Rules

(a)Contract players, as defined in the Football Association Rules are 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 Competition registration form in ink, countersigned by an officer of the club and who has been registered with the Registration Secretary, (by telephone or e-mail) four hours prior to the start of the match.
The completed registration form must then be sent to the Registration Secretary within four days. Clubs failing to comply will be fined £20.00.
7 days prior to the commencement of the playing season, irrespectively whether playing or not each club must lodge with the Registration Secretary at least 11 completed Registration Forms. Clubs failing to comply will be fined £20.00

(c) A team shall not include more than 3 players who have taken part in 8 or more games in a more Senior Competition during the current season, unless a period of 21 days have elapsed since they played. Written permission of the Management Committee is required.

For purpose of this Competition, more Senior Competitions are Leagues at Step 5/6, or above the National League System.

(d) A Player having taken part in matches for any club affiliated to any County 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.

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) Registration Forms may be obtained from the Competition Registration Secretary in book of 20 Forms at a cost of £35-00 per book

(f){1} The Management Committee shall decide all registration disputes.

(f){2} In the event of a player signing a registration form or having a registration submitted for more than one Club, the date of the registration shall decide 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.

(g) It shall be a breach of the Rule for a player to:

Play for more than one Club in the Competition in the same season without being transferred.
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.
Submit a signed Registration Form for registration, that the player had wilfully neglected to accurately or fully complete.

(h){1} The Management Committee shall have the power to refuse or cancel 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 any Registration irregularities. [Subject to appeal Rule 16].

(h){2} The Management Committee shall have the power to refuse or cancel 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 appeal 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].

(i) Subject to 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 Competition Registration Secretary. Such transfer shall be referred by the Registration Secretary to the Club for which the player is registered. Should the Club object to the transfer, it should state its objections in writing to the Registration Secretary and to the player concerned, within 7 Days of receipt of the transfer form. Upon receipt of the Clubs consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within the seven days, the Registration 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 after the receipt of such transfer.

(ii) Transfer forms shall be available from the Competition Registration Secretary or the Website who will charge the requesting Club £20.00 for each Transfer Form supplied.

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 March 31st in each season, except with special permission of the Management Committee.

(k) A Club shall keep a list of players it has Registered 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 the players registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by the Competition Registration 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 15 games for that team in this Competition in the current season

(n){1} A player suspended by any County Association for whatever reason, shall have his Registration temporarily withdrawn from this Competition during the period of such suspension.

(n){2} Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players, shall have the points gained during the match, deducted from its total and shall be fined £50.00 for each player played and or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee.

(n){3} In addition the team may have 3 points deducted from its total at the discretion of the Management Committee and may be dealt with in any further manner which is thought to be fit.

(n){4} The Management Committee in exceptional circumstances, may, at its discretion, award any points deducted from a Club under the Rule to the opponents in the match in question. Subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed.

(o) To play in an open age competition a player must have achieved the age of 16.