2025-04 – EC 2025-01 – Resolution 1B & 2 – New/revised membership requirements for MNAs, AMNAs & MNA-Ps

Preamble

Topic: New/revised membership requirements for Member National Associations (MNAs), Associate Member National Associations (AMNAs), and Member National Associations – Provisional (MNA-Ps)

Proposal: Consideration of options/proposals to:

1. Set out additional membership criteria for the new category of AMNA in the Official Handbook (see Preface and Articles 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.5),
2. Make changes to the membership criteria for MNAs (minimum number of players/clubs, counting of “active” players) contained in the Official Handbook (see Preface and Articles 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.5).

Background:

Members approved Resolution 1b to the 2024 Congress proposing the creation of the new category of membership of Associate Member or AMNA, through amendments/additions to the definition section of the Statutes, the addition of a new Article 3A setting out the rights and responsibilities of AMNAs, as well as the addition of references to AMNAs elsewhere in the Statutes as required.

However, other necessary amendments to the Official Handbook, spelling out further details regarding AMNAs, including minimum player and club numbers, were contained in Resolution 2, which narrowly failed.  Resolution 2 also contained proposed changes (increasing requirements) to the membership criteria for MNAs, however, and it is not clear whether there might otherwise have been approval regarding the proposed membership criteria for AMNAs if they have been set out separately from the proposed changes for MNAs.  This was not really possible, however, because the proposed criteria for MNAs and AMNAs were closely related. 

As a way forward to resolve the conflicting results of voting on Resolution 1b and Resolution 2, and given the general support for the AMNA concept from MNAs, the Board has prepared a revised, much less demanding proposal regarding both AMNA and revised MNA membership criteria for members’ consideration.

This revised proposal, set out in detail revisions to the Handbook, is as follows:

1. Setting membership rights and obligations for AMNAs to sit between the requirements for MNAs and MNA-Ps. AMNAs would have higher requirements than MNA-Ps, including in terms of the minimum numbers of active players (5 from 1 September 2025, increasing to 10 from 1 September 2026 and clubs (0 from 1 September 2025, increasing to 1 from 1 September 2026), based on the number required for MNAs, as outlined below, and an annual membership fee of 50 Euros.  As set out in the amendments to the Statutes, with those higher obligations come increased rights, including to a half vote at FISTF AGMs and the Congress, the right to nominate individuals for Confederation Boards and to host Confederation Cups But not the FISTF Board or a World Cup), and the right to hold Grand Prix events (but not a Major);
2. Changing/increasing the current membership obligations on MNAs, in particular:
   1. Increasing the minimum number of players required from 10 to 20 from 1 September 2026; and
   2. Requiring that these be active players (not just registered players, as at present), and defining what is meant by “active”.

As discussed at the Congress, the intention of the increasing obligations on MNAs to maintain full membership status is NOT to punish them, but to encourage them to increase their playing numbers and involvement in the FISTF tour.  The proposed phasing in the increasing requirements over the next two years is to allow MNAs and AMNAs enough time to take the necessary steps to meet the gradually increasing requirements, assisted by FISTF as appropriate. Noting that the FISTF Statutes can only be changed at a Congress, it is also proposed that the increasing membership requirements set out above be contained in the Official Handbook, rather than the Statutes, to allow some flexibility to MNAs and the Board in their implementation, if required, as we review progress. 

If agreed, the changes outlined above would require changes to the Official Handbook.  These changes are set out in the draft revised Handbook which is being distributed separately.  Please note that the revised Handbook also includes all the changes already approved by members. The proposed changes contained in this proposal are highlighted in yellow in the further revised Handbook to distinguish them from the changes that have already been approved. 

Voting

EC 2025-04 – Resolution 1B & 2 – New/revised membership requirements for MNAs, AMNAs & MNA-Ps

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As per the FISTF Statutes, a majority vote of 66.67% is needed to carry this resolution.
Abstention is not a cast vote (it was voted but will not be considered in the final results)