League Rules
1. DEFINITIONS
1. (A)
In these Rules:
“Affiliated Association” means an
Association accorded the status of an affiliated Association under the Rules of
The FA.
“AGM” shall mean the annual general
meeting held in accordance with the constitution of the Competition.
“Club”
means a Club for the time being in membership of the Competition and “Team”
means a side from a Club especially where a Club provides more than one Team in
a division in accordance with the Rules.
“Competition” means the Essex
Sunday Corinthian 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.
“Fines Tariff” means a list of
fines approved by the Clubs at a general meeting to be levied by the Management
Committee for any breach of the Rules.
“Ground” means the ground on which
the Club’s team(s) plays its Competition Matches.
“Management Committee” means in the
case of a Competition which is an unincorporated association, the management
committee elected to manage the running of the Competition and where the
Competition is incorporated it means the Board of Directors appointed in
accordance with the articles of association of that company.
“Match Officials” means the
referee, the assistant referees and any fourth official appointed to a
Competition Match.
“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.
“Player” means any Contract Player,
Non Contract Player or other Player who plays or who is eligible to play for a
Club.
“Playing Season” means the period
between the date on which the first competitive fixture in the Competition is
played each year until the date on which the last competitive fixture in the
Competition is played.
“Rules” means
these rules under which the Competition is administered.
“Sanctioning
Authority” means the Essex County Football Association Limited.
“Scholarship”
means a Scholarship as set out in Rule C 3 (a) (i) of the Rules of The FA.
“Secretary” means such person or
persons appointed or elected to carry out the administration of the
Competition.
“Team Sheet” means a form provided
by the Competition on which the names of the Players taking part in a
Competition match are listed.
“The FA” means The Football
Association Limited.
“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.
(B) 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 16.
(C) The Competition will be known
as Essex
Sunday Corinthian 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.
(D) The administration of the
Competition under these Rules will be carried out by the Competition acting
(save where otherwise specifically mentioned herein) through the Management
Committee in accordance with the rules, regulations and policies of The FA.
2. NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION
2. (A)
This Competition shall consist of not more than 66 Clubs approved by the
Sanctioning Authority.
(B)
All Clubs must be affiliated to an Affiliated Association and their names and
particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date on the Form “D” to
the Essex County Football Association and must have a constitution approved by
the Sanctioning Authority.
This Competition shall apply
annually for sanction to the Essex County Football Association and the
constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not
exceeding twelve in number.
(C)
Only one team shall be permitted from any Club to participate in the same
division as another team from the same Club unless there is no viable
alternative because of logistical issues and/or reasons linked to participation
and geographical boundaries. This Competition will obtain the prior approval of
the Sanctioning Association in the event of a division comprising of more than
one team from the same Club. This Competition will ensure that, where
permission is given, teams from a Club operating in the same division are run
as separate entities with no interchange of players other than via transfers of
registration in accordance with these Rules.
(D) Inclusivity
and Non-discrimination
(i) The Competition and each Club
must be committed to promoting inclusivity and to eliminating all forms of
discrimination
(ii) Any
alleged breach of the Equality Act 2010 legislation must be referred to the
appropriate Sanctioning Authority for investigation.
(E) Clubs must comply with the
provisions of any initiatives of The FA which are adopted by the Competition.
(F) 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.
(G)
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 constitution of the divisions at their discretion. When necessary
this Rule shall take precedence over Rule 12.
3. ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT
3. (A)
Applications by Clubs for admission to this Competition or the entry of an
additional team(s) from the same Club must be made in writing to the Secretary
and must be accompanied by the Entry Fee set out in the Fees Tariff 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.
When Rule 12(B) is applied or a team
seeks a transfer or is compulsorily transferred to another division no Entry
Fee shall be payable.
(B) The Annual Subscription shall be
£130.00 per Team payable on or before the Annual General Meeting of the
Competition in each year. This includes entry to league, league cup,
Corinthian/Trophyland cup and twenty player registrations.
(C) In the event of any issue
concerning the membership of any Club with the Competition the Management
Committee may require a Deposit to be paid by or on behalf of the Club on such
terms and for such period as it may in its entire discretion think fit.
The Entry Fee specified in Rule 2(A)
shall be the deposit.
(D) A Club shall not participate in
this Competition until the Entry Fee, Annual Subscription and Deposit (if
required) have been paid.
(E) Clubs must advise annually to
the Secretary in writing by 1st August of its Sanctioning Authority
affiliation number for the forthcoming Season.. Clubs must advise the Secretary
in writing, or on the prescribed form, of details of its Headquarters, Officers
and any other information required by the Competition.
(F)
Each Club shall purchase two (2) tickets for the Annual Presentation awards,
where such an event is organised. Teams receiving League/Cup honours must be
represented and shall be required to purchase a minimum of 14 tickets. The
Management Committee will determine the cost of the tickets.
4. MANAGEMENT, NOMINATION, ELECTION
4. (A) The Management Committee shall
comprise the Officers of the Competition and five members who shall be elected
at the Annual General Meeting.
The
Officers of the Competition shall be the President, Vice-Presidents, Life
Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant
Secretary, Registration Secretary, Referees Secretary, Assistant Referees
Secretary, Discipline Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Results
Secretary, Result Cards Secretary and Press Secretary to be elected annually at
the Annual General Meeting. (N.B. Auditors/Verifiers are not Officers).
(B) All 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 1st May 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 and when required with no more than three calendar months between each
meeting.
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.
Telephone communications received
from Clubs must be conducted before 8.30 p.m. (emergencies excepted). Clubs in
default of this Rule will incur a fine.
(F) The League Council will consist
of the Management Committee and representatives of each Club.
Within 14
days of election, each member Club in addition to the Club Secretary will
nominate two delegates to the Council for the ensuing season. Clubs in default
will be fined.
Council
shall meet as frequently as required during the months of September to May.
A Club
failing to be represented at a Council Meeting shall be fined. Failing to be
represented at two consecutive meetings without satisfactory reason being given
shall be fined a further amount. A Club absent on a third occasion during the
season will be fined. All Clubs are required to sign the attendance register
provided, failure to sign shall be regarded as non-attendance at the meeting.
5. POWERS OF MANAGEMENT
5. (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
Essex 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.
(C) Each Member of the Management
Committee shall have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee
Meetings and have one vote thereat, but no Member shall be allowed to vote on
any matters directly appertaining to such Member or to the Club so represented
or where there may be a conflict of interest. (This shall apply to the
procedure of any sub-committee).
In the event of the voting being
equal on any matter, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
(D)
The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce 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 5(I), 6(H), 10(A), 11 and 19, for all breaches of Rule a
formal written charge must be issued to the Club concerned. The Club charged
shall be given seven days from the date of notification of the charge to reply
to the charge and given the opportunity to:-
(i) Accept or deny the charge
(ii) Submit in writing a case of mitigation,
or
(iii) Put their case before the Management
Committee at a personal hearing.
All breaches of the Laws of the
Game, or the Rules and Regulations of The FA shall be dealt with in accordance
with F.A. Rules by the appropriate Association.
All fines levied shall be in
accordance with the Fines Tariff. The maximum fine permitted for any breach of
a Rule is £250 and, when setting any fine, the Competition must ensure that the
penalty is proportional to the offence, taking into account any mitigating
circumstances.
(E) All decisions of the Management
Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal in accordance with
Rule 16.
Decisions of the Management
Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within ten days.
(F) More than fifty percent (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.
(I)
All fines and charges are payable forthwith and must be paid within 21 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 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 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 Annual General or Special General Meeting called to
decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition season.
(L) The
business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee may be transacted by electronic mail or
facsimile.
(M) Benevolent
Fund – The Management Committee will appoint as necessary trustees to serve in
the capacity of administrators in relation to the distribution of any funds in
the account. The fund will operate within the rules as determined by the Essex
County Football Association Benevolent Fund.
6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
6. (A) The Annual General Meeting shall be
held not later than 30th June in each year. At this meeting the
following business shall be transacted provided that at least 75% Members are
present and entitled to vote:-
(i) To
receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.
(ii) To
receive and adopt the Annual Report, Balance Sheet and Statement of
Accounts.
(iii) Election
of Clubs to fill vacancies.
(iv) Constitution
of the Competition for ensuing season.
(v) Election
of Officers and Management Committee.
(vi) Appointment
of Auditors/Verifiers.
(vii) Alteration
of Rules, if any (of which notice has been given).
(viii) Fix the
date for the commencement of the playing season.
(ix) 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, together with any proposed changes
of Rules.
(C) A
signed copy of the duly
audited/verified Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent
to the Essex County Football Association within fourteen days of its adoption
by the Annual General Meeting.
(D) Each Club shall be empowered to send two
delegates to an Annual General Meeting. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote
only. Fourteen days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting.
(E) Clubs
who have withdrawn their Membership of the Competition during the season being
concluded or who are not continuing Membership shall be entitled to attend but
shall vote only on matters relating to the season being concluded.
(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 Member Club.
(H) Any
continuing Member Club must be represented at the Annual General Meeting.
(I) Officers and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at an Annual General Meeting.
7. AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED
7. The Chairman and the Secretary of each
Club shall complete and sign the following agreement which shall be deposited
with the Competition together with the Application for Membership for the
coming season, or upon indicating that the Club intends to compete.
"We, A, __________________ of
_________________________ (Chairman) and
B
________________________ of _________________________ (Secretary) of the
_________________________________ Football Club have been provided with a copy
of the Rules and Regulations of the Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League
Competition and do hereby agree for and on behalf of the said Club, 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 relevant County
Football Association(s) to which the Club is affiliated and to the Secretary of
the Competition.
8. QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS
8. (A)(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 signing a registration form for that 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)
While serving in any branch of Her Majesty’s Regular Forces, a player must
first obtain the consent of his/her Association Secretary before signing a
registration form to play for a Club.
(iii) Each Club must have at least
11 players per team registered by 1st September of the current playing
season.
(B) A Player is one who, being in
all other respects eligible, has:-
(i) Signed a fully and correctly
completed Competition registration form in ink, countersigned by an Officer of
the Club, and submitted to the Competition two days prior to playing and whose
registration has been confirmed by the Competition prior to that player playing
in a Competition match.
(ii) Not in use.
(C) Not
in use.
(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. In the event that a
Player could be required to pay a proportion of a debt due under The FA
Football Debt Recovery System then, whether or not the debt has been referred
to the relevant County FA, the Competition must not affect the player’s
registration in any way or refuse to register a transfer due to that debt being
outstanding. The Competition cannot refuse to register a Player for an unpaid
non-footballing debt.
(E) A
fee as set out in the Fees Tariff shall be paid by each Club/team for each
player registered.
Registration
forms shall be obtained from the Registrations Secretary. Twenty registration
forms per team are supplied at the beginning of the season.
(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 a breach of Rule for a player to:-
(i)
Play for more than one Club in the Competition in the same season without first
being transferred.
(ii)
Having signed for one Club in the Competition, sign for another Club in the
Competition in that season except for the purpose of a transfer.
(iii)
Submit a signed registration form for registration that the player had wilfully
neglected to accurately or fully complete.
(H) (i)
The Management Committee shall have the power to accept the registration of any
player subject to the provisions of clauses (ii) and (iii) below.
(ii)
The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the
registration of any player or may fine any player at their discretion who has
been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities. (Subject to Rule
16).
(iii) The Management Committee shall have power
to make application to refuse or cancel the registration of any player charged
and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 16) subject to the
right of appeal to the FA or the relevant County Football Association.
Undesirable
conduct shall mean an incident of repeated proven misconduct, 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 or intending to be
registered with.
(iv) For a
player who has previously had a registration removed in accordance with clause
(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 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. 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 a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence
for any team playing in this Competition.)
(I) 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 to the Registrations
Secretary accompanied by a fee as set out in the Fees Tariff. 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 three days of receipt of the notification. Upon receipt of the
Club's consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within three
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 seven 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 28th February except by special permission of the
Management Committee.
(K) A
Club shall keep a list of the players it registers and a record of the games in
which they have played, and shall produce such records upon demand by the
Management Committee.
(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.
In the event of a player without a
written contract changing his status to that of a contract player with the same
Club, another Club in the Competition or with a Club in another Competition his
registration as a player without a written contract will automatically be
cancelled and declared void unless the Club conforms to the exception detailed
in Rule 8 (A)(i)
(M) A player shall not be eligible
to play for a team in any special championship, promotion or relegation
deciding match (as specified in Rule 12(A)) unless the player has played four
games for that team in this Competition in the current season.
(N) A
player who has played six times or more for their first team shall not in that
season be eligible to play in a lower Division except by permission of the
Management Committee.
(O) Any Club found to have played an
ineligible Player in a match or matches shall have any points gained from that
match or matches deducted from its record, up to a maximum of 12 points, and
have levied upon it a fine. The Management Committee may also order that such
match or matches be replayed on such terms as are decided by the Management
Committee which may also levy penalty points against the Club in default.
The Management Committee may vary
this decision in respect of the points gained 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.
In exceptional circumstances 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.
(The
following Clause applies to Competitions involving players in full-time
secondary education):-
(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 Leagues).
(iii)
To play open age football the player must have achieved the age of 16.
(Q) Any Officer of the League, Club Secretary,
or Team Captain is empowered to obtain the signatures of all players
representing a team in a match at half time/ full time. Clubs shall be
responsible for their players’ actions and any refusal to complete the form,
when requested, will deem the offending player and Club guilty of misconduct.
This form shall be submitted to the League Secretary as part of any protest (Rule15)
for adjudication by the League Management Committee. If any irregularity is
found, the matter will be dealt with by the League Management Committee as
provided by the Rules of this Competition on player eligibility (Rule 8).
9. CLUB COLOURS, CLUB NAME
9. (A)
Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary
by 15th July who shall decide as to their suitability.
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
colour of the goalkeepers jersey) at least five days before the match.
If, in the opinion of the referee,
two Clubs have the same or similar colours, the away team shall make the
change. A Club must not delay the scheduled time of kick-off for a competition
match by not having a change of colours.
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 must obtain permission from the Sanctioning Authority and from the
Management Committee. Any Club wishing to change its colours during the playing
season must obtain permission from the Management Committee.
10. PLAYING SEASON, CONDITIONS OF PLAY, TIMES OF KICK-OFF, POSTPONEMENTS, SUBSTITUTES
10. (A) The Annual General Meeting shall determine the date for the
commencement of the season.
The
Fixture Secretary can determine ‘double headers’ shall be played. ‘Double
headers’ are two League matches each of 60 minutes duration between the same
opponents, played on the same date, at the same venue. The matches will be
regarded as separate matches producing the season’s two League results between
the teams involved. The pitch and Referee’s fee and expenses will be shared 50%
each by the teams involved. The team whose home pitch is used shall collect the
monies due and pay the Referee.
The
fixtures shall be arranged by the Fixture Secretary, who shall make all
fixtures for the season. The Fixture Secretary shall have full authority to
arrange and re-arrange all fixture dates at his own discretion. In an emergency
the Fixture Secretary may, by post, electronic mail or telephone, by Tuesday at
the latest give Clubs fixtures for the following Sunday. After this time
fixtures can be arranged with the mutual agreement of all concerned.
Teams
wishing to cancel a fixture or wishing to retain a free Sunday, must do so in
writing to the Fixture Secretary 28 days prior to the date in question, with
specific reasons for such request.
(B) All matches shall be played in
accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International
Football Association Board.
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.
Football Turf Pitches (3G) are
allowed in this Competition providing they meet the required performance
standards and are listed on the FA’s Register of Football Turf pitches. For
clubs playing at Step 7 and below a pitch 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 10(D).
All
matches shall have a duration of 90 minutes unless a shorter time (not less
than sixty (60) 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. Two matches involving the same two teams can be played on
the same day providing the total playing time is not more than 120 minutes.
The times of kick-off shall be fixed
by the Management Committee. Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time
shall be fined or be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may
determine.
Referees
must order matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late
starts to the Competition.
The home team must provide goal nets
and at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to
the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable.
Goal nets
must be suitably anchored to the ground. Regulation corner posts must be used.
Clubs in default shall be fined.
Each Club
shall provide on the day of the match a fully equipped First Aid box. Clubs in
default shall be fined.
(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 parent County
Association Cup Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary.
Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the
Fixtures Secretary.
In the case of a revised fixture
date, the Clubs must be given by the Competition 5 clear days notice of the
match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).
(D) The Secretary of the home Club
must give notice of the full particulars of the location of, and access to, the
ground and time of kick-off to the match officials and the Secretary of the
opposing Club at least five clear days prior to the playing of the match. If
not so provided, the away Club and match officials shall seek such details and
report the circumstances to the Competition.
(E) A minimum of eight players will
constitute a team for a Competition match.
(F)(i) Home and away matches shall
be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement the Management
Committee shall have power to inflict a fine, deduct points from the defaulting
Club, award the points from the match in question to the opponents, order the
defaulting Club to pay any expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal
with them except the award of goals. Not withstanding the foregoing home and
away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a match to
be played on a neutral ground or on the opponent's ground if they are satisfied
that such action is warranted by the circumstances.
(ii) 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.
(iii) Any Club unable to fulfil a
fixture or where a fixture 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. In addition, the
Results Secretary must be notified.
(iv) In the event of a match not
being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control,
it shall be played in its entirety on a date to be mutually agreed by the two
Clubs and approved by the Management Committee. Failing such agreement and
notification to the Fixtures Secretary within four days the Management
Committee shall have power to order the match to be played on a named date or
on or before a given date.
(v) The Management Committee shall
review all matches abandoned in cases where it is consequent upon the conduct
of either or both Teams. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and
does no injustice to either Club, the Management Committee shall be empowered to
order the score at the time of the abandonment to stand. In all cases where the
Management Committee are satisfied that a match was abandoned owing to the
conduct of one team or its Club member(s) they shall be empowered to award the
points for the match to the 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.
(vi) The
Management Committee shall review any match that has taken place where either
or both teams were under a suspension imposed upon them by the Association 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 8(O) above. Where both teams were under
suspension the game must be declared null and void.
(G) A Club may at its discretion and
in accordance with the Laws of the Game use five substitute players in any
match in this Competition who may be selected from five players.
A player
who has been substituted himself becomes a substitute and may replace a 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 ten minutes before the start of the
match and a player not so named may not take part in that 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 five minutes duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen minutes. The half
time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.
(I)
The Clubs taking part in the fixture shall identify a team captain who has a responsibility
to offer support in the management of the on-field discipline of his team
mates.
(J)
Clubs are required to complete the multi-coloured Team Sheet showing Surname,
Forename and shirt number, in Block Capitals of participating players and substitutes.
PRIOR
TO THE MATCH:
(BOTH
TEAMS) PINK COPY to your opponents, and WHITE COPY to the referee in their
dressing room at least 10 minutes before the scheduled kick-off. This Team
Sheet shall also show the name of the referee. Defaulting Clubs shall be
reported and shall be fined for each separate offence.
(Note:
BLUE COPY is for your records).
11. REPORTING RESULTS
11. (A) The Result Cards Secretary must
receive within three 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 13, or any other information required by the Competition.
Additional information includes:
player registration numbers, the home and away team names, fixture date,
competition, final score (indicating AET and penalties, where appropriate),
goalscorers, substitutes and whether used, Referee’s name, Assistant Referee(s)
name, disciplinary and sportsmanship markings.
If there
are discrepancies between the match result sheet and the team sheet given to
the Referee and opposition prior to the match, the names on the team sheet will
be taken as being correct.
(B) The Home Club shall
telephone/notify the result of each match to the Results Secretary by 4p.m. on
the day of the match or 10p.m. for evening fixtures. This includes all outside
matches, County Cup games etc., whether playing home or away, and any unplayed
games.
(C) The match result notification,
correctly completed, shall be signed by a responsible member of the Club.
12. DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP
12. (A) Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by
points with three points to be awarded for a win and one point for a drawn
match. The teams gaining the highest number of points in their respective
Divisions at the conclusion shall be adjudged the winners. Matches must not be
played for double points.
In
circumstances where two or more teams are equal on points team rankings shall
be determined by goal difference where the goals scored against by each team
shall be deducted from the goals scored by that team and the largest positive
difference shall be placed the highest. In the event of the goal difference
being equal the highest placed team shall be the team which has scored the most
goals. In the event that two or more teams have the same goal difference and
have scored the same number of goals then the highest placed team shall be the
team which has won the most matches.
In
the event of the two teams still being equal the team which has the better
playing record against the other team in their head to head Competition matches
during the Season will be the highest placed team.
If
the records of two or more teams are still equal and it is necessary for any
reason to determine the position of each then the teams affected shall play a
deciding match or matches as determined by the Management Committee.
(B)
Automatic promotion and relegation shall be applied for the first two and last two teams in each
Division except as provided for hereunder, subject to the provisions of Rule
2(G).
(i)
Should one or more teams withdraw from any one Division after the fixtures have
commenced an equal number of teams to those withdrawing in that Division shall
not be automatically relegated.
(ii)
Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of the season may be filled on any of
the following ways:
(a)
retention of otherwise relegated team(s)
(b)
additional promotion of the next ranked team(s) from the Division below
(c)
election
(iii)
The last two teams in the lowest Division shall retire, but be eligible for
re-election except as below, and be subject to the conditions of paragraph
(B)(i) above.
(iv)
When a senior team is relegated to a lower Division of which its reserve team
is a member, or entitled to be a member, such reserve team must accept
relegation to, or retain its position in, the next lower Division; and should
the senior team be relegated to the lowest Division its reserve team
automatically retires from the Competition.
(v)
Should either or both of the leading teams in any of the Divisions have its
senior team in the next higher Division, promotion shall fall, at the
discretion of the General Meeting, to the next highest team or teams in the
Division concerned.
(C)
In the event of a team not completing 75% of its fixtures for the season all
points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting team shall be expunged
from the Competition table.
Where
a team withdraws having completed 75% of its fixtures the points for any
unplayed games shall be awarded to the defaulting team's opponents.
(D)
Not in use.
13. REFEREES
13. (A)
Registered Referees (and Assistant Referees where approved by the FA or County
FA) for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management
Committee and by the Sanctioning Authority.
(B) In the event of the
non-appearance of the appointed Referee the appointed senior Assistant Referee
shall take charge and a substitute Assistant Referee appointed by the competing
Teams. In cases where there are no officially appointed Assistant Referees, or
where the competition has been unable to appoint a Referee, the Clubs shall
agree upon a Referee. An individual thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have
the full powers, status and authority of a registered Referee. Individuals
under the age of 16 must not participate either as a Referee or Assistant
Referee in any open age competition.
(C)
Where Assistant Referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club Assistant
Referee.
(D)
The appointed Referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the
ground in all matches and the decision shall be final subject to either in the
case of a ground of a Local Authority or the owners of a ground, the
Representative of that body is the sole arbiter and whose decision must be
accepted unless the ground is declared fit for play.
(E)
Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be entitled to charge travel
expenses of 0p per mile together with the following match fees:-
Referee
£30.00 inclusive, Registered Referees appointed by the Management Committee as
Assistant Referees £20.00 inclusive, subject to any limits laid down by the
sanctioning Association (currently £30.00 inclusive for
Referees and £20.00 inclusive for Assistant Referees).
The
Home Club shall pay the Officials their fees and/or expenses before the match.
Clubs in default of this rule shall be fined.
For double header matches the fees
are: Referee £40.00 (£20 each 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.
(H)
Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The Football
Association, award marks to the Referee for each match and the name of the
Referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to the Competition on the
prescribed Form provided. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be
liable to be fined 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 Football
Association/County Association.
(J)
The Referee shall submit a report Form, supplied by the Competition, giving the
result of the match, the number of players in each team and the time of
kick-off to the Discipline Secretary within two days of the match.
(K)
Referees and Assistant Referees shall be supplied, each Season, with a copy of
the Competition Rules free of charge.
14. CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP OR WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB
14. (A) 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 31st March each Season.
All
Clubs wishing to remain in membership of the Competition for the following
Season must confirm their intention to do so, in writing, to the Secretary by 1st
April. Clubs in default will be liable to a fine.
(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.
(C) In the event of a Member Club
failing to discharge all its financial obligations to the Competition in excess
of £50, the Management Committee are empowered to refer the debt under The FA
Football Debt Recovery provisions.
15. PROTESTS AND COMPLAINTS
15. (A) (i)
All questions of eligibility, qualifications of players or interpretations of
the Rules shall be referred to the Management Committee.
(ii)
Objections relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts or other
facilities of the venue will not be entertained by the Management Committee
unless a protest is lodged with the Referee before the commencement of the
match.
(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 four 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) 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 enquiry 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
seven days’ notice of the Hearing should they be instructed to attend.
(ii) Should a Club elect to state
its case in person then they should indicate such when forwarding the written
response.
16. BOARD OF APPEAL
16. 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 Essex County Football Association,
including a fee of £35, 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.
17. EXCLUSION OF CLUBS OR TEAMS, MISCONDUCT, CLUBS, OFFICIALS, PLAYERS
17. (A) At the Annual General Meeting, or Special General Meeting
called for the purpose, 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 exclude any Club or Team from membership which
must be supported by (more than) two thirds (2/3) of those present and voting.
Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A Club which is the subject
of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.
(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 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 Clause (A) of this Rule.
18. TROPHY:- LEGAL OWNERS, CONDITIONS OF TAKING OVER, AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED. AWARDS
18. (A) 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 28th 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.”
Failure
to comply will result in a fine as determined by the Management Committee.
Any
Club failing to return a Cup or Trophy in a clean state and ready for
re-presentation shall be fined.
(B)
At the close of each Competition awards may be made to the winners and
runners-up if the funds of the Competition permit.
19. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
19. 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 seven days notice shall be given of either meeting under this Rule,
together with an agenda of the business to be transacted at such meeting. Each
Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to all Special General
Meetings. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only, as will members of the
Management Committee.
Any
continuing Member Club must be represented at a Special General Meeting.
Officers
and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all
Special General Meetings.
20. ALTERATION TO RULES
20. Alterations, for which consent has been given by the
Sanctioning Authority, 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 these Rules 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 1st April in each year. The proposals,
together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be circulated to
the Clubs by 15th April and any amendments thereto shall be
submitted to the Secretary by 1st May. The proposals and proposed
amendments thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the Annual
General Meeting. A proposal to change a Rule shall be carried if a majority of
those present, entitled to vote and voting, 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 at least twenty-eight days prior to the date
of the meeting.
21. FINANCE
21. (A) The Management Committee shall
determine with which bank or other financial institution the funds of the
Competition will be lodged.
(B)
All expenditure in excess of £50.00 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 31st May.
(D)
The books, or a certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and
shall be audited annually by
some suitable person(s) who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
(E) Honoraria, if paid, must be
agreed at the Annual General Meeting and relate to the season just concluded.
The Management Committee shall recommend which Officers may receive honoraria
and the level of payment. All the above to be detailed on the AGM paperwork
under “Any other business” (Rule 6(A)(ix)).
22. INSURANCE
22. All
Clubs must have public liability insurance cover of at least 10 million pounds
(£10,000,000).
All Clubs shall be members of a
Players’ personal accident scheme. The policy cover shall be at least equal to
the minimum recommended cover determined from time to time by the sanctioning
Association. In instances where The Football Association is the sanctioning
Association, the minimum recommended cover will be the cover required by the
Affiliated Association to which a Club affiliates.
23. DISSOLUTION
23. (A) Dissolution of the Competition shall
be by resolution approved at a Special General Meeting by a majority of three
quarters (3/4) of the members present and shall take effect from the date of
the relevant Special General Meeting.
(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 Essex County Football Association or the Essex County 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 Essex County Football
Association.
(ii) If a Competition is
discontinued for any reason a Trophy or any other presentation shall be
returned to the Donor if the conditions attached to it so provide or, if not,
dealt with as the Essex County Football Association may decide.
Approved
ECFA 10.7.2015 Including Competition amendments June 2015.
FEES TARIFF
|
RULE |
DESCRIPTION |
FEE |
|
3 (A) |
Entry Fee |
£ 50 |
|
3 (B) |
Annual Subscription |
£ 130 |
|
3 (C) |
Deposit |
£ 50 |
|
8 (E) |
Registration Fee |
£ 1 |
|
8 (E) |
Registration Form |
£ 0 |
|
8 (I) |
Transfer Fee |
£ 5 |
|
15 (C) |
Protest Fee |
£ 20 |
FINES TARIFF
|
RULE |
DESCRIPTION |
FINE |
|
2 (F) |
Unauthorised entry into other
Competitions |
£ Discret. |
|
3 (E) |
Failure to provide affiliation
number/details form |
£ 20 |
|
4 (E) |
Contacting League outside
specified times |
£ 5 |
|
4 (F) |
Failure
to nominate delegates to League Council |
£ 20 |
|
4 (F) |
Failure
to be represented at a League Council meeting |
£ 20 |
|
4 (F) |
Failure
to be represented at two consecutive meetings |
£ 30 |
|
4 (F) |
Failure
to be represented at a third meeting |
£ 50 |
|
5 (H) |
Failure to comply with an
instruction of the management
committee |
£ Discret. |
|
5 (I) |
Failure to pay a fine within 21
days of notice |
£ 50 max. |
|
6 (H) |
Failure to be represented at AGM |
£ 50 |
|
7 |
Failure to submit the required
written agreement or to notify changes to signatories |
£ Discret. |
|
8 (A) (iii) |
Failure to have the required
number of registered players prior to the season commencing |
£ 35/team |
|
8 (G) |
Signing or playing for multiple
clubs, or inaccurate completion of a registration form |
£ Discret. |
|
8 (H) (ii) |
Registration irregularities |
£ Discret. |
|
8 (O) |
Playing an ineligible player |
£ Discret. |
|
9 (A) |
Delaying kick off by not having
change of colours |
£ 10 |
|
9 (B) |
Failure to obtain consent for a
change of club name |
£ Discret. |
|
10 (B) |
Late kick-off |
£ 10 max. |
|
10 (B) |
No nets/ no corner flags/ no
suitable footballs |
£ 10 |
|
10 (B) |
No First aid kit |
£ 10 |
|
10 (D) |
Failure to provide details of a
fixture |
£ 10 |
|
10 (F) (i) |
Failure to keep engagement |
£ Discret. |
|
10 (F) (ii) |
Failure to observe precedence |
£ 10 max. |
|
10 (F) (iii) |
Failure to notify postponement |
£ Discret. |
|
10 (I) |
Not identifying a team captain |
£ Discret. |
|
10 (J) |
Failing to carry out Team Sheet
procedure |
£ 15 |
|
11 (A) |
Late result sheet |
£ 20 |
|
11 (A) |
Discrepancies between team sheet
and result sheet |
£ 20 |
|
11 (B) |
Failure to provide result |
£ Discret. |
|
11 (C) |
Incorrect result sheet |
£ 20 |
|
13 (C) |
Failure to provide club
assistant referee |
£ 10 |
|
13 (E) |
Failure to pay match officials’
fees and expenses |
£ 20 |
|
13 (F) |
Failure to pay match officials
where a match is not played |
£ Discret. |
|
13 (H) |
Failure to provide referee’s
mark |
£ Discret. |
|
14 (A) |
Withdrawal From League After
31st March |
£ 50 max. |
|
14 (A) |
Failing to confirm intention to
remain in membership |
£ 40 max. |
|
14 (B) |
Failure to start/complete
fixtures |
£ 50 max. |
|
18 (A) |
Failure to return Trophy |
£ Discret. |
|
18 (A) |
Failure to return trophy in a
clean state |
£ 20 |
|
19 |
Failure to be represented at SGM |
£ 50 |