a. Registered referees (and assistant referees where approved by The FA or County FA) for all Competition Matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the Sanctioning Authority.
Assistant Referees, where possible shall be appointed to the following matches:
From and including the Quarter Finals of the Tilehurst Charity Cup, Industrial Cup and John Lusted Cup.
Where two Clubs playing each other in any other match apply to the Referees Secretary for official Assistant Referees and the request is agreed the Home or first named Club shall pay the fee of the Referee, the cost of the two Assistant Referees shall be shared equally between the two participating Clubs.
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 Team. In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a referee, including the relevant match fees. An individual thus agreed upon shall, for that Competition Match, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee. Individuals under the age of 16 must not participate either as a referee or assistant referee in any Competition Match.
Clubs shall agree to accept a qualified referee of the Home or Away Club providing they are registered with the Referees Secretary or a County Football Association.
Clubs failing to agree to a substitute Referee shall incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
A substitute Referee shall not be permitted to take part as a player in that match.
c. Where assistant referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club assistant referee. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
d. Regional NLS Feeder Leagues: No Club shall postpone a Competition Match on account of the apparent state of the ground. In the event that such circumstances prevail the Club should comply with the procedures provided for in the document published by the F.A. Recommended procedures for the guidance of Club and Referees in determining the suitability of the ground in adverse conditions “ Should the ground be declared unfit it is the responsibility of the Home Club to immediately advise the Competition, the Appointing Authority, the visiting club and the match officials. For leagues which are not Regional NLS Feeder Leagues: the appointed referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the Ground in all Competition Matches and that decision shall be final, subject to the determination of the Local Authority or the owners of a Ground, which must be accepted.
e. Subject to any limits/provisions laid down by the Sanctioning Authority, Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be paid a match fee in accordance with the Fees Tariff inclusive of travel expenses.
Premier Division and Division One. Referee £46-00.
Registered Referees appointed by the Management Committee as Assistant referees £44-00.
Division Two to Four. Referee £44-00.
Match Officials will be paid their fees and/or expenses by the home Club before/immediately after the Competition Match, but these fees to be provided by the Away Club. The payment shall be in cash or bank transfer which shall be agreed with by th eclub and referee when confirming the fixture. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. In all Cup matches the fees are to be equally shared by both Clubs.
f. In the event of a Competition Match not being played because of circumstances over which the Clubs have no control, the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled to half fee, shared equally between the two participating Clubs.In circumstances where the pitch is frozen the Referee shall wait up to half an hour after the appointed kick-off time to claim their half fee unless both Teams agree no play would be possible even waiting the extra time. Where a Competition Match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Match Officials, if they attend the Ground, their full fee and expenses. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
The Referee shall wait up to half an hour after the appointed kick off time for the arrival of a Club before deciding the match shall not take place. This also applies in cases where no official Referee is appointed. For evening fixtures the time of waiting for one or other Club is at the discretion of the Referee.
It is the responsibility of the Home or first named Club to confirm details of the match to the appointed Referee at least five days prior to the date of the match. If no contact is made verbally with the Referee Clubs shall inform the Referees Secretary before 8-00 p.m. Friday evening. Failure to comply shall result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
g. A referee not keeping his their engagement, and failing to give a satisfactory explanation as to their non-appearance, may be reported to the Affiliated Association with which he or she is registered.
h. Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The FA, award marks to the referee for each Competition 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 (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) or dealt with as the Management Committee shall determine.
i. The Competition shall keep a record of the markings and, on the form provided by the prescribed date each Season, shall submit a summary to The Sanctioning Authority.
j. The referee shall submit a report form, supplied by the Competition, through the Referees Website, giving the result of the Competition Match, the number of Players in each Team and the time of kick-off, plus any other information required within two days of the Competition Match.
k. Match Officials shall be supplied, each season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.
l. Match Officials shall comply with the provisions or any initiatives of the FA and or Sanctioning Authority adopted by the Competition.
m. Clubs awarding less than fifty marks to the Referee shall give reasons in writing to the Referee Secretary within four days of the match or shall incur a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. (This does not apply to substitute Referees not appointed by the Referees Secretary.
n. The Home Club shall report all cases of the appointed Referee not taking charge of the match to the Referees Secretary.
o. The Registrations Secretary and the Referees Secretary shall liaise on all matters pertaining to Referees markings, reports and appointments to League and Cup Competitions.
p. Records of Referees appointments shall be presented to the Management Committee when required.
q. The Management Committee shall award a suitable memento for the outstanding Club Assistant Referee in the League who receives the highest marks in the Assistant Referees marking system of the League. These marks shall be collated form the Referees Website.