Charlton Athletic Valley Express Kent Youth Football League

10. Playing Season. Conditions of Play Times of Kick-off Postponements Substitutes

1. The Annual General Meeting shall determine the commencing and concluding dates for the ensuing season which shall be in accordance Football association Rules. No Club shall be compelled to play after the concluding date. Original fixtures arranged by the (Fixtures) Secretary, or at a meeting specially convened for that purpose, to be held no later than 15th July, must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date determined by the Annual General Meeting.
2. All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board.
   Clubs must take 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 the power to order the venue to be changed. All matches to be played on first team’s grounds unless notified to League Chief Executive. If matches not played on a senior ground the pitch must be fully roped off. Offending Clubs will be fined £25.
   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. A Club shall take the gate receipts for all its home games.
   All matches shall have a duration as set out below unless a shorter time (not less than 30 minutes) is mutually arranged by the two clubs in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves.
   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 13, 14, 35 minutes each half and under 15 and under 16, 40 minutes each half; and under 18, 45 minutes each half.
   The minimum time for any game will be not 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 times of the kick-off shall be 11.00 am for all under 18 fixtures and at 11.00 am or 2.00 p.m. for all other fixtures.
   Except under exceptional circumstances any ‘home’ team who wishes to alternate from the kick off time that is set at the start of the season, they, and their opponents, must complete the appropriate form, and this form must be with the Fixtures Secretary at least 14 days before the requested date. Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time shall 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 recommended size of football to be used shall be: For youth football - size 4 for those playing under 13 and under 14 age groups; size 5 for all other age groups. Goal nets must be used.
3. 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 Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary. Clubs may mutually agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the (Fixtures) Secretary.
4. The Secretary of the Home Club must give notice in writing of full particulars of 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 seven clear days prior to the playing of the match. The away Club shall seek and acknowledge receipt of such particulars.
   Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £10.00.
5. Every Club shall play its best available qualified team or teams in all matches in the Competition.
   In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than eleven players they shall be fined £10.00 for each missing player. A minimum of seven players will constitute a team for a Competition match.
6. 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, 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 opponents 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 postponing Club (or notice of a Club being unable to fulfil any match must be given 48 hours prior to the match by the Club) to the (Fixtures) Secretary, the Competition Referees Appointment Secretary, the 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.
   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 mutually agreed by the two Clubs and approved by the Management Committee. Failing such agreement and notification to the (Fixtures) Secretary within seven days Management Committee shall have power to order the match to be played on a named date or on or before a given date.
   The Management Committee shall review all abandoned matches and in a case where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, 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 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 members, the Management Committee shall take such action as they consider appropriate. Such action is subject to any disciplinary action taken by the appropriate County Football Association.
   Any Club with more than one team in the competition shall always fulfil its fixtures, within the competition, in following order of precedence: First team, reserves team, A team. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be fined a sum not exceeding £200.00 or otherwise dealt with by the Management Committee.
   Any Club unable to fulfil a fixture must, without delay, give notice to the Fixtures Secretary, the competitions Referees appointment secretary, the 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. The maximum fine for failing to fulfil a fixture shall be £150.00.
7. A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use three substitute players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from five players. The Referee shall be informed of the name(s) of the substitute(s) before the start of the match. In U16, U15, U14 and U13 matches five substitutes may be used and Roll on Roll Off substitutes may be used.
   Note: This does not apply to Under 18 matches where sanction by the Football Association will not be approved. Providing they have been nominated to the Referee on the Team Sheet prior to the match.
   The referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes not later than 15 minutes before the start of the match. 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 be considered to have been a player in that game within the meaning of Rule 8 of this Competition.
   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.
8. The half time interval shall be of 10 minutes duration. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.
9. Team sheets must be exchanged with Referee and Opponents at least fifteen minutes prior to the match or be fined £15.

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