Under 13s section

Reporting Results

(B) Both Club shall notify the result of each match by returning a text request by 6pm on Saturday, or for other fixtures within 24 hours of the scheduled kick-off of the match. Failure to do so shall result in a fine of £10.00. For the purposes of this rule the result to include any postponement caused through inclement weather. The reason for the postponement must be notified to the Divisional Representative.

Playing Season. Conditions Of Play. Times Of Kick-Off. Postponements. Substitutes

Rule 10

(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, must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting.

(B) All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board or, for Mini-Soccer, the Laws of Mini-Soccer as set down by The Football Association.

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 as shown below unless a shorter time is mutually arranged in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves: -

For Mini-Soccer – The maximum duration of play shall be two halves of 20 minutes each way. The maximum playing time in any one day for under 7 and under 8 age groups is 40 minutes and for under 9 and under 10 age groups is 60 minutes.

For Youth football – The duration of play shall be as follows unless it is mutually agreed by all parties to reduce the time. For under 11 and under 12, 30 minutes each half; for under 13 and under 14, 35 minutes each half; and under 15 and under 16, 40 minutes each half.

The minimum time for any game will not be less than 20 minutes each half for players in the under 14 age group and below and 25 minutes each half for all other age groups.

No player under the age of 17 as at midnight on 31st August in any season shall be permitted to play more than one game or, in the event the competition allows the playing of a double-header, i.e.: two separate matches, 100 minutes per day in this Competition. The Fixtures Secretary may require teams to play double-headers.

The times of kick-off shall be fixed by the Management Committee. All matches played on a Saturday, kick off no earlier than 09.30 hours. The competition reserves the right to require teams to play matches other than on a Saturday. Evening games will kick off at 18.30 hours unless otherwise agreed by both teams and the Fixture Secretary / Divisional Representative.

Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time may be fined a sum not exceeding £10.00 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. The size of football to be used shall be: For Mini-Soccer, size 3 for players in the under 7 and 8 age category; size 4 for the under 9’s and 10’s. For youth football – size 4 for those playing under 11, 12, 13 and 14 age groups; size 5 for all other age groups. Goal nets must be used.

(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.

(D) The Secretary of the home Club must ensure notice is given 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 five clear days prior to the playing of the match. The away club shall acknowledge receipt of such particulars.

Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £10.00.

(E) Every Club shall play its best available qualified team or teams in all matches in the Competition.

(Note: The intention of this Rule is not to interfere with normal team selection by Clubs, but to prevent Clubs deliberately fielding a weakened team in order to unreasonably reserve players for another game or to boost the strength of another or lower team. It is NOT intended that Clubs MUST field higher team players in lower teams when the higher team has no engagement. If, in the opinion of the Management Committee, the substance or spirit of the Rule is obviously being disregarded, the Club or Clubs concerned may be called to account for its/their actions and shall be subject to such decisions as the Management Committee may determine, despite the fact that Rule 8 has not been infringed.)

Mini-Soccer matches for under 9 and under 10 will be seven-a-side for under 8 five-a-side. Teams for Mini-Soccer matches must constitute the required minimum number for that age group.

In the event of a Club playing in any Youth match with less than 9 players they shall be fined £10 00. A minimum of 8 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 of £10.00, deduct points from the defaulting Club, award the points 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.

Notice of postponement of any match must be given without delay by the notice giving Club, to the Divisional Representative, acting on behalf of the Fixtures Secretary, the Competition Referees Secretary, the Secretary/Fixtures 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 any penalty it may deem suitable, to a maximum fine of £20.00.

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 arranged by the Fixtures Secretary / Divisional Representative.

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 and/or take what other action they may deem necessary.

In cases where a match is abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams or their Club member(s), 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. Such action is subject to any disciplinary action taken by the appropriate Affiliated Association.

(G) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use 3 substitute players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from 3 players.

 

For Mini-Soccer – any number of substitutions may be used at any time with the permission of the Referee. Entry onto the field of play will only be allowed during a stoppage in play. A player who has been replaced may return to the play as a substitute for another player. A Team must not have a squad greater than double the size of its team in an age group.

For Youth Football – for teams in the under 16 age group and below, a player who has been substituted himself becomes a substitute and may replace another player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.

 

The referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes not later than 10 minutes before the start of the match. If a player is unavoidably late, he/she must identify themselves to the opposing Manager and Referee before entering the field of play.

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 for youth football shall be at least 5 minutes duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen minutes. The half time interval for Mini-Soccer must not exceed 5 minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.

(I) Before every match the two managers of the participating teams will check the identity cards of all players nominated to play for the opposing team including substitutes, and check the players against the Full Time Registration List. Any player without an identity card or with a defaced or altered identity card will not be permitted to play. Any team that fails to produce identity cards for its player(s) will be fined £10.00 in addition to any penalties that may be imposed for its failure to fulfil the fixture in accordance with Rule 10.

(J) The home team must ensure that the field of play has adequate markings and regulation equipment including two Assistant Referees’ flags and a whistle. They must also have a Qualified First Aider (QFA) in attendance.

All teams shall provide at every match a well equipped first aid kit, which must be available for inspection by any Competition or match official. For fuller details, please see Competition Guidance Note 4.

(K) All clubs in membership of the league shall endeavour to ensure that players selected to play in any team representing the Bedford Sports Horsham & District Youth Football League fully co-operate and take part. Players selected should have played a minimum of 4 games in the season in which he is selected.