TERMS & CONDITIONS

By registering with American Football Australia (AFA) as a player, coach, official, volunteer, administrator or other participant, and whether in the tackle or flag formats of American football, you (and, if you are under 18 years of age, your parent or legal guardian) agree to be bound by these National Registration Terms and Conditions (Terms).

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Applications for registration or membership will be considered in accordance with the AFA Constitution and the governing rules of the relevant Member Association. There is no appeal where an application is refused.

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1. Definitions

In these Terms, the following words have the meanings set out below, unless the context requires otherwise:

AFA means Gridiron Australia Limited t/as American Football Australia (ACN 073 881 811), the national sporting organisation for American football (tackle and flag) in Australia.

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Activity means participating in any capacity in any match, competition, event, program, training session or other activity (including online or virtual activity) sanctioned or organised by AFA, a Member Association or a Club, whether in the tackle or flag formats of American football.

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Club means any American football club, team or program that is a member of, or affiliated with, a Member Association.

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Constitution means the constitution of AFA as amended from time to time.

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IFAF means the International Federation of American Football and its regional confederation for Oceania, to which AFA is affiliated.

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Member Association means each state or territory body recognised by AFA as the governing body for American football in that state or territory.

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National Integrity Framework (NIF) means the National Integrity Framework as adopted by AFA and administered in accordance with Sport Integrity Australia's model policies, comprising:

• the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy;

• the Member Protection Policy;

• the Competition Manipulation and Sports Wagering Policy;

• the Improper Use of Drugs and Medicine; and

• the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy (CDDP),

each as adopted, and as amended from time to time, and published at americanfootball.org.au/integrity.

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National Sports Tribunal (NST) means the National Sports Tribunal established under the National Sports Tribunal Act 2019 (Cth).

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Participant means a person who is registered, or seeking to be registered, with AFA, a Member Association or a Club, in any capacity (including as a player, coach, official, volunteer or administrator).

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Policies means all policies, by-laws, directions, determinations, codes of conduct and rules of competition adopted by AFA or a Member Association from time to time, including the NIF and the AFA Privacy Policy.

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You / Your means the Participant and, where the Participant is under 18 years of age, includes the Participant's parent or legal guardian, where the context permits.

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2. Compliance with rules and policies

By registering through the AFA registration platform, you agree that you:

• apply to be admitted as a member/registrant of AFA and the relevant Member Association and Club, in accordance with the Constitution and any Policy;

• agree to be bound by, and to comply with, the Constitution, the governing rules of the relevant Member Association, and all Policies (including the NIF), as they are amended from time to time;

• acknowledge that, to the extent of any inconsistency, the NIF and AFA's national Policies take precedence over Club or Member Association rules, unless AFA expressly agrees otherwise;

• acknowledge that a failure to comply with these Terms or any Policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including suspension, deregistration or referral to the NST; and

• accept responsibility for familiarising yourself with the Policies as adopted and amended from time to time, copies of which are available at americanfootball.org.au/integrity or on request.

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3. National Integrity Framework

You specifically acknowledge and agree that you are, and will remain, bound at all times by the National Integrity Framework and each of its component policies. This includes obligations relating to safeguarding children and young people, member protection (including bullying, harassment and discrimination), competition manipulation and sports wagering, anti-doping, and the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy.

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You agree that AFA and Sport Integrity Australia each retain jurisdiction to investigate any suspected breach, and to impose sanctions in respect of any proven breach, of the NIF, even if your registration or membership ends before the investigation or sanctioning process concludes.

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4. Reporting obligations

If you see, hear or experience any suspicious, unsafe or unwelcome conduct - including but not limited to child safety concerns, abuse, harassment, bullying, discrimination, match-fixing or doping - you must report it promptly through one of the following channels:

• Online: AFA's integrity reporting portal (Rely) - link available at americanfootball.org.au/integrity;

• Email: integrity@americanfootball.org.au;

• Child safeguarding and discrimination complaints may also be lodged directly with Sport Integrity Australia at sportintegrity.gov.au/contact-us/make-an-integrity-complaint-or-report; and/or

• For criminal matters, to relevant law enforcement agencies.

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5. Risk Warning and Assumption of risk

American football (in both its tackle and flag formats) carries an inherent and significant risk of injury. This clause is a risk warning for the purposes of section 5M of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) and any equivalent legislation in the State or Territory in which you participate.

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• Tackle football is a full-contact collision sport and a dangerous recreational activity. Its risks include, without limitation: collisions, tackling and physical contact with other participants, equipment or the ground; concussion and other traumatic brain injury, which may have long-term or permanent effects; head, neck and spinal injury, including paralysis; and fractures, internal injury, catastrophic injury and death.

• Flag football, while non-contact by design, still carries a real risk of injury, including from falls, collisions, sprains, fractures and overexertion.

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You and, where you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian, voluntarily accept ans assume all risks of injury, illness or death arising from training for, and participating in, Activities, whether or not described above, and you participate at your own risk. You must comply with all safety directions, rules of competition, equipment  requirements and concussion protocols (see clause 7) of AFA, the relevant Member Association and Club.

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AFA may require a further, specific risk warning and signed waiver as a condition of participation in higher-risk or representative Activities (including representative teams, tackle competitions, and age dispensation arrangements), which will apply in addition to this clause.

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6. Limitation of liability and release

To the extent permitted by law, and subject to any rights that cannot be excluded, restricted or modified under the Australian Consumer Law:

• you release AFA, Member Associations, Clubs and their respective officers, employees and volunteers (Football Bodies) from any claim arising from or in connection with your registration or participation in Activities, except to the extent caused by the gross negligence of a Football Body;

• the liability of a Football Body for any death, personal injury, loss or damage arising from the supply of recreational services is excluded, restricted or modified as permitted by the Australian Consumer Law and the equivalent State and Territory fair trading legislation; and

• you indemnify the Football Bodies against any claim arising from your breach of these Terms or any Policy, to the extent permitted by law.

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7. Health, medical information and consent to treatment

You warrant that, before undertaking any Activity, you are medically fit to participate and do not have a condition that creates an unreasonable risk of injury to yourself or others. You must disclose any relevant medical condition (including concussion history) to AFA, the Member Association or Club on request.

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You consent to AFA, the Member Association or Club arranging any medical treatment reasonably considered necessary during an Activity if you are unable to give consent at the time, and you agree to reimburse reasonable costs incurred in doing so.

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8. Images and likeness

You consent to AFA, Member Associations and Clubs capturing, recording and using photographs, video and other footage of you (Imagery) for the purposes of promoting American football, competition administration (including tribunal and disciplinary processes), and reporting to AFA's funding partners and IFAF. If you do not consent to your Imagery being used for general promotional purposes, you may notify AFA at integrity@americanfootball.org.au.

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9. PrivacY

AFA, Member Associations and Clubs collect personal information (including, where relevant, health and other sensitive information) about you as part of your registration and participation in Activities. This information is collected, held, used and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, and the AFA Privacy Policy (available at americanfootball.org.au/privacy).

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In summary, your information may be used to: process and manage your registration; administer competitions and events; contact you about AFA, Member Association and Club activities; manage safety, safeguarding and integrity matters under the NIF; meet insurance, anti-doping and reporting obligations to Sport Integrity Australia, the Australian Sports Commission and IFAF; and, where you have not opted out, for marketing and promotional purposes. It may be disclosed to your Member Association and Club, to service providers who help operate AFA's registration, integrity and athlete management systems, to insurers, and to government and regulatory bodies where required by law.

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Please read the full AFA Privacy Policy for details of what we collect, why, and your rights to access or correct your information. By registering, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as described in that Policy.

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10. Registration of participants under 18 years of age

Where the Participant is under 18 years of age, the parent or legal guardian completing this registration:

• confirms they have read, understood and explained these Terms (including the NIF and the AFA Privacy Policy) to the Participant;

• consents to the Participant's registration and participation in Activities; and

• agrees to be responsible for the Participant's compliance with these Terms and the Policies, and accepts the release and indemnity in clause 6 in their capacity as parent or guardian.

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11. Refunds and cancellation

Unless otherwise required by law, all AFA registration and membership fees are non-refundable once a registration has been submitted and payment processed.

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By completing your registration, you acknowledge that the AFA membership fee is paid to support the administration of the sport, participant insurance, governance, compliance and other services provided by AFA, and is not contingent on participation in any particular training session, competition or event.

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Any fees charged by an affiliated Member Association, league, association or club are subject to the refund policy of that organisation. AFA is not responsible for determining or administering refunds relating to those fees.

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Where a registration includes fees payable to AFA and to another organisation, any approved refund will be assessed separately by each organisation in accordance with its own refund policy.

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AFA may, at its sole discretion, approve a refund where a registration has been submitted in error, duplicated, or where exceptional circumstances exist. Each request will be assessed on its individual merits. Requests for refunds must be made in writing, including the participant's registration details and explain the basis of the request

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Nothing in this policy excludes, restricts or modifies any rights or remedies available under the Australian Consumer Law.

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12. General

• These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of its courts.

• If any part of these Terms is invalid or unenforceable, it will be severed and the remainder will continue to operate.

• These Terms may be updated by AFA from time to time; your continued registration constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.