Fife Sunday Amateur Football League

                   FIFE SUNDAY AMATEUR FOOTBALL LEAGUE       

                  SCOTTISH AMATEUR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION 

                        STANDARD FOOTBALL CONSTITUTION       

1              Name and Objects

(a) The League shall be known as the Fife Sunday Amateur Football League (FSAFL), and shall be affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

(b) To promote, foster and develop, throughout its membership without discrimination against any organisation or person for reason of race, religion or politics, the game of Association Football, and to take all such steps as may be deemed necessary or advisable for preventing infringements of the rules of the game or other improper methods or practices in the game and for protecting it from abuses.

2           Membership

(a) Amateur Clubs shall alone be members of the League.

(b) No Club which is run for the pecuniary gain of a person or persons, whether or not such person or persons are members of the said Club, shall be considered Amateur.

(c) Clubs making application for membership shall be interviewed by the Executive Committee, and upon recommendation of the Executive Committee shall be admitted to membership at the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose, and the decision of the meeting shall be final and binding.  All new clubs admitted will enter at the lowest division.

After the Annual General Meeting the Executive Committee have the authority to accept new clubs into membership which must be ratified by the member clubs at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose at the earliest opportunity in the new season.

(d) All Clubs must be in playing membership of the Scottish                                              Amateur Football Association,    

(e) The composition of the league shall be decided at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for that purpose.

(f) All matches shall be played on grass or third/fourth generation synthetic turf or above with a rubber infill as approved by the League.

(g) All Clubs in membership must submit a complete list of all Committee Members giving full name and address. Failure to submit the form by the due date, shall result in the defaulting Club being fined a sum not greater than £50.00. Any subsequent alterations to the club committee list during the current season must be notified to the League with such alterations also submitted to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

Failure to pay fines imposed under this Rule by the due date may result in Clubs being Debt Suspended.

(h) All Clubs in membership shall submit the official Handbook Form no later than the Annual General Meeting. Failure to submit the form by the due date shall result in the defaulting Club being fined sum not greater than £50.00. Failure to pay fines imposed under this Rule by the due date, may result in Clubs being debt Suspended.

 (i) At least one member of the Club shall have a current Sports Injuries Certificate or First Aid Certificate, this being compulsory on all Clubs in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association. Should clubs fail to comply with the requirements of this rule, they will be reported to the relevant committee of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, which may result in disciplinary action being taken against those clubs, with the exception of new Clubs who shall have their first Season to secure a current Sports Injuries Certificate or First Aid Certificate.

(j) All clubs must keep proper records of all their financial transactions, and such records, along with relevant vouchers, must be handed to the Executive Committee for inspection within seven days of request, if at any time required. Failure to comply, or discrepancies in such records, shall be dealt with as considered appropriate and may lead to membership being withdrawn at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

3          Continuation of Membership

Clubs in membership must submit to the Secretary not later than a date to be agreed by the Executive Committee in the current Season, the Continuation of Membership Form. Failure to return the form by the due date will result in the Club being fined a sum not greater than £50.00.

Clubs in default will be give a further seven days to return the Continuation of Membership form, and thereafter any Club failing to comply, shall be deemed to have resigned, and shall be excluded from membership at the Annual General Meeting.

Clubs  submitting  the  Continuation  of  Membership  form  on  or  before  the  agreed  date,  and subsequently withdrawing from  the  League before  commencement  of the ensuing Season will be liable for Annual Subscription for that Season. Clubs failing to comply, shall be liable to Debt Suspension.

4              Transfer of Membership

(a) Clubs in membership who wish to transfer to any other League or Association must notify the League not later than 31st March in the current Season of their intention to resign their membership.

(b) Notify the Scottish Amateur Football Association no later than 31st March in the current Season that they have informed the FSAFL of their decision to resign membership, and that they have been accepted into membership of another League or Association affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

(c) Receive  in  writing  the  approval  of  the  Scottish  Amateur  Football  Association  to  transfer membership to another League or Association affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

(d) No League official, member or club shall solicit, entice, encourage or otherwise seek to induce or procure a club to withdraw from participation in an existing League or Association in order to participate in another Association or League. Such conduct shall be regarded as not being in accord with the objects of the Association/League and not in the best spirit of the game and may result in expulsion from the Association/League.

(e) Should the League wish to accept into membership any club currently in membership of another Association/League affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association they must on or before 28th February in the current season hold a Special General Meeting to admit such clubs into membership.

 5  Annual Subscription and Deposit Fee, Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance

(a) The Annual Subscription of each Club shall be fixed at the

Annual  General  Meeting. 

(b) Each Club on gaining membership of the League may in addition to the payment of the Annual Subscription, be required to deposit the sum of £50.00, which deposit shall be liable to forfeiture, if such Club has failed to meet its obligations to the League, or has failed to satisfy the Executive Committee of its endeavours to do so.

Forfeiture of such deposit shall result in the club being liable to renew such deposit on acceptance of membership for the forthcoming season.

(c) Subscription and any deposit required shall be paid on a date not later than that as decided by the League. Any Clubs failing to pay by the due date will be liable to a fine not greater than £50.00, and may be excluded from the ensuing Seasons competitions.

(d) Each Club shall be liable for Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance as determined by the Scottish Amateur Football Association. Personal Accident Insurance Premiums shall be paid directly to the relevant Insurance Broker by the due date on receipt of invoice. Clubs with more than one team are responsible for ensuring that the Personal Accident Insurance premium for each team is paid to the relevant Insurance Broker.

Public Liability Insurance premiums will be paid to the Association or League to the Scottish Amateur Football Association on a date to be determined by that body.

6           Meetings

(a) The Annual General Meeting of the League shall be held not later than 24th June in each year.

(b) General Meetings shall be held on a regular basis at intervals decided by the Association/League, the Secretary or Executive Committee shall have the power to convene meetings when necessary. Clubs failing to attend the General Meetings shall be liable to a sanction as agreed by the Association/League. The quorum for General Meetings shall be determined by the Association/League.

(c) On a requisition signed by the requisite number of clubs as determined by the Association/League, and stating the business to be considered and accompanied by a deposit of £100 sterling inc VAT which shall be non-refundable, the Secretary shall within 28 days convene a Special General Meeting. The Executive Committee shall at any time, and for any special purpose have the power to call a Special General Meeting. Notice of such meeting and the business to be transacted thereat, shall be sent to each member of the League/Association and to all Office Bearers and no other business except of a formal nature shall be dealt with at such a meeting.

(d) At all Meetings of the League, the President or in his absence the Chairman appointed by those members in attendance shall preside. The Chairperson shall have both a deliberate and casting vote at all meetings, and that ruling shall be final.

(e) At all meetings of the Leagues/Associations, a full and complete minute must be created and kept for future reference.

LOCAL RULE: Clubs failing to attend the monthly meetings will be fined £10 for the initial two occasions per season  with subsequent missed meetings incurring an additional £20 fine by means of repeat absence penalty. Quorum for monthly meetings shall be 1/3 of membership clubs.

7              Annual General Meeting

The order of business at the Annual General Meeting shall be:

1          Minutes of Previous AGM.

2          Matters Arising.

3          Secretary's Report.

4          Treasurer's Report.

5          Match Secretary?s Report.

6          Annual Subscription.

7          Referee's Fee.

8          Alteration to Constitution.

9          Election of Office Bearers.

10        Election of Patrons / Life Members.

11        Admission of Clubs.

12        Formation of League.

13        Election of Executive Committee.

14        Election of Delegates to Scottish Amateur Football Association.

15        Appointment of Auditor(s).

16        Any other competent business

8   Office Bearers

The number of Office Bearers of the League shall be determined by the Association/League and shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All Office Bearers may be either neutral or connected with a Club in membership of the League.

LOCAL RULE: Office bearers to serve on committee elected to roles Chairman, Vice Chairman, League Secretary, Minute Secretary, Treasurer, Match & Referee Secretary and Registration & Disciplinary Secretary.

9              Delegates to SAFA

Two Delegates to the Scottish Amateur Football Association shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting convened for that purpose.

Any Office Bearer, Life Member or Club Member shall be eligible for 

          election. 

10           Management

Management of the League shall be vested in the General Committee consisting of the Office Bearers, Life Members and one representative of each Club in the League, except where a Club is represented by an Office Bearer. Each Club shall be entitled to send two representatives to each meeting but shall have only one vote.

11           Executive Committee

(a) The Office Bearers together with a number of representatives as agreed and appointed by the General Committee, will form the Executive Committee of the League. The quorum as determined by the League shall be 50% attendance of member clubs.

(b) The Executive Committee shall have power to deal with business affecting or pertaining to the League and matters relating to disciplinary offences, except in so far as specially provided for by any of these rules. All such findings and decisions of the Executive Committee shall be final, except as provided for under Rule 21. The Executive Committee shall have the power to deal with any Club, Club Official or player for any misconduct reported to it as it sees fit.

(c) The Executive Committee in dealing with matters relating to disciplinary matters, shall consist of no more than eight members, which when possible shall include the Office Bearers. The quorum shall be five.

(d) The Executive Committee shall have power, as occasion shall require to appoint from its own members and or co-opt from the General Committee such Sub-Committees as it may deem expedient, and to depute or refer to them such of its powers and duties as may from time to time determine.

12           Retiral from Meetings

A member of Committee must retire from the meeting during consideration and while decision is being made on any case involving their Club, or Officials, or players connected with their Club, or in a case in which they have presented evidence to the Committee or there is a conflict of interest arising from the matter under consideration.

13           Finance

(a) The Treasurer shall effect all money transactions and shall submit at each monthly/bi-monthly meeting a financial statement of the League/Association accounts, and at the Annual General Meeting a Statement of Account duly audited by the Auditor(s) appointed at the Annual General Meeting. Financial Records of all money transactions must be kept, and must be open to inspection by the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

(b) All fines imposed by the General or Executive Committee must be paid by the due date as notified to the Clubs concerned. Failure to do so may result in the defaulting Club being Debt Suspended. Any fines paid by cheque, and cheque not being honoured, Clubs will be liable for any charges incurred by the League/ Association, and may result in the defaulting Club being liable to such penalty as deemed appropriate.

(c) All accounts must be passed by the General Meeting and all cheques drawn on the bank of the League shall bear a minimum of two signatures with those signatories being determined by the League committee.

At all General Meetings the bank statements of the Association/League shall be on the table for inspection.

 14           Recognition of Service to League

The League may grant Life Membership or Honorary Life Membership of the League to any retiring Office Bearer or any person considered to have rendered valuable service to the League.

15           Alteration to Constitution and Rules

No alteration shall be made in the Constitution and Rules of the League except at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for that purpose. Twenty-one days notice must be given to the Secretary in writing of any proposed alteration in Constitution, a copy of which shall be sent to Clubs seven days before Annual or Special General Meeting for the consideration thereof. No alteration shall be made in the Constitution unless two thirds of the members present and qualified  to  vote,  have  voted  in  favour  of  the  motion.  Such alterations must subsequently be confirmed at a Special General Meeting duly convened for the purpose. Any proposed alteration to the Constitution shall, before coming into force, be submitted to and approved by the Council of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

 16           International Clearance

An amateur or non-amateur player who had become eligible to play for a club affiliated to a National Association may not be registered with a club affiliated to another National Association unless the latter has received an International Transfer Certificate issued by the National Association that the player wishes to leave.

17           Unauthorised Football

Any player participating in unauthorised football shall not be eligible to participate in football played under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

Any player participating in unauthorised football who plays for a club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association shall leave that club open to protest and disciplinary action.

Unauthorised football shall be considered to be football played under the jurisdiction of an Association or League not affiliated to a recognised National Association.

 LEAGUE RULES

          Executive Committee as referred to in this Constitution is deemed to refer to                   local level and is not an intended reference to National or District level.

1              Laws of the Game

All competitions under the League/Association control shall be according to the Laws of the Game as adopted by the Scottish Football Association Limited except under Rule 7.

2            Playing Season

The  playing  Season  of  the  League/Association  shall  commence  on  a date  to  be  agreed  by the Association/League and end on a date not later than the Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Amateur Football Association. No football shall be played by any Club in membership after the date of the Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Amateur Football Association in any Season unless permission has been granted by the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

3              Composition of League / Association

The composition of the Association/League shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting or any other meeting called for that purpose.

LOCAL RULE: Relegation will be two clubs down with the number of promoted clubs to be decided at the AGM.

LOCAL RULE: Play-offs will be used to determine league winners, promotions and relegations where teams finish level on points at the end of the season. These games will be played at neutral venues over 90 minutes with extra time and penalties if required. Remaining positions will be determined by goal difference.  

4              Fixtures

(a) Clubs shall receive from the Match Secretary, the League fixtures which must be played on the dates stipulated unless otherwise sanctioned by the Match Secretary. Clubs not complying may be fined.

(b) The reason for non-fulfilment of any fixture shall be investigated by the Executive Committee, and if the reasons are deemed to be unsatisfactory, the defaulting Club shall forfeit the points or cup- tie, and may be liable for Referee's Fee, Ground Fee and any other costs incurred by the aggrieved club. In addition a penalty as determined by the Executive Committee may be imposed on the defaulting club.

If at least one club has admitted full responsibility in writing for the non-fulfilment of any fixture, then clubs do not need to be cited to a disciplinary hearing and the Executive Committee can make a determination, based on the admission of guilt, with a Right of Appeal to the clubs in the normal manner.

(c) Notice of all unfinished matches shall be investigated by the Executive Committee, who shall decide the status of such matches, and impose any penalty as deemed appropriate.

(d) Any Club wishing a Free date, must do so in writing to the Secretary or Match Secretary giving notice as determined by the Executive Committee, and stating the reason, and such application shall be decided by the General Committee or Match/Fixture Secretary. The number of free dates granted in any one season shall be determined by the Leagues and Associations.

LOCAL RULE: Free dates will be limited to two per club in any one season and 21 days notice being given to the match secretary prior to the free date requested. Any free date approved under this rule shall have no effect in respect of matches cast by the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

5              Tournament and Friendly Matches

Clubs  wishing  to  participate  in  a  tournament  or  friendly match  must  apply for  the  appropriate permission as follows: -

Friendly fixture against a club in membership of own Association/League

Permission of own Association/League

Friendly Match against Club in membership of the Scottish Amateur                                  Football Association.

Permission of own League / Association and Scottish Amateur Football                             Association.                 

Friendly Match against Club not in membership of the Scottish Amateur                            Football Association. 

Permission of own League / Association, the Scottish Amateur Football Association and where appropriate the S.F.A. Ltd. which will be obtained by the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

Tournaments within and outwith Scotland

Permission of own League/Association, the Scottish Amateur Football Association and where appropriate the S.F.A. Ltd. which will be obtained by the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

Any match which takes place without the necessary permission will be deemed to be unauthorised football and will be referred to the relevant Committee which may result in disciplinary action being taken against the Club involved.

The reasons for any member club failing to adhere to the requirements of this rule will be investigated by the Executive Committee and if deemed unsatisfactory the defaulting club will be fined a sum not greater than £50.00

6              Cup-Ties

Cup-Ties of the Scottish Football Association Ltd, or the Scottish Amateur Football Association shall have precedence over League/Association domestic fixtures. Should a ground be considered as unplayable in a National or District cup tie the League or Association Match Secretary will have the discretion to assign an alternative fixture for the away team only.

7              Duration of play

All matches shall be played in accordance to the Laws of the Game as adopted by the Scottish Football Association Ltd., but with this one exception, that prior to the start of the match, Club Officials may mutually agree to play two equal periods of 35 minutes duration, a statement to such effect being signed on the back of the team lines by the respective Club Officials, cup-ties excepted.

 8              Ground Directions etc.

(a)   The Match/Fixture Secretary will advise the official kick-off time in all matches to the clubs and matches must commence at the kick-off time.

If a kick off is delayed by more than 30 minutes the match will be deemed to have been unplayed and will become subject to the requirements of Rule 4 ?

The clubs involved may mutually agree to vary the kick off time with the approval of the Match/Fixture Secretary. If the clubs are unable to agree on a variation from the official kick off time, the Match/Fixture Secretary after considering all circumstances shall have the authority to vary the kick off time by giving a minimum of 24 hours notice to the clubs involved.

(b)  The Secretary of the HOME Club must confirm with the Referee and the Visiting Club no later than 3 days prior to the listed fixture, as to time of kick-off, colours and directions. In the event of matches being played mid-week, the Secretary of the HOME Club to confirm with the Referee and the Visiting Club no later than 3 days prior to the listed fixture, the time of kick-off, colours and directions.

(c)  All matches to be played on the registered ground of the Home Club. If the Home Club wishes to switch the match to an alternative ground of an approved standard it may do so with the agreement of the Match Secretary. If the Away Club has any objection(s) to the proposed switch the Match Secretary shall consider the objection(s) before deciding whether or not to sanction the switch, the Match Secretary?s decision is final.

(d)  The Home Club is responsible for the condition of the ground, and Laws of the Game being complied with. On points of fact connected with the game and fitness of the ground for play, the decision of the Referee shall be final. When ground conditions are uncertain, or at the request of their opponents, the HOME club must call in an official referee to inspect the ground on the day of the match.

Where clubs have an appointed groundsman in charge of the ground, such groundsman's decision shall be final.

(e)   In the event of a ground being unplayable, the HOME Club must immediately notify the Visiting club, Referee, and League Match Secretary of the postponement.

(f)   Both Clubs shall be responsible for the provision of two serviceable footballs each at all matches

(g)  Goal Nets and Corner Flags must be used in all matches.

(h)  Results of all matches should be notified to the Match Secretary by the Home Club no later than a time to, be determined by the Executive Committee and where appropriate the National and/or District Match Secretary in relation to National and District cup ties. Failure to do so, the Executive  Committee  shall  have  the  right  to  impose  a  fine  as  agreed  by  the  Executive Committee.

 9          Teamlines

(a) In all matches including friendly fixtures, Clubs must not later than the commencement of the match submit to the Referee the official Team lines, in duplicate, containing the names, I.D. Numbers or photographs of players with ID Numbers attached in the respective teams, this to exclude national and district cup competitions. The Referee shall after signature, exchange one copy with the respective Clubs, and forward the remaining copies together with the result of the game to the Secretary / Match Secretary, within 48 hours, together with any caution or ordering off reports.  No form other than the official Team lines shall be acceptable.

(b) Where team lines are incorrectly completed. The Executive Committee shall have the right to impose a fine not exceeding £10.00.

(c) In all matches played under the auspices of the League/Association, up to a maximum of five substitutes may be listed, five of which may be used. Such substitutes must be listed on the official team lines in accordance with Rule 9(a).  In cup ties, players listed as substitutes will only be considered cup-tied, if they actually play in the match.

10           Late Kick-offs

When a late kick-off is reported, Club or Clubs being responsible without good reason shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10.00

11           Colours

(a) In the event of a similarity of colours, the Home Club shall change, unless mutually agreed.

(b) Numbers must be worn on jerseys, and must correspond with the numbers on the team lines. Failure to comply shall result in the defaulting Club being liable to a fine not exceeding £10.00

12           Status of Players

(a) All players must be registered on a Recreational Form to be eligible to play for Clubs in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association (excepting where trialists are permitted).  Players not so registered will be ineligible and subject to protest in any match they participate in.  Players MUST be registered to play in any Cup Competitions whether National, District or Domestic which are played under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

(b) A player registered with the Scottish Football Association Ltd. by means of a Recreational Form through any other Affiliated National Association may not play for any Club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association while so registered, with the exception of Scottish Football Association Member Clubs and Futsal Clubs, 5-a-side and 6-a-side, who are also in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association and Under 21 age limit Clubs who are in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

(c) Before playing for a Club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, the player?s Recreational Form registered through any other Affiliated National Association with the Scottish Football Association Ltd. must be cancelled either by the registering Club or by personal application  of  the  player  under  the  terms  of  registration  procedure  12.6(iii)  of  the  Scottish Football Association Ltd.

(d) A  player  playing  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Scottish  Amateur  Football  Association  and registered with the Scottish Football Association Ltd. by means of a Recreational Form may only play for his registered Club or any other Club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association provided he is eligible to do so and does not infringe the requirements of Rule 44 (registration rules under age football).

13           Registration

The following Registration Rules apply with the exception and inclusion, where appropriate, of the Scottish Amateur FA/Scottish Youth FA Under 21 player agreement an extract of which can be found in the Guideline Section.

A player to be eligible to play must be registered on a Recreational Form for the relevant Club. ?A player may not register or play as a trialist, on any one day, for more than one club and only play for one team, who play on the same fixture day, in the same fixture season, this being defined by the affiliation form submitted to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

A player to be eligible to play in any cup competition played under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur Football Association and its affiliated bodies (Associations and Leagues) must sign a recreational form and be registered on the Scottish FA Registration system for the relevant club(s) prior to the commencement of all cup ties.

A player to be eligible to play in League games, played under the auspices of Associations and Leagues must sign a Recreational Form, and be registered on the Scottish FA Registration System for the relevant Club or Clubs prior to the commencement of all League games (excepting where Trialists are permitted by affiliated Associations and Leagues).

All Clubs can only register their players on the form supplied by the Scottish Football Association appropriate to the said Season. Completed forms must be returned to the League / Association within 3 days of the date of signing (Sunday excluded). Players will only be considered as registered once the completed form or e-mail with a copy/image attachment (photograph, scan or fax, etc.) of the form has been received and accepted by the League/Association. Acceptance will be confirmed by return of the Player ID number from the League/Association to the Club and where a copy/image of the form is used the original form must be with the League/Association within 3 days of registration (Sunday excluded).

The Recreational Form as posted must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope to the sender. After being endorsed by the League / Association, the Club shall receive back a copy of the completed registration form.

Failure to complete the full postal address, including village, town, district or postcode as required on the form, will result in the registration being rejected.

Players must be registered on a Recreational Form to be eligible to participate in all Cup ties played under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

Trialists who are eligible to participate in League matches will be subject to the registration rules of the League/Association.

Players can only play in friendly matches for the club they are registered with on the Scottish FA Registration System, with the exception of unattached trialists.

Changes of address of registered players must be intimated in writing to the Scottish Amateur Football Association and to the Secretary of the League/Association in which the player plays by the Secretary of the Club for which he plays within 14 days of such change.

The registration of a player on a Recreational Form will lapse automatically at the end of the Season (30th June each year), in which he signed the form, and the player will be free to sign for the Club of his choice thereafter, (excepting Summer Football, where the forms will automatically cancel on 30th September each year.

A player can be registered from 1st May each Season for the same Club for the forthcoming Season.

A player can be registered from 15th May each Season for another Club for the forthcoming Season, provided he is otherwise eligible to do so. (Summer Football)

A player can be registered from 15th September each Season for the same Club for the forthcoming Season.

A player can be registered from 30th September each Season for another Club for the forthcoming Season, provided he is otherwise eligible to do so.

Before a player signs a Recreational Form, the Club should ensure that all details have been fully inserted. The player at the time of signing must personally insert the date of signing. The player's signature and that of the Secretary or other accredited Club Official shall be attested by a responsible third party.

A player who is suspended (dated or games) may not sign a Recreational Form unless in the case of a games suspension, his registration has automatically ended in terms of this Rule.

Players of Clubs which fold or cease to exist during the currency of a player's match suspension shall be eligible to register for a new Club. The Club, for which the player registers, should send the Recreational Form to the League/Association Secretary accompanied by a letter from the player indicating the number of matches of his suspension he has still to serve. The matches played by that new Club from the date of receipt, will be counted towards serving of suspension.

Should a player have his registration cancelled prior to the commencement of a game(s) suspension, he shall be eligible to register for another Club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association, and must complete his suspension prior to playing for that Club.

Players, who play without having been registered in accordance with this Rule, will be grounds for protest in the Season in which such offence has occurred.

Failure to adhere to the registration procedure will result in the responsible parties being dealt with by the relevant Committee.

A player may have his registration cancelled or transferred to another Club in membership of the League / Association. All transfers or cancellations must be submitted on the appropriate form, and sent to the League / Association by the Club.  Any dispute over the cancellation or transfer between a player and his Club shall be referred to the Executive Committee for settlement, who shall sanction the cancellation or transfer on agreement of any outstanding issues. The cancellation or transfer of any player shall be effective upon receipt of the completed form by the League / Association.

Players of a defunct Club shall be eligible to register for another Club, subject to the registration Rules.

When a request to have a registration cancelled has been lodged, the player shall neither play nor sign for any other Club until his registration has been cancelled by the Secretary of the League/ Association.

No cancellation or transfer of registration will be sanctioned after 31st March each Season to allow a player to register or play as a trialist for another club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association with the exception of that of a goalkeeper with such registration form to be clearly marked that it applied to the position of goalkeeper. (Summer Football)

No cancellation or transfer of registration will be sanctioned after 31st July each Season to allow a player to register or play as a trialist for another club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association with the exception of that of a goalkeeper with such registration form to be clearly marked that it applied to the position of goalkeeper.

The Association/League shall decide if registrations of eligible players will be accepted after 31st July in the current year.

The Association/League shall decide if registrations of eligible players will be accepted after 31st March in the current year

Players registered with a Club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association which operate more than one team, shall have freedom of movement within that Club, subject to the Constitution and Cup Competition Rules of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.

The League / Association shall keep a register of all players registered, and the register shall be open to any Club in membership for a search fee of up to a maximum of £10.00.

No charge shall be made in relation to the cancelation of a players                                     registration.

LOCAL RULE: Clubs can register a maximum of 30 players at any time during the season. Up to 3 trialists may be fielded in any league fixture (each up to a a max of 3 occasions before registering). No trialists can play in any cup competition. 

LOCAL RULE: All registration forms must be submitted to the registration secretary by 22:00 on Friday for players to be registered and eligible for the Sunday fixtures. Any forms received after the deadline will not be processed until the Monday, and subsequently the players will be ineligible. 

14           Conduct of Spectators

Where it can be proved that spectators at a League or Cup match, by using obscene language or words of intimidation, or conduct themselves in such a manner as to interfere with the players or stop a game, the Executive Committee shall have power to order the game to be replayed on another ground or to award the match to either Club and take such further action as may be deemed necessary.

15           Representative Games

(a) In all representative games, the League shall have the power to select players from any Club connected with the League/Association, and any players so selected who may decline to play, shall not be eligible to play for their own Club on that date without special permission from the Executive Committee or the Secretary / Match Secretary.

(b) A Club may apply for a postponement of fixture should one or more players be selected to play in a representative game on the same day, or one player in the case of a goalkeeper.

 16        Disciplinary Procedures

? Any player or official ordered off or reported for misconduct may participate in subsequent matches until they have been advised in writing of their suspension or in serious cases until they are cited to appear before the Executive Committee.

? Player or official cited to attend on specific charge(s) relating to the content of the referees report with a copy of the referees report accompanying the citation and advised that he may submit any written statements from witnesses which he/she would consider relevant to the matter.

? The player or official should also be advised in writing of the possible sanctions which may be placed on him.

? A copy of the citation to be forwarded to the Secretary of the players or                          officials or club.

? Referees  must  be  invited  in  writing  to  attend  to  assist  the  Committee. The referee may be accompanied by his/her referee supervisor or a member of his/her referees association if they so wish but that person must take no part in the meeting in any capacity.

? The referee and player or club official must be heard together in order that they can respond (in the proper manner) to the evidence led.

? The player or club official must be given the opportunity to state his case and to hear all evidence or submissions made against him.

? If cited to appear before the Executive Committee, players, officials or club members may submit their defence in writing, and if they do not appear or submit their defence in writing, the case may be dealt with in their absence.

? The Committee should hear all letters submitted in relation to the case and then exercise their discretion as to the relevancy, creditability and quality of such evidence.

? If it is decided that the charge has been established the player must be allowed to make a plea in mitigation of sentence before he is sentenced. Any decision reached must be supported by the evidence heard.

? Any sanction imposed must be appropriate to the offence committed.

? The player or club official will be advised of their right of appeal to the                          appropriate body.

?The player or club official and the club must be notified in writing of any suspensions imposed and log/add to the player?s registration on the Scottish FA on line registration system, accompanied by the player?s or club official?s right of appeal to the appropriate authority.

? In all cases, the Club will be held responsible for ensuring that all suspensions are implemented and served. In addition the Club will be fined a sum as agreed by the Executive Committee.

? All Club Officials reported will be called before the relevant committee to answer specific charges arising from the misconduct report in question, and if found guilty of an offence the Committee shall have discretion to apply any sanction considered appropriate. In addition, the Official's Club shall be fined a sum of not less than £25.00 and not greater than £100.00, if the Official is found guilty of any offence.

(See Disciplinary Guidelines ? Investigations)

(See SAFA Code of Conduct ? Adult Players, Coaches, Team Managers and Club Officials)

Standard Offences

Player or Club member does not require to attend a meeting.

Suspension for a number of matches (Match Suspensions) will be imposed based on the fixed penalties as approved by the Scottish Amateur F.A. and detailed in Appendix 1 of these Rules.

In addition a club will be fined a sum as agreed by the Executive Committee with such sum not exceeding £10.00 when a player has been ordered off for a Standard Offence.

Serious Offence of Exceptional Misconduct

1. Referee assault.

2. Physically threatening the Referee.

3. Verbally threatening the Referee.

4. Physical assault on or by a Club Official.

5. Headbutting

6. Spitting

All misconduct reports relating to offences of the above nature must be forwarded to the Scottish Amateur F.A. in order that they may be dealt with by the appropriate Committee.

Suspensions would be for a period of time (Dated Suspensions) and would be imposed based on the guidelines of the Scottish Amateur F.A. as detailed in Appendix 11 of these Rules.

Serious Offences

Suspensions would be for a period of time (Dated Suspensions) and would be imposed based on the guidelines of the Scottish Amateur F.A. as detailed in Appendix 11 of these Rules.

Cautions

Any player reported as being cautioned, will have the caution recorded. In addition the club will be fined  a  sum  not  greater  than  £5.00  for  each  caution  or  alternatively  the  relevant  number  of disciplinary points as determined by the Executive Committee added to the club?s disciplinary record in the current season.

Clubs in membership shall have their Disciplinary Records subject to review, and Clubs exceeding the  Penalty  Points  threshold  as  determined  by  the  Executive  Committee,  shall  be  subject  to disciplinary action as agreed by the Executive Committee.

             APPENDIX 1

Fixed Penalties for Standard Offences

(Players do not have to attend a meeting)

OFFENCE                                                                                                     SUSPENSION

Serious foul play                                                                                            2 games

Violent Conduct

Adopting a threatening or aggressive attitude                                         3 games

Punching an opponent                                                                                  4 games

Kicking an opponent                                                                                      4 games

Striking an opponent                                                                                     4 games

Head to head confrontation                                                                         4 games

Attempting to punch an opponent                                                             3 games

Attempting to kick an opponent                                                                 3 games

Attempting to strike an opponent                                                              3 games

Eyeball to eyeball confrontation                                                                 3 games

Pushing head into opponents head                                                            6 games

Pushing an opponent                                                                                     3 games

Elbowing opponent in face                                                                           8 games

Elbowing opponent on body                                                                        4 games

Kicking and punching opponent                                                                  8 games

Grabbing opponent by throat                                                                      6 games

Stamping on an opponent's body                                                               8 games

Denies a goal or goal scoring opportunity by deliberately                     1 game

handling the ball

Denies a  goal scoring opportunity to an opponent                                 1 game

moving towards the player's goal punishable by a free

kick or penalty kick

Offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures                       2 games

Offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures                       3 games

towards Referee                                                                                             

Receiving a second caution in the same match                                        1 game

Accumulation of Cautions 1st set of 5 Cautions                                        1 game

             2nd set of 5 Cautions                                                                                     3 games

             3rd set of 5 Cautions                                                                                      6 games

Should a player be cited to appear before the Executive Committee, the Committee shall have the authority to impose a sanction in terms of a fixed penalty or dated suspension whichever is considered appropriate to the offence of which the player has been found guilty.

Any player who amasses a total suspension of 10 games or more in any one Season will be cited to appear before the Executive Committee for any subsequent misconduct reports, the Committee shall add a 3 games penalty if a game(s) has been imposed or a 3 week penalty if a dated suspension has been imposed to any sanction applied in relation to the offence reported.

APPENDIX 11

Guidelines for Serious Offences

(Refer to National Disciplinary Committee)

Referee assault.                                                             Must be a dated suspension with a maximum suspension of 10 years ? not ?Sine Die?

Physically threatening Referee

? attempting to lay hands on the Referee.      Maximum suspension of 5 years.

Verbally threatening Referee.                            Maximum suspension of 3 years.

Physical assault on Club Officials.                      Maximum suspension of 5 years.

Serious violent conduct      e.g.deliberately kicking opponent on head.                

                                                        Maximum suspension of 5 years

Headbutting.                          Maximum suspension of 18 Months                                   

Spitting.                                    Maximum suspension of 5 years                                         

Spitting on a referee.             Maximum suspension of 10 years                                      

(Refer to League or Association Executive Committee)

Deliberately and knowingly

playing a suspended player

under an assumed name.                                            Maximum suspension of 2 years.

Deliberately playing while under

Suspension under an assumed name.                        Maximum suspension of 2 years.

Deliberately and knowingly

playing a suspended player.                                        Maximum suspension of 2 years.

Deliberately playing or

participating while under suspension.                       Maximum suspension of 1 year.

Deliberately playing under

an assumed name.                                                           Maximum suspension 1 year.

Serious Misuse of Social Media.                                     Maximum suspension 1 year

 17           Suspensions

The League/ Association will recognise and give effect to all suspensions, censures etc, passed on players, Clubs and Officials by the Scottish Football Association Ltd., and Associations and Leagues affiliated thereto.

Notice of decision of any suspension imposed, must be confirmed in writing or e-mail to the player or official and their registered Club.

A player can only serve a match suspension if he is registered with a club in membership of the Scottish Amateur FA and will only begin to serve his suspension from the date of his registration being accepted by the relevant authority.

Fixed Penalty Suspensions

A player while serving a fixed penalty suspension cannot play for any team within his Club until the team which he committed the offence has played the requisite number of matches.

Any match suspension or part thereof which remains outstanding at the end of a Season or any extension thereof, must be served at the commencement of the following Season, regardless of which Club the player joins, with the same principle being applied should a player be transferred to another Club prior to the suspension commencing,

Serving a match suspension, does not prevent a player transferring to another Club during the term of suspension.

A match which has been abandoned or which has been forfeited as a consequence of a club being debt  suspended or an unfulfilled fixture does  not  count  as  a  completed  match  in  terms  of  a  player  serving  a  game(s) suspension.

Suspensions to commence on the Friday which is at least 14 days after the date of postmark on the written notification or date of the e-mail of the suspension to the player, official and a copy to be sent to their club.

There is no right of appeal against a fixed penalty suspension. Cases of alleged mistaken identity must be raised with the League or Association within 14 days of notification of the suspension, for further investigation if required.

Dated Suspensions

During the serving of a dated suspension, a player may not transfer to another Club.

A player or official suspended for a period of time (dated suspensions) shall be eligible to participate from 12 noon on the last date of their suspension.

A player or official has the right of appeal to the Scottish Amateur Football Association against a dated suspension or to the Scottish Football Association should the suspension been applied by the SAFA.

Terms of dated suspensions

When a dated suspension has been confirmed by the Scottish Amateur Football Association and the Scottish Football Association a person who is suspended cannot play, participate as an official, act as linesman, act as trainer, sign any papers, registration of transfer forms, be in a club dressing room or formally travel in the club transport to games.

A person who is suspended can attend matches played on a public park as a spectator but if in attendance at a private park he can be asked to leave.

Terms of game(s) suspensions

During a period of game(s) suspension the terms of suspension as outlined in dated suspensions only applies to the match day(s) of a game(s) suspension.

Any dated suspension imposed by the Scottish Amateur Football Association or an Association/League shall take preference over any game(s) suspension imposed by those bodies with any outstanding part of the game suspension to be served on completion of the dated suspension.

18           Debt Suspension

The Executive Committee or any subcommittee of the League shall have the power if a member club fails to make any payment of any fine, levy or monetary penalty imposed on them or any monies due to the League to debt suspend such club and their listed officials on the date. Such suspension will only be raised at 12 noon on the Monday following payment of the monies due.

LOCAL RULE: The FSAFL Debt Suspension threshold shall be £50,and any team failing to settle fines at the monthly meetings will be given a further 7 days to settle monies due or be debt suspended.

In order to raise any Debt Suspension imposed the entire amount due by the club must be paid in full, however on application from an individual listed official to the League or Association the League Executive Committee may consider the circumstances and accept an equal shared part payment of the amount owed from said individual, to lift his/her Debt Suspension.

Terms of Debt Suspension

A person who is debt suspended cannot play, participate as an official, act as linesman, act as trainer, sign any papers relating to the business of his/her club including registration of transfer forms, be in a club dressing room or formally travel in the club transport to games.

A person who is debt suspended can attend matches played on a public park as a spectator but if in attendance at a private park he/she can be asked to leave.

A club which has been debt suspended cannot participate in any fixture being played under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Amateur Football Association or any member affiliated to that body.

A club which has been debt suspended will forfeit the points for any league fixture(s) and will forfeit any cup tie(s) allocated to the club during the period of debt suspension.

The terms of this rule are not exhaustive.

19           Resignation from League

(a) When a Club intimates its resignation from the League/Association during the Season, such Club must notify the Secretary in writing. Should any club resign its membership or cease to function after the start of the playing season, any points won by the club or its opponents in league matches will be forfeited and any goals scored by the club or its opponents in league matches will be disregarded in the relevant league table. The club will no longer be considered to be a member of its particular division or be eligible for promotion or relegation from that division at the end of the season.  The club will not be replaced in its particular division and its remaining league fixtures will be declared null and void. The results of any cup ties played by the club shall stand."

(b) When a Club intimates its resignation from the League/ Association after completion of its League programme, all League matches involving that Club shall not be declared null and void.

20           Expulsion from League

When a Club is expelled from membership, all League matches involving that Club shall be declared null and void, excepting where that Club has completed its League programme.

LOCAL RULE: The full league with a 2/3 majority vote at a duly convened meeting can withdraw membership of any team found guilty of an offence which merits expulsion, with all fees forfeited.

21           Appeals

Any Club, player or Club Member may appeal to the Scottish Amateur Football Association against any decision of this League/Association affecting the Club or member of the Club, with the exception of a suspension imposed in accordance with the fixed penalties incorporated in Rule 16. Such Appeals to be lodged by Special Delivery Guaranteed and in duplicate, within seven days of receipt of the notice of the decision, and accompanied by a deposit of £50.00. The deposit may be forfeited if the Scottish Amateur Football Association so decide. The grounds of the appeal must be specifically stated and if the Scottish Amateur Football Association consider the appeal frivolous or trivial, the appellant may be liable to a levy of a sum of money which shall be fixed annually by the Appeals Committee. The decision against which any appeal is made will only be set aside when the appeal is received by the Scottish Amateur Football Association and agreed to be in order and confirmation is received in writing by the parties concerned.

22           Playing an Ineligible Player or Unregistered Player

Ineligible Player ? A player registered/not registered in terms of the Scottish Amateur FA Constitution & Rules on Player Registration but not eligible to participate in amateur football.

Unregistered Player ? A player eligible to play amateur football but not registered in terms of the Scottish Amateur FA Constitution & Rules on Player Registration.

(a) Where a Club is proved to have played an ineligible player, such Club will be dealt with by the Executive Committee, and upon investigation a penalty deemed appropriate may be imposed.

(b) Where a Club is proved to have played an unregistered player in a League match, such Club shall have three points deducted for each infringement upon investigation by the Executive Committee, together with such other penalty as such Committee may decide.

(c) Where a Club is proved to have played an unregistered player in a Cup-tie, such Club shall be dismissed from the competition upon investigation by the Executive Committee, together with such other penalty as such Committee may decide.

23           Referees

(a)  The Match Secretary shall appoint neutral Referees for all matches, who must be on the list of Registered Referees of the Scottish Football Association Ltd. Should the official Referee fail to appear, Clubs may by mutual agreement appoint a deputy who must be on the list of Referees of the Scottish Football Association Ltd. A statement to that effect should be written on the back of the team lines, and signed by both Club officials.

The Match Secretary shall have the authority, if he deems it necessary, to appoint Assistant Referees to games where he is of the opinion that this facility is required. Where this decision is taken the costs will be paid by the Association/League.

 (b) The  responsibility  for  payment  of  the  referee?s  fee  shall  be  determined  by  the  Executive Committee. The fee not to exceed £40.00.

LOCAL RULE: Referee fee is to be £40, split equally between the teams. It is the responsibility of the home team to ensure the referee is paid prior to the start of the game. 

(c)  In the event of non-fulfilment of any fixture the HOME Club should pay the Referee his fee, which shall be recoverable from the defaulting Club.

(d) Should a ground be considered unplayable, the Referee shall after inspection, receive half-fee, the responsibility for which will be determined by the Executive Committee.

(e) When a referee is a member of a League Executive Committee or a member of a club within said League he will not be permitted to referee any games within that League.

(f) When a referee is a member of a League Executive Committee or a member of a club within an Association or League in membership of the Scottish Amateur FA, he will not be permitted to referee any games in National or District cup competitions under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur FA, which are competed for on the same playing day.

(g) When a referee is a member of a League Executive Committee or a member of a club within an Association or League in membership of the Scottish Amateur FA, he shall be permitted to referee any games within another League or Association in membership of the Scottish Amateur FA, subject to the above, or at any grade of football other than amateur.

24           Protests, Claims and Complaints

(a) A Protest or Claim by any Club must be forwarded to the Secretary by Special Delivery Guaranteed within 3 days after the game in question (Sunday excluded), and no Protest shall be accepted bearing a postmark later than the third day. A £10 deposit as agreed by the Executive Committee should accompany same, and may be forfeited if the protesting Club fails to prove its case. A verbatim copy of Protest or Claim must in all cases be forwarded to the Club protested or claimed against by Recorded or Special Delivery.

(b) Protests, appeals or objections relative to ground, goalposts or other appurtenances of the game, must be formally intimated to the Referee and to the Captain of the opposing team, before the commencement of the game. Such protests must be made in writing on the reverse side of the team lines, witnessed and signed by all parties.

(c)  Other  protests  (excepting  those  concerning  the  alleged  ineligibility of  players),  must  where practicable, be formally intimated to the Referee and the captain of the opposing team, at the time the alleged violation of the rules takes place. Such protests must be made in writing on the reverse side of the team lines, witnessed and signed by all parties.

(d) Any complaint by one Club against another Club, out with the scope of protests must be lodged with the Secretary of the Association or League with a Photostat copy to the Club complained against, both intimations by Special or Recorded Delivery.

(e) All protest, Claims and Complaints shall be investigated by the Executive Committee, who will deal with the matters, and take such further action as may be deemed appropriate. If any Protest, Claim or Complaint is found to be trivial or frivolous or groundless, a further levy may be imposed on the Club concerned at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

25           Custody of League Trophies

Clubs presented with any league trophy will be required to sign a form agreeing to return in good order any trophies won during the Season. Failure to return trophies in good condition or by the due date may result in such Clubs being liable to the cost of replacement or repair of such trophies, and such other penalty as deemed appropriate. Such trophies must be returned to the Association/League no later than a date as agreed by the Executive Committee in the current year.

26           Change of Secretary

Any Club changing their Secretary / Registered Officials must notify the Secretary of the League / Association, and all Clubs in membership of that change.

27           Breach of Rules

(a) For breach of any rule of the League/Association, the General or Executive Committee may suspend a Club until the Annual General Meeting, and matches played by the Club shall be declared null and void. The retention of that Club in the League/Association shall be considered at the Annual General Meeting and any decision arrived at under this rule shall not be the subject of a revision at a Special General Meeting convened under the terms of Rule 6c of the Constitution.

(b) The Executive Committee (any Sub-Committee thereof), may, in its absolute discretion, relieve any party from the consequences of failure to comply with any provision of the rules, breach of, or failure to comply with rules, on good cause shown, on such conditions as it (or any Sub-Committee) thinks fit.

(c) The Executive Committee shall have the power to fine, suspend or expel any Club, Official, Player or other person under its jurisdiction who in its opinion, in any way brings the game into disrepute or on any other grounds it considers sufficient and of which, subject to any right of appeal, it shall be the sole judge.

28           Media

(a) Any Club or person associated with any Club which publishes, distributes, sells or authorises a third party to publish, distribute, issue or sell a match programme or any other publication or audio/visual material of any description in any media now existing or hereafter invented, shall be held responsible for all matters contained therein.

(b) Any Club or person associated with any Club which publishes, distributes, sells or authorises a third party to publish, distribute, issue or sell a match programme or any other publication or audio/visual material of any description in any media now existing or hereafter invented, shall ensure that any such publications or audio/visual material shall not contain any criticism of any match official calculated to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official or to impinge on his/her character.

29           Local Rules

All  Local  Rules  as  agreed  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting  of  the  Association/League  must  be submitted to the Scottish Amateur Football Association no later than 1st August in the current season for approval.

30           Club Safeguarding Officer

One member of each club will be designated on the Club Affiliation form as the ?Young Player Club Safeguarding Officer? and if not detailed, by default the Club Secretary will be the designated officer.

Should a club wish to register any player who at the time of registering is deemed as ?under 18?, the Club Safeguarding Officer must have completed the appropriate on line training, as advised by the Scottish Amateur FA and the Scottish FA, before the registration can be accepted.

            CUP COMPETITION RULES

Cup Competition Rules shall be subject to the Association/League local rules as determined by the Executive Committee.

Such local rules must be submitted to the Scottish Amateur Football Association for approval no later than 1st July in the current year,

1              Any Club failing to fulfil a cup-tie will be cited to appear before the Executive Committee, and the matter investigated, and if the explanation is deemed unsatisfactory, that Club shall be disqualified from the competition, and any other penalty deemed appropriate may be imposed.

2              Any Club intending to withdraw from a competition, must notify in writing the Secretary of the opposing Club and the League Match secretary at least 3 days prior to the date of the tie. Defaulting Clubs may be dealt with by the Executive Committee as they deem expedient.

3           (a) When gate money or collection is taken at any match (excepting Semi- Final or Final ties), such monies shall be equally divided between competing Clubs after deduction of Referee's Fee, Advertising or Police charges. When the  receipts  do  not  cover  expenses,  or  no  gate  money  or collection is taken, the Referee's Fee, which shall be the first charge on the receipts, shall be shared equally by competing Clubs.

In Semi-Final and Final ties, the Executive Committee shall fix the grounds, and shall have direct control of all arrangements, receipts and disbursements in connection therewith.

(b) When played on a Home and Home principle, the Home Club shall pay all expenses, and retain all gate money and collections.

4            Entry Fee shall be fixed by the General Committee and must be paid to the     treasurer before Clubs take part in the competition.

5            No player may play for more than one Club in a competition in any one Season.

If any Club has more than one team in the League, and for the benefit of this Rule, each team shall be considered as a separate Club.

6            A player listed on the team lines as a substitute, shall only be considered cup-tied if he actually plays in the match.

             Notes for Guidance removed as now covered by Rule 2, Membership.