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(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 the 15th
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, with the exception of Laws 1 and 3, 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 15 minutes) is mutually arranged
by the two captains 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 for the under 10 group. The
duration of play shall be as follows: for under 10 age
group, 20 minutes each way, under 11 age group, 25 minutes
each way and for under 12, 30 minutes each way. The maximum
playing time in any one day for the under 10 age group 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 13 and under 14, 35 minutes each
half and for the under 15 and under 16, 40 minutes each
half.
The minimum time for any game will not be less than 20
minutes each half for players in the under 14 and under 15
age groups.
No player under the age of 17 as at midnight on 31st August
in any season shall be permitted to play more than one game
or, in the event the competition allows the playing of a
double-header, ie: two separate matches, 100 minutes per day
in this Competition.
The times of kick-off shall be fixed by the home team, but
shall not be earlier than 11.00am, nor later than 3.00pm,
unless by mutual agreement. Any Club failing to commence at
the appointed time may be fined a sum not exceeding £5.00 or
be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may
determine.
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 4 for those playing in the under
10, 11 and 12 age groups. For Youth Football - size 4 for
those playing under 13 and under 14 and size 5 for all other
age groups.
(C) Except by permission of the Management Committee all
matches must be played on the dates originally fixed but
priority shall be given to The Football Association and all
relevant County Association Cup Competitions. All other
matches must be considered secondary. Clubs may mutually
agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the
Fixtures Secretary.
(D) The Secretary, Manager or other Club official, of the
home Club must give notice in writing of full particulars of
the location of, and access to, the ground and time of
kick-off to the match officials and the Manager of the
opposing Club at least five clear days prior to the playing
of the match. Full particulars of the location of, and
access to, all grounds shall be contained in the League
Handbook. Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be
liable to a fine of £10.00.
(E) Every Club shall play its best available qualified team
or teams in all matches in the Competition.
(Note: The intention of this Rule is not to interfere with
normal team selection by Clubs, but to prevent Clubs
deliberately fielding a weakened team in order to
unreasonably reserve players for another game or to boost
the strength of another or lower team. It is NOT intended
that Clubs MUST field higher team players in lower teams
when the higher team has no engagement. If, in the opinion
of the Management Committee, the substance or spirit of the
Rule is obviously being disregarded, the Club or Clubs
concerned may be called to account for its/their actions and
shall be subject to such decisions as the Management
Committee may determine, despite the fact that Rule 8 has
not been infringed.)
In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than
seven players they may be fined £10.00 for each missing
player. At the start of a match, a minimum of six players
will constitute a team for a Competition Mini-Soccer match
and seven for a 9-a-side match and eight for an 11-a-side
match. If, in any Mini-Soccer fixture, the number of players
reduces to below 6, and if in any other fixture, the number
of players reduces to below 7, the referee shall abandon the
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 unable to fulfil a fixture must, without delay,
give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the Competition
Referees Appointments Secretary, the Manager of the opposing
Club and the match officials. Such postponement, and the
reason for the postponement, must be notified to the
Fixtures Secretary, on the appropriate form, within 3 days
of the date of the postponement. Any Club failing to comply
shall be liable to a fine of £10.00.
Unless in the case of bad weather, such postponement will
not be accepted after 8.00 pm on the Friday evening prior to
the fixture and will also not be accepted if the postponing
team has previously postponed 2 fixtures with less than 10
days notice, unless any of these were due to bad weather.
Any Club failing to comply with this rule shall be charged
with failing to fulfil the fixture under rule 10(f).
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 fourteen 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 its Club
member(s) they shall be empowered to award the points for
the match to the opponents and/or take what other action
they may deem necessary. In cases where a match is abandoned
owing to the conduct of both teams, or of their Club
members, the Management Committee shall take such action, as
they consider appropriate. Such action is subject to any
disciplinary action taken by the appropriate County Football
Association.
(G) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the
Laws of the Game use up to five substitute players in any
match in this Competition who may be selected from five
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 herself 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 five 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 at least five minutes
duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen minutes The half
time interval may only be altered with the consent of the
referee.
(J) For Youth Football matches in theunder-13, under-14 and
under-15 groups, teams will consist of 8 outfield players
and a goalkeeper and shall take place on pitches which
measure between 70 and 90 yards by between 40 yards and 60
yards. Goal sizes shall be between 6.5 and 7.5 yards wide by
between 6.5 and 7.5 feet high. For Mini-Soccer, under-10 and
under - 11 matches shall take place on pitches which measure
between 50 yards and 60 yards by between 30 and 40 yards,
and under-12 & 13 matches shall take place on pitches which
measure 60 yards by 40 yards. Under-16 matches, except by
prior agreement of both teams, will play 9v9 in accordance
with Youth Football matches as above, except that the use of
full size goals and full size pitch is permissible. Prior
agreement – made at least 5 days before the fixture – may be
made to play in accordance with normal 11-a-side football.
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