Western Bergen Soccer League

 

 

 

Established September 2020

 

 

Bylaws

 

 

Bylaws Last Revision Date: March 13, 2024

 

 

Article 1: Name

The name of this organization shall be Western Bergen Soccer League, hereinafter referred to as WBSL.

 

Article 2: Purpose

The purpose of WBSL shall be to promote (a) soccer as a sport, (b) team comradery, and (c) a fun and safe environment for member towns.  The league focus shall be primarily on recreation.  The organization is not focused on generating revenue but accepts monies and donations with the express purpose of advancing recreational soccer for member towns or improving league infrastructure. Towns, town representatives, and coaches must understand that the primary focus is to have fun and not to win the playoffs.

 

Article 3: Divisions

Pioneer Division (Grades 3&4)

Champions Division (Grades 5&6)

Premier Division (Grades 7&8)

 

Article 4: Member Towns & Organizations

 

Founding Towns	Year	Organization Name	Team Colors
Allendale	2020	Allendale Recreation Commission	Various
Mahwah	2020	Mahwah Youth Soccer	Light Blue
Upper Saddle River	2020	Upper Saddle River Soccer Association	Red and White Vertical Stripes
New Member Towns	Year	Organization Name	Team Colors
Ramsey	2021	Ramsey Soccer Association	Dark Blue
Ho-Ho-Kus/Saddle River	2022	Ho Ho Kus and Saddle River Soccer Association	Yellow
Midland Park	2023	Midland Park Soccer Association	Green
Oakland (5th-8th Grade)	2024	Oakland Recreation	Navy Blue

 

 

 

Article 5: Governing Body & Roles

5(a):  The Board of Directors, hereinafter referred to as BoD, shall be composed of persons from member towns.  Each town will have a minimum of one person on the BoD (Representative) but no more than two. In the event that a town has two Representatives, only one shall be selected as the voting member at the beginning of each calendar year.

5(b):  :  Representatives to the BoD are determined by each member town soccer organization at the beginning of each calendar year.

5(c):  Representatives are added on a yearly basis based upon league membership. Under rare circumstances, the BoD (after unanimous agreement by all towns) may request a member town replace a town Representative that is found to be deficient in his/her role.

5(d):  An annual meeting of the BoD will be held following the end of each season to discuss the existing Bylaws and Gameplay Rules and any potential opportunities for improvement.   The annual meeting will generally come with a formal agenda of discussion points with member towns having the ability to add items prior to or at the meeting.   Periodic meetings will generally be held on the first Wednesday of each month in March June-December (with the latter being the annual meeting) with the exception of July depending upon where July 4 falls (in which case it would be moved to the second Wednesday of July).

5(e):  Town Representatives shall act in the best interest of the league, in best faith, and not simply for a single member town.  The responsibilities include but are not limited to: scheduling, field coordination, referee coordination, finance/treasury, registration, rules enforcement (including roster management), disciplinary actions (including red card enforcement), and/or webmaster for the broader league needs.  The representative will funnel any questions or concerns for their town to the BoD and will act as an intermediary.  The representative shall ensure the member town’s schedule is alignment with field/referee availability, ensure coach contact lists are provided, ensure rosters are accurate, and will communicate rules/disciplinary concerns to/from the member town.  The town representative will act in good faith to address any coaching concerns or punishments and will ensure member town coaches act honorably.

5(f):  Votes may only be cast by BoD members in good standing and that have served at least one full calendar year.  New towns do not have a vote (regardless of having one or two Representatives) and their  during their first full calendar year which is probationary. Absentee votes may be cast and collected if provided within 24 hours of the annual meeting.  Towns which opt out of participation in certain divisions (due to a conscious decision rather than lack of numbers) will receive a vote equal to the percentage of divisions in which they participate.     

5(g):  Each BoD voting member gets ONE vote (subject to 5(f) above).  In the event that a vote ends in a tie, the tie is broken by the voting records of the three founding member towns – Allendale, Mahwah, and Upper Saddle River. 

5(h):  League Administrator:   The Town Representatives may at their discretion appoint a League Administrator on a calendar year to calendar year basis.   This role, if applicable, shall be appointed and/or re-confirmed at the annual BoD meeting and confirmed at the annual BoD meeting from year to year.  The role of the League Administrator will be to coordinate activities on behalf of the member towns including league scheduling, coordination of member town communications and votes, arbitration of disputes, website maintenance, etc.   The League Administrator shall act in an impartial manner with respect to the member towns with a mandate to act in a manner that will maximize the likelihood of success and sustainability of WBSL as a going concern. 

 

Article 6:  Changes to Gameplay Rules or League By-Laws

6(a):   End of Season Game Play Rules Changes:   Changes to Gameplay Rules will be implemented if approved by a simple majority of voting Town Representatives at the annual meeting of the BoD (subject to the provisions of 5(f))

6(b):   End of Season Bylaws Changes:   Changes to Bylaws will be subject to a super majority (75% )of voting Town Representatives at the annual meeting of the BoD (subject to the provisions of 5(f)).  Changes to Bylaws may only occur in the annual meeting.

6(c):   In Season Gameplay Rules Changes:    May be proposed on an exceptional basis (generally resulted from a scenario which the Gameplay Rules did not account for) subject to a super majority (75%) vote.

 

Article 7: Season Dates, Playoffs, & Standings

7(a):   Season Dates:   The regular season will begin on the weekend following Labor Day weekend and proceed through the weekend prior to NJ Teachers Convention weekend.     The two weekends prior to NJ Teachers Convention weekend will remain unscheduled until the prior Monday of the first referenced weekend (or earlier when practicable) with a goal of scheduling evenly matched teams.   Each of the last two games referenced above will utilize a golden goal + penalty kick format (no ties allowed) to ensure a playoff experience for each team.  

No games will be formally scheduled by the league during Columbus Day or NJ Teachers Convention weekends due to various conflicts but timeslots may be utilized by Town Representatives upon mutual agreement for reschedulings and/or town friendlies, the latter of which would not count towards league standing.    Girls’ divisions will generally play on Saturday mornings and Boys’ Divisions will generally play on Sunday afternoons.    Weeknight games may be required to achieve the BoD’s targeted number of games for a season and/or for make-ups.   No town or team may opt out of weeknight games, whether they be scheduled games or make-ups.   Towns should always try to play their schedule (number of games and date/time) as outlined unless ACTS OF GOD (for example bad weather) force a temporary cancellation requiring rescheduling.   Only Town Representatives can cancel games if the assigned field is open (i.e., coaches may not cancel games outside of this construct.   Guidance for borrowing players during regular season games will be governed by the Rules of Competition.    

7(b):  Rescheduling Games:  Cancelled games must be made up and completed no later than the Friday prior to Teacher’s Convention Weekend  for the game to count towards Championship Weekend seeding.   If one team doesn’t put in the effort to make up the game it is considered a 3-2 forfeit in favor of the team which made multiple attempts.   Teams may make up games beyond the above timeframe but will be treated as friendlies.

7(c):   Game Changes and Confirmation of Games:   Once the season schedule is deemed officially released, any change to the game time must be agreed to by the home coach and representative and the opposing coach.   In addition, any field change after the schedule is deemed officially released is subject to explicit acknowledgment by the visiting coach to avoid inadvertent no shows.   Additionally, the home team coach should initiate contact with the opposing coach at least a day prior to the game to confirm field and time details.   The visiting coach, however, is encouraged to reach out if there hasn’t been contact from the home coach.   Failure by the home team coach to confirm details of a game which resulted in a no show may result in awarding a forfeit to the visiting team if the game cannot be rescheduled following good faith efforts by both coaches.

7(d): Championship Games:   A Championship Game will be held between the top two teams for each division on the weekend following NJ Teacher’s Convention weekend.    Playoff matches should generally be held on the designated day for a division (Saturdays for girls, Sundays for boys) unless otherwise agreed upon by both coaches in coordination with the Town Representatives.   Playoff games will not end in a tie in accordance with the Gameplay Rules and will be hosted by the higher seeded town.   Each Championship Game coach must provide a roster in a format designated by the league by the Sunday prior to Championship Game weekend which will be shared with opposing coaches and Town Representatives.   Persistent use of players not on a team’s roster throughout the season may result in a forfeit, relinquishment of the league trophy and sanctioning of the coach for subsequent seasons.

7(): Standings Tiebreakers:  Games Played will be the first tiebreaker, followed by Total Match Points, with 3 points awarded for each win and 1 point awarded for each tie.   In the event a majority of teams in a division has played less than the number of scheduled games (including make-ups), the playoff tiebreakers will be assessed based upon the reduced number of games (generally due to rainouts affecting most but not all teams on a late season weekend).   In the event of reduced games counting towards playoff tiebreakers, all games from the impacted weekend will be disregarded even if played.    The tiebreakers after Games Played and Total Match Points are   Head-to-Head Result, Goals Against (lower is better), Goals For (higher is better), Number of Away Games Played (higher is better), Coin Flip.   The league at its discretion will award a forfeit in cases of a non-bona fide effort by a coach to reschedule a game, generally in cases where multiple alternatives were presented.

7(f): Suspending Games. The referee(s) ultimately make the decision on whether or not to suspend a game. If a game is suspended in mid-play due to weather or some other unforeseen issue, there are various outcomes based on type of game and time into game:

A.      For regular season games:

a.       Replayed from suspended minute if it was stopped in the first-half.    The score at the time of suspension is maintained for remaining replay.

b.       Considered final if it was stopped in the second half, regardless of score. Existing score would stand as final.

B.      For playoff games:

a.       Officials and teams shall wait 30 minutes to see if weather eases and the game can continue before being suspended.

b.       If the game cannot be continued, it must be continued at a future date with the score intact and from the suspended timepoint.

7(g): Playoff scheduling and player availability. Unless games are condemned due to weather or an ACT of GOD, a playoff game must be played during the scheduled weekend unless mutually agreed upon by both coaches and Town Representatives. Teams may not borrow players for  playoff matches as the outcomes should be based the players from a team’s active roster who are available to play.  

A team may play a MAXIMUM of one player down from a full minimum starting squad (as dictated by rules) at their discretion in a playoff match with no obligation for the opposing team to do the same.     If a team is unable to field a team for playoff matches  during the scheduled weekend, the next best team in the final standings will replace the team for the balance of the playoffs.

Article 8: Sportsmanship and Fair Play

8(a): The primary function of this league is fun, even though playoffs exist. Any coach, player, town Representative, or even parent found to be in direct violation of this function is open to discipline as decided by the BoD.

8(b): Coaches may only borrow players during the Regular Season only in accordance with Gameplay Rules.  Referees will ask each head coach whether they have  borrowed and/or non-drafted (on that team) players in the game and identify to the opposing head coach prior to the start of any regular season game.   If borrowing players from the same age group, the borrowed player MUST not be more impactful on potential game outcome than the missing player(s).    It is generally encouraged that players play up from the immediately lower division where possible.      No borrowed players may be utilized which would bring a team’s game roster to above the parameters established in the Gameplay Rules.   In addition, players may only be borrowed who registered for recreational soccer via a Town’s standard process and is actively competing on another recreational soccer team within the Town.  Finally, players should only be added to a roster following the draft via the Town Representative in a manner which maximizes the potential for competitive balance between Town teams in that age group (no cherry picking of teams by players/parents or recruiting of players by coaches).

Failure to adhere to the parameters may result in a forfeit if not remedied at the discretion of the referees and potentially further league sanctions for the offending coach, particular in cases of recurring behavior which may result in multiple retroactive forfeits in cases such as persistent abuse.  Town Representatives encouraged to size teams in a manner which will ensure availability for most games from the drafted roster while accounting for the potential for injuries during the season and more frequent conflicts for higher grades.

8(c):  Town Representatives are responsible for informing coaches and player parents and enforcing a minimum one game suspension in cases where a red card is issued without exception.   Towns are encouraged to get in front of bad behavior by coaches, parents and players utilizing the following methods:

 

1)      Town meeting with coaches and referees prior to the start of the season, emphasizing the importance of proper behavior by coaches (including no dissension with referees) and emphasizing the importance of issuing cards to referees with a particular emphasis upon youth referees.    Coaches should be instructed that there is a zero tolerance towards poor behavior towards referees, players (including their own) and opposing coaches.   In addition, rules relating to no player scoring more than 5 goals during the regular season and prohibitions against winning by more than 7 goals should be emphasized to coaches;

2)      Coaches meeting with parents before the start of the season to emphasize expected behavior (positive encouragement to players and no dissension towards referees, coaches and opposing parents/players)

 

8(d): No team shall attempt to back into the playoffs by avoiding tough games and no coach shall knowingly find ways to bend the rules (including borrowing players outside of the Gameplay Rules guidelines) to benefit his/her team’s playoffs standings.

 

Article 9:   Shared Expenses

9(a):  Towns participating in the league shall split any costs incurred, (e.g., website hosting, scheduling, pooled referees, playoff trophies, etc.).  .  Trophy (or alternative Championship award) costs will be split pro-rata across each division where a town has at least one participating team, irrespective of whether that team made the playoffs.  The BoD may decide to award alternatives to player trophies (e.g., sweatshirts or shirts) for any or all divisions.

9(b):   Trophies will be distributed as follows: Second place finishing team receives a Runner Up trophy (or alternative agreed upon by BoD) for each participant, First place finishing team receives a 1^st place trophy (or alternative agreed upon by BoD) for each participant and a plaque for each coach, and each Town representing the winning team is handed the perpetual Cup trophy that is personalized with the TOWN and YEAR after each Final.

9(c): There will be no defacing or further personalizing the Town perpetual Cups (ie with coach’s or team’s names) while entrusted with the winning town. If damage is incurred to the perpetual Cup, the entrusted town will have to pay to fix or replace the Cup.

9(d): Towns are allowed collect money through sponsorships for their jerseys subject to the following:

A.      Jerseys must not have political statements or foul language

B.      Jerseys may not be sponsored by other soccer clubs (i.e., Crush, Stateline, Hotspur, Americans, etc.)

Violation of this rule incurs a 3-2 forfeit any time the jersey is worn and the sponsorship information is visible.

 

 

Article 10:  Gameplay Rules

Gameplay Rules will be managed separately and maintained in a separate document

 

 

Appendix I:  BoD Active Membership & History

 

Founding Town Representatives:
Name	Member Town	Active Year(s)
Brett Coplin	Mahwah	2020-present
Frank DePierro	Upper Saddle River	2020-present
Jeffrey Malo	Allendale/Unaffiliated	2020-2021/2022-present
Active Town Representatives
Name	Member Town	Active Year(s)
Brett Coplin	Mahwah	2020-present
Gregory Jachts	Ramsey	2021-present
Mike Minicucci	Allendale	2022-present
James Pitchley	Ho-ho-kus/Saddle River	2022-present
Mike Kenney	Midland Park	2023-present
John Milian	Upper Saddle River	2023-present
Megan Rotundo	Oakland	2024-present
Historical Membership
Role	Name	Member Town	Year(s)
Town Representative	Frank DePierro	Upper Saddle River	2020-2022
Town Representative	Jeffrey Malo	Allendale	2020-2021
Town Delegate	Tony Monks	Mahwah	2020-2021
Town Delegate	Jed Bowen	Upper Saddle River	2021-2022

 

League Administrator
Name	Member Town	Active Year(s)
Jeffrey Malo	Unaffiliated	2024-present