVES THE CLUB LIABLE - STARTING WITH THE DIRECTORS, THEN THE MEMBERSHIP, THE $1,000,000 WILL BE EXTRACTED.

This has happened in Victoria, there is a test case in Sydney at the time of writing, be warned, it is not worth the problems, nor is it good management. Ensure that all coaches are accredited.

EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS AND MATCHES

External matches and competitions are those other than the B.D.S.F.A. Competition and Round Robin, Roo Ball games, specially signified matches and all State Competitions.
IN ALL INSTANCES YOU WILL NEED THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE M.C. TO PARTICIPATE. IN ALL CASES, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARTICIPATING TEAM TO MAKE ITSELF AWARE OF ALL RULES AND CONDITIONS.

The BDSFA Inc Mangement Committee cannot stop anyone from playing soccer outside our boundaries, but should anyone be injured during a match not condoned by the M.C. the Players and Officials are not insured.

The BDSFA Inc M.C. will not allow Roo Ball "Competitions" or allow Club to enter such tournaments.

The Soccer NSW Ltd. hold two major competitions each season.

The State, Robertson and Amateur Cups are all held during the regular season. Matches are held on Sundays in May and June as follows.
Under 12, 14, 16, 18 and 21, Ladies and Men is straight knockout.

Entry to the Competition is open to all teams in those age groups of division one. To enter, you must fill out the form made available by the Association and return immediately to the Secretary. Player nomination is the same as Champion of Champions, see below.

The Champion of Champions are held post season and is a competition against all other NSW Association First Division Teams. It is a knock out competition with the 5th Round being the Final.

In most instances, the team winning First Division in all age groups (under 10's and up), other then All Age Men, (where the winning Premier Team will be nominated), will be nominated for Champions of Champions. It is the prerogative of the M.C. whether or not a team will represent the district in any competition and a precedent exists whereby the Team who was runner up in a division was nominated into this competition as the winner had created problems all season and was subsequently barred from entering.

A team nomination form will be given to the teams. These forms MUST be in the hands of the Soccer NSW Ltd. at least 7 days prior to the first match, after having been signed by the Association Secretary, so please be on the ball. LATE NOMINATION FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
18 players may be nominated, each player must have been a member of that team for at least 3 matches. Should you nominate less than 18 players and wish to add a player/s then you may do so be filling out three more team nomination forms and submitting them 7 days prior to the next match.

The results for all external matches MUST be telephoned to the Association Secretary BEFORE 5.00pm on the day of the match. The winning team retains the team sheets and posts it to the Soccer NSW Ltd . Large fines are imposed for neglect of Rules, all fines will be passed on to the participating Club.

All other matches, including pre-season, either at your ground or away, should have permission from the M.C. The main reason for this is simple, the Insurance Policy covers all players and officials during, and to and from, all official games and functions. If the Association is aware of where you are at any given time, then the match is classified as official.

FFA Rules state that all Roo Ball games MUST be non-competitive. When applying to hold or attend a Roo Ball function, Rules and Conditions of the tournament must be included.
Tournaments that include semi finals etc will not be endorsed.

From time to time, certain Clubs are disaffiliated from the major Parent Bodies. Under no circumstances are games to be played against such teams or Clubs. It will result in your Club being disaffiliated.

At a time set by the Association Competition Secretary, the season will commence. Those Clubs with other commitments, such as ground usage, or Federation teams, MUST inform the Association Competition Secretary immediately. Matches must be played as set down unless there are specific circumstances. Make all team managers aware of the Rules and Conditions of playing.

APRIL
The second General Meeting is held in April.

MAY

JUNE

The third General Meeting is held in June

JULY

The competition will usually finish in late July. At four weekly intervals throughout the competition you will have received a Competition Table from the Recorder. Should you find any incorrect score, then you should inform the Recorder immediately.

AUGUST

The Final Series is held throughout the Month of August. Preliminary Rounds will decide which teams progress to the Finals. Roo Ball players will play their last Round as a Gala day organised by the Association. There are no prizes for Roo Ball but the Association will present something to each player.

We are again back to September, so you can go back to the start and read again.

Soccer is a dynamic sport, as is its management, the above is meant only as a guide to soccer management, particularly to assist secretaries. Use it as you will.

Jack Taylor