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Rules of the North Berks Football League
1 Nomenclature
and competition
This Competition shall be designated the NORTH BERKS FOOTBALL LEAGUE of
which the NORTH BERKS CUP, NORTH BERKS CHARITY SHIELD, NORTH BERKS WAR
MEMORIAL CUP, NORTH BERKS LEAGUE CUP, A G KINGHAM CUP and NAIRNE PAUL TROPHY
shall be subsidiaries and shall consist of not more than forty four (44)
Clubs who shall be Full Member Clubs.
All such Member Clubs shall 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 Berks & Bucks County Football
Association. The area covered by the Competition Membership shall be
restricted to those Clubs who have their registered grounds situated within
a twenty (20) miles radius of Steventon Green.
Any Club competing and also having a team or teams playing in another League
shall designate the team entered in the North Berks League as either its;
First Team, Reserves or 'A' Team.
This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Berks & Bucks
Football Association and the constituent Teams of Member Clubs may be
grouped in Divisions, each not exceeding fifteen (15) in number.
If more than seventy-five 75 Teams are entered there shall be a minimum of
six (6) Divisions. Clubs may be represented in more than one Division
and the Team in the highest Division designated as the First Team, the team
in the next highest the Reserve Team and, if a third Team is entered, the
'A' Team. The Top Division shall be limited to a Club's First Team and
no Club shall be allowed to have two (2) Teams in the same Division.
Member Clubs shall not enter any of their Teams playing in the Competition
in more than one (1) other Saturday Competition* (with the exception of FA
and County FA Competitions) except with the written consent of the Council
of the Competition.
* to be included on the prescribed form (see Rule 2(E)) to the Hon
General Secretary.
2 Entry
applications, fee, subscription, deposit
A) Application by Clubs for admission and by existing
Clubs for an additional Team(s) shall be made, in writing, to the General
Secretary by 1st May and shall be accompanied by an Entry Fee of £10.00 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.
New applicants for membership shall be admitted at the Annual General
Meeting providing a majority of votes is obtained. Grounds,
facilities, playing records and Balance Sheets of Clubs seeking membership
shall be inspected by at least two members of the Council before the Annual
General Meeting.
Providing details from new applicants are circulated to Member Clubs for
their opinions, the Council shall have the authority to accept new
Clubs/Teams to enable them to give sufficient notice of withdrawal from the
League of which they are members. The Council shall have the right to
recommend to the Annual General Meeting to refuse the entry of any Club/Team
if they deem such a course desirable.
B) The Annual Subscription shall be £25.00 per Team
payable on or before the 15th August in each year.
C) Each Club shall within seven (7) days of election pay a
deposit of £50 which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the Competition
provided they have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all orders of
the Council.
D) A Club shall not participate in this Competition until
the Entry Fee, Annual Subscription and Deposit have been paid.
E) Clubs shall advise annually to the Secretary in writing
by 30th May of its County Football Association affiliation number for the
forthcoming Season, failing which they shall be fined a sum not exceeding
£15.00. Clubs shall advise the General Secretary in writing, or on the
prescribed form, of details of its Headquarters, Officers and other
information required by the Competition.
F) At the Council's discretion the Treasurer of the League shall
pay, where applicable, the Affiliation and Cup Entry Fees due to the Berks &
Bucks Football Association from Member Clubs. Clubs shall repay these
fees to the League within fourteen (14) days on demand by the Hon.
Treasurer.
3 Officers
A) The Officers of the Competition shall be the President,
Vice-President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary,
Assistant General Secretary, Registration Secretary, Referees' Secretary,
Fixtures Secretary, Disciplinary Secretary and Ground Inspection Officer(s)
to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
(N.B. Verifiers are not Officers).
B) A member, having served on the Council for 25 years,
shall become a Life Member.
4 Management,
nomination, election
A)
i) The Competition shall be governed in
accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Football Association by a
Council comprised of the Officers and twelve (12) Representatives of Clubs
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.
ii) The Representatives shall be divided into three
(3) Groups of four (4) with each Group representation serving the Council
for a period of three years. The Groups shall be designated as Groups
A, B and C. Representatives of one (1) Group only shall be elected
each year, i.e. A, B and C by annual rotation.
B)
i) Retiring Officers shall be eligible to
become candidates for re-election without nomination. All other
candidates for election as Officers or Council Members shall be nominated to
the General Secretary in writing, signed by the Secretaries of two (2)
Member Clubs, not later than 1st May in each year. Names of 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.
ii) In the event of more than the required number of
Representatives being nominated in any Group, the General Secretary shall,
within six (6) days of the close of nominations, send a list of the
nominated candidates and a voting paper to the Clubs. The Secretary of
each Club shall complete the voting paper as required and return it to the
General Secretary to reach him by the specified date. Every Club shall
be entitled to cast a total number of votes equal to the number of vacancies
but not more than one (1) vote per candidate. For elections under this
Rule, the Council shall appoint two (2) members to count the votes as soon
as is practicable. All candidates shall be given notice of the count
and have the right to attend.
C) The Council shall meet monthly as is necessary to deal
with business as it arises. On receiving a requisition signed by two
thirds of the Members of the Council the General Secretary shall convene a
meeting of the Council.
If a member of Council has been absent from three (3) Council meetings in a
season, without good reason, the member shall be removed from Council.
As a consequence the Council shall decide to either elect a Representative
or invite nominations from Clubs. If more than one nomination is
received an election shall be held in accordance with paragraph 4(B) (ii).
The person elected shall fill the vacancy until the next normal retirement
of Representatives in that Group.
D) Except where otherwise mentioned all communications
shall be addressed to the General Secretary who shall conduct the
correspondence of the Competition and keep record of its proceedings.
E) The members (including any Life Members) of Division VI
of the Berks & Bucks Football Association Limited shall be 'ex-officio'
Members of the Council without having the right to vote.
5 Powers
of the management
A) The Council may appoint such other Sub-Committees as
they consider necessary and may delegate such of its powers as they deem
necessary to such Committees. The decisions of all such Committees
shall be reported to the Council for ratification. 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 Berks & Bucks Football
Association having been obtained, the Council 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.
C) Each member of Council shall be entitled to attend and
vote at all Council 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. (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 Council 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 by the
Rules. Except where these Rules provide for the imposition of a set
penalty, any Club, Club Official (limited to Chairman, Secretary or
Treasurer) or Player alleged to be in breach of a Competition Rule shall be
formally charged in writing and given an opportunity to present their case
before the Council. Financial penalties can only be imposed if
included within the set penalties for breaches of Competition Rules.
All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of the Football
Association shall be dealt with in accordance with FA Rules by the
appropriate Association.
E) All decisions of the Council shall be binding subject
to the right of appeal to the Board of Appeal in accordance with Rule 16.
Decisions of the Council shall be notified in writing to those concerned
within fourteen (14) days.
F) Five (5) Members of Council shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business of the Council and five (5) Members shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by any sub-Committee of
the Competition.
G) The Council, as it may deem necessary, shall have power
to fill, in an acting capacity, any vacancies that may occur among their
number.
H) A Club having failed to comply with an order or
instruction of the Council, or failing to satisfactorily attend to the
business and/or the correspondence of the Competition, shall be liable to be
fined a sum not exceeding £60.00 or otherwise penalised at the discretion of
the Council.
If the Council is dissatisfied with the manner in which a Club is conducting
its affairs, it shall have power to call Officers of that Club before it to
seek explanations and provide necessary guidance. Any Club failing to
comply with a directive to attend shall be fined a sum not exceeding £60.
A Club suspended by the Association to which it is affiliated and so unable
to fulfil a fixture or fixtures shall be liable to pay any expenses incurred
as a result and shall be fined a sum not exceeding £60.00.
I) All fines and charges shall be paid within
fourteen (14) days of the date of posting the written notification.
For non-payment within fourteen (14) days a fine not exceeding £15 shall be
imposed unless an appeal has been lodged in accordance with Rule 16. A
Club failing to pay fines, of at least £30.00 within fourteen (14) days of
notification shall be reported to the County or Service FA to which it is
affiliated.
Clubs, Officials or individuals committing a breach of this Rule shall incur
such penalties as the Council may impose and shall be ordered to pay costs
incurred by the Council up to a maximum of £20.00.
J) A member of the Council appointed by the
Competition to attend a meeting or match may have any expenses incurred
refunded by the Competition.
K) The Council shall have the power to fill any vacancy
that may occur in their membership of the Competition between the Annual
General or Special Meeting called to decide the constitution and the
commencement of the Competition season.
L) A member having served on the Council for
twenty-five (25) years shall become a Life Member.
M) No participant under the age of eighteen (18) can be fined.
6 Annual
General Meeting (AGM)
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 75% of Members are present and entitled
to vote:-
i)
To receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding AGM.
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 Council of the
Competition).
v)
Constitution of the Competition for the ensuing season.
vi)
Election of Officers and result of election of Council Representatives under
Rule 4(B).
vii) Appointment
of Verifier of Accounts.
viii) Alterations of
Rules, if any (of which due notice has been given).
ix) Fix
the date for the commencement and conclusion of playing season.
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 verified Balance Sheet, Statement of
Accounts and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least fourteen (14)
days prior to the meeting, and to the Berks & Bucks Football Association.
C) A signed copy of the duly verified Balance Sheet and
Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Berks & Bucks County Football
Association within fourteen (14) days of its adoption by the Annual General
Meeting.
D) Each Full Member Club shall be empowered to send up to
two (2) delegates to an Annual General Meeting. Each Club shall be
entitled to one (1) vote only. Not less than fourteen (14) days notice
shall be given of any Meeting.
E) Clubs who have withdrawn Membership 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.
F) All voting shall be conducted by a show of voting cards
unless a ballot is demanded by at least one third 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 (1) Full Member Club.
H) Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at
the AGM without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined a sum not
exceeding £25.
I) Officers and Council Representatives shall
be entitled to attend and vote at an Annual General Meeting.
7 Agreement
to be signed
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 North Berks Football League
Competition and do hereby agree for and on behalf of the said Club to, if
elected or accepted into Membership, conform to the Rules and Regulations
and to accept, abide by and implement the decisions of the Council 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 shall
be notified to the County Football Association to which the Club is
affiliated and to the General Secretary of the Competition.
Note:
The spaces above are intended for the inclusion of the signatures and
addresses of officers and members.
8 Qualification
of players
A) Contract players, as defined in Football Association
Rules, are not permitted in this Competition.
B) A registered playing member of a Club is one who, being
in all other respects eligible, has signed a fully and correctly completed
in BLOCK CAPITALS Competition registration form, in ink, countersigned by an
Officer of the Club, and who has been registered with the Registration
Secretary seventy-two (72) hours prior to playing and whose completed
registration counterfoil has been received by the Club prior to playing.
C) A player who has played after the 1st March of the
current season for the First Team of a Club entered in the Berks & Bucks
Football Association Senior Cup, Senior Trophy or the Senior Cup of another
County or Service Football Association shall not be eligible to play in a
Competition game except with the prior consent of the Council. If,
however, a Club also has a Team competing in another League it may play,
after 1st March, no more than two (2) players, who have played in no more
than five (5) First Team Competition games for that club and who would
otherwise have been disqualified under this Rule.
D) No Club shall play in any North Berks Football League
match more than two (2) players who, during the current season, have each
played for Club or Clubs in more than ten (10) league games in a higher
Division of the League.
The number of games played by a transferred player before and after transfer
shall be included in his total games played for the purpose of deciding the
restrictions above.
E)
i) 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 has played.
ii) In the event of a Club having its First Team in
another League then any player of such Club, who in the current season has
played more than ten (10) games for the Team which plays in such other
League, shall be classified a 'restricted player' and no Club shall play
more than two (2) such 'restricted players' in the Reserve or 'A' Team
during the remainder of the season in any one match.
iii) A Club whose Reserves or 'A' Team competes in the
League but whose Senior side(s) compete(s) in another League, shall submit
to the Registration Secretary a true list of players representing that side
to reach him not later than the second day after the match (Sundays
excluded).
F)
i) A fee of £5.00 shall be paid for each
player registered.
ii) Registration forms shall be obtained from the
Registration Secretary.
iii) Clubs shall be invoiced in March, after the
registration deadline, at the sum of £5.00 per player registered.
G)
i) The Council shall decide all registration
disputes.
ii) 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
Registration Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the
player of the fact of the previous registration.
H) It shall be deemed misconduct for a player to:
i) Play for more than one (1) Club in the
Competition in the same season without first being transferred.
ii) Having signed for one (1) 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.
I)
i) The Council have the power to accept the
registration of any player.
ii) The Council shall have power to refuse, cancel
or suspend the registration of any player or may fine any player, except
those under eighteen (18) years of age, at their discretion proved guilty of
registration irregularities (subject to Rule 16).
iii) The Council shall have power to make application to
refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any player found guilty of
undesirable conduct and to disqualify the player in question from
participating in all games in the Competition (subject to Rule 16).
subject to the right of appeal to The Football Association 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 8i(iii)hall not be taken against a player for misconduct
on the field of play 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 shall in any case be subject to an Appeal to The Football
Association. For the purpose of this Rule, bring the Competition in
disrepute can only be considered where the player has received in excess of
one-hundred and twelve (112) days suspension, or ten (10) matches in match
based discipline, in a period of two (2) years or less from the date of the
first offence.
J) 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 North Berks
Football League transfer form to the Registration Secretary accompanied by a
fee of £5.00 for the first transfer and £10.00 for any subsequent transfer.
Such transfer shall be referred by the Registration 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 Registration secretary and
to the player concerned within seven (7) days of receipt of the transfer
form. Upon receipt of the Club's consent, or upon its failure to give
written objection within seven (7) days, the Registration Secretary may, on
behalf of the Council, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to
play for the new Club after receipt of such transfer.
K) In the event of an objection to a transfer the matter
should be referred to the Council for a decision.
L) A player may not be registered for a Club nor
transferred to another Club in the Competition after 1st March except by
special permission of the Council.
M) A Club shall keep a list of players it registers and a record
of the games in which they have played and shall produce such records upon
demand by the Council. Any Club failing to comply with this rule shall
be fined a sum not exceeding £20.
N) A register containing the names of all players
registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by
the Registration Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of any duly
appointed Member club representative at any time mutually arranged.
Registrations are valid for one (1) season only.
O) A player shall not be eligible to play for a Team in
any special championship deciding match (as specified in Rule 12(A)) unless
the player has played five (5) games for that Team in this League in the
current season.
P)
i) Any Team playing an unregistered or
otherwise ineligible player or players shall have the points gained in the
match deducted from its total. Any goals scored in the match shall be
deleted from the official records and the team fined a sum not exceeding
£100.00 and/or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Council.
If the match included an ineligible player from both clubs no points shall
be awarded to either Team and any goals scored shall be deleted from the
official records.
ii) In addition the Team may have a maximum of three
(3) points deducted from its total at the discretion of the Council and may
be dealt with in any further manner, which is thought to be fit.
iii) The Council 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.
iv) If the Council has doubts as to the qualification of
any player taking part in any match, it shall have the power to call upon
such player and/or the Club for which he has played to prove to the
satisfaction of the Council that he is properly qualified according to
Rules.
(The following Rule applies to competitions involving players in full-time
secondary education):
Q)
i) Priority shall be given at all times to
school and school organisations activities
ii) The availability of children shall be cleared
with the Head teachers (except for Sunday Leagues).
iii) To play open age football the player shall have
achieved the age of sixteen (16).
Note:
For players under the age of eighteen (18) the provisions contained in
Football Association Rules shall apply.
9 Club
colours, club name
A) Every Club shall register the colour of its shirts and
shorts with the General Secretary by 1st May who shall decide as to their
suitability. Goal keepers shall wear colours which distinguish them
from other players and the Referee. No player, including the goal
keeper, 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 shall play to its
opponents at least five (5) days before the match.
In the event of two (2) Clubs having the same or similar colours the Home
Club shall make the change. Any Club not having a change of colours or
delaying the kick-off by not having a change shall be fined £15.00.
The Secretary of the Competition may request shirts to be submitted if
complaints are received as to the lack of distinguishing colours, and the
Council may refuse to permit any shirts or shorts as they think fit.
The shirts worn by all outfield players shall have on the back and above the
waist, a distinctive and not duplicated number from 2-17, not less than
seven (7) inches from the top to bottom. Clubs failing to comply shall be
fined a sum not exceeding £20.00.
B) Any Club wishing to change its name and/or colours
shall seek permission from its affiliated County Association and from the
Council.
10
Playing season, conditions of play, KO times,
postponements & substitutes.
A) The Annual General Meeting shall determine the
commencing and concluding dates for the ensuing season, which shall be in
accordance with Football Association Rules. No Club shall be compelled
to play after the concluding date. Original fixtures arranged by the
Fixture Secretary shall not be arranged for a date later than seven (7) days
preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting.
Whenever possible, at least seven (7) days notice shall be given to clubs of
their fixtures but Clubs shall fulfil all fixtures of which at least one
hundred and twenty (120) hours/five (5) days notice is given.
B) All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws
of the Game as settled by the International Football Association Board.
Clubs shall take all reasonable precautions to keep their grounds in a
playable condition. All matches shall be played on pitches deemed
suitable by the Council. If through any fault of the Home Team a match
has to be replayed, the Council shall have power to order the venue to be
changed.
Should the Visiting Club have any reservations regarding the safety of the
ground, goalposts or bars or any other appurtenances of the game they shall
draw it to the attention of the Referee prior to kick-off. The
Referee, if he or she deems it necessary shall require the Home Club to
correct the cause of the complaint. If possible this should be done
without delaying the kick-off time. Changing accommodation shall be
kept clean and in good condition. Proper accommodation with washing
facilities shall be provided and a separate changing room available for the
Referee. Accommodation shall be open and ready for inspection at least
thirty (30) minutes prior to kick-off. A Club failing to comply with
any aspect of this Rule shall be fined a sum not exceeding £20.00.
Each Home Club shall nominate a Club Official to be responsible for the
security of the dressing rooms on match days, including ensuring that the
area is securely locked during play.
Clubs shall keep a supply of sand/soil or other suitable material together
with suitable equipment (e.g. spades, shovels, wheelbarrow and buckets etc)
to enable reasonable ground repairs to be undertaken.
The Council 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.
A Club shall not change its ground from that sanctioned by the Council,
except with permission of the Council or, in cases of urgency, by an
Executive Committee of not less than three Officers. A club changing
to another ground without the above permission shall be fined a sum not
exceeding £20.00.
When the playing pitch is not enclosed a white line shall be clearly marked
on the ground, a minimum of one (1) yard and a maximum of three (3) yards
behind the goal lines extending at least six (6) feet from each side of the
goal nets.
If through any fault of the Home Club a match has to be replayed, the
Council shall have power to order the venue to be changed.
All matches shall be of ninety (90) minutes duration, unless a shorter time
(not less than eighty (80) minutes) is mutually arranged by the two (2) team
captains in consultation with the Referee prior to the commencement of the
match, and in any event shall be of equal halves.
The times of kick-off shall be:-
i) 2:30pm in September, October and February
onwards.
ii) 2:00pm in November, December and January with
Cup matches being 1:45pm in November, December, January & February.
Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time shall be fined a sum not
exceeding £15.00 or be otherwise dealt with as the Council may determine.
Referees shall order matches to commence at the appointed time and shall
report all late starts to the Competition.
Clubs possessing floodlights, the standard of which having been inspected
and approved by the Council, may with the prior agreement of the Fixtures
Secretary and their opponents, commence their Home matches at a time not
later than 3:00 pm on Saturdays. The floodlights are to be switched on
after forty-five (45) minutes of play or earlier when necessary.
Similarly Home Clubs, whose floodlights have been approved by the Council
and with the prior agreement of the Fixtures Secretary and their opponents,
may play midweek matches wholly or partly under floodlights.
The Home team shall provide at least two (2) footballs fit for play and the
Referee shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are
unsuitable. Goal nets shall be used.
C) Except by permission of the Council all matches shall
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 shall be considered secondary. A Club may apply for
permission not to play a North Berks competition match or matches on a
Saturday by submitting a written request to the Hon General Secretary at
least twenty eight (28) days before the intended date. Clubs may
mutually agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the Fixture
Secretary.
The Council may arrange up to three (3) fixtures per team before the first
Saturday in September. No League Division games shall be played after
April 30th except in exceptional circumstances and with the specific
permission of the Council or, in emergency, from the Executive Committee,
neither of which shall extend the season beyond 6th May.
D) The Secretary of the Home Club shall 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 at least three (3) clear days
prior to the playing of the match.
Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine not
exceeding £15.00.
E) Every Club shall play its best available qualified Team
or Teams in all matches in the Competition.
Note:
The intention of this Rule is not to interfere with normal Team selection by
clubs, but to prevent clubs deliberately fielding a weakened Team in order
to unreasonably reserve players for another game or to boost the strength of
another or lower Team. It is NOT intended that Clubs SHALL field
higher Team players in lower Teams when the higher Team has no engagement.
If, in the opinion of the Council, the substance or spirit of the Rule is
obviously being disregarded, the Club or Clubs concerned may be called to
account for its/their actions and shall be subject to such decisions as the
Council may determine, despite the fact that Rule 8 has not been infringed.
In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than eleven (11)
players they may be fined £2.00 for each missing player. A minimum of
seven (7) players shall constitute a Team for a Competition match.
F) Home and away matches shall be played. In the
event of a Club failing to keep its engagement, the Council shall have the
power to inflict a fine not exceeding £30.00, deduct points from the
defaulting Club, award the points to the opponents or otherwise deal with
them except the award of goals.
Insufficient registered players, illness, lack of transport or injuries to
players shall not be accepted as a satisfactory reason for requesting not to
play a fixture.
Any Club with more than one (1) 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 £20.00 and the points (or Tie
if applicable) awarded to its opponents or otherwise dealt with by the
Council.
If the fitness of the ground is in doubt, the Home Club shall seek the
advice and opinion of any member of the Council or a registered Referee not
connected with the Club who may authorise the postponement after a ground
inspection. A person called in by a Club to carry out an inspection
shall be entitled to travelling expenses of up to twenty-five pence (25p)
per mile to be met by the Home Club.
In instances where a groundsman of a Local Authority or of a School has
absolute authority over the use of the ground, his decision shall be
accepted as if it were made by a Council member or registered Referee.
If a postponement is authorised, as above, the Home Club shall:
(1) Inform the Secretary of the visiting Club and the appointed
Referee.
(2) Notify the Fixture Secretary on the official form within two
(2) days (Sunday excluded).
(3) Telephone the Council's designated Official as soon as
possible and in any case as if it were a result under Rule 11(B)
Note:
2 and 3 above shall apply to ALL postponements.
When a match is postponed and at least three (3) hours notice is given to
the Secretary of the visiting Club and appointed Referee the Home Club shall
not be liable to penalty or payment of expenses.
When a match is postponed and less than three (3) hours notice is give to
the Secretary of the visiting Club and/or the appointed Referee, the Home
Club shall be adjudged to have been guilty of misconduct and shall be fined
a sum not exceeding £20.00, but a fine may be waived if the Council is
satisfied that a later inspection took place, because of exceptional
circumstances, and the Home Club took reasonable steps to prevent the
opponents and appointed Referee from travelling.
If a Club fails to arrange for an inspection and the match is subsequently
postponed by the appointed Referee because of ground conditions, then the
Home Club may be adjudged to have been guilty of misconduct and fined a sum
not exceeding £20.00 and ordered to pay expenses as approved by the Council.
Where a Club requests postponement of a match owing to causes over which it
has no control, such cases shall be dealt with by the council or, in cases
of urgency, by an Executive Committee of not less than three Officers.
Notice of postponement of any match shall be given without delay by the
postponing Club (or notice of a Club being unable to fulfil any match shall
be given 48 hours prior to the match by the Club) to the Fixture Secretary,
the Referee Secretary, the Secretary of the opposing Club and the match
officials. Any Club failing to comply shall be dealt with by the
Council who may inflict any penalty it may deem suitable.
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 Council.
Failing such agreement and notification to the Fixture Secretary within two
(2) days (Sundays excluded) the Council shall have power to order the match
to be played on a named date or on or before a given date.
The Council shall review all abandoned matches and in a case where it is to
the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, shall
be empowered to order the score at the time of the abandonment to stand.
In all cases where the Council 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 or tie, if applicable, to the opponents and/or
take what other action they may deem necessary. In cases where a match
has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both Teams or their Club members,
the Council shall rule all points for the match as void. No fine(s) can be
applied by the Council for an abandoned match.
In cases where the result of the game is apparent and the game is abandoned
through no fault of the side in the lead, the Council may award the match as
the score stands.
G) A Club may, at its discretion and in accordance with
the Laws of the Game, use three (3) substitute players in any match in this
Competition who may be selected from five (5) players.
The Referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes not later than
five (5) minutes before the start of the match.
A player who has been selected, appointed or named as a substitute before
the start of the match but does not actually play in the game shall not be
considered to have been a player in that game within the meaning of Rule 8
of this Competition.
H) The half-time interval shall be of ten (10) minutes
duration, but it should not exceed fifteen (15) minutes. The half-time
interval may only be altered with the consent of the Referee.
11 Reporting
results
A) The Registration Secretary shall receive within two (2)
days (Sundays excluded) of the date played, the result of each Competition
match in the prescribed manner. This shall include the forename(s) and
surname of the Team players (in capital letters) and also the Referee
markings required by Rule 13 (H), or other information required by the
Competition. Failure to do so shall incur a fine not exceeding £15.00
per offence and/or the Club being dealt with as the Council decides.
For the purpose of this rule, the official League Match Result Sheet shall
be completed for all matches in accordance with the instructions provided to
Clubs and as contained in the League Handbook under “Notes for guidance to
club secretaries”.
A Match Result Sheet not received within five (5) days of the date of the
match shall be considered as a 'no match result sheet' and the Club shall be
fined a sum not exceeding £15.00.
If a Match Result Sheet has been reported as not being received or
incomplete at a Management Committee meeting, and has not been received by
the next Management Committee meeting, the Club shall be fined an additional
£10.00 and shall be suspended from this Competition until all outstanding
information has been received. The suspension shall take effect ten
(10) days following the second Management Committee meeting, where it has
been reported as still outstanding. All matches within the suspension
shall be dealt with under Rule 10(F).
B) The Home Club shall telephone the result of each match,
and also the results of all Cup matches played in other Competitions, to an
official designated by the Council within seventy-five (75) minutes of the
completion of the match. Where both Clubs are members of the North
Berks Football League, when playing each other in an 'outside Competition',
only the Home Club shall telephone the result as required in the preceding
sentence. For any infringement of this Rule a Club shall be liable to
a fine not exceeding £15.00.
C) The match result notification, correctly completed, in
ink, shall be signed by a responsible member of the Club. The Council
shall have power to take such action as they deem suitable against a Club,
which submits an incomplete form or incorrect information.
12
Determining championship
A) Team rankings within the Competition shall be decided
by points with three (3) points to be awarded for a win and one (1) 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 shall not be played for double points.
In the event of two (2) or more Teams being equal on points in any Division,
Team rankings shall be decided by:
Deciding match(es) shall be played for the Championship on a neutral ground.
The Council shall make the arrangements to include the playing of extra-time
of ten (10) or fifteen (15) minutes each way, at the discretion of the
Referee, and if a game is still undecided a result shall be obtained by the
taking of kicks from the penalty mark in accordance with the International
Board recommended procedures.
B) The two (2) leading Clubs in each lower Division shall
be promoted to a higher Division provided that the Council consider ground
conditions and facilities suitable. Any Club expecting promotion shall
have its ground and facilities judged at the end of the season when visited
by members of the Council.
Teams due to be relegated may be re-instated into the Division if the
Council recommends this to be in the best interests of the League and
approved by the Annual General Meeting.
Except as provided in 12(A) above, goal difference shall count in deciding
promotion and relegation. When goal difference is identical then goals
scored shall count as a deciding factor.
If re-organisation of the League or part of it is necessary the Council
shall be empowered to recommend to the Annual or Special General Meeting the
promotion or relegation of more than two teams in any Division.
C) In the event of a Team not completing 75% of its
fixtures in a Division for a season all points obtained or recorded against
such defaulting Team shall be expunged from the League Table. Where a
team has completed 75% of its fixtures, the points from any unplayed games
shall be awarded to the opponents.
D) The North Berks Football League is a member of the
Football Association National League System and therefore provision exists
for the seasonal promotion and relegation within the structure, i.e. to and
from the Hellenic Football League. The eligibility criteria for
promotion, as agreed by the Joint Liaison Committee of the member Leagues,
can be obtained from the General Secretary of the Hellenic Football League.
The deadline for any Club to comply with the eligibility criteria shall be
30th April in each year. The Regulations for the Establishment and
Operation of the National League System is reproduced in this Handbook.
13 Referees
A) Registered Referees and Assistant Referees shall be
appointed in a manner approved by the Council and the sanctioning
Associations(s). The name of the Referee shall be sent to the Clubs at
least three (3) days before the match whenever possible. In the event
of a later change of Referee the Home Club shall be notified whenever
possible.
Whenever notice of the appointed Referee has been sent, in writing, to the
Home Club, the Club Secretary shall contact the Referee not more than one
hundred and twenty (120) hours and not less than seventy-two (72) hours
before the kick-off to confirm the fixture and location of ground. A
Club failing to comply shall be fined a sum not exceeding £15.00.
B) In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed
Referee, or, if during a match the Referee, for whatever reason, is unable
to continue, 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, the Clubs
shall agree upon a Referee. A Referee thus mutually agreed upon shall,
for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered
Referee. In the event of the late arrival of the appointed Referee,
the substitute official shall be replaced by the former provided this occurs
before the commencement of the second half. A Referee who is late in
arriving shall continue and not re-start the game when he takes over.
In such cases the appointed Referee is entitled to his full fee (see Rule
13(E) below). Failure to agree and the match not being played both
teams shall be fined £20.00.
C) The Council may, if they consider it desirable, or upon
application by the two (2) competing Clubs, appoint Assistant Referees, if
available, to any match. Where assistant Referees are not appointed
each Team shall provide a Club Assistant Referee. Failure to do so
shall result in a fine not exceeding £15.00 being imposed on the defaulting
Team.
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 the ground, the Representative of that body is the sole arbiter and whose
decision shall be accepted unless the ground is declared fit for play.
E) Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be
entitled to charge the following match fees:
Referee £35.00, inclusive of travelling expenses. Registered Referees
appointed by the Council as Assistant Referees £29.00, inclusive of
expenses, subject to any limits laid down by the sanctioning Association.
The Home Club shall pay the officials their fees and expenses within fifteen
(15) minutes of the end of the match. A Club failing to comply shall
be fined not exceeding £15.00.
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 a fee of £17.00 for a Referee and £13.00 for
an Assistant Referee. 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 engagement, and failing to
give a satisfactory explanation as to his non-appearance, may have his name
removed from the list of Referees and the fact reported to the Association
with which he 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 Match Record Sheet provided.
A Club marking a Referee any marks lower than fifty (50), the Club shall in
writing to the Referees Secretary, within seven (7) days of the date of the
match, give their reasoning for the mark.
Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined a sum not
exceeding £15.00 or dealt with as the Council shall determine.
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 Association.
I) The Referee shall submit a report card,
supplied by the Competition, giving the result of the match and other
information required by the Referee Secretary within two (2) days of the
match.
J) Referees and Assistant Referees shall be
supplied, each Season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.
14
Continuation of
membership/withdrawal of a club
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 shall notify the Secretary in writing by 31st
March each Season or be liable to a fine not exceeding £60.
All Clubs wishing to remain in membership of the Competition for the
following Season shall confirm their intention to do so, in writing, to the
Secretary by 1st May.
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 £60.00 per Team and shall also be liable for its share of
any call which may be made under Rule 5(B).
C) 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.
D) 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.
15
Protests and appeals
A)
i) All questions of eligibility,
qualifications of players, or interpretations of the Rules shall be referred
to the Council.
ii) Objection relevant to the dimensions of the
pitch, goals, flag posts or other facilities of the venue shall not be
entertained by the Council 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 Council.
B) Except in cases where the Council decide that there are
special circumstances, protests and complaints (which shall contain full
particulars of the grounds upon which they are founded) shall be lodged, in
duplicate, with the Secretary within four (4) days (excluding Sundays) of
the match or occurrence to which they refer. A member of the Council
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 Council whose decision shall be
binding upon all parties subject to Rule 16.
D) No protest of whatever kind shall be considered by the
Council unless the complaining Club shall have deposited with the Secretary
a sum of £20.00. This may be forfeited in whole or 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 shall be afforded
an opportunity of making a statement when the protest is being heard and
shall have received seven (7) days notice of the hearing, together with a
copy of the submission. When dealing with a protest or complaint the
Council shall take into consideration the possession by the protesting Club
of any information which, if properly used, might have avoided the protest
or complaint.
16 Board of
appeal
Within fourteen (14) days of the posting of written notification of any
decision of the Council 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 Berks & Bucks Football
Association, including a fee of fifty pounds (£50.00), 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. A copy of the appeal shall also be sent to the General
Secretary of the Competition.
17
Exclusion of clubs or teams, misconduct of clubs, officials, players
A) At the Annual General Meeting or Special General
Meeting called for the purpose, Notice of Motion having been duly circulated
on the Agenda, the accredited delegates present shall have power to exclude
any Club or Team from further membership upon a majority of two-thirds of
the votes cast. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot.
B) At the Annual General Meeting or 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 whose conduct has, in
their opinion, been undesirable upon a majority of two thirds of the votes
cast. 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 misconduct, 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
Council shall decide and their Club shall also be liable to expulsion in
accordance with the provisions of Clauses (A) and (B) of this Rule. An
expelled club shall also be dealt with as if it had withdrawn under Rule 14
and the League records dealt with accordingly.
18
Trophy - legal owners, conditions of taking over, agreement signed & awards.
A) A Competition Cup or Trophy shall be vested in the
Association sanctioning the Competition as Trustees. If a Competition
is discontinued for any cause, the Cup or Trophy shall be returned to the
Donor, if the conditions attached to it so provide, or otherwise dealt with
as the Association may decide. At the close of each Competition
sixteen (16) awards shall be made to the winners and runners-up if the funds
of the Competition permit.
The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the Cup
or Trophy:
We, A _______ and B ______ being Chairman and Secretary of ______ FC,
members of and representing the Club, having been declared Winners of North
Berks Football League 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 General Secretary on or before the date
of the Annual General Meeting. 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”.
B) A Club winning a Trophy shall not allow it to be
mishandled, mistreated or put at risk of damage or defacement, shall keep it
safe and take all reasonable precautions for its well-being while in its
possession.
C) Clubs in breach of this clause of this Rule shall be
fined a sum not exceeding £20 and also dealt with at the discretion of the
Council.
D) The Trophies shall be insured by the Competition
against fire, burglary and larceny, but Clubs winning a trophy shall pay on
demand by the Hon. Treasurer the share of the premium payable.
19
Special general meetings
Upon receiving a requisition signed by two thirds of the Clubs in
membership, the Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting. The
Council may call a Special General Meeting at any time.
At least seven (7) 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 Full Member Club shall be empowered to send two (2) delegates to all
Special General Meetings. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote
only. Not less than seven (7) days notice shall be given of any
meeting.
Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at a Special General
Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined £15.00.
Officers and Council members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all
Special General Meetings.
20
Alteration to rules
A) Alterations 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 alterations
made during the playing season to the Rule relating to the qualification of
players shall not take effect until the following season.
B) Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the
Annual General Meeting shall be submitted to the Secretary by 28th February
in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals from the
Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 15th March and any
amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Secretary by 31st March.
The proposals and proposed amendments thereto shall be circulated to clubs
with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. A proposal to change a
Rule shall be carried if two thirds of those present and entitled to vote
are in favour.
C) A copy of the proposed alterations and proposed
amendments to be considered at a Special General Meeting shall be submitted
to the Berks & Bucks Football association by no later than 28 days prior to
the date of the meeting.
D) Any alterations or additions decided upon at any
meeting shall not become operative until the approval of the Berks & Bucks
Football Association shall have been obtained.
21 Rules
binding on club
A) Each Member Club shall be deemed to have given its
assent to the foregoing Rules and agreed to abide by the decisions of the
Council subject to Rule 16. Each Member Club shall abide by any issued
Football Association Code of Conduct.
B) Every Club in membership of the Competition shall
receive two (2) copies of the Rule Book per Team entered.
22 Finance
A) The Council shall determine with which bank or other
financial institution the funds of the Competition shall be lodged.
B) All expenditure in excess of £100.00 shall be approved
by the Council. Cheques shall be signed by at least two (2) Officers
nominated by the Council.
C) The financial year of the Competition shall end on 31st
May.
D) The books, or a certified balance sheet, of a
Competition shall be prepared and shall be verified annually by some
suitable person(s) who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
23 Sponsorship
The Council shall have the power to consider and accept sponsorship of the
Competition after consultation with the Clubs in membership.
24
Representative matches
Any Club asked to provide two (2) or more players for a County Football
Association team shall be given permission, on request, to have a match
postponed providing the request is submitted within forty eight (48) hours
of receipt of notification from the County FA. Clubs shall, if
directed, provide evidence of the players selected. The Council shall
award mementoes to players who represent the North Berks Football League in
Representative matches on three (3) occasions and to make an award to a
player who makes ten (10) appearances.
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