Rules

1.    Name of the Association

The Association shall be called the Kent Schools’ Football Association and shall be affiliated to the English Schools’ Football Association and the South-East England Schools Football Association and registered with the Charity Commissioners.

2.    Object of the Association

The object of the Association shall be the mental, moral and physical development of schoolchildren through the medium of Association Football.

3.     Membership & Affiliation Fees

Membership of this Association shall be open to Schools’ Football District Associations in the County of Kent and its vicinity, the Unitary Authority of Medway and the London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley; these District Associations and all schools that play inter-school football, whether or not in KSFA competitions,  shall pay an annual affiliation fee as determined by the KSFA Executive Committee and payable on or before the AGM for the forthcoming season. All member Schools’ Football District Associations must be affiliated to the English Schools’ Football Association. Schools that host a School Sports Partnership that wishes to organise football activities shall pay an annual fee as determined by the KSFA Executive Committee.  

4.     Executive Committee

An Executive Committee consisting of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Match Manager, Individual Schools’ Competitions Secretary, Inter-Association Competition Secretary and Primary Competitions Secretary, together with two other elected members shall control the affairs of the Association. Only past and present members of the Education Service are eligible to serve on the Executive Committee, which shall also have the power to co-opt. At an Executive Meeting five members shall form a quorum. An Emergency Committee of three appointed by the Executive Committee shall be competent to deal with matters of an emergency nature. At least three members of the Executive will serve as Trustees and fulfil all the legal requirements of this Office. The Executive Committee shall be empowered to appoint and employ such professional expertise, as they deem necessary. The Executive Committee shall have power to deal with all matters not covered in these rules.

5.     Life Membership & Vice-Presidents

Life Membership of the Association may, by resolution passed at a General Meeting, be conferred on any member who has retired from the teaching profession and who has rendered long and outstanding service to the Association. A Vice-Presidency of the Association may, by similar resolution, be conferred on any member of the teaching profession who has rendered meritorious service to the Association. An Honorary Vice-Presidency of the Association may, by similar resolution, be conferred on any person outside the teaching profession who has rendered equally meritorious service to the Association.

6.     Officers

The Officers of the Association shall be a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a General Secretary, a Treasurer and a Match Manager, who shall be elected annually at the AGM, together with two members for the Executive Committee. Nominations for these Officers and Committee members, which must be in writing and whose consent shall first be obtained, may be named by an Affiliated District Association or individually affiliated School to the General Secretary not later than May 7th. At the AGM there shall also be elected: (a) A President; (b) Auditors; (c) Primary Competition Secretary; (d) Inter-Association Competition Secretary (Secondary); (e) Individual Schools’ Competition Secretary; (f) Referees’ Secretary;  (g) A representative on the Kent County FA; (h) A representative on the Kent County Playing Fields Association; (i) A representative on the Kent Schools’ Sports Council; (j) Representatives on the South East England Schools’ Football Advisory Council; (k) Child Welfare Officer. Nominations for all elected positions at the AGM shall be deemed automatic as far as current post holders are concerned unless notice to the contrary has been given to the General Secretary by April 7th.

7.    Annual General Meeting & Special General Meetings

The Annual General Meeting shall be held in June and the date shall be published no later than 1st October of the preceding year. The General Secretary shall give 14 clear days’ notice to all affiliated District Associations and individually affiliated Schools of the place, day and hour of such meeting and other General Meetings. An agenda, specifying the nature of the business to be transacted, shall also be sent. At any General Meeting one vote for each District Association shall be allowed. Members of the Executive Committee will have one vote each. Notice of any business or proposition - other than those proposed by the Executive - shall be submitted to the AGM and given to the General Secretary no later than 28 days before the published date of the AGM.

The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting at any time on receiving a requisition stating the objects of the meeting and signed by the representatives of not less than seven affiliated District Associations. Alternatively, the Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting should it be deemed necessary and desirable by the Executive Committee. Such meetings shall be held with 28 days of the Secretary receiving the requisition.

For the transaction of business at a General Meeting ten members shall form a quorum. The Executive Committee may appoint such committees or commissions as it may consider necessary and delegate all or any of its powers to such committees or commissions.  Standing Orders at meetings shall be those of the English Schools’ Football Association.

8.    Competitions

The rules of all competitions arranged by the Association shall be published and each competition shall be registered with the ESFA. All Local Associations and schools in the County of Kent, the Unitary Authority of Medway and the London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley, shall compete only in competitions or tournaments organised by the KSFA or ESFA or approved by the KSFA Executive Committee. Schools that host School Sports Partnerships are responsible for ensuring that any football competitions (including festivals) that the SSP wishes to organise are approved in advance by the KSFA.  

Schools that enter into partnerships with clubs that employ contract players must apply to the KSFA before the start of each season for permission to enter into or continue with such an arrangement and must ensure that, at all times, priority is given to schools’ football: KSFA competitions will take precedence over all others, and players attending those schools must give priority to schools’ football. 

9.    County Matches

The Executive Committee shall have the power to arrange county matches and shall have first claim upon the services of any player selected to play in any such matches. Players selected for county matches shall not take part in any game during the two days prior to the day of the county match.

Players selected to represent the County must abide by the requirements of the KSFA as published in the Players Information Booklet and approved by the Executive Committee. Players who infringe these requirements may be required to attend a Disciplinary Commission and will be dealt with at that Commission’s discretion. Players attending schools within the area of the KSFA’s jurisdiction must not participate in more than one full-sided match on any particular day. Any player selected to play for a County representative team must not play for any other team on the day of a match for which s/he has been selected, or in the 48 hours prior to a County match, unless permission to do so is sought and given.  Players who infringe this rule, or who fail to appear for a County match or training without having provided a satisfactory reason in advance may be required to attend a Disciplinary Commission of the Association and may be dealt with at that Commission’s discretion.

Players who trial for a district or county team and accept a place in a district or county squad are expected to remain committed to that squad for the season. Where a player fails to honour that commitment, without good reason, s/he will be ineligible to play for their school in matches under the KSFA’s jurisdiction for the remainder of the season, at the discretion of the KSFA Executive Committee. 

All KSFA District Associations and affiliated schools make their players available for County selection and, if possible, their pitches and other facilities available to the KSFA on request and without payment.

10.    District Associations

The schools in a District Association have a collective responsibility for the administration of the Association, including the affiliation of the Association to the English Schools FA and the Kent Schools’ FA, as well as the effective oversight of inter-school competitions involving the schools in the Association. No school shall be registered by more than one District Association. All affiliated District Associations and separately affiliated Schools must abide by the rules of the Kent Schools’ Football Association.

Players, officials, spectators and all affiliated District Associations and Schools are required to observe and enforce the rules, regulations and byelaws of the Football Association.

Every District Association and School is responsible to the Kent Schools’ F.A., through its Executive, for the actions of its players, officials and spectators, and will be required to meet the cost of any Disciplinary Commission which finds any misconduct proven. A Disciplinary Commission made up of no fewer than three and no more than five persons may be set up by the Executive Committee to investigate matters of alleged misconduct. The jurisdiction of the Association in dealing with alleged misconduct extends to all matches involving affiliated schools and/or affiliated Associations and their affiliated schools. The Association will follow the rules, procedures and sanctions of the Football Association in dealing with cases of alleged misconduct for which the FA recommended administration fee will be charged, together with any applicable fines as set out by the FA.

District Associations or Schools that fail to satisfactorily attend to the business and / or the correspondence of the KSFA shall be dealt with under the discretionary powers of the Executive, which shall include a fine not exceeding £10.

11.    Insurance

District Associations and Schools that participate in KSFA activities are responsible for ensuring that they have adequate insurance policies in place for players, staff, and spectators. 

12.    Alteration to Rules

These rules shall not be altered except at a General Meeting and then only by resolution carried by a majority of those present and voting. Notice of any proposal or any amendment or alteration in these rules shall be given in writing to the General Secretary at least 28 days before the date of the General Meeting; provided that no alteration shall be made to rule 2 and rule 21 or this clause until the approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained; and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Association to cease to be a charity in law.

13.     Financial Year

The financial year of the Association shall be from 1st June to 31st May.

14.     Dissolution of the Association

The Association may be dissolved by resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose, of which at least 14 days notice shall be given. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Association, provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Association, but shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Association as the Association may determine and if and insofar as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.