Spoleg | Statutes of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Adoption	2011 — Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Status	Repealed — replaced by the Statutes adopted in 2020

The full text of this document appears below on this page.

List of articles (85 articles)

1Definition of the Federation
2Objectives
3Duties of the Federation
4Neutrality and non-discrimination
5Promotion of friendly relations
6Players
7Laws of the Game
8Commitment of members
9Official languages
10Members
11Admission, suspension and expulsion
12Procedure for admission of members
13Rights of members
14Obligations of members
15Suspension
16Expulsion
17Resignation or withdrawal
18Statutes of clubs, leagues, unions, provincial and professional associations and other groups
19Honorary president and honorary members
20Bodies of the Federation
21The Assembly
22Members of the Assembly and votes
23Powers of the Assembly
24Quorum of the Assembly
25Decisions of the Assembly
26Elections
27Ordinary Assembly
28Agenda of the Ordinary Assembly
29Extraordinary Assembly
30Amendment of the Statutes (rules and regulations governing the implementation of the Statutes and the procedure therefor)
31Resolutions
32Date of implementation of resolutions
33The Executive Board
34Meetings of the Executive Board
35Powers of the Executive Board
36Resolutions of the Executive Board
37Expulsion of natural and legal persons who are members of the Assembly or elected by the Assembly
38Responsibilities and powers of the President of the Federation
39Candidates for the office of President of the Federation
40Representation and right of signature
41Standing committees of the Federation
42Competitions Committee
43Technical and Development Committee
44Referees Committee
45Women's Committee
46Youth Committee
47Futsal Committee
48Beach Soccer Committee
49Sports Medicine Committee
50Players' Status Committee
51Media Committee
52Education Committee
53Marketing Committee
54Legal and Regulatory Drafting Committee
55Strategic Studies Committee
56Social Responsibility and Fair Play Committee
57Provincial Affairs Committee
58Ad hoc committees
59Administrative organisation
60General Secretary
61Judicial bodies
62Disciplinary Committee
63Appeal Committee
64Ethics Committee
65Disciplinary sanctions
66Judicial authorities
67Court of Arbitration
68Supreme Dispute Resolution Council
69Treasurer
70Independent auditors
71Financial period
72Income
73Expenditure
74Membership fees
75Settlement of accounts
76Domestic competitions
77Club licensing
78Competition rights
79Issuance of licences
80International matches and events
81Relations
82Authorisation
83Unforeseen and unexpected matters
84Dissolution of the Federation
85Implementation of the Statutes

Chapter One — General provisions

#Article 1Definition of the Federation

1.The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, referred to in these Statutes as the Federation, is a non-governmental entity with legal personality, established on the basis of the sporting policy and principles laid down in the Olympic Charter, with due regard to Islamic norms and national interests, as the highest competent authority in the sporting disciplines of football, futsal and beach soccer, and operating within the framework of these Statutes in coordination with the Ministry of Sport and Youth and the National Olympic Committee and in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations. The Federation is established for an unlimited period.

2.The Federation has been a member of FIFA since 1948 and a member of the Asian Football Confederation since 1958.

3.The seat of the Federation is in the city of Tehran. The emblem, abbreviated name, flag and motto of the Federation are officially registered and are the exclusive property of the Federation.

#Article 2Objectives

The objectives of the Federation are as follows:

1.The sustained growth and development of football and other related disciplines, and the promotion, supervision and control of its programmes throughout the country with the aim of developing and disseminating fair play, unity and solidarity, and of advancing human, cultural and educational values, in particular through the development and youth programme.

2.Protection of the interests of members.

3.Respect for the provisions of the FIFA Statutes and prevention of any breach of the statutes, regulations, codes of ethics, directives and decisions adopted by FIFA, the Confederation and the Federation, as well as respect for the Laws of the Game and ensuring that all members comply with and observe the aforementioned rules.

4.Prevention of conduct and of the spread of methods and practices that jeopardise the integrity and unity of matches and activities or that in any way infringe upon or call into question the rights of the Federation.

5.Combating violence, collusion, unlawful activities, racism, doping and discrimination of any kind.

6.Material and moral support for players and others involved in this discipline.

#Article 3Duties of the Federation

Organising all competitions at national level and staging and supervising all official and friendly matches throughout the country on the basis of specific and precise rules and regulations.

2.Drafting the necessary technical and general rules and regulations and ensuring their implementation.

3.Managing all international sporting relations connected with the Federation.

4.Hosting or participating in international competitions and other competitions at all levels.

5.Ensuring that all members, clubs, football, futsal and beach soccer players, technical staff, managers, technical directors and fitness coaches, physiotherapists, players' agents, match organising agents and all other persons concerned respect the statutes, regulations, codes of ethics and directives of the Federation, the Confederation and FIFA.

6.Developing and supervising football schools.

7.Aligning the technical and competition regulations of football, futsal and beach soccer with the most recent international regulations approved by the International Board.

8.Holding and supervising all classes and training and advanced courses with a view to raising the level of knowledge, experience and capability of coaches, referees, managers and others involved.

9.Selecting the country's elite and top-ranking athletes in the various age categories for the purpose of forming national teams, on the basis of the approved directives on the selection of national athletes.

10.Designing a national system for identifying, recruiting and developing talent and supervising its implementation.

11.Supervising the process of staging the various leagues throughout the country.

12.Holding or actively participating in international assemblies, scientific and research congresses and training courses.

13.Preparing and drawing up long-term and medium-term plans and drawing up an operational programme and calendar and implementing them.

14.Appointing the coaches of the national teams and supervising the performance and support of the national teams in the various age categories on the basis of the relevant directives.

15.Developing and updating ICT and the sports data and statistics bank.

16.Issuing licences and exercising technical supervision over the activities of the disciplines covered within the sphere of governmental and government-affiliated agencies, entities, institutions and organisations, non-governmental public entities and institutions, and private member clubs.

17.Establishing the various standing and ad hoc committees within the Federation.

18.Publishing books, booklets and educational publications, disseminating news and translating international rules.

19.Policy-making for, supervision of and evaluation of the performance of the provincial football associations.

20.Carrying out marketing, economic, commercial, production, trading, advertising and revenue-generating activities in order to strengthen the financial standing of the Federation.

21.Endeavouring to attract public donations and voluntary services.

22.Endeavouring to bring all groups and athletes of the discipline concerned within membership.

23.Endeavouring to obtain and retain international seats.

24.Issuing licences to members to operate in all fields within the disciplines covered.

25.Examining the eligibility of, and issuing operating licences to, applicants for agencies connected with the disciplines covered, such as transfers, the staging of matches and the like.

#Article 4Neutrality and non-discrimination

1.The Federation shall not interfere in the political and religious affairs of members.

2.No member may practise any form of discrimination against individuals, groups or nationalities on grounds of gender, language, religion, race and politics or similar grounds; failing which, they shall be subject to suspension or expulsion.

#Article 5Promotion of friendly relations

1.The Federation shall promote its friendly relations with other members, clubs, officials, players, charitable institutions and society for humanitarian purposes.

2.Each member person and organisation undertakes to observe the provisions of the Statutes, the rules and regulations and the principles of fair play, as well as the principles of loyalty, integrity and sporting ethics.

3.The Federation shall provide the necessary conditions and facilities for resolving any internal dispute or objection that may arise between members, clubs, officials, players and the Federation.

#Article 6Players

1.The Executive Board of the Federation shall draw up and implement the rules and regulations required for determining the status of players and their transfers on the basis of the rules and regulations in force at FIFA.

2.The registration of players shall be carried out on the basis of the regulations of the Federation.

#Article 7Laws of the Game

The Federation and each of its members shall take part and play in matches on the basis of the laws adopted by the International Board. Only the International Board is competent to lay down or amend the Laws of the Game (the rules laid down by the International Board are communicated through FIFA).

#Article 8Commitment of members

All officials and all natural and legal persons who are members of the Federation are required to observe the provisions of the Statutes, the rules and regulations, directives and decisions, as well as the codes of ethics of FIFA, the Confederation and the Federation.

#Article 9Official languages

Persian and English are the official languages of the Federation. All correspondence and official texts must be written in these languages (in the event of any discrepancy between the texts in the various languages, the texts written in Persian shall prevail). The official language of the Assembly shall be Persian.

Chapter Two — Membership

#Article 10Members

1.All provincial football associations, clubs, leagues, unions and official bodies of football, futsal and beach soccer players, coaches and referees throughout the country which so wish may be admitted to membership of the Federation.

2.Natural and legal persons must submit their application for membership to the General Secretary of the Federation.

#Article 11Admission, suspension and expulsion

1.The admission, suspension or expulsion of all members is the responsibility of the General Assembly.

2.Confirmation of an applicant's membership is conditional upon the performance of all duties determined by the Federation.

3.Membership ends through the resignation or expulsion of a member. The end of membership is no ground for non-payment of the financial obligations of the resigning or expelled member to the Federation or to other members; it merely results in the cancellation of all of that member's rights in relation to the Federation.

4.In addition to a written application, the submission of the following documents is mandatory for the admission of a member to the Football Federation:

4.1- A copy of the valid legal statutes and the sporting activity licence (for legal persons only).

4.2- Legal registration of the prospective member, where required.

4.3- A declaration to comply with all the provisions of the Statutes of the Federation, the rules and regulations and the decisions adopted by the Federation, FIFA and the Confederation and to ensure that all members, including clubs, officials and players, will respect the aforementioned rules.

4.4- Undertakings on the following matters:

(a) To take part in all official competitions of the Federation.

(b) To possess full legal authority to take decisions independently and free from the interference of any external factor.

(d) To settle all disputes and claims exclusively before the Dispute Resolution Council, the judicial bodies of the Federation and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and to refrain from bringing claims before the ordinary courts.

(e) To carry out the necessary coordination with the Federation for the staging of matches or participation in any friendly event.

(f) To recognise the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, as stated in the Statutes.

4.5- Submission of a list of the officials who officially hold the right of signature and who may legally sign agreements and contracts (for legal persons only).

4.6- A copy of the minutes of the most recent meeting of its general assembly or founding assembly.

5.Verification of the accuracy of the documents submitted is the responsibility of the Executive Board.

#Article 12Procedure for admission of members

The procedure for the admission of a member is governed by a special set of rules approved by the Executive Board of the Federation.

#Article 13Rights of members

The members of the Federation enjoy the following rights:

1.To be convened and informed of the agenda of the Assembly in due time, to attend the meeting of the Assembly and to enjoy the right to vote.

2.To submit comments and proposals for inclusion in the agenda of the Assembly.

3.To nominate candidates for elective posts of the Federation.

4.To be informed of the affairs of the Federation through the official channels and bodies of the Federation.

5.To take part in competitions or any other sporting activity staged by the Federation.

6.To enjoy all the rights laid down in the Statutes and in the other rules and directives approved by the Federation.

#Article 14Obligations of members

1.The members of the Federation have the following obligations:

1.1- Full compliance with the provisions of the Statutes, the rules and regulations, the codes of ethics and the directives and decisions adopted by FIFA, the Confederation and the Federation, and ensuring that the members associated with that member will respect the aforementioned rules and regulations.

1.2- Payment of membership fees

1.3- Respect for the Laws of the Game laid down by the International Board and ensuring that all members associated with the member likewise respect the aforementioned laws.

1.4- Inclusion in its own statutes of an article providing that any disputes and claims of the member or of entities affiliated to the member which relate to the statutes, rules and regulations, codes of ethics, directives and decisions of FIFA, the Confederation, the Federation or the national leagues shall be pursued and dealt with exclusively through the Dispute Resolution Council or the judicial bodies of the Federation, FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It goes without saying that members must in no circumstances have recourse to the ordinary courts for the hearing of their claims.

1.5- To correspond with the Federation regarding any change or amendment to its own statutes and rules and regulations, as well as any change to the list of its officials or of the persons holding the right of signature.

1.6- Not to maintain sporting relations with unofficial entities or with members which have been suspended or removed from membership of the Federation.

1.7- To observe the principles of loyalty, integrity and proper sporting conduct as a mark of respect for the principles of fair play, by laying down a specific legal article in its own statutes.

1.8- To observe the legal provisions of paragraph 4 of Article 11 of the Statutes throughout the period of membership.

1.9- To keep the list of members up to date.

1.10- Full compliance with the other obligations and duties laid down under the statutes and the rules and regulations of FIFA, the Confederation and the Federation.

1.11- No member may stage competitions in the disciplines covered by the Federation without the official authorisation of the Federation, or take part in competitions staged without the supervision of the Federation.

2.Failure by any member to comply with the obligations set out above may lead to the sanctions laid down in the Statutes.

3.Legal persons must necessarily have an elected board of directors in order to be members of the Federation.

#Article 15Suspension

1.The General Assembly may suspend a member. At the same time, the Executive Board may also suspend a member where that member repeatedly and seriously fails to fulfil its obligations. This decision is immediately enforceable. The suspension shall continue until the next meeting of the Assembly, unless the Executive Board decides and acts to lift it.

2.The suspension must be confirmed by a vote of a three-quarters majority of the members present at the Assembly. If the suspension is not confirmed, it shall lapse automatically.

3.A suspended member shall be deprived of all the legal rights of its membership. Other members must refrain from maintaining sporting relations with the suspended member. The Disciplinary Committee may impose further sanctions.

4.Members which refrain from taking part in the sporting activities of the Federation for a period of one year shall be deprived of the rights set out in paragraphs one to three of Article 13.

#Article 16Expulsion

1.The General Assembly may expel a member in the following cases:

1.1- Where it fails to fulfil its financial obligations towards the Federation.

1.2- Where it seriously and repeatedly infringes the statutes, rules and regulations, directives, decisions adopted or codes of ethics of FIFA, the Confederation or the Federation.

2.In order to consider the temporary expulsion of a member, the Executive Board must convene with a two-thirds majority of its members present and, by a vote of an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members present, approve the matter and refer it to the Assembly. Pending the convening of the General Assembly, all activities of the member shall be suspended.

3.In order to consider the matter of expulsion, the Assembly shall convene with an absolute majority (50%+1) of all members entitled to vote present and shall take its decision by a vote of a three-quarters majority of the members present. Before expulsion, the member must be given an opportunity to defend itself.

4.Once the matter of the expulsion of a member has been referred by the Executive Board to the Assembly, only the Assembly may decide whether or not to expel the member.

#Article 17Resignation or withdrawal

1.A member may withdraw from the Federation. The written request for withdrawal must be sent to the General Secretary of the Federation at least six months before the end of the annual working calendar of the Federation.

2.The resignation or withdrawal of members may be accepted upon fulfilment of their financial obligations and settlement of accounts with the Federation and its other members.

#Article 18Statutes of clubs, leagues, unions, provincial and professional associations and other groups

1.National and regional leagues and unions must be affiliated to the Federation and must have been admitted to membership of the Federation. Their statutes and the scope of their duties and powers must be approved by the Executive Board of the Federation before registration.

2.Provincial or professional associations may be admitted to membership of the Federation. These associations must operate in accordance with the criteria and regulations laid down by the Federation.

3.All clubs registered and holding an operating permit in Iran which wish to be active in sports conducted under the supervision of and in accordance with the regulations of FIFA must be admitted to membership of the Federation and be recognised. These clubs are required to draw up the regulations governing the administration of this part of their activities and to have them approved by the Executive Board of the Federation.

4.Member clubs and other divisions affiliated to the Federation must preserve their independence in the process of taking decisions relating to the club or the division concerned and must prevent the interference of any external factor.

5.No natural or legal person may simultaneously control and direct more than one club; otherwise, they will call into question the integrity of a match or matches.

Chapter Three — Honorary president and honorary members

#Article 19Honorary president and honorary members

1.The Assembly may confer the title of honorary president or honorary member on individuals in recognition of their outstanding services to football.

2.The Executive Board may propose candidates to the Assembly.

3.An honorary president or honorary member may take part in the deliberations of meetings of the General Assembly without the right to vote.

4.The rules on the manner of election of these persons shall be drawn up by the Executive Board and approved by the Assembly of the Federation.

Chapter Four — Organisation

#Article 20Bodies of the Federation

1.The General Assembly is recognised as the supreme decision-making body of the Federation.

2.The Executive Board, as the executive body of the Federation, performs its duties under the chairmanship of the President of the Federation.

3.The committees covered by the Federation (standing and ad hoc) shall provide the Executive Board with the necessary advice and assistance for it to draw upon in the performance of its duties. The duties, composition and functioning of these committees are laid down in these Statutes or in special regulations enacted by the Executive Board.

4.The administrative organisation, as the administrative body of the Federation, performs its duties under the supervision of the General Secretary.

5.The judicial bodies comprise the Disciplinary Committee, the Appeal Committee and the Ethics Committee.

6.The Treasurer.

7.The independent auditors.

8.The bodies of the Federation shall be appointed or elected solely in accordance with the procedures laid down in these Statutes and in accordance with the standard framework.

#Article 21The Assembly

1.The General Assembly is the meeting held periodically at the prescribed time with the attendance of the members of the Assembly of the Federation. The Assembly is recognised as the supreme decision-making body of the Federation.

2.Meetings of the Assembly are held in two forms: ordinary and extraordinary.

3.The Assembly may elect three scrutineers from among the members to oversee the meeting.

4.The Chairman of the Assembly is responsible for conducting the meetings in accordance with the items on the agenda.

5.The honorary president and honorary members of the Assembly may take part in the deliberations without holding the right to vote.

#Article 22Members of the Assembly and votes

1.The delegates attending the Assembly must be representatives of a member of the Federation who have been designated by election or appointment.

The Assembly is composed of the following members:

1.1- The Minister of Sport and Youth (1 person).

1.2- The Deputy Minister for Elite and Professional Sport of the Ministry of Sport and Youth (1 person).

1.3– The managing directors or one of the members of the board of directors of each of the clubs taking part in the most recent season of the Premier League competitions.

1.4- The managing directors or one of the members of the board of directors of the 8 First Division clubs which have finished in first to eighth place (where the competitions are staged in several groups, they shall be selected equally from each group on the basis of the higher placings).

1.5- The managing directors or one of the members of the board of directors of the 2 Second Division clubs which have finished in first and second place.

1.6- The managing directors or one of the members of the board of directors of the 2 dedicated futsal clubs which have achieved the highest placings in the Futsal Premier League.

1.7- The managing director or one of the members of the board of directors of the dedicated beach soccer club which has achieved the highest placing in the top men's beach soccer league.

1.8- The managing director or one of the members of the board of directors of the dedicated futsal club which has finished in first place in the top women's futsal league.

1.9- The managing director or one of the members of the board of directors of the dedicated beach soccer club which has achieved the highest placing in the top women's beach soccer league.

1.10- The managing director or one of the members of the board of directors of the club which has finished in first place in the top women's football league.

1.11- The president or vice-president or secretary of the provincial football associations who have been elected in accordance with their own statutes.

1.12- The presidents or secretaries of the football associations or societies of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology; the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; the General Staff of the Armed Forces; and rural sports (where they have been admitted to membership of the Federation, 5 persons in total).

1.13- One representative of the official body or union of coaches (until such union is formed, the Iranian head coach of the senior national football team and, where he is not Iranian, the Iranian head coach of the Olympic national football team).

1.14- One representative of the official body or union of referees (until the union is formed, the referee holding the highest score on the list of international referees).

1.15- One representative of the body or union of players (until the union is formed, the captain of the senior national football team).

1.16- Any Iranian person who has been elected to membership of the executive committees of the Confederation or FIFA and is serving in that capacity shall, throughout the period of their membership, be a member of the Assembly of the Federation.

2.The members under paragraphs 1-3 to 1-10 are determined on the basis of the results of the most recent completed season of competitions and the latest points classification announced at the end of the one-year period.

3.Priority for attendance at the meeting of the General Assembly lies with the most senior responsible official of the legal person which is a member of the Assembly under these Statutes and, in the event of absence, the attendance of alternates is possible upon presentation of a valid letter of introduction signed by that same official.

4.All members taking part in the Assembly enjoy an equal right to vote (one vote). Only the members present at the meeting may vote. The casting of votes by proxy or by letter is not permissible.

5.All members of the Assembly must hold Iranian nationality.

6.The Executive Board and the General Secretary of the Federation take part in the meetings without the right to vote and, throughout their term of service at the Federation, the members of the Executive Board may not take part in the Assembly as the representative of one of the legal person members.

7.The Chairman of the Assembly takes part in the meetings without the right to vote and conducts the Assembly.

#Article 23Powers of the Assembly

The General Assembly has the following powers:

1.Amendment of the Statutes and the enactment of rules and regulations governing the implementation of the Statutes.

2.Designation of three scrutineers from among the members to check the minutes of the previous Assembly with a view to obtaining the Assembly's approval thereof, and also to oversee the current Assembly.

3.Election of the President of the Federation, the vice-presidents, the other members of the Executive Board, the Treasurer and the auditor.

4.Designation of three vote counters (in cases where a vote is taken).

5.Approval of the annual financial report.

6.Approval of the annual programme and budget.

7.Approval of the annual report on the activities of the President of the Federation.

8.Designation of an independent auditor to examine the financial report, upon the proposal of the Executive Board.

9.Determination of the amount of the membership fee.

10.Taking decisions on the candidates proposed by the Executive Board for the conferment of the title of honorary president or honorary member on the persons concerned.

11.Admission, suspension or expulsion of members.

12.Consideration of members' requests in accordance with the provisions of these Statutes.

13.Dissolution of the Federation.

#Article 24Quorum of the Assembly

1.Resolutions of the Assembly are valid only where an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members of the Assembly entitled to vote are present.

2.If the quorum of members is not reached at a meeting, another Assembly must be convened with the same agenda within a maximum of fifteen days after the first meeting in order to take a decision on the matter.

3.No quorum is required for the second meeting, unless the subject of the agenda concerns amendment of the Statutes of the Federation, the election of the President, the vice-presidents and the members of the Executive Board of the Federation, the removal of one or more of the elected members of the Federation, the expulsion of one of the members of the Federation or the dissolution of the Federation.

#Article 25Decisions of the Assembly

1.Save in the cases provided for in the Statutes, a vote of an absolute majority (50%+1) of the persons present at the meeting of the Assembly is valid for taking a decision and for approving or rejecting a matter. The counting of valid votes may establish the exact number of votes. Spoilt or blank votes are deemed void and shall not be taken into account in the counting of votes.

2.If a vote is required for a decision, members may cast their vote by a show of hands. Where necessary, votes shall be collected in writing and in secret.

#Article 26Elections

1.In order to hold elections, the Assembly must convene with a two-thirds majority of all members present.

2.The elections referred to in paragraph 3 of Article 23 of the Statutes are conducted by written and secret ballot.

3.In order for a person other than the President to be elected, an absolute majority (50%+1) of the votes of the members present is required in the first round of voting; in subsequent rounds of voting, the greater number of votes determines the outcome of the vote.

4.If the outcome of the elections is not determined in the first round, the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the first round shall be selected and shall take part in the second round of voting.

5.If, in the first round of the elections, more than two of the candidates have the highest and equal number of votes, all the persons with the equal highest number of votes shall proceed to the next round.

6.If, in the second round, the votes of two candidates are equal, the person elected shall be determined by drawing lots.

7.The election of the President, the vice-presidents, the Treasurer and the auditor is conducted in writing and individually, and that of the other five members of the Executive Board is conducted jointly.

8.For the election of the President, a two-thirds majority of the votes of the members present is required.

9.The election of the President takes place before the election of the other members of the Executive Board. Once the President of the Federation has been determined, a vote is taken on the candidates proposed by him for the posts of vice-president. Where any of the candidates put forward fails to obtain the required quorum, the President is required to put forward another person to the Assembly within a maximum of one month.

#Article 27Ordinary Assembly

1.The Ordinary Assembly must be convened once a year.

2.The Executive Board must determine the date and place of the meeting of the Assembly at least 30 days before the date of the Assembly.

3.The official written convocation for the Assembly must be sent to all members at least 21 days before the meeting. The agenda, the report on the performance of the President of the Federation, the financial report, the audit report and other relevant items shall be sent to the members together with this convocation.

#Article 28Agenda of the Ordinary Assembly

1.The General Secretary must draw up the agenda of the Assembly on the basis of the proposals received from the Executive Board and other members. Where any member has a proposal to submit to the Assembly, it may send its proposal, in writing and with a brief explanation thereof, to the General Secretary of the Federation 45 days before the convening of the Assembly.

2.The Assembly is required to adhere strictly to the agenda.

3.The agenda of the Assembly must include the following mandatory items:

3.1- A declaration that the meeting of the Assembly is convened and held in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes of the Federation.

3.2- Approval of the agenda.

3.3- Address by the President.

3.4- Designation of three scrutineers.

3.5- Designation of vote counters.

3.6- Consideration of the suspension and expulsion of members (where necessary).

3.7- Approval of the minutes of the previous Assembly.

3.8- Report on the performance of the President of the Federation (covering activities since the last meeting of the Assembly).

3.9- Presentation of the financial balance sheet and examination of the profit and loss balances.

3.10- Approval of the annual financial reports.

3.11- Approval of the annual programme and budget.

3.12– Admission of new members (where necessary).

3.13- Voting on the amendment of the Statutes and the enactment of rules and regulations relating to the Statutes and the composition of the members of the Assembly (where necessary).

3.14- Discussion of the proposals submitted by the members and the Executive Board.

3.15- Designation of independent auditors (where necessary) in respect of the examination of the matters raised by the Executive Board.

3.16- Elections of the President of the Federation, the vice-presidents and the members of the Executive Board (where necessary).

3.17- Interpellation of a member or members of the Executive Board and a renewed vote of confidence (where necessary).

4.The agenda may be altered where at least three-quarters of the members entitled to vote who are present at the Assembly so request.

#Article 29Extraordinary Assembly

1.The Executive Board may convene an Extraordinary Assembly at any time by a vote of a two-thirds majority of its members.

2.Where two-fifths of the members of the Assembly request the holding of an extraordinary meeting of the Assembly, the Executive Board may proceed to hold the meeting on that basis. The items of the agenda must be specified in the members' request. The Extraordinary Assembly must be convened within a maximum of two months after receipt of the request. If the Extraordinary Assembly is not convened, the requesting members may themselves proceed to convene the meeting in accordance with the applicable rules.

3.The date, place and agenda of the Extraordinary Assembly must be notified to the members at most 21 days before the date on which the Extraordinary Assembly is convened.

4.Where the holding of an extraordinary meeting of the Assembly is requested by the Executive Board, the items of the agenda are determined by the Executive Board. Where the meeting is requested by the members, the items of the agenda shall be determined by them.

5.The agenda of the Extraordinary Assembly may not be altered.

#Article 30Amendment of the Statutes (rules and regulations governing the implementation of the Statutes and the procedure therefor)

1.Responsibility for amending the Statutes lies with the Assembly (where necessary, the rules on the manner of amending the Statutes and the procedure laid down therefor shall be enacted by the Assembly).

2.Any proposal for an amendment to the Statutes must be sent by the members of the Federation or the Executive Board, in writing and with an explanation thereof, to the General Secretary of the Federation. A proposal to amend the Statutes shall be valid only where at least ten other members have supported it and have declared their approval in writing.

3.In order for a vote on an amendment to the Statutes to be valid, an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members of the Assembly entitled to vote must be present at the meeting.

4.For a proposal to amend the Statutes to be accepted, an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members present at the Assembly must vote in favour of it.

5.Any proposal to amend the rules on the manner of amending and implementing the Statutes and the procedure laid down therefor must be sent, together with an explanation of that proposal, by the members of the Assembly or the Executive Board in writing to the General Secretary of the Federation.

6.In order to take a decision on the amendment of the rules, the manner of amending the Statutes and the procedure laid down therefor, an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members of the Assembly must be present at the meeting and the decision must be taken by an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members present.

#Article 31Resolutions

Responsibility for drafting and recording the resolutions of the Assembly lies with the General Secretary of the Federation. The minutes thereof must be signed by the scrutineers who are elected and must then be approved by the next Assembly.

#Article 32Date of implementation of resolutions

The resolutions of the Assembly must be implemented within a maximum of 30 days after the end of the Assembly, unless the Assembly sets another date for the implementation of the resolution.

#Article 33The Executive Board

1.The Executive Board comprises 9 persons:

1.1- The President of the Federation.

1.2- Three vice-presidents, namely the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President and Chairman of the Competitions Committee, and the Third Vice-President and Chairman of the Women's Committee.

1.3- Five other members (comprising one person from among the presidents of the provincial associations, one person from among the managing directors of Premier League or First Division league clubs, and three persons from among individuals with a background in management).

2.All members of the Executive Board must be elected or removed by the Assembly. Each candidate standing in the elections of the Assembly must have been nominated by at least 5 members of the Assembly, and the President by 10 members.

2.1- Members of the Executive Board do not require confirmation from the members of the Assembly in order to register for the same post in the following term.

3.The term of office of the President of the Federation, the vice-presidents and the members of the Executive Board is four years (their re-election for consecutive terms is permitted).

4.The age of the members of the Executive Board, at the time of registration for the elections, must be at least 35 full years and at most 65 full years. They must hold at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and have at least 5 years' experience of management and activity in the relevant specialist field (with the exception of the President), must be free of any criminal record and civil disqualification on the basis of a judicial judgment and the confirmation of the competent authorities, and must also hold Iranian nationality and be resident in Iran.

5.Candidates must send their written application to the secretariat of the Assembly at least 20 days before the holding of the Assembly. The official list of approved candidates must be sent to the members of the Assembly together with the agenda. Candidates for the office of President of the Federation must also state in their written application the names of the persons proposed for the posts of vice-president.

6.A member of the Executive Board must not simultaneously:

6.1- Be the General Secretary of the Federation.

6.2- Be a member of a judicial body of the Federation.

6.3- Be a member of the Dispute Resolution Council of the Federation.

6.4- Be an arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

6.5- Be an active referee in one of the sporting disciplines of the Federation.

6.6- Be the manager of transfer agencies.

7.Where any member of the Executive Board resigns, is removed or dies, their post shall be filled by the Executive Board until the next Ordinary Assembly, unless otherwise provided for in these Statutes.

8.Members who have resigned or been removed may not stand as candidates in the immediately following term of elections.

9.The manner of registration and examination of candidates' documents shall be governed by a directive annexed to these Statutes.

#Article 34Meetings of the Executive Board

1.The Executive Board must hold at least 9 meetings a year.

2.The President of the Federation must convene the meeting of the Executive Board. If 50 per cent of the members of the Executive Board request the holding of a meeting, the President of the Federation must proceed to hold the meeting within fourteen days.

3.The President of the Federation must prepare and draw up the items of the agenda. Each member of the Executive Board may propose items for inclusion in the agenda. Members of the Executive Board must send their proposals for inclusion in the agenda to the General Secretary of the Federation at most 10 days before the holding of the meeting of the Executive Board. The agenda must be sent to all members of the Executive Board at most seven days before the meeting.

4.The General Secretary attends meetings of the Executive Board as secretary without the right to vote.

5.Meetings of the Executive Board are not held in public. The General Secretary may, on the proposal of the Executive Board, also invite informed persons to attend the deliberations of the meeting without the right to vote.

#Article 35Powers of the Executive Board

1.Responsibility for holding and carrying out the necessary coordination for the ordinary and extraordinary Assemblies.

2.Approval of the chairmen and members of the committees of the Federation upon the proposal of the President of the Federation.

3.Approval of the chairmen, deputy chairmen and members of the judicial bodies upon the proposal of the President of the Federation.

4.Approval of the establishment of ad hoc committees where necessary, upon the proposal of the President of the Federation.

5.Examination and approval of the rules submitted by the Legal and Regulatory Drafting Committee of the Federation.

6.Appointment or dismissal of the General Secretary of the Federation on the basis of the proposal of the President of the Federation.

7.Presentation of the Treasurer and the independent auditors to the Assembly.

8.Approval of the rules and directives necessary for the administration of the administrative organisation and the committees of the Federation.

9.Ensuring the proper implementation of the Statutes and the necessary coordination for their implementation.

10.Suspension of a member or an organisation affiliated to the Federation, or the lifting thereof, until the next Assembly.

11.Delegation of part of the duties and powers of the Executive Board to other parts of the Federation.

12.Taking all decisions necessary for the administration of the Federation which are not delegated under the Statutes to the Assembly or another body.

13.Taking decisions on the place, time and number of teams taking part in the competitions of the Federation.

#Article 36Resolutions of the Executive Board

1.Meetings of the Executive Board are validly constituted with a two-thirds majority of the members present, except in the cases provided for in the Statutes.

2.Decisions of the Executive Board are taken by a vote of an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members present. In the event of a tie, the vote of the President shall be decisive. The casting of votes in absentia is not possible.

3.Where the process of taking a decision on a matter conflicts with the interests of certain members of the Executive Board, those members may not take part in the deliberations and the vote on that matter.

4.The decisions taken shall be recorded in the minutes.

5.The decisions taken by the Executive Board must be implemented within a maximum of 48 hours, unless the Executive Board decides otherwise.

#Article 37Expulsion of natural and legal persons who are members of the Assembly or elected by the Assembly

1.The Assembly may expel its member or the members it has elected to the Federation or the General Assembly. The Executive Board may place the expulsion of a member on the agenda of the Assembly. The expulsion of a member from the Federation may be conditional. Each member of the Executive Board may place a proposal for consideration of the expulsion of members on the agenda of the Executive Board or the Assembly.

2.The expulsion of a member must take place on the basis of documentary evidence of the Executive Board. This evidence must be sent to the members of the Assembly together with the agenda of the Assembly.

3.The member in question has the right to provide the necessary explanations in their own defence.

4.The expulsion of elected members or of a member of the Assembly must be finally decided by secret ballot. Approval of the matter requires the agreement of a two-thirds majority of the members present.

5.In the event of permanent or temporary expulsion, the member shall be relieved of all the duties and responsibilities they held.

#Article 38Responsibilities and powers of the President of the Federation

1.1- Acting as the legal representative of the Federation.

1.2- Implementing the decisions of the Assembly and the Executive Board through the General Secretary and the committees of the Federation.

1.3- Ensuring that the members and entities affiliated to the Football Federation properly perform their duties with a view to attaining the objectives set out in the Statutes.

1.4- Supervising the activities of the administrative organisation of the Federation.

1.5- Establishing relations between the Federation and the members of the Federation and other national and international organisations (FIFA and the Confederation).

1.6- Proposing the dismissal or appointment of the General Secretary to the Executive Board.

1.7- Convening and conducting the meetings of the Executive Board and of the committees covered by the Federation as chairman of the meetings.

1.8- Proposing the appointment or removal of the chairmen and members of the committees.

1.9- Proposing the appointment or removal of the chairmen, deputy chairmen and members of the judicial bodies.

1.10- Issuing or revoking the appointments provided for in these Statutes and designating acting heads of the committees pending the presentation of a new person.

1.11- Incurring expenditure in the name of the Federation within the framework of the financial and transactional rules of the Federation and, where necessary, delegating this power to the First Vice-President, the General Secretary and other members of the Executive Board.

3.If the President of the Federation is absent, dies or permanently or temporarily fails to perform their duties, the First Vice-President shall assume their duties until the absence ends or until the next Assembly. In the event of the absence or refusal of the First Vice-President, the duties shall be assigned to the subsequent vice-presidents or to the other members of the Executive Board.

#Article 39Candidates for the office of President of the Federation

1.The President of the Federation is elected by the Assembly for four years. Following the holding of the elections and the end of the Assembly, the elected President may take up their duties (their re-election for consecutive terms is permitted).

2.Each candidate must satisfy the following conditions:

2.1- Iranian nationality and residence in the country.

2.2- No criminal record and no civil disqualification on the basis of a judicial judgment and the confirmation of the competent authorities.

2.3- Being at least 35 years and at most 65 full years of age at the time of registration for the elections.

2.4- Holding at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent.

2.5- Having at least 10 years' management experience.

3.Candidates for the office of President must send the names they propose for the posts of vice-president to the secretariat of the Assembly together with their written application.

#Article 40Representation and right of signature

1.All administrative correspondence shall be valid with the signature of the General Secretary of the Federation, all official contracts with the signature of the President of the Federation, and all binding documents and instruments, cheques and securities with the signature of the President of the Federation and the Treasurer. In the absence of the President, the First Vice-President holds the right of signature.

2.The President of the Federation may delegate part of their powers to the vice-presidents and the General Secretary.

#Article 41Standing committees of the Federation

1.The standing committees of the Federation, which carry out the task of preparing decisions, are as follows:

1.1- Competitions Committee

1.2- Technical and Development Committee

1.3- Referees Committee

1.4- Women's Committee

1.5- Youth Committee

1.6- Futsal Committee

1.7- Beach Soccer Committee

1.8- Sports Medicine Committee

1.9- Players' Status Committee

1.10- Media Committee

1.11- Education Committee

1.12- Marketing Committee

1.13- Legal and Regulatory Drafting Committee

1.14- Strategic Studies Committee

1.15- Social Responsibility and Fair Play Committee

1.16- Provincial Affairs Committee

2.The chairman, deputy chairman and members of the committees of the Federation are appointed for a period of 4 years upon the proposal of the President and the approval of the Executive Board and by decree of the President of the Federation (their reappointment for consecutive terms is permitted).

3.The heads of the departments of the Federation are appointed upon the proposal of the General Secretary and by decree of the President of the Federation and have the duty to implement the decisions of the committees through the General Secretary and to attend the meetings of the relevant committees without the right to vote.

4.The activity of the committees is governed by the specific rules of each committee, which rules, after being drawn up in the committees and confirmed by the Legal and Regulatory Committee, are approved by the Executive Board.

5.All proposals of the committees are submitted to the Executive Board through the General Secretary.

6.The heads of the departments are required to cooperate with the General Secretary, to ensure the performance of all the duties assigned to that department and to submit performance reports to the General Secretary, and the chairmen of the committees must likewise submit their performance reports to the President of the Federation.

#Article 42Competitions Committee

The Competitions Committee shall draw up the rules, regulations and calendar for the staging of the competitions of the Federation in the various age categories in the field of football, futsal and beach soccer on the basis of the regulations of FIFA and these Statutes and submit them to the Executive Board for approval. Following approval, it shall supervise their implementation and submit the relevant report to the Executive Board. This committee comprises a chairman, two deputy chairmen and up to six members.

Where the competitions in the categories of football, futsal and beach soccer are entrusted to another organisation (the league organisation), the said organisation must hold a certificate of registration and must have separate premises and equipment and an organisational structure comprising a general assembly (whose members are elected on the basis of the statutes approved by the Executive Board of the Federation) and an executive board and separate committees and a jury and qualified human resources; in that case, each category of competitions may have a separate league organisation.

#Article 43Technical and Development Committee

The Technical and Development Committee shall propose to the Executive Board of the Federation the technical, supervisory and research aspects relating to the quantitative and qualitative growth and development of the disciplines covered by the Federation, as well as the criteria for the selection and evaluation of players and members of the technical staff of the national teams. This committee is also responsible for proposing the members of the technical staff of the national teams to the Executive Board of the Federation and comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to eleven members (who are selected on the basis of the implementing rules of this committee).

#Article 44Referees Committee

The Referees Committee shall implement the Laws of the Game. This committee appoints the referees for the matches staged by the Federation. The organisation of refereeing matters within the country in cooperation with the administrative organisation of the Federation, the supervision of the work of referees and the holding of refereeing training courses are among the duties of this committee. Proposing to the Executive Board the rules relating to the selection of referees for domestic matches or their nomination to the Confederation and FIFA, and the supervision of the work of referees, is the responsibility of this committee. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 45Women's Committee

The Women's Committee is responsible for the planning, supervision and organisation of women's beach soccer, futsal and football and for the development and promotion of this sport among women. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 46Youth Committee

The Youth Committee is responsible for the planning, growth and promotion of football, futsal and beach soccer for children, juniors and youths. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 47Futsal Committee

This committee is responsible for the growth and promotion of futsal in the country. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 48Beach Soccer Committee

This committee is responsible for the growth and promotion of beach soccer in the country. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 49Sports Medicine Committee

The Sports Medicine Committee shall deal with the medical aspects of football, futsal and beach soccer. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 50Players' Status Committee

This committee is responsible for legal matters and for supervising the implementation of the regulations relating to the domestic and international transfer of players and the relationship of agencies, on the basis of the rules of FIFA and the rules approved by the Federation. Problems and complaints relating to the contracts of members, players, coaches, managers, officials, match staff and agencies must be settled by the dispute resolution chamber section of this committee and on the basis of its specific rules. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 51Media Committee

This committee is responsible for proposing to the Executive Board the rules and directives relating to the manner of interaction with the public media with a view to the growth of football in public opinion, and to the manner of the presence and placement of media representatives at the venues of all matches of the Federation. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 52Education Committee

This committee is responsible for assessing training needs, planning and aligning all coaching, management and knowledge-enhancement training courses at various levels and in various fields in accordance with international standards, preparing the necessary teaching aids and proposing them to the Executive Board. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 53Marketing Committee

This committee is responsible for examining and submitting proposals to the Executive Board regarding how to build capacity at the level of the Federation, the associations and the clubs in the field of marketing, including advertising, sponsors and multimedia rights at international and domestic level. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 54Legal and Regulatory Drafting Committee

This committee is responsible for drafting regulations and aligning them with national and international regulations. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman with a legal education and up to five members. The implementing rules of all committees of the Federation must, after being drawn up in the relevant committee, also be confirmed by this committee.

#Article 55Strategic Studies Committee

This committee is responsible for conducting strategic studies on the broad strategies for the development of football, futsal and beach soccer and on their economic, political and social situation. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 56Social Responsibility and Fair Play Committee

This committee is responsible for drawing up the rules and directives relating to the observance of cultural matters and observances and fair play, and for supervising their implementation. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 57Provincial Affairs Committee

This committee is responsible for coordinating activities and dealing with the affairs of the provincial associations. This committee comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five members.

#Article 58Ad hoc committees

The Executive Board may, where necessary, establish ad hoc committees to perform specific duties for a limited period of time. The Executive Board must designate a chairman, a deputy chairman and a number of members for these committees. The duties and manner of functioning of these committees are defined by means of special regulations drawn up by the Executive Board.

#Article 59Administrative organisation

1.The administrative organisation is responsible for carrying out all administrative activities and implementing the resolutions of the Executive Board under the supervision of the General Secretary. This structure comprises the departments of administrative affairs, financial affairs, competition affairs, protocol, marketing, futsal and beach soccer, women, education, referees, sports medicine, legal affairs, national team affairs, public relations and international relations.

2.Security is under the supervision of the President of the Federation.

3.The country's league organisations are administered under the supervision of the Second Vice-President.

4.The rules, regulations, job descriptions and qualification requirements for the various posts of the administrative organisation (the departments of the Federation) are approved and communicated by the Executive Board upon the proposal of the General Secretary.

5.Any increase or decrease in the departments and posts of the administrative organisation is possible upon the proposal of the General Secretary and the approval of the Executive Board.

#Article 60General Secretary

1.The General Secretary is the senior official for the executive affairs of the administrative organisation of the Federation. They shall be appointed upon the proposal of the President of the Federation and the approval of the Executive Board and by decree of the President of the Federation, and shall cooperate with the Federation under a fixed-term contract.

2.The General Secretary must satisfy the following conditions and possess the following capabilities:

2.1- Iranian nationality and residence in the country.

2.2- Holding at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent and a knowledge of the English language.

2.3- Having at least ten years' management experience, at least five years of which in sport.

2.4- Having no criminal record and being of good repute.

2.5- Working full-time at the Federation.

2.6- Not being a manager at any football-related club and holding no position at any legal person which is a member of the Assembly of the Federation.

3.The General Secretary has the following duties:

3.1- Implementing the decisions taken by the Assembly and the Executive Board on the basis of the existing regulations and rules, under the supervision and guidance of the President of the Federation.

3.2- Attending the meetings of the Assembly, the Executive Board and the standing and ad hoc committees.

3.3- Convening the meetings of the Assembly, the Executive Board and the other bodies affiliated to the Federation.

3.4- Drawing up the minutes for the meetings of the Assembly, the Executive Board and the standing and ad hoc committees and communicating the results thereof to the relevant bodies.

3.5- Managing and controlling the financial affairs, assets and property of the Federation in accordance with the relevant regulations.

3.6- The correspondence of the Federation.

3.7- Establishing relations with the members, the committees, FIFA, the Confederation and other domestic and foreign organisations.

3.8- Organising the administrative organisation of the Federation on the basis of the approved structure.

3.9- Recruiting staff to the administrative organisation of the Federation or terminating their service in coordination with the President of the Federation.

3.10- Proposing the heads of the various departments of the administrative organisation to the President of the Federation for the issue of their appointments.

4.The General Secretary may not be a member of the Assembly or hold responsibility for any of the bodies and various divisions of the Federation.

5.The General Secretary may have a deputy for coordination and executive matters and an adviser on legal matters.

#Article 61Judicial bodies

1.The judicial bodies of the Federation are as follows:

1.1- Disciplinary Committee

1.2- Appeal Committee

1.3- Ethics Committee

2.The responsibilities and duties of this adjudicatory body shall be governed by the disciplinary rules, which shall be approved by the Assembly upon the proposal of the Executive Board. The said rules must be consistent with the disciplinary regulations and codes of ethics of FIFA and the Confederation.

3.The judicial divisions of the Federation are independent and their decisions are binding in accordance with the existing regulations.

4.Members of the judicial bodies may not simultaneously hold responsibility in other divisions of the Federation.

#Article 62Disciplinary Committee

1.The Disciplinary Committee comprises a chairman, a deputy chairman and a maximum of five members. The chairman and deputy chairman must hold a bachelor's degree or higher in legal disciplines.

2.The duties of this committee are defined on the basis of the disciplinary rules. The committee may convene with an absolute majority (50%+1) of its members present, at least one of whom must be the chairman or deputy chairman of the committee, and take the necessary decisions on the matters raised. In certain specific cases (as expressly provided in the disciplinary rules), the chairman of the committee may personally take the necessary decisions.

3.The committee may, on the basis of the provisions of the Statutes of the Federation and the disciplinary rules, impose sanctions on clubs, agencies, players, coaches and club officials.

4.The legal officer of the Federation shall, while retaining that post, be the secretary of the committee and shall attend the meetings without the right to vote.

#Article 63Appeal Committee

1.The Appeal Committee comprises a chairman, a deputy chairman and a maximum of five members. The chairman and deputy chairman must hold a bachelor's degree or higher in legal disciplines.

2.The committee may convene with an absolute majority (50%+1) of its members present, at least one of whom must be the chairman or deputy chairman, and take the necessary decisions on the matters raised. In certain specific cases (as expressly provided in the disciplinary rules), the chairman of the committee may personally take the necessary decisions.

3.The legal officer of the Federation shall be the secretary of this committee and shall attend the meetings without the right to vote.

4.No member of the Disciplinary Committee may be a member of this committee.

#Article 64Ethics Committee

This committee, which is regarded as one of the judicial bodies of the Federation, is responsible for drawing up the rules and directives relating to the observance of ethical and cultural matters and fair play and proposing them to the Executive Board, together with supervising the manner of implementation of these approved rules and directives and taking decisions on cases of failure to observe ethical and cultural principles and fair play, and comprises a chairman, one deputy chairman and up to five other members.

#Article 65Disciplinary sanctions

1.For natural and legal persons

1.1- Warning.

1.2- Reprimand.

1.3- Financial fine.

1.4- Withdrawal of awards and titles.

2.For natural persons.

2.1- Written warning.

2.2- Ban from matches.

2.3- Suspension from one or more matches.

2.4- Ban from entering the dressing room and the substitutes' bench.

2.5- Ban from entering the stadium.

2.6- Prohibition on taking part in any football-related activity.

3.For legal persons.

3.1- Transfer ban.

3.2- Playing a match behind closed doors.

3.3- Playing a match on neutral ground.

3.4- Prohibition on playing at a particular stadium.

3.5- Annulment of the result of a match.

3.6- Expulsion from the competitions.

3.7- Forfeit (declaration of a loss).

3.8- Deduction of points.

3.9- Relegation to a lower division.

#Article 66Judicial authorities

1.The Federation, its members, players, coaches and agencies must not refer their disputes relating to sporting matters to the judicial authorities, save in the specific cases referred to in the FIFA Statutes and regulations.

2.Where a decision issued by the Federation is not accepted, either party may refer the matter to FIFA for a final adjudication.

3.The Federation is required to adjudicate on domestic and national disputes between the members affiliated to the Federation; adjudication on international matters, that is to say any disputes between federations and confederations, shall be the responsibility of FIFA.

#Article 67Court of Arbitration

1.Pursuant to Articles 59 and 60 of the FIFA Statutes, any appeal against final decisions issued by FIFA or the Confederation must be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is situated in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland. The Court of Arbitration will not hear matters such as breaches of the refereeing rules and suspensions from matches of up to four matches or three months.

2.The final decisions issued by FIFA and the Court of Arbitration are binding, and the Federation, the members, players, coaches and agencies are required to implement them.

#Article 68Supreme Dispute Resolution Council

1.In any dispute and conflict between the officials of the Federation, the members, the Assembly, players, coaches, the provincial associations, the league organisations and agencies which is not referred to in the disciplinary rules and does not fall within the scope of the work of the judicial bodies, or which remains contested, the Federation shall deal with the matter by establishing a Supreme Dispute Resolution Council. The rules on the manner of establishing and administering this council shall be approved by the Executive Board on the basis of the directives of FIFA. The members of this council shall be determined on the basis of the rules communicated by FIFA.

#Article 69Treasurer

1.The Treasurer is elected for one term (4 years) upon the proposal of the Executive Board and by obtaining a vote of an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members of the General Assembly, and is responsible for the executive management of financial affairs and the safekeeping of the property of the Federation.

2.The Treasurer must satisfy the following conditions:

2.1- Nationality of and residence in Iran.

2.2- Holding at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent related to financial matters.

2.3- At least five years' experience of financial management.

2.4- No criminal record and no civil disqualification on the basis of a judicial judgment and the confirmation of the competent authorities.

#Article 70Independent auditors

1.The independent auditors are elected from among the auditing firms which are members of the Iranian Association of Certified Public Accountants, upon the proposal of the Executive Board and by obtaining a vote of an absolute majority (50%+1) of the members of the General Assembly, and are responsible, in accordance with the auditing rules, for examining and submitting to the Assembly a report on the financial performance of the Federation. The auditors are appointed for each year and their re-election is permitted.

2.The General Assembly shall elect the principal auditor and the alternate auditor.

Chapter Five — Financial affairs

#Article 71Financial period

1.The financial period of the Federation runs for one year, from the beginning of the first day of Mordad each year until the end of Tir of the following year.

2.The income and expenditure of the Federation must be calculated and estimated within the financial period and proposed to the Assembly in the form of a budget.

3.The Treasurer is required to pursue and prepare the control and balancing of the financial accounts of the Federation by the end of the financial period each year (the end of Tir).

4.All foreign-currency and rial income of the Federation must be paid into bank accounts in the name of the Federation, and all expenditure must likewise be made from those accounts.

#Article 72Income

The income of the Federation is derived from the following sources:

1.Financial assistance from international organisations and assemblies, without being influenced by them.

2.Proceeds from the sale of tickets for matches and sporting and educational programmes.

3.Receipt of donations.

4.Proceeds from the sale of books, booklets, photographs, slides, films, articles and sports publications.

5.Proceeds from the manufacture, production, distribution and sale of sports equipment and goods.

6.Proceeds from the leasing of sports facilities belonging to the Federation.

7.Proceeds from the receipt of annual membership fees from members.

8.Proceeds from the receipt of protest fees and fines.

9.Obtaining loans from credit institutions and the country's banking system.

10.Proceeds from carrying out commercial, trading and service activities.

11.Proceeds from sporting rights such as television broadcasting rights and advertising.

12.Proceeds from the financial benefits arising from rights transferred by the Federation.

13.Receipt of exclusive rights arising from the staging of national and international competitions within the country.

#Article 73Expenditure

(a) Expenditure provided for in the approved budget of the Federation.

(b) Other expenditure which must be approved by the Assembly in the form of a supplementary budget.

#Article 74Membership fees

1.The membership fees of members are as follows:

1.1- The membership fee of natural and legal person members whose annual income is recorded or of which the Federation is aware is equal to 2% of their identified income.

1.2- For natural and legal person members who have no recorded income, the membership fee is proposed by the Executive Board at the beginning of each year and approved by the General Assembly.

2.An amount equal to 20% of the membership fees relating to natural and legal person members in each province must be paid by the Federation to the football association of the province concerned.

#Article 75Settlement of accounts

The Federation may use members' receivables or assets to settle their debts.

Chapter Six- — Competitions and rights of the Federation

#Article 76Domestic competitions

1.The Federation is the organiser and coordinator of all official football, futsal and beach soccer competitions throughout Iran. These competitions comprise all matches of the national teams, the national and regional club leagues, the knock-out cup and the national championship.

2.For the staging of the national and regional leagues, the Federation may delegate the authority to stage the competitions to the league organisation and the provincial associations, in which case it shall designate its chosen representative to supervise. Competitions staged by the league organisation must be coordinated in terms of the calendar with the other competitions staged by the Federation.

3.The Executive Board shall approve the rules on the staging of competitions and the special regulations for determining the rights of the Federation, upon the proposal of the General Secretary.

#Article 77Club licensing

1.The Federation must implement the club licensing system in accordance with the principles and regulations on club licensing of the Confederation and FIFA.

2.The purpose of the club licensing system is to safeguard the credibility and integrity of club competitions with a view to improving the level of professionalism in the Federation and promoting sporting values in accordance with the principles of fair play, as well as maintaining a safe and sound environment for competitions and developing transparency in the financial affairs, ownership and control of clubs.

3.The Executive Board of the Federation must pursue the regulations governing the club licensing system. The licensing regulations must be made fully transparent for the clubs concerned. The club licensing system must be implemented at least in the country's top-tier clubs which take part in the club competitions of the Confederation. The club licensing bodies must comprise a first-instance body and an appeal body. The members of these bodies must be appointed by the Executive Board.

#Article 78Competition rights

1.The Federation and its affiliated members are, without any limitation of time, place or law, the original owners of all rights arising from the staging of competitions and other official events. These rights include any financial benefits, audiovisual and radio recording, production and television broadcasting rights, multimedia rights, exploitation of emblems and insignia, as well as copyright.

2.As regards the manner of exploitation of all the aforementioned rights, the Executive Board shall take the necessary decisions and shall enact the relevant rules in this regard. The Executive Board shall decide whether these rights may be exploited exclusively, or jointly with the participation of another third party, or entirely through a third party.

#Article 79Issuance of licences

Responsibility for issuing licences for the exploitation of images, sound and other information relating to football matches, irrespective of content, time and place and other legal and technical aspects, lies exclusively with the Federation, in view of its legal powers.

Chapter Seven — International matches and events

#Article 80International matches and events

1.The staging of international matches and events at the level of national teams and club teams shall be carried out solely with the coordination and authorisation of FIFA. Furthermore, in accordance with the rules of FIFA, no international match or competition shall be staged without the permission of the Executive Committee of FIFA. The necessary authorisation must also be issued by the Confederation.

2.The Federation must carry out the necessary coordination with the international match calendar announced by FIFA.

#Article 81Relations

1.The Federation may not take part in competitions staged by federations which are not members of FIFA or maintain sporting relations with them.

2.In order to take part in competitions arranged with provisional members of FIFA, the Federation must obtain authorisation from the Confederation and FIFA.

#Article 82Authorisation

Clubs, unions or other club groups affiliated to the Federation may not become members of another federation or take part in the competitions of another country without the permission and coordination of the Federation, the Confederation and FIFA.

Chapter Eight- — Other provisions

#Article 83Unforeseen and unexpected matters

1.The Executive Board is responsible for taking the final decision on dealing with matters which arise in emergency situations and are not provided for in the Statutes.

#Article 84Dissolution of the Federation

1.The dissolution of the Federation requires the approval of a two-thirds majority of the members of the Assembly.

2.In the event of the dissolution of the Federation, all its assets shall be transferred to the Ministry of Sport and Youth. That ministry shall hold all the assets of the Federation in trust until the Federation resumes its activity. At the same time, the Assembly of the Federation may, by a vote of a two-thirds majority of the members present at the meeting, designate another organisation or body as the authority for the safekeeping of the deposits and assets of the Federation.

#Article 85Implementation of the Statutes

The Statutes of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which were drawn up on 2 July 2007 by the transitional Executive Board of the Federation and had been approved by FIFA, were amended and adopted, pursuant to Article 32 of the previous Statutes, by the Extraordinary Assembly of the Federation on 26 December 2011 and are binding.