League Rules:

League Rules:

Last Update September 2011

These rules have been copied from the Southend Sunday Football League Official Handbook
and as such there should be no difference between the Official League Handbook and the
League website, however should there be any discrepancies then the rules as stated in
the Official League Handbook, as issued to all member clubs at the commencement of the
season will take precedence.

Section 1
  • Nomenclature and Constitution
    		•
    Section 2
  • Entry Fee, Subscription and Deposit
    		•
    Section 3
  • Officers
    		•
    Section 4
  • Management, Nomination and Election
    		•
    Section 5
  • Powers of Management
    		•
    Section 6
  • Annual General Meeting
    		•
    Section 7
  • Agreement to be Signed
    		•
    Section 8
  • Qualification of Players
    		•
    Section 9
  • Club Colours - Club Name
    		•
    Section 10
  • Playing Season, Conditions of Play, Times of Kick Off, Postponements and Substitutes
    		•
    Section 11
  • Reporting Results
    		•
    Section 12
  • Determining Championship
    		•
    Section 13
  • Referees
    		•
    Section 14
  • Continuation of Membership or Withdrawal of Club
    		•
    Section 15
  • Protests and Complaints
    		•
    Section 16
  • Board of Appeal
    		•
    Section 17
  • Exclusion of Clubs or Teams, Misconduct of Clubs, Officals and Players
    		•
    Section 18
  • Trophy, Legal Owners, Conditions of Taking Over, Agreement to be Signed and Awards
    		•
    Section 19
  • Special General Meetings
    		•
    Section 20
  • Alterations to Rules
    		•
    Section 21
  • Finance
    		•
    1. NOMENCLATURE AND CONSTITUTION
    a ) This Competition shall be designated the Southend Sunday Football League hereinafter referred to as "the Competition" and shall consist of not more than 108 Clubs approved by the Sanctioning Authority.
    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 Essex County Football Association. The area covered by the Competition Membership shall be such that all grounds are within Southend and the surrounding areas.
    This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Essex County Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding 12 Teams 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(B).

    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 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 a Special General Meeting. The Entry Fee shall apply. When Rule 12(B) is applied or a team seeks a transfer or is compulsorily transferred to another division no Entry Fee shall be payable.
    Applications for inclusion in the Competition for the ensuing Season must be received by the Competition Secretary by 30th April.
    b ) The Annual Subscription shall be £15 per Team being due for payment on 1st August and payable no later than 1st September in each year.
    c ) Each New Club shall within seven (7) days of election pay a Deposit of £100 which shall be returnable to Clubs on leaving the Competition provided they have fulfilled their fixtures, met all their financial obligations to the Competition and complied with all orders of the Management Committee.
    d ) A Club shall not participate in this Competition until the Entry Fee, Annual Subscriptions and Deposit have been paid.
    e ) Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in writing by 8th July of its Essex County Football Association Affiliation Number for the forthcoming Season, failing which they shall be fined £5. Clubs must advise the Secretary in writing, or on the prescribed form, details of its Headquarters, Officers and any other information required by the Competition.
    f ) The Management Committee shall have the power to arrange an annual function at which the season's awards will be presented. The Management Committee shall also be empowered to set the price of admission. Each Club shall purchase a minimum of two (2) tickets.

    3. OFFICERS
    a ) The Officers of the Competition shall be the President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Registration Secretary, Referees Secretary, Fixtures Secretary, Results Secretary, Representative Team Secretary and Web Master to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting. (N.B. Auditors/Verifiers are not Officers).
    b ) Honorary Life Vice Presidents, who shall be elected at an A.G.M. or S.G.M., may be elected to serve in a non-executive capacity but shall not be entitled to vote at any Council or Management Meeting.

    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 not exceeding seven (7) Members who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All participants shall abide by the Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children as determined by the Association from time to time.
    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 at least quarterly.
    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 sub-committees and delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary. The decisions of all sub-committees shall be reported to the Management Committee for ratification. The Management Committee shall have power to deal only with matters within the Competition and not for any matters of misconduct that are under the jurisdiction of the Football Association or affiliated Association.
    b ) Subject to the permission of the Essex 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 or where there may be a conflict of interest.. (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.
    With the exception of Rules 5(I), 6(H), 10(A), 11 and 19 for all breaches of Rule a formal written charge must be issued. The respondent shall be given seven (7) days from the date of the notice to reply to the charge and given the opportunity to:-
    (i) Accept or deny the charge
    (ii) Submit in writing a case of mitigation
    (iii) Put 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 by the appropriate Association. With the exception of Clubs playing at Step 7 of the Football Pyramid and the FA Women's Premier League, the maximum fine permitted for any breach of a Competition Rule is £250 and when setting any fine, the Competition must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the offence, taking into account any mitigating circumstances.
    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 twenty-one (21) days.
    f ) Five (5) Members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business of the Management Committee and three (3) 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 fourteen (14) days of the date of posting of the written notification.
    Any Club failing to do so will be fined a maximum of £50. Further failure to pay the fine including the additional sum within fourteen (14) days will result in fixtures being withdrawn until such time as the outstanding payments are settled.
    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.
    l ) The business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee may be transacted by electronic mail or facsimile.
    m ) Any instruction, request and the like communicated directly to a Club, appearing in the official Newsletter of the Competition and appearing as a Notice on the Competition Website, shall be deemed to be an official instruction, request and the like from the Management Committee.

    6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
    a ) The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than 30th June in each year. At this meeting the following business shall be transacted provided that at least ten (10) 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 therefrom.
    (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 verified Balance Sheet, Statement of Accounts and Agenda shall be forwarded to each Club at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting and to the Essex County Football Association.
    c ) A signed copy of the verified Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent to the Essex County Football Association within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual General Meeting.
    d ) Each Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an Annual General Meeting.
    Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Fourteen (14) 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 in 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 fifty percent (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 Member Club.
    h ) Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be Fined £20.
    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 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, 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 Essex 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 ) (i) Contract Players, as defined in Football Association Rules, are not permitted in this Competition. A Contract Player may only play for the Club that holds his contract. It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any Player signing a Registration Form for that Club has, where necessary, the required International Transfer Certificate. Clearance is required for any Player aged twelve years (12 yrs) and over crossing boarders including Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
    (ii) While serving in any branch of Her Majesty's Regular Forces, a Player must first obtain the consent of his/her Commanding Officer before signing a Registration Form to play for a Club.
    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 that has been countersigned by an Officer of the Club and has been registered with the Registrations Secretary two(2) days prior to playing and whose completed Registration Counterfoil has been received by the Club prior to playing.
    Accompanying the said Registration Form must be two recent passport approved photographs (full face/head and shoulders) attached to the form in the designated places. Players who were registered for a Club participating in the Competition in the immediate preceding season need not supply new photographs provided that the new Registration Form is accompanied by the Registration Counterfoil that was issued by the Competition in respect of the immediate preceding season and these are submitted to the Registration Secretary in accordance with the procedure outlined in this Rule.
    All completed Registration Forms must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope for the return of the Registration Counterfoil(s). Any submitted Registration Form not so accompanied will not be processed unless a specific arrangement has been made for the Registration Counterfoil to be collected. Clubs are responsible for ensuring that the correct postage is applied to the submission and return envelopes.
    The Competition will not be responsible for the non-delivery of Registration Forms or Counterfoils due to insufficient postage being applied to the envelopes.
    At least twelve (12) Registration Forms and Photographs per team must be completed and returned to the Registration Secretary before 1st September each year. Clubs in default shall be liable to incur a fine.
    (ii) Not in use
    c ) Not in use
    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 £3.00 shall be paid for each Player registered.
    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 Registrations 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 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.
    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, except those under 18 years of age, 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 make application to refuse or cancel the registration of any Player charged and found guilty of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 16) subject to the right of appeal to the F.A. or the relevant County Football Association.
    Undesirable conduct shall mean an incident of repeated conduct, which may deter a participant from being involved in this Competition. Application should be made to the parent County of the Club the Player is registered with.
    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 and in any case be subject to an Appeal to the Football Association. For the purpose of this Rule, bringing the Competition into disrepute can only be considered where the Player has received in excess of 112 days suspension, or 10 matches in matched based discipline, in a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence.
    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 accompanied by the Registration Counterfoil and a fee of £3.00. Such transfer shall be referred by the Registration 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 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 date or seven (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.
    If a Club agrees to a transfer it must return the Registration Counterfoil to the Registration Secretary. Failure to do so will result in a Fine of £20
    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 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. Registrations are valid for one Season only. In the event of a Player without a written contract changing his status to that of a Contract Player with the same Club, another Club in the Competition or within a Club in another Competition his registration as a Player without a written contract will automatically be cancelled and declared void. In order to play in the Competition again either for his original Club or for another Club it will be necessary for him to be re-registered as required by this Rule.
    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 three games for that Team in this Competition in the current season.
    n ) A first team qualified Player is one who, in the current season, has played in three or more games in the last twelve or fewer games played by the first team in the Competition, Competition League Cup, Charity Cup, County Cup and Sunday FA Cup competitions including one in the last three such games.
    A second team qualified Player is one who has similarly played in the second team, and a third team qualified Player is one who has similarly played in the third team.
    Where a Player is qualified for more than one team, in accordance with the foregoing, the higher or highest team qualification shall apply.
    No second team shall include more than two first team qualified Players. No third team shall include more than two second team qualified Players. No fourth team shall include more than two third team qualified Players.
    No first team qualified Player shall play in the third or fourth teams. No second team qualified Player shall play in the fourth team.
    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) In addition the team may have two (2) 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 may at its discretion award the points available in the match in question to the opponents, subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed.
    (The following Clause applies to Competitions involving Players in full-time secondary education):-
    p ) (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 Teacher (except for Sunday Leagues)
    (iii) To play open age football the Player must have achieved the age of 16 years.
    q ) Each Club must take the Registration Counterfoils for their Players who may participate in the fixture and a Match Result Sheet to every game. The competing Teams must exchange the Registration Counterfoils before the commencement of the match to enable the Club Secretary or Team Manager to verify that the participating Players are registered for the Club for which they are playing. The Registration Counterfoils may be held by the opposing Team throughout the course of the match and returned immediately after the game ends. The Registration Counterfoils must be retained securely to ensure no damage occurs and there is no exposure to adverse weather conditions. Each Team must then countersign their opponents Match Result Sheet to evidence they have reviewed the Registration Counterfoils. Failure by a Club to produce their Registration Counterfoils on a match day may result in the defaulting Club being Fined £20. Failure to countersign their opponents Match Result Sheet without a valid reason will result in the defaulting Club being Fined £10.
    r ) In the event of a Club questioning the individual identity of a Player of the opposing Team listed on the team sheet and/or playing, they shall IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MATCH request that the Player add his signature alongside his name on his Club's Match Result Sheet. Clubs shall be responsible for their Players actions and any refusal to sign his name, when requested, will deem the offending Player and Club guilty of misconduct. The Match Result Sheet shall be submitted to the Competition Secretary within SEVEN (7) DAYS (excluding Sundays) of the match as part of any protest (Rule 15) for adjudication by the Management Committee. If any irregularity is found, the matter will be dealt with by the Management Committee as provided by the Rules of this Competition on Player eligibility (Rule 8).

    9. CLUB COLOURS - CLUB NAME
    a ) Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by the A.G.M. 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 six (6) 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 the kick-off by not having a change shall be fined £5.
    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. No two shirts shall have the same number.
    b ) Any Club wishing to change its name must obtain permission from its affiliated County Association and from the Management Committee.
    Any Club wishing to change its colours must obtain permission from the Management Committee.
    Note: ECFA will only permit name changes between the playing seasons.

    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, or at a meeting specially convened for that purpose, to be held not later than 31st August, must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting.
    The Fixtures shall be arranged by the Fixtures Secretary, who shall make all Fixtures for Sundays during the season. The Fixtures Secretary shall have full authority to arrange and re-arrange all Fixture dates at his own discretion. The Fixtures Secretary shall have the power to rearrange any Fixture, should he deem it necessary and the new date he notifies to the Clubs involved shall be the official date of the Fixture.
    Clubs wishing to have a free Sunday because of a Club event, must give at least six (6) weeks notice to the Fixtures Secretary but the granting of such request is not guaranteed.
    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 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 not exceeding £5 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.
    All Clubs must provide goal nets and regulation corner flags and posts or be liable to a fine of £5 per match. The absence of goal nets or corner posts shall not prevent a match being played.
    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. In the case of a revised Fixture Date, the Competition must give the Clubs five (5) clear days notice of the match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).
    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 six (6) 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.
    e ) In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than nine (9) Players they may be fined £5 for each missing Player. A minimum of seven (7) 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 from the match in question 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. Notwithstanding 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, Second Team, Third Team then Fourth Team. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be fined a sum not exceeding £5 or otherwise dealt with by the Management Committee.
    Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the 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 a fine.
    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 two days the Management Committee shall have the 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 matches abandoned 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. In cases where a match is abandoned owing to the conduct of both Teams, or their Club members, the Management Committee shall rule all points for the match as void. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned match.
    g ) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use three (3) substitute Players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from seven (7) Players.
    The Referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes not later than five (5) minutes 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 not less than five (5) 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 three (3) days of the date played, the result of each match in the prescribed manner. This must include the forename(s) and surname 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 of £5 and/or the Club being dealt with as the Management Committee decide.
    The above shall also apply to the Competition League Cup, Charity Cup, Essex County FA Competitions and FA Competitions.
    b ) The Home Club (Team) shall telephone the result and the name of goal scorers of each match to the Match Results Secretary on the day of the match between 2.30 pm and 4.00 pm. The Away Club (Team) shall also comply.
    Results of all League Matches, League Cup, Charity Cup, Essex County FA Competitions and FA Competitions matches and the names of the goal scorers must be advised by telephone between the above times. In the event a match is played midweek, the result must be advised by telephone to the Match Results Secretary on the Sunday following the match. If the midweek match is a Cup Semi-Final, the result must be advised to the Fixtures Secretary immediately after the end of the match.
    Clubs in default shall be fined.
    c ) The Match Result Sheet, correctly completed, shall be signed by a responsible member of the Club. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £5.00

    12. DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP
    a ) Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with three (3) points to be awarded for a win and one (1) 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 as follows:-
    (i) Goal Difference
    (ii) Goals Scored
    (iii) for an important position, 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) The last two Teams in the lowest Division shall retire, but be eligible for re-election except as below, and be subject to the conditions of paragraph (B)(i) above.
    (iv) When a senior Team is relegated to a lower Division of which its reserve Team is a member, or entitled to be a member, such reserve 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 reserve Team automatically retires from the Competition.
    (v) 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 seventy-five percent (75%) of its Fixtures for the season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting Team shall be expunged from the Competition table.
    Where a Team withdraws having completed seventy-five percent (75%) of its Fixtures, the points for any unplayed games shall be awarded to the defaulting Team's opponents.
    d ) Not in Use

    13. REFEREES
    a ) Registered Referees (and Assistant Referees where approved by the FA or County FA) for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee and by the Essex County Football Association.
    b ) In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed Referee the appointed senior Assistant Referee shall take charge and a substitute Assistant Referee appointed by the competing Teams. In cases where there are no officially appointed Assistant Referees, or where the Competition has been unable to appoint a 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.
    c ) Where Assistant Referees are not appointed each Team shall provide a Club Assistant Referee. Failure to do so will result in a Fine of £10 being imposed on the defaulting Team.
    d ) The appointed Referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the ground in all matches and the decision shall be final subject to either in the case of a ground of a Local Authority or the owners of a ground, the Representative of that body is the sole arbiter and whose decision must be accepted unless the ground is declared fit for play.
    e ) Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be entitled to charge standard class public transport expenses or private car expenses of 0p per mile and any other permitted expenses actually incurred together with the following Match Fees:
    Appointed Referee £30 (inclusive of expenses)
    Appointed Assistant Referees £15 (inclusive of expenses)
    Subject to any limits laid down by the Sanctioning Association (currently £30 maximum for Referees and £20 maximum for Assistant Referees).
    The Home Club shall pay the Match Officials their Fees and expenses immediately after the Match. Clubs in default may be Fined £5.
    In the event of a "Double-Header" game, the Referee shall be entitled to claim a total Fee of £40 to be shared by both Clubs.
    f ) In the event of a Match not being played because of circumstances over which the Clubs have no control, the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled to half Fee inclusive of expenses. Where a Match is not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Match Officials, if they attend the ground, their full Fee inclusive of expenses.
    g ) A Referee not keeping his or her engagement, and failing to give a satisfactory explanation as to their non-appearance, may be reported to the Association with which he or she is registered.
    h ) Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The Football Association, award marks to the Referee for each Match and the name of the Referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to the Competition on the prescribed form provided. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined or dealt with as the Management Committee shall determine.
    Any Club awarding the Referee a mark of forty (40) or less shall submit, with their Match Result Sheet, a written explanation of how the mark was calculated or in default be Fined £10.
    i ) The Competition shall keep a record of the markings and, on the Form provided by the prescribed date each season, shall submit a summary to The Football Association/County Association.
    j ) The Referee shall submit a Match Report Form, supplied by the Competition, giving the result of the Match, the number of Players in each team and the time of kick-off to the Registration Secretary within two days of the match.
    k ) Referees and Assistant Referees shall be supplied, each Season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.

    14. CONTINUATION OF MEMBERSHIP OR WITHDRAWAL OF A CLUB
    a ) After 31st December in the current Season a Club intending, or having a provisional intention, to withdraw a Team from the Competition on completion of its fixtures and fulfilment of all other obligations to the Competition must notify the Secretary in writing by 30th April.
    All existing Clubs wishing to remain in membership of the Competition for the following Season must confirm their intention to do so, in writing, to the Secretary by 30th April.
    Any Club failing to submit their Application Form by 30th April shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Competition.
    b ) A Club shall not be allowed to withdraw any or all of its Teams from the Competition after the Annual General Meeting for the following season.
    (i) Any Club infringing this Rule after the Fixtures have commenced shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £50 per Team and shall also be liable for its share of any call which may be made under Rule 5(B).
    (ii) Any Club infringing this Rule before the Fixtures have commenced but not disbanding shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £20 per Team and shall be liable for its share of any call which may be made under Rule 5(B).
    (iii) Any Club infringing this Rule and disbanding before the Fixtures have commenced cannot be fined but will be liable for their financial commitments prior to disbanding.
    (Note: Club liable for Annual Subscriptions from 1st August)
    Any Club having more than one Team in the Competition which withdraws a Team or Teams shall withdraw its lower or lowest Team or Teams except by special permission of the Management Committee.
    c ) The Membership for the coming season having been decided at a Special General Meeting held for that purpose not earlier than 30th April nor later than 30th June or at the Annual General Meeting held not later than 30th June, the Competition shall have the right, irrespective of other provisions in these Rules, to refuse to permit a Club to withdraw its Team(s) in order to join another Competition and may hold the Club to its engagements.
    d ) In the event of a Member Club which is an un-incorporated association withdrawing and/or disbanding it shall be immediately liable to discharge all its financial and other obligations to the Competition.
    In the event that any such obligation remains un-discharged after a period of twenty-one (21) days then such obligation shall be met by the then current Club Members, excluding those under the statutory school leaving age. Until a Member's pro rata obligation is discharged in full the Member shall not be allowed to participate in the Competition, which may apply to the Club's Parent County Association for a suspension order.
    If the debt remains unpaid after eighty-four (84) days the Competition may apply to the Club's Parent County Association for the debt to be recovered in accordance with the F.A. Football Debt Recovery System. Once the matter has been passed to the Club's Parent County Association the debt can only be cleared by payment to that County Association.

    15. PROTESTS AND COMPLAINTS
    a ) (i) All questions of eligibility, qualifications of Players or interpretations of the Rules shall be referred to the Management Committee.
    (ii) Objections relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts or other facilities of the venue will not be entertained by the Management Committee unless a protest is lodged with the Referee before the commencement of the Match. Any Club lodging such protest and not proceeding with it shall be deemed guilty of a breach of this Rule and shall be dealt with by the Management Committee.
    b ) Except in cases where the Management Committee decide that there are special circumstances, protests and complaints (which must contain full particulars of the grounds upon which they are founded) must be lodged in duplicate with the Competition Secretary within seven (7) days (excluding Sundays) of the Match or occurrence to which they refer. A protest or complaint shall not be withdrawn except by permission of the Management Committee. A Member of the Management Committee who is a member of any Club involved shall not be present (except as a witness or representative of his Club) when such protest or complaint is being determined.
    c ) Any dispute occurring between Clubs in the Competition shall be referred for determination by the Management Committee whose decision shall be binding upon all parties subject to Rule 16.
    d ) No protest of whatever kind shall be considered by the Management Committee unless the complaining Club shall have deposited with the Competition Secretary a sum of £25. This may be forfeited in whole or in part in the event of the complaining or protesting Club losing its case. The Competition shall have power to order the defaulting Club or the Club making a losing or frivolous protest or complaint to pay the expenses of the enquiry or to order that the costs to be shared by the parties.
    e ) All parties to a protest or complaint must receive a copy of the submission and must be afforded an opportunity to make a statement at least seven (7) days prior to the protest or complaint being heard.
    (i) All parties must have received seven (7) days notice of the Hearing should they be instructed to attend
    (ii) Should a Club elect to state its case in person then they should forward a deposit of £25 and indicate such when forwarding the written response.

    16. BOARD OF APPEAL
    a ) Within fourteen (14) days of the posting of written notification of any decision of the Management Committee of the Competition, a Club, Official or Player against whom action is taken may appeal against such decision by lodging particulars in duplicate with the Secretary of the Essex County Football Association, including a fee of £35 (or such other amount specified by the Association), for adjudication of a Board of Appeal. The grounds of appeal shall be in accordance with FA Rules. The Board of Appeal may order the appeal fee to be forfeited and shall decide by whom the costs of the appeal shall be borne. The decision of the Board of Appeal is final and binding on all parties concerned.
    No appeal can be lodged against a decision taken at an Annual or Special General Meeting unless this is on the grounds of unconstitutional conduct.

    17. EXCLUSION OF CLUBS OR TEAMS - MISCONDUCT CLUBS, OFFICALS, PLAYERS
    a ) At the Annual General Meeting, or Special General Meeting called for the purpose, Notice of Motion having been duly circulated on the Agenda, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude any Club or Team from further membership which must be supported by (more than) two thirds (2/3rds) of those present and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot.
    b ) At the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 19, the accredited delegates present shall have the power to exclude from further participation in the Competition any Club whose conduct has, in their opinion, been undesirable, which must be supported by (more than) two-thirds (2/3rds) of those present and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A Club whose conduct is the subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.
    c ) Any Official or Member of a Club proved guilty of either a breach of Rule, other than field offences, or of inducing or attempting to induce a Player or Players of another Club in the Competition to join them shall be liable to expulsion or such penalty as a General Meeting or Management Committee may decide, and their Club shall also be liable to expulsion in accordance with the provisions of Clauses (A) and (B) of this Rule.
    d ) Any Club or Team failing to complete seventy-five percent (75%) of its fixtures in any season shall (unless the conditions are beyond their control, or the accredited delegates present at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting decide otherwise by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast) be debarred from membership the following season.

    18. TROPHY, LEGAL OWNERS, CONDITIONS OF TAKING OVER, AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED, AWARDS
    a ) If a Competition is discontinued for any reason a Trophy or any other presentation shall be returned to the Donor if the conditions attached to it so provide or, if not, dealt with as the Sanctioning Association may decide.
    b ) The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the Cup or Trophy:-
    "We A___________________________and B___________________the Chairman and Secretary of ________________________FC, members of and representing the Club, having been declared winners of _____________________Cup or Trophy, and it having been delivered to us by the Competition, do hereby on behalf of the Club jointly and severally agree to return the Cup or Trophy to the Competition Secretary or such other nominated member of the Committee on or before 31st March. If the Cup or Trophy is lost or damaged whilst under our care we agree to refund to the Competition the amount of its current value or the cost of its thorough repair."
    Failure to comply will result in a Fine as determined by the Management Committee.
    Any Club failing to return a Cup or Trophy in a clean state and ready for re-presentation by the due date shall be Fined £10.
    c ) At the close of each Competition awards shall be made to the winners and runners-up if the funds of the Competition permit.

    19. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
    a ) Upon receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Clubs in membership the Competition Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting.
    The Management Committee may call a Special General Meeting at any time.
    At least seven (7) days notice shall be given of either meeting under this Rule, together with an agenda of the business to be transacted at such meeting.
    Each Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to all Special General Meetings. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only as will members of the Management Committee.
    Any continuing Member Club failing to be represented at a Special General Meeting without satisfactory reason being given shall be Fined £10.
    Officers and Management Committee members shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Special General Meetings.

    20. ALTERATION TO RULES
    a ) Alterations, for which consent has been given by the Sanctioning Association, shall be made to these Rules only at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting specially convened for the purpose called in accordance with Rule 19. Any alteration made during the playing season to the Rule relating to the qualification of Players shall not take effect until the following season.
    Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the Annual General Meeting shall be submitted to the Competition Secretary by 31st January in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals by the Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 20th February and any amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Competition Secretary by 5th March. The proposals and proposed amendments thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. A proposal to change a Rule shall be carried if a majority of those present and entitled to vote are in favour.
    A copy of the proposed alterations to Rules to be considered at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting shall be submitted to the Sanctioning Football Association not less than twenty-eight (28) days prior to the date of the meeting.

    21. FINANCE
    a ) The Management Committee shall determine with which bank or other financial institution the funds of the Competition will be lodged.
    b ) All expenditure in excess of £500 shall be approved by the Management Committee. Cheques shall be signed by at least two Officers nominated by the Management Committee.
    c ) The financial year of the Competition will end on 31st May.
    d ) The books, or a certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and shall be verified annually by some suitable person(s) who shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
    e ) Honoraria, if paid, must be agreed at the Annual General Meeting and relate to the season just concluded. The Management Committee shall recommend which Officers may receive honoraria and the level of payment. All the above to be detailed on the AGM paperwork under "Any Other Business" [Rule 6(A) (x)].