June 1989

Amended May 1997

Amended May 2006

Amended July 2013

Amended Feb 2020

Amended Nov 2021

Amended June 2023

Amended June 2025

 

NAME:

This body shall be known as the SOUTH COAST REFEREE ASSOCIATION, with an abbreviated title of “SCRA”.

 

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Association is to improve the level of officiating the game of soccer throughout southern Orange County through education and practical experience.

 

 

ARTICLE 1. MEMBERSHIP

 

Section A. Voting Members

All USSF-registered Soccer Referees are eligible to become members of this Association. Their application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Members in good standing shall have one vote at regular meetings and the annual general meeting. As used hereinafter, the term member specifically refers to a voting member as described in this section.

 

2. “Members in good standing” is defined as any member who is registered with USSF as a Referee, Instructor, Assignor, or Assessor for the current calendar year, and earns ten (10) or more points annually (June 1 - May 31) and is in good financial standing with the Association as of two weeks before the date of the election. If the Association does not make a member aware that they owe money at least a month before the election the Financial Standing requirement shall not apply to that Member.

 

Points are earned as follows:

• One (1) point for the completion of a match assigned by the Association

• One (1) point for attendance at the monthly membership meeting

• One (1) point for attendance at the monthly Board of Directors meeting (SCRA Board members only)

• One (1) point for each match formally evaluated/assessed (USSF Qualified Assessors only)

• One (1) point for each State activity attended

• One (1) point for each training session presented

 

For new members, active, and reinstated members who are unable to accumulate the necessary points within the Association’s year based upon the date of joining or reinstatement, the Board of Directors may elect to waive the requirements for those members.

 

“Good financial standing” is defined as a member’s arrears not exceeding $25.00

 

3. Annually, each member must renew their membership by filling out a Renewal of Membership Application and paying the membership fee. The Board of Directors reserves the right to refuse said application.

 

4. Being a Member of SCRA does not guarantee game assignments.

 

Section B. Affiliate Members

All persons interested in soccer refereeing are eligible to become members of this Association. Their application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Affiliated members shall receive the correspondence of this Association and may attend all regular meetings and the annual general meeting. Affiliate members shall not have a vote in the affairs of this Association, nor shall they be eligible for selection as Officers of this Association. Affiliate members may not be assigned as soccer referee by this Association.

 

Section C. Trade Members

All persons who are employed in a business allied to soccer (uniforms and equipment suppliers, wholesalers, manufacturers to the soccer market) are eligible to become trade members. Their application shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. Trade members shall receive all correspondence of this Association and may be invited to attend all regular meetings and the annual general meeting. Trade members shall not have a vote in the affairs of this Association, nor shall they be eligible for selection as Officers or members of the Board of Directors of this Association. Trade members who are not USSF-registered soccer officials shall not be assigned by this Association to officiate.

 

Section D. Termination of Membership Membership terminates upon written notification of resignation, abandonment, or disciplinary action as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors. “Abandonment” is defined as the “severance of Association ties due to inactivity for a period of one year”.

 

Section E. By-Laws Every new member shall have a copy of this Association’s by-laws made available to them when approved for membership.

 

 

ARTICLE 2. OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

The Officers of this Association shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. They shall be elected at or within 3 months of the annual general meeting and voted for separately by ballot (in-person or electronically via online election), and shall receive the majority of all votes cast. They shall hold office for two years until their successors are elected. They shall be eligible for re-election, except for the President, who is eligible for two consecutive 2-year terms only.

 

The terms shall be staggered so that each year 2 positions are up for election. Beginning in 2020 the election of the President and Vice President shall take place in even-numbered years and the election of the Treasurer and Secretary shall take place in odd-numbered years.

 

To be eligible for election to the Board of Directors, a candidate must:

1 Have been approved as a voting member at least twelve (12) months before the closing date for nominations

2 Be in good standing with this Association, California Soccer Association South, Inc., and with the USSF

3 Be a currently registered USSF referee (any grade) on the date nominations for elections are closed

 

ARTICLE 3. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERS

 

The duties of the Officers and the Board of Directors shall be as implied by their respective titles and as specified in the by-laws in the following sections.

 

Officers/Executive Board Members:

 

Section A. President

The President shall appoint all standing committees. He shall be the Chairman at regular meetings and Board of Directors meetings. He shall have one vote. In the event of a tie, the President has one additional vote to break the tie. He is an ex officio member of all committees. The President, or other official designated by the President, shall be responsible for negotiating and monitoring contracts with the various soccer organizations. All contracts shall be presented to and approved by the Board of Directors.

 

Section B. Vice-President

The Vice-President shall assist the President in the performance of his duties and shall exercise all powers of the President in his absence. He shall also function as Membership Chairman. He shall have one vote.

 

Section C. Secretary

The Secretary shall keep a roll of all members of this Association and shall give notice of meetings. He shall conduct all correspondence and keep a record of the same. He shall take notice of all 4 meetings, keep records, and mail copies of the same to each Board member at their request. He shall have one vote.

 

Section D. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive all money due to this Association. He shall keep a detailed account and record of all funds. He shall pay all bills charged against the Association after the same have been approved by the Board of Directors. Any two of the following are authorized to sign: President, VicePresident, Secretary, Treasurer. He shall give a short report at regular meetings. He shall, upon request by any member, give a detailed account of his books, provided the request has been received two (2) weeks before the meeting by the Secretary. He shall have one vote.

 

Section E. Director of Instruction

The Director of Instruction shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may remove the Director of Instruction from their responsibilities, by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at a regular or special Board meeting. The Director of Instructor shall be, at a minimum, a USSF registered referee instructor. He shall plan and direct the instructional program. He shall be in charge of all Rules sessions at regular or any special rule meetings. He shall coordinate the appearance of instructional speakers. He shall use the newsletter to publish pertinent instructional material. He shall coordinate and document the training attendance of the membership.

 

Section F. Director of Assignment

The Director of Assignment shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may remove the Director of Assignment and may be removed from their responsibilities by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at a regular or special Board meeting. The Director of Assignment shall follow the guidelines established in the “Referee Assignment Policy” as indicated in Standing Rule 7. In cooperation with the Board of Directors, he shall be responsible for all assignments. He shall distribute general information pertaining to assignments. The Director of Assignment shall not hold an elected Board Position. The Director of Assignment and any Assignors will work under contract.

 

The Director of Assignment and Assignors shall be paid per game assigned at a rate determined by the Board of Directors as stated in the contract. The Director of Assignment shall be reimbursed for reasonable operating expenses such as telephone, printing, and postage as they relate to assignments, as approved by the Board of Directors. The Director of Assignment shall approve invoices submitted by Assignors for services rendered, and present them to the Treasurer for Board Approval.

 

The Director of Assignment shall submit by invoice to the Treasurer for Board Approval. The Director of Assignment shall present to the Board of Directors as requested by the Board of Directors, an up-to-date status report of assignments made for all referees. The report shall 5 contain the name of the referee, current USSF levels, the date and time of games, locations, and game levels assigned. Moved from Standing Rules

 

Section G. Director of Referee Development

The Director of Referee Development shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may remove the Director of Referee Development from their responsibilities by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at a regular or special Board meeting. The Director of Referee Development shall be, at a minimum, a USSF-registered Referee (grade 8). He shall be responsible for overseeing the development and maintenance of referee skills of SCRA Referees, with special emphasis on youth referees and those referees desiring upgrades to higher-level badges. He will act as a liaison between referees and assessors and will work with the assignor to provide assessment and mentoring opportunities for SCRA referees.

 

Section H. Past President

The Past President, as long as he remains active in the Association or unless elected to the Board of Directors, shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors for the duration of the incoming President’s term. He shall have one Board vote.

 

Section I. Member(s) at Large

The Member at Large shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Member at Large shall perform various duties as determined from time to time by the President, or by the Board of Directors. More than one Member at Large may be appointed by the President. The Board of Directors can terminate the Member at Large at a Board meeting, or the completion of their assignment. Section

 

Section J. Director of Compliance

The Director of Compliance shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. Duties include but are not limited to the following:

a. Review of all Supplemental Reports

b. Review all complaints regarding Referees for non-compliance with By-Laws, Policy, and Guidelines

c. Any investigations deemed necessary by the President and approved by a majority of the board of directors shall be handled by the Investigation and Disciplinary Committee (IDC). This committee will investigate infractions of the rules and if necessary, take the appropriate action to correct the issue. The Director of Compliance shall serve as the IDC Committee Chair.

d. Confidentiality of the information they are exposed to in their role as Director of Compliance.

 

Section K. Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. The Parliamentarian advises the presiding officer and other officers, committees, and members on matters of parliamentary procedure. Parliamentarians are frequently used to assist with procedures during the Annual General Meeting, General Membership Meetings, and Board Meetings. The Parliamentarian shall serve as the Nomination/Election Committee Chair.

 

As an additional duty, the Parliamentarian is required to report any disputes on items not covered by the by-laws or policy guidelines that is brought to their attention as per Article 9 Section E to the Board of Directors.

 

Section L. Retiring Officers

All Officers, upon retiring or the end of their term from office, shall deliver to the President all records, books, papers, and other property belonging to this Association.

 

Section M. Misconduct or Neglect of Duty

1. All Officers and Directors shall conduct the business of this Association following the prudent man concept. Serious misconduct or neglect of duty shall render an Officer or Director liable for dismissal from office.

 

2. In the event of misconduct or neglect by an Officer, that Officer may be removed by a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors with approval of the majority of members present at the general membership meeting.

a. The affected Officer shall neither vote nor be counted in the 2/3 apportionment.

b. The motion or resolution for removal from office shall be published as due notice, and the matter shall be debated and voted on at the immediately following general meeting. A majority of votes cast for removal shall be sufficient to dismiss the Officer from or their Director’s office.

 

3. For any other complaint of misconduct or neglect of duty by an Officer or Director, such complaint shall be investigated. The Board President shall appoint a committee to investigate the said misconduct, consisting of at least 3 active SCRA members who should include, when possible:

a. One voting Board member(not the President), Director of Compliance, and Parliamentarian.

b. Report of resolutions either exonerating the accused or preferring specific charges to the Board of Directors

c. Formal notification of the accused

d. Formal hearing before the membership at a general meeting.

e. If the President is the accused, the Vice President will appoint the committee.

 

Section N. Summary of Officers and Directors

 

The following table depicts a summary of Officers and Directors. Title Votes Elected Appointed Board Member President 1 (+1 tiebreaker) X x Vice President 1 X X Secretary 1 X X Treasurer 1 X X Past President 1 Ex-Officio Member Director of Assignment X Director of Referee Development X Director of Instruction X Director Of Compliance X Parliamentarian X Member(s) at Large X

 

ARTICLE 4. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

The Annual General Meeting shall take place in May of each year and each member shall receive notice at least ten (10) days prior. The agenda of the annual general meeting shall be as follows:

A. Roll Call

B. Reading of the Minutes (previous annual meeting)

C. Report of the President

D. Report of the Treasurer

E. Report of the Secretary

F. Report of the Delegate

G. Change of By-laws

H. Miscellaneous

I. Election of Officers

J. Suggestions for improvements/promotion of good soccer

 

ARTICLE 5. REGULAR MEETINGS

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There shall be one (1) regular meeting of the membership a month, which shall include a rules meeting. Any monthly meeting may be dispensed with, with the approval of the Board of Directors. It will be the duty of the Chairman to present the regular meeting with a well-balanced agenda. All members are requested to attend. All Affiliate members are invited to attend.

 

ARTICLE 6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS

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There shall be a corresponding stated Board of Directors meeting for each scheduled regular meeting of the Association. The President shall have the right to call a Board of Directors meeting whenever he deems it necessary. The Board of Directors meeting shall deal with all matters pertaining to soccer and referees and it shall handle all business matters entrusted to it by the members. Its decisions shall be final, subject to Article 7. The Board of Directors shall have the power to deal with all differences and controversies which may arise, or any other matter not covered by these by-laws.

 

ARTICLE 7. RIGHTS

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Any member of this Association shall have the right to appeal a decision made by the Board of Directors at the next regular meeting of the South Coast Referee Association, at which time, all cases may be reviewed and voted upon by the members present. A majority vote of the members shall be required.

 

ARTICLE 8. VACANCIES

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When a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, the President shall appoint a member who is in good standing to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. Such appointment shall be ratified by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. Should the vacancy occur in the Presidency, the Vice-President shall succeed for the remainder of the unexpired term. In the event these two Officers shall become unavailable, the members shall elect their successors for the remainder of the term, at the next regular meeting. The Director of Instruction shall act as Interim President and conduct this meeting.

 

ARTICLE 9. GENERAL

 

Section A. Fines, Penalties, Dismissals

Any member who violates the codes of conduct of SCRA, USSF, USYSA, CSA-S, or CYSAS shall be censured according to the rules of those groups. All charges against a member or an Officer of this Association shall be made in writing to the Secretary of this Association, setting forth full details. Any adverse decisions against a member may be automatically appealed. The member shall be advised 9 of his right of appeal and the steps to be taken in the appeal process. Members guilty of misconduct may be subject to warning, censorship, fine, loss of membership privileges, or other activities as may be appropriate as may be permitted under the above process.

 

Section B. Finances

The Board of Directors will decide annually what the annual dues will be for the upcoming year, each November effective January 1. All individuals requesting reinstatement under actions taken under Article 9 shall be subject to a reinstatement fee of $25.00. Returning members will not be assessed this charge.

 

Members are considered “Junior members” if under the age of nineteen (19) during the year in which they become a member. The Board of Directors will decide annually the annual dues will be for the upcoming year, each November effective January 1 for the upcoming year for Junior Members.

 

1. The dues of this Association shall be paid by December 15th for the upcoming year.

2. The Association shall have no power to assess its members except when a state of financial emergency exists as determined by a majority of the membership, and then only to the extent determined by a majority of the membership.

3. If the Director of Assignment or Assigners performs all the tasks associated with the assigning and with a contract entered into between this Association and another entity to assign, he shall be paid per assignment. He shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses as approved by the Board of Directors.

4. Work contracts performed for the Association can be entered into, provided: a. All proposed contracts approved by the Board of Directors b. No contract shall extend beyond one (1) year term except when approved by a majority of the membership.

5. For purposes of obtaining approval of a majority of the membership as required by Article 9, Section B, a vote shall be taken after due notice by ballot or division at a general meeting. Ballot by anonymous online (electronic) voting tools can be used as determined by the Board of Directors. Voting by proxy is prohibited. The membership will be notified, in writing, as to the time and place of the vote, if at a meeting, or, as to the time electronic ballots shall be opened if ballot by anonymous online (electronic) voting tools.

6. This Association’s financial records shall be audited for the calendar year before the first general meeting of the new fiscal year and shall be available to any member who requests the information. Any time there is a change in President or Treasurer, the financial records shall be audited within 120 days of the new President and or Treasurer taking office. This is to protect both the outgoing and incoming persons.

 

Section C. Procedural Rules

Any questions or disputes not covered in these by-laws or policy guidelines shall be referred to the Parliamentarian for clarification. If no Parliamentarian is currently appointed, questions or concerns should be directed to the President.

 

Section D. Gender

Where the male gender is used herein, the female gender shall be construed to have the same meaning and intent.

 

ARTICLE 10. FISCAL YEAR

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The fiscal year for this Association shall begin June 1st and end May 31st. Adopted June 1989 Amended May 1997