Membership Rules
“RULE 3 CLUB MEMBERSHIP
(1) (A) First Claim Club. The First Club joined by athletes will be known as their First Claim Club and such athletes will be defined hereinafter as First Claim members. This status will remain in place until they give notice that they wish to terminate their membership of that Club. Such termination shall only be effective once all outstanding tangible assets of the former Club held by the athlete have been returned. If athletes wish to commence membership of a new First Claim Club membership then they must comply with the requirements set out in paragraph (6) below and rule 5 (7-9).
(b) Athletes should be registered in the current year with their National Association in order to compete as a First Claim athlete in Open Team Competition.
(c) Once athletes have represented a Club in First Claim Open Team Competition they are ineligible to compete for another Club in Open Team Competition until the transfer process to that Club has been completed in accordance with these Rules
(2) Second Claim Club. Notwithstanding athletes having a First Claim Club as defined in (1) above they are permitted to become a member of a Second Claim Club. Whilst this may be for social, coaching or other reasons that athlete may compete for that Club in competitions which specifically state in its rules that it’s competition is open to Second Claim members. Such an athlete is hereafter defined as a Second Claim member.
(3) Higher Competition Club. Senior and Under 20 track and field athletes may apply for registration to compete for a “Higher Competition Club” in Senior Track and Field League competitions only. The application, which shall be made to UK Athletics, must be accompanied by the requisite fee which will be determined annually by the Board of UK Athletics. The application will require approval and endorsement by UK Athletics. All applications must be received by UK Athletics on 1st March in the year of competition and will be effective for that calendar year only. Such application will only be accepted from athletes who, at the time of registration, are eligible to compete for their First Claim Club in open team competition. (see rule 4.3) The registration will take effect from 1st April of the year in question. The registration must be renewed with the same or another Club for each and every year that the athlete wishes to benefit from such higher level competition.
Three tiers of league competition are recognised:
(a) UK level (British Athletics League, UK Women’s League)
(b) Northern Irish; Scottish; Welsh; Midland; Northern and Southern Leagues
(c) Other Lower Level Leagues
Athletes may only join the ‘Higher Competition Club’ if their own first claim club does not, in that season, compete in that league. Athletes may, at their discretion, decide whether to compete for their Higher Competition Club or their First Claim Club on any one day, but not for both. Athletes competing for their Higher Competition Club are hereafter defined as Higher Competition Club members.
(4) Open Team Competition. Only First Claim members of a club may represent that club in Open Team Competition, as defined in Rule 4.3 below, unless the organisers have stipulated that such competition is open to either Second Claim members or Higher Competition members as defined in (1) – (3) above. (This option does not apply to Road Running and Rule 203 applies)
(5) Membership of a Club, whether under (1), (2) or (3) above commences on the actual day of election by the Committee of that Club at a properly convened meeting. To be valid the application for membership must be made on a form approved by UKA and accompanied by the appropriate subscription.
(6) An athlete who is not a member of an affiliated Club or Association shall be regarded as “unattached”. After one year of competition an athlete taking part in any even within disciplines listed in Rule 2.4 (a), (b), (d), and (e) should be a member of a Club affiliated directly or indirectly to UKA and be individually registered with a National Association
(7) A notice of resignation from a Club must be made in writing by the athlete, or by a parent/guardian of an athlete under the age of 16, and shall be considered by the Club Committee within one calendar month of receipt. Membership will be deemed to have ceased on the actual date of posting of the resignation, (but see restriction identified in (1) above). Members wishing to join another Club following resignation must comply with the conditions within Rule 5 (7-9) below as applicable.
(8) After 28 days from ceasing to be a member of a Club or Association, having competed in disciplines listed in Rule 2 (a), (b), (d) or (e), athletes shall not be eligible to compete in Open Competition until they have again become members of an affiliated Club or Association.
(9) In the case of a Club amalgamated with, or absorbed by, another Club membership shall be regarded as continuous. If, however, members on receiving notice of the amalgamation or absorption of the Club, shall within 28 days notify in writing the Secretary of the Club, or other persons issuing such notice that they do not intend to continue in membership, such membership shall be regarded as having ceased on the date of amalgamation or absorption. The position of the athlete in regard to Open Team Competition shall be the same as if the original Club had been disbanded.
(10) Athletes whose former Club has been officially disbanded may seek approval from the appropriate Eligibility Committee to represent another Club in Open Team Competition with effect from the first day of the following month.
(11) (I) The Management Committee of an affiliated Club shall have the power to expel any member whose membership is twelve months in arrears, provided that a month’s notice in writing shall have been sent to the member’s last known address giving information of the proposed action of the Committee.
(ii) The name and address of any person so expelled from a Club shall be sent to the appropriate officer of the relevant National Association who shall enter the name in a book to be called “The Suspension Book” kept for that purpose. Every person whose name is suspended from competing at any meeting or event held under UKA Rules until the liability causing the expulsion, which shall not exceed one year’s subscription, shall have been discharged.
(iii) A Club Secretary sending a name for inclusion in the Suspension Book must send the Post Office Proof of Posting of the letter sent to the Club member concerned, or the name will not be entered.
(12) Disputes between athletes and their Clubs may be referred to the appropriate National
Association Eligibility Committee for arbitration under its appeal procedure.
(13) Where the conduct of a Club member is deemed by UK Athletics to be sufficiently serious it may demand that the affiliated Club concerned expel that person from membership either in perpetuity or for such a period of time as UK Athletics shall decide. This process shall only be adopted when the person concerned has not exercised any right of appeal, has exhausted any appeal procedure as laid down within the relevant Rules or procedures of UK Athletics or of the IAAF, or has waived that right of appeal, or where he or she has been found guilty of a serious criminal act. An affiliated Club which refuses to sanction the exclusion of such a person in turn renders itself liable to expulsion from membership of UK Athletics, as does any other affiliated Club which allows the person concerned to become a member or to become associated with any of the Club’s activities.
(14) Composite Teams. Clubs may apply to UKA to become a Composite Club where from 2 to 5 Clubs wish to combine together for specific competitions. UK Athletics will approve such registration if it complies with application guidelines. Approved registrations will be forwarded to the relevant meeting organisers who may accept or reject such an application. Requests for the registration of a Composite Team must be received by UK Athletics no later than 30th September of the preceding year and be accompanied by the relevant fee which will be determined annually by the Board of UK Athletics..
NOTE: Such an amalgamation of teams for competition purposes specifically does not require the Constitution of the Clubs concerned to be amalgamated.