Western Maine Board of Approved Soccer Officials
Constitution & By-Laws
Adopted 1989
Revised 06/04/2014
Article I
Name
The name of this corporation shall be "The Western Maine Board of Approved Soccer Officials". (Referred to as WMBASO throughout the document)
Affiliations
The WMBASO shall maintain affiliations with New England Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NEISOA), Maine Association of Soccer Officials (MASO), National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS, Maine Principal Association (MPA), and other soccer--related groups as appropriate.
Governing Documents
The Constitution, Bylaws, policies and other governing documents will be updated as necessary via the process described in Article VI.
Article II
Purpose
The purpose of this association shall be:
To Promote, develop and improve the game of soccer in the State of Maine.
To collaborate with the regional associations, coaches and all state organizations that will ethically promote the advancement of soccer.
To promote the uniform interpretation and administration of soccer rules by all officials.
To recruit, develop and maintain an adequate number of capable officials for use by the schools and colleges in Maine.
Article III
Membership
A. Membership in this organization shall be granted to the following:
All persons interested in becoming locally qualified, who are 18 years of age at time of application, who have passed the requirements of the examining committee of any approved MASO recognized board, and provided proof of same, and have met the conditions set forth under the bylaws of this board.
All persons must pass the requirements of the WMBASO, and MASO as well as any requirements set forth by the MPA.
Any individual who by court order is restricted from having contact with a minor(s) or who is a registered sex offender against a minor is ineligible for membership. 2 Revised 06/04/2014
B. Types of Memberships:
New/Probationary: Must meet the dues and attendance requirements set forth by the bylaws and take a written teaching test. The test score must meet the minimum standard of 80% as set by the Executive Committee.
Locally Qualified: Must have passed the WMBASO local qualifying test and remain in good standing with this board as set forth in its membership bylaws.
Transfer: Must already be a member in good standing of MASO or any approved state soccer board and may transfer their membership by meeting the conditions set forth under membership bylaws of this board.
Associate: Available to current members in good standing who have requested to be inactive for a period of time. This request must be made to the officers of the board.
Dual Membership: WMBASO members may belong to more than one MASO recognized board.
Lifetime Member: A member or past member of the board who has distinguished him or herself through outstanding service to this board. Lifetime membership can be granted at any regular meeting of the board by a two-thirds motion of the members present. There are no dues for lifetime members.
C. Classifications: All members will be classified according to their training, experience, and successful completion of (required test) all requirements as set forth by the board.
Class III - All new/probationary members who have not passed the Class II test.
Class II - Have successfully completed a one year probationary period and passed the required test for Class II.
Class I - Have met all requirements of Class II, and have passed all the MASO test requirements for Class I. http://masoref.com/MASOConstitution.htm (Article VIII)
Collegiate - Must be Class I and have successfully passed applicable NEISOA and NISOA tests.
D. Membership Review: The Executive Committee (at the direction of the President) has the authority to review the overall ability of an official resulting from issues/complaints received from coaches, administrators and/or fellow officials. Should the action be warranted, the process would be as follows: President may appoint a member (or members) of the board deemed qualified to attend a match to provide an independent assessment of the ability of the official to effectively oversee the match.
Should the first assessment prove negative, a second, similar assessment would follow (different assessor). Should the second assessment also prove negative, the Executive Committee would ask that the assignor remove the official from remaining games. An official stripped of his/her schedule in this manner may apply for reinstatement after successfully completing the new officials training course offered by the board.
Article IV
Officers
A. The officers of the WMBASO shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer, Interpreter, and MASO representatives. The Executive Committee shall be comprised of these officers plus two at-large members. One at-large member to be voted on by the membership, and the second to be appointed by the President.
B. The term of service will run for two years beginning on the 1st of January following the election.
C. The following positions will be elected in even numbered years: president, vice-president, one MASO representative. The in-coming President will choose an at-large member at this time.
D. The following positions will be elected in odd numbered years: secretary/treasurer, interpreter, one MASO representative, one member at-large.
E. Officers and committee members shall serve as volunteers and shall not be compensated for their time, except for the secretary/treasurer who shall receive a stipend as set by the executive committee each year. All reasonable expenses may be reimbursed if presented to the Secretary/Treasurer with receipts. (updated 6/2/19)
F. A Nominating Committee will be selected by the Executive Committee for the purpose of nominating candidates for all elected positions. The Nominating Committee will be composed of: two current members of the Executive Committee, one past member of the Executive Committee, and two individuals from the Membership at large.
The Membership may submit the names of potential candidates for consideration to the Nominating Committee by September 1st for the October election of that year. The Nominating Committee will propose a slate of candidates to the Membership for election by October 1st. Election will take place at the last business meeting of the year and will be by simple majority of those present.
G. Should the need to remove/replace an officer arise the process is as follows: Written notification of removal of office must be made by either the President or the Secretary/Treasurer to the officer being removed. After a minimum of two weeks, the membership will meet and vote (two-thirds required of present members) to remove/replace the officer.
H. Officers who are needed to fill incomplete terms will be elected as follows: Nominees will be taken by the Nominating Committee from the general membership to fill the vacancy, as soon as the vacancy is official. Should there be more than one candidate for a specific vacancy; a written ballot will be conducted with the candidate receiving the majority of the votes being elected to complete the remainder of the term.
I. In the event that a WMBASO MASO representative is elected an officer at MASO, WMBASO shall elect a third member for that two year term.
J. The Executive Committee has the authority to form other committees as necessary.
K. The assignor is not an Executive Committee member unless that individual is elected by the membership to fill such a position. The assignor is hired by the Conferences the Board serves per the MPA contract.
Article V
Meetings
Meetings will be held at a time and location made known to all members.
Attendance at meetings is required. Any member failing to attend 60% of annual meetings is subject to disciplinary actions as set forth in the bylaws.
An annual spring meeting will be called by the Executive Committee with due notice of general membership. At the spring meeting, the Executive Committee will provide the membership with the list of annual meetings subject to attendance Standards and designate business versus training sessions. There shall be a minimum of three business meetings annually and the banquet shall not be considered a business meeting. Inability to meet the meeting requirements must be directed to the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee in writing for proper action.
All business shall be governed by Roberts Rules of Order.
Article VI
Amendments
Amendments to this constitution and /or by-laws shall be addressed in two separate business meetings. Proposed changes shall be given to the membership two weeks prior to the first reading. At the next business meeting, a two-thirds vote of the members present will be needed to adopt the amendments.
Article VII
Working of Games
Members may only accept game assignments from an assigner. Members who fail to show or fail to show in a timely manner for an assigned game shall face disciplinary actions as directed by the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee. Game assignments are to be fulfilled as assigned unless an emergency warrants otherwise and is approved by field administration. Game assignments, once accepted, may be turned back with the stipulation that a fee may be assessed. Individuals who fail to honor their commitment for accepted assignments may be subject to loss of games or entire schedule.
Qualifications for post season assignments are determined by the MPA and are published in MPA Bulletin.
Article VIII
Indemnification
WMBASO shall indemnify all members serving in official capacity for the Board, including officers, committee members, and others as the case may be.
Article IX
Fiscal Matters
Fiscal Year: The fiscal year of the WMBASO shall begin on January 1, and end on December 31.
Annual Budget: The annual budget, as proposed by the Secretary / Treasurer, will be put before the Executive Committee to be voted upon for approval then presented to the membership at the spring business meeting.
Article X
Discrimination
It is the policy of WMBASO not to discriminate against any member or prospective member because of age, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
By-Laws
A. Executive Committee
Roles & Responsibilities
1. President – The president shall give active direction and have control of the business and affairs of WMBASO. The president provides general oversight of the Executive Board Members and general operations of WMBASO. He or she may sign contracts or other instruments, which the Executive Board and or membership has authorized to be executed and shall perform all duties incident to the position of president as may be prescribed by the membership. The president is responsible to set the agenda, plan trainings and run meetings.
2. Vice President – In the absence of the President, or in the event of the President’s inability or refusal to act, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting shall have all of the powers and duties of the President. The Vice President shall serve as an Ex-officio non-voting member of all committees, with the exception of the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee. The chairs of all committees report to the Vice President. The Vice President provides oversight to the operations and work of the committees. The Vice President shall perform such other duties as assigned by the President.
3. Secretary / Treasurer – The Secretary / Treasurer shall keep the minutes of the meeting of the membership and of the Executive Committee; give all notices in accordance with the provisions of these by-laws or as required by law, maintain a current membership roster. S/he is responsible for billing and collection of dues and fees. S/he maintains bank records and generates reports to the membership and Executive Committee. S/he reports all members not in good standing to the Executive Committee. S/he will prepare an annual budget for approval by the Executive Committee. All reasonable and customary expenses of the board and Executive Committee may be paid by the Treasurer and in general have such other powers and perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary / Treasurer and other such duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the President or Executive Committee.
4. Rules Interpreter – The Rules Interpreter shall have a thorough understanding of the NFHS and MPA written laws as well as a working knowledge of how/when the laws are applied. S/he shall attend meetings relevant to the interpretation of NFHS and MPA rulings such that s/he can successfully clarify the rules. Further, the Rule Interpreter shall provide guidance and instruction to the membership in such a manner to ensure the consistent application of all NFHS and MPA rules. In addition, the Rules Interpreter shall perform other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the President or Executive Committee.
5. MASO Representative (2) - The MASO representatives shall represent the interests of WMBASO and its membership at MASO meetings. At minimum, one of the two MASO Representatives shall attend all meetings and report back to the Executive Committee with a summation of the meeting’s purpose, results, and action items. The MASO Representatives shall represent the best interests of WMBASO. In addition, the MASO Representatives shall perform the duties incident to the office of MASO Representative and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the President or Executive Committee.
6. Member at Large (2) - The Member at Large is a voting member of the Executive Committee. The Members at Large shall perform other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the President or Executive Committee.
B. Referee Assignor - The Referee Assignor is an independent contractor who represents the schools for the purpose of assigning referees to soccer games under their jurisdiction.
6 Revised 06/04/2014
C. Officers Liability Insurance
The Executive Committee shall authorize the purchase of insurance on behalf of any officer or other agent against any liability incurred by him or her which arises out of the such person’s status as an officer, or agent, whether or not WMBASO would have the power to indemnify the person against that liability under the law.
D. Membership
Expectations - All Members must:
1. Pay annual dues equal to the current high school varsity fee for a class one official plus additional fees as determined by the Executive Committee prior to June 1st for the following year which will include membership in the National Federation. Associate membership dues shall be one half of the regular annual dues. New/Transfer members must pay dues prior to being assigned games.
2. Attend 60% of all meetings in that calendar year.
3. Attend an annual MASO approved rules interpretation meeting.
4. Wear an approved uniform as prescribed by WMBASO and described by applicable NFHS or NCAA Rule Books.
In addition to the above, Locally Qualified members (Article IIIB) must meet the following requirements as well:
5. Attendance and participation in the mandatory physical fitness test.
6. All outstanding fines must be paid before June 1st of the following year.
Penalties: Subject to review by the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee, the following fines shall be levied for violations of the membership by-laws:
Section Penalty
A - 1 $10.00 fine plus dues.
A - 2 $10.00 fine for each meeting below 60%, plus loss of opportunity to advance to the next membership level.
A - 3 Fine of Class 1 varsity fee.
A - 4 $10.00 fine and/or possible loss of assigned games.
A - 5 Fine of half the class 1 varsity fee.
A - 6 Assignor is notified that the official is not a member in good standing, and no matches will be assigned.
Professional Standards
1. Members are expected to :
a) Show up to all assigned games.
b) Be at all assigned games in time to perform pregame duties.
c) Honor all accepted assignments.
d) In case of emergency, officials must notify the host school of their inability to officiate or the possibility of being late.
e) If in doubt that a game will be played, contact the school prior to traveling.
2. Officials must conduct themselves appropriately at all times when conducting their duties, and should always work to establish a professional image, and are expected to uphold the rules of the National Federation, MPA and local leagues.
3. Officials will work with only an official from a MASO recognized board in all levels of schoolboy/schoolgirl assignments.
Penalties: Subject to review by the Disciplinary Committee, the following fines shall be levied for violations of the membership by-laws:
Section Penalty
B - 1a The fee of the missed game
B - 1b Subject to Review
B - 1c Pay the turn back fee set by the Executive Committee annually
B - 1d Subject to Review
B - 2 Subject to Review
B - 3 Subject to Review
E. Committees
Authority: The following committees shall have the power and duties designated by the Executive Committee and shall give advice and make non-binding recommendations to the Executive Committee.
Composition: Committees will be comprised of three to five (3-5) WMBASO members who are in good standing unless otherwise indicated in the Committee description. Every attempt will be made to populate this committee in an equitable manner with members of the WMBASO representing the geographic area it serves. The WMBASO Executive Committee will appoint a Chairperson to guide/facilitate the committee’s process.
Term: Each member of the Committee will serve a term of two (2) years. Each member can be nominated and approved to serve consecutive terms if so desired by the official. It is recommended that Committee members have staggered terms to ensure continuity of the committee.
Awards and Membership Recognition Committee
Purpose: The WMBASO shall establish an Awards and Membership Recognition Committee to annually recognize players and/or coaches who exemplify high standards and characteristics of soccer skills, leadership, and sportsmanship. Each year a plaque and/or certificate will be presented to those individuals selected near the end of the Fall Soccer Season. The Awards and Membership Recognition Committee will also be responsible for any other Special Recognitions that might be presented and/or recommended by any member of the Board.
Process: The Awards and Membership Recognition Committee shall take nominations from the WMBASO membership throughout the Fall Soccer Season and compile the names to select those most qualified as determined by the committee.
The Awards and Membership Recognition Committee has the option of selecting and recommending individuals for awards to be given or, several candidates that will be presented to the WMBASO membership to vote on.
Members from the Awards and Membership Recognition Committee and/or their delegates shall make the presentation to the awards recipients.
Charitable Contribution Committee
Purpose: The WMBASO shall establish a Charitable Contributions Committee to annually support the philanthropic activities of a local not-for-profit organization which serves the youth of WMBASO’s service area. The membership is encouraged to contribute up to one game fee or other monies at their discretion annually.
Process: The Charitable Contribution Committee will define the criteria and measures used in determining the not-for-profit organization receiving the contribution. The Charitable Contribution Committee shall solicit donations from the WMBASO membership. The contributions and/or game fees are received by WMBASO’s Secretary/Treasurer and are segregated and deposited into a charitable contribution fund held by the organization. At the conclusion of the soccer season the WMBASO Secretary/Treasurer shall determine the amount of funds donated and prepare a check payable to the not-for-profit organization.
Members from the Charitable Contribution Committee and/or their delegates shall make the presentation to the recipient.
Ethics & Disciplinary Committee
Purpose: The WMBASO shall establish an Ethics & Disciplinary Committee to appropriately and fairly adjudicate concerns, complaints, and grievances registered (here forward identified as ‘notice’) against the officer(s) or member(s) of the WMBASO.
Composition: Members of the WMBASO Executive Committee do not serve on the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee.
Conflict of Interest: Whenever a notice is filed against a member of the Executive Committee and/or the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee, he/she shall be shall be disqualified in hearing the notice.
Governance: The Ethics & Disciplinary Committee shall be guided by the WMBASO Bylaws and policies and utilize the NFHS Officials Code of Ethics contained within the NFHS rule book.
Confidentiality: The findings and records of the WMBASO Ethics & Disciplinary Committee shall be kept confidential and shall be disclosed only to the person(s) upon whom the discipline has been imposed, the person(s) complaining, and to the WMBASO Executive Committee.
Due Process: All ‘notices’ must be written and shall include the following information:
• Date, time and location of incident
• If ‘notice’ is game related -identify teams competing –including gender and level of play of teams
• Brief detailed description of the incident, concern, complaint, and/or grievance
• Steps taken (if any) to address the incident in advance of drafting ‘notice’
Upon receipt of the ‘notice’ the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee shall be immediately notified and be provided the written ‘notice.’ The Ethics & Disciplinary Committee shall immediately investigate to substantiate the validity of the ‘notice.’ The accused party(s) named in the ‘notice’ shall be notified within three (3) days via phone and provided a copy of the notice.
The accused party is prohibited in contacting any and all parties involved in the making of the notice. Once the accused party has a copy of the written notice s/he will have five (5) days ‘to respond’ in writing. The response must be sent to the WMBASO Ethics & Disciplinary Committee for review/consideration.
Upon receipt of the response, the WMBASO Ethics & Disciplinary Committee shall reconvene within five (5) business days to review the facts presented and to make a finding based on the notice and the accused party’s response. The accused party has the right to meet with the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee within a timely fashion. After which, the Committee shall draft and mail a written decision/findings letter via return registered receipt to the accused. The ‘findings letter’ must contain a detailed written decision stating the reasons for the decision, based solely on the evidence of record. If the decision can be appealed, the party must be advised of such. The party must also be advised that he/she has three (3) days to properly register the appeal. A copy of the Committee’s findings letter shall be forwarded to the Vice President who informs the President and the Assigner (if appropriate) of the incident, findings and sanctions. If a response to an outside party is needed it shall be done by and at the discretion of the President.
Sanctions: Any rights and/or privileges of any officer or member of the WMBASO may be suspended by the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee providing ‘Due Process” has been followed.
Any/all sanctions will be progressive in nature and escalate based on the severity and/or frequency of the events leading up to the sanction. This shall not limit/restrict the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee to “jump” the progression of sanctions.
Progression of sanctions:
1. Verbal warning
2. Written warning and action plan
3. Written warning with probationary period and action plan
4. Reduction in games and action plan
5. Demotion in class
6. Suspension with written explanation as to why the member is suspended and what actions are required to be reinstated
7. Removal from Office
8. Revocation of Membership
Appeals: Any officer or member of the WMBASO may appeal the decision of the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee in writing to the WMBASO Executive Committee within three (3) days of the mailing date of the “findings letter.”
Upon receipt of the appeal letter from the accused, the WMBASO Executive Committee shall convene as the Appeals Hearing Committee. The accused and the Appeals Hearing Committee shall meet within seven (7) days to discuss the appeal with the accused officer or member. The hearing shall be closed to the general membership and public. The hearing shall be conducted by the Appeals Hearing Committee and the WMBASO President shall preside at the hearing. The Vice President shall preside in the event the President is the accused; and the Secretary/Treasurer shall preside in the event both the President and the Vice President are the accused.
Upon completion of the Appeals Hearing, the Appeals Hearing Committee has the authority to:
uphold the sanctions of the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee; or,
select its own recommendation of any of the sanctions previously mentioned; or,
dismiss the sanctions of the Ethics & Disciplinary Committee
All decisions of the WMBASO Executive Committee shall be final.
Document Retention: All records, including, but not limited to, the supporting actions, documents, and correspondence shall be destroyed three years from the completion of any sanctions providing no further concern, complaint, and/or grievance is registered against the individual.
If a new concern, complaint, and/or grievance is levied and substantiated by the WMBASO and/or any other affiliated member organization of MASO within the above timeframe, then all records identified above shall be kept open until the end of the retention period of the last registered sanction has been fulfilled.
All records for non-substantiated claims shall be destroyed at the end of the current soccer season.
Fitness Testing Committee
Purpose: The WMBASO shall establish a Fitness Testing Committee to administer WMBASO’s annual fitness test required by MASO.
Process: All members who are classified as Class I or Class II are required to participate in the WMBASO fitness test. Individuals having demonstrated proof of completing the collegiate fitness test, are exempt from taking the WMBASO fitness test. Elements of the fitness test shall be determined by the MASO.
The committee is charged with monitoring and administering the physical fitness test.
Mentor Committee
Purpose: The mentor is charged with connecting experienced officials with new officials with the goal of improving the quality and experience for new officials.
Process: Upon successful completion of the ‘new official training program,’ each new officials will be assigned a mentor. Additionally, those officials requiring and/or requesting a mentor to resolve deficiencies and/or further develop their skills shall be assigned a mentor.
Referee Assessment Committee
Composition: Will be comprised of all WMBASO members who have been certified to do assessments.
Purpose: The WMBASO shall establish a Referee Assessment Committee to administer WMBASO’s referee assessments.
Process: Assessments can be both developmental and formal.
Assessments:
Formal assessments follow specific criteria as outlined on the MASO Assessment Form, and may be conducted by any recognized MASO assessor. Assessment reports, with recommendations by the Assessor, are to be forwarded to the Secretary/Treasurer of the WMBASO for final action by the Executive Committee.
There is a varsity game fee for each formal assessment. Fees are to be paid in advance to the WMBASO Treasurer prior to the start of the season.
Upon receipt of the formal assessment, the Executive Committee may:
• Approve the upgrade in classification; or,
• Deny the upgrade in classification with cause given to the applicant and require additional assessments be performed by different Assessors.
If an Upgrade is denied, the official shall receive a written explanation identifying needed areas of improvement.
All officials are encouraged to have a developmental assessment for educational purposes to receive general feedback on their skills on a periodic basis. The fee for a developmental assessment will be . a varsity game fee paid directly to the assessor. Arrangements for a developmental assessment should be made between the assessor and the individual.
Nominating Committee:
Purpose: To nominate candidates for all elected positions.
Composition: A Nominating Committee will be selected by the Executive Committee and will be composed of: two current members of the Executive Committee, one past member of the Executive Committee, and two individuals from the Membership at large.
Process: The Membership may submit the names of potential candidates for consideration to the Nominating Committee by September 1st for the October election of that year. The Nominating Committee will propose a slate of candidates to the Membership for election by October 1st. Election will take place at the last business meeting before the banquet and will be by simple majority.
Referee Training & Development
Purpose: The WMBASO shall establish a Referee Training & Development Committee to administer WMBASO Referee Training & Development program.
Process: The WMBASO shall utilize a variety of means / methods to further the advancement of its officials
Last Modified: Oct 21, 2023