Rules

	SPORTS & FASHIONS
	HUNTINGDONSHIRE MINI SOCCER LEAGUE

1	NAME

	This activity shall be named the Huntingdonshire County Mini Soccer League, sponsored by Sports & Fashions (Huntingdon).

2	AFFILIATION

	All teams entering must be affiliated to a recognised County Football Association.

3	AIMS

(a)	The aims of the League are to promote young players’ enjoyment and skills development. As this is a non-competitive league there will be no trophies for league winners and runners up. All participants will be treated equally in recognition of their achievements.
(b)	A Knock Out Cup Competition will be arranged for the Under 10 and Under 11 age group - (non compulsory).

4	AGE QUALIFICATIONS

	F.A. Rule 21 – Age Ranges Relating to Players Under 16 Years of Age.
(I)	A person who has not attained nor will have attained the age of 6 as at midnight on 31^st August in a playing season shall not play, and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play in a match of any kind in that playing season.
(ii)	A person who has not attained nor will have attained the age of 9 as at midnight on 31^st August in a playing season shall not play, nor be encouraged to play, in a match between sides of more than seven players in that playing season. Such persons shall only play in a match played according to the ‘Laws of the Game – Small Sided Football’ as amended for particular age ranges by the Council from time to time.
(iii)	A person who has attained the age of 9 but who has not attained nor will have attained the age of 10 as at midnight on the 31^st August in a playing season shall not be permitted or encouraged to play, in a match between sides of more than seven players in that playing season.
	The consent of the Association shall be required as appropriate for any competition involving persons who have not attained nor will have attained the age of 14 as at midnight on 31^st August in that playing season. Such competitions (whether small sided or eleven-a-side matches) shall only be allowed where participants are restricted by age range such as being under 7/8/9/10 and 11. The age ranges shall be defined to include all persons who have not attained the ages of 7/8/9/10 and 11 respectively as at midnight on 31^st August in the relevant playing season.
	A person in the age range Under 7/8/9/10 and 11 must not play, and shall not be permitted to play, in a match where any other player is older or younger by 2 years or more than that person.
	A person in the age ranges Under 7/8/9/10 and 11 only may play in a match involving boys and girls.
	Priority at all times must be given to school or school organisations’ activities in accordance with the recommendations of the ‘Memorandum: Children of School Age and School Games’, whilst a pupil is receiving full-time education in accordance with the Education Act. All Clubs and Competitions, excluding those whose matches are played on Sundays, shall include in their rules a provision to the effect that the availability of a pupil must be consented to by the Head Teacher.

5	ENTRY

	Applications by teams for admission must be made in writing to the secretary by 30^th June each year. No late applications will be considered. An annual subscription of £10.00 per team must be paid by the 30^th June. A team failing to pay by the due date will automatically have their entry cancelled.

7	MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

	The League will be administered by a Management Committee comprising Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Competitions Secretary, Registration Secretary, Press Officer and elected Committee members from competing clubs (not to exceed six).

7	DISCIPLINE

	A Disciplinary Committee will sit when required. The Committee will comprise members of the Management Committee and will ensure that the activity is played according to its rules in a fair and sporting manner. All competing clubs must ensure their players, officials and supporters conduct themselves in a spirit and manner beneficial to the development and enjoyment of the activity.

8	REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS

	For the purpose of all League matches a playing member of a club is one who, being in all other aspects eligible, has signed a fully and completed registration form, in ink, witnessed by a second person and has been registered with the Registration Secretary 24 hours before playing in any match. No player shall be registered for the Mini Soccer League if they are registered with any eleven-a-side team.
	Before the registration form is completed it shall be the duty of the club to satisfy itself that the player is not registered with another club playing in the Huntingdonshire County Mini Soccer League. A stamped addressed envelope shall accompany all registration forms for the return of the registration slips.
	The Registration Secretary shall have the right to call for a birth certificate or any other form of documentary evidence. No player shall be registered after the last day of March in the current season. Any club fielding an unregistered or ineligible player shall be liable to a fine, suspension from the Huntingdonshire County Mini Soccer League and the match awarded to their opponents at the discretion of the Disciplinary Committee.
	Minimum number of players per team must be registered by 26^th August of playing season.

9	NUMBER OF PLAYERS

	The number of players per age range shall be:
	Under 7 5 versus 5
	Under 8 5 versus 5
	Under 9 6 versus 6
	Under 10 7 versus 7
	Under 11 7 versus 7
	The minimum number of players registered for each age group shall be team size plus two, the maximum number of players registered for each age group shall be double the team size.

10	TRANSFERS

	Any player may claim his/her transfer by giving seven days’ notice to his/her Club Secretary, in writing. Provided that the player’s liabilities are settled with his/her club and he/she is not indebted to them in any way, his/her transfer cannot be withheld by the club holding his/her registration. The transfer shall be drawn up on a printed form available from the Registration Secretary, and shall be filled in and signed as required, and returned to the Registration Secretary before a player can play for his/her new club.
	No player shall be transferred after the last day of February in the current season. A player is not deemed to be transferred or registered until the necessary forms are received by the Registration Secretary. Any player wishing to transfer to another age group within his/her club may do so on one occasion during the playing season.

11	MATCH INFORMATION

	The home team must confirm a match with opponents, and give clear directions to venue, at least seven clear days and not less than five clear days before the match. Clubs contravening this rule will be liable to a fine not exceeding £10.00.
	The home club must telephone the result of the match to the Competitions Secretary by 7.30pm on the day of the match. Each club must send the result of the match played, and the names and registration numbers of the players who took part. A player named on a result card shall be deemed to have played in the match. Result cards must reach the Registration Secretary no later than four days after the match has been played. Failure to comply will result in a fine not exceeding £10.00.

12	CORRESPONDENCE

	All communications to the League must be addressed to the Secretary, except any correspondence relating to fixtures, which must be addressed to the Competitions Secretary and registration matters to the Registration Secretary.

13	ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND GENERAL MEETINGS:

a)	The Annual General Meeting and General Meetings shall be open to all members of clubs, who shall be allowed to speak, but only one member shall be allowed to vote. Officers and Management Committee members shall be allowed to vote at all General Meetings and Annual General Meetings. The Annual General Meeting shall be held no later than 30^th June each year, the Secretary shall give fourteen days’ notice with the date and place of meeting, together with an agenda.
b)	The Management Committee shall hold meetings as deemed necessary and they shall be called by the Chairman.
c)	The Secretary shall keep a minute book and copies of minutes of each Annual General Meeting, General Meeting and Management Committee meetings shall be circulated as necessary. Copies of the duly audited balance sheet shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting.
d)	Club representatives who do not attend General or Annual General Meetings shall be fined not exceeding £10.00. Management Committee members who are absent from three consecutive meetings shall be deemed to have resigned unless a satisfactory explanation is received.
e)	A General Meeting of all clubs will be held once during the season.

14	RULES

	No alterations shall be made to these rules except at the Annual General Meeting. Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the Annual General Meeting shall be submitted to the Secretary by the 30th April in each year. No alteration shall be made to the Constitution or Playing Rules unless supported by at least two-thirds of those voting at such meeting. Any alteration or additions decided upon at any meeting shall not become operative until sanctioned by the Huntingdonshire County Football Association. Any rule changes will be implemented in the following season.

15	FINANCE

	The Treasurer will be responsible for all league monies and financial records. He/She will present as deemed necessary by the Management Committee a bank statement and/or balance sheet when requested to do so by the Secretary seven days before the next aforesaid meeting, Management or General. The funds shall be kept in a bank account under the name of the Huntingdonshire County Mini Soccer League. The Treasurer, Chairman/Competition Secretary and Secretary shall be signatories to the account.

16	HANDBOOKS

	Each club shall purchase a minimum of two handbooks, the cost of which will be decided by the Management Committee and paid with the Annual Subscription by 30th June.

17	ELECTION OF OFFICERS

	Retiring Officers shall be eligible for re-election without nomination. All other candidates shall be nominated, in writing by two member clubs to the Secretary not later than 30^th April in each year. Names of those nominated shall be circulated with the notice of the Annual General Meeting.
	In the event of there being no nominations in accordance with the foregoing for any office, nominations may be received at the Annual General Meeting.

18	SETTLEMENT OF FINANCIAL MATTERS

	The settlement of all financial matters including the payment of penalties must, in all cases unless otherwise ordered, be made within fourteen days of receipt of notification, failure to do so will result in amount being doubled.

19	OFFICERS’ EXPENSES

	The Management Committee shall have the power to repay to each or any of its Officers the expenses they incur in their work for the League.

20	CLUB ADMINISTRATION

	A club failing to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or correspondence of the Competition shall be liable to be fined or otherwise penalised at the discretion of the Management Committee.

21	CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

	The entire control and management of the Competition shall be vested in the Management Committee of the Huntingdonshire County Mini Soccer League. All games must be played in accordance with the laws of the game, and rules, regulations, and bylaws of the Football Association.

22	FIXTURES

	Each team shall play home and away fixtures in its own division. Fixtures shall be arranged by the Competitions Secretary. Duration of matches shall be as follows:
	Under 7/8/9 3 x 15 minutes – two x 5 minute intervals
	Teams change ends after 1^st and 2^nd halves and toss for the third.
	Under 10 2 x 25 minutes – 10 minutes half time.
	Under 11 2 x 30 minutes – 10 minutes half time.
	It shall be the responsibility of the home club to ensure that mini soccer goals are provided:
	Under 7/8/9 12’ x 6’
	Under 10 maximum 15’ x 6’.
	Aluminium goalposts to be used wherever possible and essential for under 11.
	Pitches must be marked out in the correct manner with a defined viewing area minimum 1 metre from the pitch.

23	ABANDONED AND POSTPONED MATCHES

	If any match is abandoned at any stage of the game the Management Committee shall have the power to deal with the matter at their discretion. The Competition Secretary must approve all postponements. If you postpone a game without first contacting the Competition Secretary, you may be fined. This applies to ALL age groups.

	A Team requesting the postponement of a match shall contact the Competitions Secretary, in writing, five clear days preceding the match, and shall give details of:-

	a) Name of Club
	b) Date
	c) Name of Team
	d) League/Division
	e) Age Group
	f) Person Changing Fixture
	g) Position of Person Changing Fixture within the Club
	h) Details of the Fixtures
	i) The original Match Date
	j) The changed Match Date
	k) The reason for Fixture change

	In the case of the lack or not enough team members to fulfil a fixture, a full list of players and reasons why they are not available for the date of the match must be sent to the Competitions Secretary.

	A Team failing to fulfil a fixture shall inform the Competitions Secretary, in writing, the reasons why the match did not take place within seven days of the due date, and shall give supporting documentation from parents to confirm injury or sickness. Failure to do so will result in a fine not exceeding £10.00.

	A Team breaking a fixture without the approval of the Competitions Secretary shall be:
	(a) liable to a fine not exceeding £50.00
	(b) responsible for the match expenses or travelling expenses, ground-to-ground, incurred by their opponents.
	(c) All Fixtures must be completed by third weekend in May. Where postponements are required, the Team requesting the postponement must give a rearranged date to Competition Secretary no later than midday Monday on the following week. A match fixture cannot be postponed more than twice without permission from the Competition Secretary. Failure to do any of the aforementioned will incur a fine not exceeding £50.00.

24	COLOURS

	All teams shall register their colours with the Secretary. In matches where both teams have the same colours, the visiting team shall make the change and in every case the goalkeeper shall have colours distinctive from either team and the referee.

25	WITHDRAWALS

	A club shall not be allowed to withdraw any or all of its teams from the Competition after the fixtures have been arranged each year. A Club infringing this rule shall be fined not exceeding £10.00.

26	TROPHIES

	Holders of League Trophies will be responsible for their safe keeping. The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the Trophy.
	We The Chairman and the Secretary of Football Club representing the said Club having been declared winners of the Trophy and the same having been delivered to us by the said Competition, do hereby on behalf of the said Club jointly and severally agree to return the same to the League on or before the last day of March next, and should the said Trophy be lost or damaged while under our care we agree to refund to the League the amount of its current value or the cost of its thorough repair.
	The name of the winners will be engraved annually on the Trophy, the cost of such engraving will be borne by the winning Club. Failure to return the Trophy by the required date or failure to have the Trophy engraved will result in a fine not exceeding £10.00. Trophies to be returned cleaned.

27	THE PLAYING SEASON

	The League Competition will commence on the second Saturday in September and conclude on the fourth Saturday in May.
	Any items not covered in the Huntingdonshire County Mini Soccer League Rules shall be covered by the Rules of the Huntingdonshire Football Association.

28	CHILD PROTECTION GUIDELINES

	All Clubs must conform to Child Protection Guidelines as set out by the Football Association.

29	CLUB WELFARE OFFICER

	It is mandatory for all Clubs to have a Club Welfare Officer




	NOTES FOR CLUB SECRETARIES

	Secretaries are recommended to ascertain that all Competitions in which their Club competes are properly sanctioned, and they should make themselves acquainted with the Rules.
	Bring to the notice of your Committee any conduct on the part of a member of your Club which is likely to bring the game into disrepute. If persisted in, a Club ought not allow any such offender to continue to belong to it, for not only may such conduct bring punishment on the members of your Club, but it gives the Club a bad name and may lead to more serious trouble.
	If you find spectators on your ground beginning to annoy the Referee, remember that you are responsible for his protection both during and after the match.
	The Management Committee consider Secretaries as the prime contact for any Club and would ask, wherever practicable, that correspondence and telephone calls from a Club to League Officers are made by the Secretary or at least with his/her knowledge.
	Officers of the League are, like you, volunteers who carry out their duties from home. It is therefore unreasonable to call them after 9.30pm.

Under 10 7 versus 7