SOUTHEND &
DISTRICT JUNIOR SUNDAY LEAGUE RULES 2023-24
(Sanctioned by Essex CFA)
DEFINITIONS
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.
“Club” means a club
for the time being in membership of the Competition.
“Competition” means
the Southend &
District Junior Sunday Football League.
“Competition Match”
means any match played or to be played under the jurisdiction of the
Competition.
“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” 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, as set out at Schedule A.
“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, as set out at Schedule A.
“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.
“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.
“Participant” shall
have the same meaning as set out in the rules of The FA from time to time.
“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 Essex County 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 Sheet” means a form provided
by the Competition on which the names of the Players taking part in a
Competition match are listed.
“The FA” means The
Football Association Limited.
“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 Southend & District
Junior Sunday Football 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 100 Clubs approved by
the Sanctioning Authority.
(C) The
geographical area covered by the Competition membership shall be for member Clubs who
have their home ground within postal codes SS0 to SS17 or other postal codes in
Essex at the discretion of the members at the AGM.
(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 and their
names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date in a manner
prescribed by the Sanctioning Authority and must have a constitution approved
by the Sanctioning Authority. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in
accordance with the Fines Tariff.
This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the
Sanctioning Authority and the constituent Teams
of Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding ten
in number.
(H) Inclusivity
and Non-discrimination
(i) The Competition and
each 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 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.
(L) At the AGM or an SGM
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.
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.
ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT
4. (A) Applications
by Clubs for admission to the Competition or
the entry of an additional Team(s) from the same Club must be made in writing to the Secretary
and must be accompanied by an entry fee per Team as set out in the
Fees Tariff, which shall 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 an SGM or on a date agreed by the
Management Committee.
(B) The
annual subscription shall be payable in accordance with the Fees Tariff per Team and shall be payable on or before the AGM in each year.
(C) A Deposit of £75.00 shall be payable in accordance with the Fees Tariff per Club
and shall be payable on or before the AGM in each year. Failure
to comply with this Rule will result
in a fine in accordance with the Fines
Tariff.
(D) A
Club shall not participate in this Competition until the entry fee, annual
subscription and Deposit (if required) have been paid.
(E) If
requested by the Competition, Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in
writing by 20th July of its Sanctioning Authority
affiliation number for the forthcoming Playing Season. Clubs
must advise the Secretary in writing, 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.
A current copy of the Clubs’ Constitution/Rules/Codes of Conduct
must be forwarded to the League Secretary each season.
(F) An all-female team can apply to the
Competition to play an age group down in a mixed gender competition, subject to
rule 8(A)(iii) & (iv) and provided the team has obtained approval from its
Sanctioning Authority.
MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION
5. (A) The
Management Committee shall comprise the Officers of the Competition and two members who shall
all be elected at the AGM.
The Officers of the Competition
shall be the Chairman,
Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Registration Secretaries, Referees
Secretaries, Welfare Officer(s), Media Officer, Fixture/Divisional Secretaries
and Match Result Card Secretaries to be elected
annually at the AGM. (N.B. Auditors/Verifiers are not Officers).
(B) Retiring
Officers shall be eligible to become candidates for re-election without
nomination provided that the Officer notifies the Secretary in writing not
later than 1st April in each year.
All other candidates for election
as Officers of the Competition or members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in
writing, signed by the secretaries of two Clubs, not later than 1st April 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.
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.
(E) All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through
their Officers and sent
to the Secretary.
No telephone calls/faxes may be made to Management Committee
members after 9 p.m.
Failure to comply with this Rule
will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
POWERS OF MANAGEMENT
6. (A) The
Management Committee may appoint sub-committees and 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 to be devoted to the funds of
the Competition 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
also apply to the procedure of any sub-committee).
In the event of the voting being
equal on any matter, the Chairman of the Management Committee shall have a
second or casting vote.
(D) The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce these
Rules 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 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 or the 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) 25% of its members
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Management
Committee or 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 must be
paid within 14 days of the date 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 fine within a further 14 days will result in fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the
outstanding fines are paid.
(J) A
member of the Management Committee appointed by the Competition to attend a
meeting or Competition Match may have any reasonable 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 SGM called to decide the constitution and the commencement
of the Playing Season.
(L) The business
of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee may be
transacted by electronic mail or facsimile.
PROTESTS, CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS, APPEALS
7. (A) (i) All questions of eligibility, qualification
of Players or interpretations of the Rules shall be referred to the Management
Committee or a sub-committee 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 Competition 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 with the Secretary
within seven days (excluding Sundays) of the Competition 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 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 seven days’ notice of the
hearing should they be instructed to attend.
(ii) Should a Club elect to state its case in
person then it should forward a deposit of
£ 0.00 and indicate such when forwarding the written response.
(E) The Management Committee shall also have
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 of £35.00, 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.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
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 51% of 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 the
ensuing Season.
(v) Election of Officers of the Competition and
the Management Committee members.
(vi) Appointment of auditors/verifiers.
(vii) Alteration of Rules, if any (see Rule 14).
(viii) Fix the date for the commencement of the
Playing Season.
(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 audited/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 audited/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. Fourteen days’ notice
shall be given of any AGM.
(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 Season being concluded.
(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) 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.
(I) Officers of the Competition 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.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
9. (A) Upon
receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds (2/3) of the Clubs in membership
the Secretary shall call an SGM.
(B) The
Management Committee may call an SGM at any time.
(C) At
least seven (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 SGMs. Each Club shall be
entitled to one vote only.
(E) Any Club failing to be represented at an SGM shall be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(F) Officers
of the Competition and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend
and vote at all SGMs but cannot also cast a vote on behalf of a club (See Rule
9(D)).
AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED
10. 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 Season, or upon indicating that the Club intends to compete.
“We, [name] of [address]
(Chairman/Director) and [name] of [address] (Secretary/Director) of [ ]
Football Club (Limited) have been provided with a copy of the Rules and Regulations of the Southend &
District Junior Sunday Football 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
the Club Chairman and secretary (where a Club is an unincorporated association)
or two directors of the Club (where a Club is an incorporated entity)
Any alteration of the chairman/secretary/directors
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.
CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP, WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB
11. (A) Any
Club intending, or having a provisional intention, to withdraw a Team from the
Competition must do so at least 30 days before the AGM. This
does not apply to a Club moving in accordance with Rule 22(B). Failure to comply
with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(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 Club failing to discharge all its financial obligations to the Competition in excess of £50, the Management Committee shall be empowered to refer
the debt under
The FA Football Debt Recovery provisions.
EXCLUSION OF CLUBS OR TEAM. MISCONDUCT OF CLUBS, OFFICERS,
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 an 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 the cup or trophy:-
“We A [name] and B
[name], the Chairman and Secretary of [ ] FC(Limited), 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 1st April. 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 may
be made to the winners
and runners-up if the funds
of the Competition permit.
ALTERATION TO RULES
14. Alterations, for which consent
has been given by the Sanctioning Authority, shall be made to these Rules only at the AGM or at
an SGM specially convened for the purpose called in accordance with Rule 9. Any
alteration made during the Playing Season to these Rules shall not take effect
until the following Playing Season except
in exceptional circumstances and approved by Sanctioning Authority and The FA.
Notice of proposed alterations to
be considered at the AGM shall be submitted to the Secretary by 1st February in each year. The
proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be
circulated to the Clubs by 28th February and any amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Secretary
by 21st March. 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 two-thirds 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 at least 28 days prior to the date of the meeting.
FINANCE
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 £200.00 shall
be approved by the
Management Committee. Cheques
shall be signed by at least two Officers nominated by the Management Committee.
(C) The
financial year of the Competition will end on 31st May.
(D) The
books, or a certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and
shall be audited annually by a suitably qualified person(s) who shall be
appointed at the AGM.
(E) Honoraria, if paid,
must be agreed at the AGM and relate to the Playing Season just concluded. The
Management Committee shall recommend which Officers may receive honoraria and
the level of payment. All the above to be detailed on the AGM paperwork under
“Any other business” (Rule 8(A)(x)).
(F) In the event that the
League ceases to operate, any remaining assets will be given to the Essex
County Football Association Limited. They shall use these assets at their
discretion to promote Youth Football in South East Essex.
INSURANCE
16. (A) All
Clubs must have valid public liability insurance cover of at least ten million
pounds (£10,000,000) at all times.
(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 the 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 a Club affiliates.
Failure to comply with Rule 16(A)
or 16(B) will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
DISSOLUTION
17. (A) Dissolution of the Competition shall be by resolution approved
at an 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 Essex
County Football Association or the Essex County 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
Essex County Football 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 Essex County Football Association may
decide.
MATCH RELATED RULES
QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS
18. (A) A
Player is one who, being in all other respects eligible, has:-
(i) registered through the FA Player
Registration System and received approval from the Competition.
or
(ii) Not in use
Any registration
that is not fully and correctly completed will be returned to the Club
unprocessed and the player classed as unregistered. If a Club attempts to
register a player via the Player Registration System but does not fully and
correctly complete the necessary information via the Player Registration
System, the registration will not be processed.
For Clubs
registering Players under Rule 18(A)(ii) registration forms will be provided in
a format to be determined by the Competition. For Clubs registering Players via
the Player Registration System Clubs must access the Player Registration System
in order to complete the registration process. The registration document must
incorporate a current passport-size photograph of the Player seeking
registration together with confirmation that the Player’s proof of date of
birth has been checked by the Club and is accurate.
Failure to comply
with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(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.
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 on playing in the
Competition does not apply to them. The relevant Premier League/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 Girls’ Emerging Talent
Centre Operating Criteria and Professional Game Academy Youth Development Rules.
(iii) Each Team must
have the following number of Players registered 2 days before the start of each Playing Season:
5v5 format: 5 players
7v7 format: 7 players
9v9 format: 9 players
11v11 format: 11 players
Failure to
comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines
Tariff.
The relevant
age for each Player is determined by his or her age as at midnight on 31 August of the relevant Playing Season
i.e. children who are aged 6 as at midnight on 31 August in 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 in 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 his or her 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 table below, 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 |
Eligible Age Groups |
Maximum Permitted Format |
Minimum Pitch Size |
Maximum Pitch Size |
Goal Size |
Ball Size |
||
yards |
metres |
yards |
metres |
feet |
||||
6 |
Under 7 |
5v5 |
30 x 20 |
27.45 x 18.3 |
40 x 30 |
36.3 x 27.45 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 8 |
5v5 |
30 x 20 |
27.45 x 18.3 |
40 x 30 |
36.3 x 27.45 |
12x6 |
3 |
|
7 |
Under 8 |
5v5 |
30 x 20 |
27.45 x 18.3 |
40 x 30 |
36.3 x 27.45 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 9 |
7v7 |
50 x 30 |
45.75 x 27.45 |
60 x 40 |
54.9 x 36.6 |
12x6 |
3 |
|
8 |
Under 9 |
7v7 |
50 x 30 |
45.75 x 27.45 |
60 x 40 |
54.9 x 36.6 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 10 |
7v7 |
50 x 30 |
45.75 x 27.45 |
60 x 40 |
54.9 x 36.6 |
12x6 |
3 |
|
9 |
Under 10 |
7v7 |
50 x 30 |
45.75 x 27.45 |
60 x 40 |
54.9 x 36.6 |
12x6 |
3 |
Under 11 |
9v9 |
70 x 40 |
64 x 36.6 |
80 x 50 |
73.15 x 45.75 |
16x7 |
4 |
|
10 |
Under 11 |
9v9 |
70 x 40 |
64 x 36.6 |
80 x 50 |
73.15 x 45.75 |
16x7 |
4 |
Under 12 |
9v9 |
70 x 40 |
64 x 36.6 |
80 x 50 |
73.15 x 45.75 |
16x7 |
4 |
|
11 |
Under 12 |
9v9 |
70 x 40 |
64 x 36.6 |
80 x 50 |
73.15 x 45.75 |
16x7 |
4 |
Under 13 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
100 x 60 |
91.44 x 54.9 |
21x7 |
4 |
|
12 |
Under 13 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
100 x 60 |
91.44 x 54.9 |
21x7 |
4 |
Under 14 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
100 x 60 |
91.44 x 54.9 |
21x7 |
4 |
|
13 |
Under 14 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
100 x 60 |
91.44 x 54.9 |
21x7 |
4 |
Under 15 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
110 x 70 |
100.58 x 64 |
24x8 |
5 |
|
14 |
Under 15 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
110 x 70 |
100.58 x 64 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 16 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
110 x 70 |
100.58 x 64 |
24x8 |
5 |
|
15 |
Under 16 |
11v11 |
90 x 50 |
82.3 x 45.75 |
110 x 70 |
100.58 x 64 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 17 |
11v11 |
100 x 50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130 x 100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
|
Under 18 |
11v11 |
100 x 50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130 x 100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
|
16 |
Under 17 |
11v11 |
100 x 50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130 x 100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
Under 18 |
11v11 |
100 x 50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130 x 100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
|
Open Age |
11v11 |
100 x 50 |
91.44 x 45.75 |
130 x 100 |
118.87 x 91.44 |
24x8 |
5 |
(D) A
fee as set out in the Fees Tariff shall
be paid by each Club/Team for each Player
registered, if applicable.
Registration forms shall be obtained from the Registrations
Secretary.
(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
priority of registration shall decide for which Club the Player shall be registered. 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 Teams in which the Player plays 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)(iii) apply or where the
Competition adopts Rule 18(P).
(iii) Submit a signed registration form or submit a
registration through the Player Registration System for registration 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 have the
power to accept the registration of
any Player subject to the provisions of Rule 18(G)(ii) and (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. 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 for further
information.
Undesirable conduct shall
mean an incident of repeated proven misconduct, which may deter a Participant
from being involved in this 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. 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.)
(H) Subject
to compliance with FA Rule C when a
Club wishes to register a player who is already registered with another club it
shall submit a transfer form (in a format as determined by the Competition) to
the Competition accompanied by a fee as set out in the Fees Tariff. Such transfer shall be referred by
the Competition to the club for which the player is registered. Should this
club object to the transfer it should state its objections in writing to the
Competition and to the player concerned within
3 days
of receipt of the notification. Upon receipt of the Club’s consent, or upon its
failure to give written objection within 3 days,
the Secretary may, on behalf of the Management Committee, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club from such date or 14 days after receipt of such transfer.
In the event of an objection to a
transfer the matter shall be referred to the Management Committee for a
decision.
(I) A Player
may not be registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition
after 31st March except by special
permission of the Management Committee.
(J) A Club shall keep a list of the Players it registers and a record
of all matches in which those Players have played for the Club 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. A Player so registered will be allowed to play for their
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 Registrations 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 their status to that of a Contract Player with the same Club,
another Club in the Competition or with a club in another competition their
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 be eligible to play for a Team
in any special championship, promotion
or relegation deciding Competition
Match (as specified in Rule 22(A)) unless the Player has played four Competition Matches
for that Team in the current Playing Season.
For the
purpose of this Rule a senior competition is the Eastern Junior
Alliance Youth Football League.
Failure to
comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines
Tariff.
(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.
(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 their head teacher (except for
Sunday league 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 they will not be eligible to re-register
in the Competition for a period of 8 days
from the date of cancellation.
(R) Registration ID cards and Result/Team sheets
(detailing players selected for the match, including substitutes) must be
exchanged by the two competing Clubs before the match and returned after the
match countersigned by a responsible member of the Clubs to confirm the final
score. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be fined (in accordance
with the Fines Tariff). If a Club does not have all or some of the Registration
ID cards a protest must be lodged in accordance with Rule 7 for adjudication by
the League Management Committee. If any irregularity is found, the matter will
be dealt with by the League Management Committee as provided by the Rules of
this Competition on player eligibility (Rule 18).
CLUB COLOURS
19. Every Team must register the colour of
its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by 30th June who shall decide as to their
suitability.
Any Team wishing to change its
colours during the Playing Season must obtain permission from the Management
Committee.
Goalkeepers must wear colours
which distinguish them from all 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 five days before the
Competition 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 will 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. Numbers must appear
on the back of shirts and be clearly visible.
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.
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 Competition 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
Matches 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).
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 with the laws of the game.
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. Competition Matches
for age groups from U7 to U10 can be played in either quarters or halves.
Competition Matches should be
played in accordance with the Laws appropriate to the relevant age group, as
laid down by The FA, as detailed below.
Under 7 and Under 8:
Duration of play per quarter: 5-10
minutes (mini-soccer only)
Duration of play per half: 10-20
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 40 minutes
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 60 minutes
Structure: Development focussed
with a maximum of 3 trophy events per season over 2-week periods (6 weeks)
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 40 minutes (20 minutes each half).
Under 9 and Under 10:
Duration of play per quarter:
10-12.5 minutes (mini-soccer only)
Duration of play per half: 20-25
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 60 minutes
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 90 minutes
Structure: Development focussed
with a maximum of 3 trophy events per season over 4-week periods (12 weeks)
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 50 minutes (25 minutes each half).
Under 11:
Duration of play per half: 20-30
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 80 minutes
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 120 minutes
Structure: Development focussed
with a maximum of 3 trophy events per season over 6-week periods (18 weeks)
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 60 minutes (30 minutes each half).
Under 12:
Duration of play per half: 20-30
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 80 minutes (if applicable)
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 120 minutes
Structure: Any varieties including
one season long league table
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 60 minutes (30 minutes each half).
Under 13 and Under 14:
Duration of play per half: 25-35
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 100 minutes
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 150 minutes
Structure: Any varieties including
one season long league table
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 70 minutes (35 minutes each half).
Under 15 and Under 16:
Duration of play per half: 25-40
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 100 minutes
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 150 minutes
Structure: Any varieties including
one season long league table
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 80 minutes (40 minutes each half).
Under 17 and Under 18:
Duration of play per half: 25-45
minutes
Max playing time per day
(organised development fixtures): 120 minutes
Max playing time per day
(tournaments, trophy events/festivals): 180 minutes
Structure: Any varieties including
one season long league table
In this Competition the duration
of play shall be 90 minutes (45 minutes each half).
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.
The times of kick-off shall be
fixed by the Management Committee. Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time shall be
fined (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) or be otherwise dealt with as the
Management Committee may determine.
Referees must order Competition
Matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to
the Competition.
The home Team must provide goal nets, corner flags and at least two
footballs fit for play and the referee
shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. Goal nets must be suitably anchored to the
ground. Regulation corner posts must be used. 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 Competition
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 5 clear days’ notice of the Competition
Match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).
Subject to compliance with maximum
playing times, the Fixture Secretary can determine ‘double headers’ shall be
played. ‘Double headers’ are two League matches between the same opponents,
played on the same date, at the same venue. The matches will be regarded as
separate matches producing the season’s two League results between the teams
involved. The pitch and Match Official’s fee and expenses will be shared 50%
each by the teams involved. The team whose home pitch is used shall collect the
monies due and pay the Match Official. The duration of the fixtures shall be:
Under 11s: 2 matches of 40 minutes (20 mins per half) – max.
playing time 80 minutes
Under 12s: 2
matches of 40 minutes (20 mins per half) – max. playing time 80 minutes
Under 13s: 2
matches of 50 minutes (25 mins per half) – max. playing time 100 minutes
Under 14s: 2
matches of 50 minutes (25 mins per half) – max. playing time 100 minutes
Under 15s: 2
matches of 50 minutes (25 mins per half) – max. playing time 100 minutes
Under 16s: 2
matches of 50 minutes (25 mins per half) – max. playing time 100 minutes
Under 17s: 2
matches of 50 minutes (25 mins per half) – max. playing time 100 minutes
Under 18s: 2
matches of 60 minutes (30 mins per half) – max. playing time 120 minutes
(C) An Officer
of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the location
of, and access to, the Ground and time of kick-off to the Match
Officials and an Officer of the opposing Club
at least five
clear days prior to the playing of the Competition Match. If not so provided, the away Club and Match Officials 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:
5v5 format: 4 players
7v7 format: 5 players
9v9 format: 6 players
11v11 format: 7
players
Failure to comply with this Rule
will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(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 have the power to impose a fine (in accordance with the Fines
Tariff), deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points from the
Competition Match in question to the opponents, order the defaulting Club to
pay any reasonable expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them except the award of goals.
Notwithstanding the foregoing home and away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a Competition Match to be played on a neutral ground or
on the opponent’s Ground if they are satisfied that such action is warranted
by the circumstances.
(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 Appointments Secretary, the
secretary of the opposing Club and the Match
Officials. Failure to comply with
this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(iii) In the event of a Competition Match not being
played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it
should be played in its entirety on a date to be mutually agreed
by the two Clubs and approved by the Management Committee. Failing such agreement and notification to the Fixtures Secretary within seven days the Management
Committee shall have the power to order the Competition Match to be played on a named date or on or before a given date. 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.
(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
Competition Match to the opponent. In
cases where a Competition Match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both
Teams 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 Competition 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 Competition
Match.
For
Under 11s - Under 18s – 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 – any number of substitutions 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 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 and
the substitute Players not later than five
minutes before the start of the Competition
Match and a Player not so named may not take
part in that Competition Match.
A
Player who has named as a substitute before the start
of that Competition Match but does not actually play in the game shall not be considered to have been a Player in that Competition Match within
the meaning of Rule 18 of this Competition.
(G) The half time interval
shall be of five 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 7s to
Under 11 or Youth Football shall
identify a Team captain who may/shall wear an armband and shall have a
responsibility to offer support in the management of the on-field discipline of
his/her teammates. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in
accordance with the Fines Tariff.
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.
REPORTING RESULTS
21. (A) The
Match Result Card Secretary must receive within three days of the date
played, the result of each Competition Match in the prescribed manner. This
must include the forename(s) and surname of the Team Players (in block letters) and also the referee markings
required by Rule 23, or any other information required by the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will
result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
The prescribed manner is by using the F.A. Full Time System.
(B) Both
Clubs shall notify the result of each Competition Match to the League via the F.A. Full Time website by 17:30 on the day of
the match. Failure to
comply with this Rule will result
in a fine in accordance with the
Fines Tariff.
(C) The match
result notification, correctly completed, shall be signed by an Officer of the Club, or as prescribed by the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(D) 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 Under 11s. 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.
DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP
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 divisions at the end of the Playing Season 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 determined by a deciding match or matches played under conditions determined by the Management Committee, or the position shared.
(B) Automatic promotion
shall be applied for the first two Teams and automatic relegation shall be applied for the last two Teams in each division except as provided
for hereunder, subject to the provisions of Rule 2(L).
(i) Not in use.
(ii) Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of
the Playing Season may be filled in any of the following ways:
(a) retention
of otherwise relegated Team(s); or
(b) additional
promotion of the next ranked Team(s) from the division
below; or
(c) election
(iii) Not in use.
(iv) Not in use.
(v) Not in use.
(C) Not in use (Play off
rule).
(D) In the event of a Team withdrawing from the Competition
before completing 75% of its fixtures for the Playing Season all points
obtained by or recorded against such defaulting Team shall be expunged from the Competition table. For the
purposes of this Rule 22(D) a completed fixture shall
include any Competition Match(es) which has been awarded
by the Management Committee.
Where a team withdraws having completed 75% of its fixtures the
points for any unplayed games shall be awarded to the defaulting team's
opponents.
MATCH OFFICIALS
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 Authority.
(B) In
cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance,
the Clubs shall agree upon a referee.
An individual thus agreed upon shall, for that Competition Match, 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 Match.
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.
The home Club shall have first choice to provide a suitable
person to referee the match. If the home club is unable to provide a suitable
person, the away club shall have the choice.
(C) Not
in use.
(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 Authority, Match
Officials appointed under this Rule shall be paid
their fees and expenses accordance with the Fees Tariff.
Match Officials will be paid their
fees and/or expenses by the home Club before the Competition Match, unless
otherwise ordered by the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(F) In
the event of a Competition Match not being played because of circumstances over
which the Clubs have no control,
the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled
to half fee plus expenses. Where a Competition 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 and expenses.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
(G) A
referee not keeping his or her engagement and failing to give a satisfactory
explanation as to their non-appearance, may be reported to the Affiliated
Association with which he or she is registered.
(H) 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 on the prescribed form provided. 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.
A Club awarding a mark of 50 or less must provide a written
explanation to the League Referee’s Secretary within three days. Clubs in
default shall be fined (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 Season, shall submit a summary to The FA/County
FA.
(J) The referee
shall submit a report form,
supplied by the Competition, giving
the result of the
Competition Match, the number of Players in each Team and the time of kick-off to the (Registration) Secretary
within two days of the Competition
Match.
(K) Match Officials shall
be supplied, each season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.
(L) Match Officials
shall have undertaken a RESPECT briefing offered by The FA/County FA or the
Competition.
Approved ECFA 4.7.2023
Including Competition amendments June 2023.
SCHEDULE A
FEES TARIFF
RULE |
DESCRIPTION |
FEE |
4 (A) |
Entry Fee |
£ 70 |
4 (B) |
Annual Subscription: 11 v 11 format 9 v 9 format 7 v 7 format 5 v 5 format
|
£ 55 £ 55 £ 55 £ 55 |
4 (C) |
Deposit |
£ 75 |
7 (C) |
Protest Fee |
£ 20 |
18 (D) |
Player Registration Fee |
£ 0 |
18 (H) |
Transfer Fee |
£ 3 |
23 (E) |
REFEREE FEES Mini-soccer (max.£18 inclusive) Under 11 & 12 (max.£30 inclusive) Under 13 & 14 (max.£35 inclusive) Under 15 & 16 (max.£40 inclusive) Under 18 (max.£45 inclusive) Travel expenses |
£ 15 £ 30 £ 35 £ 40 £ 45 0p/ mile |
23 (E) |
ASSISTANT REFEREE FEES Mini-soccer (max.£14 inclusive) Under 11 & 12 (max.£20 inclusive) Under 13 & 14 (max.£25 inclusive) Under 15 & 16 (max.£25 inclusive) Under 18 (max.£35 inclusive) Travel expenses |
£ 12 £ 20 £ 25 £ 25 £ 35 0p/ mile |
FINES TARIFF
RULE |
DESCRIPTION |
MAX. FINE |
2 (G) |
Failure to
affiliate |
£ 100 |
2 (I) |
Failure to comply
with FA initiatives |
£ 100 |
2 (K) |
Unauthorised entry
of teams into competitions |
£ 100 |
3 |
Failure to obtain
consent for change of Club name |
£ 30 |
4 (C) |
Failure to pay deposit |
£ 100 |
4 (E) |
Failure to provide
affiliation number/details form |
£ 20 |
5 (E) |
Communications
conducted by persons other than nominated officers |
£ 25 |
6 (H) |
Failure to comply
with an instruction of the Management Committee |
£ 100 |
6 (I) |
Failure to pay
fine within required time frame |
Fine doubled max
£100 |
8 (H) |
Failure to be
represented at AGM |
£ 75 |
9 |
Failure to be
represented at SGM |
£ 75 |
10 |
Failure to submit
written agreement or to notify changes to signatories |
£ 25 |
11 (A) |
Failure to provide
notice of intended withdrawal before deadline |
£ 15 |
11 (B) |
Failure to
commence/ complete fixtures |
£ 25 |
13 (A) |
Failure to submit
the required trophy agreement |
£ 25 |
16 (A) |
Failure to have
the required public liability insurance |
£ 100 |
16 (B) |
Failure to have
the required personal accident insurance |
£ 100 |
18 (A) |
Failure to
correctly register a player |
£ 40 |
18 (B)(iii) |
Failure to have the required number of registered players prior to
the Playing Season commencing |
£ 25 |
18 (F) |
Registering or
playing for multiple clubs, or inaccurate completion of a registration form |
£ 25 |
18 (G)(ii) |
Registration
irregularities |
£ 100 |
18 (M) |
Fielding more than
the permitted number of players who have participated in Senior Competition matches |
£ 100 |
18 (N)(i) |
Playing an
ineligible player |
£ 100 |
18 (O)(i) |
Failure to give
priority to school activities |
£ 50 |
18 (R) |
Failing to
exchange registration forms at a match |
£ 10 |
19 |
Delaying kick off
by not having a change of colours |
£ 15 |
19 |
Failing to number
shirts |
£ 30 |
20 (A) |
Late kick off |
£ 20 |
20 (A) |
Failing to provide
goal nets, corner flags, suitable footballs |
£ 10 |
20 (B) |
Failure to play
matches on the date fixed |
£ 100 |
20 (C) |
Failure to provide
details of a fixture |
£ 5 |
20 (D) |
Playing match with
less than the required number of players |
£ 100 |
20 (E)(i) |
Failure to keep
engagement |
£ 100 |
20 (E)(ii) |
Failure to notify
postponement |
£ 100 |
20 (H) |
Failing to
identify a team captain |
£ 10 |
21 (A) |
Late result sheet |
£ 5 |
21 (B) |
Failure to provide
result |
£ 5 |
21 (C) |
Incorrect result
sheet |
£ 5 |
21 (D) |
Publishing
results/tables |
£ 50 |
23 (E) |
Failure to provide
match officials’ fees and expenses |
£ 25 |
23 (F) |
Failure to pay
match officials where a match is not played |
£ 25 |
23 (H) |
Failure to provide
referee mark |
£ 25 |
23 (H) |
Failure to supply
explanation for low mark |
£ 5 |