NATIONAL FEDERATION CONSTITUTION & NGB BYLAWS TEMPLATE
Document Reference: DOC-05-GOV-2026
Effective Date: August 2026
Author: Faculty of Federation Governance, Sports Administration & Marketing
Regulatory Alignment: World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) & Olympic Charter
ARTICLE I: LEGAL STATUS, AUTONOMY & PURPOSE
1.1. Name & Legal Structure: The Federation shall be officially constituted as the [Country/Territory] Baseball & Softball Federation (hereinafter referred to as "the National Governing Body" or "NGB"). It is an autonomous, non-governmental, non-profit sports entity of indefinite duration, recognized as the supreme governing authority for Baseball, Fastpitch Softball, and Baseball5 within the designated territory.
1.2. International Affiliation: The NGB shall maintain active, unbroken affiliation with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the relevant Continental Confederation, and the National Olympic Committee (NOC).
1.3. Political & Religious Neutrality: The NGB guarantees complete autonomy in managing its sporting affairs, strictly independent of political, commercial, or religious interference.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP & REPRESENTATION
2.1. Membership Tiers:
- Affiliated Regional Associations: Duly incorporated provincial, regional, or state associations.
- Active Member Clubs: Registered amateur, youth, and semi-professional clubs participating in sanctioned leagues.
- Licensed Individuals: Certified athletes, coaches, umpires, official scorers, and administrators.
2.2. Obligations of Members: All constituent members are legally bound to uphold this Constitution, the WBSC Code of Ethics, the WADA Anti-Doping Code, and all decisions issued by the General Assembly or Disciplinary Tribunal.
ARTICLE III: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (SUPREME GOVERNING ORGAN)
3.1. Authority & Composition: The General Assembly is the highest legislative authority of the NGB, composed of accredited voting delegates from Affiliated Regional Associations and Active Member Clubs.
3.2. Quorum & Voting Thresholds:
- Quorum: Minimum of fifty percent plus one ($50\% + 1$) of accredited voting delegates.
- Ordinary Resolutions: Approved by a simple majority ($>50\%$) of valid votes cast.
- Constitutional Amendments & Dissolution: Requires a two-thirds ($66.7\%$) supermajority vote of the General Assembly.
3.3. Meeting Cadence: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall convene once per calendar year. An Elective General Meeting shall convene every four (4) years, following the Olympic cycle.
ARTICLE IV: EXECUTIVE BOARD & ATHLETE REPRESENTATION
4.1. Executive Composition:
- President (Chief Executive & Legal Representative)
- First Vice President (Baseball Operations)
- Second Vice President (Softball & Baseball5 Operations)
- Secretary General (Administrative & Operational Head)
- Treasurer (Financial Integrity & Accounting)
- Athletes' Commission Representative (Elected directly by active national team athletes)
4.2. Mandatory Athlete Quota: At least twenty percent ($20\%$) of the Executive Board voting power shall be held by actively competing or recently retired (within 8 years) national team athletes.
4.3. Term Limits: Executive officers may serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive four-year terms (12 years maximum).
ARTICLE V: INTEGRITY, ANTIDOPING & SAFESPORT COMPLIANCE
5.1. Anti-Doping Compliance (WADA Alignment): The NGB adopts the World Anti-Doping Code in its entirety. Any athlete or official guilty of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) is subject to automatic suspension and sanctions.
5.2. SafeSport & Safeguarding Code:
- Mandatory zero-tolerance policy against physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, harassment, hazing, and exploitation.
- Mandatory criminal record checks and background screenings for all appointed coaches, managers, umpires, and youth volunteers.
ARTICLE VI: JUDICIAL BODIES & DISPUTE RESOLUTION
6.1. Independent Disciplinary Tribunal: The Disciplinary Tribunal operates independently of the Executive Board, handling violations of bylaws, match-fixing, doping offenses, and unethical conduct.
6.2. Exhaustion of Internal Remedies & CAS Jurisdiction:
- Members agree to resolve all sporting disputes through the internal arbitration process before seeking external redress.
- The final court of appeal for all national federation disputes, following the exhaustion of domestic remedies, is the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
ARTICLE VII: FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE & DISSOLUTION
7.1. Dual-Signatory Control: All financial disbursements, bank accounts, and commercial contracts require the joint signatures of the President and the Treasurer (or Secretary General).
7.2. Annual External Audit: Financial statements must be audited annually by an independent, certified external accounting firm and submitted to the General Assembly.
7.3. Dissolution Protocol: In the event of dissolution, all remaining assets shall be transferred exclusively to the National Olympic Committee or a recognized youth sports development trust fund; no assets shall be distributed to individual members.