# Constitution of the Uttar Pradesh American Football Association (U.P.A.F.A.) **Status: DRAFT — v0.1 — not yet adopted by the General Body** *This is a working draft prepared as a starting structure. It must be reviewed by legal counsel familiar with the Societies Registration Act / applicable registration statute and Indian sports governance norms before being placed before the General Body for adoption. The Association's registration number and date (Article 1.4) and the adoption date (end of document) remain to be inserted once those events occur.* --- ## Article 1 — Name, Registered Office, and Jurisdiction 1.1. The name of the Association shall be **"Uttar Pradesh American Football Association"**, referred to throughout this Constitution and all official documents as **"U.P.A.F.A."** 1.2. The registered office of the Association shall be located at: **H. No. 1, Street No. 1, Shankar Vihar 2, Chipiyana Buzurg, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh – 201009, India.** 1.3. The Association's jurisdiction extends to the promotion, governance, and development of American Football (including flag football) throughout the State of Uttar Pradesh. 1.4. The Association is registered under the **Societies Registration Act, 1860**, as applicable in Uttar Pradesh. Registration number and date of registration shall be inserted in this Constitution upon receipt of the registration certificate from the Registrar of Firms, Societies and Chits, Uttar Pradesh; until then, registration shall be treated as in progress. --- ## Article 2 — Objects The objects of U.P.A.F.A. shall be: 2.1. To promote, develop, regulate, and popularize American Football and flag football throughout Uttar Pradesh, at every level from grassroots to elite competition. 2.2. To organize and sanction competitions, leagues, coaching clinics, and referee certification programs within the state. 2.3. To establish and maintain a district- and zone-level organizational structure to extend the sport's reach across Uttar Pradesh. 2.4. To identify, nurture, and support pathways for athletes toward national and international competition, including flag football's inclusion at the LA 2028 Olympic Games. 2.5. To uphold fair play, athlete safety, anti-doping principles, and safeguarding standards in all activities conducted under the Association's authority. 2.6. U.P.A.F.A. is affiliated with the American Football Federation of India (AFFI) and shall continue to comply with all applicable AFFI rules, regulations, and directives, as well as the National Sports Development Code of India where such compliance is required for recognition. 2.7. To do all such other lawful acts as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects. --- ## Article 3 — Definitions - **"Association"** means U.P.A.F.A. - **"General Body"** means the collective membership of the Association as defined in Article 5. - **"Executive Committee"** means the governing body elected under Article 6. - **"District Unit"** means a recognized district-level affiliate as described in Article 8. - **"Member"** means any individual or district unit holding membership under Article 4. - **"Financial Year"** means the period from **1 April to 31 March**. --- ## Article 4 — Membership 4.1. **Categories of membership:** - **District Member** — a recognized District Unit (District Association), represented by its designated district secretary/administrator, per the hierarchy in Article 8. - **Club Member** — an affiliated club or academy operating within a District Unit's territory, registered per the Bye-laws and affiliated through that District Unit. - **Life Member** — an individual granted lifetime membership by the Executive Committee in recognition of distinguished contribution to American Football, sports administration, or U.P.A.F.A. - **Ordinary Member** — any individual (coach, referee, club administrator) registered and in good standing through the Association's registration portal. 4.2. Membership is open without discrimination on the grounds prohibited by applicable law, subject to meeting the criteria set out in this Article and any bye-laws made under it. 4.3. Membership may be suspended or terminated by the Executive Committee for conduct violating the Code of Conduct (Article 12), following the process set out in the Code of Conduct document. 4.4. Membership fees shall be set by the Executive Committee and ratified by the General Body, and may be revised by General Body resolution without amending this Constitution. The fee schedule in force as of adoption is set out in the Bye-laws (District Association, Club, Individual, and Life Member tiers). --- ## Article 5 — The General Body 5.1. The General Body is the supreme authority of the Association. It consists of one authorized voting representative from each affiliated District Association (District Member), together with all Life Members in good standing, each of whom holds one vote in an individual capacity. Executive Committee members may attend and vote at General Body meetings unless otherwise restricted by this Constitution or a resolution of the General Body. 5.2. The General Body shall meet in **Annual General Meeting (AGM)** at least once every financial year, and in **Special General Meeting** as required under Article 5.5. 5.3. **Quorum** for a General Body meeting shall be **one-third of voting members, or fifteen (15) voting members, whichever is higher**. If quorum is not met, the meeting shall stand adjourned and reconvened per the bye-laws. 5.4. Powers of the General Body include: - Electing the Executive Committee per Article 6 and the Elections Policy. - Adopting, amending, or repealing this Constitution (two-thirds majority of those present and voting). - Approving the annual budget and audited accounts. - Removing an office bearer for cause, per the process in the Code of Conduct. 5.5. A Special General Meeting may be called by the President, by majority resolution of the Executive Committee, or upon written requisition of at least **one-third** of voting members. --- ## Article 6 — The Executive Committee 6.1. The Executive Committee is the principal governing and executive authority of the Association between General Body meetings. 6.2. **Composition**: - President — 1 - Secretary General — 1 - Treasurer — 1 - Chairperson, Women's Commission — 1 - Executive Members — 3 The Executive Committee shall have seven (7) members in total. There is no Vice President office. Executive Members are elected without reserved seats for district or athlete representation. The Executive Committee may appoint advisors or observers to attend its meetings; such advisors and observers do not hold voting rights. 6.3. **Term of office**: Each Executive Committee term shall be **four (4) years**, aligned to the Olympic cycle, from the date of election until the next election. 6.4. **Eligibility and tenure limits**: *(Verify current National Sports Development Code requirements with counsel before finalizing, as these requirements are periodically revised by the Government of India.)* No office bearer shall hold the same office for more than **three (3) consecutive terms**, and a mandatory cooling-off period of **four (4) years** shall apply before that person may again contest the same office. A maximum age of **seventy (70) years** applies to all Executive Committee offices, unless modified by future AFFI regulations, in which case the AFFI standard shall prevail. 6.5. Powers and duties of the Executive Committee include day-to-day administration, approving competition calendars, appointing Standing Committees (Article 9), approving registration and certification decisions escalated to it, and any powers delegated by the General Body. 6.6. **Vacancies**: A casual vacancy in the Executive Committee shall be filled by the remaining members co-opting a replacement to serve the remainder of the term, subject to ratification at the next General Body meeting. --- ## Article 7 — Elections 7.1. Elections to the Executive Committee shall be conducted per a separate **Elections Policy**, adopted by the General Body and consistent with this Constitution. 7.2. Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot unless a resolution to the contrary is passed unanimously for a specific election. 7.3. An Election Officer, who is not a candidate and not a current Executive Committee member, shall be appointed by the General Body to conduct each election. *(Full election procedure — nomination process, timelines, dispute resolution, eligibility verification — belongs in the standalone Elections Policy document, drafted separately.)* --- ## Article 8 — District and Zonal Structure 8.1. The Association shall organize its presence across Uttar Pradesh through **Zones** and **District Units**, per the hierarchy maintained in the Association's official records (currently: **six (6)** zones, **seventy-five (75)** districts, corresponding to the revenue districts of Uttar Pradesh). 8.2. Each District Unit shall have a designated District Secretary/Administrator responsible for local affiliation, athlete/coach/referee registration coordination, and reporting to the Executive Committee. 8.3. District Units operate within the authority delegated to them by the Executive Committee and are subject to the same Code of Conduct and financial accountability standards as the state body. 8.4. Recognition, suspension, or dissolution of a District Unit shall be by Executive Committee resolution, with right of appeal to the General Body. --- ## Article 9 — Standing Committees 9.1. The Executive Committee shall constitute the following Standing Committees to oversee specific functions: - Finance & Audit Committee - Competition & Events Committee - Technical & Officials Committee - Athlete Welfare & Safeguarding Committee - Women's Commission - Grievance & Ethics Committee - Medical & Anti-Doping Committee - Membership & Development Committee - Media & Communications Committee The Executive Committee may constitute additional Standing Committees beyond this list as functional needs require. 9.2. Composition, tenure, and terms of reference for each Standing Committee shall be set out in a separate **Standing Committees Charter**, drafted separately. --- ## Article 10 — Finance 10.1. All funds of the Association shall be deposited in a bank account operated jointly by the **Secretary General and the Treasurer**. Transactions above a limit prescribed by the Executive Committee from time to time shall additionally require the approval of the President. 10.2. Accounts shall be audited annually by an independent auditor and presented to the General Body at the AGM. 10.3. No Executive Committee member shall derive personal financial benefit from Association funds beyond legitimate reimbursement of expenses, per policy set by the Executive Committee. --- ## Article 11 — Amendment of the Constitution 11.1. This Constitution may be amended by a resolution passed by not less than **two-thirds** of the District Members present and voting at a General Body meeting, provided notice of the proposed amendment was circulated at least **twenty-one (21) days** in advance. --- ## Article 12 — Code of Conduct and Grievance Redressal 12.1. All members, office bearers, coaches, referees, and registered players are bound by the Association's **Code of Conduct**, drafted as a separate document. 12.2. Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Association (including registration rejection or certificate revocation) may appeal per the process set out in the Code of Conduct / Grievance Policy, and may contact the Association at **grievance@upafa.in**. --- ## Article 13 — Dissolution 13.1. The Association may be dissolved by a resolution passed by not less than three-fourths of District Members present and voting at a Special General Meeting called specifically for that purpose. 13.2. Upon dissolution, any remaining assets shall be transferred to another organization with similar objects, as determined by the General Body, and not distributed among members — consistent with applicable law governing not-for-profit societies. --- ## Article 14 — Miscellaneous 14.1. Where this Constitution is silent, the Executive Committee shall have the power to act in the manner most consistent with the spirit of this document, subject to ratification by the General Body at its next meeting. 14.2. This Constitution shall come into force upon adoption by the General Body and shall supersede any prior governing document. --- *Adopted by the General Body on: [DATE] — signatures/ratification record to follow per Association's internal record-keeping.*