OFFICIAL RULE BOOK 2009/2010

STANDARD CODE OF RULES FOR YOUTH COMPETITIONS

1  NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION

(A)                This Competition shall be designated the Norfolk Youth Football Combination League/Cup and known as the Norfolk Youth Football Combination and shall consist of not more than 264

            Clubs who shall be Full Member Clubs

            All such Member Clubs must be affiliated to an affiliated County Football Association and their names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date on Form “D” to the Norfolk County Football Association. The area covered by the Competition Membership shall be the County of Norfolk.

This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Norfolk County Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding 24 in number.

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

            The competition will provide 11-a-side football for players who have attained the age of 10 as at midnight 31^st August in a playing season and Mini-Soccer for players who have attained the age of 6 years but not the age of 10 years as at midnight on 31^st August in a playing season.

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

(C)                The combination may include the following age groups; Under 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8.  There shall be no more than 24 teams in any one age group. Age groups may be divided into two sections. No section shall exceed 12 teams.

2  ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT

(A)                Applications by Clubs for admission to this Competition or the entry of an additional team(s) must be made in writing to the Secretary and must be accompanied by an Entry Fee of £10 per team which shall be returned in the event of non-election.

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

(B)                The Annual Subscription shall be £45 per Team playing 11-a-side football and £25 per Team playing Mini-Soccer payable before the 1^st August in each year. The fee shall be paid to the treasurer after acceptance of a team’s application.

(C)                Each Club shall pay a Deposit of £40 which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the Competition provided they have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all orders of the Management Committee.

(D)                A Club shall not participate in this Competition until the Entry Fee, Annual Subscription and Deposit have been paid.

3  OFFICERS

The Officers of the Competition shall be the President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman,                      Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Registration Secretary, Divisional Secretaries and               Mini Soccer Co-Ordinator to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.  (N.B. Auditors are not Officers). The trustees of the Combination shall be the President, Chairman,                      Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

4  MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION

(A)                The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association by a Management Committee comprised of the Officers and 3 members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All Participants shall abide by The Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by The Association from time to time.

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

(C)                The Management Committee shall meet as often as is necessary to deal with business as it arises.

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

5  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 Football Association or affiliated Association

(B)                Subject to the permission of the Norfolk County Football Association having been obtained the Management Committee may order a match or matches to be played each season, the proceeds to be devoted to the funds of the Competition and, if necessary, may call upon each Club (including any Club which may have withdrawn during the season) to contribute equally such sums as may be necessary to meet any deficiency at the end of the season. (See Rule 6(e)).

(C)                Each Member of the Management Committee shall have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee Meetings and have one vote thereat, but no Member shall be allowed to vote on any matters directly appertaining to such Member or to the Club so represented. (This shall apply to the procedure of any sub-committee).

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

(D)                The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the Competition, including any not provided for in the Rules. Except where these Rules provide for the imposition of a set penalty any Club, Club Official (limited to Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer) or Player alleged to be in breach of a Competition Rule must be formally charged in writing and given the opportunity to present their case before the Management Committee. Financial penalties can only be imposed if included within the set penalties for breaches of Competition Rules. All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of                                  The Football Association shall be dealt with in accordance with F.A. Rules by the appropriate Association.

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

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

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

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

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

(I)                   All fines and charges shall be paid within 14 days of the date of posting/electronic mail of the written notification.

            Clubs, Officials or individuals committing a breach of this Rule will incur such penalties as the Management Committee may impose.

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

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

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

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

(N)                Members failing to be present at a meeting of the Management Committee may be fined £10 and for failing to be represented at three consecutive meetings without satisfactory explanation shall be dealt with as the Management Committee shall determine.

6  ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

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

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

(ii)      To consider any business arising therefrom.

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

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

(v)       Constitution of the Competition for ensuing season.

(vi)      Election of Officers and Management Committee.

(vii)     Appointment of Auditors.

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

(ix)     Fix the date for the commencement and conclusion of playing season.

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

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

(C)                A signed copy of the duly audited/verified Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Norfolk County Football Association(s) within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual General Meeting.

(D)                Each Full Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an Annual General Meeting.  Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Not less than14 days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.

(E)                Clubs/Teams who have withdrawn their Membership of the Competition during the season being concluded or who are not continuing Membership shall be entitled to attend but shall vote only on matters relating to the season being concluded.  This provision will not apply to Clubs expelled in accordance with Rule 17.

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

(H)                Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given may be fined £25.

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

7  AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED

The Chairman and the Secretary of each Club shall complete and sign the following agreement which shall be deposited with the Competition together with the Application for Membership for the coming season, or upon indicating that the Club intends to compete.

            "We, A,_____ _____________of _________________________(Chairman) and                     B _____________________________of _________________________(Secretary) of the _________________________________Football Club have been provided with a copy of the Rules and Regulations of the Norfolk Youth Football Combination______________________ and do hereby agree for and on behalf of the said Club, if elected or accepted into Membership, to conform to those Rules and Regulations and to accept, abide by and implement the decisions of the Management Committee of the Competition, subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 16."

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

8  QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

(A)                Contract players, as defined in Football Association Rules, are not permitted in this Competition.  No player registered with a F.A. Premier League or Football League Academy will be permitted to play in this competition. A Player registered with a Centre of Excellence may only play in this Competition subject to the Regulations of the Programme for Excellence.

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

            (i) Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink,  countersigned by his /her parent or guardian and by an Officer of the Club, and who has been registered with the (Registrations) Secretary seven days prior to playing and whose completed registration counterfoil has been received by the Club prior to playing. The registration document must incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the player’s parents or guardians.  These details must be available at matches and training events the player attends within the management of the Club or Competition.

            (ii) Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink on a match day prior to playing, countersigned by an Officer of the Club and witnessed by an Officer of the opposing Club, and submitted to the (Registrations) Secretary within two days (Sundays excluded) subsequent to the match. The player shall not again play until the Club is in possession of the completed counterfoil. A maximum of two players may be registered in this way. The registration document must incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the players parents or guardians.  These details must be available at matches and training events the player attends within the management of the Club or Competition.

                 The registration document must incorporate a current passport-size photograph of the player seeking registration.

                 The qualification dates for the competition shall be as follows:

            Mini-Soccer

To play in a KO Cup game or a game where points are awarded, or results collected, a player must have achieved the age of 8 on or before 31^st August.

            .

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

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

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

            In accordance with the foregoing qualifications a player in the above age ranges must not play in a match where any other player is older or younger by 2 years or more.

            Youth Football

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(C)               A team shall not include any player who has taken part in any league or more senior competition matches during the current season unless a period of 14 days has elapsed since they played.

            For the purpose of this Competition a senior competition(s) is a different age group.

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

(E)        Registration forms shall be obtained from the Registrations Secretary on prepayment of £1.00 per form.

(F)                The Management Committee shall decide all registration disputes.

            In the event of a player signing a registration form or having a registration submitted for more than one Club, priority of registration shall decide for which Club the player shall be registered. The Registrations Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the player of the fact of the previous registration.

(G)               It shall be deemed misconduct for a player to:-

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

                 transferred.

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

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

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

            (ii) The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any player who has been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities. (Subject to Rule 16).

(iii)        The Management Committee shall have power to make application to refuse or cancel the registration of any player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 16) subject to the right of appeal to the FA or the relevant County Football Association.

            Youth teams to register a maximum of twenty players.  A team can cancel the registration of a player but cannot re-register the player again that season.

            Undesirable conduct shall mean an incident of repeated conduct, which may deter a participant from being involved in this Competition. Application should be made to the parent County of the Club the player is registered with.

Note:  Action under Clause (iii) shall not be taken against a player for misconduct until the matter has been dealt with by the appropriate Association, and then only in cases of the player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any case be subject to an Appeal to the Football Association. For the purpose of this Rule, bringing the competition into disrepute can only be considered where the player has received in excess of 112 days’ suspension, or 10 matches in match based discipline, in a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence.

(I)                  Subject to The Football Association Rules dealing with players without a written contract when a player desires a transfer, the Club the player wishes to transfer to shall submit a transfer form to the Registrations Secretary accompanied by a fee of £5.00 Such transfer shall be referred by the Registrations Secretary 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 Registrations Secretary and to the player concerned within seven days of receipt of the transfer form. Upon receipt of the Club's consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within seven days, the (Registrations) Secretary may, on behalf of the Management Committee, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club from such date or 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.

(J)                 A player may not be registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition after 1^st March except by special permission of the Management Committee.

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

            In the event a Club has more than one team in an age group, each team must be clearly designated “A” and “B” etc.  In such cases, players will be registered for one team only. A player so registered will be allowed to play for his Club in a younger or older age group within the provisions of Rule 8 (B).

(L)                A register containing the names of all players registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by the Registrations Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of any duly appointed Member Club representative at all Management Committee meetings or at other times mutually arranged.  Registrations are valid for one Season only.

(M)              A player shall not be eligible to play for a team in any special championship, promotion or relegation deciding match (as specified in Rule 12(A)) unless the player has played 7 games for that team in this Competition in the current season.

(N)               A player who has played for a team in the A Division 5 times or more shall not in that season be eligible to play in a lower Division except by permission of the Management Committee.

(O)               (i)  Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players may/shall 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.

            (ii) In addition the team may/shall have 3 points deducted from its total at the discretion of the Management Committee and may be dealt with in any further manner which is thought to be fit.

(iii) The Management Committee may, at its discretion, award the points available in the match in question to the opponents, subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed.

(P)               (i) Priority must be given at all times to school and school organisations activities.

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

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

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

(Q)               On or before 31^st August each season, each team shall send the following minimum number of completed player registration forms to the registration secretary:

U11-18 teams: 11                       U9 & 10 teams: 7                       U8 teams: 5

A member club may be fined £10 in respect of each of its teams which fails to comply with this requirement.

(R)               Registration forms shall only be accepted from male players in the Under 12 divisional age group and older.

(S)        11 a side teams are allowed to register a maximum of twenty players.

            Teams can cancel the registration of a player for the purpose of signing another player but cannot re-register the player during the season.

            When cancelling a player’s registration the club must ensure that all obligations to them are fulfilled.  There will be no appeal against the cancellation from the club.

            Players registration forms MUST be available on match days and, in the event of a dispute only be shown to the manager/official of the team on request.  A team failing to do so shall be fined a sum not exceeding £30.

9  CLUB COLOURS. CLUB NAME

(A)               Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by 30^th June who shall decide as to their suitability.

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

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

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

            If, in the opinion of the referee, two Clubs have the same or similar colours, the away team shall make the change. Any team not having a change of colours or delaying the kick-off by not having a change shall be fined £5.

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

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

N.B. NCFA does not permit changes of name or colours during the playing season.

(C)                All teams must be supervised by adults who shall be responsible for all matters in connection with the team.

(D)                Each team must have a telephone available to them for immediate use.

(E)                All teams must have a first aid kit available.

10  PLAYING SEASON, CONDITIONS OF PLAY, TIMES OF KICK-OFF, POSTPONEMENTS,   

     SUBSTITUTES

(A)                The Annual General Meeting shall determine the commencing and concluding dates for the ensuing season which shall be in accordance with Football Association Rules. No Club shall be compelled to play after the concluding date.  Original fixtures arranged by the Fixtures Secretary, or at a meeting specially convened for that purpose, to be held no later than 1^st August, must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting.

(B)                All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board or, for Mini-Soccer, the Laws of Mini-Soccer as set down by The Football Association.

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

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

All matches shall have a duration as set out below unless a shorter time (not less than           30 minutes) is mutually arranged by the two Clubs in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves.

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

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

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

            No player under the age of 17 as at midnight on 31^st August in any season shall be permitted to play more than one game or, in the event the competition allows the playing of a double-header, ie: two separate matches, 100 minutes per day in this Competition.

            The times of kick-off shall be fixed by the A.G.M. or the Management Committee. Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time shall/may be fined a sum not exceeding £10 or be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may determine.

Kick off times to be between 10.30 and 2pm with the home team having the right to determine the time.

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

            The home team must provide at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. 

The size of football to be used: For Mini-Soccer, size 3 for players in the under 7 and 8 age categories; size 4 for under 9's and 10s.  For youth football – size 4 for those playing under 11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups; size 5 for all other age groups. Goal nets must be used.

(C)        Except by permission of the Management Committee all matches must be played on the dates originally fixed but priority shall be given to The Football Association and all relevant County Association Cup Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary. Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the Divisional) Secretary.

(D)        The Secretary of the home team 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 the Secretary of the opposing team by no later than the Monday night prior to the playing of the match the following Sunday.  Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £10.

(E)        Every Club shall play its best available qualified team or teams in all matches in the Competition.

            In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than seven players they may be fined £5 for each missing player. A minimum of, Youth (9), Mini Soccer 9/10 (5) 8 (3), players will constitute a team for a Competition match.

(F)        Home and away matches shall be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement the Management Committee shall have power to inflict a fine, deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points to the opponents, order the defaulting Club to pay any expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them except the award of goals.  Not withstanding the foregoing home and away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a match to be played on a neutral ground or on the opponent's ground if they are satisfied that such action is warranted by the circumstances.

            Any Club with more than one team in the Competition shall always fulfil its fixture, within the Competition, in the following order of precedence:  First Team, Reserve Team, A Team.  Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be fined a sum not exceeding £20 or otherwise dealt with by the Management Committee.

            Any club unable to fulfil a fixture must, without delay, give notice to the Divisional Secretary, the Competition Referees Appointments Secretary, the Secretary of the opposing Club and the match officials.  Any Club failing to comply shall be dealt with by the Management Committee who may inflict any penalty it may deem suitable.

            Requests for a postponement of a match shall be dealt with by the Divisional Secretary.  Only one postponement will be allowed in any one season and such a request shall be made to the Divisional Secretary at least 14 days prior to the fixed date of the match and the reasons for the requested postponement must be given in writing.  A request for a subsequent postponement will be determined by the Management Committee and a written request must be made to the General Secretary at least 21 days prior to the fixed date of the match stating reason for the request.

In the event of a match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it shall be played in its entirety on a date to be mutually agreed by the two Clubs and approved by the Management Committee.  Failing such agreement and notification to the Divisional Secretary within 7 days the Management Committee shall have power to order the match to be played on a named date or on or before a given date.

            The Management Committee shall review all matches abandoned in cases where it is consequent upon the conduct of either or both teams.  Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, the Management Committee shall be empowered to order the score at the time of the abandonment to stand.  In all cases where the Management Committee are satisfied that a match was abandoned owing to the conduct of one team or i(I)ts Club member(s) they shall be empowered to award the points for the match to the opponent.  In cases where a match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams or their Club member(s), the Management Committee shall rule all points for the match as void. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned match.

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

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

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

            The referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes not later than 5 minutes before the start of the match.

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

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

(I)         Written notice of any cancellation (together with the reasons by the cancelling club) must be forwarded to the general secretary by BOTH teams within 48 hours of the match not being played. Clubs failing to adhere to this shall be fined £10.

In the event of a team failing to keep its engagement the management committee may award the points to the defaulting teams opponents or deduct three points from the defaulting teams total and order the match to be played.

If a team cancels three matches through lack of players during a season they shall be expelled from the combination and take no further part in any competition in the combination.

11  REPORTING RESULTS

(A)                The Divisional 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). Failure to do so will incur a fine of £10 and/or the Club being dealt with as the Management Committee decide.

(B)                The Home Club shall telephone the result of each match to the Divisional Secretary by 5pm on the day of the match being played. Clubs failing to adhere to this shall be fined at the management committee’s discretion.

(C)                The match result notification, correctly completed, shall be signed by a responsible member of the Club.  The Management Committee shall have power to take such action as they deem suitable against a Club which submits an incomplete form or incorrect information.

(D)                Leagues are not permitted to collect result sheets or compile any playing data for fixtures they organise for U7 and U8 Mini Soccer. They may require a Club to confirm that a set fixture has been played. A maximum fine of £5 may be imposed for a breach of this Rule.

12  DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP

(A)                Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with three points to be awarded for a win and one point for a drawn match. The teams gaining the highest number of points in their respective Divisions at the conclusion shall be adjudged the winners.  Matches must not be played for double points. In Mini Soccer points can only be awarded for Under 9 Competitions onwards.

            In the event of two or more teams being equal on points team rankings may be decided in any one or more of  the following ways:-

            (i)  goal difference

(ii)  deciding match(es) played under conditions determined by the Management Committee.

(B)               In the event of a team not completing 75% of its fixtures for the season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting team shall be expunged from the Competition table. Where a team does not complete its fixtures but completes more than 75%, the points for its outstanding matches shall be awarded to its opponents.

13  REFEREES

(A)               Registered Referees for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the sanctioning Association(s).

(B)               In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed Referee Or in cases where there is no officially appointed Referee, or where the competition has been unable to appoint a Referee, the Home Club shall appoint a competent person to be the referee. A Referee thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered Referee.

(C)               The Management Committee may, if they consider it desirable, appoint Referees, if available, to any match. Where Assistant Referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club Assistant Referee.  Failure to do so will result in a fine of £5 being imposed on the defaulting Club.

(D)               The appointed Referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the ground in all matches and the decision shall be final.

(E)               Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be entitled to charge standard class public transport expenses or private car expenses of 27p per mile and any other permitted expenses actually incurred together with the following match fees:-

            Referee as laid down in the Norfolk County handbook. Registered Referees appointed by the Management Committee as Assistant Referees as laid down in the Norfolk County handbook subject to any limits laid down by the sanctioning Association(s).

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

(F)                In the event of a match not being played because of circumstances over which the Clubs have no control, the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled to half fee plus expenses. Where a match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Officials, if they attend the ground, their full fee and expenses.

(G)               A Referee not keeping his or her 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.

14  CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP OR WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB

(A)               After 31^st December in the current Season a Club intending, or having a provisional intention, to withdraw a team from the Competition on completion of its fixtures and fulfilment of all other obligations to the Competition must notify the Secretary in writing by 31^st March each Season or be liable to a fine not exceeding £20.

(B)               A Club shall not be allowed to withdraw any or all of its teams from the Competition after the Annual General Meeting for the following Season. Any Club infringing this Rule shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £50 per team and shall also be liable for its share of any call which may be made under Rule 5(B).

(C)               The Membership for the coming season having been decided at the Annual General Meeting held not later than June 30 the Competition shall have the right, irrespective of other provisions in this Rule, to refuse to permit a Club to withdraw its team(s) in order to join another Competition and may hold the Club to its engagements

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

            In the event that any such obligation remains undischarged after a period of twenty-one (21) days then such obligation shall be met by the then current Club Members, excluding those under the statutory school leaving age.  Until a Member’s pro rata obligation is discharged in full the Member shall not be allowed to participate in the Competition, which may apply to the Club’s Parent County Association for a suspension order.

(E)               All applications for the coming season must be received by the general secretary on or before 15^th May and the fee paid to the treasurer, after successful application, by 1^st August in each year.

(F)                Applications may be accepted by the management committee after the closing date but only in exceptional circumstances.

            Applications shall not be accepted from newly formed clubs for the divisions of under 14’s and above, except with the special permission of the management committee.

.

15  PROTESTS AND COMPLAINTS

(A)               (i)  All questions of eligibility, qualifications of players or interpretations of the Rules shall be

                 referred to the Management Committee.

            (ii) Objections relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts or other facilities of the venue will not be entertained by the Management Committee unless a protest is lodged with the Referee before the commencement of the match.  Any Club lodging such protest and not proceeding with it shall be deemed guilty of a breach of this Rule and shall be dealt with by the Management Committee.

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

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

(D)               No protest of whatever kind shall be considered by the Management Committee unless the complaining Club shall have deposited with the Secretary a sum of £15.  This may be forfeited in whole or in part in the event of the complaining or protesting Club losing its case.  The Competition shall have power to order the defaulting Club or the Club making a losing or frivolous protest or complaint to pay the expenses of the enquiry or to order that the costs to be shared by the parties.

(E)               All parties to a protest or complaint must be afforded an opportunity to make a statement when the protest or complaint is being heard and must have received 14 days notice of the hearing, together with a copy of the submission. 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.

16  BOARD OF APPEAL

(A)               Within 14 days of the posting of written notification of any decision of the Management Committee or the Competition, a Club, Official or Player against whom action is taken may appeal against such decision by lodging particulars in duplicate with the Secretary of the Norfolk County Football Association, including a fee of £50, for adjudication of a Board of Appeal.  The grounds of appeal shall be in accordance with FA Rules.  The Board of Appeal may order the appeal fee to be forfeited and shall decide by whom the costs of the appeal shall be borne.  The decision of the Board of Appeal is final and binding on all parties concerned.

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

(B)               A copy of the appeal must be sent to the general secretary at the same time and the decision of the management committee shall not be suspended pending the result of appeal unless the Council of the County F.A. order it.

17  EXCLUSION OF CLUBS OR TEAMS MISCONDUCT, CLUBS, OFFICIALS, PLAYERS

(A)               At the Annual General Meeting, or Special General Meeting called for the purpose in accordance with the provisions of Rule 19, Notice of Motion having been duly circulated on the Agenda, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude any Club or Team from further membership which must be supported by (more than) two-thirds (⅔) of those present and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot.

(B)               At the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 19, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude from further participation in the Competition any Club or team of a Club whose conduct has, in their opinion, been undesirable, which must be supported by (more than) two-thirds (2/3rds) of those present and voting.  Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot.  A Club whose conduct is the subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.

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

(D)               Any Club or Team failing to complete 75% of its fixtures in any season shall (unless the conditions are beyond their control, or the Annual General Meeting decide otherwise) shall be debarred from membership the following season.

(E)               Any team with fines and/or monies owing to the combination shall not be accepted into the combination for the next season.

(F)                Any team deemed guilty of failing to complete their fixtures may be fined £30. Pitch or player unavailability shall not be considered a valid reason.

18  TROPHY:- LEGAL OWNERS, CONDITIONS OF TAKING OVER, AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED, AWARDS

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

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

            “We A _________________and B______________________, the Chairman and Secretary of ________________________FC, members of and representing the Club, having been declared winners of _____________________Cup or Trophy, and it having been delivered to us by the Competition, do hereby on behalf of the Club jointly and severally agree to return the Cup or Trophy to the Competition Secretary on or before 28^th February  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.”

            Failing to return the cup or trophy by the 28^th February shall incur a £50 fine.

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

(D)               A team not playing in the combination must return the cup or trophy within seven days of the request being made.

(E)               The winning club shall be responsible for engraving its name on the trophy before returning it to the combination.  Failing to engrave the cup or trophy shall incur a £20 fine.

(F)                In addition to the cup or trophy the combination may award up to fourteen mementos to the players of the team.  Clubs may purchase, through the combination, extra trophies for players who have played in more than one third of the matches in the competition for the team.

19  SPECIAL GENERAL  MEETINGS

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

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

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

Each Full Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to all Special General Meetings.  Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Not less than 7days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.

Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at a Special General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined £10.

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

All amendment of Rules can only be implemented once approved by the appropriate sanctioning authority.

20  ALTERATION TO RULES

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

Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the Annual General Meeting shall be submitted to the Secretary by 14^th May in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 21^st May and any amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Secretary by 7^th June. The proposals and proposed amendments thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the Annual General Meeting.  A proposal to change a Rule shall be carried if a majority of those present and entitled to vote are in favour.

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

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

21  RULES BINDING ON CLUBS

            Each Member Club shall be deemed to have given its assent to the foregoing Rules and agreed to abide by the decisions of the Management Committee subject to Rule 16.  Each Member Club must abide by any issued Football Association Code of Conduct

22  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 £150 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 30^th April.

(D)               The books, or a certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and shall be audited / verified annually by some suitable person(s) who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

RULES OF CUP COMPETITIONS OF THE COMBINATION

1          Each age division from under 9 to under 18 shall have its own cup competition.

2          Subject to these rules the league rules apply.

3          The draw for the first rounds of the cup competitions shall be made at the Management Committee meeting in August with subsequent draws at the relevant committee meetings.

4          The decision of the management committee relating to dates and venues of matches shall be binding on all teams.

5          The management committee shall endeavour to provide neutral grounds for the semi-final and final ties.

6          Where the management committee is unable to provide a neutral ground, the match shall be played on the ground of the team coming first in the draw.  In the event of the team coming out of the draw first not being able to stage the match on the scheduled date, the game shall be played on the ground of the team having been drawn out second.  In the event of this team also not being able to stage the match on the scheduled date, the management committee shall decide when and where the match shall be played.

7          The management committee shall endeavour to facilitate the official appointment of as many referees and assistant referees for cup matches as possible.  Otherwise Rule 13 shall apply.

8          Expenses relating to all cup matches (with the exception of the final tie) shall be borne equally by both clubs.

9          The combination shall meet all match expenses of the final ties and shall take the proceeds of any gate or programme monies involved.

10        A player may not play for a team if he has played in a previous round for another team in the same age group competition in the same season.

11        No player may play in any semi-final or final tie unless he has been registered for his team prior to 1^st March in each year, and has played in at least two league matches for his team in this combination.

12        Teams found guilty of playing ineligible players in a cup match shall be expelled from the competition and the match awarded to their opponents, subject to Rule 8

13        In the event of a team failing to fulfil a cup-tie on the date decided, it shall forfeit the match to its opponents and be liable to such a fine as the management committee shall decide.

14        Cup matches shall kick off between 10.30 am and 2.00 pm, to be determined by the home team.

15        Both sides shall provide a match ball for cup matches.  The referee shall decide the ball to be used for the match.

16        A cup or trophy shall be awarded to the winning team in a cup final tie.

17        In addition to the cup or trophy the combination may award 14 mementoes to players of the winning team.  Up to six additional mementoes may be purchased by the winning team through the combination for players who play did not play in the final tie but who played in a previous round or rounds.  The names of such players shall be supplied to the management committee with any such request.

18        The management committee may withhold a memento from a player dismissed from the field of play during a cup final.

19        In the event of a draw at the end of normal time in any cup match, including the final tie, extra time of ten minutes each way shall be played.  If the scores are still level at the end of extra time, the match shall be decided by the taking of penalties as laid down in the Laws of Association Football.

CHILD PROTECTION

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

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

3          Upon receipt by the association of:

3.1  notification that an individual has been charged with an offence; or

3.2  notification that an individual is the subject of an investigation by the Police, social services or any other authority relating to an offence; or

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

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

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

4.2  whether the matters are of a serious nature;

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

5           The period of an order referred to in three above shall not be capable of lasting beyond the date upon which any charge under rules of the association or any offence is decided or brought to an end.

6           Where an order is imposed on an individual under regulation three above, the association shall bring and conclude, any proceedings under the rules of the association against the person relating to the matters as soon as reasonably practical.

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

8           For the purposes of these regulations, the association shall act through its council or any committee or sub-committee thereof, including the board.

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

PENALITIES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE RULES

NB fines at Management Committee discretion are normally a minimum of £30

Issued August 2009

CHILD PROTECTION