Local Rules

SAFA STANDARD CONSTITUTION APPLIES AT ALL TIMES. THE FOLLOWING APPLY TO OUR LEAGUE ONLY (updated 25th May 2021)

Rule 1

The elected Executive Committee will be made up of a minimum of 8 members and will include the office bearers, and additional general members or life members to make the required number. A quorum of 5 executive members are needed for any meeting. Where possible the Association, Discipline and Match Secretaries SHALL NOT hold any position within a club in the Association. Written nominations for new candidates for any office, shall be intimated to the Secretary of the Association not later than 14 days prior to the Annual General Meeting, and such nominations shall be proposed by one Club and seconded by another Club of this Association. Should no nominations be received for any particular office, the retiring holder of the office in question, shall be formally re-elected unless he has given notice as provided above of his intention not to accept re-election, in which case, the Annual General Meeting shall have the power to fill such office without previous nomination. The Executive Committee may at any time, fill any casual vacancy amongst the office-bearers, and any office-bearer so chosen, shall hold the office for the unexpired period of the predecessor’s office.

Rule 2

Clubs failing to attend Association/Management meetings will be fined the sum of £20. Clubs not in attendance at virtual meetings will be fined £50. Any club who fails to be present at two or more meetings will be liable to action as decided by the Executive Committee and future participation in the association could be at risk

Rule 3

All Club Officials must register their full details with the association Secretary in accordance with the SAFA Constitution and must immediately advise the association Secretary of any changes in address, contact details of officials, Home Park or strip colours. The Association Executive committee reserves the right to refuse the Registration of a Club Official or player on grounds of their disciplinary record (with this or any other League) and also the Executive committee will, at any time, assess the quality of the club’s park and facilities meet the required standard, and if they are deemed unacceptable, the club be told to play at alternative venues and/or any other reasons stated in writing.

Rule 4

Subscriptions, including annual dinner costs, will be agreed and set at the AGM. Clubs must by the Annual General Meeting have paid all deposits required. Clubs must by the Friday preceding the start of the season have paid the first instalment of association fees or arranged payment by monthly standing order payments. New clubs having gained membership will pay a good-will bond of £100 for their first season, which must be paid by the same Friday. This is refundable upon the successful completion of the first season in membership. Clubs, who do not meet these criteria, will need permission of the treasurer before playing any fixtures. All new clubs in their first season must pay all association fees prior to season start. All existing clubs can either pay fees by 6 monthly standing order payments or pay half in August and January. All clubs are liable for all season’s fees.

Rule 5

All clubs wishing to re-apply for a new season must do so by the last day of April and pay all required fees set out in section 13 and SAFA constitution… Any club failing to reapply by the stipulated date will be deemed to have resigned and may be placed in a lower division at the discretion of the Executive Committee. The General Committee will have the final decision on rights of admission, re-admission, subject to possible appeals to the SAFA. Any refusals will be notified in writing.

Rule 6

Any club that fails to pay outstanding fees, fines or penalties imposed within 31 days of receiving notification and the fine is unpaid after the 31day period, the club will be fined an additional £20 and will be issued immediate debt suspension

Rule 7

A) Matches will normally be played on Saturday Mornings with kick-off at between 9.30am and 11am unless mutually agreed

B) Midweek fixtures will be 6.30pm kick-off unless mutually agreed and will be scheduled by the Match Secretary giving clubs a minimum of 5 days’ notice. These fixtures must be played on the week stipulated unless mutually agreed.

C) All fixtures must be completed before the SAFA AGM (June). Any matches further to that date will need the permission of the SAFA

D) In the event of a cup tie being postponed the tie will be automatically reversed

E) Cup finals will be played on a date specified by the association and will not be changed once date is announced

F) Should a cup-final end in a draw at 90 mins, then extra time will be played of 2 x 15 mins. Should the scores still be tied, then penalty kicks (as per the laws of the game) will decide the result. All other cup ties drawn after 90 mins will be settled by the taking of penalty kicks

G) All matches must be played on a surface approved by the SAFA

H) In divisional matches, each team will play a minimum of two fixtures against each other

I) Any club wishing a free date must apply to the Match Secretary by email giving 28 days’ notice stating the reason, which will be decided upon by the Match Secretary. Once approved, a club cannot play ANY fixture on that date.

J) Free dates will not be granted:

  1. From the start of the season until and including 30th September
  2. After 31st March
  3. A club in a cup final once date of said final is announce on fixture list
  4. Unless exceptional circumstances
  5. If a club has already had 2 free dates granted

All these items in rule 7 are at the approval / agreement of the Match Secretary, who must be advised by email on any matters pertaining to this rule and has full discretion on all decisions pertaining to this rule. In the absence of the Match Secretary, the President, after discussion with the Executive committee may make that decision, or suspend any fixture

Rule 8

Costs for association matches, and Cup matches prior to semi-final stage, will be as follows: home team pays costs of the playing facilities, away team pays the referee. The cost for match officials for cup semi – finals will be met by the competing clubs, whilst the venue will be met by the league. All costs for the final will be met by the association (venue & officials). All semi-final and final matches will be played, where possible, at neutral grounds.

Rule 9

All results, including Scottish and West District Cup fixtures, must be notified, by text message, to the Match Secretary and by posting on the league managers page on Facebook to the League Secretary and website auditors, no later than two hours after the match by the home club. Abandoned and postponed matches must also be notified by the home club. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £20.

Rule 10

On completion of all Divisional fixtures, Clubs will be separated by: (a) Points total then (b) Head to Head (aggregate score), (c) Goal difference (d) Goals Scored, In the event of a divisional title being affected by clubs tied on points, then the above would not be applied, and a play-off game would decide the outcome of those positions

Rule 11

All participating clubs will be drawn in The Strathclyde Cup. Matches will be played to a finish i.e. 90 minutes and then penalties. Semi-Finals and Final will be played at a neutral venue. All players will become cup-tied.

Rule 12

The association will follow the discipline procedures as laid down in the SAFA standard constitution. A level of fines for misconduct will be allocated as follows:

  • All Cautions (yellow cards) £3

Ordering off offences (standard offences) as follows:

  • All 1 game suspensions will be fined £5
  • All other suspensions will be fined at the rate of £3 per game suspension

Rule 13

All unregistered players are ‘trial players’ of which four may be permitted per club in any one game. Any trial player must be registered with the Registration Secretary after playing three games, should the club wish to further utilise the trial player. Unregistered players will not be accepted as trial players unless entered correctly on the team line. No trial players are allowed in any cup tie. Registrations sent by 10am on Thursday will be guaranteed. Any sent after that will be done if possible but cannot be guaranteed, and the completed form must be with the Registration Secretary by that time. This will also be the deadline for checking player availability as trial players. The deadline for midweek fixtures, will be 12 noon on the day of the fixture. Regarding the completed form, clubs will be allowed to scan and email a copy to the registration secretary, provided that the original arrives within 3 days, excluding Sundays, along with a stamped addressed envelope. Failure to do so, will see the original registration become null and void, and the club be charged with playing an ineligible player. Clubs must re-check a trial player before every fixture they are to be used. A trial player is only deemed to have played a fixture if they actually play a part in the game.

A club will only be allowed to have 30 players registered at any one time

Rule 14

Contact with referee’s and opponents must be made by Tuesday for Saturday games, for midweek fixtures, no later than 7 days’ notice and by 10pm on the day in question. Failure to do so will incur a £20 fine. Should a club fall foul of this rule on three occasions, they will be cited to appear before the executive committee

Rule 15

All costs of a select team fixture will be met by the association. The team manager alone shall be responsible for squad selection, and players will be covered under league injury insurance.

Rule 16

All players must have provided a photograph for use on their team’s team lines before being registered to play. All trial players must be able to provide photographic id to confirm their identity if asked by the match referee or an association official, and if unable to do so when asked, will not be allowed to play. Any club found to have supplied incorrect player information will be fined £10 per event. All team lines and referee fee must be handed to them no later than 15 minutes before kick off.

Rule 17

All cup final venues will be agreed by the executive committee and booked as soon as possible to secure the venue or venues.
ON NO ACCOUNT will any fixtures be permitted on the same day of an association cup final, with the exception of the Saturday Evening Finals

Rule 18

All association trophies are presented annually to winning clubs, who as a result, must sign a form to accept responsibility for the safe keeping of any trophy, and for any liability for cost of repair or replacement if damaged whilst in possession. All clubs must return the said trophies at the August Meeting of the League

Rule 19

All clubs must have at least 4 registered players on their committee

Rule 20

Any player released by a senior or junior club, or any player receiving international clearance after the 31st March will not be able to be registered for a club, or play as a trial player, during the remainder of that season

Rule 21

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 will forfeit the points or cup tie and pay the referee’s fee, and in addition, a fine not greater than £250 will be imposed.
Any club who fail to fulfill a fuxture will be cited to appear at a meeting with the executive committee.
Any club who fail to fulfil 3 or more fixtures, including a club asking for relief of fixtures, may be subject to further action including relegation or refusal of readmission to the association.

Rule 22

Ineligible players

  1. Where it has been proven, or a club admits, that a club has played an ineligible player in a association fixture, as per rule 22 of the SAFA standard constitution, and the offending team won or drew the fixture concerned, the result of the match will be declared as 0-0 score-line and 3 points may be awarded to the opposing team
  2. In relation to the fixture concerned being a knockout cup fixture, and the offence is identified and proven prior to the next round being played, then the opposing side, if defeated, may be re-instated into the competition.

Rule 23
Where a club has more than one team participating in the league, those clubs cannot at anytime play within the same division.

Rule 24
Any club with multiple teams must have players registered within this associations member team.
This does not affect freedom of movement between a clubs teams.