GUIDANCE NOTES

 SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, AND POSTPONING GAMES

1. First and foremost, we are running a youth football league, where our objective is to provide football, essentially on a weekly basis.
2. We live in a country where weather is a challenge, particularly where we are reliant on third parties to provide pitches, and they get heavily used.
3. We are mindful that the Standard Rules indicate that school activities should be seen as a priority.
4. However, as you will appreciate, school activities vary from being entirely optional, informal and not compulsory, through to being important, required and related to the national curriculum.
5. If all players were to attend all these options, then quite simply the league could not function.
6. We expect our clubs and teams to be alert to the likely impact of relevant school activities, and build a squad to accommodate these, without having to request a postponement. This is why clubs are allowed to recruit up to 20 players per team.
7. We expect our teams to take a sensible approach, as follows.
8. When the problem arises, the Team Manager must ascertain how many of his players are affected by a required, or national curriculum, school activity. If he has sufficient players to field a team (the rules state a minimum of 8), then the game should proceed.
9. If he does not, then the league will require written confirmation from the school, indicating which named players are required for which relevant school activity.
10. The club must then ensure that the Club Secretary, or the Chairman in his / her absence, notifies the Fixtures Secretary and the relevant Divisional Representative of the problem.
They should send a copy to the League Secretary, and the opposition’s Club Secretary, with the maximum possible notice, (because schools usually make their plans well in advance, we would feel that 28 days notice, as a guide, is not unreasonable, and shows respect for the opposition).
This may provide the opportunity for the game to be brought forward, if there is agreement between the two clubs concerned (which the League would strongly encourage).
11. It is not allowable for a request to be made suddenly, by a manager, to an opposing manager, at late notice. This is disrespectful to the opposition and the League. To repeat the principle, the matter has to be formally raised, by the Club Secretary or the Chairman, in his / her absence, in a timely way.
12. If it becomes clear that a substantial number of postponement requests are likely to be made during the season, and the team has insufficient numbers to cover player absence for required school activities then, quite simply, the team is in the wrong league, and should be playing on a Sunday. Otherwise, our membership would feel badly let down by sides who appear to show least commitment to the objective of providing regular football.

REPORTING RESULTS

To be Updated

ADULT BEHAVIOUR

1. Although both the league and the SCFA have been making strong statements about the importance of good adult behaviour, sadly we have not seen the improvement we have hoped for. It remains a very high priority for us and, we hope, for our membership.
2. In the ‘heat of the moment’, and the ‘excitement of the game’, it is sometimes difficult for club officials and parents to take an objective and balanced view about youth football, and adult football for that matter. The Management Committee would be grateful if you would bear the following in mind.
3. Adults, whether they are officials, parents or spectators have a responsibility to encourage players to keep to the rules. The players will only respond to adults, with respect, if adults provide a ‘model’ of behaviour, which is consistent with that responsibility.
4. Never ridicule, or shout at, players for making a mistake, or not performing to your expectations. Young people respond better to, and learn better from, praise and encouragement.
5. Also set an example by applauding good play by both teams.
6. Never publicly question a referee’s decision, or doubt his or her honesty. Almost all referees do their best and try to be fair to both sides. Referees do make mistakes, but at least they have the courage to put themselves forward to take on what can be a thankless task. If you have concerns about a referee, talk to your club secretary, who will advise the league if they feel it is appropriate. The league will note issues, which have arisen, and will deal with things if they see any pattern of concern arising about a particular referee.
7. Verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated and, where evidenced, will be dealt with firmly by the league. The league will also refer matters of concern to the SCFA. Usually, when players use bad language, it is often learned from adults around them. Listen for yourselves to what is going on within your team of adults at a match – are you proud of it – if not do something positive to change things around, in extreme case, asking people to ‘stay away’.
8. If you are an adult who acts as an assistant referee or a referee, please take those jobs seriously. You must act as an official, with the powers and responsibilities that come with it. Please do not try to coach your players and do an official job at the same time. The official job alone will require all your powers of concentration.
9. If you attempt to coach players at the same time, let us be frank, you will appear to be biased, you will appear to be taking an unfair advantage of your opponents, and you will lose your personal credibility instantly. The assistant referee who calls his players forward, and then flags for offside will irritate and anger his or her opponents.
10. Most assistant referees are men, and should well know that multi-tasking is not their forte. Plan your match so the officials, the coaches and the spectators all know what is expected of them, and stick to those roles, and those alone.
11. If you are confronted with unacceptable behaviour by opposition adults, ‘sleep on it’, discuss it with your club secretary, then agree with them whether they should write to the league secretary by way of a formal ‘complaint’.
12. Thank you for reading and following this guidance note.

FIRST AID USE OF SPRAYS

To be Updated

COMMITTEE ROLES AND CLUB ROLES

1. As a management committee, it is incumbent upon us to be clear, and for our member clubs to be clear, about the role committee members are playing at any given time, in given situations.
2. Most members of the H&DYFL Management Committee also have, or have had, a formal role in the management of a member club, or an obvious allegiance to a member club.
3. Where this is the case, it is very important that these roles do not become confused, both for the committee member and for other member clubs.
4. For example, it is understood that committee members follow exactly the same processes, when acting on behalf of their club, as other member clubs do. For example, registrations will follow exactly the same sequence of events.
5. Committee members do attend matches in their standard setting and disciplinary roles, on behalf of the committee. They may also attend a match, which their club is playing in, as a club member. In order that fairness is transparent, it is not possible to hold both roles on the same occasion.
6. Usually, if a committee member attends a match, on behalf of the committee, they are doing so with a particular purpose in mind. At some point, during the game, it is likely that they will introduce themselves to the club officials, and explain that purpose.
7. Sometimes, believe it or not, a committee member may just attend a match to watch the game. If they are not involved with either club, and something untoward occurs, then it is likely that they will bring it to the attention on one or more of the managers - for example, if they hear inappropriate remarks being made to an official, or inappropriate language being used with earshot of the general public.
8. When the committee is discussing a disciplinary issue with a club, it is normal for any committee member, with a role or allegiance to that club, to withdraw from that discussion. If, however, the remainder of the committee invite that committee member to remain, whilst clarifications are being sought, then the committee member may remain, for that part of the discussion only. At no time should that committee member, however, be present as a decision is being discussed or taken.
9. The committee have monthly meetings, and the agenda is set before the meeting, with the exception of Any Other Business. However, AOB may not be used as a privileged opportunity to raise club matters from which other club members, who not involved in the committee, would be precluded.
10. If a committee member has an issue to raise, in the same way that any other club might, then they should ask the relevant club secretary to write or email the League Secretary, rather than short-circuiting the system.
11. Finally, committee members are simply your representatives on the management committee which manages the affairs of the league. In any dispute, our decision will usually please one club and displease the other. If you have any concerns about how we manage our business though, please feel free to raise them – through Club Secretaries, to the League Secretary – hopefully in a constructive spirit of co-operation.

SPORTSMANSHIP MARKING GUIDELINES

This may be helpful, but the judgement is yours

100 - All opposing players were positive in their sportsmanship. For example, they all shook hands with opponents at the beginning and end of the game; all players conceded few free kicks; all players used decent language to each other and opponents; all players showed no indications of racist behaviour; all players showed respect for match officials, club officials and spectators. No opposing players were red or yellow carded.

90 - Most opposing players were positive in their sportsmanship. For example, most players shook hands with opponents at the beginning and end of the game; most players conceded few free kicks; most players used decent language to each other and opponents; all players showed no indications of racist behaviour; most players showed respect for match officials, club officials and spectators. No opposing players were red or yellow carded.

80 - Although most players took a sporting approach to the game, as in 9, one player stood out as a particular exception, and was a poor representative of his / her club’s otherwise positive approach to sportsmanship overall. One player may have been yellow carded.

70 - Although most players took a sporting approach to the game, as in 9, more than one player stood out as a particular exceptions, and were poor representatives of their club’s otherwise positive approach to sportsmanship overall. One player may have been red or yellow carded.

60 - The teams’ approach to sportsmanship was inconsistent. Although there were some examples of sporting behaviour, there were also examples of particularly unsporting behaviour, and more than one player may have been red or yellow carded.

50 - Few opposing players were positive in their sportsmanship. For example, few players shook hands with opponents at the beginning and end of the game; few players conceded few free kicks; few players used decent language to each other and opponents; all players showed no indications of racist behaviour; few players showed respect for match officials, club officials and spectators.

40 - Some opposing players were actively negative in their sportsmanship. For example, some players refused to shake hands with opponents at the beginning and end of the game; some players appeared to intentionally concede free kicks; some players intentionally used unacceptable language to each other and opponents, apparently with intent to offend; all players showed no indications of racist behaviour; some players showed disrespect for match officials, club officials and spectators, apparently with intent to offend. The behaviour will have been referred to the club secretary, who may have reported it to the league.

30 - Many opposing players were actively negative in their sportsmanship. For example, many players refused to shake hands with opponents at the beginning and end of the game; ,many players appeared to intentionally concede free kicks; many players intentionally used unacceptable language to each other and opponents, apparently with intent to offend; all players showed no indications of racist behaviour; many players showed disrespect for match officials, club officials and spectators, apparently with intent to offend. The behaviour will have been referred to the club secretary, who will have reported it to the league.

20 - Match officials had to specifically speak to players and / or their club officials about unsporting player behaviour, on numerous occasions; specific incidents may have reported to the league.
 
10 - Match officials had to specifically speak to players and / or their club officials about unsporting player behaviour, on numerous occasions; specific incidents have been reported to the league; there may have been an example of alleged racist behaviour, either by word or deed.

0 - It appeared that the behaviour of the team of players was beyond the control of the club officials and represented a challenge to the authority of the match officials.

UNDER 7s AND UNDER 8s FOOTBALL

To be Updated

ASSISTANT REFEREES

1. First and foremost, being an Assistant Referee (linesman) means that, during the course of the game, you are no longer, primarily, a parent, supporter or club official.
2. You are part of the team of match officials, assisting the referee, as does your counterpart who watches the line on the other side of the pitch.
3. The referee may be a friend of yours, a person from the same team as you, or a person who is unknown to you, such as a league appointed referee. This is immaterial because, during the course of the game, the referee is in sole charge of the game, and has all the powers of a qualified and experienced league referee, even if he is ‘just a dad’.
4. It follows that, whether you agree with refereeing decisions or not, you must support all decisions made by that referee, in public at the very least.
5. Getting things agreed at the start is most important. If the referee does not give you a briefing, then make sure you ask what decisions he or she would like you to decide on, which others he would he or she like brought to their attention, and which decisions he prefer you did not make.
6. For example, some referees may only want you to comment on the ball going out of the field of play, and which way the following throw or kick should be taken. Others may want you to flag for offside, and he or she will explain that rule to you beforehand. Further decisions, such as foul play, time-keeping etc., may also be things that the referee wants brought to his attention.
7. Most important though, is that you remember that the referee’s decision is final. If he or she sees your flag, and acknowledges it, but disagrees with you, then that is his or her prerogative. Do not argue with that decision, although it is reasonable to ask why he or she overruled you, when the game is over.
8. During the game, please do not cheer your own side, give instructions to players, or treat the two sides differently, in any way. If you watch a televised match, you can watch and follow the approach you see from Assistant Referees – they usually demonstrate a neutral role very well.
9. It goes without saying that you must not coach your own side, or say or do anything that prompts the making of an offside decision. You must not intervene in any way implies or shows bias.
10. In playing the neutral role, you may find that you are criticised by parents and officials of your own club, as well as the opposition – as they say, it goes with the territory, and so you must deal with it. It is usually best to do so by ignoring it. Again, if you watch Assistant Referees on the television, that is what they do, and it works well. Officials must not get involved in verbal or physical encounters.
11. If you feel intimidated by anyone, in the course of your duties, then you may bring this to the attention of the match referee. The Respect programme applies to Assistant Referees too, so you can expect to be treated properly, and the referee can insist on it.
12. In order to develop your skills in the role, you can ask for feedback from the match referee after the game.