League Rules

This document contains the Standard Code of Rules developed by The Football Association for open age football (the “Standard Code”).

The Standard Code is mandatory for all Competitions at Regional NLS Feeder League level and below, and The FA Women’s Pyramid excluding the FAWSL, FAWC and the FA Women’s National League.

“Affiliated Association” means an Association accorded the status of an Affiliated Association under the rules of The FA.

“AGM” shall mean the Annual General Meeting held in accordance with the constitution of the Competition.

“Club” means a Club for the time being in membership of the Competition.

“Competition” means the Lincoln & District Sunday Football League.

“Competition Match” means any match played or to be played under the jurisdiction of the Competition.

“Contract Player” means any Player (other than a Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play under a written contract of employment with a Club.

“Deposit” means a sum of money deposited with the Competition as part of the requirements of membership of the Competition.

“Fees Tariff” means a list of fees approved by the Clubs at a General Meeting to be levied by the Management Committee for any matters for which fees are payable under the Rules, as set out at Schedule A.

“Fines Tariff” means a list of fines approved by the Clubs at a General Meeting to be levied by the Management Committee for any breach of the Rules, as set out at Schedule A.

“Ground” means the ground on which the Club’s team(s) plays its Competition Matches.

“Management Committee” means in the case of a Competition which is an unincorporated association, the Management Committee elected to manage the running of the Competition and where the Competition is incorporated it means the Board of Directors appointed in accordance with the articles of association of that Company.

“Match Officials” means the Referee, the Assistant Referees, and any Fourth Official appointed to a Competition Match.

“Non Contract Player” means any player (other than a player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play for a Club but has not entered into a written contract of employment.

“Officer” means an individual who is appointed or elected to a position in a Club or Competition which requires that individual to make day to day decisions.

“Participant” shall have the same meaning as set out in the rules of The FA from time to time.

“Player” means any Contract Player, Non Contract player or other player who plays or who is eligible to play for a Club.

“Player Registration System” means The FA system to register players as determined by The FA from time to time.

“Playing Season” means the period between the date on which the first competitive fixture in the Competition is played each year until the date on which the last competitive fixture in the Competition is played.

“Rules” means these rules under which the Competition is administered.

“Sanctioning Authority” means the Lincolnshire County Football Association Limited.

“Scholarship” means a Scholarship as defined in the FA Rules.

“Season” means the period of time between one AGM and the next AGM.

“Secretary” means such person or persons appointed or elected to carry out the administration of the Competition.

“SGM” means a Special General Meeting held in accordance with the constitution of the Competition.

“Team” means a team affiliated to a Club, including where a Club provides more than one team in the Competition in accordance with the Rules.

“The FA” means The Football Association Limited.

“Virtual Meetings” means meetings held electronically.

“Written” or “in writing” means the representation or reproduction of words or symbols or other information in a visible form by any method or combination of methods, whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise.

2. This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Sanctioning Authority and the constituent Teams of Clubs may be grouped in divisions, each not exceeding 16 in number.

1. The Competition and each Club must be committed to promoting inclusivity and to eliminating all forms of discrimination and should abide and adhere to The FA Equality Policy and any legislative requirements including those contained in the Equality Act 2010).

2. This Competition and each Club must make every effort to promote equality by treating people fairly and with respect, by recognising that inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them and by providing access and opportunities for all members of the community, irrespective of age, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, ability or disability, or otherwise.

3. Any alleged breach of the Equality Act 2010 legislation must be referred to the appropriate Sanctioning Authority for investigation.

Applications, of which due notice has been given, will be received at the AGM or an SGM if confirmed by a majority of the accredited voting members present.

When Rule 22(B) is applied or a team seeks a transfer or, is compulsorily transferred to another division, no Entry Fee shall be payable.

The annual subscription shall be payable, in accordance with the Fees Tariff, for each team payable prior to the AGM or set by the Competition. Annual subscription fees for League and Cup Competitions are non-refundable in the event of a team withdrawing from the League after the date of the AGM.

On receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Management Committee, the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Management Committee.

With the exception of Rules 6(J), 8(H), and 9, for all alleged breaches of a Rule the Management Committee shall issue a formal written charge to the Club concerned. The Club charged shall be given 7 days from the date of notification of the charge to reply. In such reply a Club may:

1. Accept the charge and /or submit in writing a case of mitigation for consideration by the Management Committee; or

2. Accept the charge and notify the Competition that it wishes to put its case of mitigation at a hearing before the Management Committee; or

3. Deny the charge and submit in writing supporting evidence for consideration by the Management Committee; or

4. Deny the charge and notify the Lincoln & District Sunday Football League that it wishes to have a hearing before the Management Committee.

Where the Club charged fails to respond within 7 days, the Management Committee shall determine the charge in such manner and upon such evidence as it considers appropriate.

Having considered the reply of the Club (whether in writing or at a hearing), the Management Committee shall make its decision and, in the event that the charge is accepted or proven, decide on the appropriate penalty (with reference to the Fines Tariff where applicable).

Where required, hearings shall take place as soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of the reply of the Club as more fully set out above.

With the exception of teams playing at Regional NLS Feeder League of the National League System, the maximum fine permitted for any breach of a Rule is £250 and, when setting any fine, the Management Committee must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the offence taking into account any mitigating circumstances.

The maximum fine permitted for a breach of a Rule by a team playing at Regional NLS Feeder League level is £500.

No Participant under the age of 18 can be fined.

All breaches of the Laws of the Game, or the Rules and Regulations of The FA shall be dealt with in accordance with FA Rules by the appropriate Sanctioning Association.

All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 7.

Decisions of the Management Committee must be notified in writing to those concerned within 7 days.

2. Objections relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts, or other facilities will not be entertained by the Management Committee unless a protest is lodged with the Referee prior to the commencement of the Match.

1. All parties must have received a minimum of 7 days’ notice of the hearing should they be instructed to attend.

2. Should a Club elect to state its case in person then it should indicate such when forwarding the written response.

1. Invite submissions by the parties involved;

2. Convene a hearing to hear the appeal;

3. Permit new evidence; or

4. Impose appropriate deadlines.

Any appeal shall not involve a rehearing of the evidence considered by the Management Committee.

All such protests, claims, complaints, and appeals must be received in writing by the Secretary within 14 days of the event or decision causing any of these to be submitted.

1. Confirm the minutes of the last AGM.

2. Adopt the Annual Report, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Accounts from the previous season or accounting period.

3. Election of Clubs to fill vacancies.

4. Constitution of the Competition for the ensuing Season.

5. Election of Competition Officers and Management Committee Members .

6. Appointment of Auditors/Verifiers.

7. Alteration of Rules, if any (see Rule 14).

8. Agree the date for the beginning of the playing Season and kick off times applicable to the Competition.

9. Agree the date for the end of the playing Season (save for Regional NLS Feeder League which shall be determined by The FA).

10. Other business of which due notice shall have been given and accepted by the Chair as being relevant to an AGM.

“We, (A) (name) of (address) (Chair / (Director) and (B) (name) of (address) (Secretary)/(Director)of Football Club (Limited) have been provided with a copy of the Rules and Regulations of the Lincoln & District Sunday Football League 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 7.”

The agreement shall be signed

1. Where a Club is an unincorporated association, by the Club Chair and Secretary; or

2. Where a Club is an incorporated entity, by two directors of the Club.

Any change of Chair, Secretary, or Directors of the Club as named on the above agreement must be notified to the County Football Association to which the Club is sanctioned and to the Secretary of this Competition.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(i) Remove a member of the Management Committee from office; (ii) Exclude any Club or team from membership, both of which must be supported by more than two thirds (2/3) of those present and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A member of the Management Committee or Club which is the subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.

“We (A) (name) and (B) (name), the Chair and Secretary of [ ] FC, members of and representing the Club, having been declared winners of cup or trophy and the cup or trophy 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 League Registrar/Nominated Trophy Officer on or before 1 st 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 in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

The Management Committee shall deal with any surplus assets as follows:

1. Any surplus assets (save for a trophy or any other presentation), remaining after the discharge of the debts and liabilities of the Competition shall be transferred only to another Competition or Affiliated Association or The Football Association Benevolent Fund or to such other charitable or benevolent object in the locality of the Competition as determined by resolution at or before the time of winding up, and approved in writing by the Sanctioning Authority.

2. 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 Authority may decide.

MATCH RELATED RULES

(i) Registered through the Player Registration System and received approval from the Competition. The submission via Whole Game must have been made by 6pm on the Friday prior to the player playing in a game. To be eligible to play in the first League fixture of the Season the player registration must be submitted to the League Registrar at least 14 days before the date of the game. A maximum of 30 players per team may be registered in this manner. NOTE: Any team having reached its maximum numbers of permissible players and wishing to sign any additional players MUST either TRANSFER a player OR players to another team within the League OR cancel the registration of a current player or players in order to free up registration capacity. No team shall have more that 30 players at any stage during the season. An additional fee of £5.00 per player shall be paid by the Club who request to cancel a player registration. Any player who has registered with a team and who has subsequently been de-registered with the League by that team may not re-register again with the same team during the same playing season without the permission of the League Management Committee. This may involve returning from injury or Service Personnel who have been unable to play as a result of active Service. Should either of these circumstances prevail then the request to de-register the player MUST be made in writing or by email to the League Secretary stating the reason and consideration will then be given to the player re-registering with the team by the League Management Committee.

Registration forms MUST include a current photograph of the player to be registered and must also include the full name and date of birth of the player to be registered, along with his contactable email address, and contact address. A registration form that is not fully and correctly completed will be returned to the Club unprocessed and the player classed as unregistered. If a Club attempts to register a player via the Player Registration System but does not fully and correctly complete the necessary information via the Player Registration System the registration will not be processed.

All registrations MUST have been confirmed BY THE LEAGUE REGISTRAR BEFORE THE PLAYER IS ELIGIBLE TO PLAY. A Club entering a player via WGS but not fully and correctly completing the required information, shall not have the registration request accepted by the League and the player will not be eligible to play for that team until all fields have been correctly completed and the registration request accepted and confirmed by the League.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(2) It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any player registered to the Club has, where necessary, the required International Transfer Certificate. Clearance is required for any player aged 10 and over crossing borders including Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

(3) Each team must have at least 12 players registered 14 days before the start of each playing Season. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff. To be eligible to play in the League’s first matches of the Season on 3rd September 2023 players must be registered with the League Registrar by 20 th August 2023.

A player that owes a Football Debt (as defined under the Football Debt Recovery Regulations) shall be permitted to register for a Club but will be suspended from football activities if the player does not comply with the terms of the Football Debt Recovery Regulations in respect of that Football Debt.

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 Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the player of the fact of the previous registration.

1. Play for more than one Club in the Competition in the same playing Season without first being transferred OR de-registered by the Club holding the player’s registration.

2. Having registered for one Club in the Competition, register for another Club in the Competition in that playing Season except for the purpose of a transfer or having been the subject of de-registration.

3. Submit a signed registration form as per Rule 18.A.2 or submit a registration through the Player Registration System that the player had willfully neglected to accurately or fully complete.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

2. The Management Committee shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any player or may fine any player, at their discretion (in accordance with the Fines Tariff) who has been charged and found guilty of registration irregularities (subject to Rule 7).

3. 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 7) subject to the right of appeal to the Sanctioning Authority. Application should be made to the parent County of the Club the player is registered or intending to be registered with.

Undesirable conduct shall mean an incident of repeated proven misconduct, which may deter a Participant from being involved in this Competition.

4. A player who has previously had a registration removed in accordance with Rule 18.G.3 but has a registration accepted at the expiry of exclusion will be considered to be under a probationary period of 12 months. Whilst under a probationary period, should the player commit a further act of proven misconduct under the jurisdiction of the Competition, (excluding standard dismissals), the Competition may consider a further charge of bringing the Competition into disrepute.

(Note: Action under Rule 18.G.3 shall not be taken against a player for misconduct until the matter has been dealt with by the Sanctioning Authority, and then only in cases of the player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any event be subject to an appeal to the Sanctioning Authority or The FA. All decisions must include the period of restriction. 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 match-based discipline, in any competition and is not restricted to the Competition in a period of two years or less from the date of the first offence.

Such transfer shall be referred by the Competition 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 Competition and to the player concerned within 3 days of receipt of the notification. Upon receipt of the Club’s consent, or upon its failure to give written objection within 3 days, the 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 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.

2. Where a Club is found to have played an ineligible player, the Management Committee may also, at its discretion:

(a) Award the points available in the Competition match in question to the opponents, subject to the Competition match not being ordered to be replayed; or

(b) levy penalty points against the Club in default; or

(c) Order that such Competition match or matches be replayed on such terms as are decided by the Management Committee.

1. Priority must be given at all times to activities of schools and school organisations. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

2. The availability of children and young people must be cleared with the Head Teachers or Principals (except for Sunday League Competitions).

3. To play open age football the player must have achieved the age 16.

A player who has played for a team in the top two divisions 10 times or more shall not in that playing Season be eligible to play in a lower division except by permission of the Management Committee.

18.P If a Club wishes to cancel a player’s registration within the Competition, it must make a request via the FA’s Electronic Player Registration System giving the reasons for the request. The Competition may either approve or decline the request.

(B) Any team changing its colours during the playing Season must notify the Competition Secretary immediately.

(C) Goalkeepers must wear colours which distinguish them from all other Players and the Match Officials.

(D) NO PLAYER, including the goalkeeper, SHALL BE PERMITTED TO WEAR BLACK or very dark shirts.

(E) Any team not being able to play in its normal colours as registered with the Competition shall notify its opponents of the colours in which they will play (including the colours of the goalkeeper’s jersey) at least 7 days before the Competition match.

(F) If, in the opinion of the Referee, two teams have the same or similar colours, the away team shall make the change. Should a team delay the scheduled time of kick off for a Competition match by not having a change of colours they will be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

(G) Shirts must all be numbered and no two shirts shall have the same number, failing which a fine will be levied in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to keep their grounds in a playable condition. All Competition 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 Competition matches and to order the Club concerned to play its Competition matches on another ground.

Football Turf Pitches (3G) are allowed in this Competition provided they meet the required performance standards and are listed on the FA’s Register of Football Turf Pitches. All Football Turf Pitches used must be tested (by a FIFA accredited test institute) every three years and the results passed to The FA. The FA will give a decision on the suitability for use and add the pitch to the Register.

The home Club is also responsible for advising participants of footwear requirements when confirming match arrangements in accordance with Rule 20.C.

Within the National League System (“NLS”) and Regional NLS Feeder Leagues all Competition matches shall have a duration of 90 minutes. All other Competition matches shall have duration of 90 minutes unless a shorter time (not less than sixty (60) minutes) is mutually arranged by the two Clubs in consultation with the Referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves. Two matches involving the same two teams can be played on the same day providing the total playing time is not more than 120 minutes.

The times of kick-off shall be agreed at the AGM and can only be altered by the mutual consent of the two competing Clubs and the Competition. Referees must order matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to the Competition.

Sunday games will kick-off at 10.45am unless otherwise instructed by the League Secretary. Evening games in April/May will kick-off at 6.30pm unless otherwise agreed by both competing teams, and approved by the League Secretary. If the evening games are agreed to commence at a different time to 6.30pm at least 24 hours notice must be given to the League Secretary. During the first two weeks of April evening games will have an adjusted playing time if both teams and the Referee agree. This will be dependent on the weather conditions (sunlight on the day). A minimum of 60 minutes must be completed, comprising of two equal halves.

The home team must provide goal nets, corner flags, and at least two footballs fit for play and the referee shall make a report to the Competition if not provided. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

No overhead netting is allowed for 9v9 and 11v11 affiliated matches.

Regional NLS Feeder Leagues: Overhead wires used to support pitch divider netting are removed for all affiliated matches in the NLS and at Regional NLS Feeder League level.

For those Leagues which are not Regional NLS Feeder Leagues: Overhead wires used to support pitch divider netting are ideally removed for affiliated matches but if they cannot be removed then discretion is given to the Match Official to restart the match in accordance with the laws of the game.

In the case of a revised fixture date, the Clubs must be given by the Competition 5 clear days notice of the match (unless otherwise mutually agreed).

2. 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, Reserve team, A team.

3. Any Club unable to fulfill a fixture or where a Competition Match has been postponed for any reason must, without delay, give notice to the Fixture Secretary of the Competition, the Secretary of the opposing Club and the Match Officials. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

4. In the event of a Competition match not being played or being abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it should be played in its entirety on a date to be set by the Competition. Where it is to the advantage of the Competition the Management Committee shall also be empowered to order the score at the time of an abandonment to stand.
Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

5. The Management Committee shall review all Competition 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 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 award the points for the match to the opponent. In cases where a match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams or their Club member(s), the Management Committee shall rule that neither team will be awarded any points for that Match and it shall not be replayed. No fine(s) can be applied by the Management Committee for an abandoned match.

The Management Committee shall review any match that has taken place where either or both teams were under a suspension imposed upon them by The FA or Affiliated Association. In each case the team that was under suspension would be dealt with in the same manner as if they had participated with ineligible players in accordance with Rule 18.M above. Where both teams were under suspension the game must be declared null and void and shall not be replayed.

A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use substitute players in any Competition match. A Club may name up to 5 substitute Players of whom not more than 5 may be used.

A Player who has been substituted becomes a substitute and may replace a Player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.

Where a Competition does allow return substitutes, a team may use up to 5 from 5 substitute Players in a Competition Match.

The Referee and a representative of the opposing Club shall be informed of the names of the players taking part in the match (including the substitutes) on the prescribed team sheet form not later than 15 minutes before the start of the Competition match and a player not so named may not take part in the Competition match.

A player who has been named as a substitute before the start of the Competition match but does not actually play in that game shall not be considered to have been a player in that Competition Match within the meaning of Rule 18 of this Competition.

In the event of two or more teams being equal on points at the end of the playing Season, rankings shall be determined by goal difference (where the goals scored against each team shall be deducted from the goals scored by that team and the team with the most favorable goal difference shall be placed highest).

In the event of two or more teams still being equal, the team which has scored the most goals during the playing Season shall be placed highest.

In the event of two or more teams still being equal, the team that has won the most matches during the playing Season shall be placed highest.

In the event of two or more teams still being equal, the team which has the better playing record against the other team in their head-to-head Competition matches during the playing Season will be placed highest.

If the records of two or more teams are still equal and it is necessary for any reason to determine the position of each then the Teams affected shall play a deciding match or matches under conditions as determined by the Management Committee.

1. Should one or more teams withdraw from any one division after the playing Season has commenced an equal number of teams to those withdrawing in that division shall not be automatically relegated.

2. Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of the playing Season may be filled in any of the following ways:

a. Retention of otherwise relegated team(s); or

b. Additional promotion of the next ranked team(s) from the division below; or

3. 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.

4. 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.

2. In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the Clubs shall agree upon a Referee. An individual thus agreed upon shall, for that Competition Match, have the full powers, status, and authority of a registered Referee. Individuals under the age of 16 must not participate either as a Referee or Assistant Referee in any Competition Match.

Assistant Referees (where appointed) shall be paid £24.00 per game comprising of each team paying £12.00. No travel expenses will be paid.

Match Officials will be paid their fees in cash only, in their dressing room, by each team before the game, unless the Match Official is under 18 years of age. Match Officials under 18 years of age will be paid directly by the League and each competing team must pay their Match Official fee by direct Bank Transfer, into the League Bank Account, no later than 6pm on the day of the game. Failure to comply with this Rule will result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.

SCHEDULE A

FAILURE TO PLAY FIXTURE

SCHEDULE B – INDEX

Categories

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