a. All Competition Matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board.
The AGM shall determine the date for the commencement of the season.
The Fixtures Secretary shall arrange all League and Cup Fixtures and shall have the power to decide upon venues as circumstances require.
The League shall play fixtures normally on Sundays, with evening fixtures played on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fixtures may also be played on any other weekday by mutual consent of the Clubs involved and sanctioned by the Fixtures Secretary.
The AGM shall determine the playing of evening matches in September. The Fixtures Secretary shall determine the playing of evening matches in April and May.
Clubs wishing to be excused playing during a recognised holiday period (providing the Fixture date is within twenty-four hours of such holiday period) SHALL make written application to the Fixture Secretary at least TWENTY ONE DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE ON WHICH ‘ A FREE DATE’ IS REQUIRED. Clubs that apply shall receive written acceptance.
Clubs requesting ‘A Free Date’ outside recognised holiday periods shall make a written request to the Fixtures Secretary at least TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS prior to the date on which ‘A Free Date’ is required. Application shall be dealt with by the Officers Committee.
Failure to submit a duly dated official application shall result in the Club or Team having to honour the fixture or forfeit the match to their opponents in accordance with Rule.
N.B. APPLICATIONS STILL NECESSARY EVEN IF NO FIXTURE HAS BEEN SCHEDULED ON THE PUBLISHED FIXTURE LIST.
Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to keep their Grounds in a playable condition. All Competition 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 Competition Matches and to order the Club concerned to play its Competition Match (es) on another ground. Clubs shall provide changing facilities with appropriate conveniances for the away club and match officials.
Football Turf Pitches (3G) are allowed in this Competition provided they meet the required performance standards and are listed on the FA’s Register of Football Turf Pitches. All Football Turf Pitches used must be tested (by a FIFA accredited test institute) every three years and the results passed to The FA. The FA will give a decision on the suitability for use and add the pitch to the Register.
The home Club is also responsible for advising Participants of footwear requirements when confirming match arrangements in accordance with Rule 20(C).
Within the National League System (“NLS”) and Regional (“NLS”) Feeder Leagues all Competition Matches shall have duration of 90 minutes. All other Competition Matches shall have duration of 90 minutes unless a shorter time (not less than sixty (60) minutes) is mutually arranged by the two Clubs in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves. Two matches involving the same two Teams can be played on the same day providing the total playing time is not more than 120 minutes.
The times of kick-off shall be agreed at the AGM and can only be altered by the mutual consent of the two competing Clubs and the Competition.
Referees must order matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to the Competition.
Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time shall be fined (£10-00 for the first offence, £25-00 for a second and further offences) as set out in accordance with the Fines Tariff. Clubs shall be brought before the League Officers after the third offence.
Times of Sunday kick-off shall be 10-30 a.m. or 2-00 p.m. – 3-30 p.m. The Sunday kick-off time may vary as to that set out depending on the local ruling, but in any case good reason for variation shall be given in writing. Times of evening kick-off shall be 5-30 p.m. – 6-45 p.m. as determined by the Management Committee.
The Management Committee may vary the time of any kick-off, depending on the congestion of fixtures and to enable two games to be played on any one ground to complete the League programme.
The home Team must provide goal nets, corner flags and at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if not provided. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. No overhead netting is allowed for 9v9 and 11v11 Affiliated matches.
Regional NLS Feeder Leagues: Overhead wires to support pitch dividers are removed for all Affiliated matches in the NLS and at Regional NLS Feeder Leagues.
For those leagues which are not Regional NLS Feeder Leagues: Overhead wires used to support pitch divider nettings are ideally removed for Affiliated matches, but if they cannot be removed then discretion is given to the match official to restart the match in accordance of the laws of the game.
b. Except by permission of the Management Committee all Competition Matches must be played on the dates originally agreed but priority shall be given to The FA and parent County Association Cup Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary. Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a Competition match with the consent of the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
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).
c. An Officer of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the location of, and access to, the Ground and time of kick-off to the Match Officials and an Officer of the opposing Club at least five clear days prior to the playing of the match. If not so provided, the away Club shall seek such details and report the circumstances to the Competition. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
d. In accordance with the Laws of the Game, the minimum number of Players which will constitute a Team for a Competition Match is seven.
e.
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 impose a fine (in accordance with the Fines Tariff), deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points from the Competition Match in question to the opponents, order the defaulting Club to pay any reasonable expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them except by the award of goals.
Not withstanding the foregoing home and away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a Competition 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, and A Team. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff or otherwise dealt with by the Management Committee who shall have the power to award or deduct the points.
iii.Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture or where a Competition Match has been postponed for any reason must, without delay, give notice to the Competition, the secretary of the opposing Club and the Match Officials. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
iv. In the event of a Competition Match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it should be played in its entirety on a date to be mutually agreed by the two Clubs and approved by the Competition. Failing such agreement and notification to the Competition within three days the Competition shall have the power to order the Match to be played on a given date. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition the Management Committee shall also be empowered to order the score at the time of an abandonment to stand.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
v. The Management Committee shall review all Competition 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 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 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 that neither Team will be awarded any points for that Match and it shall not be replayed. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned Competition Match.
The Management Committee shall review any Match that has taken place where either or both Teams were under a suspension imposed upon them by The FA or Affiliated Association. In each case the Team that was under suspension would be dealt with in the same manner as if they had participated with ineligible players in accordance with Rule 18(N) above. Where both Teams were under suspension the game must be declared null and void and shall not be replayed.
vi. A Club shall not postpone a match unless the circumstances are exceptional, details and evidence of which shall be given in writing to the Secretary. Illness or failure to register sufficient players shall not be deemed a reasonable excuse.
vii. In the event of inclement weather and a game being postponed after inspection by the Local Authority, the appointed Referee, the groundsman of a privately owned ground or a Referee called in to inspect on behalf of the League, the postponement as set out in Rule 20 (E) (iii) shall apply.
viii. Clubs who are suspended through default with the Management Committee or County Football Association on the Monday preceding the scheduled Sunday fixture shall have that match considered void and dealt with under Rule 20 (E).
f. A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use five substitute Players in any Competition Match. A Club may name up to five substitute Players of who not more than five may be used.
A Player who has been substituted becomes a substitute and may replace a Player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.
The referee and a representative of the opposing Club shall be informed of the names of the Players taking part in the match (including substitutes) not later than fifteen minutes before the start of the Competition Match and a Player not so named may not take part in that Competition Match.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
A Player who has been named as a substitute before the start of the Competition Match but does not actually play in that game shall not be considered to have been a Player in that Competition Match within the meaning of Rule 18 of this Competition. Only those players who take part in the match shall be named on the result card.
g. The half time interval shall be of ten minutes’ duration, but it shall not exceed 15 minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.
h. The Teams taking part in a Competition Match shall identify a Team captain who shall wear an armband and shall have a responsibility to offer support in the management of the on-field discipline of their teammates. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.