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

Rule 10.

(A) A Annual General Meeting shall determine the commencing and concluding dates for the ensuing season which shall be in accordance with Football Association Rules. No Club shall be compelled to play after the concluding date. Original fixtures arranged by the Fixtures Secretary must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting.

(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 and for under 9 and under 10, 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 under the age of 17 as at midnight on 31st August in any season 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 by the A.G.M. or the Management Committee. All matches played on a Sunday will kick off no earlier than 1000 Hours.

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.

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.

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.

(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) Every Club shall play its best available qualified team or teams in all matches in the Competition. NOTE: This Rule does not apply to Mini-Soccer.

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) 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 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.

Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the Competition Referees 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 any penalty it may deem suitable.

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 arranged by the Fixtures Secretary.

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.

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.

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.

(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) 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.

(J) 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.

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.