Norfolk Combined Youth Football League – Standard Code of Rules for Youth 2023-24

STANDARD CODE OF RULES FOR MINI SOCCER AND YOUTH FOOTBALL COMPETITIONS

  1. DEFINITIONS

(A)            In these Rules:

“Affiliated Association” means an Association accorded the status of an Affiliated Association un the rules of The FA.

“AGM” shall mean the annual general meeting held in accordance with the constitution of the Competition.

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

“Competition” means the Norfolk Combined Youth Football League.

“Competition Match” means any match played or to be played under the jurisdiction of the Competition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Mini Soccer” means those participating at ages under 7s to under 10s.

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

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

“Participant” shall have the same meaning as set out in the rules of The FA from time to time.

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

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

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

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

“Sanctioning Authority” means Norfolk County Football Association Limited.

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

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

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

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

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

“The FA” means The Football Association Limited.

“WGS” means the Whole Game System and the procedures for the operation thereof as determined by The FA from time to time.

“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

  1. COMPETITION NAME AND CONSTITUTION

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

(B)        This Competition shall consist of not more than 500 Clubs approved by the Sanctioning Authority.

(C)        The geographical area covered by the Competition membership shall be Norfolk and North Suffolk.

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

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

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

(G)       All Clubs must be affiliated to an Affiliated Association and their names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date in a manner prescribed by the Sanctioning Authority and must have a constitution approved by the Sanctioning Authority. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Sanctioning Authority and the constituent Teams of Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding 15 in number.

(H)       Inclusivity and Non-discrimination

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

(ii)      This Competition and each Club must make every effort to promote equality by treating people fairly and with respect, by recognising that inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them and by providing access and opportunities for all members of the community, irrespective of age, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, ability or disability or otherwise.

(iii)     Any alleged breach of the Equality Act 2010 legislation must be referred to the appropriate Sanctioning Authority for investigation.

(I)         Clubs must comply with the provisions of any initiatives of The FA which are adopted by the Competition including, but not limited to, England Football Accredited and RESPECT programmes. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(J)         All Participants shall abide by The Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by The FA from time to time.

(K)        Clubs shall not enter any of their Teams playing at a particular age group in the Competition in any other competition (with the exception of FA and County FA Competitions) except with the written consent of the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

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

  1. CLUB NAME

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.

  1. ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT

(A)        Applications by Clubs for admission to the Competition or the entry of an additional Team(s) from the same Club must be made in writing to the Secretary by 31 May and must be accompanied by an entry fee per Team as set out in the Fees Tariff, which shall be returned in the event of non-election. At the discretion of the voting members present applications, of which due notice has been given, may be received at the AGM or a SGM or on a date agreed by the Management Committee.

(B)        The annual subscription shall be payable in accordance with the Fees Tariff per Team and shall be payable on or before the AGM of the Competition in each year.

(C)        Not applicable in this competition.

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

(E)        If requested by the Competition, Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in writing by start of the season of its Sanctioning Authority affiliation number for the forthcoming Playing Season. Clubs must advise the Secretary in writing, or on the prescribed form, of details of its headquarters, its Officers and any other information required by the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(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.

LR4.1    New Clubs or new Teams from existing member Clubs may be required to attend a meeting with the Management Committee and/or comply with any other League instructions with regards to their application.

LR4.2    At all age groups, new teams can be added at any time with the consent of the Management Committee.

  1. MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION

(A)        The Management Committee shall comprise the Officers of the Competition and 15 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 30 April in each year.

All other candidates for election as Officers of the Competition or members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the secretaries of two Clubs, not later than 31 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.

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

(D)       Except where otherwise mentioned all communications shall be addressed to the Secretary who shall conduct the correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings.

(E)        All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through their Officers and sent to the Secretary.

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

LR5.1    No Member Club shall provide more than 25% of the Management Committee.

  1. POWERS OF MANAGEMENT

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

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

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

In the event of the voting being equal on any matter, the Chairman of the Management Committee shall have a second or casting vote.

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

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

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

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

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

(iv)     Deny the charge and notify that it wishes to put its case 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 or the Rules and Regulations of The FA shall be dealt with in accordance with FA Rules by the appropriate Association.

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

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

(F)        50% of its members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Management Committee or any sub-committee thereof.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  1. PROTESTS, CLAIMS, COMPLAINTS, APPEALS

(A)        (i)       All questions of eligibility, qualification of Players or interpretations of the Rules shall be referred to the Management Committee or a sub-committee duly appointed by the Management Committee.

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

(B)        Except in cases where the Management Committee decide that there are special circumstances, protests and complaints (which must contain full particulars of the grounds upon which they are founded) must be lodged with the Secretary within 5 days (excluding  Sundays) of the Competition Match or occurrence to which they refer. A protest or complaint shall not be withdrawn except by permission of the Management Committee. A member of the Management Committee who is a member of any Club involved shall not be present (except as a witness or representative of their Club) when such protest or complaint is being determined.

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

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

(i)       All parties must have received 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 forward a deposit in accordance with the fees tariff and indicate such when forwarding the written response.

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

(F)        Any appeal against a decision of the Management Committee must be lodged with the Sanctioning Authority within 14 days of the posting of the written notification of the decision causing the appeal, accompanied by a fee (as set out in the Fees Tariff), which may be forfeited in the event of the appeal not being upheld. A copy of the appeal must also be sent to the Secretary. The procedure for the appeal shall be determined by the Sanctioning Authority, in such respect the Sanctioning Authority may (but is not obliged to):

(i)       invite submissions by the parties involved; or

(ii)      convene a hearing to hear the appeal; or

(iii)     permit new evidence; or

(iv)     impose deadlines as are appropriate.

Any appeal shall not involve a rehearing of the evidence considered by the Management Committee.

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

  1. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

(A) The AGM shall be held not later than 30 June in each year. At this meeting the following business shall be transacted provided that at least 75% of members are present and entitled to vote:

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

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

(iii)     Election of Clubs to fill vacancies.

(iv)     Constitution of the Competition for the ensuing Season.

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

(vi)     Appointment of auditors.

(vii)    Alteration of Rules, if any (see Rule 14).

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

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

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

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

(C)        A signed copy of the duly audited 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 AGM.

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

(F)        All voting shall be conducted by a show of voting cards unless a ballot be demanded by at least 50% of the delegates qualified to vote or the Chairman so decides.

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

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

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

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

  1. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS

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

(B)        The Management Committee may call a SGM at any time.

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

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

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

(F)        Officers of the Competition and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all SGMs but cannot also cast a vote on behalf of a club (see rule 9 (D)).

  1. AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED

Each Club shall complete and sign the following agreement which shall be deposited with the Competition together with the application for membership for the coming Season, or upon indicating that the Club intends to compete.

“We, (A), (name) [ ] of (address) [ ] (Chairman)/Director and (B) (name) [ ] of (address)    [ ] (Secretary/Director) of [ ] Football Club (Limited) have been provided with a copy of the Rules and  Regulations of the [ ] Competition and do hereby agree for and on behalf  of the said Club, if elected or accepted into membership, to conform to those Rules and Regulations and to accept, abide by and implement the decisions of the Management Committee of the Competition, subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 7.”

The agreement shall be signed by:

(i)       Where a Club is an unincorporated association, the Club chairman and secretary; or

(ii)      Where a Club is an incorporated entity, two directors of the Club.

Any alteration of the chairman and /or secretary of the Club on the above agreement must be notified to the Norfolk County Football Association(s) to which the Club is affiliated and to the Secretary.

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

  1. CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP, WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB

(A)        Any Club intending, or having a provisional intention, to withdraw a Team from the Competition must do so by 31st March each season. This does not apply to a Club moving in accordance with Rule 22(B). Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

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

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

  1. EXCLUSION OF CLUBS OR TEAM. MISCONDUCT OF CLUBS, OFFICERS, PLAYERS, MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

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

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

(C)        Any Officer or member of a Club proved guilty of either a breach of Rule, other than field offences, or of inducing or attempting to induce a Player or Players of another Club in the Competition to join them shall be liable to such penalty as a General Meeting or Management Committee may decide, and their Club shall also be liable to expulsion in accordance with the provisions of clauses (A) and/or (B) of this Rule.

  1. TROPHY

(A)        The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the cup or trophy:-

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

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

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

  1. ALTERATION TO RULES

Alterations, for which consent has been given by the Sanctioning Authority, 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 and approved by Sanctioning Authority or The FA.

Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the AGM shall be submitted to the Secretary by 31 March in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 7 April and any amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Secretary by 23 April. 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.

  1. FINANCE

(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 shall be approved by the Management Committee. Cheques shall be signed by at least two Officers nominated by the Management Committee.

(C)        The financial year of the Competition will end on 25 May.

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

LR 15.1 The Management Committee shall give the League Treasurer the power to obtain online banking.

  1. INSURANCE

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

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

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

  1. DISSOLUTION

(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 Authority.

(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 Authority may decide. 

MATCH RELATED RULES

  1. QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

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

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

or

  1. signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink on a match day prior to playing which is countersigned by an Officer of the Club and witnessed by an Officer of the opposing Club, and submitted to the Competition within two days (Sundays excluded) subsequent to the Competition Match. The Player shall not play again on a subsequent match day until the Club has registered the player through The FA Player Registration System and is in possession of the approval of the Competition registered through WGS.

Any registration form that is not fully and correctly completed will be returned to the Club unprocessed and the player classed as unregistered. If a Club attempts to register a player via the Player Registration System but does not fully and correctly complete the necessary information via the Player Registration System, the registration will not be processed.

For Clubs registering Players under Rules 18(A) 2 registration forms will be provided in a format to be determined by the Competition. For Clubs registering Players via the Player Registration System Clubs must access the Player Registration System in order to complete the registration process.

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

(B)        (i)      Contract Players are not permitted in this Competition with the exception of those Players who are registered under contract with the same Club who have a Team operating at Steps 1 to 6 of the National League System.

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

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

(iii)     Each Team must have the following number of Players registered 7 days before the start of each Playing Season:

FORMAT MINIMUM NUMBER
5v5 5
7v7 7
9v9 9
11v11 11

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  his  or  her  age  as  at  midnight  on 31 August of the relevant Playing Season i.e. children who are aged 6 as at midnight on   31 August in a Playing Season (together with those who attain the age of 6 during the Playing Season) will be classed as Under 7 Players for that Playing Season. Children who are aged 7 as at midnight on 31 August in a Playing Season will be classed as Under 8 Players for that Playing Season, and so on.

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

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

Age  on 31 August of the relevant

Playing Season

Eligible Age Groups Maximum Permitted Format Minimum Pitch Sizes Maximum Pitch Sizes Recommended Goal Sizes

in feet

Ball Size
Yards Metres Yards Metres
6 Under 7 5v5 30 x 20 27.45 x 18.3 40 x 30 36.3 x 27.45 12 x 6 3
Under 8 30 x 20 27.45 x 18.3 40 x 30 36.3 x 27.45 12 x 6
7 Under 8 5v5 30 x 20 27.45 x 18.3 40 x 30 36.3 x 27.45 12 x 6 3
Under 9 7v7 50 x 30 45.75 x 27.45 60 x 40 54.9 x 36.6 12 x 6
8 Under 9 7v7 50 x 30 45.75 x 27.45 60 x 40 54.9 x 36.6 12 x 6 3
Under 10 50 x 30 45.75 x 27.45 60 x 40 54.9 x 36.6 12 x 6 3
9 Under 10 7v7 50 x 30 45.75 x 27.45 60 x 40 54.9 x 36.6 12 x 6 3
Under 11 9v9 70 x 40 64 x 36.6 80 x 50 73.15 x 45.75 16 x 7 4
10 Under 11 9v9 70 x 40 64 x 36.6 80 x 50 73.15 x 45.75 16 x 7 4
Under 12 70 x 40 64 x 36.6 80 x 50 73.15 x 45.75 16 x 7
11 Under 12 9v9 70 x 40 64 x 36.6 80 x 50 73.15 x 45.75 16 x 7 4
Under 13 11v11 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 100 x 60 91.44 x 54.9 21 x 7
12 Under 13 11v11 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 100 x 60 91.44 x 54.9 21 x 7 4
Under 14 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 100 x 60 91.44 x 54.9 21 x 7
13 Under 14 11v11 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 100 x 60 91.44 x 54.9 21 x 7 4
Under 15 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 110 x 70 100.58 x 64 24 x 8 5
14 Under 15 11v11 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 110 x 70 100.58 x 64 24 x 8 5
Under 16 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 110 x 70 100.58 x 64 24 x 8
15 Under 16 11v11 90 x 50 82.3 x 45.75 110 x 70 100.58 x 64 24 x 8 5
Under 17 100 x 50 91.44 x 45.75 130 x 100 118.87 x 91.44 24 x 8
Under 18 100 x 50 91.44 x 45.75 130 x 100 118.87 x 91.44 24 x 8
16 Under 17 11v11 100 x 50 91.44 x 45.75 130 x 100 118.87 x 91.44 24 x 8 5
Under 18 100 x 50 91.44 x 45.75 130 x 100 118.87 x 91.44 24 x 8
Open Age 100 x 50 91.44 x 45.75 130 x 100 118.87 x 91.44 24 x 8

(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 priority of registration shall decide for which Club the Player shall be registered. The Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the Player of the fact of the previous registration subject to the exceptions set out in Rule 18 (E)(iii) below.

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

  1. The Team(s) in which the Player plays in are not in the same age group; or
  2. Except for the purpose of a transfer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(iii)     The Management Committee shall have the power to refuse or cancel the registration of any Player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 7) subject to the right of appeal to the Sanctioning Authority 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 this Competition.

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

(Note: Action under Rule 18(G)(iii) shall only be taken against a Player in cases of the Player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any event be subject to an appeal to the Sanctioning Authority 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.)

(H)       Subject to compliance with FA Rule C2(a) when a Club wishes to register a player who is already registered with another club it shall submit a transfer form (in a format as determined by the Competition) to the Competition accompanied by a fee as set out in the Fees Tariff. Such transfer shall be referred by the Competition to the club for which the player is registered. Should this club object to the transfer it should state its objections in writing to the Competition and to the player concerned within 3 days of receipt of the notification. Upon receipt of the Club’s consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within 3 days, the Secretary may, on behalf of the Management Committee, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club from such date.

In the event of an objection to a transfer the matter shall be referred to the Management Committee for a decision.

(I)         A Player may not be registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition after 31 March except by special permission of the Management Committee.

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

In the event a Club has more than one Team in an age group, each Team must be clearly identifiable but not designated ‘A’ or ‘B’ or 1st or 2nd. In such cases, Players will be registered for one Team only. A Player so registered will be allowed to play for 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 Registrations Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of an Officer of the Club at all Management Committee meetings or at other times mutually arranged. Registrations are valid for one Playing Season only.

In the event of a Non Contract Player changing 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 be eligible to play for a Team in any special championship, promotion   or relegation deciding Competition Match (as specified in Rule 22(A)) unless the Player has played 25% of the league games for that team in this Competition in the current Playing Season.

(M)       Not applicable in this 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.

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

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

(a)     Award the points available in the Competition Match in question to the opponents, subject to the Competition Match not being ordered to be replayed;

(b)     Levy penalty points against the Club in default; and/or

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

(The following clause applies to Competitions involving Players in full-time secondary education):-

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

(ii)      The availability of children must be cleared with their head teacher (except for Sunday league competitions).

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

LR18.1  Any team shall not include more than three players who have played in two or more of the three consecutive senior fixtures immediately prior to the game in question.

For the purposes of this Rule, a more senior fixture is defined as a game in a higher division in the same age group.

LR18.2  Subject to FA Rule C2(a) dealing with players without a written contract, when a player desires a transfer, the Club the player wishes to transfer to shall submit a fully completed transfer form to the League accompanied by a fee as per the fees tariff. A transfer is not deemed complete until the Club seeking the transfer receives a registration confirmation from the Competition.

LR18.3  Further to Rule 18(N) above, in the case of an unregistered player or players the team may have the points gained in the match deducted from its total and may be fined and/or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee.

LR18.4  The maximum number of players who can be registered for a team at any one time are as follows:

11v11 20 players (with the exception of U17 & U18 divisions which will allow 25 players)

9v9    18 players

7v7    14 players

5v5    10 players

In exceptional circumstances additional player(s) will be allowed to be registered with prior permission of the Management Committee on such terms as they deem appropriate.

LR18.5  De-registration of a player is permitted with permission of the Management Committee. A fee as set out in the Fee Tariff shall be paid for each player de-registered. Any player de-registered under this Rule cannot then sign for another Club in this Competition until a period of at least 7 days has elapsed from the date of this de-registration.  Should the Management Committee deem it appropriate to do so this period can be extended to a maximum of 28 days.

LR18.6 Players will not be permitted to transfer or de-register from when they are initially registered until 1st October / November. In exceptional circumstances players will be allowed to transfer or de-register in this period with prior permission of the Management Committee.

LR18.7 Further to 18.6, players will be permitted to transfer between teams outside of the transfer window if these teams are within the same club.

LR18.8  At Under 7, Under 8, Under 9, Under 10 and Under 11 all players who sign for a team at a Club are eligible to play for all of the teams that their Club fields at the relevant age group. However a player may only play for one team on any one day.

LR18.9  Matches in this competition shall be played in the following format, according to age group:

LR18.10 Further to Rule 18(C), for matches played in the following divisions, the FA recommended goal sizes must be used:

U13 & U14

LR 18.11 Further to Rule 18(A), all registrations must be completed on WGS. Where a player is a match day registration that is not entered on WGS prior to kick off, a Norfolk FA Youth Offline Consent Form must be fully completed, signed by the player and countersigned by an Officer of the Club. Furthermore, the Form must be countersigned by an Officer of the opposing Club. Details of the player registration must then be entered on WGS by midnight on the day of the match. The player shall not play again on a subsequent match day until the player is registered and approved on WGS.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. CLUB COLOURS

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

Any Team wishing to change its colours during the Playing Season must obtain permission from the Management Committee.

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

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

Any Team not being able to play in its normal colours as registered with the Competition shall notify its opponents the colours in which they will play (including the colours of the goalkeeper jersey) at least 3 days before the Competition Match.

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

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

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

  1. PLAYING SEASON. CONDITIONS OF PLAY, TIMES OF KICK-OFF, POSTPONEMENTS, SUBSTITUTES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age Group Minimum Duration of play per quarter (minutes)

(Mini-Soccer

Maximum Duration of play per quarter (minutes)

(Mini-Soccer only)

Minimum duration of play per half (minutes) Maximum duration of play per half (minutes) Maximum playing time in one day in all organised development fixtures (minutes) Maximum playing time in one day in all tournaments and trophy events/festivals (minutes) Competition structure
Under 7 and

Under 8

5 10 10 20 40 60 Development focused with a maximum of 3 trophy events per season over 2 week periods

(6 weeks)

Under 9 and

Under 10

10 12.5 20 25 60 90 Development focused with a maximum of 3 trophy events per season over 4 week periods

(12 weeks)

Under 11 N/A N/A 20 30 80 120 Development focused with a maximum of 3 trophy events per season over 6 week periods

(18 weeks)

Under 12 N/A N/A 20 30 80 (if applicable) 120 Any varieties including one season long league table
Under 13 and

Under 14

N/A N/A 25 35 100 150 Any varieties including one season long league table
Under 15 and

Under 16

N/A N/A 25 40 100 150 Any varieties including one season long league table
Under 17 and

Under 18

N/A N/A 25 45 120 180 Any varieties including one season long league table

Competition matches for age groups from U7 to U10 can be played in either quarters or halves. This competition uses halves. For development games the teams can mutually agree to play quarters.

For round robin/trophy events, the maximum duration of play per half cannot be exceeded, but the minimum duration of play per half may be adjusted.

For trophy events, the Competition may award mementos.

The times of kick-off shall be fixed 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 given to the  Competition at least 1 day prior.

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

The home Team must provide goal nets, corner flags and at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

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

In the case of a revised fixture date, the Clubs must be given by the Competition 5 clear days’ notice of the Competition Match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).

(C)        An Officer of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the location of, and access to, the Ground and time of kick-off to the Match Officials and an Officer of the opposing Club at least 5 clear days prior to the playing of the Competition Match. If not so provided, the away Club shall seek such details and report the circumstances to the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

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

FORMAT MINIMUM NUMBER
5v5 4
7v7 5
9v9 6
11v11 7

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

(E)        (i)      In competitions where points are awarded, home and away matches shall be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement the Management Committee shall have the power to impose a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff), deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points from the Competition Match in question to the opponents, order the defaulting Club to pay any reasonable expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them except the award of goals. Notwithstanding the foregoing home and away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a Competition Match to be played on a neutral ground or on the opponent’s Ground if they are satisfied that such action is warranted by the circumstances.

(ii)      Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture or where  a  Competition Match  has  been  postponed  for  any reason must, without delay, give notice to the (Fixtures) Secretary, the Competition Referees Appointments Secretary, the secretary of the opposing Club and the Match Officials.

(iii)     In the event of a Competition Match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it should be played in its entirety on a date to be mutually agreed by the two Clubs and approved by the Management Committee. Failing such agreement and notification to the (Fixtures) Secretary within 5 days the Management Committee shall have the power to order the Competition Match to be played on a named date or on or before a given date. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and the Clubs involved agree, the Management Committee shall also be empowered to order the score at the time of an abandonment to stand.

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

(iv)     The Management Committee shall review all Competition Matches abandoned in cases where it is consequent upon the conduct of either or both Teams.  Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, the Management Committee shall be empowered to order the score at the time of the abandonment to stand. In all cases where the Management Committee are satisfied that a Competition Match was abandoned owing to the conduct of one Team or its Club member(s) they shall be empowered to award the points for the Competition Match to the opponent. In cases where a Competition Match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both Teams or their Club member(s), the Management Committee shall rule that neither Team will be awarded any points for that Competition Match and it shall not be replayed.  No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned Competition Match.

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

(F)        A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use substitute Players in any Competition Match.

Where a Competition does allow return substitutes:

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

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

In Youth Football only, the referee shall be informed of the names of the substitute Players not later than 15 minutes before the start of the Competition Match and a Player not so named may not take part in that Competition Match.

A Player who has named as a substitute before the start of that Competition Match but does not actually play in the game shall not be considered to have been a Player in that Competition Match within the meaning of Rule 18 of this Competition.

(G)       The half time interval shall be of 5 minutes’ duration, but it shall not exceed 15 minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.

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

LR20.1  By no later than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled kick off time, a fully completed team sheet, as prescribed by the Competition, shall be given to both the opposing team and the Referee. Any Club failing to comply with this rule may be fined in accordance with the Fine Tariff.

Any Club providing incomplete or incorrect information shall be liable to a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

Team sheets received by Clubs must be retained for the whole of the current season and must be supplied to the Competition within 5 days if such a request is made.

LR20.2  Kick off time shall be between 10.00am and 2.00pm with the home team having the right to determine the time, unless both teams agree to play at an alternative time and permission for this is given by the Management Committee.

LR20.3  In development football, for those playing on Saturday, KO times to be between 10am and 12noon with the home team having the right to determine the time, unless both teams agree to play at an alternative time and permission for this is given by the Management Committee.

LR20.4 Matches may only be played on any day of the week other than the usual match day as determined by the Competition with the agreement of both teams and the approval of the Management Committee.

LR20.5  Postponement of any scheduled fixture will only be permitted in the following circumstances:

(i)       Entry into a National or County FA Competition

(ii)      Providing 3 or more players for League Representative matches, County School teams or trials

(iii)     Any school activity under Rule 18(N)(i) involving 3 players or more

(iv)     Any official Scout parade i.e. St George’s Day

(v)      On instruction from the Management Committee, League Secretary or Divisional Secretary

(vi)     Adverse weather conditions

With the exception of points v) and vi) above, at least 7 days notice of any such postponement shall be given. Failure to give the required notice may result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

LR20.6  In the event of a team postponing a fixture under LR20.5(iii)the Club must provide to the Competition appropriate evidence within 7 days of the scheduled fixture.

LR20.7  Additionally teams will be permitted to call off one league game per season, providing both the League and opposition are notified by Club Secretary in the prescribed manner – ncyfl.co.uk website. This call off cannot be used for matches to be played after 1st April or for the purpose of participation in an external competition.

LR20.10 All matches to be played at venues which have a changing room with a toilet and basic hygiene facilities, which must include clean water which can be bottled. Failure to comply with this rule may result in a fine as per the fines tariff. Further details of the required ground standards can be found in Appendix 1.

LR20.12 In development football, during a match when the goal difference reaches 4, the losing team may field an additional player. If the goal difference reaches 6, the losing team may field another additional player (taking the total up to 2 additional players).

At the point the goal difference falls to 5, the losing team must withdraw one of their additional players. At the point the goal difference falls to 3 the losing team must withdraw their final additional player (this does not need to be the same player that was put on as the additional player).

LR20.13 Further to Rule 20(C) above, when giving notice of the particulars of a fixture the Officer of the Home Club must also provide details of the colour of kit that the team will be wearing and the away team shall then ensure that they do not wear a kit that clashes with the home team. Failure to do so may result in the offending club being fined as per the fines tariff.

LR20.14 Further to Rule 20(E) above, where the Committee feel it is appropriate to do so, they shall have discretion to order that matches are played in an alternative format to home and away.

LR20.15 For all matches played in a division where a Referee is appointed by the League / Norfolk County FA, the kick off time for that match must be set on Full-time no later than 8 days prior to the scheduled date of the fixture. Should less than 8 days’ notice of the fixture be given by the League, then the kick off time must be set on Full-time as soon as possible and always within a maximum of 2 days of the Club being notified of the fixtures by the League. Failure to comply with this Rule may result in a fine as per the fines tariff.

LR20.17 In the event of the home club being unable to fulfil a League match because of the inclement weather or ground conditions the home club shall before postponing the match and provided that the two teams has not already played the reverse League fixture ascertain from their opponents whether their ground is available and if it is the match shall be played on the ground of the opposing team. Any Club failing to comply with the rule may be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff

LR20.18 Further to Rule 20(B), Clubs may mutually agree to push back a Competition Match with the consent of the management committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

  1. REPORTING RESULTS

(A)        The (Registration/Fixtures) Secretary must receive within 3 days of the date played, the result of each Competition Match in the prescribed manner. This must include the forename(s) and surname of the Team Players (in block letters) and also the referee markings required by Rule 23, or any other information required by the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(B)        Both Clubs shall use SMS/FA Full-Time/FA Matchday to notify the result of each Competition Match to the Results Secretary within 3 hours of the scheduled kick off of the match. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(C)        The match result notification, correctly completed, shall be signed by an Officer of the Club, or as prescribed by the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(D)       The Competition and Clubs are permitted to collect but NOT publish results or any grading tables for fixtures involving Under 7s, Under 8s, Under 9s, Under 10s, and Under 11s. Any Competition failing to abide by this Rule will be dealt with by the Sanctioning Authority, and any Club failing to abide by this Rule will be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff). The Competition and Clubs are permitted to collect and publish results for trophy events.

  1. DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP

(A)      In Competitions where points are awarded, Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with three points to be awarded for a win and one point for a drawn Competition Match. The Teams gaining the highest number of points in their respective divisions at the end of the Playing Season shall be adjudged the winners.  Competition Matches must not be played for double points.

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

(D)       In the event of a Team withdrawing from the Competition before completing 75% of its fixtures for the Playing Season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting Team shall be expunged from the Competition table. For the purposes of this Rule 22 (D) a completed fixture shall include any Competition Match(es) which has been awarded by the Management Committee.

LR22.1  Further to Rule 22(D), in the event of a team completing 75% or more, but not all, of its fixtures, then the remaining points shall be awarded to the teams that the defaulting team should have played. No goals shall be awarded.

LR22.2  Further to Rule 22(A), in the event of teams being equal on points the team which has the better playing record against the other team in head to head Competition matches during the Season will be the highest placed team.

  1. MATCH OFFICIALS

(A)            Registered referees (and assistant referees where approved by The FA or County FA) for all Competition Matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the Sanctioning Authority.

(B)        In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a referee. An individual thus agreed upon shall, for that Competition Match, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee. Individuals under the age of 16 must not participate either as a referee or assistant referee in any open age competition and individuals under the age of 14 must not participate either as a referee or assistant referee in any Competition Match. Referees between the ages of 14 and 16 are only eligible to officiate in competitions where the Players’ age band is at least one year younger than the age of the referee, for example a 15 year old referee may only officiate in competitions where the age banding is 14 or younger.

(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, Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be paid a match fee in accordance with the Fees Tariff and travel expenses of 35 per mile.

Match Officials will be paid their fees and expenses by the home Club before the Competition Match, unless otherwise ordered by the Management Committee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(F)        In the event of a Competition Match not being played because of circumstances over which the Clubs have no control, the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled to expenses only. Where a Competition Match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Match Officials, if they attend the Ground, their full fee and expenses. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(G)       A referee not keeping his or her engagement, and failing to give a satisfactory explanation as to their non-appearance, may be reported to the Affiliated Association with which he or she is registered.

(H)       Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The FA, award marks to the referee for each Competition Match and the name of the referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to the Competition on the prescribed form provided. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) or dealt with as the Management Committee shall determine.

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

(J)         Not applicable in this competition.

(K)        Not applicable in this competition.

LR23.1  Further to Rule 23(B) it is ultimately the responsibility of the home Club to provide a Referee. In the event of the home team failing to do so they may be fined in accordance with Fines Tariff.

The non-appointment of a Referee shall not be deemed sufficient cause for the match not being played.

LR23.2  At every match, the home Club shall ensure that a whistle is available for use by the Referee and flags for use by the Assistant Referee.

LR23.3  Further to Rule 20(E) above, where the committee consider it appropriate they can determine that match officials fees and expenses shall be paid equally by both teams.

 

SCHEDULE A

FEES TARIFF
RULE DESCRIPTION MAXIMUM FEE
4 (A) CLUB ENTRY FEE £50.00
4 (B) CLUB/TEAM ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION £40 (mini soccer), £50 (all other formats)
4 (C) DEPOSIT N/A
7 (C), 7(E) PROTEST/APPEAL FEES £35.00
7 (F) APPEAL FEE £35.00
18 (D) PLAYER REGISTRATION FEE As per Norfolk FA Membership Rule 28
18 (H) TRANSFER FEE £10.00
LR18.5 DEREGISTRATION FEE  £10.00
23 (E) REFEREE FEES £25 for Under 17 & Under 18

£20 for Under 15 & Under 16

£15 for Under 11 to Under 14

£10 for Mini Soccer

Plus 35p per mile expenses up to a maximum of £25.

23 (E) ASSISTANT REFEREE FEES £18 for Under 17 & Under 18

£15 for Under 15 & Under 16

£10 for Under 11 to Under 14

Plus 35p per mile expenses up to a maximum of £25.

FINES TARIFF
RULE DESCRIPTION MAXIMUM FINE
2 (G) FAILURE TO AFFILIATE £100.00
2 (I) FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH FA INITIATIVES £100.00
2 (K) UNAUTHORISED ENTRY OF TEAMS INTO COMPETITIONS £100.00
3 FAILURE TO OBTAIN CONSENT FOR A CHANGE OF CLUB NAME £30.00
4 (C) FAILURE TO PAY A DEPOSIT £100.00
4(E) FAILURE TO PROVIDE AFFILIATION NUMBER/DETAILS FORM £100.00
5 (E) COMMUNICATIONS CONDUCTED BY PERSONS OTHER THAN NOMINATED OFFICERS £25.00
6 (H) FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH AN INSTRUCTION OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE £100.00
6 (I) FAILURE TO PAY A FINE WITHIN REQUIRED TIMEFRAME DOUBLE THE ORIGINAL FINE UP TO £100.00
8 (H) FAILURE TO BE REPRESENTED AT AGM £100.00
9 FAILURE TO BE REPRESENTED AT SGM £100.00
10 FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED WRITTEN AGREEMENT OR TO NOTIFY CHANGES TO SIGNATORIES £25.00
11 (A) FAILURE TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF WITHDRAWAL BEFORE DEADLINE £100.00
11 (B) FAILURE TO COMMENCE/COMPLETE FIXTURES £100.00
13 (A) FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED WRITTEN AGREEMENT REGARDING THE TROPHY £25.00
LR13.1 FAILURE TO RETURN/ENGARVE TROPHY AS REQUIRED £50.00
16(A) FAILURE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED INSURANCE £100.00
16(B) FAILURE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED INSURANCE £100.00
18 (A) FAILURE TO CORRECTLY REGISTER A PLAYER £40.00
18 (B)(iii) FAILURE TO HAVE THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF REGISTERED PLAYERS PRIOR TO THE PLAYING SEASON COMMENCING £25.00
18 (F) REGISTERING OR PLAYING FOR MULTIPLE CLUBS OR INACCURATE COMPLETION OF A REGISTRATION FORM £25.00
18 (G)(ii) REGISTRATION IRREGULARITIES £100.00
18 (N)(i) PLAYING AN INELIGIBLE PLAYER £100.00
18 (O)(i) FAILURE TO GIVE PRIORITY TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES £50.00
LR18.10 FAILURE TO USE THE REQUIRED GOAL SIZE £30.00
LR18.11 FAILURE TO CORRECTLY REGISTER A PLAYER ON A MATCH DAY £30.00
19 FAILURE TO NUMBER SHIRTS £10.00 (per shirt, up to an aggregate maximum of £30.00)
19 DELAYING KICK OFF TO DUE TO NO CHANGE OF COLOURS £30.00
19 DISPLAYING PLAYER NAMES ON SHIRTS £30.00
20(A) DELAYING KICK OFF DUE TO FAILURE TO PROVIDE REQUIRED EQUIPMENT £30.00
20 (B) FAILURE TO PLAY MATCHES ON THE DATE FIXED £100.00
20 (C) FAILURE TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF A FIXTURE £50.00
20 (D) PLAYING MATCH WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED NUMBER OF PLAYERS £100.00
20 (E) (i) & (iii) FAILURE TO PLAY FIXTURE £100.00
20 (H) NO CAPTAIN’S ARMBAND £10.00
LR20.1 FAILURE TO PROVIDE A FULLY COMPLETED TEAM SHEET IN TIME £50.00
LR20.5 FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT £50.00
LR20.6 FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED EVIDENCE £50.00
LR 20.10 FAILURE TO MEET GROUND GRADING CRITERIA £50.00
LR 20.13 FAILURE TO CONFIRM KIT COLOURS (Home side)

FAILURE TO WEAR A KIT THAT DOES NOT CLASH (Away side)

£50.00
LR 20.15 FAILURE TO SET THE KICK OFF TIME WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIMESCALE £50.00
LR 20.17 FAILURE TO ADHERE TO THE REVERSE FIXTURE PROTOCOL £30.00
LR 20.18 FAILURE TO OBTAIN CONSENT £30.00
21 (A) & 21 (C) LATE RESULT NOTIFICATION FORM £20.00
21 (B) FAILURE TO PROVIDE RESULT £20.00
21(D) PUBLISHING RESULTS/GRADING TABLES FOR FIXTURES INVOLVING U7S, U8S, U9S, U10S OR U11S £50.00
23 (C) FAILURE TO PROVIDE CLUB ASSISTANT REFEREE £25.00
23 (E) FAILURE TO PAY MATCH OFFICIALS’ FEES AND EXPENSES £25.00
23 (F) FAILURE TO PAY MATCH OFFICIALS WHERE A MATCH IS NOT PLAYED £25.00
23 (H) FAILURE TO PROVIDE REFEREE’S MARK £25.00
LR 23.1 FAILURE TO PROVIDE A REFEREE £25.00

Appendix 1

  • Provide access to toilets that are clean, well maintained, lockable, have adequate lighting, toilet paper and are close to the pitch. Female facilities should have a means of sanitary disposal.
  • Have access to a tap with running drinking water.
  • Pitches must be lined within the maximum and minimum sizes for the format being played as per rule 18C.
  • Pitches must also be lined with a pigmented viscous liquid or non-toxic powders which are based on ground natural calcium carbonate and can be used wet or dry.
  • Hydrated Lime (calcium hydroxide), creosote and herbicide additives should never be used for line marking.
  • Goals must be of the correct size and format being played as per rule 18C.
  • All pitches must have a designated Spectator area a minimum of 3 yards from the side of the pitch and clubs should ensure all spectators use this area.
  • All pitches must have a Technical Area a minimum of 3 yards from the side of the pitch, the opposite side to the Spectator area.