LEAGUE RULES – SEASON 2026-27     

1.                 Definitions

               GOVERNANCE RULES

2.                 Competition Name & Constitution

3.                 Club Name

4.                 Entry Fee, Subscription, Deposit

5.                 Management, Nomination, Election

6.                 Powers of Management

7.                 Protests, Claims, Complaints, Appeals

8.                 Annual General Meetings

9.                 Special General Meetings

10.               Agreement to be signed

11.               Continuation of membership. Withdrawal of a club

12.               Exclusion of Clubs or Team. Misconduct of Clubs, Officers, Players, Management Committee

13.               Trophy

14.               Alterations to Rules

15.               Finance

16.               Insurance

17.               Dissolution

                            MATCH RELATED RULES

18.               Qualification of Players

19.               Club Colours

20.               Playing season, Conditions of play, Times of kick-off, Postponements, Substitutes

21.               Reporting results

22.               Determining Championship

23.               Match Officials

24.               Cup, Shield & Trophy Rules (Youth Football)

25.               County Cup Competitions

Fees Tariff – Fines Tariff

Index

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.

“Clear days” means days reckoned from one day to another, excluding both the first and last day. EG from Tuesday to Sunday there are four clear days. 

“Club” means a Club for the time being in membership of the Competition.

“Club Portal” means the system used by Clubs to affiliate teams as determined by The FA from time to time.

“Competition” means the Tandridge Youth Football League.

“Competition Match” means any match played or to be played under the jurisdiction of the Competition including those played in the various knock-out cup competitions and Trophy Events.

“Contract Player” means any Player (other than a Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play under a written contract of employment with a Club.

“Deposit Bond” means a sum of money deposited with the Competition as part of the requirements of membership of the Competition.

“Fees Tariff” means a list of fees approved by the Clubs at a general meeting to be levied by the Management Committee for any matters for which fees are payable under the Rules.

“Fines Deposit Bond” means the sum of money which teams are required to deposit with the Competition by way of being advance payment of fines, thereby avoiding the risk of late payment and additional fines.

“Fines Tariff” means a list of fines approved by the Clubs at a general meeting to be levied by the Management Committee for any breach of the Rules.

“Ground” means the ground on which the Club’s Team(s) plays its Competition Matches.

“Management Committee” means in the case of a Competition which is an unincorporated association, the management committee elected to manage the running of the Competition and where the Competition is incorporated it means the Board of Directors appointed in accordance with the articles of association of that company. 

“Match Officials” means the referee, the assistant referees and any fourth official appointed to a Competition Match.

“Match-card” means a form provided by the Competition on which the names of the Players taking part in a Competition Match are listed together with other match information. The Match-card will normally be an electronic version with information gathered on the League's App, but can be a paper match-card used if the App is not available.

“Mini Soccer” means those participating at ages under 7s to under 11s.

“Non Contract Player” means any Player (other than a Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play for a Club but has not entered into a written contract of employment.

“Officer” means an individual who is appointed or elected to a position in a Club or Competition which requires that individual to make day to day decisions.

“Participants” means an Affiliated Association, Competition, Club, Club Official, Intermediary, Player, Official, Match Official, Management Committee member, member or employee of an Affiliated Club and all such persons who are from time to time participating in any activity sanctioned either directly or indirectly by the Association.

“Player” means any Contract Player, Non-Contract Player or other player who plays or who is eligible to play for a Club.

“Player Registration System” means the FA system to register players as determined by the FA from time to time.

“Playing Season” means the period between the date on which the first competitive fixture in the Competition is played each year until the date on which the last competitive fixture in the Competition is played.

“Rules” means these rules under which the Competition is administered.

“Sanctioning Authority” means The London Football Association Limited.

“Scholarship” means a Scholarship as defined in The FA Rules.

“Season” means the period of time between an AGM and the subsequent AGM.

“Secretary” means such person or persons appointed or elected to carry out the administration of the Competition.

“SGM” means a special general meeting held in accordance with the constitution of the Competition.

”Team” means a team affiliated to a Club including where a Club provides more than one team in the Competition in accordance with the Rules.

“Team Deposit” means a sum of money deposited with the Competition as part of the requirements of membership of the Competition. Typically, part payment of a team entry fee.

“The FA” means The Football Association Limited. 

“Trophy Event” means any or all of the competitive fixtures arranged for younger teams otherwise playing development football.

“Virtual Meetings” means meetings held electronically.

“Written” or “in writing” means the representation or reproduction of words or symbols or other information in a visible form by any method or combination of methods, whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise.

“Youth Football” means those participating at ages under 11s to under 18s.

     (B)   Unless stated otherwise, terms referring to natural persons are applicable to both genders. Any term in the singular applies to the plural and vice-versa. 

GOVERNANCE RULES

COMPETITION NAME AND CONSTITUTION

2. (A) The Competition will be known as Tandridge Youth League (or such other name as the    Competition may adopt). The Clubs participating in the Competition must be members of the Competition. A Club which ceases to exist or which ceases to be entitled to play in the Competition for any reason whatsoever shall thereupon automatically cease to be a member of the Competition.

(B) This Competition shall consist of not more than 150 Clubs approved by the Sanctioning Authority.

(C) The geographical area covered by the Competition membership shall be that within a 25 mile radius of Tatsfield Village Church except to the North where the boundary shall be the River Thames. Any Club situated beyond this area must have its home pitch inside the boundary.

(D) The administration of the Competition under these Rules will be carried out by the Competition acting (save where otherwise specifically mentioned herein) through the Management Committee in accordance with the rules, regulations and policies of The FA.

(E) All Clubs shall adhere to the Rules. Every Club shall be deemed, as a member of the Competition to have accepted the Rules and to have agreed to abide by the decisions of the Management Committee in relation thereto, subject to the provisions of Rule 7

(F) The Rules are taken from the Standard Code of Rules for Youth Competitions (the “Standard Code”) determined by The FA from time to time. In the event of any omissions from the Standard Code then the requirements of the Standard Code shall be deemed to apply to the Competition.

(G) All Clubs must be affiliated to an Affiliated Association

This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the London Football Association and the constituent Teams of member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, according to age, each division not normally exceeding twelve in number.

(H) Inclusivity and Non-discrimination

(i)  The Competition and each member Club must be committed to promoting inclusivity and to eliminating all forms of discrimination and should abide and adhere to The FA Equality Policy and any legislative requirements (to include those contained in the Equality Act 2010).

(ii) This Competition and each member Club must make every effort to promote equality by treating people fairly and with respect, by recognising that inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them and by providing access and opportunities for all members of the community.

(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 Association Cup Competitions) except with the written consent of the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. A Club must immediately inform the Competition of the details of any fixture(s) in any other competition in which the Club has entered, for which written consent of the Management Committee has been obtained.

(L) At the AGM or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, a majority of the delegates present shall have power to decide or adjust the constitution of the divisions at their discretion.  When necessary, this Rule shall take precedence over Rule 22.

(M) The Competition shall be a Sunday League and all league games in all divisions shall be played on a Sunday, except where, in order to ensure that all fixtures are fulfilled, it is mutually agreed by both teams to play on another day. All such alterations must be notified in advance to the appropriate Fixture Secretary. By exception, a Championship deciding game may be cast for a day other than a Sunday and the Final ties of some Cup, Shield, Trophy, Plate or Vase competitions may also be held midweek or on a Saturday.

CLUB NAME

3   Any Club wishing to change its name must obtain permission from the Sanctioning Authority and from the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT

4 (A) Applications by clubs for admission to this League, or for the entry of an additional Team(s) from the same Club, must be made in writing to the Secretary by 1^st June and must be accompanied by the appropriate Entry Fee per team as set out in the Fees Tariff. Such fee will be returned in the event of non-election but not if the club withdraws its application.

At the discretion of the voting members present, applications, of which due notice has been given, may be received at the AGM or a Special General Meeting or on a date agreed by the Management Committee.

Any Club that is found to have deliberately supplied false or misleading information with regard to its origin, administration or structure in order to gain admission may subsequently have its membership withdrawn.

Existing Member Club membership must be renewed by 1^st June each year by completion of the official form. Any Club not so renewing may be deemed to have withdrawn from the League and must apply for re-election. A Club’s membership of the League for one season does not guarantee acceptance into the League for the following season.

(B) The annual subscription shall be payable in accordance with the Fees Tariff for each Club or for each Team (where a Club provides more than one Team in membership of the competition). It shall be payable by a date set by the Management Committee.

(C) (i) A deposit as shown on the entry form, shall be payable by 1^st June each year or, in the case of new clubs, on application. In the event of a Club subsequently withdrawing any or all of its teams from the League for the following season, deposit already paid for such team or teams shall be forfeit. Any club failing to pay the deposit as requested on the league entry form shall be liable to a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(ii) Each new Club shall, within fourteen days of election to the League, pay a Deposit Bond (in accordance with the Fees Tariff) which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the league provided they have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all orders of the Management Committee. Bonds shall be held together in a separate financial Account. Existing Member Clubs that persistently owe monies to the League may also be required to deposit a Bond should the Management Committee so decide. See also Rule 6(I).

(D) A Club shall not participate in this Competition until the entry fee, annual subscription and where applicable the Deposit Bond have been paid.

In the event of a Club subsequently withdrawing any of its teams from the League after the formation of the divisions for the following season, the annual subscription already paid for such team or teams shall be forfeit. Requests from Clubs to enter extra teams which are received at a date later than 1^st June will be accommodated where possible but shall require that team’s deposit subscription to be paid at the time of application.

(E) Clubs must ensure that all its teams participating in the Competition are recorded as affiliated on the FA Club Portal for the forthcoming Playing Season by the following date: 1st September. Clubs must advise the Competition Secretary in a manner prescribed by the Sanctioning Authority, or on the prescribed form, details of its headquarters, its Officers, its team managers and any other information required by the Competition. The Club Officers and Club Officials notified to the Competition, must be the same as the names and roles added by each club to its FA Club Portal. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(F) An all-female team can apply to the Competition to play an age group down in a mixed gender competition, subject to rule 8A (iii) & (iv) and provided the team has obtained approval from its Sanctioning Authority.

MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION

 5. (A) The Management Committee shall comprise the Officers of the Competition and a minimum of one member (but no more than two members), who shall all be elected at the AGM.

(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 31st May in each year.

All other candidates for election as Officers or members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the secretaries of two member Clubs, not later than 1^st May in each year. Names of the candidates for election shall be circulated with the notice of the AGM. In the event of there being no nomination in accordance with the foregoing for any office, nominations may be received at the AGM.

(C) The Management Committee shall meet as and when required, save that no more than three calendar months shall pass between each meeting. Such meetings shall be notified to Committee Members by the Secretary confirming time, place and purpose.

On receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds (2/3) of the Members of the Management Committee the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Management Committee.

(D) Except where otherwise mentioned, all communications shall be addressed to the Secretary who shall conduct the correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings. The League Secretary shall have the authority to deal with any urgent matters not mentioned in these Rules, subject to being responsible to the Management Committee for their approval or rejection.

(E) All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through their nominated Officers and sent to the Secretary. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(F) Meetings of all Member Clubs shall be held at intervals throughout the year, to receive reports from the Officers and to deal with League Business. The dates of such meetings shall be published at the start of each season in the Competition Handbook.

The Secretary will give notification of such meetings to Member Clubs together with details of time, place and agenda. The Secretary, acting Secretary or Minutes Secretary shall minute all meetings. Meetings shall be conducted by the League Chairman or their nominee in accordance with the agenda and shall include reference to the minutes of the preceding meeting. Clubs shall be allowed to send more than one delegate to the League Meetings but no Club shall have more than one vote and only one delegate per Club may vote. No delegate may vote on any matter appertaining solely to the Club which he or she represents.

(G) Any Club failing to attend a League Meeting shall be fined on the first occasion in a season that their club is not represented; and on each subsequent occasion during the same season that they do not attend (in accordance with the Fines Tariff)

(H) A meeting for all new managers and new club secretaries will he held prior to the start of each season and all ‘new managers’ and new secretaries’ are required to attend.

POWERS OF MANAGEMENT

6 (A) The Management Committee may appoint sub-committees and may delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary. The decisions of all sub- committees shall be reported to the Management Committee for ratification. The Management Committee shall have power to deal only with matters within the Competition and not for any matters of misconduct that are under the jurisdiction of the FA or affiliated Association.

(B) Subject to the permission of the Sanctioning Authority having been obtained, the Management Committee may order a match or matches to be played each season, the proceeds of which to be devoted to the funds of the League and if necessary, may call upon each Club (including any Club which may have withdrawn during the season) to contribute equally such sums as may be necessary to meet any deficiency at the end of the season.

(C) Each Member of the Management Committee shall have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee meetings and have one vote thereat, but no member shall be allowed to vote on any matters directly appertaining to such member or to the Club so represented or where there may be a conflict of interest. (This shall apply to the procedure of any sub-committee). In the event of the voting being equal on any matter, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

(D) The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the Competition. Any action by the Competition must be taken within 28 days of the Competition being notified.

With the exception of Rules 6(I), 8(H) and 9), for all alleged breaches of a Rule the Management Committee shall issue a formal written charge to the Club concerned. The Club charged shall be given 7 days from the date of notification of the charge to reply. In such reply a Club may; -

(i)  Accept the charge and submit in writing a case of mitigation for consideration by the Management Committee on the papers; or

(ii) Accept the charge and notify that it wishes to put its case of mitigation at a hearing before the Management Committee; or

(iii) Deny the charge and submit in writing supporting evidence for consideration by the Management Committee on the papers; or

(iv) Deny the charge and notify that it wishes to put its case of mitigation at a hearing before the Management Committee.

Where the Club charged fails to respond within 7 days, the Management Committee shall determine the charge in such manner and upon such evidence as it considers appropriate.

Where required, hearings shall take place as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of the reply of the Club as more fully set out above.

Having considered the reply of the Club (whether in writing or at a hearing), the Management Committee shall make its decision and, in the event that the charge is accepted or proven, decide on the appropriate penalty (with reference to the Fines Tariff where applicable).  

The maximum fine permitted for any breach of a Rule is £100 and, when setting any fine, the Management Committee must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the offence, taking into account any mitigating circumstances. No Participant under the age of 18 can be fined.

All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of The FA shall be dealt with in accordance with FA Rules by the appropriate Association.

(E) All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 7.

Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within 7 days.

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

(G) The Management Committee, as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill, in an acting capacity, any vacancies that may occur amongst their number.

(H) A Club must comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee, and must attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition to the satisfaction of the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(I) Subject to a Club’s right of appeal in accordance with Rule 7 below, all fines and charges shall be paid within 14 days of the date of posting of notification of the decision.

Any Club failing to do so will be fined (in accordance with the Fines Tariff). Further failure to pay the fine including the additional sum within a further 14 days will result in fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the outstanding fines are paid.

[In order to help those Clubs which frequently incur additional sums for late payment of fines, the Competition may require those Clubs to lodge a ‘Fines Deposit Bond’ with the Competition. The Deposit Bond will be managed by the Fines Administrator and the Club will be kept informed if and when a fine needs to be deducted from their Bond. If the Bond is depleted, the Competition will require the Club to top it up].

(J) A member of the Management Committee appointed by the Competition to attend a meeting or match may have any expenses incurred refunded by the Competition.

(K) The Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur in the membership of the Competition between the AGM or Special General Meeting called to decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition Playing Season.

(L) The business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee may/shall be transacted by electronic mail or facsimile.

(N) The Competition shall not cancel, postpone, or withdraw an entire programme of Competition Matches (e.g. all Competition Matches, or all Competition Matches within a single age group or division, taking place over a single day/week) without prior written approval from the Sanctioning Authority, except in exceptional circumstances of a serious nature (in which event, the Competition must provide notification of cancellation, postponement or withdrawal to the Sanctioning Authority at the same time as affected Teams).

PROTESTS, CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS, APPEALS

7 (A) (i) All questions of eligibility, qualifications of Players or interpretations of the Rules shall be referred to the Management Committee or a subcommittee duly appointed by the Management Committee.

(ii) Objections relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts or other facilities of the venue will not be entertained by the Management Committee unless a protest is lodged with the referee before the commencement of the match. 

(B) Except in cases where the Management Committee decide that there are special circumstances, protests and complaints (which must contain full particulars of the grounds upon which they are founded) must be lodged in duplicate with the Secretary within seven days (excluding Sundays) of the match or occurrence to which they refer. A protest or complaint shall not be withdrawn except by permission of the Management Committee. A member of the Management Committee who is a member of any Club involved shall not be present (except as a witness or representative of their Club) when such protest or complaint is being determined.

(C) No protest of whatever kind shall be considered by the Management Committee unless the complaining Club shall have deposited with the Secretary a sum of £25 in accordance with the Fees Tariff. This may be forfeited in whole or in part in the event of the complaining or protesting Club losing its case. The Competition shall have power to order the defaulting Club or the Club making a losing or frivolous protest or complaint to pay the expenses of the inquiry or to order that the costs to be shared by the parties.

(D) All parties to a protest or complaint must receive a copy of the submission and must be afforded an opportunity to make a statement at least 7 days prior to the protest or complaint being heard.

(i)              All parties must have received a minimum of 7 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 indicate such when forwarding the written response.

(E) The Management Committee shall also have the power to compel any party to the protest to pay such expenses as the Management Committee shall direct.

(F) An intention to appeal against a decision of the Management Committee must be lodged with the Sanctioning Authority, with a copy sent to the Secretary, within 7 days of the Management Committee providing written notification of its decision.

A notice of appeal against a decision of the Management Committee must be lodged with the Sanctioning Authority, with a copy sent to the Secretary, within 14 days of the Management Committee providing written notification of its decision, accompanied by the relevant fee (as set out in the Fees Tariff) which may be forfeited in the event of the appeal not being upheld. The procedure for the appeal shall be determined by the Sanctioning Authority.

(G) No appeal can be lodged against a decision taken at an AGM or SGM unless this is on the ground of unconstitutional conduct.

(H) When dealing with a protest or complaint the Management Committee shall take into consideration the possession by the protesting or complaining Club of any information which, if properly used, might have avoided the protest or complaint.

(I) Any complaint that does not warrant an official protest shall be submitted to the League Secretary using form TAN 7 within seven days of the match. Each complaint will be brought to the attention of the Club concerned and three such complaints may result in the Club being summoned to appear before the League Management Committee.

(J) If so requested by all parties concerned, the Management Committee may determine any disputes, protests, appeals, claims or complaints between two Clubs in which event both Clubs shall send a non-returnable fee.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

8.(A) The AGM shall be held not later than 31st July in each year.  At this meeting the following business (in the following order) shall be transacted provided that at least 50 members are present and entitled to vote:-

(i)  To receive and confirm the minutes of the preceding AGM.

(ii) To receive and adopt the annual report, balance sheet and statement of accounts.

(iii) Election of Clubs to fill vacancies.

(iv) Constitution of the Competition for ensuing Season.

(v) Election of Officers of the Competition and the Management Committee members.

(vi) Appointment of Auditors.

(vii) Alteration of Rules, if any (See Rule 14)

(viii) Fix the date for the commencement of the Playing Season and kick off times applicable to the Competition.

(ix) Fix the date for the end of the Playing Season.

(x) Other business of which due notice shall have been given and accepted as being relevant to an AGM.

Clubs currently in membership of the Competition shall be entitled to vote on items 1 to 3 above.

Those clubs set to be accepted as Clubs in accordance with item 3 above shall be entitled to attend the AGM, but cannot vote on items 1-3 above.

All Clubs (i.e. those Clubs currently in membership of the Competition and those accepted as Clubs in accordance with item 3) shall be entitled to vote on items 4 to 10 above.

(B) A copy of the duly verified balance sheet, statement of accounts and agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least 14 days prior to the meeting together with any proposed rule changes.

(C) A signed copy of the duly verified balance sheet and statement of accounts shall be sent to the Sanctioning Authority within 14 days of its adoption by the AGM.

(D) Each Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an AGM.  Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. 14 days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.

(E) Clubs who have withdrawn their membership of the Competition during the Playing Season being concluded or who are not continuing membership shall be entitled to attend but shall vote only on matters relating to the Playing Season being concluded. This provision will not apply to Clubs expelled in accordance with Rule 12.

(F) All voting shall be conducted by a show of hands, or count of email or virtual responses (for Virtual Meetings), unless a ballot be demanded by at least 50% of the delegates qualified to vote or the Chairman so decides.

(G) No individual shall be entitled to vote on behalf of more than one Club.

(H) (i) Any continuing Club must be represented at the AGM. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.                                    

(ii) Any club that has submitted a valid application to join the Competition for the forthcoming season must have the opportunity to be put forward for membership and to have a vote taken on their membership application.

(I) Officers and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at an AGM, but cannot also cast a vote on behalf of a Club (see Rule 8.G).

(J) Where a Competition is an incorporated entity, the Officers of the Competition shall ensure that the Articles of Association of the Competition are consistent with the requirements of these Rules.

SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

9.(A) Upon receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds (2/3) of the Clubs in membership the Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting.

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

(C)  At least 7 days’ notice shall be given of a meeting under this Rule, together with an agenda of the business to be transacted at such meeting.

(D)  Each Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to all Special General Meetings. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only.

(E)  Any Club failing to be represented at a SGM shall be fined (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(F) Officers and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Special General Meetings but cannot also cast a vote on behalf of a Club (see Rule 9.D).

AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED

10. (A) Membership of the Competition shall constitute an agreement between the Competition and a Club to be bound by and comply with these Rules (including any decision of the Management Committee made pursuant to these Rules).

(B) Any change of Chair, Secretary or Directors of the Club must be notified to the parent County Football Association to which the Club is sanctioned and to the Secretary of this Competition.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(C) Prior to the start of each season, Clubs are required to complete an annual Compliance form for each team that it enters. The Compliance forms request adherence to the League & F.A. Codes of Conduct (as amended from time to time) and are to be signed by the Club Secretary and by the appropriate team manager. The Compliance forms will be available as a ‘download’ from the League’s website or on request from the League Secretary.

CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP OR WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB

11 (A) Any Club 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.

Having confirmed their application for the forthcoming season a Club shall not be allowed to withdraw any or all of its teams from the Competition after the Annual General Meeting. Any Club infringing this Rule shall be liable to a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(B) The Management Committee shall have the discretion to deal with a Team being unable to start or complete its fixtures for a Playing Season, including but not limited to, issuing a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(C) Notwithstanding the powers of the Management Committee pursuant to Rule 6 (I), in the event of a member Club failing to discharge all its financial obligations to the Competition in excess of £50, the Management Committee are empowered to refer the debt under The FA Football Debt Recovery provisions.

EXCLUSION OF CLUBS, OR TEAM MISCONDUCT OF CLUBS, OFFICIALS, PLAYERS, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

12. (A)  At the AGM or SGM called for the purpose in accordance with the provisions of Rule 9, notice of motion having been duly circulated on the agenda by direction of the Management Committee, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to (i) remove a member   of the Management Committee from office, (ii) exclude any Club or Team from membership, both of which must be supported by more than two-thirds (2/3) of those present and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A member of the Management Committee or Club which is the subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.

(B) At the AGM, or at a SGM called for the purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 9, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude from further participation in the Competition any Club or Team whose conduct has, in their opinion, been undesirable, which must be supported by more than two-thirds (2/3) of those present and voting.  Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A Club whose conduct is the subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.

(C) Any Officer or member of a Club found guilty of either a breach of Rule, other than field offences, shall be liable to such penalty as a General Meeting or Management Committee may decide, and their Club shall also be liable to expulsion in accordance with the provisions of Clauses (A) and/or (B) of this Rule.

TROPHY 

13 (A)   The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of a Cup or Trophy:-

“We A [name] and B [name], the Chairman and Secretary of [name] FC members of and representing the Club, having been declared winners of [ ] Cup or Trophy, and it having been delivered to us by the Competition, do hereby on behalf of the Club jointly and severally agree to return the Cup or Trophy to the Competition Secretary on or before 28th February [year]. If the Cup or Trophy is lost or damaged whilst under our care we agree to refund to the Competition the amount of its current value or the cost of its thorough repair.”

Failure to comply will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(B) At the close of each Competition awards shall be made to the winners and runners-up if the funds of the Competition permit.

(C) Any Club or team being expelled, retiring or withdrawing from the League, or failing to be re-elected, must immediately return any Cup, Trophy or other League property held to the Competition Secretary.

(D) Clubs winning a divisional Championship shield, or a spring ‘cup’ competition trophy, are required to return said trophy no later than 28th February the following year. Trophies won in a season’s autumn or winter competitions must be returned by 30th June in the same Season.

Any Club or team failing to return a Cup or Trophy by 28^th February, or 30th June where appropriate, or failing to immediately return a Cup or Trophy on leaving the league for whatsoever reason, shall incur an initial fine and then subsequent fines (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) until returned to the Competition Secretary or designated Competition Officer.

(E) Clubs winning a Cup or Trophy are required to have their Club’s name engraved in good quality on the Cup or Trophy. In the event of a Cup or Trophy being returned to the League without first having been engraved then the league shall arrange for the engraving and shall charge the Club accordingly and issue a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. Trophies are to be returned in the same condition as when received.

(F) Should a trophy be lost or damaged whilst in the care of a winning club, then the cost of replacement or repair of that trophy must be met by the Club concerned. When a trophy has still not been returned 14 days after the 28^th February deadline and especially but not exclusively if that trophy is needed for reissue at an approaching ‘Final’ then the Management Committee may, without further notice, replace that trophy and charge the full cost to the Club which has failed to return it and issue a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

ALTERATIONS TO RULES

14. Alterations, for which consent has been given by the Sanctioning Association, shall be made to these Rules only at the AGM or at a SGM specially convened for the purpose called in accordance with Rule 9. Any alteration made during the Playing Season to these Rules shall not take effect until the following Playing Season except in exceptional circumstances where approved by the Sanctioning Authority and The FA.

Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the AGM shall be submitted to the Secretary by 15^th June in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 30^th   June and any amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Secretary by 1^st  July. The proposals and proposed amendments thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the AGM.  A proposal to change a Rule shall be carried if a majority of those present, entitled to vote and voting are in favour.

A copy of the proposed alterations to Rules to be considered at the AGM or SGM shall be submitted to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA (as applicable) at least 28 days prior to the date of the meeting.  

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 £500.00 shall be approved by the Management Committee.

(C) The financial year of the Competition will end on 31^st May.

(D) The books, or a certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and shall be verified annually by a suitably qualified person(s) who shall be appointed at the AGM.

INSURANCE

16. (A) All Clubs must have public liability insurance cover of at least ten million pounds   (£10,000,000).

(B) All Clubs must have valid personal accident cover for all Players registered with them from time to time. The Players’ personal accident insurance cover must be in place prior to the Club taking part in any Competition match and shall be at least equal to the minimum recommended cover determined from time to time by Sanctioning Authority. In instances where the FA is the Sanctioning Authority, the minimum recommended cover will be the cover required by the Affiliated Association to which the Club Affiliates.

Failure to comply with Rule 16(A) or 16(B) will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

DISSOLUTION

17.(A)   Dissolution of the Competition shall be by resolution approved at a SGM by a majority of three quarters (3/4) of the members present and shall take effect from the date of the relevant SGM.

(B) In the event of the dissolution of the Competition, the members of the Management Committee are responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Competition.

(C) The Management Committee shall deal with any surplus assets as follows:

(i) Any surplus assets, save for a Trophy or any other presentation, remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Competition shall be transferred only to another Competition or Affiliated Association or The Football Association Benevolent Fund or to such other charitable or benevolent object in the locality of the Competition as determined by resolution at or before the time of winding up, and approved in writing by the Sanctioning Association.

(ii) If a Competition is discontinued for any reason a Trophy or any other presentation shall be returned to the donor if the conditions attached to it so provide or, if not, dealt with as the Sanctioning Association may decide. 

MATCH RELATED RULES

QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

18. (A) A Player is one who, being in all other respects eligible, has:

1. Registered through the FA Player Registration System and received approval from the Competition.

2. Registered through the League website as per the approved League Registration Process.

3. Players must also complete a Club Registration Form, countersigned by their parent or guardian which must incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the player, parent or guardian. These details must be available at matches and training events the player attends within the management of the Club or League. The Club Registration Form should make a direct reference to the Codes of Conduct as published by The FA thereby ensuring that all players and their parents/carers are made aware of their obligation under the Codes.

(i)  Only bona fide Club members shall be registered and it is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that players are registered with the correct age group.

(ii)  A maximum of 20 players may be concurrently registered with an 11-a-side Youth Football team in the age groups Under 13 to Under 15 inclusive. A greater number may be registered in the Under 16 and Under 17/18 age groups at the discretion of the Management Committee, who will also consider requests from girls teams at Under 15/16 which are struggling to regularly field a full team.

A maximum of 16 players may be concurrently registered with a 9-a-side Youth Football team.

In Mini Soccer a maximum of 14 players may be concurrently registered with a 7-a-side Mini Soccer team and a maximum of 10 players with a 5-a-side Mini Soccer team. To exceed this number an existing player must first be de-registered and their I.D. card must be returned to the appropriate Registration Secretary. A Club will not be able to de-register any player who is currently serving a suspension.

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.

4. ‘Permission to Play’ (P2P): In all age groups only players who can show their ID card to the opposition manager are normally allowed to play in matches and ID cards will only be dispatched by the Registration Secretaries when all aspects of the registration are correct.

In the event that the ID card for a fully registered player has not been received by their Club by the Friday preceding the match, the League Approved Permission to Play, or ‘P2P’Process should be followed. This will normally only apply if a printed ID card has been delayed in the post.

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, or Tiers 1-4 of the Women’s Pyramid System.

It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any Player registered to the Club has, where necessary, the required International Transfer Certificate. Clearance is required for any Player aged 10 and over crossing borders including Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

(ii) A Player registered with a Premier League or EFL Academy under the Elite Player Performance Plan contained within Youth Development Rules will not be permitted to play in this Competition, except for those in the Under 11 age-group and below where consent has been given by the relevant Premier League or EFL Academy (such consent can be withdrawn at any time). Trial players are not considered to be registered with a Premier League or EFL Academy for these purposes and therefore the prohibition playing in the Competition does not apply to them. The relevant Premier League or EFL Academy remains responsible for managing the frequency of the player’s playing time. Details of the Youth Development Rules are published on The FA website. A Player registered with an FA Emerging Talent Centre or an FA Professional Game Academy may play in this Competition subject to the FA Emerging Talent Centre Operating Criteria and Professional Game Academy Youth Development Rules.Each Team must have registered the following minimum number of players by the 8^th August ahead of the playing season

(iii) Each Team must also have the following number of Players registered 9 days before the start of each Playing Season:

Teams failing to register the minimum number of players by the deadline of 8th August will incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

In the age-groups Under 12 and older, a team which does not have the minimum number of registered players 9 days before the first game of the season, will not be able to play the fixture cast for them and will be considered to have failed to keep its engagement as described in Rule 20(E)(1).

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(C) A child who has not attained the age of 6 shall not play, and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play, in a match of any kind.

The relevant age for each Player is determined by their age as at midnight on 31 August prior to the relevant Playing Season i.e., Children who are aged 6 as at midnight on 31 August prior to a Playing Season (together with those who attain the age of 6 during the Playing Season) will be classed as Under 7 Players for that Playing Season. Children who are aged 7 as at midnight on 31 August prior to a Playing Season will be classed as Under 8 Players for that Playing Season, and so on.                   

Notwithstanding the above, a child is permitted to play up in the age group above their chronological age group, irrespective of any changes of format or competition structure, save that a child who attains the age of 6 after 31 August is permitted to play only in the Under 7 age group, and may not play in the Under 8 age group, for that Playing Season. Girls in all-female teams may also be permitted to play an age group down in accordance with Rule 4 (F).

The age groups that children are eligible to play in are set out in the following table, subject to Rule 4 (F), along with the permitted football formats for each of those age groups. For the purposes of this Rule 18(C), provisions relating to playing in specified age groups shall include participating in training as well as playing in matches. Children shall not play, and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play, in a match between sides of more than the stated number of players, according to their age group:

* At Under 14 age group, 21x7 is recommended but  24x8 is also permitted.
* At Under 15 age group, 24x8 is recommended but  21x7 is also permitted.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(D) A fee as set out in the Fees Tariff shall be paid by each Club/Team for each Player registered, if applicable.

(E) The Management Committee shall decide all registration disputes taking into account the following.

(i) A Player shall not be permitted to register for more than one Club subject to the exceptions set out in Rule 18 (E) (iii) below.

(ii) In the event of a Player signing a registration form or having a registration submitted for more than one Club in the Competition, the valid registration submitted first shall take precedence. The Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the Player of the fact of the previous registration subject to the exceptions set out in Rule 18 (E) (iii) below.

(iii) A Player is only permitted to register for more than one Club provided that:

a.   The Team(s) in which the Player plays in are not in the same age group; or

b) Except for the purpose of a transfer.

And the Player meets the requirements in Rule 18(C).

(F) It shall be a breach of these Rules for a Player to: -

(i) Play for more than one Team in the same age group in the Competition in the same Playing Season without first being transferred.

(ii) Having registered for one Club in the Competition, register for another Club in the Competition in that Playing Season, except if the provisions set out in Rule 18 (E) apply, or where the Competition adopts Rule 18.P.

(iii) Submit a signed registration form or submit a registration through the Player Registration System that the Player had wilfully neglected to accurately or fully complete.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(G) (i) The Management Committee shall accept the registration of any Player subject to the provisions of Rule 18 (G) (ii) & (iii) below.

(ii) The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any Player, the exercise of such power being without prejudice to the Management Committee’s ability to fine a Club at its discretion (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) that has been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities (subject to Rule 7).

(iii) The Management Committee shall have the power to refuse or cancel the registration of any Player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 7) subject to the right of appeal to the Sanctioning Authority or the FA. Where the Management Committee does not have enough information to enable it to make a decision pursuant to the above power, it may apply, in its absolute discretion, to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA for further information.

Undesirable conduct shall mean an incident of repeated proven misconduct, which may deter a Participant from being involved in the Competition.

(iv) For a Player who has previously had a registration removed in accordance with Rule 18 (G) (iii) but has a registration accepted at the expiry of exclusion will be considered to be under a probationary period of 12 months. Whilst under a probationary period, should the Player commit a further act of proven misconduct under the jurisdiction of the Competition, (excluding standard dismissals), the Competition would be empowered to consider a further charge of bringing the Competition into disrepute.

[Note: Action under Rule 18 (G) (iii) shall only be taken against a Player in cases of the Player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any event be subject to an appeal to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA. All decisions must include the period of restriction. For the purpose of this Rule, bringing the Competition into disrepute can only be considered where the Player has received in excess of 112 days’ suspension, or 10 matches in match based discipline, in any competition (and is not restricted to the Competition) in a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence.]

(v)  Subject to Rule 18 (E) (iii) a player may normally only be registered with and play for one team in this Competition. A player whose registration is cancelled, may not be re-registered by the same club during the current season except in the case of injury when the decision will be at the discretion of the Management Committee. Players who suffer a ‘long term’ injury may be temporarily de-registered by the return of their ID card to the Registration Secretary with an appropriate explanation. Any player so de-registered will not be counted as an available player when considering the application of other League rules. However, such temporary de-registration will only apply to injury lasting for a minimum period of 4 weeks and the player’s ID card will not be released back to the team until this minimum period has elapsed.

(vi)  In the age groups from Under 8 to Under 18 inclusive, a player may only play for a team for which they are registered and must be registered at least nine days before the first game of the League season or at least six days before any subsequent match in which they first take part.

(vii) A player, having taken part in matches for any Club affiliated to any County Football Association, shall not be allowed to join, be transferred to, or sign for a Club in the League, without first proving to the officials of the intended Club, that the player has discharged all reasonable financial and other liabilities to the previous Club or Clubs, and a Club official may not accept such player’s signature without first ascertaining whether such claims have been discharged to the satisfaction of the Club or Clubs, for which the player last played.

(H) Subject to compliance with FA 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 seven (7) 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)   With the exception of the Under 7, U8, U9, U10 and U11 age-groups, a Player may not be registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition after the last day of February in the Playing Season except by special permission of the Management Committee.

(J)      A Club shall keep a list of the Players it registers and a record of the games in which those Players have played, and shall produce such records upon demand by the Management Committee.

In the event a Club has more than one Team in an age group, each Team must be clearly identifiable but not designated ‘A’ or ‘B’ or 1st or 2nd.  In such cases, Players will be registered for one Team.  A Player so registered will be allowed to play for his Club in a younger or older age group within the provisions of Rule 18 (C).

(K)  A register containing the names of all Players registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by the Competition Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of an Officer of the Club at all Management Committee meetings or at other times mutually arranged. Registrations are valid for one Playing Season only.

In the event of a Non Contract Player changing his status to that of a Contract Player with the same Club, another Club in the Competition or with a Club in another Competition his registration as a Non Contract Player will automatically be cancelled and declared void unless the Club conforms to the exception detailed in Rule 18 (B) (i).

(L) A Player shall not normally be eligible to play for a Team in any special championship, promotion or relegation deciding match (as specified in Rule 22 (A)) nor in any of the Competition’s semi-final or final ties, unless the Player has played 3 completed Matches in this League and been named on 3 match-cards for that Team in the current Playing Season.

No player, having played in any of the League’s ‘knock out’ or ‘trophy event’ competitions for one Team or Club, shall be eligible to play for another Team or Club in the same competition.

(M) Not applicable to a Youth Competition

(N) (i)   Subject to Rule 18 (N) (ii) any Club found to have played an ineligible Player in a Competition Match or Matches where points are awarded shall have the points gained from that Competition Match deducted from its record, up to a maximum of 12 points, and have levied upon it a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

If the unregistered or otherwise ineligible player has played in any one of the League’s ‘cup’ competitions, then the Management Committee shall have the power to remove that player’s team from the competition and to reinstate their last opponents.

(ii) The Management Committee may vary the sanction as relates to the deduction of points set out at Rule 18 (N) (i) only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to the Player’s status. 

(iii)   Where a Club is found to have played an ineligible player in accordance with Rule 18 (N) (i) above, the Management Committee may also at its discretion, order one of more of the following:

(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; and/or

(b) Deduct points from the record of the Club in default up to a maximum of 3 points; and/or

(c)  Order that such Competition Match or Matches be replayed (on such terms as are decided by the Management Committee).

(O) [The following Clause applies to Competitions involving Players in full-time secondary education]: -

(i)   Priority must be given at all times to the activities of schools and school organisations. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(ii)  The availability of children must be cleared with the head teachers (except for Sunday Competitions).

(iii)  A child under the age of 15 as at midnight on 31 August in the relevant Playing Season, shall not be permitted to play in a Competition Match during that Playing Season where any other Player is older or younger than that child by two years or more.

(P)(i) 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.

(ii) If a Player’s registration is cancelled they will not be eligible to play in the Competition for a period of 28 days from the date of cancellation. (De-Registration as a means to circumvent a transfer will not be permitted).

CLUB COLOURS

19 Every Team must register the colour and design of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by 1st September who shall decide as to their suitability.

Any Team wishing to change the colour(s) and/or design(s) of its shirt(s) and short(s) during the Playing Season must obtain permission from the Management Committee in advance of making that change.

Goalkeepers must wear colours which distinguish them from other Players and the Match Officials.

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

Any Team not being able to play in its normal colours as registered with the Competition shall notify its opponents the colours in which they will play (including the colours of the goalkeeper jersey) at least four days before the match.

If, in the opinion of the referee, two Teams have the same or similar colours, the Away Team shall make the change. Should a Team delay the scheduled time of kick-off for a Competition Match by not having a change of colours they shall be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

Shirts must all be numbered differently, failing which a fine will be levied in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

Names of Youth Players shall not appear on the shirts, failing which a fine will be levied in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

PLAYING SEASON, CONDITIONS OF PLAY

TIMES OF KICK-OFF, POSTPONEMENTS, SUBSTITUTES

20. (A) All Competition Matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board or, for Mini-Soccer, The Mini-Soccer and Youth Futsal Handbook, or for 9v9 football, The FA’s Guide to 9v9 Football.

(i) The Annual General Meeting shall determine the dates for the commencement and conclusion of the playing season which, subject to the AGM vote, shall normally be from the second Sunday in September until the second Sunday in May. During this period matches will normally be arranged for every Sunday except for the two Sundays nearest to Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

Matches may be arranged for days other than a Sunday, but only by mutual consent and both teams must verbally inform the relevant Fixture Secretary. By exception, a Championship deciding game may be cast for a day other than a Sunday and the Final ties for any of the Competition’s knock out or Trophy Event competitions may also be organised by the Competition for days other than a Sunday.

At the discretion of the Management Committee, the League programme may be extended for games that could influence the championship, runners up and relegation places. Other teams who wish to continue playing after the second Sunday in May can do so by mutual consent. After 1^st March, preference will be given to fixtures involving teams in championship places.

(ii)  A team may normally request a break in its fixtures, or the re-arrangement of a fixture, twice per season.

Requests for a fixture break must be submitted via the League website at least 21 days before the match-date in question. It is therefore the responsibility of team managers or their clubs to ascertain the dates of any such tour, school trip, or school holiday well in advance. Letters of confirmation may be requested from either the school or tour operator.

A Fixture Break request will not be accepted for a team which, at the time of application, has failed to register the requisite number of players as described in Rule 18 (B) (iii).

In all cases the Fixture Break request must be submitted at least 21 days in advance to allow for other fixtures to be rearranged.

(iii)  Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to keep their Grounds in a playable condition. All Competition Matches shall be played on pitches deemed suitable by the Management Committee. If through any fault of the home Team, a match has to be replayed, the Management Committee shall have power to order the venue to be changed.

The Management Committee shall have power to decide whether a pitch and/or facilities are suitable for Competition Matches and to order the Club concerned to play its Competition fixtures on another ground.

Artificial Football Turf Pitches (3G) are allowed in this Competition provided they meet the required performance standards and are listed on the FA’s Register of Football Turf Pitches - https://footballfoundation.org.uk/3g-pitch-register. All Football Turf Pitches used must be tested (by a FIFA accredited test institute) every three years and the results passed to The FA. The FA will give a decision on the suitability for use and add the pitch to the Register.

The home Club is also responsible for advising Participants of footwear requirements when confirming match arrangements in accordance with Rule 20 (C).

The home club is also responsible for ensuring that the field of play and surrounding area are safe for all participants. A safe, covered and enclosed changing facility should be provided wherever possible.

Overhead netting is allowed for 5v5 and 7v7 mini soccer if the overhead netting height is at a minimum of 6m. No overhead netting is allowed for 9v9 and 11v11 affiliated matches.

Overhead wires used to support pitch divider netting are ideally removed for affiliated matches but if they cannot be removed then discretion is given to the match official to restart the match in accordance of the laws of the game.

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 should be played in accordance with the Laws appropriate to the relevant age group, as laid down by The FA, as detailed below.

For all Competitions, if a Home team’s pitch becomes unavailable or unfit, the match should be offered to the Away Team to host. This should be done prior to any players being stood down. Failure to comply with any reasonable request to reverse the fixture may result in the game being awarded. The referee must be immediately notified of the reversal. The relevant Fixture Secretary should also be notified of the change either before or immediately after the fixture has taken place.

For matches played in the Cup, Shield, Trophy, or in the Trophy Events, as covered by Rule 25, the originally drawn Home team shall have no more than two opportunities to stage the match at their chosen ground, after which the game will be reversed to the ground of the originally drawn Away team. If still un-played due to pitch conditions, the Management Committee shall have the power to nominate a neutral venue with costs shared proportionately.

Where a fixture is reversed, the original Home team shall pay no more for the hire of the pitch than the greater of (i) the price they would have paid for their own pitch, or (ii) the price of a corresponding Council pitch hired from the Competition, subject always to this being no greater than the cost actually incurred by the original Away team. The Management Committee will adjudicate in the event of a dispute.

A divisional fixture reversed on the first game between two teams will automatically be reversed for the second game so that both teams have the opportunity to play at home.

The Management Committee shall have the power to decide whether a pitch and/or facilities are suitable for matches in the League and to order the Club concerned to play its fixtures on another ground. Any dispute relating to re-arranged games or decisions relating to un-played games will be referred to the Management Committee.

(iv)  All competition matches shall have a duration as set out below unless a shorter time is mutually arranged by the two Clubs in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the Competition Match, and in any event shall be of equal halves. 

       Under 8 and Under 9              -           20 minutes each half

       Under 10 and Under 11          -           25 minutes each half

       Under 12 and Under 13          -           30 minutes each half.

       Under 14 and Under 15          -           35 minutes each half.    

       Under 16                               -           40 minutes each half

       Under 17 and Under 18          -           45 minutes each half

A player who has played a game or part of a game inside or outside of this Competition, shall not be permitted to play a further game or part of a game within this League on the same day.

Matches should be played in accordance with the Laws appropriate to the relevant age group, as laid down by The FA, as detailed below.

Competition Matches for age groups from U8 to U11 can be played in either quarters or in halves as agreed on the day between the teams, except for Gold Finals which will be played in halves

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.

(v)  The times of kick-off shall be fixed at the AGM and can only be altered by the mutual consent of the two competing Clubs prior to the scheduled date of the Competition Match with written notification to the Competition at least 5 days prior

(a)  For all Development, League, Cup, Shield, Trophy and Trophy Event games, the Home team is to decide the actual kick off time.

Unless mutually agreed, the kick off time should be no earlier than 10.00 a.m. except where the following clause (b) applies.

(b)  For Clubs with three or more Home games which need to be played on a specific pitch, the earliest kick off time shall be 09.30 a.m.

A Club needing to opt for a 9.30 am start, is required to allocate the 9.30 kick off to that team (from the three or more Away teams) which is considered to be ‘local’ and, of the three, the team based nearest to the Ground in question. Any reasonable 9.30am requests must not be refused out of hand.

(c)  When British Summer Time applies the latest kick off shall be no later than 3.00 pm, unless mutually agreed.

(d)  When Greenwich Mean Time applies (winter months) the latest time for kick off shall be:

(i)  Pitches without floodlights:  2.00 pm. for League games and 1.30 pm. for Cup, Shield and Trophy matches and also for ‘Double Headers’.

(ii)  Pitches with floodlights: 3.00 pm

(e)  After the Tuesday notification deadline, a previously notified kick off time can only be changed from ‘AM’ to ‘PM’ (or vice versa) by mutual agreement.

(f) Referees must order Competition Matches to commence at the appointed time (and no later than fifteen (15) minutes after) and must report all late starts to the Competition.

Any Club failing to commence within fifteen (15) minutes of the appointed time may be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff or be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may determine.

Where, by mutual consent, matches kick off more than fifteen (15) minutes after the original kick-off time, the fixture will stand and in the case of any subsequent dispute, the result will be determined by the Management Committee.

(vi)  The Home Team must provide goal nets, corner flags, linesman, or assistant referee flags and at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. Both teams must be equipped with an appropriate First Aid kit.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(B) Except by permission of the Management Committee all Competition Matches must be played on the dates originally fixed but priority shall be given to The FA and parent County Association Cup Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary. Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a Competition Match with the consent of the (Fixtures) Secretary.

In the case of a revised fixture date, the Clubs must be given, by the Competition, 4 clear days’ notice of the match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(C) An Officer of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the location of, and access to, the Ground, time of kick-off and kit colours (including goalkeeper) to the Match Officials and an Officer of the opposing Club at least 4 clear days prior to the playing of the Competition Match. The opposing Club must confirm receipt and give notice of its kit colours (including goalkeeper) at least 3 days prior to the playing of the Competition Match. If either is not provided, the relevant Club shall seek such details and report the circumstances to the Competition.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(D) The minimum number of Players that will constitute a Team for a Competition Match is as follows:      

A team having less than this minimum at the time of the kick-off shall be deemed to have lost the match. If a team falls below seven players (11-a-side), six players (9-a-side), five players (7-a-side) or four players (5v5) during the course of a match, the match will be abandoned and the outcome shall be determined by the Management Committee.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(E) (1) In Competitions where points are awarded home and away matches shall be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement the Management Committee shall decide whether it should either:

a)  Award the points from the Competition Match in question to the Club’s opponent (without the awarding of goals) 

            OR

b) Order the Competition Match to be rescheduled. The Management Committee shall also have the power to order the rescheduled Competition Match to be played on a neutral ground or on the opponent Club’s Ground if they are satisfied that such action is warranted by the circumstances.

In addition, the Management Committee may at its discretion order one or more of the following (if appropriate):

            a) Impose a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff),

            b) Deduct points from the defaulting Club,

             c) Order the defaulting Club to pay any reasonable expenses incurred by the opponents

For the purposes of this clause, 'failing to keep its engagement' shall also apply where a team has been suspended for non-payment of a Competition fine or fee issued pursuant to Rule 6 (I).

If a Division falls below 9 continuing teams, the remaining teams will normally play a third round of fixtures against each other, provided that such extra games can be accommodated into the fixture schedule as determined by the Management Committee. Such additional games will be split between home and away matches as determined by the appropriate League Fixture Secretary.  

Where a fixture is cancelled at short notice, the defaulting team shall be liable to a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff). For the purposes of this and the following clause, ‘short notice’ shall mean notification after 8.00 pm two days prior to the match.                  

(2) Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture or where a Competition Match has been postponed for any reason must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the Competition Referees Secretary, the secretary of the opposing Club and the Match Officials. Such notification to the Fixture Secretary must not be left until the normal reporting time, but is required immediately the decision is known since it may have an impact on the following week’s fixtures.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(3) In the event of a match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it shall be played in its entirety on a date to be determined by the relevant Fixture Secretary. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and the Clubs involved agree, the Management Committee shall also be empowered to order the score at the time of an abandonment to stand.

Postponed or abandoned matches and all unfulfilled fixtures, including County Cup games, must be reported to the League as soon as possible once it is known that the game will not take place and, in any event, must be reported on the League website before 18.00hrs on the day of the match. Failure to do this will result in a fine (in accordance with the fines Tariff).

Sickness of team officials, players, injury or family holidays will not usually be considered valid reasons for cancellation of games.

Where a club reports on the league website, that it did not have enough players to fulfil the fixture, that club will be considered to have breached Rule 20 (E) (1) and shall have 7 days to submit their response [as explained in Rule 6 (D)] to the charge of failing to fulfil the fixture.

Where the postponement is due to adverse weather or pitch conditions; or is because one team does not have enough players, it will normally be sufficient for Clubs to simply report the reason using the website option alone.

For any postponement which is NOT caused by adverse weather or pitch conditions; or is NOT due to one team having insufficient players, BOTH Clubs may be requested to submit a form TAN 5 to the Competition Secretary within seven days of the postponement. The Competition Secretary will only require Clubs to complete a TAN 5 in any case where additional information regarding the postponement is required. When a TAN 5 is requested by the Secretary and should the Club fail to submit one, then such failure will incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(4)  The Management Committee shall review all Competition Matches abandoned in cases where it is consequent upon the conduct of either or both Teams. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, the Management Committee shall be empowered to order the score at the time of the abandonment to stand.

In all cases where the Management Committee are satisfied that a Competition Match was abandoned owing to the conduct of one Team or its Club member(s) they shall be empowered to award the points for the match to the opponent.

In cases where a Competition match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams and/or their Club member(s), the Management Committee shall rule that neither team will be awarded any points for that Competition Match and it shall not be replayed. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned Competition Match.

(5) The Management Committee shall review any Competition Match that has taken place where either or both Teams were under a suspension imposed upon them by The FA or Affiliated Association. In each case the Team that was under suspension would be dealt with in the same manner as if they had participated with ineligible players in accordance with Rule 18 (N) (i) above. Where both Teams were under suspension the match must be declared null and void and shall not be replayed.

(6) If a Competition Match is abandoned, each participating club must give notice to the Competition by the deadline set out in Rule 21(B). Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(F) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use substitute Players in any Competition Match. All substitutes must be named on their team’s Match-card (be it the App Match-card or an emergency alternative match-card).

For Under 11s - Under 18’s – a Club may use up to 5 from 5 substitute Players. A Player who has been substituted becomes a substitute and may replace any Player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of the Game.

For Mini-Soccer, with the exception of 3v3 – up to five substitutes may be used at any time with the permission of the referee. Entry onto the field of play will only be allowed during a stoppage in play. A Player who has been replaced may return to the play as a substitute for another Player. A Team must not have a match day squad greater than double the size of its Team in an age group.

For 3v3 – no substitutions are allowed.

(G) The half time interval shall be of ten minutes’ duration, but it shall not exceed 15 minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee

(H) The Teams taking part in Under 7’s to Under 11’s or Youth Football shall identify a Team captain who shall wear an armband and shall have a responsibility to offer support in the management of the on-field discipline of their teammates. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(I) Where a suspension imposed in relation to

(i) a Football Debt (as defined under the Football Debt Recovery Regulations); or

(ii) The Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children or Regulations for Safeguarding Adults at Risk

upon a Club or Team by The FA or Affiliated Association is not lifted, and/or the Club does not provide confirmation from The FA or Affiliated Association that such suspension is lifted to the Competition Secretary by 2 days before a fixture, that fixture will be treated as an unfulfilled fixture and dealt with in accordance with Rule 20(E)(i).

(J) Clubs must follow the League Approved Process for confirming the details of a Competition Fixture.

Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(K) (i) Only players who have been properly registered by the Competition may take part in Competition Matches.

No player will be eligible to play without being in possession of their Registration Card at the match. If a player does not have their valid ID card at the game, they are not eligible to play and must not participate in that match unless they have the express written permission of the Management Committee.

(ii) At all age groups a match card must be completed by both teams for every match played under the jurisdiction of this League.

An electronic match card submitted via the match-day App should always be used unless, by exception, there is good reason to use the ‘emergency’ match card procedure. The match card must include the names of both participating teams; the competition and division; date of fixture; venue; kick-off time and name of the referee. The match card must also list all the participating players, giving their full names and their registration numbers.

(iii) Prior to the commencement of each Competition Match, teams must complete the match card procedure as set out in Rule 21 and as explained in the Guidelines published on the League website. After the match, teams must add to the e-match card or, by exception, to their emergency match card, the final scores and other information as required by Rule 21 A. Having fully competed the e-match card (or having signed their emergency card and added the referee’s name) teams must then submit the e-match card to the Competition (or e-mail the emergency match card to the match card Secretary), also in accordance with Rule 21 A. Failure to properly complete the e-match card or the emergency match card will incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(L) (i) Prior to the commencement of every match, but after they have changed into their kit, the identity of each individual player must be verified by the opposition manager. Players must present their I.D. card to the opposition manager.

All players should be asked to line up (for example on the half way line) and I.D. cards should be presented separately by each player and not offered for inspection in, a photo album or similar..

If an I.D. card appears to have been tampered with or altered, the player’s details must be recorded on the Match Day APP. The appropriate Registration Secretary should be informed immediately after the match so that the card can be recalled for further investigation and replacement. Failure to return an allegedly altered card will result in the withdrawal of the player’s registration.

(ii) Any player who does not have an ID card  or  written permission to play from the Management Committee, taking part in a game, will be considered to be an ineligible player within the meaning of Rule 18 (N).

(iii) A team arriving to play without being in possession of their ID cards is unable to play a qualifying competition match unless they have the prior written permission of the Management Committee. In the absence of such permission the team will normally be considered to have failed to keep its engagement within the meaning of Rule 20 (E).

(iv) Where the ID card for a player has been lost, then a duplicate ID card must be obtained from the Registration Secretary before that player can take part in a match. In the event of a team losing (by theft or accident) all or a majority of their player’s ID cards, such loss must be immediately reported to the Management Committee.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(M) Each home club shall make arrangements for the provision of designated areas for spectators. This area can be marked by an additional painted line, the use of cones, a roped off area or use of a temporary spectator barrier. The area for spectators should start two metres from the touchline on both sides of the pitch. Each area should run the full length of the pitch. It is recognised, however, that the alignment of some public pitches does not allow for this arrangement in which case other appropriate arrangements should be made.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

REPORTING RESULTS

21 (A) The Results Secretaries must receive by 18:00 on 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.

21 (B) Both Clubs shall use the Tandridge League Matchcard App or the Results Section of the League Website as directed by the Competition to notify the result of each Competition Match to the Results Secretaries by 18.00 on the day of the Match. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

21(C) Omitted

21(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 Division at the conclusion shall be adjudged the winners. Competition Matches must not be played for double points.

In the event of two or more Teams being equal on points at the end of the Playing Season, rankings may be decided by a deciding ‘play-off’ match or matches, played under conditions determined by the Management Committee or the position may be shared.

(Note: ‘Play-off’ matches shall apply only to deciding the Championship winners and not to distinguishing between joint Runners Up).

22 (B) Omitted.

22 (C) Omitted.

(D) (i) 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.

(ii) Any team that fails to fulfil its fixture for four consecutive weeks, or reaches the point where it has not fulfilled a total of six fixtures, may be suspended from participation in the Competition by the Management Committee. Where a team fails to start the season due to not having sufficient players and where a cast fixture could not be played, the games missed for this reason will be counted towards the totals described in this rule.

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 Association(s).

(B)  In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a referee as per the League Approved Processes.  An individual thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee.

Individuals under the age of 16 must not participate either as a Referee or Assistant Referee in any open age competition and individuals under the age of 14 must not participate either as a Referee or Assistant Referee in any Competition 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.

Failure by the Home Club to acknowledge the appointment with a League Appointed referee prior to the day of the match, shall be liable for a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

The Management Committee reserves the right to appoint a referee to any match and a League appointed referee takes precedence over any other referee.

For the semi-finals of all Cup, Shield and Trophy competitions, a League appointed referee will be allocated whenever possible, but if not possible then both teams, together with the Referees Secretary shall agree on a suitable referee. Each team shall supply a Club Assistant Referee.

(C)   Where assistant referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club assistant referee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff being imposed on the defaulting Club.

(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 and unless otherwise ordered by the Management Committee, Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be paid a match fee in accordance with the following table.  

Match Officials will be paid their fees before the match commences by the Home Club (or by the Club requesting the referee).

Where a Club wishes to pay the appointed referee by bank transfer, rather than by cash on the day, that Club must make their preference known to the referee in advance, preferably as soon as they are advised of the appointment and acknowledge it to the referee. Any arrangement to pay by bank transfer must include agreement as to when the payment will be made.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff). In the event that the Competition is required to pay a referee on behalf of a Club, an admin charge of £10 will be added to the required refund.

(F) In the event of a match not being played because of circumstances over which the Clubs have no control, the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled to the reduced fee shown above. Where a match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Match Officials, if they attend the Ground, their full fee. If it is the Away team which is in default and they do not attend the ground, then the Home club shall pay the official(s) and apply to the league for the money to be refunded to them by the Away club. Failure to comply with the Rule will result in a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(G) A referee not keeping their engagement, and failing to give a satisfactory explanation as to their non-appearance, may be reported to the Association with which he or she is registered. Should an appointed referee not appear for the match, the Teams must agree upon a referee and the individual thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee as per the Approved League process.

(H) (i) Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The FA, award marks to the referee for each Competition Match and the name of the referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to the Competition using the match-day App.

Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff or dealt with as the Management Committee shall determine. Guidance for the marking of referees is given in the League Handbook.

(ii) Where a total mark of 60 or less is awarded to a referee, an explanation of such mark must be submitted via the online form TAN 8 within seven days of the game taking place. If a referee is consistently given low marks, their Club (if any) will be notified and further low marks could result in League action. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

(I) The Competition shall keep a record of the markings and, on the form provided by the prescribed date each Playing Season, shall submit a summary to The FA/County FA.

(J) Match Officials shall be supplied, each Playing Season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.

CUP, SHIELD & TROPHY RULES

24. (A)  The Competition will provide a range of ‘cup’ and ‘knock-out’ competitions for each age group. All Competition Matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board or, for Mini-Soccer, and 9v9 football, the Rules as set down by The FA.

Rules which elsewhere in this set of Competition rules, mention games played ‘for points’, shall include games played under this Rule 24.

In accordance with FA guidelines and for those teams otherwise playing Development matches the Competition will provide ‘Trophy Events’ for each age group. The frequency, format and duration of each Event will vary between the age groups and in all cases the Management Committee shall have the power to administer the Event in accordance with such League Rules as they shall determine are appropriate. Specific Rules for each such Trophy Event will be published prior to its commencement.

When a division is short of a team, or where it is considered to be advantageous to the competition, the Management Committee may decide to play the qualifying rounds on a home and away basis. The team qualifying for the next round will be the team with the highest number of goals from both matches and if equal then the team scoring the highest number of Away goals will be the winner.

A Player shall not be eligible to play for a Team in any semi-final or final tie, unless he or she has played 3 completed League games and been named on 3 match-cards for that Team in this League in the current Playing Season.

No player, having played in any of the League’s ‘knock out’ or ‘trophy event’ competitions for one Team or Club, shall be eligible to play for another Team or Club in the same competition.

Any team found guilty of behaviour deemed by the Management Committee to be cheating, shall forfeit their right to and shall not be permitted to participate in any of the three knock-out Competitions mentioned in this Rule.

COUNTY CUP COMPETITIONS

25.  All teams may enter an appropriate County Cup Competition. County Cup games take precedence over all League, Challenge Cup, Shield and Trophy fixtures. Teams may only enter one County Cup Competition.