NOMENCLATURE
1. (A) This Competition
shall be designated the Medway Youth League
and known as the
Medway Messenger Youth League and shall consist of not more than 44 Clubs approved
by the sanctioning authority.
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 the Form “D” to
the Kent County Football Association. The area covered by the Competition
Membership shall be grounds within a radius of 20 miles of The Brook Theatre,
This Competition shall
apply annually for sanction to the Kent County Football Association and the
constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not
exceeding 14 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.
This
Competition wishes to become a designated Charter Standard League. Existing
Member Clubs have two years (until the end of the 2012-13 season) to achieve
the Charter Standard club award or face expulsion from the League. New Member
Clubs have one year to achieve the Charter Standard club award. The League has
the right to refuse membership to a Club if it fails to demonstrate commitment
to achieving the award.
The competition will provide 11-a-side football for players who have
attained the age of 10 as at
Other
formats of youth football as authorised from time to time by the FA are also
permitted.
(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) (i) Member clubs
cannot enter more than 2 teams in any age group from under 7
to under 16.
(ii) Member
clubs entering teams at under 7 to under 10 age groups will be required to register enough players to
provide two 6 a side teams.
(iii) Priority of membership will be given to teams
who played in the League in the previous season.
(D) Each member club must have an adult secretary
and each member club shall be
supplied with one copy of the League
Constitution for the secretary and additional
copies for each team entered into the
League.
(E) Mobile numbers for contact with clubs/fixture
secretaries will not be accepted.
ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT
2. (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.
When Rule 12(B) is applied and a team seeks a transfer or is
compulsorily transferred to another division no Entry Fee shall be payable.
(B) The Annual
Subscription shall be £25 per Team playing 11-a-side football and £25 per Team playing Mini-Soccer payable on
or before the 1st August in each year.
(C) Each Club shall,
pay a Deposit of £0 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.
(E) Clubs must advise
annually to the Secretary in writing by 1st August of it’s Kent County
Football Association
affiliation number for the forthcoming Season, failing which they shall be
fined £25. 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.
3. The Officers of the
Competition shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting and elected
thereat. (N.B. Auditors/Verifiers are
not Officers).
4. (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 a maximum
of 16 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 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 at least quarterly.
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.
(F) No person who manages a team in an age group
can be appointed to act as a
League
fixture/registration secretary for that same age group.
(G) To ensure the continuity of the League from
one year to another, the Chairman
and
Vice-Chairman can only be proposed and elected from person(s) who have at some
time previously served on the Management Committee.
(H) A maximum of two persons per club may be
elected to the Management Committee as may any adult
not involved with member clubs committees, but shall there be more than one
Management Committee member per club, then only one member, nominated by the
Management Committee will hold a Management Committee vote.
(I) Any member of the
Management Committee not attending for two consecutive meetings, shall, unless
they send an explanation deemed acceptable to the Management Committee, cease
to be a Committee Member. If a Committee
Member is absent from a meeting and requires business to be discussed all
relevant information must be given to another Committee member prior to that
meeting.
(J) Management Committee Members shall declare
any interest they have with member clubs and this will be recorded as a listing
in the MMYL handbook.
(K) In the event of any dispute involving a club
with whom a Management Committee Member is associated with, then
those Management Committee Members involved shall leave the meeting whilst such
matters are discussed and decisions taken.
The Management Committee shall comprise
the following members whose duties are described where necessary:-
Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer.
Registration/Fixture
Secretaries:- To
maintain a register of players, check result cards, and manage fixtures.
Public
Relations Officer:- To
control and manage all matters relating to the media.
League
Promotions Officer:- Responsible
for sales and marketing of the League
Result
Secretary:- To
receive and circulate match results.
Webmaster
:- To
maintain the League Website and compile and circulate League tables and
fixtures.
Referee
Secretary:- To
allocate matches to Referees available to the League.
League
Welfare Officer To liaise with KCFA Welfare Officer and to play an active
role in creating awareness of
poor practice and abuse to League officials/
referees and to member clubs.
Discipline
Officer To deal with matters pertaining to discipline and the
Respect Programme
Match
Observers:- During
a playing season the League Committee may appoint person(s), as deemed necessary, to act as
match observers. The appointed person(s) will have the same authority as a
Committee Member. but would not attend meetings or
have any voting rights.
POWERS OF MANAGEMENT
5. (A) The Management
Committee appoint sub-committees and delegate such of
their powers as they deem necessary. 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 Kent 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 or where there may be a conflict of interest. (This shall apply to
the procedure of any sub-committee).
In the event of the
voting being equal on any matter, the Chairman shall have a second or casting
vote.
(D) The Management
Committee shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the
Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the
Competition, including any not provided for in the Rules.
With the exception of
Rules 5(i), 6(h), 10(a), 11 and 19
for any breaches of Rule a formal written charge must be issued. The respondent
shall be given seven days from the date of notice 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.
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.
With the exception of
Clubs playing at Step 7 of the Football Pyramid and the FA Women’s Premier
League, the maximum fine permitted for any breach of a Competition 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
fourteen 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 of the written
notification.
Any
Club failing to do so will be fined a maximum of £50. Further failure to
pay the fine including the additional sum within 14 days will result in
fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the outstanding payments are
settled.
(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, 10(a), 11(d), 14 and 19 fine clubs for breaches of League
Rules.
(N) The business of the
Competition as determined by the Management Committee shall be transacted by
electronic mail or facsimile.
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 two thirds 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 of the season and kick off times applicable to the Competitions.
(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 Balance Sheet,
Statement of Accounts and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least
fourteen days prior to the meeting, and to the
(C) A signed
copy of the duly audited Balance
Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Kent County Football
Association within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual General Meeting.
(D) Each
Member 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. 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
20 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 failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting
without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined £25.
(I) Officers and Management Committee members shall
be entitled to attend and vote at an Annual General Meeting.
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 Medway
Messenger Youth League Competition and do hereby agree for and on behalf of the
said Club, if elected or accepted into Membership, to conform to those Rules
and Regulations and to accept, abide by and implement the decisions of the
Management Committee of the Competition, subject to the right of appeal in
accordance with Rule 16."
Any alteration of the
Chairman and /or Secretary on the above Agreement must be notified to the Kent
County Football Association Ltd. to which the Club is affiliated and to the
Secretary of the Competition.
(Note: The spaces above are
intended for the inclusion of the signatures and
addresses
of officers and members).
QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS
8. (A)(i) Contract
players, as defined in Football Association Rules, are not permitted
in this Competition. A contract player may only play for
the Club that holds his contract.
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 12 and over crossing borders including
(ii) No player
registered with a F.A. Premier League or
(iii) While
serving in any branch of Her Majesty’s Regular Forces, a player must first
obtain the consent of his Association Secretary before signing a registration
form to play for a Club.
(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 relevant age group Registrations
Secretary.
The registration document must incorporate
two current passport-size photographs 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 published, a player must have
achieved the age of 8 on or before 31st August.
Under
7 – the player must have attained the age of 6 as at midnight on 31st
August in the playing season but must be under the age of 7 as at midnight on
31st August in the playing season.
Under
8 – the player must be under the age of 8 as at
Under
9 – the player must be under the age of 9 as at
Under
10 – the player must be under the age of 10 as at
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 –
the player must have attained the age of 10 but must be under the age of 11 by
midnight 31st August in the playing season.
Under 12 –
the player must be under the age of 12 as at
Under 13 –
the player must be under the age of 13 as at
Under 14 –
the player must be under the age of 14 as at
Under 15 –
the player must be under the age of 15 as at
Under 16 –
the player must be under the age of 16 as at
Under 17 –
the player must be under the age of 17 as at
Under 18 –
the player must be under the age of 18 as at
In accordance with the foregoing
qualifications a player under the age of 15 as at
(The above
qualification dates are subject to the provisions contained in FA Rule C.4(a)(v) and
(vi).
(C) A team shall not include any
player who has taken part in any senior competition matches during the
current season unless a period of 35 days has elapsed since they played.
For
the purpose of this Competition a senior competition is The Valley Express Kent
Youth League.
(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 Secretary.
(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.
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 £10. 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 four 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 31st 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 identifiable but not designated ‘A’ or ‘B’ or 1st
or 2nd. In such cases, players will be registered for one team
only. A player so registered will be
allowed to play for his Club in a younger or older age group within the
provisions of Rule 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 nil games for that team in this Competition in the current
season.
(N) not applicable
(O)(i)
Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players 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 have
additional 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.
(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. This is not
applicable for under 17/18 football.
(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.
(Q) At the
start of the season member clubs must forward their teams completed
registration forms, to be received by the correct Registration/Fixture
Secretary by
(i)
U7, 8, 9, & 10 age groups a
minimum of 12 registration forms are required.
(ii)
U11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 18
age groups minimum of 11 registration forms are required.
(R) After the 1st
August Registration forms shall be sent to the appropriate Registration/Fixture Secretary, together
with a stamped addressed envelope for return of the registration card.
(i) After
the start of the season registration forms must be received by the appropriate
registration secretary by Tuesday
(S)
The Secretary of each member club
must contact the League Registration/Fixture Secretary if the registration card
has not been received prior to the player being played.
(T)
Registration cards, with attached
photographs, must be exchanged at the beginning of every match and produced if
requested by a Management Committee Member.
Random
checks will be carried out by Management Committee Members, of players
Registration Cards, at matches and failure to provide proof of any players registration at that time will be dealt with
accordingly.
(U)
A maximum of 24 players can be
registered for mini soccer teams. A maximum of 18 players
can be registered from U/11s to U/16s age groups and a maximum of 25 players
can be registered for U/18s age group at any one time.
(V)
At the finish or commencement of
a match opposing managers may request any or all of the opposing teams players to sign and put their date of birth on the
reverse of the result card for later verification by the Registration/Fixture
secretary.
(W)
A player may be registered to
play for only one team at any one time.
(X)
No player, except by transfer may
register to play for a different age group to that which he has first
registered for.
(Y)
Any application for
de-registration must be made by the Club Secretary. All de-registrations will only be completed
after the registration card and a completed de-registration form have been
received and approved by the appropriate League Registration Secretary. De-registrations are allowed until 1st
February except at the Management Committee’s discretion.
(Z)
All member clubs are responsible
for checking of the birth dates given to them and submitted to the League.
(AA)
The transfer fee will be decided at a fixed rate during the playing
season by the Management Committee and all member clubs will be notified at the
A.G.M.
(BB)
No player may transfer more than once during a season and not before the
start of the playing season.
(CC)
Member clubs must return to the appropriate Registration Secretary
player/s original registration card when that player transfers to another
club/team.
9. (A)
Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary
by 1st 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 7 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. Any team not having a change of colours or delaying the kick-off by not
having a change shall be fined £25.
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.
(C)
Numbers to be printed on the back of all players shirts. All numbers shall be of a contrasting colour
to that of the shirt and no two players may wear the same number. Numbers must be a minimum of 6” (15 cm) in height.
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 in
accordance with Football Association Rules.
Original fixtures arranged by the Fixtures Secretary, or at a meeting
specially convened for that purpose, to be held no later than (not applicable),
must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding
date.
(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 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 7 and
under 8 age groups is 40 minutes and for under 9 and under 10 age groups is 60 minutes.
Under 7s &
8’s will play 15 minutes each way
Under 9’s will
play 15 minutes each way
Under 10’s will
play 20 minutes each way
(i)
No
player may take any part in more than one game in any one day, except in the
cases of deciding games for cup ties or play-offs.
(ii)
The half time interval must not
exceed 5 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 participating
in an under 17 division or lower age group 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 at the
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 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 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 Secretary of the opposing Club at least 5 clear days prior to the playing
of the match.
Any Club failing to
comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £10.
(E) In the
event of a Club playing in any match with less than the required number of players
they shall be fined £0 for each
missing player. A minimum of 7
players
for 11 a side and 10 players for a mini soccer fixture (comprising of two
games) 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. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be
fined a sum not exceeding
£0 or otherwise dealt with by the Management Committee.
(iii) Any club unable
to fulfil a fixture must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the Competition Referees 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 a fine.
(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.
(G) A Club may at its
discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use substitute players
in any match in this Competition who may be selected from 3 or 5, 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.
Under
11’s to 16’s
(i)
Five substitutions may be used at
any time with the permission of the Referee.
(ii)
Substitutes to be chosen from not
more than five players.
(iii)
Entry onto the field of play will
only be allowed during a stoppage in play.
(iv)
A player who has been replaced
may return to the play as a substitute for another player.
Under
18’s
(i)
Three substitutions may be used
at any time with the permission of the Referee.
(ii)
Substitutes to be chosen from not
more than five players.
(iii)
Entry onto the field of play will
only be allowed during a stoppage in play.
(iv)
A player who has been substituted
takes no further part in the match.
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. See also Rule 13(O)
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 10 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 League
shall require all players and club officials to have signed the FA’s Respect
Codes of Conduct and produce these if so requested by the League management
committee.
Prior to each
match the participating teams and officials shall conduct the ‘Respect’
handshake.
The
participating clubs taking part in the fixture shall identify a team captain
designated with a captain’s armband who has a responsibility to offer support
in the management of the on-field discipline of his/her team mates. If the
participating players are considered to be too young to take on this role a
member of the team coaching staff should provide this support.
Each home club
shall make arrangements for the provision of designated areas for spectators.
This area can be marked by an additional painted line, the use of cones, a
roped off area or use of a temporary spectator barrier. The area for spectators
should start two metres from the touchline on both sides of the pitch. Each
area should run the full length of the pitch. It is recognised, however, that
the alignment of some public pitches does not allow for this arrangement in
which case other appropriate arrangements should be made.
(J) Where a team has no pitch available prior to
the date of the fixture indicated in the current fixture list then the team
must reverse the fixture and play on the opponents ground.
(K) Any club with more than one team in the Competition
shall always fulfil its fixtures, within the Competition, in the following
order of precedence:- League Cup fixtures, John Leeds
Memorial Trophy fixtures, League fixtures, friendlies. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be
fined a sum not exceeding £20 or otherwise dealt with by the Management
Committee.
(L) Notice of
postponement of any match must be given in accordance with Rule 11f i.e.
e-mailed to the results secretary with the club results.
Games that are POSTPONED will automatically be
re-scheduled by the League Fixture Secretary
unless there is a Dispute.
There will be no need
to report the Postponed fixture to the League Fixture Secretary by either telephone or by non played fixture
form.
The exception to this
will be in the event of a Dispute
between the two teams over the Postponed fixture.
Postponed fixtures
for any other reason than Unfit pitch will
be regarded as a Dispute. Teams will then be required to telephone the
League Fixture Secretary and to
complete a non played fixture report form to be received by the League Fixture secretary within 4 days of the
scheduled date of the match. Failure to
comply will result in a fine of £10.
(M) Fixtures will be
notified to clubs by the appropriate League Fixture secretary and fixtures must
be played according to these lists.
(N) The Fixture Secretary has the power to either
amend or revise the current fixture list by arranging matches for the benefit
of the League.
11. (A) The Registration
Secretary must receive within 3 days of the date played, the result of each
Competition match in the prescribed manner. This must include the forename(s)
and surname of the team players (in
block letters) and also the Referee markings required by Rule13. The result/match card must also contain the
date, both team names, player’s shirt numbers,
referees name, age group, division and/or Competition, and an indication that
registration cards were exchanged. The
substitute section on the result/match card must clearly indicate the
substitutes who did not play in the match.
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
notify, by e-mail, the result of each match to the League Results Secretary by
(C)The match result
notification, correctly completed, shall be signed by a responsible member of
the Club. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10.
NB. If the fixed
penalty exceeds £20 the Club must be charged as detailed in Rule 5(D).
(D) Leagues are permitted
to collect but not to publish results 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.
(E) Any team marking a referee 50 or less shall
send a written explanation to the Registration Secretary within 7 days of the
match being played. All marking of
referees must be in accordance with F.A. guidance. Failure to do so will result in a fine. See Rule 13(H) also.
(F) All results and all postponed fixtures must
be contained in the body of an e-mail message and not as attachments, to the
League results e-mail address. The
subject of the e-mail should be “…..Club
name…Results”. Failure to do so
will result in a fine and persistent offenders will be further dealt with at
the discretion of the Management Committee.
(G) Any mistakes noticed in published League
tables or results must be brought to the attention of the relevant age group
secretary as soon as possible.
(H) All result/match cards must be completed
before the commencement of any match, with only the result, referee’s marks and
indication of substitutes to be inserted at the end of the match. Result/match cards must be completed in the
presence of the opposing manager.
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 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 the following way:-
A deciding match played under conditions determined by the
Management Committee.
(B)
Not applicable
(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.
(D) Not applicable
(E) The Management Committee shall
decide how the teams are to be formed in the league divisions. One or more divisions may
be arranged.
(F) When a play off is required to determine
winners or runners up league positions, if
the scores are level at the end of normal time, extra time relevant to the age
group concerned shall be played.
(i) Extra time shall be 5 minutes each way for
under 9 through under 10 age groups,10 minutes
each way for under 11 through under 16
age groups and 15 minutes for Ul8’s.
(ii) If the score remains level after extra time
the match will be decided upon the taking of kicks from the penalty mark in
accordance with FA rules.
(G) Play offs at under 9 to 10 age groups will be based on the aggregate
score from two games played between the respective two teams. If the aggregate
score from the two games are level, extra time relevant to the age group
concerned shall be played. Extra time for under 8 to
under 10 age groups may be played by a composite team selected from the players
or substitutes from the two preceding games that resulted in extra time being
needed to be played. If the score remains level after extra time, the match
will be decided upon the taking of kicks from the penalty mark in accordance
with FA rules.
(H)A
Neutral ground shall be arranged by the Registration/Fixture Secretary and three
other neutral Management Committee members for all play-offs.
(I) The home team must supply two match balls, nets, goal posts,
5ft corner posts with flags and flags for assistant referees. Failure to comply may result in a fine.
(J) In the final weeks of the season, where teams
are involved in matches affecting important league positions, the Fixture
Secretary can order that these games should have priority over other previously
arranged fixtures.
(K) Should any team be unable to fulfil the re-arranged fixture on the date nominated by the
Registration/Fixture Secretary the game will be awarded to their opponents.
(L) Should both teams be unable to fulfil the fixtures on the date nominated by the Fixture
Secretary then the match will become a void fixture and neither team will
receive any points.
(M) The League shall send to all member clubs at
the end of the season a final list of all League standings in the normal
table form.
(N)The
away club must notify the League Registration/Fixture Secretary of
non-confirmation for the Sunday match by Thursday, except where the League
Registration/Fixture Secretary has nominated a date to play the fixture. In
this case the away club must notify the League Registration/Fixture Secretary
of non-confirmation by telephone at least three days prior to the match.
(O)Teams
are expected to play every week except on designated holidays. Teams may apply
for games to be postponed, giving 21 Days notice in writing, for pre-arranged
School trips / school activities. Any other postponements will be at the
Management Committee discretion.
(P)In the
event of a match kicking off later than the specified time in the League or Cup
matches the offending team shall be fined, unless the Management Committee is
satisfied that its reasons were sufficiently mitigating.
(Q)In the
event of a team failing to arrive on time it is left to the discretion of the opposing team whether to
wait longer than a specified time of 25 minutes, otherwise League rules may be
applied at the discretion of the Management Committee.
(R)
The League Fixture Secretary will notify member clubs by
A
registered referee is one who has:-
(i)
Passed an FA examination and
registered to a
(ii)
Submitted a completed
registration form to the League on which MUST be a current
A
neutral referee is one who, in addition to the above, has been appointed by the
League Referees Secretary. It is the home team’s responsibility to appoint a
registered referee, where a neutral referee has not been appointed by the
league.
An Emergency Referee is a person who is prepared to officiate at a
match, where no registered referee is available from either team and has been
agreed by BOTH team managers prior to the kick-off.
All
officials shall be over the age of 18, unless they are a qualified Football Association/County Association referee, or
persons officiating as a trainee referee under the FA/County Association
Referee Training/Mentor scheme.
13. (A)
Registered Referees (and Assistant Referees where approved by the FA or
(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. A Referee thus agreed upon shall, for that
game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered Referee.
(C) Where
Assistant Referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club Assistant Referee. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10
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 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 arbitor 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 the following
match fees:-
Referee
£30, Assistant Referees £15, and any other permitted expenses actually
incurred, subject to any limits laid down by the sanctioning Association(s).
The
Home Club shall pay the Officials their fees and expenses before or immediately
after the match. The officials should be
offered refreshment.
(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 full fee. 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.
See Rule 11(E) also.
(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 Football Association.
(J) not applicable
(K) Neutral
Referees and Assistant Referees shall be supplied, each Season, with a copy of
the Competition Rules free of charge.
(L) Referees
and Assistant Referees shall have undertaken a Respect briefing offered by the
FA/County FA or the League.
(M) All registered referees must be registered
with the League on the appropriate forms that are supplied. Registrations may be made on behalf of a
referee by a club.
(N) Any referee registered with the KCFA will not
be permitted to play and referee in the same Competition or age group.
(O)
The referee shall be informed of the names of the players, including the
substitutes, in writing, on the card provided, not later than 5 minutes before
the start of the match. Failure to do so
will result in a fine.
14. (A)
After 31st 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 31st March each Season or be liable to a fine not
exceeding £50.
(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 £150 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 a Special General
Meeting held for that purpose or at the Annual General Meeting held not later
than 30th June 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.
a.
No players signed for a team withdrawing from the
League shall be permitted to sign for
another member club until all fines non payments and disciplinary matters have
been resolved. On resolution all players
will be de-registered by the Registration Secretary and will be eligible to
sign for another team subject to normal registration rules.
(F) Confirmation of teams withdrawal must be made
immediately by telephone to the appropriate League
Fixture/Registration Secretary and confirmed in writing to the League Secretary
within seven days.
(G) When the last team of a club
withdraws from the MMYL the club’s membership of the MMYL will cease.
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. 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 upon
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 £50. 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 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 forward a
deposit of £50 and indicate such when forwarding the written response.
(F) 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.
(G)
All complaints by one team against another must be lodged, in writing,
to the League Secretary within seven days of the event giving rise to the
complaint, otherwise Rule 5d applies.
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 Kent Football Association, including a fee
of £25, 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.
EXCLUSION OF
CLUBS.OR TEAMS
17. (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)
Not applicable
TROPHY:- LEGAL OWNERS, CONDITIONS OF TAKING OVER,
AGREEMENT TO BE
SIGNED. AWARDS.
18. (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 1st March.
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.
(C) not applicable
(D)
League trophies must be returned to a Management Committee member by 1st
March, failing this members shall be fined and pay any
costs incurred. It is the member clubs
responsibility to notify the League secretary, in writing, of any additional
requirements for all trophy winners. The
following number of trophies will be ordered as standard: U/9s and U/10s 16
trophies, U/11s to U/18s 14 trophies.
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 failing to be represented at a Special General Meeting without
satisfactory reason being given shall be fined £25.
Officers and Management
Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Special General
Meetings.
20. Alterations, for which consent has been given by the
sanctioning Association, 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 at least 28 days prior to the
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
14 days prior to the date of the meeting.
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 £25 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 15th May each year.
(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) Payments to the League shall
be to the Treasurer, unless specified in the Rules. Payments should be by
cheque or BACS and cash will not be accepted by any League Management Committee
member.
PRESS
REPORTS
22.
(A) All match reports must be sent, by email, to the League Public
Relations Officer.
(B) All match reports for Media outside the
Medway Area must be submitted by
(C) All match reports for Media within the
Medway Area must be submitted by
(D) All contact with all forms of media, other than
the request for players, must have the
League's approval. Failure to do so may result in a fine.
CUP COMPETITIONS
23.
(A)The competitions are to be
decided by the League Management Committee.
(B) If a competition is run on a knock-out
basis the fixtures will be decided by draw which will take place at a
Management Committee meeting.
(C) The first team drawn shall be the home team.
(D)
Representatives of three member clubs should
be invited to each cup draw to act as independent adjudicators. These member
clubs should be chosen prior to the start of the season, for each respective
draw and shall be notified in the first set of minutes received.
(E)
At the discretion of the League
Management Committee the John Leeds Memorial Trophy Competition may be held for
teams knocked out of the League Cup Competition at a point to be determined
annually by the League Management Committee.
(F)
All cup matches are to be decided
on the day. In the case of mini-soccer , both games
must be fulfilled, with standard points awarded for each game. The winner being the team with most combined
points.
(G)
In the event of a drawn game
(equal points for mini soccer), extra time of 5 minutes each way for under 9 to
under 10 age groups, 10 minutes each way for under 11 through under 16 age
groups and 15 minutes for under l8’s and will be played. Extra time for mini
soccer will be played by a composite team selected from the players or
substitutes from the preceding games that resulted in the need for extra time.
(H)
If the scores remain level after extra time
the match will be decided by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark in
accordance with FA rules.
(I)
The League Cup and John Leeds Memorial Trophy
semi-finals to be played on a single leg basis with the team first drawn out
responsible for arranging neutral ground if requested by the opposition.
(J)
Neutral officials will be
appointed by the Management Committee, if at all possible. Both teams are to
share neutral officials and pitch expenses.
(K)
Neutral grounds and officials for
all finals will be appointed by the Management Committee.
(L)
The Management Committee will endeavour to arrange the Cup Final dates six months or more
prior to the dates, if grounds are available for all Cup Finals.
(M)
If any team is unable to play on
the Cup Final date arranged by the Management Committee, they must inform the
League Secretary in writing within 28 days of the date published, otherwise the
Management Committee will assume that all teams will play on the dates
arranged. It will be left to the discretion of the Management Committee if a
team does not reply giving sufficient notice to the League Secretary if the Cup
Final is to be played.
(N)
No Cup Finals will be played on
Bank Holidays.
(O)
No player may play for a team in
a Cup Semi-Final or Final of any cup competition unless he has at least four
weeks (28 days) registration for his team prior to the semi-final, except where
that player has played for the team in a previous round of that competition.
(P)
Only players that are eligible
for the semi-final stage can play in the final.
(Q)
A player can only play for one
team in the League Cup Competition.
(R)
A player can only play for one
team in the John Leeds Memorial Trophy Competition.
(S)
No player may play in more than
one age group of a Cup Competition.
(T)
A player may play in the John
Leeds Memorial Trophy for a different team than he played for in the League Cup
Competition, provided he meets the transfer requirements.
(U)
Any team excluded from a Cup
Competition organised by the League for a breach of
League Rules, will not be eligible for entry into any other Cup Competitions organised by the League for the remainder of that season.
(V)
Cup entry fees to be incorporated
in the League fees at an amount as decided by the Management Committee at the
(W)
Where no specific rule is in operation then League Rules shall apply. Any team
playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players in any cup
game, have the game awarded against them.