Last
Edited: Jul 6 2011– This year’s changes highlighted in yellow
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CONSTITUTION
AND BY-LAWS
FOR THE
SOUTHERN MAINE YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Provide an instructional
youth football league to encourage and nourish the physical and mental growth
of young athletes by offering an organized tackle football program with the
sole purpose of instruction and fun. This organization is a non-profit organization.
NAME
The name of this
organization shall be the Southern Maine Youth Football League (herein after
referred to as SMYFL).
MEMBERSHIP IN THE SMYFL
Membership
in the SMYFL is granted in one of two forms:
APPLYING
FOR MEMBERSHIP
An organization may apply
for membership to the SMYFL by submitting a written request to the Board of
directors of the SMYFL for entrance into the league. The Board of Directors
shall review the application based upon, yet not limited to: Geographic
location, population of the region encompassed by the organization, projected
number of players for the organization, and current league membership as
pertaining to the number of teams and schedule length. Upon consideration
and tentative acceptance of the application, a general meeting of the voting
representatives of the current members of the SMYFL shall meet with a
representative of the applying organization to further discuss league policy
and any points of concern relating to the organization's application.
To be admitted with Full
Membership to the SMYFL, a vote of the representatives of all Full Membership
organizations shall be held. An affirmative vote of not less than eighty
percent (80%) of all organizations with current Full Membership status must be
obtained for admittance. Upon admittance, the applying organization shall
immediately be granted the full voting rights and privileges of a member
organization.
The SMYFL may grant a one
year only Probationary Membership to any applying organization by an
affirmative vote of not less than eighty percent (80%) of all organizations
with current Full Membership status. An organization with Probationary
Membership status may apply in writing to the President of the SMYFL for Full
Membership at the conclusion of their probationary year, but before the Annual
Meeting, for consideration by the SMYFL.
Organizations with
Probationary Membership status are allowed to participate in discussions
regarding applications for Full Membership from Probationary Membership
organizations, but are not allowed to vote.
LOSS
OF MEMBERSHIP STATUS
An organization may lose
their Full Membership status, or may even have their membership terminated, for
failure to abide by the bylaws set forth here by the SMYFL. Membership in
the SMYFL is a privilege granted by the member organizations of the SMYFL, and
may be refused or rescinded by the general voting members of the SMYFL as
provided here in the bylaws. All organizations and members of the
organizations belonging to the SMYFL must abide by all rules and regulations
set forth by these bylaws and the Board of Directors of the SMYFL.
Organizations not abiding by the rules will be subject to any and all
disciplinary measures deemed necessary by the Board of Directors of the SMYFL,
up to and including removal from the SMYFL.
Loss of membership status,
or reduction in status to Probationary status, may be considered by the SMYFL
under any of the following conditions.
The SMYFL may also modify an
organization’s membership status under other circumstances not specified above
as deemed necessary by the SMYFL.
An organization’s membership
status may be reduced to Probationary Membership by a majority vote of all
member organizations of the SMYFL.
An organization may have
their membership in the SMYFL terminated by an affirmative vote of not less than
eighty percent (80%) of all member organizations of the SMYFL, excluding the
organization upon which membership is being voted. Any organization whose
membership is terminated by the SMYFL shall immediately lose all voting rights
and privileges, and shall not be considered a member of the SMYFL during the
next year. A team whose membership was terminated during a previous year
may re-apply for membership during the following calendar year.
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors of
the SMYFL shall consist of one representative from each registered organization
belonging to the SMYFL. From these members, there shall be elected four
officers consisting of a President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.
The Board of Directors is
charged with the following general duties:
The officers of the Board of
Directors are charged with the following specific duties:
·
President:
The President shall preside at all meetings and shall be an official member of
all committees although he is not obligated to attend all committee functions.
·
Vice President:
The Vice President shall conduct the president's duties in the absence of the
president. The Vice President will also act as the liaison with the
scheduling of officials, assist in schedule development, and collecting the
scores of games each week. The Vice President will act as
the liaison with new teams interested in joining SMYFL.
·
Treasurer:
The Treasurer shall receive, hold and pay out all monies as directed by the
Board of Directors and shall act as custodian of all financial records of the
SMYFL organization. The Treasurer shall offer an informal report of the
financial condition of the SMYFL organization at each general meeting and will
present a formal financial report at the Annual meeting for the past year.
·
Secretary:
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all SMYFL General and Board of Director
meetings, conduct all SMYFL organizational
correspondence and will preserve all records and communications. At each
General meeting, the Secretary will present a report of the minutes from the
previous meeting at which time the voting members shall accept or reject the minutes
as written and presented.
Each year, a Pee Wee
Committee Chairperson will be appointed by the Board of Directors. The committee chairperson need not be on the
SMYFL Board of Directors. This position
is not an officer of the SMYFL Board of Directors.
The Pee Wee Committee
Chairperson will meet with head coaches and/or representatives of the SMYFL Pee
Wee teams to discuss the SMYFL bylaws as they pertain to the Pee Wee
teams. The Pee Wee Committee chairperson
will bring any recommendations that the committee feels are necessary to
support the Pee Wee teams of SMYFL to the next general SMYFL Board of Directors
meeting. The full SMYFL Board of
Directors shall review these recommendations and propose official
amendments/additions to the bylaws based on these recommendations.
ELIGIBILITY
FOR BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Any voting member of any
SMYFL registered organization is eligible to become a representative for that
registered organization, to speak and vote on their behalf. Selection of the
representative is done solely by each registered organization.
Each registered organization
will be represented by one (l) member on the Board of Directors. This
representative must be a voting member of that registered organization at all
times.
A member of the Board of
Directors may hold only one office
ELECTIONS
The Officers of the Board of
Directors for the SMYFL shall be elected at the annual meeting and will remain
in office until the next Annual meeting. All offices are mandatory one year
terms. With the exception of the offices of Secretary and Treasurer, no registered
organization representative may hold the same office as the previous member of
that same registered organization held during the previous term.
Election to an officer
position in the SMYFL is for the actual person who is the official representative
of a member organization. If the person who was elected to an office
becomes no longer affiliated with the organization they were representing in
the SMYFL, the officer position becomes vacant, and is filled as described
below.
Nominations and election of
new officers for the next organizational year will be held at the Annual
meeting of the SMYFL each year. Elected officers will begin their term
of office on the first day of the new organizational year. The President will begin his/her term of office during the Annual
Meeting, after the Treasurer’s Annual Report and other unfinished business have
been presented. The new President will
preside over election of new officers. Newly
elected officers will begin their term of office immediately upon election to
their position.
Elections will consist of
electing a Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Board member
elected to the Vice President position agrees by accepting the nomination for
Vice-President that he/she agrees to become the President of the SMYFL in the
following term. The President position will be filled by the person who held
the Vice President position during the just completed term.
In the event that the member
holding the Vice President position does not or can not assume the office of
President in the year following the Vice Presidency, a President will be
selected by election from the board members of all organizations with Full
Membership. The organization whose representative holds the position of president
at the time of the election is not eligible to have their voting member elected
as president for a consecutive term.
If an officer of the SMYFL
resigns, becomes ineligible, or is unable to fulfill the duties of the office,
the vacancy will be announced at the next General meeting. Nominations
will be accepted and voted on at the following general meeting.
In the event that the
vacated office is that of President, if the date set as the first allowed team
practice date has been reached, then the Vice President will perform all the
functions of the President, but remain as Vice President for the year, and
thereby become President in the following year as planned. If the date
set as the first allowed team practice date has not yet been reached, the Vice
President shall become the President for the current year, and a new Vice
President shall be elected as described above. A person holding or
performing the office of President for more than three hundred sixty-five days
as described in this paragraph may not be elected to the position of Vice
President in the year following the year that they serve the office of
president.
GOVERNMENT
The government and direction
of this league and the control of its property and monies shall be vested in
the Board of Directors. It is the intent of this league to allow all members of
registered organizations to voice their opinions, as the SMYFL is established
to provide the service of a league to participating organizations and to meet
their needs. The foregoing will not apply to Board of Director meetings at
which only Board members are to be in attendance, unless called upon by the
President. All voting rights are restricted solely to the Board of Directors.
LEAGUE FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES
Fees and funding of the
SMYFL shall be collected as described below:
Expenditures and use of
SMYFL monies shall be handled in this manner:
All funds received by the
SMYFL organization must be turned over to the Treasurer as soon as is
reasonably possible.
No officer or voting member
of the SMYFL Board of Directors will be allowed to disburse or promise funds
without prior approval of the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer is authorized
to establish and maintain a checking account in the name of the Southern Maine
Youth Football League with any public banking institution voted by majority of
member organizations to be acceptable.
The President, Treasurer and
Secretary are authorized to sign the checks for the SMYFL account. The
signature of the President or the Treasurer must be on all checks exceeding
five hundred dollars ($500.)
MEETINGS
The organizational year will be from January First (1/1) to
December thirty-first (12/31).
The Annual Meeting of the SMYFL will be held during the month of January
at a place and time to be set a minimum of one(1)
month prior to the date chosen.
Bylaw amendments may be
presented and voted upon at the Annual Meeting and the General Meeting in June.
The head coaches of each participating Pee Wee team will be will
meet for an annual preseason meeting during the month of August prior to the
jamboree.
A general meeting of the SMYFL teams that have a Pee Wee program
will be held to discuss bylaw changes that affect the Pee Wee teams for the
upcoming season. This meeting shall be
chaired by the Pee Wee Committee Chairperson as described in Article III.
General meetings of the SMYFL will be held at least quarterly at a
place and time to be set a minimum of one(1) month
prior to the dates chosen.
Special meetings may be
called by the President of the Board of Directors as the need arises.
All meetings of the SMYFL
organization shall be governed by Parliamentary Law as set forth in Robert's
Rules of Order Revised.
A second general meeting
missed during the course of an organizational year without contact and approval
from the President shall result in a one hundred dollar ($100) fine levied
against the missing organization.
Participation* in the SMYFL
regular meetings will be open to the pubic unless an executive (closed) session
is called by the President.
*Participation as used here does not extend
to voting privileges. See Article IV for voting rights
PRACTICE
Organizations may host a
preseason conditioning and training camp during the month of June. The camp may include up to 7 days of sessions,
consecutive or non-consecutive days, with each date/session not to exceed 2
hours in total. No pads or helmets may
be worn during any sessions. Sessions
will have no contact. Footballs may be
used at these sessions.
Pee Wee preseason football practices
may begin no earlier than the Monday that is two weeks prior to Labor Day.
Junior High preseason
football practice may begin no earlier than the Sunday before the first day of
August, unless otherwise changed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Preseason football practice
is allowed for purposes of conditioning.
No pads other than
helmets may be worn during preseason sessions. Preseason practices will have no
contact. Footballs may be used at these
practices.
Football practice using
footballs and football equipment may begin one week after the first allowed day
of preseason practice.
Football practice means the
organized instruction of youths eligible to play football in the SMYFL during
the upcoming season by the coaches of, or any person affiliated with, an
organization which is a member of the SMYFL. This does not preclude football
clinics being offered publicly for football instruction.
SMYFL coaches may not coach
their teams in an organized setting (such as a summer camp) prior to the first
official day of the season. SMYFL coaches may participate as instructors
at an organized football camp that is open to the public for participation, but
they may not separate players according to school’s attended, geographic
location, or other method which would create a situation where the SMYFL coach
would be coaching players that will play for him/her as a team.
Acceptable instruction would be conditioning drills, position/skill drills,
etc. Coaches may not coach a group of players that will participate
together for a single organization during the current SMYFL season.
Pee Wee teams may have a
maximum of five(5) days of practice a week prior to
the start of school. Once school is in
session, a maximum of three(3) practices a week may be
held at the head coach’s discretion. No
double session practices are allowed. Practices
are limited to a two hour maximum length.
TEAM
SCHEDULES
Game schedules for both
Junior High and Pee Wee will be established by the SMYFL Board of Directors
Any date(s) on which a team
is not scheduled to play in the SMYFL may be filled by that team at their
discretion, as long as it does not interfere with the SMYFL schedule.
Results of any non-SMYFL scheduled games will not be accounted for in the final
standings of the SMYFL.
Any changes to the
established schedule in regards to date, time, or location of any game must be
agreed upon by both teams involved no later than ninety-six (96) hours prior to
the desired rescheduled date or time (or ninety-six (96) hours prior to the
original time, whichever would occur first). It is the home team's head coach
who is responsible for notifying the SMYFL President, the head coach of the
opposing team, and the Head Official within the same time frame listed above.
Rescheduling due to events
of nature or man-made disasters shall be done as is possible with regards to
the safety and well being of all participants.
Junior
High - Game time for all regular season games played on Sunday shall
be 1p.m. varsity ‘A’
games to be played first and junior varsity ‘B’ games played after the completion of
varsity ‘A’ game for Sunday dates. All Saturday evening games shall start
at 6:00 PM. Evening games will have the junior varsity ‘B’ game played first,
unless agreed upon by both team’s head coaches at least ninety-six(96) hours
prior to the game start time, with the varsity ‘A’ game played immediately following the
completion of the junior varsity ‘B’ game.
Pee Wee - Game time for all
regular season games played on Sunday shall be 1p.m. All Saturday evening games shall start at
6:00p.m. The ‘B’ game shall always be played first, immediately followed
by the ‘A’ game unless agreed upon by both team’s head coaches at least
ninety-six(96) hours prior to the game start time.
If a change in the time or
date of game is desired after the schedule has been established, it shall be
the obligation of the home team to notify the head coach of the visiting team,
the Head Official, and the President of the SMYFL Board of Directors at least
ninety-six(96) hours before the desired meeting change
or the originally scheduled meeting (whichever would occur first).
Changes in game time or date
due to weather conditions or school officials should be announced as soon as
possible to the above mentioned parties.
If a team only has enough players to field one team, the ‘A’ game must
be played first. This applies to Junior
High and Pee Wee levels.
PLAYERS
A player must live in or
attend the school district/town/city served by the registered organization for
which he participates as defined in the Sphere of Influence section of these
bylaws. To change the area serviced by a member organization, a majority vote
must be authorized by the Board of Directors.
At the Pee Wee level only, children living in nearby towns that do not
have a football program available to them may participate on the nearest SMYFL Pee
Wee team to them as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements.
Pee
Wee players shall be in a grade below 7th grade, and be at least to nine(9)
years of age before November 22nd, and cannot be thirteen(13) before
the first practice (conditioning or equipment) allowed by SMYFL.
Jr. High players shall be
less than a freshman (grade 9) in school and not have reached his/her 15th
birthday before the first practice (conditioning or equipment) allowed by
SMYFL.
Valid proof of birth date
must be submitted by each player before that player is allowed to play. A
copy of a notarized Birth Certificate or other legally accepted proof of the
player's date of birth is acceptable.
A player may not participate
on a SMYFL team if that player is also participating in any other contact
football program.
PEE WEE WEIGHT LIMITS
For Pee Wee football, the
following weight limits shall be enforced:
|
“A”
Team: 0 - 115 “B”
Team: 0 - 105 |
May handle the ball in the offensive backfield and end
positions. They may also return
kick-offs, punts and pass interceptions.
Offensive Ends may weigh over this limit, but will be limited to
blocking duties only. |
|
“A”
Team: 115.1 - 130 “B”
Team: 105.1 - 130 |
|
|
“A”
Team: 130.1 and above “B”
Team: 130.1 - 150 |
Stripes must be placed on
player helmets to indicate the weight group that the player is subject to in
the game that they play in. If a player
plays both “A” and “B” games, they must be striped appropriately in each game.
|
“A” Team: 115 lbs. or less “B” Team: 105 lbs. or less |
No stripe |
|
“A” Team: 115.1 – 130 “B” Team: 105.1 – 130 |
One (1) stripe |
|
130.1 - 150 |
Two (2) stripes |
|
150.1 and
above |
Three (3) stripes |
Players that weigh between 150.1 to 160 pounds 150.1 pounds and above are
limited to playing on the “A” team only, regardless of age or grade.
PEE WEE WEIGH-INS
Players may weigh-in from
the beginning of the league approved practice date, up through the day of the
Jamboree. Any player weighing in prior
to the Jamboree must have their weight witnessed by one opposing coach. All pre-jamboree weights are measured without
equipment or shoes. Once a player weighs
in and the weight is witnessed and recorded by an opposing team’s coach, this
will be the player’s official weight for the season. SMYFL encourages weigh-ins to be held on the
day of the Jamboree.
Any player unable to make
the top-most weight limit by the jamboree may weigh-in at each successive game
to attempt to make the top weight bracket.
Players already in a weight bracket may not weigh-in again at a later
time to make a lower weight class.
Before each Pee Wee game,
weigh-ins will be conducted to determine each player’s current weight. Each player will initially be assigned to
their Jamboree weigh-in weight. One
coach or representative from each competing team will conduct weigh-ins of the
opposing team’s players. The coach/representative
doing the weigh-ins may “waive” the weigh-in for any players for the opposing
team that they wish. Those “waived”
players shall be considered to be at the same weight as their official Jamboree
weigh-in.
Players will be weighed in
full gear, except for helmet and shoes, and are granted a five(5)
pound allowance to account for the weight of the gear. Players also have the option of removing all gear to be weighed, but will
not be given the five(5) pound allowance. If the weight of a player exceeds their
Jamboree weight, the new weight will be considered that player’s official
weight for the remainder of the day.
Players with a heavier weight than their Jamboree weight shall be
considered to be in the weight bracket that their new weight falls within. The player’s helmet must then be striped
according to their new weight bracket.
Players exceeding the maximum weight limit of the league shall be
ineligible to play that day.
Players arriving late to a
game that miss weigh-ins prior to a game beginning must be either weighed or
waived through before they may enter any game that day. Game play will not be delayed or stopped for
weighing in players.
Players weighing less than
their Jamboree weight will retain their Jamboree weight as their official
weight. No player may ever drop to a
lower weight bracket from their official Jamboree weight bracket.
ROSTERS
An organization's player
roster shall consist of the following information about every player: full
name, age, date of birth, jersey number, and school system the player attends. Pee
Wee rosters must in addition include the weight of each player. If the school system attended is the same for
all players on the roster, then an indication of that fact may be made on the
roster rather than specifying the same school for each.
Pee Wee rosters must be
signed on the line immediately below the last listed player by both coaches
performing weigh-ins. No blank line(s)
may be left on the player roster form above the coaches’ signatures.
Organizations must submit a
complete roster of Jr. High players to the SMYFL before the first regular
season game. The SMYFL must be informed of all addition(s) or correction(s) to
the submitted roster (which occur any time after submission of the complete roster)
within one (l) week of the addition(s) or correction(s). Failure to
comply with the submission deadline shall result in a one hundred dollar ($100)
fine levied against the non-compliant organization.
Pee Wee rosters are due
before the start of the annual Jamboree.
Submission of rosters shall
be made either in paper form submitted to the President of the SMYFL, or in a
league approved electronic format, such as email, made available to all
teams. In either form, it is the responsibility of the representative of
each organization to verify that their organization’s submitted roster was
successfully received by the SMYFL.
Any Pee Wee meeting the
eligibility requirements for playing Pee Wee football that participates with a
Jr. High team and is listed on that Jr. High team’s first official game roster
will not be allowed to return/participate at the Pee Wee level during that
year. Any player otherwise eligible to
play Pee Wee football may return to their organization’s Pee Wee team prior to
the first game.
Each Pee Wee team may
consist of up to a maximum of sixty-five(65)
players. Once a team or organization
reaches more than sixty-five(65) players, they must
divide the players into two(2) balanced teams.
PLAYER ADDITIONS
Players may be added to a
team’s roster according to local rules and the rules of eligibility as
specified in these bylaws. The head
coach of a team is responsible for submitting roster updates to the SMYFL
president at the earliest possible time.
For Pee Wee player
additions, the next week’s opposing coach must be notified before the game, and
the player must be weighed to determine the weight category for that
player. The weight category must be
agreed upon by both teams’ coaches prior to participating in the SMYFL game. The official weight shall be recorded on the teams official roster, and the player’s parents and the
team’s head coach must both sign and date the roster below the player’s
information to attest that all information provided is true.
SPHERE
OF INFLUENCE
Each organization’s “sphere
of influence” defines which potential athletes an organization is able to draw
from in creating an official team roster. Any athlete that falls within a
team’s sphere of influence, and meets all other eligibility requirements may be
listed on a team’s official roster and participate as a member of that
organization within SMYFL activities. The sphere of influence for each
organization is strictly defined, and no exceptions to the rules are allowed at
the Jr. High level. See Addendum
A of these bylaws for a detailed description of each organization’s
sphere of influence.
For Pee Wee level only, a
player from outside the Sphere of Influence of any team in SMYFL may
participate with the nearest organization if there is no other football program
available to that youth, and the youth meets all other eligibility requirements
for the league. Once reaching Junior
High age, that player would become ineligible to participate in SMYFL if the
player is not within a team’s sphere of influence.
PLAYER/COACH EJECTIONS
If a player is ejected from a SMYFL scrimmage or SMYFL scheduled
game, the player must immediately leave the playing field and remove their
upper body pads and helmet. The player
may not participate in any warm-ups or games for the remainder of that event’s
games.
An ejected player is also suspended from participating in the team’s
next SMYFL scheduled game day, both A & B games. The suspended player may participate in the
week’s practices at the coaches’ discretion.
The player may attend the game from which he/she is suspended, but may
not be dressed in any pads.
If a coach is ejected from a game, the coach must immediately
leave the playing field and spectator area.
The coach is not allowed to participate in any further games, warm-ups,
instruction or communication with players or coaches for the remainder of that
event’s games.
An ejected coach is also suspended from participating in the
team’s next SMYFL scheduled game day, both A & B games. The suspended coach is not allowed to attend
the game, even as a spectator. The
ejected coach may participate in the week’s practice at the discretion of
his/her organization’s leadership during the suspension.
If an ejected/suspended player participates in a game while
subject to the ejection/suspension penalty, the head coach of that player’s
organization will be immediately ejected from the game, and is subject to the
rules of ejection for coaches for future games.
The team will also immediately forfeit the game, regardless of the
outcome or current state of the game. A
letter will be written by the SMYFL president to the board of directors of the player’s
organization notifying them of the new infraction and the penalties assessed.
If an ejected/suspended coach participates in a game while subject
to the ejection/suspension penalty, the head coach of that player’s
organization will be immediately ejected from the game, and is subject to the
rules of ejection for coaches for future games.
The team will also immediately forfeit the game, regardless of the
outcome or current state of the game. A
letter will be written by the SMYFL president to the board of directors of the
coach’s organization notifying them of the new infraction and the penalties
assessed.
In the event that a player or coach is ejected from a game, the
head referee officiating over that game or the officials’ Head Assigner must
notify the President of SMYFL of the ejection within 48 hours of the
ejection. The home team head coach must
also notify the President of SMYFL of the ejection within 48 hours of the
ejection. The President of SMYFL will
then notify the head coach of the team whom the ejected player/coach’s team
will be competing against in the next scheduled SMYFL games. No public announcement will be made regarding
any ejection (to protect the privacy of individuals), though any direct inquiry
made to the President of SMYFL by a SMYFL Board of Director member regarding
ejection of player/coach will be answered in full.
If more than one ejection or suspension of a player or coach is
levied against an individual during the course of a season, that player, coach,
or organization may be subject to additional penalties levied by the SMYFL
voting membership. Additional penalties
could include, but are not limited to, forfeiture of playoff berth, monetary
penalties, or suspension/removal from SMYFL.
ELIGIBILITY
INFRACTIONS
Any suspected violations of
the eligibility rules may be brought before the board or Directors and dealt
with under the Rules of Protest. In the event of a question arising on
the eligibility of a player, a copy of a birth certificate or other government
issued form of verification of the date of birth for that player must be
presented within forty-eight(48) hours to the President* of the SMYFL, but
preferably immediately, to clarify eligibility. If the eligibility
question revolves around the Sphere of Influence, reasonable proof of meeting
the Sphere of Influence requirements must be provided to the President* of the
SMYFL within forty-eight(48) hours. Failure to produce such proof within
the prescribed timeframe will result in the player being barred from
participation in any further practices or games until such documentation is
provided.
* If the player whose eligibility is in
question is on the roster of the team that the President of the SMYFL is
affiliated with, then the proof of eligibility shall be directed to the Vice
President of the SMYFL
In the event that an
infraction of player eligibility is determined to have occurred, all games that
occurred to date that the player was on the roster for are forfeited by the
team, and the organization may be reduced to Probationary Membership status for
the infraction. Further disciplinary actions may be taken at the
determination of the SMYFL voting membership.
GAME
EQUIPMENT
A minimum of one (1) set of legal chains and down marker must be
provided by the home team. The chain
crew must consist of persons 15 years of age or older.
For Pee Wee games, the home team is responsible for having at
least one calibrated scale to conduct official player weigh-ins.
A minimum of two (2)
footballs of game quality will be available at each game, provided by the home
team. Any team desiring to use a ball other than that supplied by the home team
must supply their own as described previously. The official agreed upon
ball size for Junior High shall be the size of a
Kicking tees are the
responsibility of each separate team.
The home team must supply a
regulation sized playing field, with all appropriate lining and markers as
specified in the rulebook adopted by the SMYFL.
The home team is responsible for creating a separation between all
spectators and the each team’s player box.
The area from the 20 yard line to the 20 yard line and extending at
least 20 feet back from the sidelines must be sectioned off to restrict
spectators from entering the team area.
This may be accomplished by roping off the area or somehow clearly
marking off the area. Fields with a
permanent fence may use that fence as the separation, requiring spectators to
remain behind the fence. If bleachers fall within the cordoned off area,
spectators are allowed to utilize the bleachers.
The home team must ensure
that there is a means of keeping time at the field prior to game time. If
there is not a field game clock present at the field where the game is being
played, the home team must notify the Head Official for the game that there is
no field game clock available before the date of the scheduled game.
All playoff and championship
games must have a functioning field clock plainly visible to both teams on/at
the field at the start of the game. If a functional field clock is not
available, the visiting team has the option of refusing to play until such time
as the field clock is made functional, a working field clock is made available,
or an alternate playing field with a functional clock is used. Any
officials’ fees due to field clock issues are the responsibility of the home
team.
GAME JERSEYS
While it is preferred that each team have both a light and dark colored
jersey, a team that is unable to provide both must wear a colored jersey that
is not white. If both competing teams
each only have a single jersey, and both team’s jerseys have the same base color
making up the majority of the shirt, the visiting team must wear pinnies which
will cover the majority of their jerseys’ primary color, and differentiate the
two teams’ players.
GAME OFFICIALS and PERSONNEL
The
following shall govern the management of the game officials:
The following shall govern
game personnel other than game officials:
GAME
RULES
Games will be played under
Federation Rules. The home team will provide a current rule book at each game.
All Pee Wee game times, both
A and B games shall consist of four(4) eight(8) minute
quarters with regulation stop clock.
Junior
High varsity ‘A’
games shall consist of four(4) ten(10) minute
regulation quarters for all games. Junior
Varsity ‘B’ games
shall consist of four(4) eight(8) minute regulation
quarters. Pee Wee games shall consist of
four(4) eight(8) minute regulation quarters for both
the ‘A’ and ‘B’ games,
with regulation stop clock.
OVERTIME
All Junior High varsity
‘A’ games that at
the end of regulation play have a tie score shall be
resolved in accordance with Federation Rules. JV ‘B’ games shall end in a
tie at the end of regulation play, with no overtime, as their record is not
used in determining playoff seating.
During Pee Wee games, if the
score is tied at the end of regulation, there will be no overtime played, ‘A’
or ‘B’.
RESOLVING TIED GAMES
An overtime period is
untimed play after a regulation game has ended with the score tied. During an overtime period each team has an
opportunity for an offensive series of downs.
However, an overtime period may include only one offensive series of
downs if the defensive team scores a safety or touchdown.
After a 3-minute
intermission following the end of regular timed play, a coin toss will be held
at the middle of the field. The visiting
team shall pick “heads” or “tails”. The
winner of the toss shall have shall be given their choice of defense or offense
first, or of designating which end of the field to play at. The loser will have their choice of the
remaining options.
Each Team will be permitted
one time out during each overtime period.
Timeouts remaining from regulation play due not carry over into overtime
play.
The team scoring the greater
number of points in the overtime shall be declared the winner. The final score shall be determined by
totaling all points scored by each team during both regulation time and all
overtime periods.
To start each
overtime, the offensive team shall put the ball in play, first and goal,
on the defensive team’s 10-yard line or succeeding spot if a carry-over penalty
has been administered. The ball may be
placed anywhere between the inbounds lines.
The first offensive shall have a series of four downs. That series shall be
terminated by any score by the offensive team, or if the defensive team has
possession of the ball.
If the team on offense
scores a touchdown, that team Is entitled to the
opportunity for a try unless the points would not affect the outcome of the
game or playoff qualifying.
A field-goal attempt is permitted
during any down.
If the defensive team gains
possession, the ball becomes dead immediately and the offensive team’s series
of downs is ended.
After the first team on
offense has completed the series of downs, the first team on defense will become
the offensive team with the ball in its possession at the same 10-yard line
anywhere between the inbounds lines. The
same end of the field will be used for possessions by both teams during the two
sets of downs to ensure equal game conditions and conserve time.
If the score remains tied
after each team has been given one series of downs in an overtime period, then
the procedure shall be repeated with other overtime periods until a game winner
is determined. In this case, there shall
be an intermission of two minutes. At
the subsequent meeting of team captains, the loser of the overtime coin toss
will be given first choice of the options.
If additional overtime periods are required, then the first choice of
options will be alternated with no coin toss.
If a safety is scored by the
offensive team, the succeeding spot will be the 10-yard line in possession of
the team that was on defense, provided the defensive team has not had its
series of downs (the temporary overtime score is: Team A-2, Team B-0).
When the defensive team
gains possession of the ball, the down and series immediately end for the
offensive team.
The offensive team shall be
awarded a new series of downs when any one of the following occurs:
The line to gain is always
the goal line.
If the defensive team scores
a safety or touchdown, the game is ended.
No point-after-touchdown try
will be attempted if the winner of the game has been determined.
PEE WEE SPECIFIC GAME RULES
All
players on kick-off or kick receiving teams will be a maximum of 130 lbs. A one(1) stripe
player may kick-off.
No
defensive blitzing. All Defensive
backers will line-up a minimum of three(3) yards off
the line of scrimmage. They will not
move toward the line of scrimmage until the snap of the ball. Player will be warned the first time – second
offense will result in a five(5) yard penalty.
A
maximum five(5) man defensive line is permitted
outside the 20-yard line. The only allowed defensive
formations are 3-5, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, and an 8-man line. The 5-2, 5-3 or 5-4 (5 man line, 1 nose
guard, 2 tackles, 2 ends) and
3-5 (1 nose guard, 2 tackles, all head-up) formation may be used at
anytime.
Inside the 20-yard line, a maximum of an 8-man line is
permitted. Linebackers may line-up
anywhere as long as they are three(3) yards off the
line of scrimmage. Defensive tackles
must line head-up on the second man out from the offensive center on each side.
Offense
is allowed to have a man in motion.
Offense is not limited to one handoff during the course of a down.
The
defense may rush the punter with only the five (5) down linemen. Defensive ends must be in down position to
rush the punter. Down lineman may be two
(2) stripes on punt and punt receiving teams, except for offensive ends. In “B” games only, defensive players may not rush the punter. Kicking team may not fake the punt. The ball will not be advanced in place of a punt.
ETHICS
No organization may in any
way perform utilize, or participate in the electronic or photographic
surveillance of a game, scrimmage, or practice in which that organization is
not pal1icipating. Surveillance includes videotaping, tape recording,
monitoring of communication between coaches of any participating team other
than your own team, photographing, aerial viewing, and satellite
reconnaissance.
Electronic communication
amongst coaches of a team during a game is permissible only when both teams
have equal opportunity for the use of such facilities. For example, if one team
wishes to use walkie-talkies to communicate from a higher vantage point to a
coach on the sidelines, this is allowed only if both teams have the equipment
available to them at the playing field. If one team elects not to use the
available equipment, the other team may still use the equipment.
GENTLEMEN'S
RULE
Common
courtesy dictates that when one team attains a commanding lead (twenty-four(24)
or more points at Junior High level, eighteen(18) points or more at Pee Wee
level), the leading team will take measures to even the level of play of the
two teams, with substitution of different players freely exhibited.
Disciplinary action may be taken by the Board of Directors against any team not
following this ideal.
These
measures do not mean a team must allow the other team to score, rather players
who normally get less playing time, or even Junior Varsity ‘B’ players playing in Varsity
‘A’ games, should be used. The goal of this rule is to not humiliate or
demoralize participants into disliking football.
The 24-point rule does not apply during
Junior High playoffs.
INSUFFICIENT PLAYERS FOR TWO SQUADS
In the event that a team has only
enough players to legally field one squad, the head coach of the team with
insufficient players must notify the head coach of the opposing team, and the
president of SMYFL, a minimum of two weeks in advance to allow the opposing
team as much time as possible to try to make other arrangements for playing
time for their players.
VISITING TEAM CONDUCT
Visiting teams and visiting spectators may not sell food at another
team’s fields without written permission from the President of the organization
hosting the game(s) at their field.
Visiting teams and visiting spectators may not solicit fundraisers at
another team’s field without written permission from the President of the
organization hosting the game(s) at their field.
PENALTIES
Violations of rules
regarding rescheduling of games will be handled in the following manner:
3.
If the game was scheduled as an away game for the team in violation, that team
will be assessed a fine of three hundred ($300) dollars to compensate for the
home teams' loss of revenue (gate and concession). Fine is to be paid to
the home team before the end of the regular season.
JV ‘B’ TEAMS and GAMES
JV ‘B’ team rosters are to
be made up of players that had/will have little playing time in the Varsity
‘A’ game and that
did not/will not start in any position during the varsity ‘A’ game between the two
teams.
JV ‘B’ teams are to consist
of all players that do not start or play more than two(2) quarters of the Varsity
‘A’ game or, if
there are not enough players to field a JV ‘B’ team, then the use of varsity ‘A’ players in different
positions than they started during the Varsity ‘A’ game is allowed. If an eighth grade
player starts or plays a significant amount of time in the varsity ‘A’ game on offense or
defense, he/she may not play in the Junior Varsity ‘B’ game.
The above rules are
incorporated to have as many players play as possible, and to train players for
future Varsity ‘A’
team positions; not for Win/Loss records.
JV ‘B’ games will be played
each week by teams that are scheduled.
JV ‘B’ games shall be eight(8) minute regulation quarters.
During Pee Wee ‘B’ games, a
maximum of two coaches are allowed on the field to aid in coaching.
During Junior High JV
‘B’ games, one
coach from each team will be allowed on the field.
If a team elects to have a coach
on the field as described above, that coach is considered part of the field,
and should remain in the same position he/she was in at the snap of the ball
for the remainder of the play. Note: Coaches should try to select a spot that
is not likely to interfere with normal play. If one team elects to not have a
coach on the field, the other team may still choose to have their coach on the
field if they desire.
At the Pee Wee level, all
players will play. There will be no
cutting of players, except for not meeting eligibility requirements. Disciplinary reasons are allowable grounds
for cutting players, and are enforced at the head coach’s discretion.
GAME PROTESTS
Protests will be presented
in writing to the President of the SMYFL within forty-eight (48) hours of the
occurrence of the incident in protest. The President will then review the
nature and wording of the protest before presenting it to the SMYFL Board of
Directors for consideration.
If the team from which the
President is a representative is involved with the incident in protest, the
Vice President will be presented the written protest in place of the
President. If both the President’s and Vice President’s teams are
involved, the Secretary shall be presented the written protest. The
person to whom the protest is submitted shall preside over any consequent
hearing on the protest.
In the event that a question
arises as to a team’s failure to abide by the rules of the SMYFL, in which the
team in question must supply hard copy material to prove its compliance, the
team questioning the other team’s action must supply a formal complaint
registered with the person fitting the constraints detailed in the previous
paragraph. The team in question will have a maximum of forty-eight (48)
hours to provide proof of their compliance before the Board of Directors of the
SMYFL may act on the complaint in the manner described herein.
Protests will be decided upon
by the SMYFL Board of Directors, with the decision being made by member
organizations not representing teams directly involved in the protest.
The SMYFL Board of Directors
is empowered to seek outside sources of information regarding any and all protests.
In the event that the SMYFL
Board of Directors finds a protest valid, the Board of Directors will decide
what resulting actions will be taken. All actions prescribed are to be fair and
just according to the severity of the infraction. Decisions by the SMYFL Board
of Directors are final.
PLAYOFFS
There will be no playoffs
for Pee Wee level football.
Junior High teams will be
seated at the end of the regular season based on the HEAL point system. Each
team yearly will be assigned a base ranking of A, B, C, or D for use with the
HEAL point system based on a determination of the voting membership of the
SMYFL. These base rankings shall be based upon, but not limited to, the
number of potential players available within each teams’ sphere of
influence. A general guideline to be used shall be the High School
“class” rankings for the school(s) from which the member organization draws.
In the event of a tie
in the seating process, the following tie breakers apply in order
1. Head-to-Head - Win/Loss
record among the tied teams
2. Total number of wins by
opponents
3. Flip a coin
SINGLE
DIVISION
In years where SMYFL has all teams participating in a single division,
the following rules shall govern playoffs.
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
The top eight(8)
seated teams based on the HEAL point system at the end of regular season play
are eligible for championship
bracket competition. In the event
that a team cannot compete in post-season play, all teams below that team's
seating are advanced one(l) seat until eight(8) teams fill the championship bracket.
The #1 seated team will play the #8 seated team at the # 1 seated team's
field of choice. The #2 seated team will play
the #7 seated team at the #2 seated team's field of choice, and so on.
Field of choice means any regulation field selected for use by the higher
seated team and authorized by the organization in control of that field.
Unless mutually agreed upon
by both opposing teams, post-season games shall be started no earlier than 12
noon on the first Sunday following the end of the regular season.
The teams hosting the games
at their fields shall keep the gate and concession money, and will pay for the four(4) officials at their respective playoff game.
NON CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKETS
Three(3)
additional post-season brackets shall be established in which the remaining
twelve(12) teams not in the championship
bracket will participate – Silver, Bronze, and Iron brackets. Each bracket will have four(4)
teams assigned based on the HEAL point seating:
In the first week of
post-season play for each bracket, the highest seated team will host the fourth
seated team in the bracket, and the second next highest seated team in the
bracket would host the third seated team in the bracket.
In the second week of
post-season play for each bracket, the two winning teams from the first week of
post-season games play each other at the higher seated team’s field, and the
two losing teams from the first week of post-season games play each other at
the higher seated team’s field.
The teams hosting the games
at their fields shall keep the gate and concession money, and will pay for the game
officials at their game.
TWO
DIVISIONS
In years where SMYFL has divided the league into two divisions, the
following rules shall govern playoffs.
Each division shall have their own separate playoff brackets.
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
The top eight(8)
seated teams in each
division, based on the HEAL point system at the end of regular season
play, are eligible for championship
bracket competition.
In the event that a team cannot
compete in post-season play, all teams below that team's seating are advanced
one(l) seat until eight(8) teams fill the championship bracket.
The #1 seated team will play the #8 seated team at the # 1 seated team's
field of choice. The #2 seated team will play
the #7 seated team at the #2 seated team's field of choice, and so on.
Field of choice means any regulation field selected for use by the higher
seated team and authorized by the organization in control of that field.
Unless mutually agreed upon
by both opposing teams, post-season games shall be started no earlier than 12
noon on the first Sunday following the end of the regular season.
The teams hosting the games
at their fields shall keep the gate and concession money, and will pay for the game officials at their
respective playoff game.
NON CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKETS
One or more additional post-season brackets shall be established in
each division for the teams that are not participating in the championship
bracket. Preferably, each non-championship bracket will have four(4)
teams assigned based on the HEAL point seating.
In the first week of post-season play for each non-championship bracket,
the highest seated team will host the lowest seated team in the bracket, and
the second next highest seated team in the bracket would host the next to the
lowest seated team in the bracket (e.g. Seat 4 plays at Seat 1, Seat 3 plays at
Seat 2).
In the second week of post-season play for each non-championship bracket,
the two winning teams from the first week of post-season games play each other
at the higher seated team’s field, and the two losing teams from the first week
of post-season games play each other at the higher seated team’s field.
The teams hosting the games at their fields shall keep the entire gate
and concession money, and will pay for the game officials at their game.
CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME
The winners of the two Junior
High playoff games will meet to play in the championship game.
Of the two winners, the team
which was higher seated going into the playoffs will be the home team.
The home team will have its
choice of field at which the championship game will be played.
Each team is responsible for
providing the necessary facilities for the playing of the championship game as
detailed under Article X.
An ambulance
and attendants must be present at the championship game. In the event that
ambulance service cannot be obtained for free, the SMYFL shall pay for one
ambulance/crew to attend the championship game.
Gate receipts from the
championship game will be split 50/50 by the two participating teams.
Concession monies and other fund raisers performed by the borne team shall be
kept solely by the team at whose field the game is hosted.
First and second place
trophies will be awarded to the winning and losing teams at the conclusion of
the championship game.
There shall be four (4)
officials presiding at the championship game. All officials selected for the
championship game must have officiated in the SMYFL no less than half the
number of regular season game weeks and must meet the requirements specified in
Article XI.
Officials for the
championship game shall be selected by the Head Official. The names of the selected
officials shall be given to the head coaches of each championship team, each
who will at that time voice any concerns he/she may have regarding a selected
official. The Head Official will then judge the concerns and make a final
decision as to which referees shall officiate in the championship game.
Selection of an official is
subject to the availability of that official. Officials in the championship
game shall be paid for by the SMYFL from funds maintained by the SMYFL.
PEE
WEE JAMBOREE
The SMYFL Pee Wee teams will host a yearly jamboree to start their
season. The jamboree will be held on the
first weekend after Labor Day.
Each organization participating at the Pee Wee level will have an
opportunity to host the annual jamboree. The jamboree rotation will be as
follows:
Gorham, York, Noble,
Somersworth, Wells, Kittery,
Marshwood, Kennebunk
A team may elect to pass on hosting the jamboree if they so wish.
If additional SMYFL organizations add Pee Wee programs, that
organization will be added to the rotation list, and be slotted to have their
spot in the rotation be at the end of the rotation, before the current year’s
host has their next chance to host. For
example, if Wells is the jamboree host in a year that a new team is added, the
new team will be slotted between Somersworth and Wells.
The jamboree host team shall be responsible for all expenses of
hosting the jamboree, including paying for all game officials for the
event. If town ordinances require police
or medical services to be in attendance, the host team is solely responsible
for those fees.
The host team will keep all profits, or be responsible for all
losses.
The host team shall be responsible for paying the assigner fee for
the year in which they host the jamboree.
That fee will by agreement of the SMYFL board with appointed league
Assigner.
The home team is responsible for providing the official weigh-in
scale used on the day of the jamboree.
All players shall be weighed in on the same scale.
All teams that attend the jamboree must bring with them a minimum
of two(2) official rosters that will be used for
weigh-ins.
ADDENDUM A
ORGANIZATIONAL
SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
Bonny Eagle - Any
student whose permanent physical residence is within the defined towns of
Buxton, ME, Hollis, ME, Limington, ME, or Standish, ME or attends Bonny Eagle
Middle School (S.A.D. #6).
Gorham - Any student whose permanent physical
residence is within the defined town of
Kennebunk - Any
student whose permanent physical residence is within the defined towns of
Kennebunk ME, Kennebunk Port, ME, or Arundel, ME*, or attends Kennebunk
Middle School (S.A.D. 71).
Marshwood - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined towns of South Berwick, ME or Eliot, ME, or attends Marshwood Middle
School (S.A.D. 35)
Massabesic - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined towns of Alfred, ME, Limerick, ME, Lyman, ME, Newfield, ME, Shapleigh,
ME, or Waterboro, ME, or attends Massabesic Middle High School (R.S.U. 57)
Noble - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined towns of Berwick, ME, North Berwick, ME, or Lebanon, ME, or attends
Noble Junior High School (S.A.D. 60)
Portland - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined city of Portland, or attends Portland public school system, or private
schools within the city of Portland.
Saco - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined towns of
Sanford - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined city of Sanford, or attends Sanford public school system, or private
schools within the city of Sanford.
Scarborough - Any student whose permanent physical residence is in the defined
town/city of
Somersworth - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined town/city of Somersworth, NH or Rollinsford, NH, or attends Somersworth
public/private schools within the city of Somersworth.
South Portland - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined city of South Portland, or attends South Portland public school system,
or private schools within the city of South Portland.
Wells - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined towns or Wells, ME or
Westbrook - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined city of Westbrook, or attends Westbrook public school system, or private
schools within the city of Westbrook.
York - Any student whose permanent physical residence is within the
defined town of
*Arundel students have the
option of participating with Biddeford, Saco or Kennebunk, at the discretion of
the family
**Acton students will play for Sanford if
Sanford allows them, otherwise Acton players may participate for either Noble
or Massabesic