1. Definitions
2.
Competition Name & Constitution
3.
Club Name
4.
Entry Fee, Subscription, Deposit
5.
Management, Nomination, Election
7.
Protests, Claims, Complaints, Appeals
11.
Continuation of membership. Withdrawal of a club
12.
Exclusion of Clubs or Team. Misconduct of Clubs, Officers, Players, Management Committee
13.
Trophy
15.
Finance
16.
Insurance
17.
Dissolution
19.
Club Colours
20.
Playing season, Conditions of play, Times of kick-off, Postponements, Substitutes
23.
Match Officials
25.
Cup, Shield & Trophy Rules (Youth Football)
1. (A) In these Rules:
“Affiliated Association” means an Association accorded the
status of an affiliated Association under the Rules of The FA.
“AGM” shall mean the annual general meeting held in
accordance with the constitution of the Competition.
“Clear days” means days reckoned from one day to another, excluding both the first and last
day. EG from Tuesday to Sunday there are four clear days.
“Club” means a Club for the time being in membership of the
Competition.
“Club Portal” means the system used by
Clubs to affiliate teams as determined by The FA from time to time.
“Competition” means the Tandridge Youth Football League.
“Competition Match” means any match played or to be played
under the jurisdiction of the Competition including those played in the various
knock-out cup competitions and Trophy Events
“Contract Player” means any Player (other than a Player on a
Scholarship) who is eligible to play under a written contract of employment
with a Club.
“Deposit Bond” means a sum of money deposited with the
Competition as part of the requirements of membership of the Competition.
“Fees Tariff” means a list of fees approved by the Clubs at a
general meeting to be levied by the Management Committee for any matters for
which fees are payable under the Rules.
“Fines Tariff” means a list of fines approved by the Clubs at
a general meeting to be levied by the Management Committee for any breach of
the Rules.
“Ground” means the ground on which the Club’s Team(s) plays
its Competition Matches.
“Management Committee” means in the case of a Competition
which is an unincorporated association, the management committee elected to
manage the running of the Competition and where the Competition is incorporated
it means the Board of Directors appointed in accordance with the articles of
association of that company.
“Match Officials” means the referee, the assistant referees
and any fourth official appointed to a Competition Match.
“Match-card” means a form provided by the Competition on
which the names of the Players taking part in a Competition Match are listed
together with other match information. The
Match-card will normally be an electronic version with information gathered on
the League's App, but can be a paper match-card used if the App is not
available.
“Mini Soccer” means those participating at ages under 7s to
under 10s.
“Non Contract Player” means any Player (other than a Player
on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play for a Club but has not entered into a
written contract of employment.
“Officer” means an individual who is appointed or elected to
a position in a Club or Competition
which requires that individual to make day to day decisions.
“Participants” means an Affiliated Association, Competition,
Club, Club Official, Intermediary, Player, Official, Match Official, Management
Committee member, member or employee of an Affiliated Club and all such persons
who are from time to time participating in any activity sanctioned either
directly or indirectly by the Association.
“Player” means any Contract Player, Non-Contract Player or
other player who plays or who is eligible to play for a Club.
“Player Registration System” means the FA system to register
players as determined by the FA from time to time.
“Playing Season” means the period between the date on which
the first competitive fixture in the Competition is played each year until the
date on which the last competitive fixture in the Competition is played.
“Rules” means these rules under which the Competition is
administered.
“Sanctioning Authority” means The London Football Association
Limited.
“Scholarship” means a Scholarship as defined in The FA Rules.
“Season” means the period of time between an AGM and the
subsequent AGM.
“Secretary” means such person or persons appointed or elected
to carry out the administration of the Competition.
“SGM” means a special general meeting held in accordance with
the constitution of the Competition.
”Team”
means a team affiliated to a Club including where a Club provides more than one
team in the Competition in accordance with the Rules.
“Team Deposit” means a sum of money deposited with the
Competition as part of the requirements of membership of the Competition.
Typically, part payment of a team entry fee.
“The FA” means The Football Association Limited.
“Trophy Event” means any or all of the competitive fixtures
arranged for younger teams otherwise playing development football.
“Written” or “in writing” means the representation or
reproduction of words or symbols or other information in a visible form by any
method or combination of methods, whether sent or supplied in electronic form
or otherwise.
“Youth Football” means
those participating at ages under 11s to under 18s.
(B) Unless stated otherwise, terms referring to
natural persons are applicable to both genders. Any term in the singular
applies to the plural and vice-versa.
GOVERNANCE RULES
COMPETITION NAME AND CONSTITUTION
2. (A) The Competition
will be known as Tandridge Youth League (or such other name as the Competition
may adopt). The Clubs participating in the Competition must be members of the
Competition. A Club which ceases to exist or which ceases to be entitled to
play in the Competition for any reason whatsoever shall thereupon automatically
cease to be a member of the Competition.
(B) This
Competition shall consist of not more than 150 Clubs approved by the
Sanctioning Authority.
(C) The
geographical area covered by the Competition membership shall be that within a
25 mile radius of Tatsfield Village Church except to the North where the
boundary shall be the River Thames. Any Club situated beyond this area must
have its home pitch inside the boundary.
(D) The administration
of the Competition under these Rules will be carried out by the Competition
acting (save where otherwise specifically mentioned herein) through the
Management Committee in accordance with the rules, regulations and policies of
The FA.
(E) All Clubs shall
adhere to the Rules. Every Club shall be deemed, as a member of the Competition
to have accepted the Rules and to have agreed to abide by the decisions of the
Management Committee in relation thereto, subject to the provisions of Rule 7
(F) The Rules are
taken from the Standard Code of Rules for Youth Competitions (the “Standard
Code”) determined by The FA from time to time. In the event of any omissions
from the Standard Code then the requirements of the Standard Code shall be
deemed to apply to the Competition.
(G) All Clubs must be affiliated to an Affiliated
Association This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the London
Football Association and the constituent Teams of member Clubs may be grouped
in divisions, according to age, each division not normally exceeding twelve in
number.
(H) Inclusivity
and Non-discrimination
(i) The Competition and each member Club must
be committed to promoting inclusivity and to eliminating all forms of
discrimination and should abide and adhere to The FA Equality Policy and any
legislative requirements (to include those contained in the Equality Act 2010).
(ii)
This Competition and each member Club must make every effort to promote
equality by treating people fairly and with respect, by recognising that
inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them and by providing access
and opportunities for all members of the community, irrespective of age,
gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status, race,
nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, ability or disability
or otherwise.
(iii) Any alleged breach of the Equality Act 2010
legislation must be referred to the appropriate Sanctioning Authority for
investigation.
(I) Clubs must comply with the provisions of
any initiatives of The FA which are adopted by the Competition including but
not limited to, England Football Accredited and RESPECT programmes. Failure to
comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
(J) All Participants shall abide by The Football
Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by the FA from
time to time.
(K) Clubs shall not enter any of their Teams
playing at a particular age group in the Competition in any other competition
(with the exception of FA and County FA Competitions) except with the written
consent of the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will
result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. A Club must immediately
inform the Competition of the details of any fixture(s) in any other
competition in which the Club has entered, for which written consent of the
Management Committee has been obtained.
(L) At the AGM or
a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, a majority of the delegates
present shall have power to decide or adjust the constitution of the divisions
at their discretion. When necessary,
this Rule shall take precedence over Rule 22.
(M) The Competition shall be a Sunday League
and all league games in all divisions shall be played on a Sunday, except
where, in order to ensure that all fixtures are fulfilled, it is mutually
agreed by both teams to play on another day. All such alterations must be
notified in advance to the appropriate Fixture Secretary. By exception, a
Championship deciding game may be cast for a day other than a Sunday and the
Final ties of some Cup, Shield, Trophy, Plate or Vase competitions may also be
held midweek or on a Saturday.
CLUB NAME
3 Any Club wishing to change its name must obtain
permission from the Sanctioning Authority and from the Management Committee.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the
Fines Tariff).
4
(A) Applications by Clubs for admission to this League, or for the entry
of an additional Team(s) from the same Club, must be made in writing to the
Secretary by 1st June and must be accompanied by the appropriate
Entry Fee per team as set out in the Fees Tariff. Such fee will be returned in
the event of non-election.
At
the discretion of the voting members present, applications, of which due notice
has been given, may be received at the AGM or a Special General Meeting or on a
date agreed by the Management Committee.
Any Club that is found to have deliberately
supplied false or misleading information with regard to its origin,
administration or structure in order to gain admission may subsequently have
its membership withdrawn.
Existing Member Club membership must be renewed
by 1st June each year by completion of the official form. Any Club
not so renewing may be deemed to have withdrawn from the League and must apply
for re-election. A Club’s membership of the League for one season does not
guarantee acceptance into the League for the following season.
(B) The
annual subscription shall be payable in accordance with the Fees Tariff for
each Club or for each Team (where a Club provides more than one Team in
membership of the competition) and shall be payable in full on or before 31st
August in each year
(C) (i)
A deposit as shown on the entry form, shall be payable by 1st June
each year or, in the case of new clubs, on application. In the event of a Club
subsequently withdrawing any or all of it’s teams from the League for the
following season, deposit already paid for such team or teams shall be forfeit.
Any club failing to pay the deposit as requested on the league entry form shall
be liable to a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(ii) Each new Club shall, within fourteen
days of election to the League, pay a Deposit Bond (in accordance with the Fees
Tariff) which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the league provided they
have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all orders of the Management
Committee. Bonds shall be held together in a separate financial Account.
Existing Member Clubs that persistently owe monies to the League may also be
required to deposit a Bond should the Management Committee so decide
(D) A
Club shall not participate in this Competition until the entry fee, annual
subscription and where applicable the Deposit Bond have been paid.
In
the event of a Club subsequently withdrawing any of its teams from the League
after the formation of the divisions for the following season, the annual
subscription already paid for such team or teams shall be forfeit. Requests
from Clubs to enter extra teams which are received at a date later than 1st
June will be accommodated where possible but shall require that team’s deposit
subscription to be paid at the time of application.
(E) Clubs
must ensure that all its teams participating in the Competition are recorded as
affiliated on the Club Portal for the forthcoming Playing Season by the
following date: 1st September. Clubs must advise the Competition Secretary in a
manner prescribed by the Sanctioning Authority, or on the prescribed form, of
details of its headquarters, its Officers and any other information required by
the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in
accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(F) An all-female team can apply to the
Competition to play an age group down in a mixed gender competition, subject to
rule 8A (iii) & (iv) and provided the team has obtained approval from its
Sanctioning Authority.
All
other candidates for election as Officers or members of the Management
Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the
secretaries of two member Clubs, not later than 1st May in each
year. Names of the candidates for election shall be circulated with the notice
of the AGM. In the event of there being no nomination in accordance with the
foregoing for any office, nominations may be received at the AGM.
(C)
The Management Committee shall meet as
and when required, save that no more than three calendar months shall pass
between each meeting. Such meetings shall be notified to Committee Members by
the Secretary confirming time, place and purpose.
On receiving a requisition signed by
two-thirds (2/3) of the Members of the Management Committee the Secretary shall
convene a meeting of the Management Committee.
(D) Except where otherwise mentioned, all
communications shall be addressed to the Secretary who shall conduct the
correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings. The
League Secretary shall have the authority to deal with any urgent matters not
mentioned in these Rules, subject to being responsible to the Management
Committee for their approval or rejection.
(E) All communications received from Clubs must be
conducted through their nominated Officers and sent to the Secretary. Failure
to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
(F) Meetings
of all Member Clubs shall be held at intervals throughout the year, to receive
reports from the Officers and to deal with League Business. The dates of such
meetings shall be published at the start of each season in the Competition
Handbook.
The
Secretary will give notification of such meetings to Member Clubs together with
details of time, place and agenda. The Secretary, acting Secretary or Minutes
Secretary shall minute all meetings. Meetings shall be conducted by the League
Chairman or their nominee in accordance with the agenda and shall include
reference to the minutes of the preceding meeting. Clubs shall be allowed to
send more than one delegate to the League Meetings but no Club shall have more
than one vote and only one delegate per Club may vote. No delegate may vote on
any matter appertaining solely to the Club which he or she represents.
(G) Any Club failing to attend a League Meeting
shall be fined on the first occasion in a season that their club is not
represented; and on each subsequent occasion during the same season that they
do not attend (in accordance with the Fines Tariff)
(H) A meeting for all new managers and new club
secretaries will he held prior to the start of each season and all ‘new
managers’ and new secretaries’ are required to attend.
6 (A) The Management Committee may appoint
sub-committees and may delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary.
The decisions of all sub- committees shall be reported to the Management
Committee for ratification. The Management Committee shall have power to deal
only with matters within the Competition and not for any matters of misconduct
that are under the jurisdiction of the FA or affiliated Association.
(B) Subject to the permission of the Sanctioning
Authority having been obtained, the Management Committee may order a match or
matches to be played each season, the proceeds of which to be devoted to the
funds of the League and if necessary, may call upon each Club (including any
Club which may have withdrawn during the season) to contribute equally such
sums as may be necessary to meet any deficiency at the end of the season.
(C) Each Member of the Management Committee shall
have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee meetings and have
one vote thereat, but no member shall be allowed to vote on any matters
directly appertaining to such member or to the Club so represented or where
there may be a conflict of interest. (This shall apply to the procedure of any
sub-committee). In the event of the voting being equal on any matter, the
Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
(D) The Management
Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the
Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the
Competition. Any action by the Competition must be taken within 28 days of the
Competition being notified.
With the
exception of Rules 6(I), 8(H) and 9), for all alleged breaches of a Rule the
Management Committee shall issue a formal written charge to the Club concerned.
The Club charged shall be given 7 days from the date of notification of the
charge to reply. In such reply a Club may; -
(i) Accept the charge
and submit in writing a case of mitigation for consideration by the Management
Committee on the papers; or
(ii) Accept the charge
and notify that it wishes to put its case of mitigation at a hearing before the
Management Committee; or
(iii) Deny the charge
and submit in writing supporting evidence for consideration by the Management
Committee on the papers; or
(iv) Deny the charge and notify that it wishes to put its
case of mitigation at a hearing before the Management Committee.
Where the Club
charged fails to respond within 7 days, the Management Committee shall
determine the charge in such manner and upon such evidence as it considers
appropriate.
Where required, hearings
shall take place as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of the
reply of the Club as more fully set out above.
Having considered
the reply of the Club (whether in writing or at a hearing), the Management
Committee shall make its decision and, in the event that the charge is accepted
or proven, decide on the appropriate penalty (with reference to the Fines
Tariff where applicable).
The maximum fine
permitted for any breach of a Rule is £100 and, when setting any fine, the
Management Committee must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the
offence, taking into account any mitigating circumstances. No Participant under
the age of 18 can be fined.
All breaches of
the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of The FA shall be dealt with in
accordance with FA Rules by the appropriate Association.
(E) All decisions of
the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal in
accordance with Rule 7.
Decisions of the Management Committee must
be notified in writing to those concerned within 7 days.
(F) Five members shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business of the Management Committee and three members shall
constitute a quorum for any sub-committee thereof.
(G) The Management Committee,
as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill, in an acting capacity, any
vacancies that may occur amongst their number.
(H) A Club
must comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee, and must
attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition to the
satisfaction of the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will
result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(I) Subject to a
Club’s right of appeal in accordance with Rule 7 below, all fines and charges
shall be paid within 14 days of the date of posting of notification of the
decision.
Any Club failing
to do so will be fined (in accordance with the Fines Tariff). Further failure
to pay the fine including the additional sum within a further 14 days will
result in fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the outstanding fines are
paid.
[In order to help
those Clubs which frequently incur additional sums for late payment of fines,
the Competition may require those Clubs to lodge a ‘Fines Deposit Bond’ with
the Competition. The Deposit Bond will be managed by the Fines Administrator
and the Club will be kept informed if and when a fine needs to be deducted from
their Bond. If the Bond is depleted, the Competition will require the Club to
top it up].
(J) A member of the Management Committee
appointed by the Competition to attend a meeting or match may have any expenses
incurred refunded by the Competition.
(K) The Management Committee shall have the
power to fill any vacancy that may occur in the membership of the Competition
between the AGM or Special General Meeting called to decide the constitution
and the commencement of the Competition Playing Season.
(L) The
business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee may/shall
be transacted by electronic mail or facsimile.
PROTESTS, CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS, APPEALS
7 (A) (i) All
questions of eligibility, qualifications of Players or interpretations of the
Rules shall be referred to the Management Committee or a subcommittee duly appointed
by the Management Committee.
(ii) Objections
relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts or other facilities
of the venue will not be entertained by the Management Committee unless a
protest is lodged with the referee before the commencement of the match.
(B) Except in cases
where the Management Committee decide that there are special circumstances,
protests and complaints (which must contain
full particulars of the grounds upon which they are founded) must be lodged in
duplicate with the Secretary within seven days (excluding Sundays) of the match
or occurrence to which they refer. A protest or complaint shall not be
withdrawn except by permission of the Management Committee. A member of the
Management Committee who is a member of any Club involved shall not be present
(except as a witness or representative of their Club) when such protest or
complaint is being determined.
(C) No protest of
whatever kind shall be considered by the Management Committee unless the complaining
Club shall have deposited with the Secretary a sum of £25 in accordance with the
Fees Tariff. This may be forfeited in whole or in part in the event of the
complaining or protesting Club losing its case. The Competition shall have
power to order the defaulting Club or the Club making a losing or frivolous
protest or complaint to pay the expenses of the inquiry or to order that the
costs to be shared by the parties.
(D) All parties to a
protest or complaint must receive a copy of the submission and must be afforded
an opportunity to make a statement at least 7 days prior to the protest or complaint
being heard.
(i) All parties must have received 7 days’ notice of the hearing should
they be instructed to attend.
(ii)
Should a Club elect to state its case in person then they should forward
a deposit of £25 and indicate such when forwarding the written response
(E) The
Management Committee shall also have the power to compel any party to the
protest to pay such expenses as the Management Committee shall direct.
(F) Any appeal
against a decision of the Management Committee must be lodged with the
Sanctioning Authority within 14 days of the posting of the written notification
of the decision causing the appeal, accompanied by a fee (as set out in the
Fees Tariff) which may be forfeited in the event of the appeal not being
upheld. A copy of the appeal must also be sent to the Secretary. The procedure
for the appeal shall be determined by the Sanctioning Authority, in such
respect the Sanctioning Authority may (but is not obliged to):
(i) Invite
submissions by the parties involved; or
(ii) Convene a hearing to hear the appeal; or
(iii) Permit new evidence; or
(iv) Impose deadlines as are appropriate.
Any appeal shall not involve a rehearing of the evidence
considered by the Management Committee.
(G) No
appeal can be lodged against a decision taken at an AGM or SGM unless this is
on the ground of unconstitutional conduct.
(H) When
dealing with a protest or complaint the Management Committee shall take into consideration
the possession by the protesting or complaining Club of any information which,
if properly used, might have avoided the protest or complaint.
(I)
Any complaint that does not warrant an official protest shall be
submitted to the League Secretary using form TAN 7 within seven days of the
match. Each complaint will be brought to the attention of the Club concerned
and three such complaints will result in the Club being summoned to appear
before the League Management Committee.
(j) If so requested by all
parties concerned, the Management Committee may determine any disputes,
protests, appeals, claims or complaints between two Clubs in which event both
Clubs shall send a non-returnable fee. Such determination shall be final and
binding upon the parties concerned. The procedure for such determination shall
be determined by the Management Committee.
8. (A) The AGM shall be held not later than 30th June
in each year. At this meeting the
following business shall be transacted provided that at least 50 members are
present and entitled to vote:-
(i) To receive and confirm the minutes of the
preceding AGM.
(ii) To receive and adopt the annual report,
balance sheet and statement of accounts.
(iii) Election of Clubs to fill vacancies.
(iv) Constitution of the Competition for ensuing
Season.
(v) Election of Officers of the Competition and
the Management Committee members.
(vi) Appointment of Auditors.
(vii) Alteration of Rules, if any (See Rule 14)
(viii) Fix the date
for the commencement of the Playing Season and kick off times applicable
to the Competition.
(ix) Fix
the date for the end of the Playing Season.
(x) Other
business of which due notice shall have been given and accepted as being relevant to an AGM.
(B) A copy of the duly verified balance sheet, statement of
accounts and agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least 14 days prior to
the meeting together with any proposed rule changes.
(C) A signed copy of
the duly verified balance sheet
and statement of accounts shall be sent to the Sanctioning Authority within 14
days of its adoption by the AGM.
(D) Each Club shall be empowered to send two
delegates to an AGM. Each Club shall be
entitled to one vote only. 14 days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.
(E) Clubs who have
withdrawn their membership of the Competition during the Playing Season being
concluded or who are not continuing membership shall be entitled to attend but
shall vote only on matters relating to the Playing Season being concluded. This provision will not apply to Clubs
expelled in accordance with Rule 12.
(F) All voting shall
be conducted by a show of voting cards unless a ballot be demanded by at least
50% of the delegates qualified to vote or the Chairman so decides.
(G) No individual shall
be entitled to vote on behalf of more than one Club.
(H) (i) Any continuing
Club must be represented at the AGM. Failure to comply with this Rule will
result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. (ii) Any club that has submitted a valid application
to join the Competition for the forthcoming season must have the
opportunity to be put forward for membership and to have a vote taken on their
membership application.
(I) Officers and
Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at an AGM,
but cannot also cast a vote on behalf of a Club (see Rule 8.G).
(J) Where a
Competition is an incorporated entity, the Officers of the Competition shall
ensure that the Articles of Association of the Competition are consistent with
the requirements of these Rules.
9. (A) Upon receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds (2/3) of
the Clubs in membership the Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting.
(B) The
Management Committee may call a Special General Meeting at any time.
(C) At
least 7 days’ notice shall be given of a meeting under this Rule, together with
an agenda of the business to be transacted at such meeting.
(D) Each Club shall be empowered to send two
delegates to all Special General Meetings. Each Club shall be entitled to one
vote only.
(E) Any
Club failing to be represented at a SGM shall be fined (in accordance with the
Fines Tariff).
(F) Officers and Management Committee members shall
be entitled to attend and vote at all Special General Meetings but cannot also
cast a vote on behalf of a Club (see Rule 9.D).
10. (A) Each
Club shall complete and sign the following agreement which shall be deposited
with the Competition together with the application for membership for the
coming Playing Season, or upon indicating that the Club intends to compete.
“We,
(A), (name) of (address) (Chairman)/Director and (B) (name) of (address)
(Secretary/Director) of (name) Football Club (Limited) have been provided with
a copy of the Rules and Regulations of the Tandridge Youth League Competition
and do hereby agree for and on behalf of the said Club, if elected or accepted
into membership, to conform to those Rules and Regulations and to accept, abide
by and implement the decisions of the Management Committee of the Competition,
subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 7.”
The
agreement shall be signed by:
(i) Where a
Club is an unincorporated association, the Club Chairman and Secretary; or
(ii) Where a Club is an incorporated entity, two directors of the Club.
Any alteration
of the Chairman and /or Secretary of the Club on the above agreement must be
notified to the County Football Association(s) to which the Club is affiliated
and to the Secretary. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine
(in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(B) Prior to the start of each season, Clubs
are required to complete an annual Compliance form for each team that it
enters. The Compliance forms request adherence to the League & F.A. Codes
of Conduct (as amended from time to time) and are to be signed by the Club
Secretary and by the appropriate team manager. The Compliance forms will be
available as a ‘download’ from the League’s website or on request from the League
Secretary.
CONTINUATION
OF MEMBERSHIP OR WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB
11. (A) Any
Club wishing to resign from the Competition for the following season, must
notify the Secretary in writing by 31st March each Season.
Failure to do so will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
Having confirmed
their application for the forthcoming season. a Club shall not be allowed to
withdraw any or all of its teams from the Competition after the Annual General Meeting. Any Club
infringing this Rule shall be liable to a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
The Membership for
the coming season, having been decided at a SGM held for that purpose or at the
AGM; the Competition shall have the
right, irrespective of other provisions in this Rule, to refuse to permit a
Club to withdraw its team(s) in order to join another Competition and may hold the Club to its
engagements.
(B) The Management Committee shall have the
discretion to deal with a Team being unable to start or complete its fixtures
for a Playing Season, including but not limited to, issuing a fine (in
accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(C) Notwithstanding the powers of the Management
Committee pursuant to Rule 6 (I), in the event of a member Club failing to
discharge all its financial obligations to the Competition in excess of £50,
the Management Committee are empowered to refer the debt under The FA Football
Debt Recovery provisions.
EXCLUSION OF CLUBS, OR TEAM MISCONDUCT OF
CLUBS, OFFICIALS, PLAYERS, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
12.
(A) At the AGM or SGM called for the
purpose in accordance with the provisions of Rule 9, notice of motion having
been duly circulated on the agenda by direction of the Management Committee,
the accredited delegates present shall have the power to (i) remove a member of
the Management Committee from office, (ii) exclude any Club or Team from membership,
both of which must be supported by more than two-thirds (2/3) of those present
and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A member of the Management
Committee or Club which is the subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded
from voting.
(B) At the AGM, or at a SGM called for the
purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 9, the accredited delegates
present shall have the power to exclude from further participation in the
Competition any Club or Team whose
conduct has, in their opinion, been undesirable, which must be supported by
more than two-thirds (2/3) of those present and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by
ballot. A Club whose conduct is the subject of the vote being taken shall be
excluded from voting.
(C) Any Officer or member of a Club proved guilty
of either a breach of Rule, other than field offences, or of inducing or
attempting to induce a Player or Players of another Club in the Competition to
join them shall be liable to such penalty as a General Meeting or Management
Committee may decide, and their Club shall also be liable to expulsion in
accordance with the provisions of Clauses (A) and/or (B) of this Rule.
TROPHY
13 (A)
The following agreement shall be signed
on behalf of the winners of a Cup or Trophy:-
“We A [name] and B
[name], the Chairman and Secretary of [name] FC members of and representing the
Club, having been declared winners of [ ] Cup or Trophy, and it having been
delivered to us by the Competition, do hereby on behalf of the Club jointly and
severally agree to return the Cup or Trophy to the Competition Secretary on or
before 28th February [year]. If the Cup or Trophy is lost or damaged whilst
under our care we agree to refund to the Competition the amount of its current
value or the cost of its thorough repair.”
Failure to comply will
result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(B) At the close of each Competition awards
shall be made to the winners and runners-up if the funds of the Competition
permit.
(C) Any
Club or team being expelled, retiring or withdrawing from the League, or
failing to be re-elected, must immediately return any Cup, Trophy or other
League property held to the Competition Secretary.
(D) Clubs
winning a divisional Championship shield, or a spring ‘cup’ competition trophy,
are required to return said trophy no later than 28th February the following
year. Trophies won in a season’s autumn or winter competitions must be returned
by 30th June in the same Season.
Any
Club or team failing to return a Cup or Trophy by 28th February, or
30th June where appropriate, or failing to immediately return a Cup or Trophy
on leaving the league for whatsoever reason, shall incur an initial fine and
then subsequent fines (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) until returned to
the Competition Secretary or designated Competition Officer.
(E) Clubs
winning a Cup or Trophy are required to have their Club’s name engraved in good
quality on the Cup or Trophy. In the event of a Cup or Trophy being returned to
the League without first having been engraved then the league shall arrange for
the engraving and shall charge the Club accordingly and issue a fine in
accordance with the Fines Tariff. Trophies are to be returned in the same
condition as when received.
(F) Should
a trophy be lost or damaged whilst in the care of a winning club, then the cost
of replacement or repair of that trophy must be met by the Club concerned. When
a trophy has still not been returned 14 days after the 28th February
deadline and especially but not exclusively if that trophy is needed for
reissue at an approaching ‘Final’ then the Management Committee may, without
further notice, replace that trophy and charge the full cost to the Club which
has failed to return it and issue a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
14. Alterations, for which consent has been
given by the Sanctioning Association, shall be made to these Rules only at the
AGM or at a SGM specially
convened for the purpose called in
accordance with Rule 9. Any alteration made during the Playing Season to the
Rule relating to the qualification of Players shall not take effect until the
following Playing Season except in exceptional circumstances where approved by
the Sanctioning Authority and The FA.
Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the AGM
shall be submitted to the Secretary by 15th May in each year. The
proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be
circulated to the Clubs by 31st May and any amendments thereto shall
be submitted to the Secretary by 7th June. The proposals and
proposed amendments thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the
AGM. A proposal to change a Rule shall
be carried if a majority of those present, entitled to vote and voting are in
favour.
A copy of the proposed alterations to Rules to be considered
at the AGM or SGM shall be submitted to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA (as
applicable) at least 28 days prior to the date of the meeting.
15. (A) The Management
Committee shall determine with which bank or other financial institution the
funds of the Competition will be lodged.
(B) All expenditure in
excess of £500.00 shall be approved by the Management Committee.
(C) The financial year
of the Competition will end on 30th April.
(D) The books, or a
certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and shall be verified annually by a suitably
qualified person(s) who shall be appointed at the AGM.
16.
(A) All Clubs must have public liability
insurance cover of at least ten million pounds (£10,000,000).
(B) All Clubs must have valid personal accident
cover for all Players registered with them from time to time. The Players’
personal accident insurance cover must be in place prior to the Club taking
part in any Competition match and shall be at least equal to the minimum recommended
cover determined from time to time by Sanctioning Authority. In instances where
the FA is the Sanctioning Authority, the minimum recommended cover will be the cover
required by the Affiliated Association to which the Club Affiliates.
Failure to comply with Rule 16(A) or 16(B) will result in a
fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
17.(A) Dissolution of
the Competition shall be by resolution approved at a SGM by a majority of three
quarters (3/4) of the members present and shall take effect from the date of
the relevant SGM.
(B) In the event of the
dissolution of the Competition, the members of the Management Committee are
responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Competition.
(C) The Management
Committee shall deal with any surplus assets as follows:
(i) Any
surplus assets, save for a Trophy or any other presentation, remaining after
the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Competition shall be
transferred only to another Competition or Affiliated Association or The Football
Association Benevolent Fund or to such other charitable or benevolent object in
the locality of the Competition as determined by resolution at or before the
time of winding up, and approved in writing by the Sanctioning Association.
(ii) If a Competition is discontinued for any reason
a Trophy or any other presentation shall be returned to the donor if the
conditions attached to it so provide or, if not, dealt with as the Sanctioning
Association may decide.
18. (A) A Player is one
who, being in all other respects eligible, has:
1. Registered
through the FA Player Registration System and received approval from the Competition.
Clubs must access the Player Registration System in order to complete
the registration process and must confirm that the player’s proof of date of birth
has been checked by the Club and is accurate.
2. For Season 2024-25 a new registration
procedure is being ‘trialled’ for the Mini Soccer age groups, namely U7 to U10
inclusive. The requirements and procedure for Mini Soccer teams during 2024-25
will be as described in the published Guidance Notes as shown on the League
Website (Home>League>U7-U10 Registrations).
Rule
18.(A) 1 above continues to apply to ALL age groups.
With
the exception of clause 18.(A) 2(iii) below, which continues to apply to Mini
Soccer teams (U7 to U10), the remaining clauses of Rule 18.(A) will therefore
apply only to age groups from U11 to U17/18.
(i) Signed TWO fully and correctly completed
League Registration Cards in ink, countersigned by an Officer of the Club and
to both of which are attached a current, identical, passport sized photograph
clearly showing the head and shoulders and with the face not obscured by
sunglasses, hats, scarves or any other garment.
(ii)
Submitted both cards to the
relevant Registration Secretary at least six days prior to playing [or nine
days for the first game of the season as per Rule 18.G (vi)] and whose
laminated I.D card has been issued to the Club by the Registration Secretary
prior to playing.
Registration documents
which are submitted by Royal Mail and which are received by the Registration
Secretary no later than the Tuesday preceding the game, will be deemed to have
satisfied the ‘six day’ rule. NB. This concession applies only to documents
delivered to the Registration Secretary by Royal Mail and not to those received
by any other method of delivery.
Any
registration that is not fully and correctly completed will be returned to the
Club unprocessed and the player classed as unregistered.
(iii) On
first applying for registration with the League, submitted a photocopy of their
birth certificate, or passport, or official document issued by a Government
Agency attesting to the Player’s date of birth. Failing which, any such
alternative evidence of age as shall be deemed acceptable at the discretion of
the Management Committee.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in
accordance with the Fines Tariff).
Procedure: The following must be sent by post to the
appropriate Registration Secretary (but only if the player’s details are
recorded on the FA Player Registration System as described in 18 (A) 1 above).
Ø The two fully completed Registration Cards, counter-signed by
club official, each with a photograph attached.
Ø The previous season’s laminated I.D. card for all players who
were registered in the Competition for the previous season. (This will
assist and potentially speed up the re-registering process. If clubs wish to
have the old laminated cards back again for their records they should make this
clear and ensure that their s.a.e. has sufficient postage).
Ø A sturdy (fit for purpose) ‘Stamped Addressed Envelope’ (for
the return of the laminated I.D. cards). The correct postage, adequate for the weight and size of the envelope and
for the number of cards to be returned, must
be affixed to the envelope.
Ø Evidence of the player’s age (if not previously registered) as
described in (iii) above.
Where fully and accurately completed registration
documentation (including the S.A.E.) is received by the appropriate
Registration Secretary and meets the deadline mentioned above – the
Registration Secretary will return the laminated ID card for the player(s) so
that it can be used by the player the following Sunday.
Only players who can show their ID card to the opposition
manager are normally allowed to play in matches and ID cards will only be
dispatched by the Registration Secretary when all aspects of the registration
are correct.
In the event that the ID card for a fully registered player
has not been received by their Club by the Friday preceding the match, the
following ‘contingency’ option is available to Club Secretaries. This will
normally only apply if a laminated ID card has been delayed in the post after
dispatch by the Registration Secretary.
·
Firstly confirm from the FA
Player Registration System that the player is shown with a status of
‘Registered’.
·
If so, send a short e-mail to
the League Secretary, requesting permission to allow the player(s) to take part
in that weekend’s game without showing their ID card.
·
The League Secretary (or their
nominee) will reply and if appropriate will authorise the player to play in the
game without being in possession of their ID card. A copy of this written
confirmation will also be sent electronically to the opposition team manager.
·
A printed copy of the special
authorisation should be taken to the game by the club requesting it and shown
to the opposition manager.
·
The player may then play in
the match without an ID card provided always that any or all instructions or
conditions set out in the ‘permission to play’ confirmation are fulfilled.
(B) (i) Contract Players are not permitted in this
Competition with the exception of those Players who are registered under
contract with the same Club who have a Team operating at Steps 1 to 6 of the
National League System, or Tiers 1-4 of the Women’s
Pyramid System.
It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any
Player registered to the Club has, where necessary, the required International
Transfer Certificate. Clearance is required for any Player aged 10 and over
crossing borders including Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
(ii)
A Player registered with a Premier League or EFL Academy under the Elite Player
Performance Plan contained within Youth Development Rules will not be permitted
to play in this Competition, except for those in the Under 11 age-group and
below where consent has been given by the relevant Premier League or EFL
Academy (such consent can be withdrawn at any time). Trial players are not
considered to be registered with a Premier League or EFL Academy for these
purposes and therefore the prohibition playing in the Competition does not
apply to them. The relevant Premier League or EFL Academy remains responsible
for managing the frequency of the player’s playing time. Details of the Youth
Development Rules are published on The FA website. A Player registered with an FA
Emerging Talent Centre or an FA Professional Game Academy may play in this
Competition subject to the FA Emerging Talent Centre Operating Criteria and
Professional Game Academy Youth Development Rules.
(iii) Each Team must have registered the following
minimum number of players by the 15th August ahead of the playing
season
And Each Team must also have the following number of Players
registered 9 days before the start of each Playing Season:
|
Minimum Number or registrations |
|
Format |
by 15th August |
9
days before the first game |
5v5 (U7 & 8) |
3 |
5 |
7v7 (U9 & 10) |
5 |
7 |
9v9 (U11 & 12) |
8 |
9 |
11v11 (U13 and above) |
10 |
11 |
Teams failing to register the minimum number of players by
the deadline of 15th August will incur a fine in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
(C) A child who has not attained the age of 6 shall not play, and
shall not be permitted or encouraged to play, in a match of any kind.
The relevant age for each Player is determined by their age
as at midnight on 31 August prior to the relevant Playing Season i.e., Children
who are aged 6 as at midnight on 31 August prior to a Playing Season (together
with those who attain the age of 6 during the Playing Season) will be classed
as Under 7 Players for that Playing Season. Children who are aged 7 as at
midnight on 31 August prior to a Playing Season will be classed as Under 8
Players for that Playing Season, and so on.
Notwithstanding
the above, a child is permitted to play up in the age group above their chronological
age group, irrespective of any changes of format or competition structure, save
that a child who attains the age of 6 after 31 August is permitted to play only
in the Under 7 age group, and may not play in the Under 8 age group, for that
Playing Season. Girls in all-female teams may also be permitted to play an age
group down in accordance with Rule 4 (F).
The age
groups that children are eligible to play in are set out in the following table,
subject to Rule 4 (F), along with the permitted football formats for each of
those age groups. For the purposes of this Rule 18(C), provisions relating to
playing in specified age groups shall include participating in training as well
as playing in matches. Children shall not play, and shall not be permitted or
encouraged to play, in a match between sides of more than the stated number of players,
according to their age group:
Age on 31 August prior to the relevant Playing Season |
Eligible Age Groups |
Maximum Permitted Format |
|
6 |
Under 7
& Under 8 |
5v5 |
|
7 |
Under 8 |
5v5 |
|
Under 9 |
7v7 |
||
8 |
Under 9
& Under 10 |
7v7 |
|
9 |
Under 10 |
7v7 |
|
Under 11 |
9v9 |
||
10 |
Under 11
& Under 12 |
9v9 |
|
11 |
Under 12 |
9v9 |
|
Under 13 |
11v11 |
||
12 |
Under 13
& Under 14 |
11v11 |
|
13 |
Under 14
& Under 15 |
11v11 |
|
14 |
Under 15
& Under 16 |
11v11 |
|
15 |
Under 16 |
11v11 |
|
Under 17
& Under 18 |
|||
16 |
Under 17
& Under 18 |
11v11 |
|
Open Age |
(D) In addition to the League Registration Cards
(where applicable), players must also complete a Club Registration Form,
countersigned by their parent or guardian which must incorporate any known
serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the player,
parent or guardian. These details must be available at matches and training
events the player attends within the management of the Club or League. The Club
Registration Form should make a direct reference to the Codes of Conduct as published
by The FA thereby ensuring that all players and their parents/carers are made
aware of their obligation under the Codes.
(i) Only
bona fide Club members shall be registered and it is the responsibility of each
Club to ensure that players are registered with the correct age group.
(ii) A maximum of 20 players may be concurrently
registered with an 11-a-side Youth Football team in the age groups Under 13 to
Under 15 inclusive. A greater number may be registered in the Under 16 and
Under 17/18 age groups at the discretion of the Management Committee, who will
also consider requests from girls teams at Under 15/16 which are struggling to
regularly field a full team.
A
maximum of 16 players may be concurrently registered with a 9-a-side Youth
Football team.
In
Mini Soccer a maximum of 14 players may be concurrently registered with a
7-a-side Mini Soccer team and a maximum of 10 players with a 5-a-side Mini
Soccer team. To exceed this number an existing player must first be
de-registered and their I.D. card must be returned to the appropriate
Registration Secretary. A Club will not be able to de-register any player who
is currently serving a suspension.
(E)
The Management Committee shall decide all registration disputes taking into account the
following.
(i)
A Player shall not be permitted to register for
more than one Club subject to the exceptions set out in Rule 18 (E) (iii)
below.
(ii)
In the event of a Player signing a registration
form or having a registration submitted for more than one Club in the Competition, the valid
registration submitted first shall take precedence. The Secretary shall
notify the Club last applying
to register the Player of the fact of the previous registration subject to the exceptions set
out in Rule 18 (E) (iii) below.
(iii)
A Player is only permitted to register for more
than one Club provided that:
a)
The Team(s) in which the Player plays in are
not in the same age group; or
b)
Except for the purpose of a transfer.
And the Player meets
the requirements in Rule 18(C).
(F) It
shall be a breach of these Rules for a Player
to: -
(i) Play for more
than one Team in the same age group in the Competition in the same Playing Season
without first being transferred.
(ii) Having
registered for one Club in the Competition, register for another Club in the Competition
in that Playing Season, except if the provisions set out in Rule 18 (E) apply,
or where the Competition adopts Rule 18.P.
(iii) Submit
a signed registration form or submit a registration through the Player Registration
System that the Player had wilfully neglected to accurately or fully complete.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in
accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(G) (i) The
Management Committee shall accept the registration of any Player subject to the
provisions of Rule 18 (G) (ii) & (iii) below.
(ii) The Management Committee shall have power to
refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any Player, the exercise of such
power being without prejudice to the Management Committee’s ability to fine a
Club at its discretion (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) that has been
charged and found guilty of registration irregularities (subject to Rule 7).
(iii) The
Management Committee shall have the power to refuse or cancel the registration of any Player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 7) subject
to the right of appeal to the Sanctioning Authority or the FA. Where the
Management Committee does not have enough information to enable it to make a
decision pursuant to the above power, it may apply, in its absolute discretion,
to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA for further information.
Undesirable
conduct shall mean an incident of repeated proven misconduct, which may deter a
Participant from being involved in the Competition.
(iv) For a Player who has previously had a
registration removed in accordance with Rule 18 (G) (iii) but has a
registration accepted at the expiry of exclusion will be considered to be under
a probationary period of 12 months. Whilst under a probationary period, should
the Player commit a further act of proven misconduct under the jurisdiction of
the Competition, (excluding standard dismissals), the Competition would be
empowered to consider a further charge of bringing the Competition into
disrepute.
[Note: Action
under Rule 18 (G) (iii) shall only be taken against a Player in cases of the
Player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any event be subject
to an appeal to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA. All decisions must include
the period of restriction. For the purpose of this Rule, bringing the
Competition into disrepute can only be considered where the Player has received
in excess of 112 days’ suspension, or 10 matches in match based discipline, in
any competition (and is not restricted to the Competition) in a period of two
years or less from the date of the first offence.]
(v) Subject to
Rule 18 (E) (iii) a player may normally only be registered with and play for
one team in this Competition. A player whose
registration is cancelled, may not be re-registered by the same club during the
current season except in the case of injury when the decision will be at the
discretion of the Management Committee. Players who suffer a ‘long term’ injury
may be temporarily de-registered by the return of their ID card to the Registration
Secretary with an appropriate explanation. Any player so de-registered will not
be counted as an available player when considering the application of other
League rules. However, such temporary de-registration will only apply to injury
lasting for a minimum period of 4 weeks and the player’s ID card will not be
released back to the team until this minimum period has elapsed.
(vi) In the
age groups from Under 9 to Under 18 inclusive, a player may only play for a
team for which he is registered and must be registered at least nine days
before the first game of the League season or at least six days before any
subsequent match in which he or she first takes part.
(vii) In
the Under 7 and Under 8 age groups only, Clubs
which have entered two or more teams in the same age group shall be permitted, subject
to the following conditions, to interchange players between those teams from
week to week.
·
Players may only interchange
between teams of the same age group and not from U7 to U8 or vice versa.
·
Clubs must ensure that every
player is in possession of their League ID card at every game in which they
participate and it is the responsibility of both Clubs to verify that every
player is registered with the Club for whom they are playing.
·
In no circumstances may any
player participate in more than one game, or more than one part of a game, in
the same day.
·
In the event of players
interchanging between teams without observing these conditions, the Management
Committee shall be entitled to withdraw the ability to interchange from that
Club.
·
When teams participate in 'Trophy Events'
they will be required to name their squads for each team in advance and players
will not be able to interchange between teams for all games in that particular
competition.
(viii) A player, having taken part in matches for any Club
affiliated to any County Football Association, shall not be allowed to join, be
transferred to, or sign for a Club in the League, without first proving to the
officials of the intended Club, that the player has discharged all reasonable
financial and other liabilities to the previous Club or Clubs, and a Club
official may not accept such player’s signature without first ascertaining
whether such claims have been discharged to the satisfaction of the Club or
Clubs, for which the player last played.
(H) Subject to compliance with FA Rules C88-96
when a Club wishes to register a Player who is already registered with another
Club it shall submit a transfer form TAN 4 to the Competition, accompanied by a
fee as shown on the form and set out in the Fees Tariff.
[NB. FA Rules C88-96 requires the
approaching Club to submit a 7-day Notice of Approach, in writing, to the
Secretary of the holding club, to make it clear that they would like to
complete a transfer for their player. The written ‘Notice of Approach’ is
not completed from within the FA's Player Registration system but can be done
via email. Proof of the approach should be retained in the event that the
County FA need to investigate the grounds of the approach. The served club can
end the 7-day period if they agree to 'waive' the notice period. This means
that, rather than waiting for the full 7 days to pass, the player's current
club can allow an approach to be made sooner].
After the 7th day, or if the notice of approach has been
waived, clubs can begin the transfer process. The
approaching club must also search for the player on the FA Player Registration
System and follow the instructions.
(i) Having first satisfied itself that the
player has no outstanding obligations to their current Club (as per (G) (vii)
above) the following must be sent to the appropriate Registration Secretary for
the age group at which the player is currently registered.
(a) One copy of the form TAN 4 with part 1
completed. This can be submitted by e-mail attachment.
(b)
An administration fee of £15.00. This
fee can be paid by bank transfer (as shown on the TAN 4)
(c)
Two identical League ID registration
cards (both fully completed and with photos attached). Cards are not applicable
for Mini Soccer players during the trial season of 2024-25 – see separate Mini
Soccer Guidelines.
(d) A stamped addressed envelope for the return of
the new I.D. registration card.
On receipt of the TAN 4 form the transfer
shall be referred by the Registration Secretary to the Club with which the
Player is currently registered, by sending them a copy of the TAN 4. This may
be sent by e-mail or by post and it will be deemed to have been received by the
holding club one day after posting or the next day if sent by e-mail.
The club receiving the TAN 4 is required to complete either
part 2 or part 3 of the form and return it to the Registration Secretary within
7 days of receipt. In all circumstances the holding Club must also return the
player’s old registration card to the League and failure to do so will make it
liable for fines in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
Registration cards must not be passed from one club to
another but must always be returned to the Registration Secretary.
Should the holding Club object to the transfer it should
indicate this on the TAN 4 and state its objections in writing to the League
and to the Player concerned within 7 days of receipt of the notification.
Upon receipt of the Club’s consent, or upon its failure to
give written objection within 7 days, the Registration Secretary may, on behalf of the Management
Committee, transfer the Player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new
Club from the later of, such date or 7 days after receipt of the TAN 4.
In the event of an objection to a transfer the matter shall
be referred to the Management Committee for a decision.
(ii) In the case of a
proposed transfer of a player between two teams in the same Club, a TAN 4 must
still be completed, albeit signed by only one Club Secretary. The
administration fee will be waived but the transfer will be recorded as such and
all other provisions of Rule 18 (H) shall apply, as for a transfer between
different clubs.
(iii)
During a season, only one player will normally be allowed to transfer
out of one specific team into another specific team in a different club. Any
request to exceed this limit must be made through the Management Committee.
[But see also FA Rules C88-96 regarding
Notice of Approach which stipulates that a Club must not ‘approach’ more than
one player in the same Club at the same time and after the first ‘approach’ a
period of 28 days must elapse before an approach can be made for a second
player from the same club].
No more than two players in total, will
normally be allowed a transfer into a specific team from all other teams in the
League. Any request to exceed these numbers must be made through the Management
Committee. Special consideration will be given to requests to transfer multiple
players from one team in a club to another team inside the same club and will
depend on the circumstances in each case.
De-Registration
as a means to circumvent the above clauses will not be permitted. A player who is deregistered from his team
and not being involved in a transfer process may not be registered with a new team until a period of 28 days
has elapsed.
Any excessive number of
players being signed by one specific team from another specific team during the
‘close season’, will, on request, be investigated before the commencement of
the season, by the Management Committee. (For the purposes of this rule ‘excessive’
shall normally mean more than these numbers: Five-a-Side teams: 2, Seven-a-Side
teams: 3, Nine-a-Side: 4 and Eleven-a-Side: 5).
An allegation of
an illegal approach (other than between 1st to 30th June)
must be submitted to the relevant County Association. Notification of the
allegation is also to be given to the League by completion of form TAN 6. (This
procedure does not preclude F.A. Rule C 2 which requires clubs to notify an
intention to approach within seven days - and to which clubs should refer).
(I) With the
exception of the Under 7, U8, U9, U10 and U11 age-groups, a Player may not be
registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition after
the last day of February in the Playing Season except by special permission of
the Management Committee.
(J) A Club shall keep a list of the Players it
registers and a record of the games in which those Players have played, and
shall produce such records upon demand by the Management Committee.
In the event a Club has more than one Team in an age group,
each Team must be clearly identifiable but not designated ‘A’ or ‘B’ or 1st or
2nd. In such cases, Players will be
registered for one Team only (but see Rule 18 (G) (vii) regarding U7 & U8
Players). A Player so registered will be
allowed to play for his Club in a younger or older age group within the
provisions of Rule 18 (C).
(K) A register
containing the names of all Players registered for each Club, with the date of registration,
shall be kept by the Competition Secretary and
shall be open to the inspection of an
Officer of the Club at all Management Committee meetings or at other times
mutually arranged. Registrations are valid for
one Playing Season only.
In the event of a
Non Contract Player changing his status to that of a Contract Player with the
same Club, another Club in the Competition or with a Club in another
Competition his registration as a Non Contract Player will automatically be
cancelled and declared void unless the Club conforms to the exception detailed
in Rule 18 (B) (i).
(L) A Player shall not
normally be eligible to play for a Team in any special championship, promotion
or relegation deciding match (as specified in Rule 22 (A)) nor in any of the
Competition’s semi-final or final ties, unless the Player has played 3 completed
Matches in this League and been named on 3 match-cards for that Team in the
current Playing Season.
No player, having
played in any of the League’s ‘knock out’ or ‘trophy event’ competitions for
one Team or Club, shall be eligible to play for another Team or Club in the
same competition.
(M) Not applicable
to a Youth Competition
(N) (i) Subject
to Rule 18 (N) (ii) any Club found to have played an ineligible Player in a
Competition Match or Matches where points are awarded shall have the points
gained from that Competition Match deducted from its record, up to a maximum of
12 points, and have levied upon it a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
If the unregistered or otherwise ineligible
player has played in any one of the League’s ‘cup’ competitions, then the
Management Committee shall have the power to remove that player’s team from the
competition and to reinstate their last opponents.
(ii) The Management Committee may vary
the sanction as relates to the deduction of points set out at Rule 18 (N) (i)
only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain
an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to
the Player’s status.
(iii) Where a Club is found to have played an
ineligible player in accordance with Rule 18 (N) (i) above, the Management
Committee may also at its discretion:
(a) Award the points available in the Competition Match in
question to the opponents, subject to the Competition Match not being ordered
to be replayed;
(b) Levy penalty points against the Club in default; and/or
(c) Order that such Competition Match or Matches be replayed (on
such terms as are decided by the Management Committee).
[The following Clause applies to Competitions involving
Players in full-time secondary education]:
(O) (i) Priority must be given at all times to the
activities of schools and school organisations. Failure to comply with this
Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(ii) The availability
of children must be cleared with the head teachers (except for Sunday Competitions).
(iii) A child under
the age of 15 as at midnight on 31 August in the relevant Playing Season, shall
not be permitted to play in a Competition Match
during that Playing Season where any other Player is older or younger than that
child by two years or more.
(P) If a Club wishes to cancel a Player’s
registration within the Competition, it must make a request via The FA’s
electronic player registration system giving the reasons for the request. The
Competition may either approve or decline the request.
If a Player’s registration is cancelled he/she
will not be eligible to play in the Competition for a period of 28 days from
the date of cancellation.
(De-Registration as a means to
circumvent a transfer will not be permitted).
19 (A) Every Team must
register the colour and design of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by
1st September who shall decide as to their suitability. Any Team wishing to change
the colour(s) and/or design(s) of its shirt(s) and short(s) during the Playing
Season must obtain permission from the Management Committee in advance of making that change.
Goalkeepers must wear colours which distinguish them from
other Players and the Match Officials.
No Player, including the goalkeeper, shall be permitted to
wear black or very dark shirts.
Any Team not being able to play in its normal colours as
registered with the Competition shall notify its opponents the colours in which
they will play (including the colours of the goalkeeper jersey) at least four
days before the match.
If, in the opinion of the referee, two Teams have the same or
similar colours, the Away Team shall
make the change. Should a Team delay the scheduled time of kick-off for a
Competition Match by not having a change of colours they shall be fined (in accordance
with the Fines Tariff). Shirts must
all be numbered differently, failing which a fine will be levied in accordance
with the Fines Tariff.
PLAYING SEASON, CONDITIONS OF PLAY
TIMES OF KICK-OFF, POSTPONEMENTS,
SUBSTITUTES
20. (A) All
Competition Matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as
determined by the International Football Association Board or, for Mini-Soccer,
The Mini-Soccer and Youth Futsal Handbook, or for 9v9 football, The FA’s Guide
to 9v9 Football.
(i) The Annual
General Meeting shall determine the dates for the commencement and conclusion
of the playing season which, subject to the AGM vote, shall normally be from
the third Sunday in September until the second Sunday in May. During
this period matches will normally be arranged for every Sunday excepting for
the two Sundays nearest to Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.
Matches
may be arranged for days other than a Sunday, but only by mutual consent and
both teams must verbally inform the relevant Fixture Secretary. By exception, a
Championship deciding game may be cast for a day other than a Sunday and the
Final ties for any of the Competition’s knock out or Trophy Event competitions
may also be organised by the Competition for days other than a Sunday.
At the
discretion of the Management Committee, the League programme may be extended
for games that could have an effect on championship, runners up and relegation
places. Other teams who wish to continue playing after the second Sunday in May
can do so by mutual consent. After 1st March, preference will be
given to fixtures involving teams in championship places.
(ii) In
addition to the ‘fixture free’ Sundays mentioned in (i) above, the Competition
will not normally arrange fixtures for the first Sunday of the autumn and
spring Half Term school holidays. Such dates to be determined by the
Competition by reference to the published Local Authority school term
calendars. In the event that a team’s inability to fulfil a fixture is caused
by extended half terms or by a particular school's different holiday dates,
then that team may apply for a fixture break in accordance with the following
clause (iii) (b).
(iii) A team may
normally request a break in its fixtures, or the re-arrangement of a fixture,
only if one of the following situations applies and provided always that
the conditions described can be met.
(a) A school trip or club tour has been
arranged which prevents the team from fielding a squad of at least
the number of players which constitutes a full ‘team’ (i.e. 11, 9, 7 or 5
depending on Format).
(b) Any other situation, of which 21 days advance notice has been
given, which prevents the team from fielding the minimum number of players as
shown in (a).
For both situations
(a) and (b), requests for a fixture break must be made in writing to the League
Secretary by submitting a fully completed form TAN 9 at least 21 days
before the match-date in question. It is therefore the responsibility
of team managers or their clubs to ascertain the dates of any such
tour, school trip, or school holiday well in advance. Letters of
confirmation may be requested from either the school or tour operator.
During a season, a
specific team will be granted a maximum of two fixture breaks if clause (a)
applies to both dates, one fixture break if clause (b) applies, or one fixture
break using clause (a) and one other fixture break using clause (b).
In all cases the TAN 9
form must be submitted at least 21 days in advance to allow for other fixtures
to be rearranged.
(iv) Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to
keep their Grounds in a playable condition. All Competition Matches shall be
played on pitches deemed suitable by the Management Committee. If through any
fault of the home Team, a match has to be replayed, the Management Committee
shall have power to order the venue to be changed.
The
Management Committee shall have power to decide whether a pitch and/or
facilities are suitable for Competition Matches and to order the Club concerned
to play its Competition fixtures on another ground.
Artificial
Football Turf Pitches (3G) are allowed in this Competition provided they meet
the required performance standards and are listed on the FA’s Register of
Football Turf Pitches.
https://footballfoundation.org.uk/3g-pitch-register.
All Football Turf Pitches used must be tested (by a FIFA accredited test
institute) every three years and the results passed to The FA. The FA will give
a decision on the suitability for use and add the pitch to the Register.
The
home Club is also responsible for advising Participants of footwear
requirements when confirming match arrangements in accordance with Rule 20 (C).
The
home club is also responsible for ensuring that the field of play and
surrounding area are safe for all participants. A safe, covered and enclosed
changing facility should be provided wherever possible.
Overhead netting is allowed for 5v5 and 7v7 mini
soccer if the overhead netting height is at a minimum of 6m. No overhead netting is
allowed for 9v9 and 11v11 affiliated matches.
Overhead wires used to support pitch divider
netting are ideally removed for affiliated
matches but if they cannot be removed then
discretion is given to the match official to restart the match in accordance of the laws of
the game.
Age |
Recommended Minimum Pitch Sizes |
Recommended Maximum Pitch Sizes |
Recommended Goal Sizes |
Ball Size |
||
Yards |
Metres |
Yards |
Metres |
Feet |
||
Under 7 |
30x20 |
27.45 x 18.3 |
40x30 |
36.3 x 27.45 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 8 |
30x20 |
27.45 x 18.3 |
40x30 |
36.3 x 27.45 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 9 |
50x30 |
45.75 x 27.45 |
60x40 |
54.9 x 36.6 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 10 |
50x30 |
45.75 x 27.45 |
60x40 |
54.9 x 36.6 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 11 |
70x40 |
64 x 36.6 |
80x50 |
73.15 x 45.75 |
16x7 |
4 |
Under 12 |
70x40 |
64 x 36.6 |
80x50 |
73.15 x 45.75 |
16x7 |
4 |
Under 13 |
90x50 |
82.3x45.75 |
100x60 |
91.44 x 54.9 |
21x7 |
4 |
Under 14 |
90x50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
100x60 |
91.44 x 54.9 |
21x7 |
4 |
Under 15 |
90x50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
110x70 |
100.58 x 64 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 16 |
90x50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
110x70 |
100.58 x 64 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 17 |
100x50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130x100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 18 |
100x50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130x100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 21 |
100x50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130x100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
Should
a Home team’s pitch become unavailable or unfit, the match can be moved to the
pitch of the Away team subject to the Fixture Secretary being notified either
before or after the fixture has taken place.
Where a
club with a Home fixture is unable to provide a pitch, or where their pitch is
unfit for play, the League Committee may direct all clubs to offer a reversal
to their opponents. Failure to comply with any reasonable request to reverse
the fixture may result in the game being awarded.
For
matches played in the Cup, Shield, Trophy, or in the Trophy Events, as covered
by Rule 25, the originally drawn Home team shall have no more than two
opportunities to stage the match at their chosen ground, after which the game
will be reversed to the ground of the originally drawn Away team. If still un-played
due to pitch conditions, the Management Committee shall have the power to
nominate a neutral venue with costs shared proportionately.
Where
a fixture is reversed, the original Home team shall pay no more for the hire of
the pitch than the greater of (i) the price they would have paid for their own
pitch, or (ii) the price of a corresponding Council pitch hired from the
Competition, subject always to this being no greater than the cost actually
incurred by the original Away team. The Management Committee will adjudicate in
the event of a dispute.
A divisional
fixture reversed on the first game between two teams will automatically be
reversed for the second game so that both teams have the opportunity to play at
home.
The Management Committee shall have the
power to decide whether a pitch and/or facilities are suitable for matches in
the League and to order the Club concerned to play it’s fixtures on another
ground. Any dispute relating to re-arranged games or decisions relating to
un-played games will be referred to the Management Committee.
(v) All competition matches shall have a duration
as set out below unless a shorter time is mutually arranged by the two Clubs in
consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the Competition
Match, and in any event shall be of equal halves.
Under 7 and Under 8 - 20
minutes each half
Under 9 and Under 10 - 25
minutes each half
Under 11 and Under 12 - 30
minutes each half.
Under 13 and Under 14 - 35
minutes each half.
Under 15 and Under 16 - 40
minutes each half
Under 17 and Under 18 - 45
minutes each half
A
player who has played a game or part of a game inside or outside of this Competition,
shall not be permitted to play a further game or part of a game within this
League on the same day.
Matches
should be played in accordance with the Laws appropriate to the relevant age
group, as laid down by The FA, as detailed below.
Competition Matches for age groups
from U7 to U10 can be played in either quarters or in halves as agreed on the
day between the teams.
Age Group |
Minimum duration of
play per half (or per quarter in Mini
Soccer) (minutes) |
Maximum duration of
play per half (or per quarter in Mini Soccer) (minutes) |
Maximum playing time in
one day in all organised competition or development fixtures (minutes) |
Maximum playing time in
one day in all tournaments and festivals (minutes) |
Under 7 & 8 |
10 (5 per quarter) |
20 (10 per quarter) |
40 |
60 |
Competition structure: Development focussed with a maximum
of 3 trophy events per season over 2 week periods (6 weeks) |
||||
Under 9 & 10 |
20 (10 per quarter) |
25 (12.5 per quarter) |
60 |
90 |
Competition structure: Development focussed with a maximum
of 3 trophy events per season over 4 week periods (12 weeks) |
||||
Under 11 |
20 |
30 |
80 |
120 |
Competition structure: Development focussed with a maximum
of 3 trophy events per season over 6 week periods (18 weeks) |
||||
Under 12 |
20 |
30 |
80 (if applicable) |
120 |
Competition structure: Any varieties including one season long league table |
||||
Under 13 & 14 |
25 |
35 |
100 |
150 |
Competition structure: Any varieties including one season long league table |
||||
Under 15 & 16 |
25 |
40 |
100 |
150 |
Competition structure: Any varieties including one season long league table |
||||
Under 17 & 18 |
25 |
45 |
120 |
180 |
Competition structure: Any varieties including one season long league table |
For round robin/trophy events, the
maximum duration of play per half cannot be exceeded, but the minimum duration
of play per half may be adjusted.
For trophy events, the Competition
may award mementos.
(vi) The times of kick-off shall be
fixed at the AGM.
(a) For all Development, League,
Cup, Shield, Trophy and Trophy Event games, the Home team is to
decide the actual kick off time.
Unless mutually agreed, the kick off
time should be no earlier than 10.00 a.m. except where the following
clause (b) applies.
(b) For Clubs with three or more Home games which
need to be played on a specific pitch, the earliest kick off time shall be
09.30 a.m.
A Club needing to opt for a 9.30 am
start, is required to allocate the 9.30 kick off to that team (from the three
or more Away teams) which is considered to be ‘local’ and, of the three, the
team based nearest to the Ground in question. Any reasonable 9.30am requests
must not be refused out of hand.
(c) When British Summer Time
applies the latest kick off shall be no later than 3.00 pm, unless mutually
agreed.
(d) When Greenwich Mean Time
applies (winter months) the latest time for kick off shall be:
(i) Pitches
without floodlights: 2.00 pm. for League games and 1.30 pm. for Cup,
Shield and Trophy matches and also for ‘Double Headers’.
(ii) Pitches
with floodlights: 3.00 pm
(e) After the Tuesday notification
deadline, a previously notified kick off time can only be changed from ‘AM’ to
‘PM’ (or vice versa) by mutual agreement.
(f) Referees must order Competition Matches
to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to the
Competition.
Matches
must commence no later than thirty minutes after the scheduled kick-off time.
Any Club failing to commence within 30
minutes of the appointed time may be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff
or be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may determine.
Where,
by mutual consent, matches kick off more than 30 minutes after the original
kick-off time, the fixture will stand and in the case of any subsequent
dispute, the result will be determined by the Management Committee.
(vii) The
Home Team must provide goal nets, corner flags, linesman, or assistant referee
flags and at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a
report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. Both
teams must be equipped with an appropriate First Aid kit.
Failure to comply with this Rule
will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(B) Except
by permission of the Management Committee all Competition Matches must be
played on the dates originally fixed but priority shall be given to The FA and
parent County Association Cup Competitions. All other matches must be
considered secondary. Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a match with
the consent of the (Fixtures) Secretary. Failure to comply with this
Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
In the case of a revised fixture date, the Clubs must be
given, by the Competition, 4 clear days’ notice of the match (unless otherwise
mutually agreed).
(C) An
Officer of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the location
of, and access to, the Ground, time of kick-off and kit colours (including
goalkeeper) to the Match Officials and an Officer of
the opposing Club at least 4 clear days prior to the playing of the Competition
Match. The
opposing Club must confirm receipt and give notice of its kit colours
(including goalkeeper) at least 3 days prior to the playing of the Competition
Match. If either is not provided, the relevant Club shall seek such
details and report the circumstances to the Competition. Failure to comply with
this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(D) The minimum number of Players
that will constitute a Team for a Competition Match is as follows:
Format : Minimum
Number
5v5 4
7v7 5
9v9 6
11v11 7
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in
accordance with the Fines Tariff).
A
team having less than this minimum at the time of the kick-off shall be deemed
to have lost the match. If a team falls below seven players (11-a-side), six
players (9-a-side), five players (7-a-side) or four players (5v5) during the
course of a match, the match will be abandoned and the outcome shall be
determined by the Management Committee.
(E) (i) In Competitions where points are awarded home and away matches shall
be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement the Management
Committee shall decide whether it should
either:
a) Award the points from the Competition Match
in question to the Club’s opponent (without the awarding of goals)
OR
b) Order the Competition Match
to be rescheduled. The Management Committee shall also have the power to order
the rescheduled Competition Match to be played on a neutral ground or on the
opponent Club’s Ground if they are satisfied that such action is warranted by
the circumstances.
In addition, the
Management Committee may at its discretion order one or more of the following
(if appropriate):
a) Impose a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff),
b) Deduct points from the defaulting Club,
c) Order
the defaulting Club to pay any reasonable expenses incurred by the opponents
For the purposes of this clause, 'failing to keep its
engagement' shall also apply where a team has been suspended for non-payment of
a Competition fine or charge issued pursuant to Rule 6 (I).
In the event that a Division falls below 9 continuing teams, the remaining
teams will normally play a third round of fixtures against each other, provided
that such extra games can be accommodated into the fixture schedule as
determined by the Management Committee. Such additional games will be split
between home and away matches as determined by the appropriate League Fixture
Secretary.
Where
a fixture is cancelled at short notice, the defaulting team shall be liable to
a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff). For the purposes of this and the
following clause, ‘short notice’ shall mean notification after 8.00 pm two days
prior to the match.
(ii) Any Club
unable to fulfil a fixture or where a Competition Match has been postponed for
any reason must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the
Competition Referees Secretary, the secretary of the opposing Club and the
Match Officials. Such notification to the Fixture Secretary must
not be left until the normal reporting time, but is required immediately the
decision is known since it may have an impact on the following week’s fixtures.
(iii) In the event of a match not being played or
abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it shall be
played in its entirety on a date to be determined by the relevant Fixture
Secretary. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and the Clubs
involved agree, the Management Committee shall also be empowered to order the
score at the time of an abandonment to stand.
Postponed
or abandoned matches and all unfulfilled fixtures, including County Cup games,
must be reported to the League as soon as possible once it is known that the
game will not take place and, in any event, must be reported on the League
website before 18.00hrs on the day of the match. Failure to do this will result
in a fine (in accordance with the fines Tariff).
Sickness
of players, injury or family holidays will not be considered valid reasons for
cancellation of games.
Where a club reports on the league website, that
it did not have enough players to fulfil the fixture, that club will be considered
to have breached Rule 20 (E) (i) and shall have 7 days to submit their response
[as explained in Rule 6 (D)] to the charge of failing to fulfil the fixture.
Where
the postponement is due to adverse weather or pitch conditions; or is because
one team does not have enough players, it will normally be sufficient for Clubs
to simply report the reason using the website option alone. In uncontested
cases where one team does not have enough players, the League's decision
regarding the outcome of the game will be notified as a result on the League
website.
For
any postponement which is NOT caused by adverse weather or pitch conditions; or
is NOT due to one team having insufficient players, BOTH Clubs may be requested
to submit a form TAN 5 to the Competition Secretary within seven days of the
postponement. The Competition Secretary will only require Clubs to complete a
TAN 5 in any case where additional information regarding the postponement is
required. When a TAN 5 is requested by the Secretary and should the Club fail
to submit one, then such failure will incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(iv) The
Management Committee shall review all Competition Matches abandoned in cases where it is consequent
upon the conduct of either or both Teams. Where it is to the advantage of the
Competition and does no injustice to either Club, the Management Committee
shall be empowered to order the score at the time of the abandonment to stand.
In all cases where the Management Committee are
satisfied that a Competition Match was abandoned owing to the conduct of one Team or its Club member(s)
they shall be empowered to award the points for the match to the opponent. Where
a club reports on the league website, that it did not have enough players to
fulfil the fixture, that club will be considered to have breached Rule 20 (E)
(i) and shall have 7 days to submit their response [as explained in Rule 6 (D)]
to the charge of failing to fulfil the fixture.
In
cases where a Competition match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both
teams and/or their Club member(s), the Management Committee shall rule that
neither team will be awarded any points for that Competition Match and it shall
not be replayed. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an
abandoned Competition Match.
(v) The Management Committee shall review any Competition
Match that has taken place where either or both Teams were under a suspension
imposed upon them by The FA or Affiliated Association. In each case the Team
that was under suspension would be dealt with in the same manner as if they had
participated with ineligible players in accordance with Rule 18 (N) (i) above.
Where both Teams were under suspension the match must be declared null and void
and shall not be replayed.
(F) A
Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use
substitute Players in any match in this Competition. All substitutes must be
named on their team’s Match-card (be it
the App Match-card or an emergency alternative match-card).
For Under 11s - Under 18’s – a
Club may use up to 5 from 5 substitute Players. A Player who has been
substituted becomes a substitute and may replace any Player at any time subject
to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of
Association Football.
For Mini-Soccer – up to five
substitutes may be used at any time with the permission of the referee. Entry
onto the field of play will only be allowed during a stoppage in play. A Player
who has been replaced may return to the play as a substitute for another
Player. A Team must not have a match day squad greater than double the
size of its Team in an age group.
In Youth Football only, the referee shall be informed of the
names of the substitutes not later than five minutes before the start of the
match and a Player not so named may not take part in that Competition Match.
(G) The half time
interval shall be of ten minutes’ duration, but it shall not exceed 15 minutes.
The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee
(H) The
Teams taking part in Under 7’s to Under 11’s or Youth Football shall identify a
Team captain who may wear an armband and shall have a responsibility to offer
support in the management of the on-field discipline of their teammates.
(I)
Where a suspension
imposed in relation to a Football Debt (as defined under the Football Debt Recovery
Regulations) upon a Club by The FA or Affiliated Association is not lifted,
and/or the Club does not provide confirmation from The FA or Affiliated
Association that such suspension is lifted to the Competition Secretary by 2 days
before a fixture, that fixture will be treated as an unfulfilled fixture and
dealt with in accordance with Rule 20(E)(i).
(J) Procedure for Match arrangements: Except
where previously agreed, every Sunday during
the playing season, the Club Secretary or Manager of each team must obtain
confirmation of their next fixture by reference to the League’s Website. Any
queries must be raised by e-mail or by telephone with the appropriate Fixture
Secretary.
For
some age groups, fixtures for several weeks ahead are published on the League’s
Website and any changes necessary are normally shown on the Website by the
preceding Sunday. All Managers should therefore confirm their next fixture
from the League Website on the preceding Sunday.
The
Secretary/Manager of the Home Club must, on
or before the Tuesday before the match, confirm by TELEPHONE to the Away team Match Contact and to any League
appointed Referee, full particulars of the location
of and access to the Ground; kick off
time and team colours. Only where a
team has not nominated a Match Contact should the Home team contact the Away
team Manager with this information. The telephone numbers for Match Contacts
and Managers can be obtained from the relevant team’s page on the League’s
Website.
If
such contact is unsuccessful, then the Away team’s Club Secretary must be
contacted and if still unsuccessful then the relevant Fixture Secretary or the
League Secretary should be informed. The Away Club shall seek and acknowledge
receipt of such particulars.
In
addition to the personal contact between Match Contacts and Managers, match
notifications can be made using the facility on the League website, but this is
not a substitute for telephone contact unless a clear acknowledgement and
confirmation of the arrangements is received from the Away team.
Any
Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine in accordance
with the Fines Tariff.
(K) (i) Only players who have been properly
registered by the Competition may take part in Competition Matches. Such
registration is evidenced by the issue of a certified League Identification
(ID) Card to each eligible player, or for Mini Soccer players by their
inclusion on a printed Squad List obtained from the FA player registration
system.
No player will normally be eligible to play
without
a) having
first had their name recorded on the FA Player Registration System
b) being
shown on that system with a status of ‘Registered’ and
c) being in possession of their Registration
Card at the match. Or by exception
and as the alternative to (c),
d) having written authority from the
Management Committee confirming eligibility.
NB. However, for season 2024-25 and in lieu of a being in possession of
a Registration Card, Mini Soccer players (u7 to u10) must be included in the
Squad List as mentioned above in this rule.
(ii) Every
Player must have and be able to show their League Registration (ID) card, or be
included in the printed Squad List, at every game in which they intend to play.
In the event that a player does not have a valid ID card at the game, or is not
named in the printed Mini Soccer Squad List, then that player is not eligible
to play and must not participate in that match unless they have the express
written permission of the Management Committee. (See rule 20 K (ii) below).
(iii) At all age groups a match-card must be completed by both teams for
every match played under the jurisdiction of this League.
An e-match-card submitted via the match-day App should always
be used unless, by exception, there is good reason to use the ‘emergency’ match-card
procedure. The match-card must include the names of both participating teams;
the competition and division; date of fixture; venue; kick-off time and name of
the referee. The match-card must also list all the participating players,
giving their full names and their registration numbers.
(iv) Prior to the commencement of each
Competition Match, teams must complete the match-card procedure as set out
in Rule 21 and as explained in the Guidelines published on the League
website. After the match, teams must add to the e-match-card or, by
exception, to their emergency match card, the final scores and other
information as required by Rule 21 A. Having fully competed the
e-match-card (or having signed their emergency card and added the
referee’s name) teams must then submit the e-match-card to
the Competition (or e-mail the emergency match-card to
the match-card Secretary), also in accordance with Rule 21 A. Failure to
properly complete the e-match-card or the emergency match-card will incur
a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(L) (i) Prior to the
commencement of every match, but after they have changed into their kit, each
individual player must present their I.D. card to the opposition manager for
verification of identity. Mini Soccer teams (ages u7 to u10) should present
their printed Squad List to the opposition manager. The I.D. cards should be
presented separately by each player and not offered for inspection in, a photo
album or similar.
If an I.D. card or Mini Soccer Squad List appears to have been
tampered with or altered, the player’s details must be recorded on the Match
Day APP. The appropriate Registration Secretary should be informed immediately
after the match so that the card can be recalled for further investigation and
replacement. Failure to return an allegedly altered card will result in the
withdrawal of the player’s registration.
Managers may, at any time request to see a player’s I.D. card
to ascertain eligibility.
(ii) In the event of a player not being in possession of an ID
card (or not being named on the Mini Soccer Squad List) he/she may take part in
the match ONLY if the team manager has received and can produce at the game,
written confirmation from the Senior Registration Secretary (or their nominee)
that the player is registered and is eligible to play. Such written
confirmation will only be considered in those cases where
(a) the player and their club have satisfied all the requirements of
registration;
(b) the player is shown as being ‘Registered’ on the team’s Player list
and where
(c) the player’s ID card has been, or could have been, issued in time
to have reached the manager ahead of the game. (NB: this concession will not apply to cases where an incomplete or
missing part of the registration process has caused the late dispatch of the ID
card).
(iii) Should a player who does not have an ID card, or is not
named on the Mini Soccer Squad List, nor has the written permission of the
Management Committee, proceed to take part in a game, then he or she will be
considered to be an ineligible player within the meaning of Rule 18 (N).
(iv). A team arriving to play without being in possession of
their ID cards. or in the case of a Mini Soccer team, without being in
possession of a printed Squad List. is unable to play a qualifying competition
match unless they have the prior written permission of the Management
Committee. In the absence of such
permission the team will normally be considered to have failed to keep its
engagement within the meaning of Rule 20 (E).
(v) Where the I.D. card for a player has been lost, then a
duplicate I.D. card must be obtained from the Registration Secretary before
that player can take part in a match. Such duplicate I.D. cards require the
submission of a new photograph, signed I.D. card and s.a.e. to be sent to the
Registration Secretary in accordance with Rule 18. In the event of a team
losing (by theft or accident) all or a majority of their player’s I.D. cards,
such loss must be immediately reported to the Management Committee.
(M) Each home club shall make arrangements for
the provision of designated areas for spectators. This area can be marked by an
additional painted line, the use of cones, a roped off area or use of a
temporary spectator barrier. The area for spectators should start two metres
from the touchline on both sides of the pitch. Each area should run the full
length of the pitch. It is recognised, however, that the alignment of some
public pitches does not allow for this arrangement in which case other
appropriate arrangements should be made. Failure
to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
21. (A) BOTH Clubs, be they Home or Away, MUST
report the result of each match to the League’s Website on the day of the
match.
(i) Electronically submitted match cards
(e-match cards) using
the Tandridge APP. The result will automatically be
received by the league when the team manager or assistant has ‘submitted via
the App immediately on the conclusion of the game. Failure to submit
via the App by 18:00hrs will incur a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
(ii) Emergency
manually submitted match cards: The Team Manager or the
Club’s appointed representative is responsible for ensuring that the match
score is reported on the League website by 18:00hrs on the day of the
match.
For both methods of submission, in
addition to the scores, teams must also enter the name of the referee, a mark
for the referee (as required by Rule 23 H) and the Sportsmanship marks as
required.
Where it is necessary for an emergency
match card to be used, the fully completed ‘emergency match-card’ must be sent
by e-mail to the League’s Compliance Officer at compliancetyfl@gmail.com within one day of the game being played (i.e. on the same day that the
match was played or the following day). The emergency match-card must include
the forename and surname of the team players (in block letters), their League
Registration Number, the name of the referee and any other information required
by the Competition as described in Rule 20 (J).
Failure to fully complete an emergency match card will incur a fine (in
accordance with the Fines Tariff).
By definition, the use
of an emergency match card should be exceptional and limited to genuine
unforeseen situations which preclude the use
of the APP. The Management Committee reserve the right to investigate
the circumstances which cause an emergency match card to be used and in cases
where they are not satisfied that the circumstances and procedure, as described
in this rule and in Rule 20 (J) have been complied with, the Committee shall
have the power to order a game to be replayed.
(iii)
An emergency match-card is not required for County FA cup matches.
For all age ranges where return
substitutions are permissible, all those players named on the match-card shall
be deemed to have taken part in the match.
(iii)
It is the
responsibility of each member club to ensure that their appointed Club
representative enters all match scores (home & away) for any game where a
result is not otherwise showing on the web site, no later than 18:00hrs on the
day of the match. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine
in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(iv) County Cup results must also be
submitted to the League Official Website by 18:00 on the day of the match.
(v) Postponed
or abandoned matches, including County Cup games, should be reported
immediately to the Fixture Secretary in accordance with Rule 20 E (ii) and must
also be entered onto the league web site by 18:00 on the day of the match.
(B) The match result notification, correctly completed, including with
the correct match score, shall be signed by an Officer of the Club, or as
prescribed by the Competition.
Any
Club failing to comply with the provisions of Rule 21 shall be liable to a fine
in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(C) The Competition and Clubs are permitted to
collect but NOT publish results or any grading tables for fixtures involving
Under 7s, Under 8s, Under 9s, Under 10s, and Under11s. Any Competition failing
to abide by this Rule will be dealt with by the Sanctioning Authority, and any
Club failing to abide by this Rule will be fined (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff). The Competition and Clubs are permitted to collect and publish results
for Trophy Events.
22 (A) In Competitions where points are awarded,
Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points, with three
points to be awarded for a win and one point for a drawn Competition Match. The
Teams gaining the highest number of points in their respective Division at the
conclusion shall be adjudged the winners. Competition Matches must not be played
for double points.
In the event of two or more Teams being equal on points at
the end of the Playing Season, rankings may be decided by a deciding ‘play-off’
match or matches, played under conditions determined by the Management
Committee or the position may be shared. See Appendix 1.
(Note:
‘Play-off’ matches shall apply only to deciding the Championship winners and
not to distinguishing between joint Runners Up).
(B) (i) In the event of a Team withdrawing from the
Competition having not actually played more than 50% of its fixtures for the
season, all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting team shall
be expunged from the league table. Where a team withdraws after playing more
than 50% of its fixtures, all outstanding games will be awarded. For the
purposes of this rule, games which have previously been awarded do not count as
having been ‘actually played’.
(ii)
Any team that fails to fulfil its fixture for four consecutive weeks, or
reaches the point where it has not fulfilled a total of six fixtures, may be
suspended from participation in the Competition by the Management Committee.
23. (A) Registered referees (and assistant referees
where approved by The FA or County FA) for all Competition Matches shall be
appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the
Sanctioning Association(s). The Competition Referee Secretary will endeavour to
appoint Registered Referees to all matches in the Under 16, U17 and U18 age
groups.
(B) For other age groups and in cases where
there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs
shall agree upon a referee in accordance with the procedure described in this
rule. An individual thus agreed upon
shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a
registered referee.
Individuals under the age of 16 must not participate either
as a Referee or Assistant Referee in any open age competition and individuals
under the age of 14 must not participate either as a Referee or Assistant
Referee in any competition. Referees between the ages of 14 and 16 are only
eligible to officiate in competitions where the Players’ age band is at least
one year younger than the age of the Referee, for example, a 15 year old
Referee may only officiate in competitions where the age banding is 14 or
younger.
(i) The
Home team should supply a referee, preferably qualified and currently
registered, but if unable to do so the Away team must be invited to supply one.
If the Away team has an available qualified referee he will take precedence
over a Home team referee who is not qualified and likewise an available and
currently registered referee will take precedence over a non-registered
referee. In such cases the Away team referee must confirm their qualified
status (e.g. by quoting their current registration number).
(ii)
Where an Away team knows that it has a qualified and currently registered
referee available to referee the match, this fact should be made known to the
Home team at the earliest opportunity, preferably when the Home team advises the Away
team the match details on or before the Tuesday. Any such offer that is refused
by the Home team without good reason should be reported to the Management
Committee.
(iii)
Clubs may apply to the Competition Referees Secretary and request that a
referee be nominated from the League panel, but when allocating a referee
preference will be given to the older age groups, semi-finals and to matches
nominated by the Management Committee.
(iv) The Manager or appointed representative of
all Under 16, U17 and U18 teams (and any other team requesting a League
appointed Panel Referee) must inform the Referees Secretary the proposed venue
and kick off time by the Tuesday prior to the match. Such details of venue and
time should be added to the Home team’s fixture page on the League’s Website at
the earliest opportunity and if done by the Tuesday will suffice as
communication to the Referee Secretary. Failure to communicate (by adding match
details to the Website or by e-mail) with the Referees Secretary by the Tuesday
may result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
Nominated
Referees are shown on the League’s website from Monday onwards and Clubs are
required to make early contact with the appointed Referee. Except in the case
of late appointments, Managers should make contact with the appointed Referee
by the Tuesday in the same way as they contact their opposition under Rule 20
I. Late notification (excepting for late appointments) shall be liable for a
fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
The
Management Committee reserves the right to appoint a referee to any match, in
which case the Home team will normally be notified by the Thursday prior to the
match. For the semi-finals of all Cup, Shield and Trophy competitions, a League
appointed referee will be allocated whenever possible, but if not possible then
both teams, together with the Referees Secretary shall agree on a suitable
referee. Each team shall supply a Club Assistant Referee.
(C) Where assistant referees are not appointed each
Team shall provide a Club assistant referee.
(D) The
appointed referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the Ground in
all Competition Matches and that decision shall be final, subject to the determination
of the Local Authority or the owners of a Ground, which must be accepted.
(E) Subject to any limits/provisions laid down
by the Sanctioning Association and unless otherwise ordered by the Management
Committee, Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be paid a match fee
in accordance with the following table.
Match Officials
will be paid their fees before the match commences by the Home Club (or
by the Club requesting the referee). Failure to comply with this Rule will
result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
age group |
U17 & U18 |
U15 & U16 |
U13 & U14 |
U11 & U12 |
U9 & U10 |
U7 & U8 |
|
|
(1) League, Cup,
Shield, Trophy and Trophy Event games |
||||||
Referee |
£ 45.00 |
£ 40.00 |
£ 35.00 |
£30.00 |
£ 25.00 |
£ 20.00 |
|
Assistant Referee |
£ 35.00 |
£ 30.00 |
£ 25.00 |
£25.00 |
|
|
|
|
In Semi Finals and
‘play offs’ where Assistants are appointed, the cost is shared
by both teams |
||||||
|
(2) Un-played games due to poor weather
conditions (Rule 23.F) |
||||||
Referee & Assistant when
appointed |
£ 25.00 |
£ 25.00 |
£ 20.00 |
£15.00 |
£ 15.00 |
£ 15.00 |
|
|
(3) Double Bankers: fee for each game |
||||||
age group |
U17 & U18 |
U15 & U16 |
U13 & U14 |
U12 |
|
|
|
Referee (each game) |
£ 30.00 |
£ 25.00 |
£ 25.00 |
£20 |
|
|
|
(F) In the event of a match not being played
because of circumstances over which the Clubs have no control, the Match
Officials, if present, shall be entitled to the reduced fee shown above. Where
a match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be
ordered to pay the Match Officials, if they attend the Ground, their full fee.
If it is the Away team which is in default and they do not attend the ground,
then the Home club shall pay the official(s) and apply to the league for the
money to be refunded to them by the Away club. Failure to comply with the Rule
will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(G) A referee not keeping their engagement, and
failing to give a satisfactory explanation as to their non-appearance, may be
reported to the Association with which he or she is registered. Should an
appointed referee not appear for the match, the Teams must agree upon a referee
and the individual thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers,
status and authority of a registered referee.
(H) (i) Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed
from time to time by The FA, award marks to the referee for each Competition
Match and the name of the referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to
the Competition using the match-day App.
Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be
fined (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) or dealt with as the Management
Committee shall determine. Guidance for the marking of referees is given in the
League Handbook.
(ii) Where a
total mark of 60 or less is awarded to a referee, an explanation of such mark
must be supplied to the League on form TAN 8 within seven days of the game
taking place. If a referee is consistently given low marks, their Club (if any)
will be notified and further low marks could result in League action. Clubs
failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine (in accordance with
the Fines Tariff).
(I) The Competition shall keep a record of the
markings and, on the form provided by the prescribed date each Playing Season,
shall submit a summary to The FA/County FA.
(J) Match
Officials shall be supplied, each Playing Season, with a copy of the
Competition Rules free of charge.
24. A
Sportsmanship Trophy will be awarded in each division, fixture group or ladder.
The award will be made to the team which demonstrates high standards of
sportsmanship and good behaviour as measured by the marks awarded to them by
their opposition during the course of a full season. Sportsmanship marks are to
be submitted by each team using the match-day App or otherwise entered on the
league website.
Marks, having been entered after each match,
will be collated under three headings reflecting the conduct of Players,
Spectators and Club Officials. All such scores will be averaged and combined to
produce a ranking of sustained good sportsmanship. Any team failing to
regularly record such scores for their opposition will not be eligible to win
this award.
25. (A)
The Competition will provide a
range of ‘cup’ and ‘knock-out’ competitions for each age group. All Competition
Matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined
by the International Football Association Board or, for Mini-Soccer, and 9v9
football, the Rules as set down by The FA.
Rules which elsewhere in
this set of Competition rules, mention games played ‘for points’, shall include
games played under this Rule 25.
In accordance with FA guidelines and
for those teams otherwise playing Development matches the Competition will
provide ‘Trophy Events’ for each age group. The frequency, format and duration
of each Event will vary between the age groups and in all cases the Management Committee shall have the power
to administer the Event in accordance with such
League Rules as they shall determine are appropriate. Specific Rules for each
such Trophy Event will be published prior to its commencement.
For
age groups Under 12 and above, the Competition will provide up to three
trophies for each age group. These shall be known as the “Challenge Cup”, the
“Shield” and the “Trophy” competitions.
All
teams must participate in these competitions as appropriate and the League will
provide individual awards to each competing player in a Final, or in the case
of a Trophy Event, the main or principal Final.
(B) The competitions for age groups U12 and older
will be open to teams depending on the number of divisions and the total number
of teams at each age group.
Where an age group has seven divisions or more: the
“Challenge Cup” will be open to all teams in the Premier Division and Divisions
1, 2 and 3. The “Shield” will be open to teams in Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
and/or any ‘zoned’ divisions. The “Trophy” will be open to teams in Divisions 4, 5 and 6 and/or
any ‘zoned’ divisions.
Where an age group has six
divisions: the “Challenge Cup” will be open to all teams in the Premier Division and Divisions 1 and 2. The
“Shield” will be open to teams in Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and/or any ‘zoned’
divisions. The “Trophy” will be open to teams in Divisions 3, 4 and 5 and/or
any ‘zoned’ divisions.
Where
an age group has five divisions: the “Challenge Cup” will be open to all teams
in the Premier Division and Divisions 1 and 2. The ‘Shield’ will be open to
teams in Divisions 1, 2, 3 and in ‘zoned’ divisions. The ‘Trophy’ will be open
to teams in Divisions 3 and 4 and/or in ‘zoned’ divisions.
Where
an age group has four divisions: the “Challenge Cup” will be open to all teams
in the Premier Division and Divisions 1, 2 and 3. The ‘Shield’ will be open to
teams in Divisions 1, 2 and 3.
Where
an age group has three divisions: the “Challenge Cup” will be open to all teams
in Premier Division and Divisions 1, 2 and 3. The ‘Shield’ will be open to teams
in Divisions 1 and 2.
Where
an age group has two divisions: the “Challenge Cup” will be open to all teams
in the Premier division and in Division 1.
Where
there are three or more divisions, then Premier Division teams will not normally
enter the Challenge Cup until the 1st Round.
The
“Shield” Competition will be normally be open to teams which do not participate
in the Challenge Cup AND to all teams that lose preliminary, first or second
round Challenge Cup games, excepting Premier Division teams in age groups where
there are three or more divisions.
The
“Trophy” Competition will operate in age groups with sufficient teams and will
normally be open to all teams which do not participate in the Challenge Cup AND
to all teams that lose preliminary, first or second rounds Shield games,
excepting Premier Division teams.
Notwithstanding
the above clauses, the Management Committee shall have the power to add a
Shield or Trophy Competition to any age group where the number of teams
available to participate makes such extra competition, in their opinion,
viable.
When a
division is short of a team, or where it is considered to be advantageous to
the competition, the Management Committee may decide to play the qualifying
rounds on a home and away basis. The team qualifying for the next round will be
the team with the highest number of goals from both matches and if equal then
the team scoring the highest number of Away goals will be the winner.
A Player shall not be eligible to play for a Team in any
semi-final or final tie, unless he or she has played 3 completed League games
and been named on 3 match-cards for that Team in this League in the current
Playing Season.
No
player, having played in any of the League’s ‘knock out’ or ‘trophy event’
competitions for one Team or Club, shall be eligible to play for another Team
or Club in the same competition.
Any team found guilty of
behaviour deemed by the Management Committee to be cheating, shall forfeit
their right to and shall not be permitted to participate in any of the three
knock-out Competitions mentioned in this Rule.
(C) If ‘Team A’, being eligible for both ‘Cup’
and ‘Shield’ competitions, does not fulfil a cup fixture, then their opponents,
‘Team B’, also being eligible for both competitions, will have the option of
proceeding in either the ‘Cup’ or the ‘Shield’ competition. ‘Team B’ must
notify their chosen option to either the Competition Secretary or appropriate
Fixture Secretary within 48 hours of the abortive fixture, otherwise ‘Team B’
will proceed in the Cup competition. ‘Team A’ will take the second option of
‘Team B’.
If
‘Team A’, being eligible for both ‘Shield’ and ‘Trophy’ competitions, does not
fulfil a Shield fixture, then their opponents, ‘Team B’, also being eligible
for both competitions, will have the option of proceeding in either the
‘Shield’ or the ‘Trophy’ competition. ‘Team B’ must notify their chosen option
to either the Competition Secretary or appropriate Fixture
Secretary
within 48 hours of the abortive fixture, otherwise ‘Team B’ will proceed in the
‘Shield’ competition. ‘Team A’ will take the second option of ‘Team B’.
(D) In the event of scores in a match being level
at the end of full time and unless the rules for a specific Trophy Event state
otherwise, extra time shall be played as follows: -
Age Group |
Extra Time to be
played |
Under 7 & Under 8 |
No extra time to be played. |
Under 9, Under 10 and Under 11 |
Refer to specific rules of each Trophy Event
competition. If extra time is used, then 10 minutes in two equal periods of 5
minutes |
Under 12 to Under 16 |
20 minutes in two equal periods of 10 minutes |
Under 17 to Under 21 |
30 minutes in two equal periods of 15 minutes |
(E) If
scores are equal at the end of extra time, the winners will be determined by
the taking of kicks from the penalty mark. Such penalty shoot-out will be based
on the best of five penalties taken either alternatively and if still even,
then ‘sudden death’. The procedures for the Penalty Kicks shall be as described
in ‘The Laws of The Game’ as authorised by the International Football
Association Board. No player is to take more than one penalty until each
of the remaining players left on the pitch at the conclusion of the game has
done so.
(F) Teams and Officials taking part in
semi-finals and finals must be at the venue at least 30 minutes before the
kick-off time for semi-finals and 60 minutes before the kick-off time for
finals.
(G) A
‘Finals Programme’ will be supplied by the League in the ratio of twenty copies
per 11-a- side team, fifteen copies for
a 9-a-side or 7-a-side team and ten copies for a 5-a-side team at a cost to
that team as set by the Management Committee. Extra Programmes may be obtained on request. Failure to pay the cost
of the programmes will incur a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).
(H) All
Teams which reach one of the Competition Final Ties, must nominate a Team
Steward who will be required to arrive with the team and to assist at the venue
on the day of the match. The Steward must not be part of the normal team
management but the assistance required will not inhibit the Steward from
watching the match.
The
Club which the Team represents at the Final is also required to nominate an
Officer in Charge and that person shall be required to liaise with those
members of the Management Committee present to resolve any matters arising at
the venue on the day.
The
Officer in Charge and the Team Steward are required to make themselves known to
the Management Committer Officers on arrival at the ground.
Any
Club which fails to appoint an Officer in Charge, or any Team which fails to
supply a Steward at the Final shall be fined (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff).
26. All teams may enter an appropriate County Cup
Competition. County Cup games take precedence over all League, Challenge Cup,
Shield and Trophy fixtures. Teams may only enter one County Cup Competition.
27. (A)
In the event of
inclement weather and or adverse playing conditions, the Management Committee
may introduce ‘double-header’ games in order to ensure that the League
Programme is completed. Double-header games are the playing of two matches
between the same two teams, one
following the other, on one pitch, on one Sunday. These will only be introduced
when strictly necessary bearing in mind the number of outstanding games and the
number of Sundays left in the season.
(B) The
fixtures will be decided by the Fixture Secretary and the games are to be
played on the ground of the scheduled Home side. If ‘double header’ games are
cancelled at short notice, both clubs must report the circumstances or reason
for the postponement on the League Website. The Competition Secretary will only
require Clubs to complete a TAN 5 in any case where additional information
regarding the postponement is required (as described in Rule 20 (E)).
(C) The first game in a Double Header must
normally commence no later than thirty minutes after the scheduled kick-off
time. A team not ready to play 30 minutes after the scheduled kick off time
shall be deemed as absent and the points shall be awarded to the team that is
ready to play. Where a league appointed Referee is present, that referee shall
ascertain whether the defaulting team will be, or is likely to be, in a
position to play the second game within a further 30 minutes (i.e., 60 minutes
after the scheduled kick off time for the first game). If after this further
period of 30 minutes, the defaulting team is still not ready to play, the
Referee shall exercise their discretion to leave the ground.
In
situations where a League appointed Referee is not in attendance and depending
on the circumstances which caused the first game to be cancelled, the second
game may be played as soon as possible after expiry of the original 30 minutes.
Where the absent team is known to be en route or where it has not confirmed it
will not be attending, the team which is present need wait no more than a
further 30 minutes for the second game to commence, making a total of 60
minutes from the intended kick off of the first match.
(D) No more than a ten-minute break shall separate
the two games and the Half-time period in each game shall be reduced if
agreeable to both sides or at the Referees discretion.
The
duration of each game shall be: -
Under 12’s 20 minutes each way
Under 13’s, 14’s, 15’s, 16’s 25
minutes each way
Under 17’s, 18’s, 21’s 30
minutes each way
A
Double-header must not exceed the maximum playing time in one day as specified
in Rule 20 (A).
(E) Each
game may consist of different registered players for each team, but
Registration Identity Cards must be produced before the start of each game and
separate match-cards must be completed for each game. Each team shall be deemed
the ‘Home team’ for one of the two games and shall be responsible for providing
a referee for ‘their’ game. Where a league appointed referee covers both games
then each team shall be responsible for the referee fee for one game (see table
in rule 23.E).
RULE
NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION |
MAXIMUM
FEE |
4 (B) |
CLUB ENTRY FEE |
£70.00 for 11-a-side team |
4 (C) (i) |
CLUB/TEAM ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION DEPOSIT |
As per entry form |
4 (C) (ii) |
BOND |
£75.00 |
7 (C), 7(E) |
PROTEST/APPEAL FEES |
£25.00 |
18 (D) |
PLAYER REGISTRATION FEE (if applicable) |
£0.00 |
18 (H) |
TRANSFER ADMIN FEE |
£15.00 |
23 (E) |
REFEREE FEES |
As agreed: see Rule sanctioning authority
|
23 (E) |
ASSISTANT REFEREE FEES |
As agreed; see Rule sanctioning authority
|
FINES
TARIFF - Season 2024-2025 |
||
RULE
NUMBER |
DESCRIPTION |
MAXIMUM
FINE |
2 (G) |
FAILURE TO AFFILIATE |
£100.00 |
2 (I) |
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH FA INITIATIVES |
£100.00 |
2 (K) |
UNAUTHORISED ENTRY OF TEAMS INTO COMPETITIONS |
£100.00 |
3 |
FAILURE TO OBTAIN CONSENT FOR A CHANGE OF CLUB NAME |
£30.00 |
4 (C) |
FAILURE TO PAY A DEPOSIT |
£50.00 |
4(E) |
FAILURE TO |
£100.00 |
5 (E) |
COMMUNICATIONS
CONDUCTED BY PERSONS OTHER THAN NOMINATED OFFICERS |
£25.00 |
5 (G) |
FAILURE
TO ATTEND ONE LEAGUE MEETING IN SEASON |
£25.00 |
5 (G) |
FAILURE
TO ATTEND SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT MEETING |
£50.00 |
6 (H) |
FAILURE
TO COMPLY WITH AN INSTRUCTION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE |
£100.00 |
6 (I) |
FAILURE TO PAY A FINE WITHIN 14 DAYS. [CLUB MAY ALSO BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A ‘FINES BOND’] |
DOUBLE
THE ORIGINAL FINE UP TO £100.00 |
6 (I) |
FAILURE TO PAY A LEAGUE INVOICE (not fine) WITHIN 14 DAYS |
£15.00 |
8 (H) |
FAILURE TO BE REPRESENTED AT AGM |
£100.00 |
9 |
FAILURE TO BE REPRESENTED AT SGM |
£100.00 |
10 (B) |
FAILURE
TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED SIGNED COMPLIANCE FORMS |
£25.00 |
11 (A) |
FAILURE TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL OF CLUB BEFORE
THE 31st MARCH DEADLINE |
£100.00 |
11 (A) |
WITHDRAWAL OF A TEAM OR TEAMS AFTER THE AGM FOR THE
FOLLOWING SEASON |
£100.00 |
11 (B) |
FAILURE TO COMMENCE/COMPLETE FIXTURES |
£100.00 |
13 (A) |
FAILURE
TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED WRITTEN AGREEMENT REGARDING THE TROPHY |
£25.00 |
13 (D) |
FAILURE
TO RETURN TROPHY BY 28th FEBRUARY OR 30th JULY |
£50.00 |
13 (E) |
FAILURE
TO ENGRAVE A TROPHY |
£30.00 |
13 (F) |
FAILURE
TO RETURN A ‘LOST’ TROPHY |
£100.00 |
16(A) |
FAILURE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED INSURANCE |
£100.00 |
16(B) |
FAILURE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED INSURANCE |
£100.00 |
18 (A) |
FAILURE TO CORRECTLY REGISTER A PLAYER |
£40.00 |
18 (B)(iii) |
FAILURE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF REGISTERED
PLAYERS PRIOR TO THE
PLAYING SEASON COMMENCING |
£25.00 |
18 (F) |
REGISTERING
OR PLAYING FOR MULTIPLE CLUBS OR INACCURATE COMPLETION OF A REGISTRATION FORM |
£25.00 |
18 (G) (ii) |
REGISTRATION IRREGULARITIES |
£100.00 |
18 (H) (i) |
FAILURE TO RETURN A PLAYER REGISTRATION CARD |
£25.00 |
18 (N) (i) |
PLAYING AN INELIGIBLE PLAYER |
£100.00 |
18 (O) (i) |
FAILURE TO GIVE PRIORITY TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES |
£25.00 |
19 (A) |
FAILURE TO NUMBER SHIRTS |
£30.00 |
19 (A) |
FAILURE TO NUMBER SHIRTS DIFFERENTLY |
£25.00 |
19 (A) |
DELAYING KICK OFF TO DUE TO NO CHANGE OF COLOURS |
£30 |
20(A) (v) |
DELAYING KICK OFF BY MORE THAN 30 MINUTES AFTER STATED
KICK OFF TIME |
£30.00 |
20(A) (vi) |
FAILURE TO SUPPLY REQUIRED EQUIPMENT |
£25.00 |
20 (B) |
FAILURE TO PLAY MATCHES ON THE DATE FIXED |
£100.00 |
20 (C) |
FAILURE TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF A FIXTURE |
£50.00 |
20 (D) |
PLAYING
MATCH WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED NUMBER OF PLAYERS |
£50.00 |
20 (E) (i) & (iii) |
FAILURE TO PLAY FIXTURE |
£100.00 |
20 (E) (i) |
CANCELLATION OF FIXTURE AT SHORT NOTICE |
£25.00 |
20 (E) (iii) |
FAILURE TO SUBMIT FORM TAN 5 WHEN ASKED TO DO SO |
£15.00 |
20 (I) |
FAILURE TO ARRANGE OR CONFIRM A FIXTURE |
£25.00 |
20 (J) (iv) |
FAILURE TO ADD OPPISITION REGISTRATION NUMBERS TO APP
BEFORE THE GAME KICKS OFF |
£50.00 |
20 (J) (iv) |
FAILURE TO FULLY COMPLETE THE APP MATCHCARD AFTER THE
MATCH AND SUBMIT BY 6.00 PM AT THE LATEST. |
£50.00 |
20 (L) |
FAILURE TO HAVE A DESIGNATED SPECTATOR AREA |
£50.00 |
21 (A) & (B) |
FAILURE TO REPORT RESULT OR POSTPONEMENT BY 6.00 PM |
£15.00 |
21 (A) (ii) |
FAILURE TO SUBMIT EMERGENCY MATCH CARD BY NEXT DAY |
£15.00 |
21(C) |
PUBLISHING RESULTS OR GRADING TABLES FOR FIXTURES
INVOLVING U7S, U8S, U9S, U10S OR U11S (Except Trophy Events) |
£50.00 |
23 (B) |
FAILURE TO CONTACT APPOINTED REFEREE |
£15.00 |
23 (E) |
FAILURE TO PAY MATCH OFFICIALS’ FEES |
£25.00 |
23 (E) |
FAILURE TO PAY MATCH OFFICIAL BEFORE GAME KICKS OFF |
£25.00 |
23 (F) |
FAILURE
TO PAY MATCH OFFICIALS WHERE A MATCH IS NOT PLAYED |
£25.00 |
23 (H) |
FAILURE TO PROVIDE REFEREE’S MARK |
£25.00 |
23 (H) |
FAILURE TO SUBMIT FORM TAN 8 EXPLAINING LOW MARK |
£15.00 |
25 (G) |
FAILURE TO PAY FOR CUP FINAL PROGRAMMES |
£25.00 |
25 (H) |
FAILURE TO PROVIDE CUP FINAL STEWARD |
£25.00 |