FORUM CLUB HANDBALL – HEART OF THE GAME
(Updated on 29.12.2020)
In order to prepare the working procedures of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL eV (FCH), the European Elite Handball clubs agree upon the following
Rules of Procedure (RoP)
for the FCH General Assembly.
FCH is the representation of Elite Handball Clubs vis-a-vis European Handball Federation (EHF), International Handball Federation (IHF) and European Commission.
The FCH General Assembly (GA) is the highest body of FCH. The GA meets at least once per year.
The GA decides upon the guidelines of the policy of the Elite Handball Clubs.
The following clubs are automatically members of FCH:
- The EHF Champions League clubs +
- Top EHF European League Clubs +
- Top 16 EHF Cup Clubs
- all National Champions
+ all participants of the round of the ‘Last 8’ of Non-European Continental Club Competitions.
in the current (20/21) and in the previous season (19/20).
Motions to the GA: Every club may forward motions to the GA. The motions must be forwarded to the office@forumclubhandball.com 4 weeks prior to the meeting.
The GA may allow motions to be forwarded during the GA, if a 75% majority is in favor of permitting the motion.
FCH Board
The GA will elect a Board. The Board will consist out of 12 club representatives.
The Board leads the policy of European Top Handball clubs according to the guidelines, determined by FCH.
Election of FCH Board members
Every club may propose one candidate for the Board of FCH.
The GA will elect FCH Board members according to the ‘EHF Club Competitions Ranking’ as follows (current status (May 2020) in brackets):
The clubs from the nation ranked 1st (GER) in the ‘EHF Club Competitions Ranking’ will have two Board members.
The clubs from the nation ranked 2nd (FRA) in the ‘EHF Club Competitions Ranking’ will have two Board members.
The clubs from the nations ranked 3 – 9 (ESP, HUN, MKD, POL, DEN, POR, CRO) in the ‘EHF Club Competitions Ranking 21/22’ will have four Board members.
The clubs from the nations ranked 10 – 18 (ROU, BLR, SLO, SWE, UKR, SUI, NOR, SVK, RUS) in the ‘EHF Club Competitions Ranking 21/22’ will have two Board members.
The clubs from the nations ranked 19 – 30 (FIN, AUT, TUR, BEL, CZE, ISL, ISR, GRE, SRB, LUX, NED, KOS) in the ‘EHF Club Competitions 21/22’ will have one Board member.
The clubs from the nations ranked 1-20 in the EHF European-Cup ranking 21/22 (BIH, LTU, BUL, GBR, CYP, LAT, MDA, ITA, MNE, …) will have one Board member.
The General Assembly may elect one Board member of other continents. This Board member shall be elected as Vice-President.
Details are specified in the ‘Election Regulations’.
FCH Office holders/ Committee Members
The FCH Board will suggest candidates as representatives for the various bodies/offices of FCH/EHF/IHF.
The General Assembly of FCH will elect FCH representatives into the various bodies in FCH/EHF/IHF as follows:
FCH President 1
FCH Vice-Presidents 2
FCH Vice-President Finances 1
EHFM Men’s Club Board members 3
EHF FCH Infront Dazn Strategy Committee 1
EHF Competitions Commission 1
FCH Development Project 3
EHFM Comptroller 1
FCH Comptroller 1
FCH Representative in the EHF/M FCH-Evaluation Group 1
EHF Professional Handball Board 2
EHFM Advisory Board 0
The 3 elected members of the MCB will elect their speaker.
The speaker has to be approved by the FCH Board. Once the speaker is approved by the FCH Board, he will be appointed as FCH member in the Advisory Board.
FCH Development project Chairman 0
The Board member Nations ranked 19-30 will chair the Working Group Development.
EHFM Men’s Club Board deputies 0
The 2-3 Men’s Club Board deputies are to be appointed by the FCH Board.
Eligibility to vote
Clubs will be eligible to vote if the club representative is physically present and the person present is registered by the club to registration@forumclubhandball.com latest the day before the meeting.
It is not possible to delegate the vote to a third person (or club). The club delegate must be member of the Club Board.
Election Period
The election period will be four years. The next election period covers the season 21/22, 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25.
Further elections will take place at the end of the season 24/25, 28/29, 32/33 …. (every 4 years)
In case of the resignation of a Board member during the electoral period, the Board member will be replaced during the next General Assembly.
In case of the resignation of an FCH officer during the electoral period, the FCH Board may appoint a person to replace him.
Candidates
Every club may propose one person as Board member in FCH.
Candidates to become FCH Board member have to be proposed by their club two weeks prior to the elections at the latest. They have to be Board members of their club.
Candidates do not have to be present to become elected.
Voting rights
The member clubs of FCH have different numbers of voting rights according to their sportive success as follows (taking in account the better result of current and previous season):
4 votes: Top 16 Champions League clubs season 20/21
3 votes: Top 28 Champions League clubs season 19/20
2 votes: Top 24 EHF European League Clubs season 20/21
2 votes: Top 16 EHF Cup Clubs season 19/20
1 vote: All clubs which participated in the
Qualification of the EHF European League Clubs season 20/21
or in the Qualification of the EHF Cup Clubs season 19/20
1 vote: Top 16 European Cup Clubs season 20/21
1 vote: Top 16 Challenge Cup Clubs season 19/20
1 vote: All National Champions 2019 + 2020
All clubs from other continents will receive at least 1 vote, participants of the Final Tournament of the Continental Championship at least two votes, the Top 4 ranked teams of the Continental Championships 3 votes, the winner of the continental Championship 4 votes.
Managing Director
The Managing Director has the responsibility to convoke and organize the GA and produce the meeting minutes according to the FCH Statutes.
As long as no other decision is taken, the Managing Director of FCH shall act as an Election Supervisor.
The Managing Director shall execute the FCH Board resolutions and represent FCH as advised by the GA/Board.
The Managing Director shall not be a club member.
Due to his function the Managing Director will represent the interests of FCH in the EHFM Mens’s Club Board, in the EHFM Advisory Board.
Representation
The President and the two (/three) Vice-Presidents are the political representatives of FCH.
Updated/drafted on 29.12.2020.
FORUM CLUB HANDBALL – HEART OF THE GAME
In order to prepare the elections of FORUM CLUB HANDBALL eV (FCH), European Handball Elite clubs agree upon the following
Election Regulations
for the FCH General Assembly:
Introduction
These regulations are set up by FORUM CLUB HANDBALL eV (FCH) to govern the conduct of elections required under the ‘FCH Regulations of Procedure’. These regulations may not be altered from the time nominations are open until the result of the election is officially declared.
Election
An election can be executed if the FCH General Assembly (GA) has been convoked according to the ‘FCH Election Regulations’ and at least 50 votes are present.
The following office bearers are to be elected:
- 1 Election Supervisor
- 3 Tellers
- 12 Board members
- One Non-European Board member
Committee members and FCH office holders may be proposed by the newly elected FCH Board or/and the GA and will be elected during the GA in the following order:
- FCH President 1
- FCH Vice-Presidents 2, one of them to be elected
- FCH Vice-President Finances 1
- EHF Professional Handball Board 2
- EHFM Men’s Club Board members 3
- EHF FCH Infront Dazn Strategy Committee 1
- EHF Competitions Commission 1
- FCH Development Project 3
- EHFM Comptroller 1
- FCH Comptroller 1
- FCH representative in the EHF/M-FCH Evaluation Group
Without election:
12. EHFM Advisory Board 0
The 3 elected members of the MCB will elect their speaker.
The speaker has to be approved by the FCH Board. Once the speaker is approved by the FCH Board, he will be appointed as FCH member in the Advisory Board.
- FCH Development project Chairman 0
The Board member Nations ranked 19-30 will chair the Working Group Development.
- EHFM Men’s Club Board deputies 0
The 2-3 Men’s Club Board deputies are to be appointed by the FCH Board.
Term of office
The elections take place every fourth year at the end of the season, starting in June 21. The term of office for all office bearers expires at the end of the season after four years. All retiring office bearers are eligible for re-election
The Election Supervisor
An Election Supervisor must be appointed by the outgoing Board to oversee the conduct of the election. The Election Supervisor must not be a candidate as Board member. The Election Supervisor may, in writing delegate any powers or responsibilities to any person or organisation other than a candidate.
Usually the Managing Director will act as Election Supervisor.
Eligibility to nominate
Ordinary members of FCH with eligibility to vote in June 21 are:
- The EHF Champions League clubs +
- The EHF European League Clubs +
- The EHF Cup Clubs (season 19/20)
- Top 16 EHF Cup Clubs (season 20/21)
- Top 16 Challenge Cup Clubs (season 19/20)
- all National Champions
+ all participants of the round of the ‘Last 8’ of Non-European Continental Club Competitions.
in the current (20/21) and in the previous season (19/20).
Any ordinary member is eligible to stand for election. No member may nominate more than one candidate as Board member. The elections are to be conducted in the order listed above.
Call for nominations/Notice of election
The Election Supervisor must notify members of the election and call for nominations at least 4 weeks before election.
Nominations to become FCH Board member close 2 weeks before the election.
The call for nominations must state:
- which positions are vacant
- the eligibility criteria for members wishing to stand
- details of how nominations may be lodged
- the date and time for the opening and closing of nominations and
- details of how and when polling is to be conducted.
The notice of election and call for nominations must be communicated to eligible members by displaying the notice on the FCH website.
Submission of nominations
Nominations must:
- be submitted to the elections supervisor
- be submitted by e-mail to nomination@forumclubhandball.com
- submitted by the club and contain the statement that the proposed candidate is Board member of the club
- indicate the position of the candidate in the club
- contain the consent of the candidate
- be submitted during the period when nominations may be lodged.
If the Election Supervisor determines that a nomination submitted during the nominations period is not valid, the Election Supervisor must make a reasonable attempt to contact the candidate as soon as practicable and inform him/her that the nomination is not valid and if the nomination may be corrected to make it valid, inform the candidate that he/she may remedy the nomination and resubmit it to the Election Supervisor prior to the close of nominations.
Nominations may be withdrawn any time up until the close of nominations.
Nominations should not be made public until after the time of declaration. The time and place of declaration should be on the FCH website.
After the time of declaration, the Election Supervisor should publish the nominations on the FCH website.
If the number of candidates nominated for any position is less than the number required to be elected, any unfilled position is to be considered a casual vacancy, and must be filled during the next General Assembly.
If the number of candidates nominated is greater than the number required to be elected, the Election Supervisor must conduct an election.
All nominations, valid and invalid, must be kept by the Election Supervisor in a secure place until the poll is declared.
Candidate’s statements
Candidates may provide a recent photograph of themselves and a written statement of not more than one page, comprising factual biographical information and, if the candidate wishes, a statement of policy until the close of nominations. The Election Supervisor will provide it to all members before the election.
Voting
Voting at the election is to be by attendance at the General Assembly only.
The Election Supervisor must ensure that procedures are in place to:
- limit each eligible voter to voting no more than once and
- ensure that the way in which any voter marks his/her ballot paper is not revealed, either when that member votes or at any later stage.
The Election Supervisor may decide that a voting is executed by show of hands.
The Election Supervisor must decide that a voting is executed as a secret voting, if requested by at least 10% of the eligible votes.
Eligibility to vote
All ordinary members of FCH who are correctly registered, have paid all their fees (if there are any) and are not under suspension at the time that nominations closes are entitled to vote at the election.
The Election Supervisor must prepare a list of members eligible to vote at the election.
Number of Votes
Every Club receives votes according to the ‘EHF European Cup Nation Ranking’ as follows (taking in account the better result of current and previous season):
4 votes: Top 16 Champions League clubs season 20/21
3 votes: Top 28 Champions League clubs season 19/20
2 votes: Top 24 EHF European League Clubs season 20/21
2 votes: Top 16 EHF Cup Clubs season 19/20
1 vote: All clubs which participated in the
Qualification of the EHF European League Clubs season 20/21
or in the Qualification of the EHF Cup Clubs season 19/20
1 vote: Top 16 European Cup Clubs season 20/21
1 vote: Top 16 Challenge Cup Clubs season 19/20
1 vote: All National Champions 2019 + 2020
All clubs from other continents will receive at least 1 vote, participants of the Final Tournament of the Continental Championship at least two votes, the Top 4 ranked teams of the Continental Championships 3 votes, the winner of the continental Championship 4 votes.
Ballot papers
The Election Supervisor must arrange for preparation of the ballot papers.
The ballot paper must be initialled by the Election Supervisor.
Counting the votes
The Election Supervisor must ensure that ballot boxes are opened in front of the tellers.
The Election Supervisor must, as soon as practicable after the close of polling, arrange for the counting of votes to commence.
The votes are to be counted in accordance with the number of voting rights.
No candidate may attend the counting of votes for the election, if he or she is contesting for any other election conducted at the same time.
The Election Supervisor may admit other members of FCH to attend the counting of votes at his/her discretion.
The Election Supervisor must determine whether or not each vote is valid in accordance with these regulations.
Votes may be recounted at the discretion of the Election Supervisor.
Formality of ballot papers
A ballot paper is informal if:
- it is not authenticated by the initials of the Election Supervisor or by a security device authorised by the Election Supervisor; or
- it has no vote/name indicated on it.
A vote will be counted if the voting intention of the elector is clear.
Declaring the results
At the conclusion of the election the Election Supervisor must prepare a report that details:
- the results of the election;
- the number of votes received by each candidate; and
- any other relevant information that may assist FCH.
The Election Supervisor shall submit the report to the members during the General Assembly.
Destruction of ballot papers
Election papers will be destroyed as soon as practicable after the expiration of the dispute period applying after the result of the election was declared.
Disputes
Any candidate may dispute the results of the election in writing, setting out the details of the dispute, within one week.
Disputes are to be considered by the Election Supervisor of FCH. The Election Supervisor shall consider any application disputing an election result and shall declare the election void and order that a fresh election must be held; or declare that a person who has been declared elected was not elected and declare that a person who has not been elected was elected; or declare that the original election result is confirmed.
Casual vacancies
Any casual vacancy is to be filled with a by-election held in accordance with these rules during the next GA. The new representative is elected until the next electoral GA.
Counting of Votes
The process of counting votes to elect one person is as follows:
Sort all ballot papers for each candidate informal and count the total number of votes in each category.
Calculate the absolute majority, by adding the total of all formal votes, divide by two, add one and disregard any remainder, as shown in this formula:
| Number of formal votes | +1 |
| 2 |
If any candidate has received an absolute majority, that candidate is elected.
If no candidate has received an absolute majority, the candidate who has received the fewest number of votes is excluded.
Where at any time it becomes necessary to exclude a candidate, and two or more candidates standing lowest on the poll have the same number of votes, exclude that candidate who had fewer votes at the last count at which they were unequal. If there are no counts at which those candidates had unequal votes, then the Election Supervisor should determine by lot the candidate to be excluded.
The process of excluding candidates continues until one candidate has received an absolute majority.
If no candidate has received an absolute majority, the election process will be repeated during the next FCH General assembly.
The according position will be vacant in the meantime. In case of necessity the Board may appoint a preliminary representative.
The process of counting votes to elect more than one person is as follows:
Every member fills out a ballot paper with the requested number of candidates. Every candidate receives votes according to paragraph ‘Number of Votes’.
The candidates with the majority of votes are elected.
In case of equal number of votes a second ballot is executed among the concerned candidates. In case of equal number of votes in the second ballot, a third ballot is executed among the concerned candidates. In case of equal number of votes in the third ballot, then the Election Supervisor should determine by lot the candidate to be excluded.
Updated on 29.12.2020