SDFPL : Additions to rules set out by the Football
Association.
Version
2.06 dated 31st July 2011 – Updated by Stephen Field – Ratified and
sanctioned by the committee.
Basic League Rules
·
The
entry age of players is 16 years old
·
The
League is run by a committee. Elected members will remain until they step down
or are voted out by fellow committee members or a total unanimous vote by all
league managers at the General Meeting.
·
New
members will be elected by the existing committee. Candidates will be chosen by
fellow managers who regularly attend managers
meetings
·
No
one team can have more than 2 members on the committee unless sanctioned
unanimously by fellow managers by vote at the General Meeting.
·
The
league committee decides its promotion and relegation structure pre-season.
These processes cannot be challenged. If at any time the league needs to change
its structure due to teams leaving or changing the numbers in its divisions it
will look to the committee to produce an outcome. The committee will review all
factors in any change including the clubs recent performances and cup progress
and liaise with club officials. The outcome of any re-structure must be abided
by and clubs do not hold the right to decline any outcome.
·
The
league allows a substitution system of 9 named substitutes. 5 can be used. The
referee must be made aware of this before the start of a game.
·
The
league will abide by any decision the FA make regarding disputes with referees
or results.
o If a team is compelled to
change pitches during the season, permission must be sort from the SDFPL. New
written confirmation must be submitted before matches will be permitted to
proceed. A minimum of three days notice is required.
o
Clubs will not be allowed to cancel or postpone matches due to not
having a pre-booked pitch. (See cancellation guide). This does not apply to
teams who ground-share with other SDFPL teams, and other factors outside the
control of the club.
o
All pitches for SDFPL matches must comply
with Law 1 of Association Football.
o
Any team wishing to play an alternative
pitch to their assigned and booked pitch must have permission from the pitch
owners. A change of venue must be communicated to the league Secretary.
o
Playing on an unauthorised pitch will
result in a £25 fine.
o
Astroturf pitches - A match may only be
transferred to an Astroturf Pitch
·
Any
behavioural problems with teams that does not involve the FA’s own discipline
panel such as unheard racial comments, spectator and the behaviour of players
on the sidelines and general team fair play will be
reviewed by the committee and if necessary the league will decide any
punishment and if is required, pass any information directly to the FA for
their attention.
·
Clubs
will abide by any sanctions. They will be permitted to appeal to the committee.
·
If
any game is abandoned, all scorers from that game will also be ruled void.
·
All
matches shall have duration of ninety minutes unless a shorter time (not less
than sixty minutes) is mutually arranged by the two captains in consultation
with the referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall
be of equal halves
·
The
Management Committee shall review all matches abandoned, for whatever reason.
Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either
Club, the Management Committee shall be empowered to order the score at the
time of the abandonment to stand.
·
In
all cases where the Management Committee are satisfied that a match was
abandoned owing to the conduct of one team or its Club member(s) they shall be
empowered to award the points for the match to the opponents or take what other
action they may deem necessary.
·
In
cases where a match is abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams and/or
their Club members, the Management Committee shall take such action, as they
consider appropriate. Such action is subject to any disciplinary action taken
by the Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA.
·
Once
a match has been played or has been declared by the committee to have been
completed, the match may not be replayed.
The
SDFPL hold the right to request the sitting of the league committee at any time
to review discrepancies and loopholes in any of these listed rules.
Club and Manager
Administration and Responsibilities.
·
All teams must be affiliated to a local
FA. This will in most cases be the Sheffield and Hallamshire
County FA.
·
Teams may share affiliations, so long as
the clubs do not play in the same division as each other.
·
If a club has two teams in the same
league the second of the two teams must play in a lower division than the first
team. The first team will be determined by the date that teams were first
admitted to the SDFPL.
·
For teams to play in the same division
they must have a different affiliation number and a different secretary
registered with the FA.
·
Every team must apply for
entry into the League for each new season.
·
Each team competing in
the SDFPL competition must submit a club registration form and fee to the
league by the pre-determined deadline.
·
Each team competing in
the SDFPL Cup competition must submit a club registration form and fee to the
league by the pre-determined deadline.
·
If a team is competing in
both competitions then one registration form will suffice, although both League
and Cup fees are payable
·
Each manager/assistant
manager must submit a manager’s registration form, that includes signing an
agreement to abide by and promote the “Manager’s Code of Conduct” and rules of
the league.
·
Managers
are required to provide a representative to ALL SDFPL meetings. Failure to do
so will incur any of the following penalties
Missed One Meeting (With Apologies) – Grace
Missed One Meeting (No Apologies) - £10 Fine
Missed Second Meeting - £10 Fine
Missed Third Meeting - £10 Fine & 3 Points deduction
Subsequent Missed
Meetings - £10 Fine & 3 points deduction for each
meeting missed
·
Clubs
must provide basic elements such as match ball, netting, corner flags and
matching football team wear.
·
Clubs
must provide basic medical items such as clean water, magic sponge.
·
Clubs
are requested to provide further items such as medical/first aid bag containing
dressings, spray, eye drops etc. Clubs are also requested to have a
representative who has first aid qualification.
·
Clubs must supply its Saturday result by Monday 23:00, and Midweek results by 23:00, the following day.
The online form must be submitted with ALL sections of the report form
completed. The information required includes: - Results, Scorers (yours and the
opposition), Fair Play Points and comments, Opposition and your own Man of the
Match and Referee Marks. Full names of
“Scorers” and “Man of the Match” must be included in the report. Initials and
just Surnames of players will not be accepted. Match reports without full
details will be considered as incomplete and teams will face league sanctions
accordingly.
·
Subsequent information must be provided by the
manager in the form of a written report if the Referee’s score is 5 or below. If a written report is not received the referee’s score will
be given as a default 6.
·
The SDFPL reserves the right to request further
match day information at any point throughout the season. This could be on an
individual match basis or could be generic for all matches for the remainder of
the season.
·
The SDFPL reserves the right to amend the match
report form as may be required during the course of the season. Notification of
this will be given.
·
If
clubs do not submit their game information by the required date or the
information is incomplete the team will face any of the following sanctions.
1st Missed Match Report - Grace
2nd Missed
Report - £10 Fine
3rd Missed Report - £20 Fine
4th Missed Report - £20 Fine & 3 Points Deduction
Subsequent
Missed reports - £20 Fine & 3 points deduction for each missed report
·
Fair
Play points MUST be issued in accordance with the fair play standards which are
issued to all teams and can be found on the leagues website. A monthly fair
play table will be posted showing teams average scores.
·
Home managers are required to contact the
opposition manager by Tuesday 10pm to confirm pitch booking and referee. The
contact is to be made by phone call. SMS and e-mail are not acceptable. If the
home team manager fails to contact the away team by the deadline, a fine of £10
will be imposed.
·
It is the responsibility of manager’s to update the
League Secretary of any changes to club contacts. If any correspondence is not
received, the club will be liable for any consequences of that.
·
Clubs
are responsible for its players and any supporters on the sidelines.
·
Clubs
are responsible for informing their players of the standard of behaviour
required by SDFPL Clubs and a general brief on the ethos of the league and what
its stands for.
·
Teams
are expected to complete fixtures without unjust delay. FA laws state teams can
play with 7 players+
·
Home Managers are responsible for obtaining a
referee. The league recommends managers booking referees well in advance and
officials are usually hard to find within the week leading up to the game. Any
manager/club frequently not providing a referee could be open to sanctions by
the league committee.
o
If
a referee cannot be found for the game, an agreement must be reached between
the two sides as to a non-qualified referee to officiate the match.
·
Referees
officiating on SDFPL games must be paid the approved match fee and travel
expenses, as by the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA.
For the 2010/11 Season these are:
1. Referee - £22
2. Assistant Referee £11
3. Public travel expenses or mileage at 35p per mile.
4. In the event of the match being postponed on the day of the match, the
Referee will be entitled to half match fee plus expenses.
·
If
a referee cancels after being booked for the match teams must supply the League
Secretary with a contact number to confirm the reasons for cancellation.
·
All appointed referees must be registered with a
local FA (Ideally, Sheffield and Hallamshire County
FA) and must have completed all the relevant CRB checks
·
All registration
deadlines will be announced to managers at the League General Meeting.
·
The amount of monies to
be paid for League, Cup and Player registration fees is to be set by the
committee, and will be announced to managers at the League General Meeting.
·
Any team completing all
their registrations on time will receive a rebate on their league fees. The
amount of the rebate will be determined by the league committee and announced
to managers at the General Meeting. Any team failing to meet the registration
deadlines will not only forfeit their rebate but may also be subject to league
sanctions.
·
At any point in the season the SDFPL committee
reserves the right to request any administration information for any member
club. A deadline of a minimum of 5 working days will be set for this
information to be submitted. Clubs who fail to meet the set deadline will be
subject to the standard league sanctions.
·
Managers/Secretaries are responsible for ensuring
that the league receives all registration and administration documents. The
SDFPL recommends that all documents be sent using a form of registered mail.
This will guarantee delivery and provide managers with proof of postage.
·
All
deadlines set out by the SDFPL must be abided to. These deadlines have been
decided giving ample time to comply with rule requirements. Any further delay with out previous communication with the SDFPL will be
subject to a league fine.
·
The following fines may be imposed on clubs for
breach of league rules. Included is the amount of the fine.
|
£10 |
Non Attendance at League Meeting |
|
£10 |
Non Payment of Fine |
|
£10 |
Non Submittal or Incomplete Match Report |
|
£10 |
Non Submittal or Incomplete of Registration |
|
£25* |
Non Fulfilment of Fixture |
|
£25* |
Non Fulfilment of Fixture by the End of Season
League Deadline |
|
£10 |
Non Payment of Fees |
|
£10 |
Non Submittal of New Fixture Date |
|
£25* |
Fielding an Un-registered Player |
|
£10 |
Non-completion of Administration Request. |
*Further League
sanctions may also be imposed.
·
When fines are issued a deadline for payment will
be set.
·
For a first fine a deadline of a minimum 10 days
will be set from the date of the fine being issued.
·
If the deadline for the fine falls within 14 days
of a bi-monthly manager’s meeting the fine deadline will be extended to
accommodate ease of payment.
·
If the deadline for payment of a fine is missed, a
further £10 fine will be issued. The deadline for this further fine will be a
minimum of 5 days from the date of the new fine being issued. The new fine
deadline will also be the revised deadline for the original fine to be paid.
·
If this further deadline is missed the case will be
submitted to the league committee for discussions on further sanctions
·
Clubs may appeal any league sanctions.
·
A written* appeal must be submitted to the league
secretary, (*This can also be by e-mail).
·
If a club appeals the league fine, the fine will be
temporarily suspended, until the result of the appeal is known.
·
Procedure
o
The League secretary will submit the appeal to the
league committee members by e-mail. The committee will then submit their votes
by e-mail to the league secretary.
o
Once a majority verdict is reached, the secretary
will announce the result to the committee and the club officials in questions.
If the vote is tied, the chairman will have a second “casting” vote.
o
Should a committee member deem that the procedure
above is not appropriate, they have the right to request that the appeal be
heard at a special meeting of the committee. The quorum for this meeting shall
be a minimum of three committee members plus the chairman, although any member
of the committee may attend.
·
Conflict
of Interests
o
If the Sanction and appeal involves a club that any
member of the committee is associated with, the said committee member will be
ineligible to vote. The said committee member is also ineligible from calling
an appeal meeting of the committee
·
Failure of an appeal could incur further league
sanctions, as is deemed appropriate by the league committee.
·
2nd Appeals
o
If the team wishes to appeal further. The case will
be presented to a further appeal group. This group will be made up of at least
2, and maximum 3 SDFPL managers and Committee members. The numbers of managers
cannot outnumber the number of committee members.
o
The managers will be invited to join the group, on
an individual case-by-case basis. The managers will be invited to be part of
the group, ensuring there is no conflict of interest with the case in question.
o
On hearing the appeal case, the appeals group can
put forward recommendations for consideration to the main committee. The
committee will still retain the final decision on the appeal and may veto the
recommendation of the appeals group.
·
All appeal hearings will be fully minuted for future reference
Kits
·
It is the AWAY teams responsibility to make sure they have a suitable
change strip before arriving at the host venue.
·
Prior agreement during
the telephone conversation between managers in the days before the game, may
take place where the home team if necessary uses it’s
change strip.
·
Managers of home teams
forced to change colours must contact the SDFPL and make them aware.
·
Teams that force the home
team to change colours will be subject to League Sanctions. Grace will be given
for the first occasion. A fine of £5 will be issued for subsequent occurrences.
·
Dark coloured kits close
to the Black of referee’s shirts are not permitted. This is in accordance with
FA rules, Rule 9 part.
Changes to league
structure and new entry
·
Teams
wanting to enter the SDFPL must follow these guidelines.
·
Request
for entry should be made during September – March.
·
Contact
the league secretary to request an application form. Applicants must have
submitted this form.
·
The
league committee will decide changes to the league structure.
·
Teams
wanting to enter are advised to have played a series of games with other SDFPL
sides in order to gain a good reputation with other league sides.
·
Teams
must be able to prove they have:- Proof of pitch hire for home fixtures, full
kit, basic match equipment as stated in the rules (nets, balls etc)
·
The League Committee will review all applications
to join the SDFPL at the beginning of each season. The following considerations
will be taken into account.
- Number of “Friendlies” played against SDFPL sides. And have good reports
from SDFPL managers regarding the ethos of the League. (This requirement is
only relevant to new teams applications)
- Affiliation and Sponsorship from a Church that the league is in
“relationship” with (For New teams only)
- Average Fair Play points for the previous season
- Persistent Infringement of league rules, such as Administration and
Attendance at meetings.
- FA Reports received
-
Any action that may have brought the league into
disrepute.
- Reference from previous leagues for teams joining. If a team wishes
to join from another league, the SDFPL will seek fair play and behavioural
references from the previous league committee.
-
New teams should have a pitch booked within a radius
of 10 miles from the centre of Sheffield, as the crow
flies. The Committee will review any
applications from outside this area and reserve the right to refuse entry on
this criterion.
·
The League committee will
determine the start and end dates for the League Season. All matches must be
completed within the dates determined.
·
Special Circumstances
will be taken into consideration to allow for the possible extension of the
League season. This is dependant on the dates set for
the League Cup final and Presentation events. Any concessions made are at the
discretion of the SDFPL Committee.
·
A club may not postpone fixtures in the 7 days
leading up to the match. If a club is unable to fulfil a fixture then the club
will be subject to appropriate league sanctions, as set out in the Cancellation
Guide.
·
Teams
are allowed to change fixtures 31days and over, of the fixture date being
played provided that MUTUAL agreement has taken place. No penalty will be
brought before the team cancelling at this point. Both clubs to inform the
SDFPL of the change immediately.
·
Inside
one month of a fixture being played, should a team wish to cancel a fixture
they will be fined a charge of £15 or use their “1 cancellation”. The SDFPL
must be informed immediately of the cancellation and of a new date as soon as
possible.
·
If a match is cancelled within 21 days of the
scheduled date of the fixture, a fine of £15 will be imposed. They will be no
grace for this period.
·
Once the fixture schedule is released, No matches
may be cancelled in September and October.
·
All
negotiation regarding fixture change MUST be clarified VERBALLY between
managers. Email may be used in certain circumstances but fixtures change and
confirmations between managers MUST NOT be done via SMS Text.
·
BOTH Teams Must inform the fixtures
secretary of change by either completing the online change form on www.sdfpl.co.uk
or by phone or email immediately.
·
All
cancellation/postponements MUST be re-arranged within 14 days of the initial
request to cancel/postpone or teams will incur a £10 fine. Midweeks from April
onwards should be considered.
·
If
any rearranged fixture is played without consent or knowledge of the SDFPL, the
teams involved shall be fined £15. (both clubs should have notified the change)
·
It
is the responsibility of team managers to re-arrange postponed fixtures with
the guidelines set out.
·
The SDFPL reserves the right to set fixture dates
for any SDFPL affiliated matches. These dates then must be adhered to. This can
included midweek matches in April (Daylight permitting). Teams will be expected
to fulfil midweek fixtures if required.
·
Failure to
complete any fixtures will in-cure the
penalties set out in the above guidelines.
·
Teams must supply dates that they are unable to
play matches on. The deadline for this is the General Meeting date of each
year. After that teams will be expected to play on the dates scheduled, unless
in extreme circumstances.
·
If a club is unable to complete a fixture due to
League or FA suspension, the match will be awarded to the opposition with a 3-0
win.
·
If a team cancels a match after Wednesday 21:00
preceding the Saturday match-day, the committee will review each situation
individually to impose appropriate sanctions. This may be further monetary
fines or further point deductions.
·
A club may not play a friendly against another club
in the same division until all league and cup matches between the two sides
have been played.
·
After cancelling a match, a club is not permitted
to play a friendly against any league sides. The team who have not cancelled a
match may then play a friendly as long as none of the other rules are breached.
·
Before arranging friendlies within the season, each
club must provide evidence that all possible action has been taken to play a
league or cup match on that date. The final decision for approval rests with
the League Secretary. The League Secretary must approve ALL friendlies. If a
team plays a friendly during the season without approval then the team will fined £20. Both teams must inform
the League secretary of the proposed friendly.
·
The league recommends that all possible action be
taken to bring forward matches to free weekends, so far as teams are able. This
will help with fixture congestion at the end of the season.
·
No league fixtures may
take place on the day of any play-off or Cup Final.
·
If a rearranged
fixture is cancelled a second time, onus is solely on the team cancelling THE
REARRANGED fixture not the first.
Please follow the
following guide on the next page to cancelling a fixture
|
Time
to Kick off |
Allowed
Yes / No |
Conditions |
Penalties |
|
Over
31 days |
Yes |
Must
inform SDFPL IMMEDIATELY – New date to be supplied within 14 days or league
informed as to reason of delay in planning new fixture |
None |
|
Inside
31 days – 3 weeks |
Yes
but will incur penalty |
Must
inform SDFPL IMMEDIATELY – New date to be supplied within 14 days or league
informed as to reason of delay in planning new fixture MUST BE DONE
VERBALLY – NO SMS |
Will
be charged either their “1 allowed” change or (if that has been used) £15 |
|
Inside
3 weeks - 1 week |
Yes
but will incur Penalty |
Must
inform SDFPL IMMEDIATELY – New date to be supplied within 14 days or league
informed as to reason of delay in planning new fixture MUST BE DONE
VERBALLY – NO SMS |
Fine
of £15 to the team cancelling |
|
Inside
1 week (after 9 pm previous Saturday) |
No |
Teams
may not cancel this close to games. |
Cancelling
team charged £25 Opposing
team awarded 3-0 win. |
|
Outright
Forfeit or Incompletion of Fixtures If
a team postpones a game with no intention or ability to reschedule even
though the opposition is in favour of playing the game at a new date. By
entering the league, teams are obligated to complete its fixtures. |
3-0
win to the opposition. £25
fine issued to the team forfeiting. Further
points deduction to be decided by the league
committee. |
||
|
CANCELLATION
DUE TO WEATHER ONLY – AT ANY TIME – Documentation may be required from
council/pitch owner confirming pitch not to be used. -
The Match Day referee may rule on if the pitch is playable or not. |
None
– Both teams must sort a new date immediately and both should inform league
within 14 days. £10 Fines will occur if this is not done |
||
|
Pitch
not playable on match day If a game cannot be played due to conditions
effecting the playing field which are NOT related to weather conditions (no
nets, posts, line markings etc) |
The
onus is on the home team to make sure its pitch is playable before a fixture.
This should involve either checking its condition in the lead-up to the game
or contacting the pitch owners (private/council) to make sure it is ready.
Home team charged £15 Opposing
team HAVE THE RIGHT to claim a 3-0 win. The league
does strongly recommend the fixture rearranged if dates are available in the
calendar. Fine should stand regardless |
||
|
Other
information : -
If a game is played WITHOUT the SDFPL being aware of a rearranged date |
£15
fine to both teams )both are required to inform league of fixture changes – not
just team cancelling) |
||
|
Other
information : -
New date not being provided within 14 days (or league being informed as to
why a new date cannot be provisioned) |
£10 |
||
·
Teams
can register a maximum of 35 players throughout
a season.
·
There will be no player deregistration
·
A
player cannot play until he has signed a player registration form and that form
has been received by the SDFPL with a £4 player fee.
·
Should
a player take part in an SDFPL game who is not registered on the league
database and has not been part of an emergency counter signing, the following
will happen.
1.
The
game will be awarded to the opposition with a minimum score of 3-0 (if the
match day score was greater, that score will stand)
2.
The
team will be fined £25
3.
The
committee will sit to determine if further punishment should be taken.
·
Managers must submit a
player registration form and fee for EVERY player by the pre-determined
deadline. Each player is required to read and agree to the “Players Code of
Conduct” of the league.
·
A Minimum of 16 players
must be registered by the first deadline.
·
Each time a player is
signed a Player Registration form and fee must be submitted to the league. The
form and fee must be submitted before the player will be permitted to play in a
sanctioned SDFPL fixture.
·
Players may be signed on
a match day on an emergency basis. Emergency
player registrations must be made before match Kicks off.
·
Clubs only competing in
the SDFPL Cup competition do not need to submit individual player
registrations. They must however submit a squad list spreadsheet
by the Wednesday prior to their first match in the competition that season.
·
Clubs only playing in the
SDFPL Cup competition may field players who are registered with other League
teams. These players must not have played for any other club in the SDFPL Cup
that season; they will then be considered “cup-tied” and will not be permitted
to play for any other team in the SDFPL Cup competition, even for their parent
club. Any players must have their parent club listed next to their name on the
squad list spreadsheet.
·
At any point in the
season, the SDFPL committee reserves the right to request a match day squad
list. This is to ensure no ineligible players play in SDFPL matches.
·
A
copy of the squad sheet should be retained by the manager to keep track of any
changes in player details such as address etc. The SDFPL may require access to
this updated information to present to the FA if required.
·
Players
are to abide by these rules.
·
The manager of the team the player is
leaving must e-mail the league secretary their approval of the transfer. The
new manager must then complete the normal registration process for the player,
including the registration fee.
·
The new player registration fee is still applicable
to the registration of the player to the new club.
·
Players may only play for one team in Cup
competitions.
·
If
the above conditions are not met, and the player plays in a SDFPL affiliated
game then the club will be subject to disciplinary sanctions in line with the
regulations covering non-registered players.
·
The forum is provided for
the benefit of all persons involved in the SDFPL. Its purpose is to provide a free
flow of information between players and officials involved in the SDFPL.
Abusive, offensive or insulting text or images will not be tolerated at anytime. If any player or official registered to an SDFPL
club publishes for public viewing insulting, offensive or abusive images or
text on SDFPL media, the committee will refer the case to the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA for disciplinary action. Following action by
the S&H FA the league committee may take further disciplinary action
against the person involved and/or club involved. The committee will determine
what is deemed to be insulting, abusive and offensive material.
·
Any player or
official registered with the SDFPL may contact members of the committee,
including the Chairman and Secretary, to discuss any issues that have arisen
with the running of the league. However, the committee will not tolerate
abusive, insulting or offensive language or images sent by any media, directed
towards themselves personally or the league. Any
person found contravening this will reported to
Sheffield and Hallamshire FA for disciplinary action.
·
Any Forum user who has
been banned for any length of time is not permitted to re-register under a
different user name. Any user found to have re-registered under a different
user name following a ban will be permanently banned from the Forum
·
Further action may
be taken by the committee, in line with Sheffield and Hallamshire
FA, against the club or clubs of the persons involved.
·
League Trophies are and remain the property of the
SDPFL.
·
The SDFPL trophies will be awarded as per
competition rules.
·
The holders of each Trophy will be permitted to
keep the trophy for a minimum of 10 months*.
·
Teams that awarded the trophies each season are
responsible and liable for the safety and security of the respective trophies.
Team members who “look after” the trophies should have appropriate property
contents insurance. The SDFPL reserves the right to request return of the
trophies at anytime.
·
Failure to return trophies by the set deadline will
result in a League fine. (Non-completion of Administration Request).
·
Further sanctions will include the team being
refused future entry into the league.
*This is dependant on the date of the League Presentation event for
the following season.