 LEAGUE NOTICES AND RULES Chippenham & District Sunday Football League Rules and Constitution 1. NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION (A)This Competition shall be designated the Chippenham & District Sunday Football League and shall consist of not more than 65 Clubs who shall be Full Member Clubs. All such Member Clubs must 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 Wiltshire County Football Association. The headquarters of the Chippenham & District Sunday Football League shall be the Gladstone Liberal Club, Chippenham. This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Wiltshire County Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding 13 in number. Member Clubs shall not enter any of their teams playing in the Competition in any other Competitions (with the exception of F.A. and County F.A. Competitions) except with the written consent of the Management Committee of the Competition. (B)At the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, a majority of the delegates present shall have power to decide or adjust the compilation of the divisions at their discretion. When necessary this Rule shall take precedence over Rule 12. 2. ENTRY FEE, SUBSCRIPTION, DEPOSIT (A)Applications by Clubs for admission to this Competition or the entry of an additional team(s) must be made in writing to the Secretary and must be accompanied by an Entry Fee in accordance with the schedule of charges, 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. When Rule 12(B) is applied and a team seeks a transfer or is compulsorily transferred to another division no Entry Fee shall be payable. (B)The Annual Subscription shall be in accordance with the schedule of charges and payable on or before the date of the AGM in each year. (C) A Club shall not participate in this Competition until the Entry Fee and Annual Subscription have been paid and a copy of the club’s personal accident insurance policy has been sent to the Registration Secretary. (D) Clubs must include their County Football Association affiliation number for the forthcoming Season on the league affiliation form presented at the AGM. Clubs failing to supply the above affiliation number at the AGM will be asked to apply for re-election to the league at the AGM and be fined in accordance with the Schedule of Charges. Clubs must advise the Secretary in writing, or on the prescribed form, of details of its Headquarters, Officers and any other information required by the Competition. 3. OFFICERS The Officers of the Competition shall be the President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Fixtures Secretary, Registration Secretary, Referees Secretary, Publications Secretary and Discipline Secretary to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. (N.B. Auditors are not Officers). 4. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE: NOMINATION & ELECTION (A) The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association by a Management Committee comprised of the Officers and Management Committee members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. (B) Retiring Officers shall be eligible to become candidates for re-election without nomination. All other candidates for election as Officers or Members of the Management Committee shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the Secretaries of two Member Clubs, not later than 30th April in each year. Names of the 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. (C) The Management Committee shall meet as often as is necessary to deal with business as it arises. On receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Members of the Management Committee the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Committee. (D) Except where otherwise mentioned all communications shall be addressed to the Secretary who shall conduct the correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings. (E) All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through Officers nominated on their league affiliation form. 5. POWERS OF THE MANAGEMENT (A) The Management Committee may appoint such other sub-committees as they may consider necessary and may delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary to such committees. The decisions of all such committees shall be reported to the Management Committee for ratification. (B) Subject to the permission of the Wiltshire County Football Association having been obtained the Management Committee 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. (See Rule 6(e)). (C) Each Member of the Management Committee shall have the right to attend and vote at all Management Committee 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 Management Committee 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 in the Rules. Except where these Rules provide for the imposition of a set penalty any Club, Official or Player alleged to be in breach of a Competition Rule must be formally charged in writing and given the opportunity to present their case before the Management Committee. All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations of The Football Association shall be dealt with in accordance with F.A. Rules. (E) All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of protest to the League or appeal to the Board of Appeal as per Rule 15 and Rule 16. Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within 14 days. (F) Five members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee and three members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by any sub-committee of the Competition. (G) The Management Committee, as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill in an acting capacity, any vacancies that may occur amongst their number. (H) A Club having failed to comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee, or failing to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition, shall be liable to be fined or otherwise penalised at the discretion of the Management Committee. (I) All fines and charges shall be paid within 14 days of the date of posting of the written notification, and any protest lodged as per Rule 15. Clubs, Officials or individuals committing a breach of this Rule will incur such penalties as the Management Committee may impose. (J) A member of the Management Committee appointed by the Competition to attend a meeting or match may have any expenses incurred refunded by the Competition. (K) The Management Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur in the membership of the Competition between the Annual General or Special General Meeting called to decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition season. 6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (A) The Annual General Meeting shall be held on the 4th Wednesday in June each year unless otherwise advised. At this meeting the following business shall be transacted:- (i)To receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting. (ii)To consider any business arising from the Minutes. (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 Management Committee). (v)Constitution of the Competition for ensuing season. (vi)Election of Officers and Management Committee. (vii)Appointment of Auditors. (viii)Alteration of Rules, if any (of which 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 audited Balance Sheet, Statement of Accounts and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least fourteen days prior to the meeting, and to the Wiltshire County Football Association. (C) A signed copy of the duly audited Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Wiltshire County Football Association within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual General Meeting. (D) Each Full Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an Annual General Meeting. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Not less than seven days’ notice shall be given of any Meeting. (E) Clubs who have withdrawn their Membership of the Competition 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 be demanded by at least ten (10) 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 Full Member Club. (H) Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be fined in accordance with the schedule of charges. (I) Officers and Management Committee members 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 ______________________ Competition and do hereby agree for and on behalf of the said Club to, if elected or accepted into Membership, to conform to those Rules and Regulations and to accept, abide by and implement the decisions of the Management Committee 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 must be notified to the County Football Association to which the Club is affiliated and to the 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:- (i) Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink, countersigned by an Officer of the Club, and whose completed registration counterfoil has been received by the Club. (C) A team shall not include more than two players who have taken part in any nine or more senior competition matches during the current season unless a period of 60 days has elapsed since they played. For the purpose of this competition a senior competition is a higher division in this competition. (D) 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 last played. (E) A fee in accordance with the schedule of charges shall be paid for each player registered. (F) The Management Committee shall decide all registration disputes. In the event of a player signing a registration form or having a registration submitted for more than one Club priority of registration shall decide for which Club the player shall be registered. The Registrations Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the player of the fact of the previous registration. (G) It shall be deemed misconduct for a player to:- (i) Play for more than one Club in the Competition in the same season without first being transferred. (ii) Having signed for one 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. (H)(i) The Management Committee shall have power to accept the registration of any player. (ii) The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any player or may fine any player at their discretion who has been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities. (Subject to Rule 16) (iii) The Management Committee shall have power to refuse or cancel the registration of any player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 16). Undesirable conduct shall mean an incident of repeated conduct, which may deter a participant from being involved in this Competition. (Note: Action under Clause (iii) shall not be taken against a player for misconduct until the matter has been dealt with by the appropriate Association, and then only in cases of the player bringing the Competition into disrepute.) (I) 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 transfer form to the Registrations Secretary accompanied by a fee in accordance with the schedule of charges. Such transfer shall be referred by the Registrations 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 Registrations Secretary and to the player concerned within seven days of receipt of the transfer form. Upon receipt of the Club's consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within seven days, the Registrations Secretary may, on behalf of the Management Committee, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club from such date. In the event of an objection to a transfer the matter shall be referred to the Management Committee for a decision. (J) A player may not be registered for a Club nor transferred to another Club in the Competition after the last day of February except by special permission of the Management Committee. (K) A Club shall keep a list of the players it registers and a record of the games in which they have played, and shall produce such records upon demand by the Management Committee. (L) A register containing the names of all players registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by the Registrations Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of any duly appointed Member Club representative at all Management Committee meetings or at other times mutually arranged. (M) A player shall not be eligible to play for a team in any special championship, promotion or relegation-deciding match (as specified in Rule 12(A)) unless the player has played eight games for that team in this Competition in the current season. Registrations are valid for one season only. (N) Except by permission of the Management Committee a team shall not include more than two players who have taken part in nine or more matches in a higher division during the current season unless a period of 60 days has elapsed since they played. (O)(i) Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players may have the points gained in the match deducted from its total and may be fined and/or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee. (ii) The Management Committee in exceptional circumstances may, at its discretion, award any points deducted from a Club under this Rule to the opponents in the match in question, subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed. (P) Each club must complete a team list in triplicate BEFORE each match. Clubs failing to do so will be fined in accordance with the Schedule of Charges. One copy of the form should be handed to the referee and one copy of the form should be exchanged by the opponents. The third copy is to be retained for club records, and for submission to the Management committee in cases of disputed player eligibility. A referee shall have the power to refuse to sanction the start of a match if either or both clubs refuse to supply a completed team list. Any team causing the start of a match to be delayed for any reason associated with this rule shall be dealt with under Rule 10 (b). 9. CLUB COLOURS, CLUB NAME (A) Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by the date of the AGM who shall decide as to their suitability. Goalkeepers must wear colours, which distinguish them from other players and the referee. No player, including the goalkeeper, 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 will play to its opponents at least seven days before the match. If, in the opinion of the referee, two Clubs have the same or similar colours, the home team shall make the change. Any team not having a change of colours or delaying the kick-off by not having a change shall be fined in accordance with the schedule of charges. The Secretary of the Competition may request shirts to be submitted if complaints are received as to lack of distinguishing colours, and the Management Committee may refuse to permit any shirts or shorts as they think fit. Shirts or shorts must be numbered. (B) Any Club wishing to change its name and/or colours must seek permission from its affiliated County Association and from the Management Committee. 10. PLAYING SEASON, CONDITIONS OF PLAY TIMES OF KICK-OFF, 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 Fixtures Secretary, must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting. (B) All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board. Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to keep their grounds in a playable condition. All matches shall be played on pitches deemed suitable by the Management Committee. In all cases where a disproportionate amount of matches are postponed by the pitch landlord, the team using those facilities must find an alternative pitch. If through any fault of the home team a match has to be replayed, the Management Committee shall have power to order the venue to be changed. The Management Committee shall have power to decide whether a pitch and/or facilities are suitable for matches in the Competition and to order the Club concerned to play its fixtures on another ground. All matches shall have a duration of 90 minutes unless a shorter time not less than 60 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 times of kick-off shall be fixed by the A.G.M. or the Management Committee. Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time shall be fined a sum in accordance with the schedule of charges or be otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may determine. Referees must order matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to the Competition. The home team must provide at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if the footballs are unsuitable. Goal nets must be used. (C) Except by permission of the Management Committee all matches must 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 must be considered secondary. Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the Fixtures Secretary. (D) The Secretary of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the location of, and access to, the ground and time of kick-off to the match official/s and the Secretary of the opposing Club at least five clear days prior to the playing of the match. Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine according to the schedule of charges. (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 MUST field higher team players in lower teams when the higher team has no engagement. If, in the opinion of the Management Committee, 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 Management Committee may determine, despite the fact that Rule 8 has not been infringed.)A minimum of seven players will 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 Management Committee shall have power to inflict a fine, deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points to the opponents, order the defaulting Club to pay any expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them except the award of goals. Not withstanding the foregoing home and away provision, the Management Committee shall have power to order a match to be played on a neutral ground or on the opponent's ground if they are satisfied that such action is warranted by the circumstances. Any Club with more than one team in the Competition shall always fulfil its fixture, within the Competition, in the following order of precedence:- First Team, ‘B’ Team. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be fined a sum in accordance with the schedule of charges. Notice of postponement of any match must be given without delay by the postponing Club (or notice of a Club being unable to fulfil any match must be given 48 hours prior to the match by the Club) to the Fixtures Secretary, the Referees Appointments Secretary, the Secretary of the opposing Club, the Publications Secretary and the match official/s. Any Club failing to comply shall be dealt with by the Management Committee 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 Management Committee. Failing such agreement and notification to the Fixtures Secretary within seven (7) days the Management Committee shall have power to order the match to be played on a named date or on or before a given date. The Management Committee shall review all abandoned matches in cases where it is consequent upon the conduct of either or both Teams. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, the Management Committee shall 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 and/or take what other action they may deem necessary. In cases where a match is abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams 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 appropriate Affiliated Association. (G) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use 3 substitute players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from 5 players. The referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes 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 five minutes duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee. 11. REPORTING RESULTS (A) The Registration Secretary must receive within five days of the date played, the result of each Competition match in the prescribed manner. This must include the forename(s), surname and registration number of the team players (in block letters) and also the Referee markings required by Rule 13, or any other information required by the Competition. Failure to do so will incur a fine in accordance with the schedule of charges and/or the Club being dealt with as the Management Committee decide. (B) A responsible member of each team (Home and Away) must telephone the result of each match played to the telephone number specified in the handbook, by 3.30pm on the day of the match. (C) The Team / Result Sheet, correctly completed, shall be signed by a responsible member of the Club. Clubs marking other clubs with 4 or below must submit a letter of explanation along with the completed sheet. The Management Committee shall have power to take such action as they deem suitable against a Club, which submits an incomplete form, or incorrect information, or fails to supply a letter of explanation for marking a club below 4. 12. DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP (A) Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with two points to be awarded for a win and one 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 must not be played for double points. In the event of two or more teams being equal on points team rankings may be decided in any one or more of the following ways:- (i) Goal difference (ii) Deciding match(es) played under conditions determined by the Management Committee. (B) Automatic promotion and relegation shall be applied for the first two and last two teams in each Division except as provided for hereunder, subject to the provisions of Rule 1(b). (i) Should one or more teams withdraw from any one Division after the fixtures have commenced an equal number of teams to those withdrawing in that Division shall not be automatically relegated. (ii) Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of the season may be filled on any of the following ways: (a)Retention of otherwise relegated team(s). (b)Additional promotion of the next ranked team(s) from the Division below. (c)Election (iii) When a senior team is relegated to a lower Division of which its ‘B’ team is a member, or entitled to be a member, such ‘B’ team must accept relegation to, or retain its position in, the next lower Division; and should the senior team be relegated to the lowest Division its ‘B’ team automatically retires from the Competition. (iv) Should either or both of the leading teams in any of the Divisions have its senior team in the next higher Division, promotion shall fall, at the discretion of the General Meeting, to the next highest team or teams in the Division concerned. (C) In the event of a team not completing 100% of its fixtures for the season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting team may be expunged from the Competition table. 13. REFEREES (A) Registered Referees for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the sanctioning Association(s). (B) In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed Referee the Clubs shall agree upon a Referee. A Referee thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered Referee. |
