General

GENERAL

Correspondence to Members

Notices from the Branch to Members will be made through the Secretary only.

Notices to members will generally be made via email, and copied on the Branch’s website www.nswfootballreferees.sportingpulse.net.

Members should check the website regularly for new information, both the front page and the Documents section.

Members should remember to login to the website to access Members Only documents and news that may not be published on the public front page (but will appear on the front page once logged in).

Members who have provided the Secretary with an email address will not receive hard copy correspondence.

Correspondence from Members

Inwards hard copy correspondence must be on paper no smaller than A4.

A list of contacts can be found in the attachments to this handbook.

The Secretary’s email address is secretary@nswfootballreferees.com.au – all correspondence to the Secretary should be through this address.

Where a member received a notice from Football NSW on a matter which relates to the Branch, and the Secretary has not been copied on the addressee list, the Branch requests that you forward a copy to us for our information. Examples of such circumstances are invitations to tournaments, courses, or notices to attend a tribunal.

How do I know if my correspondence has been received?

Generally you will receive a fairly quick response to your correspondence. You will not, however, receive a response simply stating that it has been received.

If the matter is likely to take time to resolve, please allow the Management Committee sufficient time to act and to secure a resolution.

Correspondence requiring action, or requiring formal record of receipt but no action, will be recorded in the monthly correspondence lists. This list forms part of the Minutes of the monthly Management Committee Meeting.

When this list is circulated as part of a General Meeting, members should check the correspondence list for their own correspondence. If you feel that your correspondence has been omitted, please draw it to the attention of the Secretary. Once the minutes have been accepted at a General Meeting it is too late to add to the list. The best way is to contact the Secretary as soon as you receive the list, before the General Meeting, so that appropriate amendments and notation can be made in advance.

If you feel that the matter has taken longer than you would have expected, please contact the Secretary by telephone.

Website

The public areas of the website generally contain news items of a broader interest, and information on the Branch. This area also contains a calendar showing dates for important events such as seminars, meetings, and training.

Members access to the website is for current financial members of NSW State League Football Referees Inc.

The Members section of the website contains further information for members only, including news items, notices, Meeting Minutes.

First time users will need to obtain a username and password by following the link on the right hand side of the front page.

Members who have forgotten their password should also follow the link on the right hand side of the front page.

Submission of articles to the website

Members are encouraged to submit news stories of interest, along with appropriate digital photos, to the webmaster for publication. Such articles may be about refereeing in general, may be of the achievements of colleagues who are too shy or modest to make a big deal out of it, or may be anything else related to the affairs of the Branch.

Meetings

Attendance at General Meetings is compulsory.

General Meetings are held at the Greyhound Social Club, 140 Rookwood Rd, Yagoona on the first Friday of the month from March through September inclusive. Meetings commence at 7.30pm.

Documents for the meetings will generally be posted on the website about a week before the meeting. Members should check regularly during that time.

Written apologies, citing family, work or other commitments, must be received by the Secretary before the Meeting. Apologies should be sent to apology@nswfootballreferees.com.au.

Management Committee meetings are scheduled for the third Wednesday of the month.

Technical Sub-Committee meetings are scheduled for the second Tuesday of the month.

Dates for meetings can be found in the attachments to this handbook.

Procedures at Meetings

No alcohol is to be consumed during the meeting.

Only one person is to speak at any time, and that is the person who has the floor.

If at any time the President stands (or the person occupying the Chair) then anyone speaking, including the member who has the floor, shall immediately cease speaking and resume their seat until such time as the President is seated again and invites the member to resume the floor.

Code of Conduct Meetings (including Seminars)

Members who leave their seat (without permission from the Chair) or who engage in private conversation or make comments considered by the Chair as unnecessary, will be deemed to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour.

Members engaging in unacceptable behaviour will, in the first instance, be named by the Chair and requested to refrain from further unacceptable behaviour.

If the member continues to engage in unacceptable behaviour he or she may, at the sole discretion of the Chair, be expelled from the meeting. Expulsion from a meeting shall incur an automatic fine of $10 and the member shall, if requested, attend the next meeting of the Management Committee to discuss their behaviour. Further disciplinary action may then be imposed if deemed necessary.

Standing Orders

Members shall stand when they address the Chair.

Members shall address the meeting through the Chair.

Members shall state their name before they begin their address.

Members shall hold the floor for no longer than five minutes on any topic, unless an extension is granted unanimously by the meeting.

Procedure for Motions

As a guide the following apply to motions during meetings.

If a motion is moved, then the Chair is required to call for a seconder.

If a seconder is not forthcoming then the motion lapses.

If the motion is seconded, then the person recording the minutes shall read the motion to the meeting at which time the proposer and seconder shall confirm the wording of the motion.

The mover has the right to an opening address speaking for the motion.

The Chair shall then call for speakers alternately for and against the motion. A member may only speak once on the motion, and must only speak for or against the motion.

At any time a member may raise a point of order, but such point of order shall not contain discussion for or against the motion.

The mover has the right to close the discussion on the motion.

At any time after reasonable discussion has been held any member may move that the motion be put. If seconded, an immediate show of hands shall decide whether the motion be put, the decision being on simple majority.

The motion is then decided by a vote according to the provisions of the Constitution.

A secret ballot may be called for by no less than X members.

A division may be called for by no less than X members.

A vote is decided by simple majority, and the decision is final on the declaration of the Chair as to whether the motion is carried or defeated (lost).

Amendments to motions

At any time during discussion on a motion, a member may propose an amendment to the motion.

The rules for the amendment are the same as for the motion, requiring seconder, discussion etc.

An amendment must be put and voted on before the original motion may be put.

If the vote on the amendment is carried then discussion on the amended motion continues before it is put.

If the vote on the amendment is lost then discussion on the original (un-amended) motion continues before it is put.

There must be a separate vote on the amendment only before either the original or amended motion is put.

When do I get the minutes of meetings?

Generally speaking Minutes of Meetings are circulated to members about a week before the meeting where they are to be confirmed. Under current arrangements, every second month is a “business” meeting and every other month is a Technical Education meeting.

What if I have a query about the minutes?

In the interests of efficient meetings where we are able to dedicate time to providing answers, rather than taking questions, we ask that members take the time to read the minutes and raise matters of concern before coming to the meeting.

This is not to say, though, that you cannot raise an issue at a General Meeting. Quite the opposite – it will actually help to ensure that the issue is on the Agenda for the meeting.

If you have a query about the minutes, please raise it with the Secretary immediately. If an answer is not immediately available it allows us time to find the answer for you before the General Meeting. And if there is just a typo then we can correct it quickly without delaying the meeting.

If you wait until the General Meeting to raise the issue resulting from the minutes, you may find that the Committee doesn’t have the answer on hand. If you raise the question in the days before the meeting it will allow us time to give you a meaningful answer at the meeting. That way we can minute a resolution rather than a question which may take another couple of months to be minuted and circulated.

What if I have a query or want to raise some other matter?

Please don’t wait until a General Meeting to raise matters of concern. Most things are best dealt with quickly, and usually have a simple solution.

Again, in the interests of efficient meetings where we are able to dedicate time to providing answers, rather than taking questions, we ask that members raise matters of concern before coming to the meeting.

This is not to say, though, that you cannot raise an issue at a General Meeting. Quite the opposite – it will actually help to ensure that the issue is on the Agenda for the meeting.

If you have a concern then you should ring any of the members of the Management Committee. If you feel uncomfortable raising the matter with them, then contact one of the floor members. They are there to bring matters to the Management Committee and will do so anonymously if you ask them to.

If you wait until a General Meeting to raise an issue, then it may be the case that the Committee doesn’t have the answer at hand and you will have to wait even longer for an item to be raised.

Management Committee Meetings

Are generally held on the third Wednesday of the month.

Minutes are circulated to members at the next “business” General Meeting.

Technical Sub-Committee Meetings

Are generally held on the second Tuesday of the month.

Minutes are circulated to members at the next “business” General Meeting.

Match Fees

Match Fees are determined by Football NSW from time to time and communicated via a circular.

Match Fees for the current season can be found in the attachments to this handbook.

Income tax will be deducted from all Premier League First Grade matches and is paid through the Football NSW payroll system.

Match Fees for Waratah Cup competitions and Championship Series (finals) of all leagues will be paid by Football NSW directly into members’ bank accounts without any income tax deduction (with the exception that Premier League First Grade will still be taxed in the Finals Series).

Fees for trial and friendly matches will be paid in cash on the day at 50% of the standard rate unless full admission prices are charged (in which case full fees should apply).

Match fees for Premier League Grade 20 will be paid to members after the Branch has collected the money from Football NSW. This is at the direction of Football NSW. Owing to the volume of transactions otherwise generated, the Branch intends to invoice Football NSW three times through the season, generally being around Rounds 7, 14, and 22.

Match fees for Super League and all Divisions from Division 1 and below are paid in cash on the day.

Travel Allowance

Travel allowance is paid for matches in Lithgow, Bathurst, Wollongong and the Central Coast, or where members travel from those locations to the greater Sydney area.

Travel allowance is paid in the same manner as your match fees. If your match fee is cash on the day, please remember to collect your travel allowance.

The travel allowance can be found in the Attachments to this handbook.

Payroll – Bank Details and Tax File Number Declaration

All members are required to provide Football NSW their details for direct banking (Name of Bank, Branch, BSB, Account Name, and Account Number).

Members officiating on Premier League First Grade (including Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials) are required to submit to FNSW a Tax File Number Declaration Form which can be obtained from Football NSW or some newsagents or by phoning the Tax Office on 1300 720 092. This form is not available over the internet. The Branch does not supply these forms.

Members should send their details to the HR Manager at Football NSW. Football NSW address is in the attachments to this handbook, or on their website.

Do not send these forms to the Secretary.

Statement by a Supplier

All members must complete and return a Statement by a Supplier to the Branch.

The clubs, as the entity paying our fees, require this statement to discharge them from the responsibility of collecting 46.5% withholding tax. This is a requirement of the GST Act.

Members who do not return the form will be subject to withholding tax of 46.5%.

Members are not required to send the form to Football NSW. As your “agent” in this situation we will hold a copy of the form in our records, and make a statement to Football NSW to that effect. Such statement discharges your obligations to Football NSW and the clubs.

The reason we make such statement is that the form contains your personal contact details which should not be submitted to the clubs.

This form is available on the ATO website at

http://www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/nat3346.pdf

Compulsory Employer Superannuation

Members who officiate regularly on Premier League First Grade matches may be eligible for Compulsory Employer Superannuation contributions. If this is the case, Football NSW will contact you directly and request that you complete a Standard Choice Form. Members have an obligation to return this form promptly to Football NSW so that they may discharge their duties properly and efficiently.

A Standard Choice Form is available from the ATO website at

http://www.ato.gov.au/content/downloads/SPR56761NAT13080.pdf

Payment Queries

Any queries about short payment etc must be made in writing to The Financial Controller, Football NSW - you must not ring Football NSW with pay problems. Football NSW address is in the attachments to this handbook, or on their website.

Such enquiries should include at least the details included on the form in Attachments to this handbook.

Levies

In addition to an annual membership fee, Active Members are required to contribute levies to enable the Branch to carry out its activities. These activities relate, in the main, directly to providing technical education, training, development, and assessment of members.

In loose terms, and on the current fee structure, levies collected for a whole season would still not break-even if every member were to receive our nominal target of minimum three assessments per active Referee.

Active members are required to pay a 10% levy on all gross match fees for regular season competition matches and cup matches (i.e. Waratah Cup).

Levies are not payable on trial matches where less than full fees are paid, friendlies, Final Series, and other honour matches. Hyundai A-League and National Youth League are currently recognised as honour matches.

Levies – Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each Member to keep an accurate record of all matches officiated on.

It is not the responsibility of the Management Committee to invoice members or to send an account by way of a list of matches.

Levies – Notification by senior Referee

To assist in collecting records, and in the absence of team sheet data from Football NSW, for all matches paid in cash on the day the following procedure applies.

The First Grade match referee is to confirm the attendance of match officials for both matches of the day.

Where there is only one match played on the day/night the match referee is expected to confirm the attendance.

Confirmation can be made via email to assistant.treasurer@nswfootballreferees.com.au or text to the Assistant Treasurer. Contact details can be found in the attachments to this handbook.

This procedure assists us in recording levies due, but does not replace each member’s obligation to submit a levies statement at the end of each month.

Levies Statement

All active members must submit a monthly levies form regardless of whether you have officiated on cash games or not.

You will appreciate that appointments can change even as late as on match day, and we are not provided with a copy of the completed team sheets by Football NSW. It is your statement of account which will be used to verify any other data we may have been able to collect, such as the notification from referees on match day. Your statement is, therefore, a very important record.

A template can be found in the Attachments to this handbook.

Levies Statement – what does it achieve?

A levies statement should be submitted by ALL active referees and assessors.

For Referees and Assistant Referees this helps us keep track of the matches you have done, allows us to accurately bill Football NSW for Grade 20 matches and for travel allowance.

For Assessors it means we have the data to pay you accurately at the end of the season, and we can compile this data progressively. It is also a cross-check of the records held by the Convenor of Assessors.

For Referees and Assistant Referees it also helps us to collate details which may be able to be used in the case of claiming unpaid match fees.

For all members this also has the potential to enable us to assist you print data for your log books which you are all required to maintain under the Australian Officiating Development Schedules.

Collecting information each months allows us to compile data progressively through the year, rather than in a time consuming block at the end of the year.

Levies statements are much more important and much more useful than simply a method for billing!

Levies – Method of Payment

Levies on matches paid by Football NSW payroll are deducted automatically – members do not have to make separate payment. Refer section on Match Fees for list of matches covered in this manner.

Levies on matches paid by Football NSW through NSW SLFR will be deducted automatically – members do not have to make separate payment. Refer section on Match Fees for list of matches covered in this manner.

For the 2011 season the above methods cover all Premier League matches, and Waratah Cup matches.

Payment of levies for all other matches are covered by the procedures described below.

Levies on matches where the fee is paid in cash on the day must be paid by the first Friday of the month following the match day and must be accompanied by the appropriate levy form.

Levies may be paid by the following means:

Cheque (made out to NSW State League Football Referees Inc)
Money order (please remember to fill out the back with Name, Month, and “Levies”)
Direct deposit to the Division’s bank account
Cash paid to the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer.

Cheques and money orders sent through the post and postmarked later than the first Friday of the month will be deemed to be late.

Members are advised against reliance on paying cash (or cheque / money order) at the General Meeting since inability to attend the meeting at the last minute and failure to pay will mean your levies are deemed overdue.

Members are reminded that it is illegal to send cash through the mail.

Levies – Separation of Accounts

Levies balances will be maintained separately from other finances, for the sake of clarity, and for the sake of avoiding an unnecessarily complicated reconciliation.

That means that your levies cannot and will not be deducted from any match fees, travel allowance, or otherwise, that Football NSW may owe you (e.g. Premier League Grade 20 match fees).

The reason for this, other than being complicated, is that there are a different set of creditors involved: match fees are owed to you by Football NSW – we have simply been forced to be the vehicle for this transfer.

In the same way that you are waiting to receive this money from Football NSW, we are also waiting to receive your levies on those matches from Football NSW.

On the other hand your levies are directly between you and the Branch, and will be administered as such.

Levies – Late Payment

Members who are unfinancial are automatically suspended from the benefits of membership (which includes appointment to matches).

The Assistant Treasurer will provide list of outstanding levies at close of each General Meeting.

A reminder will be sent to these members, who at that point will be considered un-financial.

The Management Committee has resolved members whose levies remain unpaid after the second Friday of the month (i.e. one week late) be levied a fine of $20.

The Management Committee has resolved members whose levies remain unpaid after the third Friday of the month (i.e. two weeks late) be levied a fine of $50.

Members who are late with levies three times in a season will be invited to explain their actions before the Management Committee.

Levies – Difficulties

If you are experiencing difficulties in paying your levies, or indeed with any monies owing the Branch, please contact the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, or any member of the Management Committee directly and confidentially.

We can, and do, always make arrangements in such circumstances – but we can’t make arrangements if you don’t contact us to ask us!

Making contact and arrangements in this way will save you from being recorded as late in paying.

Address lists

All members are issued with an address list. This list is strictly confidential and no address, phone number, email address or other contact details are to be divulged to outside parties without the express knowledge of the member concerned.

Contactability

Members are requested to respect the privacy of members of the Management Committee by not contacting them at unreasonable or unusual hours. Please remember common courtesy and that members of the Management Committee work on an honorary basis.

Uniforms and Equipment

The referee’s strip which must be worn by all members is that of Unipro. The Branch has entered into an agreement with Unipro as our official apparel supplier.

Uniforms are supplied, through this agreement, at a reduced cost.

The cost of the uniforms covering the 2013 and 2014 seasons is $175.

All new members are required to purchase the uniform package.

This package comprises:

Black shirt (short sleeves)	Black socks
Yellow shirt (short sleeves)	Yellow socks
Blue shirt (short sleeves)	Blue socks
Shorts	Training shirt
Polo Shirt	Spray jacket
Gear bag	Tracksuit
Cap	Sweat Bands

Additional items will be available for purchase from the apparel supplier at discounted rates.

The Assessors kit will cost $55 and consists of:

Polo Shirt

Manager’s Jacket

Compendium

All members must be similarly attired. That means wearing the same uniform. There are no exceptions.

Members are expected to wear the Unipro polo shirt to and from matches.

For Premier League and Super League matches, members are expected to team the polo shirt with a pair of dress/business pants – not jeans and not tracksuit pants.

For all other matches members should team the polo shirt with neat casual attire. Appropriate footwear does not include thongs or flip-flops.

Members are encouraged to wear the Unipro polo shirt to monthly meetings.

Members are expected to wear the supplied training shirt to all training sessions, and pre-match warm-up.

Members are not to wear garments displaying a competitors logo or slogan to Division functions, including training and on match day. Members failing to comply with this requirement may be subject to disciplinary action.

Working With Children

Members are required to submit, each year, an Applicant Declaration and Consent in respect of Working with Children and return them to the Member Protection Information Officer (currently the Secretary).

The form can be found at https://check.kids.nsw.gov.au/background-check-consent.php

More information can be found on the Football NSW website at

http://www.footballnsw.com.au/index.php?id=160

and the NSW Commission for Children and Young People website http://www.kids.nsw.gov.au/.

Members who do not return this form will not be eligible for appointment to matches.

Insurance

Football NSW holds insurance policies covering members, paid for through our annual affiliation fee (part of your membership fee).

For more information about what is covered, or to make a claim, please visit the Football NSW website, and go to Resources >> Insurance or directly to http://www.fnswinsurance.com.au/

Members are encouraged to maintain their own private health insurance.

Other

Members should also note memos which are published in the monthly notice to members and which are issued by Football NSW with appointments to matches.