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Edited: Aug 10, 2010
CONSTITUTION
AND BY-LAWS
FOR THE
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.
·
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.
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.
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 or 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.
Game time
for all regular season games played on Sunday shall be One (l) p.m. Varsity
games to be played first and junior varsity games played after the completion
of varsity games for Sunday dates. All Saturday evening games shall start
at 6:00 PM. Evening games will have the junior varsity 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
game played immediately following the completion of the junior varsity game.
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.
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 6th 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 - 160 “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 - 160 |
Three (3) stripes |
Players that weigh between 150.1 to 160
pounds 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. 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 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 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 games shall consist of four(4) ten(10) minute
regulation quarters for all games.
Junior Varsity 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.
OVERTIME
All Junior High varsity games that
at the end of regulation play have a tie score shall be resolved in accordance
with Federation Rules. JV 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. A 5-2, 5-3 or 5-4 (5 man line, 1
nose guard, 2 tackles, 2 ends) 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 players playing in
Varsity games, should be used. The goal of this rule is to not humiliate
or demoralize participants into disliking football.
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 TEAMS and
GAMES
JV Team rosters are to be made up of
players that had/will have little playing time in the Varsity game and that did
not/will not start in any position during the varsity game between the two
teams.
JV teams are
to consist of all players that do not start or play more than two(2) quarters
of the Varsity game or, if there are not enough players to field a JV team,
then the use of varsity players in different positions than they started during
the Varsity game is allowed. If an eighth grade player starts or plays a
significant amount of time in the varsity game on offense or defense, he/she
may not play in the Junior Varsity game.
The above rules are incorporated to
have as many players play as possible, and to train players for future Varsity
positions; not for Win/Loss records.
JV games will be played each week by
teams that are scheduled.
JV 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 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. Displinary reasons are allowable grounds for cutting players, and is
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
The top eight(8)
seated teams based on the HEAL point system at the end of regular season play
are eligible for playoff competition.
In the event that a team can not
compete in post-season play, all teams below that team's seating are advanced
one(l) seat until eight(8) teams fill the playoff berths.
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
PLAYOFF POST-SEASON BRACKETS
Three(3)
additional post-season brackets shall be established in which the remaining
twelve(12) teams not in the playoffs 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 seared team’s field.
The
teams hosting the games at their fields shall keep the gate and concession
money, and will pay for the three(3) 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, 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