League Rules
[ Click here for printable version ]
1. NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION
A. This Competitions shall be designated the Wearside
Combination Football League/Cup and Sunderland Alan Hood Memorial Trophy for the
Blind, and The Wearmouth & Hylton Aged Peoples Trophy, known as the Wearside
Combination Football League and
shall consist of not more than 64 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 Durham County Football Association Limited. The area covered
by the Competition Membership shall be within 30 miles of the Sunderland Civic Centre.
This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Durham County Football
Association(s) Limited
and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped
in divisions, each not exceeding 18 in number.
No team in the League or Division of the League comprising of ten or more clubs
shall be allowed to compete in more than THREE Charity Cup Competitions during the
season without the consent of their parent Association and Management Committee.
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 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 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 £190.00p per Team,
which includes £10.00p per Charity competition.
C. Each New Club shall within 28 days/on the day of
election pay a Deposit of £28.00p, which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving
the Competition provided they have fulfilled their fixtures and complied with all
order of the Management Committee.
D. A Club shall not participate in this Competition
until the first half of £95.00p is paid on or before the League Kick Off date and
the second £95.00p on or before the December meeting each year.
E. New Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in
writing by 14th August of its Durham County Football Association affiliation
number for the forthcoming Season, failing which they shall be fined £28.00p. 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, General Secretary, Administration Secretary, Registration
Secretary, and all to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. (N.B.
Auditors are not Officers.)
4. MANAGEMENT, 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 four 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 25th May
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. General Meeting for clubs will be held in August,
December and March any club failing to do so shall be fined £50.00p. All clubs MUST
be in attendance no apologise will be accepted. 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 their nominated
Officers.
5.
POWERS OF 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 Durham 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 also 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 appeal to the Board of Appeal in accordance with
Rule 16.
Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within 7
days.
F. Six 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.
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 not later
than the 23rd June in each year. At this meeting the following
business shall be transacted provided that at least 50% of Members are present and
entitled to vote:-
(i)
To receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.
(ii)
To consider any business arising there from.
(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)
Appointments of Auditors.
(viii)
Alteration of Rules, if any (of which notice has been given).
(ix)
Fix the date for the commencement and conclusion of the playing season.
(x)
Other business of which due notice shall be given and accepted
as being relevant to an Annual General Meeting.
B. A copy of the duly audited/verified Balance Sheet, Statement of Accounts, and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least fourteen days prior to the meeting, and to the Durham
County Football Association(s).
C. A signed copy of the duly audited/verified Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to
the Durham County Football Association(s)
within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual General Meeting.
D. Each Full Member Club/team shall be empowered to
send two delegates to an Annual General Meeting. Each Club shall be entitled to
one vote only. Not less than 7 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. This provision will not apply to Clubs expelled in accordance
with Rule 17.
F. All voting shall be conducted by a show of hands/voting
cards unless a ballot
be demanded by at least 50% 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
£25.00p.
I. Officers and Management Committee members shall
be entitled to attend and vote at an Annual General Meeting.
7. AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED
A. The Chairman and 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)
……………..------------------------------- 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, 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 Durham County Football Association(s) 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/are not permitted in this Competition.
B. A registered playing member of a Club is one who, being in all other respects eligible, has:-
1. Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition
registration form in ink, countersigned by an Officer of the Club, and who has been
registered with the (Registrations) Secretary 2 days prior to playing and whose
completed registration counterfoil has been received by the Club prior to playing.
Unless retained on League Retainer form.
2. Signed a fully and correctly completed Competition
Registration form in ink, on a match day, prior to playing, countersigned by an
Officer of the Club and witnesses by an Officer of the opposing Club, and submitted
to the (Registrations) Secretary within two days (Sundays excluded) subsequent to the match. The player shall not again play until the Club is in possession
of the completed counterfoil. A maximum of five Players may be registered
in this way.
In all Cup Competition a player shall be eligible to play in any round (except semi
final or finals), if they comply with 1 or 2 of this section. In semi or final ties
the player with be eligible to play if they have play at least 2 league or league
challenge cup games.
Registration forms may also be submitted to the (Registrations) Secretary by facsimile
machine prior to the player playing.
C. A Player is not eligible to play in this Competition
who receives any form or payment for playing, other than expenses as per clauses
1,2 and 3 of article 2 of the FIFA Regulations Governing the Status and Transfer of Players. Clubs upon election must sign a declaration that they will conform
to the said clauses and players of such Clubs are required to sign a declaration
upon Registration that they are eligible under, and will abide by, the FIFA clauses,
which are as follows:
1. Players who have never received any remuneration
other than for the actual expenses incurred during the course of their participation
in or for any activity connected with association football shall be regarded as
amateur.
2. Travel and hotel expenses incurred through involvement
in a match and the cost of a player’s equipment, insurance and training may be reimbursed
jeopardising a player’s amateur status.
3. Any player who has ever received remuneration in
excess of the amount stated under clause 2 in respect of participation in or an
activity connected with association football shall be regarded as non-amateur unless
he has reacquired amateur status under the terms of Art.25”
4. A team shall not include any player/more than 4 players
who has/have taken part in any 2 more senior competition matches during the current
season unless a period of 7 days has elapsed since they played.
For the purpose of this Competition a Senior Competition(s) is/are Northern, Premier,
and Northern & Wearside Leagues.
E. 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.
F. A fee of 50p shall be paid for each player registered.
The first 16 players registered shall be free.
G. 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.
H. It shall be a breach of Rule 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.
I. (i)
The Management Committee shall have the power to accept the Registration of
any player.
The Management Committee shall have the power to refuse,
cancel or suspend the registration of any player or may fine any player at their
discretion proved guilty of registration irregularities. (Subject
to Rule 16)
(ii) The Management Committee shall have the power to
refuse, cancel
the registration of any player found guilty or undesirable conduct and to disqualify the player in question from participating in all games in the Competition.
(Subject to Rule 16).
(Note: Action under Clause (2) shall 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)
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 transfer form to the (Registrations)
Secretary accompanied by a fee of £2.00p. 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 or 7 days after receipt of such
transfer.
In the event of an objection to a transfer the matter shall be referred to the Management Committee for a decision.
K. A player may not be registered for a Club nor transferred
to another Club in the Competition after third Thursday of March in each season
except by special permission of the Management Committee.
L. 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.
M. 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.
N. 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 2 games for that team in this Competition
in the current season.
O. A Player who has played for a team in the Premier
Division 10 Times or more shall not in that season be eligible to play in a lower
division except by permission of the Management Committee.
P. (i)
Any
team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players may/shall
have the points gained in the match deducted from its total and shall be fined £50.00p
or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee.
(ii) In addition the team may/shall have 3 points deducted from its total
at the discretion of the Management Committee and may be dealt with in any further
manner which it is thought to be fit.
(iii) 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.
(iv) In cup competitions and club found guilty of playing an eligible player
shall be fined £50.00p and excluded from the competition.
(The Following Clause applies to Competitions involving players in full-time secondary
education):-
Q. (i) Priority
must be given at all times to school and school organisations activities.
(ii) The availability of children must be cleared with the Head Teachers (except
for Sunday Leagues).
(iii) Children under 14 shall not play in a team involving players who are more
than 2 years older.
(Note: For players under the age of 18 the provisions contained in Football
Association Rules will apply.)
9. CLUB COLOURS. CLUB NAME
A. Every Club must register the colour of its shirts
and shorts with the Secretary by 20th July each season 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 4 days
before the match.
If, in the opinion of the referee, two Clubs have the same or similar colours, the away team shall make the change. Any team not having a change of colours or delaying kick-off by not having a change shall be fined £5.00p
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 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.
Fixtures are deemed to be accepted unless objections are received by the (Fixtures)
Secretary within 7 days of their issue.
Any Club failing to be represented at a Fixture meeting or otherwise infringing
this rule shall be liable for a fine of £50.00p, and the Management Committee or
the General Secretary shall arrange the Clubs fixtures.
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.
If through any fault of the home team a match has to be replayed, the Management Committee shall have the power to order the venue to be changed.
The Management Committee shall have the power to decide whether the 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 70 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.
In all cup competition if the score is level after 90 minutes then 15 minutes each
way of extra time shall be played. If the score-lines is still level after this
time the games shall be decided by a penalty kick competition.
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 not exceeding
£5.00p 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 General Secretary.
D. The Secretary of the home Club must 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 and the Secretary of the opposing Club at least
four clear days prior to the playing of the
match. The away Club shall seek
and acknowledge receipt of such particulars.
Any club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £5.00p.
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 of spirit of the Rule is obviously being
regarded, 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.)
In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than seven players they
may/shall be fined £25.00p. 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 of £50.00p,
deduct points from the defaulting Club, and
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.
In all cup competitions clubs who fail to keep engagements resulting in the cup
games being postponed the defaulting club will be fined £25.00p and excluded from
the competition.
A club seeking a postponement
of any match must be given without delay by the postponing
Club. Such notice must be given 14 days in writing ) by the Club to the General
Secretary, The Competitions Referees Appointment Secretary,
the Secretary of the opposing Club, and the Match Officials. 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 arranged
by the General Secretary
The Management Committee 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 Management Committee are satisfied that a match was abandoned
owing to the conduct of one team or its Clubs 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 and 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 County 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 prior to 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 10 minutes duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the Referee.