9. QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

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

      Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink, countersigned by his /her parent or guardian and by an Officer of the Club, and who has been registered with the (Registrations) Secretary [2] days prior to playing and whose completed registration counterfoil has been received by the Club prior to playing. The registration document must incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the Player and emergency contact details of the Player's parents or guardians.   These details must be available at matches and training events the Player attends within the management of the Club or Competition.

(ii)  Registration forms may also be submitted to the (Registrations) Secretary by electronic mail or facsimile machine prior to the Player playing. The original document must be forwarded by post within three days of the match to the appropriate Officer.

The registration document must incorporate a current passport-size photograph of the Player seeking registration together with proof of the Player's date of birth.

If a Player's age is required for registration purposes a Competition must accept an original birth certificate or a photocopy. In cases where the birth certificate is not available a Competition is required to accept a photocopy of the Player's passport or other official document issued by a Government Agency attesting to the Player's date of birth.

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

(iii) All clubs must take to all matches their registration cards as per rule 8(A) (ii). These cards are to be checked prior to kick off by the opposing Team Manager. Any player not in possession of their match card must sign the team sheet held by their opponent and give their date of birth which should be entered on the sheet. This will then be sent to the League to check the signature and that the date of birth matches the records held by the League. Should a player without their registration card play in a match, the terms of rule  8M shall apply.  Clubs failing to bring Match cards to games may be fined £50. Registration checks may take place at any time on instruction of the Chief Executive or Registration Secretary and can be carried out by a League Officer or Committee Member under instruction.

(iv) All club officials wishing to remain in the technical area must have an identity badge which will be provided by the League Registration Secretary. Two Passport style photographs to be provided by clubs. All identity badges must be worn so that they are clearly visible to the match official. Failure to do so will incur a £20 fine and persistent offenders may have their badge removed by the Management Committee.

(v) The technical area should have a maximum of 3 registered adults and 5 substitutes which should be identical to the match card provided to your opponents. Match officials should ensure that no more than the prescribed number are in the technical area during the game. The match official should put on the match card if these numbers are exceeded and report the matter to the League.

(vi) At least one official must be a registered first aider, who when treating players carry a complete first aid bag. Failure to do this will incur a fine of £10.00.

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

             It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any Player 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)  A Player registered with a Premier League or Football League Academy under the Elite Player Performance Plan contained within Youth Development Rules will not be permitted to play in this Competition. Details of the Youth Development Rules are published on The FA website. A Player registered with a FA Girls' Regional Talent Club may play in this Competition subject to the FA Programme for Excellence (Female) Regulations.

      (iii) Each Team must have the following number of Players registered [14 ] days before the start of each Playing Season:

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

 (C)A child who has not attained the age of  6 shall not play, and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play, in a match of any kind.

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

      Notwithstanding the above, a child is permitted to play up in the age group above his or her chronological age group, irrespective of any changes of format or competition structure, save that a child who attains the age of 6 after 31 August is permitted to play only in the Under 7 age group, and may not play in the Under 8 age group, for that Playing Season.

      The age groups that children are eligible to play in are set out in the table below, along with the permitted football formats for each of those age groups. Children shall not play, and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play, in a match between sides of more than the stated number of players, according to their age group:

(D) A fee as set out in the Fees Tariff shall be paid by each Club/Team for each Player registered, if applicable.

(i)  Each team will be allowed to register up to a maximum of 25 players per season at Under 13 - Under 18 age groups inclusive. Under 18 age group may be permitted with permission of the Registration Secretary to sign more than 25 players.

(ii) Each team must have 11 players registered with the League for the start of the season and 2 Managers/Coaches/adults. Failure to comply will be dealt with by the League Management Committee and teams may not be permitted to commence their fixtures.

(E) 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 Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the Player of the fact of the previous registration.

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

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

(ii)  Having signed for one Club in the Competition, sign for another Club in the Competition in that Playing 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.

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

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

(ii) The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any Player, the exercise of such power being without prejudice to the Management Committee's ability to fine a Club at its discretion (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) that has been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities (subject to Rule 16).

(iii) The Management Committee shall also have the power to refuse or cancel the registration of any Player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct, such refusal or cancellation being subject to the right of appeal to the Sanctioning Authority. Where the Management Committee does not have enough information to enable it to make a decision pursuant to the above power, it may apply, in its absolute discretion, to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA for further information.

Undesirable conduct shall mean an incident of repeated proven misconduct, which may deter a Participant from being involved in this Competition.

      (iv) For a Player who has previously had a registration removed in accordance with 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 only be taken against a Player in cases of the Player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any event be subject to an appeal to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA. All decisions must include the period of restriction. For the purpose of this Rule, bringing the Competition into disrepute can only be considered where the Player has received in excess of 112 days' suspension, or 10 matches in match based discipline, in any competition (and is not restricted to the Competition) in a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence.)      

      (H) Subject to compliance with FA Rule C 2(a) when a Club wishes to register a Player who is already registered with another Club it shall submit a transfer form to the Competition accompanied by a fee as set out in the Fees Tariff. Such transfer shall be referred by the Competition to the Club for which the Player is registered. Should this Club object to the transfer it should state its objections in writing to the Competition and to the Player concerned within  7 days of receipt of the notification. Upon receipt of the Club's consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within  7 days, the  Secretary may, on behalf of the Management Committee, transfer the Player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club from such date or [1 ] day 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.

(I) 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.

(i) Players of any club completing its fixtures before the 31st March will not be allowed to transfer or register with another club within this competition except by special permission of the management committee.

(J) 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(C).

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

      In the event of a Non Contract Player changing his status to that of a Contract Player with the same Club, another Club in the Competition or with a Club in another Competition his registration as a Non Contract Player will automatically be cancelled and declared void unless the Club conforms to the exception detailed in Rule 8(B)(i).

(L) 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 [3 ] league games for that Team in this Competition in the current Playing Season.

(M) (i)  Subject to Rule 8(M)(ii), any Club found to have played an ineligible Player in a match or matches where points are awarded shall have the points gained from that match deducted from its record, up to a maximum of 12 points, and have levied upon it a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff).

      (ii)  The Management Committee may vary the sanction as relates to the deduction of points set out at Rule 8(M)(i) only in circumstances where the ineligibility is due to the failure to obtain an International Transfer Certificate or where the ineligibility is related to the Player's status.    

      (iii) Where a Club is found to have played an ineligible player in accordance with Rule 8(M)(i) above, the Management Committee may also, at its discretion:

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

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

(c)   Order that such match or matches be replayed (on such terms as are decided by  the Management Committee).              

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

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

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

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

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