IFA chief executive Howard Wells was frustrated by the outcome

IFA president Jim Boyce said he was "disappointed" by the outcome adding that the development could be "very serious" for Northern Ireland football.

The meeting had been earmarked to introduce a number of new policies including Sunday football.

However, an amateur league official's objection led to the adjournment.

In theory, the adjournment leaves the IFA operating outside Fifa statutes.

However, IFA chief executive Howard Wells said Northern Ireland's international status is not under any threat.

Terry Pateman, who represents the Amateur League, contested amendments to the new proposals to the articles of association and forwarded a motion to adjourn the entire meeting.

The meeting was certainly extraordinary in the real sense of the word, Howard Wells

Mr Pateman's proposal was then seconded by a member of the IFA's executive committee John McCrossan and the motion to reschedule the meeting before 30 September was accepted by a majority of the governing body.

IFA chief Wells was left hugely frustrated by the decision although he added:"I never am surprised at anything that happens within the IFA and football".

"It (the meeting) was certainly extraordinary in the real sense of the word," Wells told the BBC.

"It was a part of procedure rather than a concern about the real outcome but the IFA has a lot of growing up to do."

The IFA chief executive said that change is essential because the governing body has been "working for several years with a set of articles that are totally inadequate".

"We have spent an inordinate amount of time over the past 12 months with a working group, putting a new set of articles together.

There's no suggestion we'll be thrown out of competitive football Howard Wells

"We had our solicitors present last night and their advice was that we should make some minor changes to five of the articles which would not substantially change anything within the document.

"One of the members said: 'We've never done it this way in 40 years', which probably just about sums things up.

"The meeting felt it needed more time to consider these changes."

Wells said the adjournment of the meeting "reflected the maturity, or lack of it, with corporate governance in the IFA".

The IFA chief rubbised reports that Northern Ireland's place in international competition could be jeopardised by Thursday's events.

"There's no suggestion we'll be thrown out of competitive football. That's paper talk."