Saywell International (Arun & Chichester) Youth Football League

Nomenclature and Constitution

1.(A) This Competition shall be designated the Arun & Chichester Youth Football League and known as the Saywell International (Arun & Chichester) Youth Football League, and shall consist of not more than 100 clubs, approved by the sanctioning authority.

All such Member Clubs must be affiliated to an affiliated County Football Association and their names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date on the Form “D” to the Sussex County Football Association. The area covered by the Competition Membership shall be the administrative County of West Sussex and extending for a distance of 20 miles from the borders of that County.

This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Sussex County Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding fifteen in number.
This Competition and its Clubs shall support the FA’s Respect programme. As such it recognises that everyone in football has a collective responsibility to create a fair, safe and enjoyable environment in which the game can take place. A Respect League values the contribution of match officials, players and spectators and ensures that they are treated with courtesy and fairness by opposing players, club officials and spectators. The Competition and its Clubs will seek to play fixtures in a fair, competitive but not antagonistic environment.

Member Clubs shall not enter any of their teams playing in the Competition in any other Competitions (with the exception of F.A. and County F.A. Competitions) except with the written consent of the Management Committee of the Competition.

The competition will provide 11-a-side football for players who have attained the age of 10 as at midnight 31st August in a playing season and Mini-Soccer for players who have attained the age of 6 years but not the age of 10 years as at midnight on 31st August in a playing season. . 9v9 may be provided for players who have attained the age of 10 as at midnight on 31st August.
Other formats of youth football as authorised from time to time by the FA are also permitted.

(B) At the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, a majority of the delegates present shall have power to decide or adjust the compilation of the divisions at their discretion. When necessary this Rule shall take precedence over Rule 12.

  Entry Fee, Subscription, Deposit

2.(A) Applications by Clubs for admission to this Competition or the entry of an additional team(s) must be made in writing to the General Secretary and must be accompanied by an Entry Fee of £15.00 per team not later than 31st May which shall be returned in the event of non-election.

At the discretion of a majority of the accredited voting members present applications, of which due notice has been given, may be received at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. The Entry Fee shall apply.

When Rule 12(B) is applied or a team seeks a transfer or is compulsorily transferred to another division no Entry Fee shall be payable.

(B) The Annual Subscription shall be £35.00 per team playing 11-a-side football and £25.00 per Team playing Mini-Soccer, and £15.00 per team for those teams comprised of players aged U8 or under as at 31st August, payable on or before the 1st September in each year.

(C) Each Club shall within fourteen days of election pay a Deposit of £50.00 per team to a maximum of £100.00 per club which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the Competition provided they have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all orders of the Management Committee.

(D) A Club shall not participate in this Competition until the Entry Fee, Annual Subscription and Deposit have been paid. Any Club failing to pay their fees by 1 September will be fined £25.00.

(E) Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in writing by 31st July of its County Football Association affiliation number for the forthcoming Season, failing which they shall be fined £5.00. Clubs must advise the General Secretary in writing, or on the prescribed form, of details of its Headquarters, Officers and any other information required by the Competition.

(F) Each new club to provide a copy of their Code of Conduct within14 days of election to the Competition.

Officers

3. The Officers of the Competition shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting and elected thereat together with any Life Vice-Presidents who may be elected from time to time at an Annual General Meeting.

Management, Nomination, Election
4 (A) The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association by a Management Committee comprised of the Officers and up to ten other members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All participants shall abide by the Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by The Association from time to time.

(B) Retiring Officers shall be eligible to become candidates for re-election without nomination. All other candidates for election as Officers or Members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the General Secretary in writing, signed by the Secretaries of two Member Clubs, not later than 30th April in each year. Names of the candidates for election shall be circulated with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. In the event of there being no nomination in accordance with the foregoing for any office, nominations may be received at the Annual General Meeting.

(C) The Management Committee shall meet at least quarterly.

On receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Members of the Management Committee the General Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Committee.

(D) Except where otherwise mentioned all communications shall be addressed to the General 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 Secretary.

(F) A Member Clubs’ Meeting will be held on the second Thursday in September and January. A Club Officer must be present at each meeting. A club failing to be represented at a Member Clubs Meeting will incur a fine of £25.00 on the first occasion and £50.00 for each subsequent occasion in any one season.

(G) No members of a Competing Club are to telephone any Management Committee Member before 0930Hrs or after 2130Hrs unless they have been invited to do so. Failure to comply will result in a fine of £10.00.

(H) No members of a Competing Club are to call at the homes of any Management Committee Member unless prior agreement has been made. Failure to comply will result in a fine of £10.00.

(I) Each Member Club must provide an e-mail address for official correspondence and communication with the Competition.

Powers of Management

5 (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 Football Association or affiliated Association.

(B) Subject to the permission of the Sussex County Football Association 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. (See Rule 6(E)).

(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, including any
not provided for in the Rules. With the exception of Rules 5(I), 6(H), 11 and 19, for all breaches of Rule a formal written charge must be issued. The respondent shall be given seven days from the date of notice to reply to the charge and given the opportunity to:-
(i) Accept or deny the charge
(ii) Submit in writing a case of mitigation, or
(iii) Put their case before the Management Committee.
 Except where these Rules provide for the imposition of a set penalty
any Club, Club Official (limited to Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer) or Player alleged to be in
breach of a Competition Rule must be formally charged in writing and given the opportunity to
present their case before the Management Committee. Financial penalties can only be imposed if
included within the set penalties for breaches of Competition Rules. All breaches of the Laws of the
Game, Rules and Regulations of The Football Association shall be dealt with in accordance with F.A.
Rules by the appropriate Association. With the exception of Clubs playing at Step 7 of the Football Pyramid and the FA Women’s Premier League, the maximum fine permitted for any breach of a Competition rule is £250 and, when setting any fine, the Competition must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the offence, taking into account any mitigating circumstances.

(E) All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 16.

Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within fourteen days.

(F) Five Members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee and three Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by any sub-committee of the Competition.

(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 having failed to comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee, or failing to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition, shall be liable to be fined £10.00 or otherwise penalised at the discretion of the Management Committee.

(I) All fines and charges shall be paid within fourteen days of the date of posting or date of emailing of the written notification.

Any Club failing to do so will be fined a maximum of £50. Further failure to pay the fine including the additional sum within 14 days will result in fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the outstanding payments are settled.

(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 Annual General or Special General Meeting called to decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition season.

(L) No participant under the age of 18 can be fined.

(M) Competitions who organise Mini Soccer for teams playing U7 and U8 football may not, with the
 exception of Rules 6, 11d, 14 and 19 fine clubs for breaches of League Rules.

(N) The business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee shall be transacted by electronic mail.

Annual General Meeting

6 (A) The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than 30th June in each year. At this meeting the following business shall be transacted provided that at least ten Members are present and entitled to vote:-

(i)To receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.

(ii)To consider any business arising therefrom.

(iii)To receive and adopt the Annual Report, Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts.

(iv)Election of Clubs to fill vacancies (as recommended by the Management Committee).

(v)Constitution of the Competition for ensuing season.

(vi)Election of Officers and Life Vice-Presidents and other Management Committee Members, if any

(vii)Appointment of a Qualified Accountant.

(viii)Alteration to Rules, if any (of which notice has been given).

(ix)Fix the date for the commencement of the season and kick off times applicable to the Competitions.
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(x)Other business of which due notice shall have been given and accepted as being relevant to an Annual General Meeting. Notice of other business must be made in writing to the General Secretary prior to the 1 May each year.

(B) A copy of the duly verified Balance Sheet, Statement of Accounts and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club and to the Sussex County Football Association, at least fourteen days prior to the meeting.

(C) A signed copy of the duly verified Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Sussex County Football Association by September 30th following its adoption by the Annual General Meeting.

(D) Each Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an Annual General Meeting. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Fourteen days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.

(E) Clubs who have withdrawn their Membership of the Competition during the 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. This provision will not apply to Clubs expelled in accordance with Rule 17.

(F) All voting shall be conducted by a show of voting cards unless a ballot be demanded by at least two thirds 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 Member Club.

(H) Any new or continuing Member Club failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined £10.00.

(I) Officers and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at an Annual General Meeting

Agreement to be Signed

7. The Chairman and the Secretary of 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……………………………….. of ……………………………………. (Chairman) and,……………………………….. of ……………………………………. (Secretary) of the ………………………... Football Club have been provided with a copy of the Rules and Regulations of the Arun & Chichester Youth 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 16."

Note: The spaces above are intended for the inclusion of the signatures and addresses of officers and members).

Any alteration of the Chairman and /or Secretary on the above Agreement must be notified to the County Football Association(s) to which the Club is affiliated and to the General Secretary of the Competition.

Qualification of Players

8 (A)(i) Contract players, as defined by the Football Association are permitted in this competition A contract player may only play for the Club that holds his contract.
It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any Player signing a registration form for that Club has, where necessary, the required International Transfer Certificate. Clearance is required for any Player aged 12 and over crossing borders including Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
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ii) No player registered with a F.A. Premier League or Football League Academy will be permitted to play in this competition. A Player registered with a Centre of Excellence may only play in this Competition subject to the Regulations of the Programme for Excellence.
(iii) While serving in any branch of her Majesty’s Regular forces, a player must first obtain the consent of his/her Association Secretary before signing a registration form to play for a club

(B) A registered youth playing member of a Club is one who, being in all other respects eligible, has:-

(i) Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink countersigned by his/her parent or guardian and the appointed Officer of the Club, and who has been registered with the Registration Secretary before 10:00 on Wednesday prior to a Sunday match or before 18:00 four days prior to a midweek evening match and whose completed registration identity card has been received by the Club prior to playing,
(ii) The registration document must incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the player’s parents or guardians. These details must be available at matches and training events the player attends within the management of the Club or Competition.

The registration document and identity card must incorporate a serious current passport-size & style photograph of the player seeking registration together with confirmation of the proof of birth document examined by the appointed Officer of the Club. The numbered identity card is valid for the stated season only. It must be retained by the Club at the completion of each season and re-submitted to the Registration Secretary together with updated information and photograph should the player wish to register with the same Club in the subsequent season.

Registration identity cards are the property of the Competition and any replacement required through loss or damage of any kind will be charged to the Club at a cost of £5.00 per card.

A player may sign for a team of a Club and only one such current registration will be permitted.

No player will be eligible for the first match of the playing season unless the registration documents have been received by the Registration Secretary ten days prior to the commencing date of the ensuing season.

If a player’s age is required for registration purposes a Competition must accept an original birth certificate or a photocopy. In cases where the birth certificate is not available a Competition is required to accept a photocopy of the player’s passport or other official document issued by a Government Agency attesting to the player’s date of birth.

The qualification dates for the competition shall be as follows:-

Mini-Soccer

To play in a KO Cup game or a game where points are awarded, or results published, a player must have achieved the age of eight on or before 31st August.

Under 7 – the player must have attained the age of 6 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season but must be under the age of 7 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 8 – the player must be under the age of 8 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 9 – the player must be under the age of 9 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 10 – the player must be under the age of 10 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

In accordance with the foregoing qualifications a player in the above age ranges must not play in a match where any other player is older or younger by 1 year or more.

Youth Football

Under 11 – the player must have attained the age of 10 but must be under the age of 11 by midnight 31st August in the playing season.

Under 12 – the player must be under the age of 12 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 13 – the player must be under the age of 13 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 14 – the player must be under the age of 14 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 15 – the player must be under the age of 15 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 16 – the player must be under the age of 16 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 17 – the player must be under the age of 17 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

Under 18 – the player must be under the age of 18 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season.

In accordance with the foregoing qualifications a player under the age of 15 as at midnight on 31st August in the playing season must not play in a match where any other player is older or younger by 2 years or more.

(The above qualification dates are subject to the provisions contained in FA Rule C.4(a)(v) and (vi)

(C) Not Applicable

(D) 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 Competition without first proving to the officials of the intended Club that the player has discharged all reasonable financial 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.

(E) Registration forms shall be obtained from the (Registration) Secretary (on prepayment of no charge per form).
(F) The Management Committee shall decide all registration disputes.

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 Registration Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the player of the fact of the previous registration.

(G) It shall be a breach of Rule for a player to:-

(i)Play for more than one Club in the Competition in the same season without first being transferred.

(ii)Having signed for one Club in the Competition, sign for another Club in the Competition in that season except for the purpose of a transfer.

(iii)Submit a signed registration form for registration that the player had wilfully neglected to accurately or fully complete.

(H) (i) The Management Committee shall have power to accept the registration of any player.

(ii) The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any player or may fine any player, except those under the age of 18, at their discretion who has been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities. (Subject to Rule 16).

(iii) The Management Committee shall have power to make application to refuse or cancel the
registration of any player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct. (Subject to Rule 16)
subject to the right of appeal to the FA or the relevant County Football Association. Undesirable
conduct shall mean an incident of repeated conduct, which may deter a participant from being
involved in this Competition. Application should be made to the parent County of the Club the player
is registered with.

(Note: Action under Clause (iii) shall not be taken against a player for misconduct on the field of play until the matter has been dealt with by the appropriate Association, and then only in cases of the player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any case be subject to an Appeal to the Football Association.) 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 a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence.

(I) Subject to The Football Association Rules dealing with players without a written contract when a player desires a transfer, the Club the player wishes to transfer to shall submit a transfer form and a registration form as required by Rule 8 (B) (i) to the Registration Secretary accompanied by a fee of £5.00. Such transfer having previously been referred by the player 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 Registration Secretary and to the player concerned within seven days of receipt of the transfer form. Upon receipt of the Club's consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within seven 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 five 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.

(J) A player may not be registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition after last day of February except by special permission of the Management Committee.

(K) A Club shall keep a list of the players it registers and a record of the games in which they 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. A player so registered will be allowed to play for his Club in a younger or older age group within the provisions of Rule 8 (B).

(L) A register containing the names of all players registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by the Registration Secretary and shall be open to the inspection by any duly appointed Member Club representative at all Management Committee meetings or at other times mutually arranged. Registrations are valid for one Season only. In the event of a player without a written contract 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 player without a written contract will automatically be cancelled and declared void. In order to play in the League again either for his original Club or for another Club it will be necessary for him to be re-registered as required by this Rule.

(M) A player shall not be eligible to play for a team in any special championship, promotion or relegation deciding match (as specified in Rule 12 (A)) unless the player has played four games for that team in this Competition in the current season.

(N) Not Applicable

(O)(i) Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players may have the points gained in the match deducted from its total and may be fined £25.00 for each player and/or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee.

(ii) In addition the team may have six points deducted from its total at the discretion of the Management Committee and may be dealt with in any further manner which is thought to be fit.

(iii) The Management Committee in exceptional circumstances may, at its discretion, award any points deducted from a Club under this Rule to the opponents in the match in question, subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed.

(P) (i) Priority must be given at all times to school and school organisations activities. This is not applicable for under 17/18 football

(ii) The availability of children must be cleared with Head Teachers (except for Sunday Competitions).

(iii) Children under 15 shall not play in a team involving players who are more than 2 years older.

(Note: For players under the age of 18 the provisions contained in Football Association Rules will apply.)

(Q) All eleven-a-side teams must have registered a minimum of eleven players before 20 August. All Mini-Soccer teams must have registered a minimum of seven players before 20 August. Failure to comply will result in a fine of £10.00.

Club Colours, Club Name

9 (A) Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the General Secretary by 31st May who shall decide as to their suitability.

Goalkeepers must wear colours which distinguish them from other players and the referee.

No player, including the goalkeeper, shall be permitted to wear black or very dark shirts or replica kit.

Player’s names will not be allowed on their playing kit.

Any team not being able to play in its normal colours as registered with the Competition shall notify the colours in which they will play to its opponents at least five days before the match.

If, in the opinion of the referee, two Clubs have the same or similar colours, the away team shall make the change. Any team not having a change of colours or delaying the kick-off by not having a change shall be fined £5.00.

The General Secretary of the Competition may request shirts to be submitted if complaints are received as to lack of distinguishing colours, and the Management Committee may refuse to permit any shirts or shorts as they think fit.

The players’ shirts must be clearly numbered.

(B) Any Club wishing to change its name and/or colours must obtain permission from its affiliated County Association and from the Management Committee.

Playing Season, Conditions of Play, Times of Kick-Off, Postponements, Substitutes

10 (A) The Annual General Meeting shall determine the date for the commencement of the season in accordance with Football Association Rules. Original fixtures arranged by the Fixtures Secretary must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date.

(B) All 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 Laws of Mini-Soccer as set down by The Football Association.

Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to keep their grounds in a playable condition. All 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 matches in the Competition and to order the Club concerned to play its fixtures on another ground.

All matches shall have a duration of:-

For Mini-Soccer – The maximum duration of play shall be two halves of 20 minutes each way. The maximum playing time in any one day for under 7 and under 8 age group is 40 minutes and for under 9 and under 10 age groups is 60 minutes.

For Youth Football – The duration of play shall be as follows unless it is mutually agreed by all parties to reduce the time. For under 11 and under 12, 30 minutes each half; for under 13, 14, 35 minutes each half and under 15 and under 16, 40 minutes each half; under 17 and under 18, 45 minutes each half.

The minimum time for any game will not be less than 20 minutes each half for players in the under 14 age group and below and 25 minutes each half for all other age groups.

No player participating in an under 17 division or lower age group shall be permitted to play more than one game or, in the event the competition allows the playing of a double-header, i.e: two separate matches, 100 minutes per day in this Competition.

The times of kick-off shall be fixed at the A.G.M.

Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time may be fined a sum not exceeding £5.00 or be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may determine.
The Competition reserves the right to require teams to play matches other than a Sunday. Evening games will kick off at 1830 Hrs unless agreed by both teams and the Fixture Secretary.

Clubs shall advise the Referees Secretary prior to the start of each calendar month the kick off times for each of their teams home fixtures.

Referees must order matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to the Competition.

The home team must provide at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. The size of football to be used shall be: For Mini-Soccer, size 3 for players in the under 7 and 8 age categories: size 4 for the under 9’s & 10’s. For youth football – size 4 for those playing under 11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups; size 5 for all other age groups. Goal nets must be used.

(C) Except by permission of the Management Committee all matches must be played on the dates originally fixed but priority shall be given to The Football Association and all relevant 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. In the case of a revised fixture date, the Clubs must be given by the Competition 5 clear days notice of the match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).

(D) The Secretary/Fixtures Secretary of the home Club must give notice in writing of full particulars of the location of, and access to, the ground and time of kick-off to the match officials and the Secretary of the opposing Club at least five clear days prior to the playing of the match. The away Club shall seek and acknowledge receipt of such particulars.

Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £10.00.
 
(E) For Mini-Soccer matches teams will be seven-a-side.

Teams for Mini-Soccer matches must constitute the required minimum number for that age group.

In the event of a Club playing a Competition Youth Football match with less than eleven players they may be fined £1.00 for each missing player. A minimum of eight players will constitute a team for a Competition Youth Football match.

(F) (i)Home and away matches shall be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement the Management Committee shall have power to inflict a fine of £10.00, deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points from the match in question to the opponents, order the defaulting Club to pay any expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them except the award of goals. Not withstanding the foregoing home and away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a 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) rule not applicable to this Competition.

(iii)Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the Competition Referees Appointments Secretary, the Secretary/Fixtures Secretary of the opposing Club and the match officials. Any Club failing to comply shall be dealt with by the Management Committee who may inflict a fine.

(iv)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 mutually agreed by the two clubs and approved by the Management Committee. Failing such agreement and notification to the Fixtures Secretary within 7 days the Management Committee shall have power to order the match to be played on a named date or on or before a given date.

(v)The Management Committee shall review all 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 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 opponents. In cases where a match is abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams or their Club member(s), the Management Committee shall rule all points for the match as void. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned match.

(vi) A club may postpone one match for each of its teams, for any reason, during the course of the season by giving notice before midday Saturday for a Sunday fixture or before 1800Hrs the day before a midweek evening fixture. This provision will not apply to the first match of the season, and semi-final or final rounds of any of the Cup Competitions organised by the Competition. Where the away team uses the option contained in this paragraph and the home team is unable to use or recover the cost of the pitch hire, the away Club will be responsible for reimbursing the home Club providing that the home Club has provided the Management Committee with appropriate evidence of the costs incurred.

(vii) A club may also request postponement of one match for each teams during the course of the season providing at least fourteen days prior notice of such a request has been given, in writing, to the Fixtures Secretary. This provision will not apply to the first match of the season, and semi-final or final rounds of any Cup Competitions organised by the Competition.

(G) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use 3 substitute players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from 3 players.

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 the play as a substitute for another player. A Team must not have a squad greater than double the size of its team in an age group.

For Youth Football – for teams in the under 16 age group and below, a player who has been substituted himself becomes a substitute and may replace another player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.

The referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes not later than thirty minutes before the start of the match.

A player who has been selected, appointed or named as a substitute before the start of the match but does not actually play in the game shall not be considered to have been a player in that game within the meaning of Rule 8 of this Competition.

(H) The half time interval for youth football shall be of ten minutes duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen minutes. The half time interval for Mini-Soccer must not exceed five minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.

  (i)The League shall require all players and club officials to have signed the FA’s Respect Codes of Conduct and produce these if so requested by the League management committee. Prior to each match the participating teams and officials shall conduct the ‘Respect’ handshake and/or participating teams to offer ‘three cheers’ and handshakes to the opposing team after the match.
The participating clubs taking part in the fixture shall identify a team captain designated with a captain’s armband who has a responsibility to offer support in the management of the on-field discipline of his/her team mates. If the participating players are considered to be too young to take on this role a member of the team coaching staff should provide this support.
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.

(j) Before every match the two managers of the participating teams will check the identity cards of all players nominated to play for the opposing team including substitutes. Any player without an identity card or with a defaced or altered identity card will not be permitted to play. Any team that fails to produce identity cards for its players will be fined £10.00 in addition to any penalties that may be imposed for its failure to fulfil the fixture in accordance with Rule 10.

(k) The home team must ensure that the field of play has adequate markings and regulation equipment including two Assistant Referee’s flags and a whistle. They must also have a Qualified First Aider (QFA) in attendance.

(l) All teams shall provide at every match a well equipped first aid kit, which must be available for inspection by any Competition or match official.

Reporting Results

11 (A) The Registration Secretary must receive within four days of the date played, the result of each Competition match for U9 and above 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 13, or any other information required by the Competition. Failure to do so will incur a fine of £10.00 and/or the Club being dealt with as the Management Committee decide.

(B) The Home Club shall notify the result of each match to the Fixtures Secretary by 1730 Hrs on the day of the match, or by 2130 Hrs for an evening game. The result can be advised by phone, text or email. For the purposes of this rule the result to include any postponement caused through inclement weather. This Rule applies to all competitive matches in which a Club participates. Both Home and Away Clubs shall notify the result of all County FA Competition fixtures. Failure to comply shall incur a fine of £10.00.

(C) The match result notification, correctly completed, shall be signed by a responsible member of the Club. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10.00

(D) Competitions are permitted to collect but not to publish results for fixtures they organise for U7 and U8 Mini Soccer. They may require a Club to confirm that a set fixture has been played. A maximum fine of £5 may be imposed for a breach of this Rule.

(E) U7 & U8’s age groups match results and/or match reports must not be reported in the media. Contravention of this rule will incur a fine of £10.00.

Determining Championship

12(A)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 match. The teams gaining the highest number of points in their respective Divisions at the conclusion shall be adjudged the winners. Matches must not be played for double points. In Mini Soccer points can only be awarded for Under 9 Competitions onwards.

In the event of two or more teams being equal on points team rankings will be decided by goal difference. Should teams be level on goal difference a deciding match shall be played under conditions determined by the Management Committee.

For deciding matches, in the event of the scores, in a special Championship match played under conditions determined by the management committee being level at the end of the game, 20 minutes extra time shall be played in two equal periods of 10 minutes. In a special Mini-Soccer deciding match 14 minutes extra time shall be played in two equal periods of seven minutes. Should the score remain level after extra time, the winners will be determined by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark in accordance with the International Board Decision contained in the Laws of Association Football.

(B) Automatic promotion and relegation shall be applied for the first two and last two teams in each Division except as provided for hereunder, subject to the provisions of Rule 1 (B).

(i) Should one or more teams withdraw from any one Division after the fixtures have commenced an equal number of teams to those withdrawing in that Division shall not be automatically relegated.

(ii) Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of the season may be filled on any of the following ways:
  (a)retention of otherwise relegated team(s)
  (b)additional promotion of the next ranked team(s) from the Division below
  (c)election

(iii) The composition of the u8 & u9 age groups will be grouped at the Management Committee’s discretion.

(iv) New teams for any age group will be placed in the appropriate division by the Management Committee.

(C) In the event of a team not completing 75% of its fixtures for the season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting team shall be expunged from the Competition table.

Referees

13(A) Registered Referees (and Assistant Referees where approved by the FA or County FA) for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the sanctioning Association(s). Failure to use the services of an Appointed Referee will result in a fine of £35.00 being imposed on the defaulting Team.

(B) In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed Referee the appointed senior Assistant Referee shall take charge and a substitute Assistant Referee be appointed by the competing Teams. In cases where there are no officially appointed Assistant Referees, or where the competition has been unable to appoint a Referee, the Clubs shall agree upon a Referee. Where the Clubs are unable to agree, the Home club shall provide a Referee. A Referee thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered Referee.

(C) The Management Committee may, if they consider it desirable, or upon application by the two competing Clubs, appoint Assistant Referees, if available, to any match. Where Assistant Referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club Assistant Referee. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10.00 being imposed on the defaulting Team.

(D) The appointed Referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the ground in all matches and the decision shall be final subject to either in the case of a ground of a Local Authority or the owners of a ground, the Representative of that body is the sole arbiter and whose decision must be accepted unless the ground is declared fit for play.

(E) Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be entitled to the following match fees:- Referee £22.00 Assistant Referees £18.00 (inclusive of travel expenses or private car expenses of 29p per mile) and any other permitted expenses actually incurred subject to any limits laid down by the sanctioning Association(s) with the exception of The Competition Cup Finals when mementos will be given in place of match fees.

The Home Club shall pay the Officials their fees and expenses in cash before the match.

(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 half the usual fee plus expenses only. Where a match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Officials, if they attend the ground, their full fee and expenses.

(G) A Referee not keeping his engagement, and failing to give a satisfactory explanation as to his non-appearance, shall be reported to the Association with which he is registered.

(H) Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The Football Association, award marks to the Referee for each match and the name of the Referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to the Competition on the prescribed Form provided. Where a mark of 60 or less is given, a written explanation of the reason for the marking must be given. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined £10.00 or dealt with as the Management Committee shall determine.

(i)The Competition shall keep a record of the markings and, on the Form provided by the prescribed date(s) each season (currently required on a monthly basis) shall submit a summary to The Sussex County Football Association.

(j) The Referee shall submit a report Form, supplied by the Competition, giving the result of the match, the number of players in each team, the Sportsmanship Marks awarded to each team, the marks awarded to each Assistant Club Referee, the number of players cautioned or sent off to the Referees Secretary within four days of the match.

(k) Referees and Assistant Referees shall be supplied, each Season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.

(l) Referees and Assistant Referees shall have undertaken a Respect briefing offered by the FA/County FA or the Competition.

Continuation of Membership or Withdrawal of a Club

14 A) After 31st December in the current Season a Club intending, or having a provisional intention, to withdraw a team from the Competition on completion of its fixtures and fulfilment of all other obligations to the Competition must notify the General Secretary in writing by 31st March each Season or be liable to a fine not exceeding £25.00.

Existing teams having membership of the Competition must return their membership application for the following season in writing to the General Secretary by 31st May.

(B) A Club shall not be allowed to withdraw any or all of its teams from the Competition after the Annual General Meeting for the following Season.

(i)Any Club infringing this Rule after the fixtures have commenced shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £25.00 per team and shall also be liable for its share of any call which may be made under Rule 5(B).
(ii) Any Club infringing this Rule and not disbanding before the fixtures have commenced shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £25.00 per team and shall also be liable for its share of any call which may be made under Rule 5(B).
(iii) Any Club infringing this Rule and disbanding before the fixtures have commenced cannot be fined but will be liable for their financial commitments prior to disbanding.

(C) The Membership for the coming season having been decided at a Special General Meeting held for that purpose not earlier than 31 May nor later than 31 July or at the Annual General Meeting held not later than 30 June 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.

(D) In the event of a Member Club which is an un-incorporated association withdrawing or disbanding it shall be immediately liable to discharge all its financial and other obligations to the Competition.

In the event that any such obligation remains undischarged after a period of twenty-one (21) days then such obligation shall be met by the then current Club Members, excluding those under the statutory school leaving age. Until a Member’s pro rata obligation is discharged in full the Member shall not be allowed to participate in the Competition, which may apply to the Club’s Parent County Association for a suspension order.
If the debt remains unpaid after eighty-four (84) days the Competition may apply to the Club’s parent County Association for the debt to be recovered in accordance with the FA Football Debt Recovery System. Once the matter has been passed to the Club’s parent County Association the debt can only be cleared by payment to that County Association.

Protests and Complaints

15 (A)(i) All questions of eligibility, qualifications of players or interpretations of the Rules shall be referred to 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. Any Club lodging such protest and not proceeding with it shall be deemed guilty of a breach of this Rule and shall be dealt with by the Management Committee.

(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 General 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 his Club) when such protest or complaint is being determined.

(C) Any dispute occurring between Clubs in the Competition, shall be referred for determination by the Management Committee, whose decision shall be binding upon all parties subject to Rule 16.

(D) 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 £10.00. 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 enquiry or to order that the costs to be shared by the parties.

(E) 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 14 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 £35.00 and indicate such when forwarding the written response.
(F)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.

Board of Appeal

16. Within 14 days of the receipt of written notification of any decision of the Management Committee or the Competition a Club, Official or Player against whom action is taken may appeal against such decision by lodging particulars in duplicate with the Secretary of the Sussex County Football Association, including a fee of £35.00, for adjudication of a Board of Appeal. A copy of the particulars of the Appeal shall also be sent to the Competition Secretary. The grounds of appeal shall be in accordance with FA Rules. The Board of Appeal may order the appeal fee to be forfeited and shall decide by whom the costs of the appeal shall be borne. The decision of the Board of Appeal is final and binding on all parties concerned.

No appeal can be lodged against a decision taken at an Annual or Special General Meeting unless this is on the ground of unconstitutional conduct.

Exclusion of Clubs or Teams, Misconduct Clubs, Officials, Players

17 (A) At the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose in accordance with the provisions of Rule 19, Notice of Motion having been duly circulated on the Agenda, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude any Club or Team from further membership 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.

(B) At the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 19, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude from further participation in the Competition any Club or team of a club whose conduct has, in their opinion, been undesirable, which must be supported by two-thirds 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 official 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 expulsion or 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 (B) of this Rule.

(D) Not applicable

Trophies-Legal Owners, Conditions of Taking Over, Agreement to be Signed, Awards

18 (A) 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.

(B) The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the Cup or Trophy:- “We A………………………………… and B…………………………………, the Chairman and Secretary of ………………………………… 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 31st January. 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 as determined by the Management Committee.

(C) At the close of each Competition awards of a maximum of sixteen medals (fourteen for Mini Soccer) shall be made to the winners and runners-up if the funds of the Competition permit.

(D) All trophies shall be suitably engraved and cleaned before being returned to the Competition. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10.00 plus the cost of any necessary engraving/cleaning.

Special General Meetings

19. Upon receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Clubs in membership the General Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting.

The Management Committee may call a Special General Meeting at any time.

At least seven days notice shall be given of either meeting under this Rule, together with an agenda of the business to be transacted at such meeting.

Each Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to all Special General Meetings. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only, as will members of the Management Committee.

Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at a Special General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given may be fined £25.00.

Officers and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Special General Meetings.

Alterations to Rules

20. Alterations for which consent has been given by the sanctioning Association shall be made to these Rules only at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting specially convened for the purpose called in accordance with Rule 19. Any alteration made during the playing season to the Rule relating to the qualification of players shall not take effect until the following season.

Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the Annual General Meeting shall be submitted to the General Secretary by 31st March in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 21st April and any amendments thereto shall be submitted to the General Secretary by 14th May. The proposals and proposed amendments thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. A proposal to change a Rule shall be carried if a majority of those present and entitled to vote are in favour.

A copy of the proposed alterations to Rules to be considered at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall be submitted to the sanctioning Football Association twenty one days prior to the date of the meeting.

Any alterations or additions decided upon at any meeting shall not become operative until the approval of the Association issuing sanction shall have been obtained.

Finance
21 (A) The Management Committee shall determine with which bank or other financial institution the funds of the Competition will be lodged.

(B) All expenditure 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 30th April.

(D) The books, or a certified balance sheet, of the Competition shall be prepared and shall be verified annually by a qualified accountant who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

Representative Matches

22. All Clubs playing in the Competition shall be bound to place their players at the disposal of the Competition for representative matches. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £25.00 for the club, for each player not made available. Should more than two players from any one team be required for a match, then that team shall not be required to play a Competition fixture on that day. A player selected for the Competition, and unable to accept the invitation, will only in exceptional circumstances be allowed to play for his Club on the date of the representative match. Written consent must first be obtained.

Any player selected and failing to attend a representative match without previously notifying the Representative Teams Secretary shall make the Club liable to a fine not exceeding £10.00 at the discretion of the Management Committee.

Representative Team Managers will be appointed by the Management Committee. Club Managers are not eligible for selection.

Fair Play Award

23. There shall be a Fair Play Award for each age group from u9 and above for which all teams in an age group shall be eligible. Each team shall award points 0-5 to their opponents after every match for fair play, organisation and attitude on their match result notification. A trophy will be awarded to the team scoring the highest average number of points per game. Teams offending against any of the Rules of the Competition may, at the discretion of the Management Committee, be disqualified from competing for the trophy.

Supplementary Competition

24 (A) The Competition will be known as the “Supplementary Trophy”. The teams to compete in this Competition to be determined by the Management Committee prior to the operation of this Competition in any season.

(B) The ground for ties will be decided by the Fixture Secretary.

(C) The teams competing shall be divided into groups as decided by the Management Committee. Each team shall play the other members of the group once only. Points will be awarded as follows:- three points for a win and one point for a draw. The team having scored the highest number of points in each group shall be declared the group winner. In the event of two or more teams finishing level on points, the position shall be decided by goal difference. Should goal difference be the same , the team having scored the most goals shall take preference. Where there are two groups the winners shall play for the Trophy on a knock out basis. In the event of this game being drawn the winner shall be decided as per Rule 12 (A).

(D) The Referee’s fee for all matches shall be in accordance with Rule 13 (E).

(E) All other Rules shall be in accordance with Competition Rules.

CUP COMPETITION RULES

1. The undermentioned competitions shall be played for annually. No player shall be eligible to play in these competitions unless qualified in accordance with League Rule 8, and no player will be allowed to play for more than one Team in the Cup competitions during the current season. Any player becoming qualified before an uncompleted match is replayed shall be eligible to play in such match. In the event of a serious breach of this rule, the Management Committee shall have the power to remove the defaulting Club from the competition in which the offence occurred. Unless otherwise provided for, the Rules of the League shall apply to these competitions.

(a) The “Under 18 Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 18 Division(s).

(b) The “Under 17 Betteshall Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 17 Division(s).

(c) The “Under 16 Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 16 Division(s).

(d) The “Under 15 Michael Allsopp Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 15 Division(s).

(e) The “Under 14 Paul Hull Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 14 Division(s).

(f) The “Under 13 Southdown Garage (Gulf) Trophy” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 13 Division(s).

(g) The “Under 12 Shippam Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 12 Division(s).

(h) The “Under 11 Butlins Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 11 Division(s).

(i) The “Under 10 Ken Sylvester Memorial Trophy” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 10 Division(s).

(j) The “Under 9 Challenge Cup” shall be competed for by all Teams entered in the Under 9 Division(s).

2. For all Teams playing their first game and losing from any of the afore-mentioned “Challenge Cups” they will automatically be entered in the following Cup Competitions:

(a) The “Under 18 Invitation Cup.”

(b) The “Under 17 Invitation Cup.”

(c) The “Under 16 Invitation Shield.”

(d) The “Under 15 Easter Invitation Cup.”

(e) The “Under 14 Invitation Cup.”

(f) The “Under 13 Stan Stansmore Shield.”

(g) The “Under 12 Peter Merritt Shield.”

(h) The “Under 11 Bognor Skyscrapers Cup.”

(i) The “Under 10 Invitation Cup.”

(j) The “Under 9 Invitation Cup.”

3. The qualification of players shall be as in the Competition Rules with the exception that no player shall be eligible to play in a semi-final or final unless they have played for that Team in an earlier round of the relevant competition in the current season, or has played at least four games under the control of the Competition for that Team prior to the semi-final taking place as confirmed by match result notification. Any team found guilty of playing an ineligible player shall be removed from the Competition.

4. The Clubs which are in each instance first drawn shall have the choice of ground until the final ties which shall be played on such grounds as the Management Committee may determine.

5. In the event of a game being drawn at the end of normal time, in a Competition Youth Football match 20 minutes extra time shall be played in two equal periods of 10 minutes. In a Mini-Soccer match 14 minutes extra time will be played in two equal periods of seven minutes. If the score remains level after extra time, the winners will be determined by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark in accordance with the International Board Decision contained in the Laws of Association Football.

6. Both participating Clubs shall telephone the result of all cup matches to the Fixtures Secretary in accordance with Rule 11(B).

7. In the final tie the winning Club will be presented with a trophy. Up to a maximum of sixteen winners and runners-up medals (fourteen for Mini Soccer) will be presented.

8. Clubs shall submit within seven days of winning a semi final a list of players available for selection for the Cup Final and a team photo to the Publications Officer or his nominated representative. The submission must include the full names of the players, up to twenty words describing each players’ attributes, the full name of the Manager and the colours of kit to be used in the Cup Final. Seven days prior to the Cup Final a list of selected players and their starting numbers must be provided to the Publications Officer or his nominated representative. Failure to provide any information requested will incur a fine of £25.00.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

1. Any act, statement, conduct or other matter, which harms a child or children, or poses or may pose a risk of harm to a child or children, shall constitute behaviour, which is improper and brings the game into disrepute.

2. In these Regulations the expression "Offence" shall mean any one or more of the offences contained in Schedule 1 to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and any other criminal offence which reasonably causes The Association to believe that the person accused of the offence poses or may pose a risk of harm to a child or children.

3. Upon receipt by The Association of:
3.1 notification that an individual has been charged with an Offence; or

3.2 notification that an individual is the subject of an investigation by the Police, Social Services or any other authority relating to an Offence; or

3.3 any other information which causes The Association reasonably to believe that a person poses or may pose a risk of harm to a child or children then The Association shall have the power to order that the individual be suspended from all or any specific football activity for such period and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.

4. In reaching its determination as to whether an order under Regulation 3 should be made The Association shall give consideration, inter alia, to the following factors:

4.1 whether a child is or children are or may be at risk of harm;

4.2 whether the matters are of a serious nature;

4.3 whether an order is necessary or desirable to allow the conduct of any investigation by The Association or any other authority or body to proceed unimpeded.

5. The period of an order referred to in 3 above shall not be capable of lasting beyond the date upon which any charge under the Rules of The Association or any Offence is decided or brought to an end.

6. Where an order is imposed on an individual under regulation 3 above, The Association shall bring and conclude any proceedings under the Rules of The Association against the person relating to the matters as soon as reasonably practicable.

7. Where a person is convicted, or is made the subject of a caution in respect of an Offence, that shall constitute a breach of the Rules of The Association and The Association shall have the power to order the suspension of the person from all or any specific football activity for such a period (including indefinitely) and on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.

8. For the purposes of these Regulations, The Association shall act through its Council or any committee or sub-committee thereof, including the Board.

9. Notification in writing of an order referred to above shall be given to the person concerned and/or any club with which he is associated as soon as reasonably practicable

10. The applicable standard of proof shall be the civil standard, of the balance of probability. The more serious the allegation taking into account the nature of the misconduct alleged and the context of the case the greater the burden of evidence required to find the matter proved. Save that for charges pursuant to The Football Association’s Safeguarding Children Policy, where the welfare and protection of children shall be paramount and the test shall be whether more likely than not.