Rules in Force

Date of entry into force: September 2, 2024, 10:45:30

Name, Domicile, and Purpose of the Federation

1 §

The name of the association is Suomen Sulkapalloliitto ry, Finlands Badmintonförbund rf. In international contexts, the unofficial name Badminton Finland is used. Its domicile is Helsinki, its area of operation is the territory of the Republic of Finland, and its official languages are Finnish and Swedish, with Finnish being the language of the minutes. In these Bylaws, the association is referred to as the Federation.

2 §

The purpose of the Federation is to promote, supervise, and direct badminton sports and its development in Finland, and to serve as a national central organization for those registered associations that practice badminton in accordance with these Bylaws and their own rules, and which have been admitted as members of the Federation in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws. In these Bylaws, the members are referred to as member clubs. The operations of the Federation are based on the ethical values of physical activity and the principles of fair play in sports.

3§

The operational idea of the Federation is to promote the game of badminton in Finland so that as many people as possible participate in it as recreational, competitive, or elite sport to promote their physical, mental, and social well-being, and to ensure that international competitive success in the sport is at the highest possible level.

To achieve its purpose and operational idea, the Federation:

Promotes the visibility and practice of badminton in Finland and provides advice and consultation to the sport’s stakeholders;

Promotes the establishment of associations practicing badminton and the enhancement of their operations;

Drafts and confirms, in the manner prescribed by these Bylaws, the rules to be observed in badminton and in other activities of the Federation;

As a member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), supervises compliance with the rules of said federation as well as its own rules in Finland and settles disputes concerning the rules;

Directs and supervises the competitive activities of its member clubs and their members in Finland and abroad, decides on the method of organizing the Finnish Championships and Finland’s participation and representation in international badminton competitions, organizes national and international competitions, and determines the organizers and dates of the Finnish Championships and national and international competitions held in Finland when preparing the competition calendar;

Draws the attention of authorities and other relevant bodies through proposals, applications, and other initiatives to the development of badminton activities, the procurement of necessary practice and competition facilities and equipment, and the creation of other prerequisites;

May engage in publishing activities;

May accept donations and bequests, and acquire real estate and movable property to support its operations;

May acquire funds to support its operations by organizing fundraising campaigns and lotteries, own and maintain halls, premises, or other facilities required by the sport, engage in publishing, and supply sports equipment and apparel to its members;

May hold ownership in commercial companies.

Cooperation

4§

The Federation is a member association of the Finnish Olympic Committee (in these Bylaws "OK") and, to the extent possible, adheres to the regional division of the regional sports organizations. Likewise, the Federation is a member of the International Badminton Federation (in these Bylaws "BWF") and the European Badminton Federation, Badminton Europe (in these Bylaws "BE").

The Federation may join other domestic or international sports federations based on a decision of the General Meeting, provided that at least two-thirds (2/3) of all votes cast in the vote support the decision. The Federation may withdraw from the memberships referred to in this section following the same voting majority required for joining.

Commitment to Anti-Doping and Disciplinary Regulations Concerning Serious Ethical Violations

5§

The Federation and its member clubs commit to complying with the Finnish Anti-Doping Code as well as the anti-doping codes of the International Olympic Committee and BWF.

Furthermore, the Federation and its members commit to the joint disciplinary regulations of physical activity and sports concerning serious inappropriate behavior and serious ethical violations, as well as the jurisdiction, rules, and decisions of the sports community’s joint Disciplinary Panel for Ethical Violations. The members of the Federation shall bind their own members as well as individuals and entities involved in their activities to the aforementioned disciplinary regulations and the jurisdiction, rules, and decisions of the Disciplinary Panel.

Members of the Federation

6§

Registered associations involved in badminton that commit to complying with the Bylaws of the Federation may be admitted as regular members (member clubs) by the Executive Board upon written application. The General Meeting may, by unanimous decision upon proposal of the Executive Board, invite particularly distinguished individuals as Honorary Presidents of the Federation. The Executive Board may, by unanimous decision, invite particularly distinguished individuals as Honorary Members of the Federation. Honorary Presidents or Honorary Members are not charged a membership fee.

Membership fees and other operational fees collected from member clubs are determined by the Autumn General Meeting of the Federation.

Member clubs must use the methods and systems determined by the Executive Board for the registration and reporting of their members.

In their activities, member clubs are obligated to comply with the rules and objectives of the Federation and the directives issued by the organs of the Federation within the scope of their authority.

Resignation, Expulsion, and Other Disciplinary Measures

7§

A member club may resign from the Federation by giving written notice to the Executive Board or its President, or by declaring the resignation at a General Meeting. The resignation takes effect at the end of the calendar year during which the notice was given.

The Executive Board may expel a member from the Federation if the member fails to fulfill obligations and directives issued in accordance with these Bylaws, the decisions of the General Meetings, or the rules of the organs of the Federation, or acts against the purpose or foundation of the Federation’s operations, or if another ground for expulsion under the Associations Act exists.

Decisions on the loss of a division spot or competition eligibility, fines, or warnings are made by the Executive Board or the committee responsible for competition activities, as specified in detail in other rules centrally related to the matter approved by the General Meeting. Otherwise, in disciplinary matters, the Federation complies with its separately approved disciplinary rules, which are based on the guidelines and recommendations of the OK and BWF.

Merit Badges and Awards

8§

The granting of Merit Badges and other honors concerning member clubs, their individual members, other associations, entities, and private individuals is decided by the Executive Board within the framework of the rules governing these matters as approved by the General Meeting.

Administration of the Federation

9§

The highest decision-making power in the Federation is vested in the General Meeting. Other organs of the Federation are the Executive Board and other bodies established by it to assist in its work.

General Meetings

10§

Ordinary General Meetings are held twice a year: the Spring General Meeting in March–April and the Autumn General Meeting in October–November. The time and place of the General Meeting are determined by the Executive Board.

The notice of the meeting shall be sent to members in writing or by email to the address last provided to the Federation for entry in the register of members at least two weeks before the meeting. The agenda must be attached to the notice. Matters that a member wishes to be addressed at an Ordinary General Meeting must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board at least two months prior to the earliest possible meeting timeframe mentioned in this section.

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be held based on a decision of a previous General Meeting or whenever the Executive Board deems it necessary. Likewise, an Extraordinary General Meeting must be held if at least one-third (1/3) of the member clubs request it in writing from the Executive Board to address a specified matter. The Extraordinary General Meeting must then be held within two months of the receipt of the request by the Executive Board. An Extraordinary General Meeting is convened in the same manner as an Ordinary General Meeting.

At the General Meeting in Autumn, individuals standing for election to replace retiring regular members of the Executive Board may register as candidates in advance in accordance with the schedule and procedure decided by the Board. Candidates for the Executive Board do not need to be members of a member club, and candidates may be nominated by member clubs, members of member clubs, or the candidates themselves. A person employed by the Federation cannot be elected to the Executive Board.

11§

Member clubs that have paid their membership fees prior to the General Meeting have voting rights at the meeting. All members of member clubs, as well as Honorary Presidents and Honorary Members of the Federation, have the right to attend and speak at the meeting. Each club may appoint one voting delegate by proxy. The voting delegate does not need to be a member of the club. One person may represent only one club at the meeting. The Executive Board verifies the proxies prior to the start of the General Meeting.

If the Executive Board so decides, participation in the General Meetings of Badminton Finland and the voting held therein may also take place by mail, telecommunication link, or other technical means during or prior to the meeting, in a manner specified by the Board.

At the General Meeting, each member club has one basic vote and additional votes as follows:

A member club that has paid its membership fee in full and whose number of members, calculated in accordance with the member registration practices determined by the Executive Board, on December 31 of the preceding year was:

21 – 40: 1 additional vote

41 – 70: 2 additional votes

71 – 100: 3 additional votes

101 – 150: 4 additional votes

151 – 200: 5 additional votes

201 or more: 6 additional votes

Thus, a member club may have a maximum of 7 votes at a General Meeting. However, the proportion of votes held by an individual member club out of the total number of votes represented by all member clubs present at the meeting shall be capped as follows:

If 1 club is represented: 1/1

If 2 clubs are represented: 1/2

If 3 clubs are represented: 1/3

If 4 clubs are represented: 1/4

If 5 or more clubs are represented: 1/5

12§

Matters at the General Meetings are decided by a simple majority of votes, unless otherwise provided in these Bylaws. In the event of a tie, the vote is decided by drawing lots.

13§

The General Meeting is opened by the President of the Executive Board or, in their absence, the Vice President or another person designated by the President. The person opening the meeting shall preside over it until a Chairperson for the meeting is elected.

The statutory business of the Ordinary Spring General Meeting includes:

Verifying the legality and quorum of the meeting;

Verifying the represented member clubs and their number of votes;

Electing a Chairperson, a Secretary, two scrutinizers of the minutes, and vote counters for the meeting;

Presenting the annual report prepared by the Executive Board for the previous operational year and deciding on its approval;

Presenting the financial statements for the previous financial year and the auditor's report;

Deciding on the adoption of the financial statements and granting discharge from liability to the Board members and other accountable parties;

Addressing other matters presented by the Executive Board or submitted by member clubs in the order prescribed by these Bylaws.

The statutory business of the Ordinary Autumn General Meeting includes:

Verifying the legality and quorum of the meeting;

Verifying the represented member clubs and their number of votes;

Electing a Chairperson, a Secretary, two scrutinizers of the minutes, and vote counters for the meeting;

Deciding on the membership fees and other operational fees collected from member clubs;

Determining the grounds for compensation of fees and travel expenses for members of the Executive Board and voting delegates attending General Meetings;

Determining the basis for the remuneration of auditors;

Electing:

a) The President of the Executive Board for the next two-year term, who shall also be referred to as the President of the Federation;

b) Three (3) regular members of the Executive Board to replace those retiring for the next two-year term, as well as the first and second deputy members for the next one-year term. (When these Bylaws enter into force in this form, six (6) regular members of the Executive Board shall be elected the first time.);

c) An auditor and a deputy auditor for the next operational year; 8) Presenting the action plan and budget for the following operational year prepared by the Executive Board and deciding on their adoption; 9) Addressing other matters presented by the Executive Board or submitted by member clubs in the order prescribed by these Bylaws.

14§

Operational Rules, Disciplinary Rules, Player Representation Rules, and Merit Badge Regulations are approved by the General Meeting upon proposal of the Executive Board.

Executive Board

15§

The board of the Federation is the Executive Board, which consists of the President, six (6) other regular members, and the 1st and 2nd deputy members. The President and regular members are elected for two (2) calendar years at a time, such that three (3) regular members retire annually. The initial order of retirement shall be determined by drawing lots. Deputy members are elected for one (1) calendar year at a time. The Executive Board elects a Vice President from among its members.

A person employed by the Federation cannot serve as a member of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board meets at the call of its President or Vice President, or when at least half of the regular members of the Executive Board request it in writing from the President to address a specified matter. The Executive Board must then be convened within two weeks of the request being delivered to the President.

The Executive Board forms a quorum when the President or Vice President and at least three (3) of its members are present. All deputy members are invited to all Board meetings and have voting rights in the absence of regular members, in the order in which they were elected. Decisions of the Executive Board are made by a simple majority of votes. In the event of a tie, elections are decided by drawing lots; in other matters, the opinion supported by the President shall prevail.

The task of the Executive Board is to manage the affairs of the Federation in accordance with the law, these Bylaws, the decisions of the General Meetings, and, where applicable, the rules of OK, and to represent the Federation.

The Executive Board hires and dismisses employees working for the Federation. However, the Executive Director has the right to appoint substitutes for permanent staff and hire fixed-term employees for employment relationships lasting up to 12 months.

Bodies Assisting the Executive Board

16§

The Executive Board appoints an Ethics Committee, a Merit Badge Committee, a Disciplinary Group, a Competition Group, a Rules and Umpires Group, and a Work and Finance Group. The Executive Board may also appoint other groups or committees at its discretion.

Operational and Financial Year, and Audit of the Federation

17§

The operational and financial year of the Federation is the calendar year. The accounts of the Federation, together with the annual report, minutes, and other relevant documents, shall be submitted to the auditors no later than March 15. The auditors must submit their audit report to the Executive Board no later than March 31.

Signing for the Federation

18§

The name of the Federation is signed jointly by the President and the Vice President of the Executive Board, or by either of them together with the Executive Director or another person authorized by the Executive Board. The Board may grant a designated individual the right to sign for the association alone.

19§

For regional activities, member clubs may form operational units they deem appropriate. Regions are not member clubs of the Federation; instead, they serve as a liaison between local member clubs and the Federation.

Amendments to the Bylaws and Dissolution of the Federation

20§

Decisions involving amendments to these Bylaws require a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast at a General Meeting.

21§

A decision to dissolve the Federation requires a majority of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast at a General Meeting, as well as the confirmation of this decision by a majority of at least three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast at a subsequent General Meeting held no earlier than one month later.

22§

When a decision to dissolve the Federation has been made or it has been liquidated, its remaining assets shall be surrendered to the member clubs of the Federation to be distributed in proportion to their voting power at the last General Meeting held.

23§

In other respects, the Federation complies with the Associations Act currently in force.