Qualification of players

8. (A) Contract players, as defined in Football Association Rules, are not permitted in this Competition.

No player registered with a FA Premier League or Football League Academy shall be permitted to play in this competition. A Player registered with a Centre of Excellence may only play in this Competition subject to the Regulations of the Programme for Excellence.
(B) A registered youth 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 his/her parent or guardian and by an Officer of the Club, and who has been registered with the Registration Secretary seven (7) days prior to playing and whose completed registration card has been received by the Club prior to playing.
The registration document shall incorporate any known serious medical conditions of the player and emergency contact details of the players parents or guardians. These details shall be available at matches and training events the player attends within the management of the Club or Competition.
For all new players and those crossing the Under 14 threshold the registration document shall incorporate a current passport sized photograph of the player seeking registration together with proof of players date of birth at the initial date of registration. In the case of a player who has been previously registered with the League then the retention of the players form is required.
The qualification dates for the competition shall be as follows:

NOTE : - A player shall register for ONE (1) team only, subject to being transferred, see Rule 8 (I)
(C) Each team shall have lodged with the Registration Secretary, a minimum of nine (9) completed Registration forms no later than midnight 31st August to be eligible to play in a match in this competition on the official published start date, whether or not a fixture has been scheduled. A Team shall not be permitted to play any match until they have registered a minimum of nine (9) players and the completed Registration card. Registrations forms received after 31st August and up to mid-night of this competition's first fixture date will NOT be eligible to play until this competition's SECOND fixture date, subject to RULE 8(B). Registration forms received after 31st August will only be allowed to play in this competitions SECOND fixture date, subject to receipt of documentation as Rule 8(B)

A team failing to have a minimum of nine (9) players registered to play on this competition's first fixture date will be fined £50.
(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 of £2.00 shall be paid for each player for a minimum of nine (9) players registered by midnight 31st July. A fee of £3.00 shall be paid for each player thereafter.
Registration forms shall be obtained from the Registration Secretary.

(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 Registration 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. The Management Committee shall have 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 power to refuse or cancel the registration of any player found guilty of undesirable conduct and to disqualify the player in question from participating in all games in the Competition. (Subject to Rule 16).

(Note: Action under Rule H(ii) 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 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 Registration Secretary. Such transfer shall be referred by the Registration Secretary which shall be duly completed by a Senior Official of the Club currently holding the Registration card of the player, accompanied by a fee of £2.00 if before 31st July or £3.00 thereafter, together with the Registration card to the Club for which the player is registered. Should this Club object to the transfer it should state its objections in writing to the Registration Secretary and to the player concerned within seven (7) days of receipt of the transfer form. Upon receipt of the Club’s consent or upon its failure to give written objection within seven (7) days, the Registration Secretary may, on behalf of the Management Committee, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club from such a date after receipt of such transfer. A player shall not be eligible to play for a team in any special championship, promotion, runners up or relegation deciding match (as specified in Rule 12(A) unless the player has been Registered with his Club by midnight Sunday, four (4) week prior to any of the above mentioned match(es), subject to transfer and Registration deadline. Rule 8 (J). Please refer to Appendix A 1(f) for further guidance. 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 midnight 1st 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.

In the event a Club has more than one team in any age group, each team shall be clearly designated “A” and “B” etc, i.e.:- “Cheetahs” or “Tigers”, etc, and as such, each Club shall have separate “County FA “ affiliations for their respective teams.

In such cases, players shall be registered for ONE team only. A player so registered shall be allowed to play for his Club in a younger or older age group within the provisions of Rule 8 (B)

(L) A register containing the names of all players registered for each Club, with the date of registration, shall be kept by the Registration Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of any duly appointed Member Club representative at all Management Committee meetings or at other times mutually arranged. Registration are valid for one season only.

(M) All Managers or their nominated representative shall have their Team’s Registration/Identity Cards at ALL games and offer to exchange them with the opposing Team prior to the start of the match. Failure to have Registration Cards available prior to the start of any match in any Competition organised by this League shall make a Team liable to a fine of £5.00 per missing Registration Card up to a maximum of £25.00.
Each Manager or his nominated representative shall sign the Match Card and enter the opposing Team’s “Team Code” on the Match Card to verify that he has seen the opponents Registration Cards. Failure to sign the Match Card and or enter the opponents “Team Code” on the Match Card shall result in a fine of £25.00.
In the event of a player’s eligibility being challenged by the opposition and the necessary Registration Card or Cards not being present at the match, the Management Committee shall have the discretion to either award the League match to the opposition or to order the match to be replayed in addition to any fine they may impose.
From time to time Management Committee members may attend matches and shall be shown the Registration Cards upon such request.

(N)(i) Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players shall have the points gained in the match deducted from its total and may be fined a sum not exceeding £25.00 and/or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee.
(ii) In addition the team shall have three (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.
(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. (The following Clause applies to Competitions involving players in full-time secondary education):-

(O) (i) Priority shall be given at all times to school and school organisations activities.
(ii) The availability of children shall be cleared with the Head Teachers (except for Sunday Competitions).
(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 shall apply.)

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