Saron Juniors: Junior Rules

1. NAME OF THE LEAGUE:

The Association of Clubs to be called the “House of Fun West Glamorgan Junior Association Football League”, (hereinafter referred to as 'The League').

2. CLUBS ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP:

All Clubs in membership of The League must be affiliated to the West Wales Football Association.

3. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS:

The Annual General Meeting of the League shall be held in the month of July of each year, for the election of all Officers who are eligible for re-election, and for other business.

Voting on the election of Officers and Members of the League Council shall be by ballot if so demanded by at least (2) two representatives. The Officers and Members of the League Council shall be entitled to attend and vote ex officio at the Annual General Meeting and at all General Meetings. Each Club in membership of the League shall be entitled to send one voting representative to the Annual General Meeting and all General Meetings.

4. SPECIAL MEETINGS:

The General Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting at any time upon receiving a requisition to that effect signed by the Secretaries of not less than (5) five Clubs in membership of the League, or by order of the League Council.

Notice of such Special General Meetings shall be sent to all Clubs in membership of the League at least (7) seven clear days prior to the date set for the Meeting, and shall state the object for which the Meeting is called.

5. OFFICERS AND COUNCIL:

The President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary, Mini-Football Secretary and Registration Secretary shall comprise the Officers of the League. The Council of the League shall consist of the Officers of the League, and (4) four members to be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. On completion of 21 years active service on the Council, the Member shall become a Life Member, and shall be entitled to attend all Council and General Committee Meetings, and all Sub-Committee Meetings, with full voting rights.

The League Council shall have the power to co-opt not more than (2) members, who shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting. The League Council shall have jurisdiction over all matters appertaining to The League, whether specifically covered in the Rules or not.

Any Club dissatisfied with a decision of the League Council shall have the right to appeal to the West Wales Football Association, following the procedure laid down in Rule 24 of the Official Rulebook of that Association.

6. LEAGUE COUNCIL MEETINGS:

League Council Meetings shall be held monthly during the course of each Season, with the exception of the month of December. The Secretary shall convene a Meeting in the month of December only if he deems it essential to do so. These Meetings, unless specifically stated to the contrary, shall take place on the third Monday of the month, and immediately prior to the General Committee Meeting.

Additional Meetings may be called at any time, if deemed necessary by the Chairman and Council of the League.

Decisions arriving at by a majority vote of the League Council shall be deemed to be binding upon all members of the Council.

With the exception of Life Members, any member of the League Council who has been absent from (3) three consecutive Meetings, without, in the opinion of the Council, a sufficient reason, shall be considered to have resigned. The Council shall have the power to fill any vacancies thus created.

Four members shall form a quorum of the League Council, and without a quorum no business shall be transacted.

7 GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS:

General Committee Meetings shall be held monthly during the course of each Season, with the exception of the month of December. The Secretary shall convene a Meeting in the month of December only it he deems it essential to do so. These Meetings, unless specifically stated to the contrary, shall take place on the third Monday of the month, and immediately following the monthly Meetings of the League Council. The General Secretary shall be responsible for informing the General Committee of all matters discussed, and all decisions made at the preceding Meeting of the League Council.

All Clubs in membership of The League shall be entitled to one vote at all Meetings of the General Committee.

Any Club absent from a General Committee Meeting without, in the opinion of The Council, a sufficient reason, shall be fined as per Rule.

The Officers of The League, and all members of the League Council shall be entitled to vote at all General Committee Meetings.

Six voting members shall form a quorum of the General Committee, and without a quorum no business shall be transacted.

8 CHAIRMAN'S CASTING VOTE:

The Officers of the League shall have full voting rights at all Meetings held under the jurisdiction of the League.

In addition, should voting on any matter prove to be equal, the Chairman (or his deputy), shall have the right to give a 'casting' vote.

9 LEAGUE COMPETITIONS:

Divisions:

The League shall be divided into Divisions by the League Council as they deem fit. The Divisions shall normally consist of the following:

Mini-Football:

Under-8. Players under 8 years of age at midnight on 31st August of current Season.
Under-9. Players under 9 years of age at midnight on 31st August of current Season.
Under-10 Players under 10 years of age at midnight on 31st August of current Season.
Under-11. Players under 11 years of age at midnight on 31st August of current Season.

Eleven-a-Side Football:

Under-12. Players under 12 years of age at midnight on 31st August of current Season.
Under-13. Players under 13 years of age at midnight on 31st August of current Season.
Under-14. Players under 14 years of age at midnight on 31 at August of current Season.
Under-15. Players under 15 years of age at midnight on 31 at August of current Season.

10. DURATION OF PLAY:

The duration of play for Matches played under the jurisdiction of The League shall be as follows:

Mini-Football: 15 minutes each way.
Under-12: 30 minutes each way.
Under-13: 30 minutes each way.
Under-14: 35 minutes each way.
Under-15: 35 minutes each way.

(Extra-Time may be required for Cup Matches. For details see Rule 7 of the Cup Competition Rules.)

11. ENTRY FEES:

Entry Fees into each Division shall be as stated in the Summary of Fees” at the end of this Rule Book.

Should any team withdraw from The League during the course of any Season, for any reason whatsoever, it shall not be allowed to re-enter until the start of the next season.

The closing date for entries shall be 31st August of each year.

All Affiliation, Entry, and Guarantee Fees must be paid on or by 30th September of each year. Failure to comply with this Rule shall result In the offending Club being fined the sum of £5.00. A protracted failure to pay the above Fees may lead to the offending Club being expelled from membership of The League.

12. REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS:

Registration Cards must be fully completed and presented to the League Registration-Secretary, together with Birth Certificates or other acceptable proof of Players’ date of birth.

The photographs attached to Registration Cards must be firmly and permanently affixed thereto, and must be updated every two years, or upon instructions to that effect from the League Registration Secretary.

No Player may take part in any Match played under the jurisdiction of The League until his Club has received official confirmation of his Registration. The Registration Secretary shall make every effort to reply to correspondence regarding Registrations within (3) three days of it's receipt. All Registration Cards must be shown prior to Matches commencing.

League Council Members may at any time demand to examine the Registration Cards of any team within the jurisdiction of The League.

Where a Club enters both an 'A' and 'B' team, no Player may play for both teams unless first transferred from one team to another.

No Registration will be allowed after 1st February of each Season. A Player may register for ONE club only

The canceling of a Registration, and a request to Register, made after 1st January in any Season, will only be allowed with the permission of the West Wales Football Association.

Registration Cards will be charged for. (See Summary of Fees at the back of this Book for the current amount).

It shall be a condition of Registration that all Players must present themselves for League Trials, if so required by The League. It shall also be a condition of Registration that all Players selected for League Representative Squads must report for all Matches and Training Sessions for which they may be required. The only exemptions from these requirements shall be on Religious grounds, (specifically regarding playing on Sundays). (See also Rule 28 of this Rule Book). All Clubs and teams must ensure that they have a sufficiently large squad of players registered to enable them to fulfil their League and Cup commitments at all times.

13. TRANSFERS

A Player shall be free to transfer from one Club to another provided that he has fulfilled all his obligations to the Club he is leaving, and provided that the transfer-request is made prior to the Football Association of Wales transfer- deadline.

Payment of a Transfer-Fee must be made to The League on completion of each transfer.

With effect from 1St January in each Season, a Player may only transfer with the approval of the West Wales Football Association, and in accordance with the criteria currently laid-down by the Football Association of Wales. No Transfer will be allowed after 1st February in any Season.

Note: The new FAW Rule relating to our Rules 12 & 13 states: 'A Player aged Under-16 and below may register for ONE Club only, and with effect from 1st January in each Season, may only transfer with the approval of the West Wales Football Association, and in accordance with the criteria as currently determined by the Football Association of Wales Council.' Other alterations to our previously existing Rules on Registrations and Transfers are also made in accordance with FAWIWWFA instructions.

Where a transfer-request made after the F.AW. transfer-deadline is approved by the Secretary of the West Wales F.A., the League procedure must still be followed before the transfer becomes valid.

14. FIXTURES, RESULTS & TEAM SHEETS:

The League Fixture-Secretary shall provide Clubs with their Fixtures. The HOME CLUB shall be responsible for arranging each game and will notify it’s Opponents and the Match Official(s), — (where appointed) — of the Venue, time of Kick-off, team colours, etc., at least (4) four days prior to the match. If such notification is not forthcoming within (2) two days of the match, the AWAY CLUB shall be responsible for Informing the League Fixture-Secretary of that fact.

(For penalties incurred for failure to comply with the above Rules — see 'Summary of Fines for Rules Contravention' at the end of this Book).

Should a Club be unable to fulfill any of its Fixtures, It must inform the League Fixture-Secretary, Its Opponents and the match Official(s), Immediately.

The failure of any team to play a League Match without due cause will result In the Club concerned being fined as per Rule. Match points may be awarded to the non-offending team at the discretion of the League Council.

It shall be the responsibility of the HOME CLUB to telephone the result of the match to the League Fixture-Secretary no later than 430pm.

Results of Sunday Matches must reach the Fixture-Secretary not later than 6.30pm.

Results of Midweek Matches must reach the Fixture-Secretary not later than 9.30pm.

It shall also be the responsibility of the HOME CLUB to send to the League Registration Secretary a Team Sheet, which must be fully and accurately completed, and signed by officials of both Clubs, within (48) forty-eight hours of the match, (Sundays excluded). Failure to comply will lead to the offending Club being fined as per Rule.

15. PLAYERS DRESS:

Clubs must notify each other of their Colours. In the event of a clash of colours, it shall be the duty of the HOME TEAM to change, unless other agreement has been mutually reached.

The Referee shall be the sole judge of what constitutes as clash of colours.

All players must be suitably attired. (See Laws of the Game:- Law 4). All players' jerseys must be plainly numbered.

16. FOOTBALLS:

The HOME CLUB shall be responsible for providing the Match Ball, in good condition, of correct size and properly inflated.

The correct size Footballs to be used are as follows:

Under-12 and Under-13: Size Four.
Under-14 and Under-15: Size Five.

17. PLAYING FIELDS:

Properly maintained goal-nets must be provided on ALL pitches for all League and Cup Matches.

Regulation Corner-Flags must also be provided on ALL pitches for all League and Cup Matches. The failure to provide either will result in a Fine. For venues other than Council pitches, Clubs must ensure that the field of play is safely and correctly unmarked, and is in a safe condition to play on.

18. DRESSING ROOMS:

Reasonable Dressing Room accommodation must be provided and should contain suitable facilities for washing.

Opponents must be informed of the location of the Dressing Rooms, where this differs from that of the Match Venue itself.

Dressing Rooms should be opened at a reasonable time prior to kick off.

19. KICK OFF TIMES:

Clubs must make every effort to Kick off at the appointed time. The stipulated kick-off time for all Eleven-a-Side Divisions for Saturday Fixtures is 10:30am. Clubs wishing to alter the above kick-off time may only do so with the agreement of their Opponents and the consent of the League Fixture- Secretary.

In the event of one team arriving at the Match Venue late, their Opponents must remain until a period of at least (15) fifteen minutes after the scheduled start of any match.

A team whose late arrival causes a Match not to be played shall be dealt with by the League Council for Failure to fulfill the Fixture.

Clubs and teams making a practice of kicking-off late will be dealt with by the League Council, even if the Match(es) concerned are played despite their late arrival.

20. REFEREES:

The League reserves the right to appoint an independent Referee to any match played under its jurisdiction.

The Referee's match-fee and travelling expenses, (and also those of Assistant Referees, where they are appointed) shall be borne equally by both Clubs concerned.

Where no Referee is appointed, or an appointed Referee fails to anive, the HOME CLUB shall be responsible for arranging a competent Referee for the Match.

For Referee's Match Fees and Expenses (and also those of Assistant Referees), see 'Summary of Fees' at the beck of this Book.

21. CORRESPONDENCE:

All Official correspondence from The League must be acknowledged, if requested, within (14) fourteen days. Failure to do so will result in the offending Club being fined.

Unless specifically stated to the contrary, all correspondence must be sent to the League Secretary.

22. INELIGIBLE PLAYERS:

Any Club playing an unregistered, over age, or in any way ineligible player, shall be fined as per Rule and shall be dealt with by the League Council for the third offence and any subsequent offences.

The above fines to be in respect of each player committing the offences. Should the offending Club lose the match, the result shall stand. Should the offending Club win or draw the match, it shall be declared void and the points awarded to its Opponents.

23. FINES:

I All fines imposed on a Club must be paid within (14) fourteen days of notification.

Failure to comply with this Rule will result in an additional fine and may result in the offending Club being suspended from all Football within the jurisdiction of The League.

The offending Club may also be reported to the Area Football Association.

24. PROTESTS AND PROTEST FEES:

Protests must be received by the League Secretary not later than (5) five days after the Match concerned, in writing, in triplicate and accompanied by a Protest Fee which may be forfeited should the protest be lost.

The protesting Club must notify its Opponents of such a Protest. Any Protest regarding the state of the pitch must be lodged with the Referee prior to the commencement of the match.

All Clubs have the right to appeal to the Area Football Association against any decision of The League.

25. SUBSTITUTES:

Clubs may, at their discretion, use not more than (5) five substitute players at any time during a Match, for any reason other than to replace a player who has been suspended from the game by the Referee.

A substitution may only be made when play has been stopped for any reason and only after the Referee has given his permission.

The name(s) of the Substitute(s) must be given to the Referee prior to the commencement of the game.

A player who has been substituted may not again take part In the match.

26. CHAMPION TEAM:

At the end of each Season, provided such Competitions have been deemed and declared completed and closed by the League Council, the Club winning the largest number of points each Division shall be declared Champion Club of that Division.

Three points shall be awarded for a Win and one points for a Draw, in all League matches.

In the Under-12, Under-13, Under-14 and Under-15 Divisions, in the event of two or more teams being equal in the number of points, a play-off shall be held to determine the Champion and/or Runner-Up teams. Neutral Grounds shall be used where possible, and Extra-Time and Penalties take place where necessary. Where a Neutral Ground is not available, the venue shall be decided by toss of coin or by draw.

The League shall award a Championship Shield to the Champion team in each Division.

All Champion Shields must be returned to the League on or by 31St March of each year.

The League shall award (16) sixteen individual trophies to both the Champions and runner-up teams in each Division.

27. ANNUAL REPORT AND BALANCE SHEET:

The Annual Report and the Balance Sheet, (the latter duly audited), shall be presented to each Member Club at the Annual General Meeting. Upon approval of the Balance Sheet, a copy shall be sent to the Secretary of the West Wales Football Association.

28 LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES:

All Clubs in The League shall be bound to place their players at the disposal of the League for Representative Matches each Season.

Any player selected for the League Representative Squad for any match arranged who fails or refuses to report as instructed, shall - in the absence of any good or sufficient cause - be deemed guilty of misconduct and his registration withdrawn by The League for (14) fourteen days. It shall be the responsibility of the Clubs to which the Players concerned belong to ensure that the Players are made aware of this Rule. Any Club found to have instigated or encouraged such misconduct on the part of a player shall itself be deemed guilty of misconduct and fined the sum of £10.00.

29. CORRESPONDENCE:

For any correspondence of any nature in which the name of The League is mentioned, the correct name and title of The League must be used, i.e. 'The House of Fun West Glamorgan Junior League' or 'The House of Fun West Glamorgan Junior A.F.L.' Failure to comply with this Rule may result in fine.

30. MATTERS NOT PROVIDED FOR IN THE RULES:

Any matters not covered by the League and Cup Rules of The West Glamorgan Junior A.F.L., or by the Rules of the West Wales Football Association, shall be dealt with by the League Council.

CUP COMPETITIONS

1. NUMBER OF CUP COMPETITIONS:

The League shall organise a Cup Competition, to be known as the 'Challenge Cup Competition', in each of its Eleven-A-Side Divisions.

In addition, those Teams knocked-out of the above Competition in the First Round shall be eligible to play in a 'Plate' Competition.

In addition, The League may organise a Six-a-Side and/or Five-a-Side Competition in any of its Age Categories. The League Secretary shall inform all Clubs concerned of the details of such additional Small-sided Competitions at the earliest opportunity

2. ENTRY FEES:

The Entry Fee for each Cup Competition shall be as stated in the 'Summary of Fees' at the end of this Book.

3. FORMAT OF CUP COMPETITIONS:

The format of each Cup Competition shall be decided upon by the League Council prior to its commencement each Season.

4. FAILURE TO FULFILL CUP FIXTURES:

Teams tailing to fulfill Cup Fixtures on the Conference Dates shall be expelled from the Cup Competition concerned and shall also be fined as per Rule.

5. POSTPONED CUP MATCHES:

Cup matches postponed due to bad weather, or for any other valid reason, shall be rearranged by the League Fixture Secretary as he deems appropriate.

6. CUP-TIED PLAYERS:

Any player who has taken part in any Cup Competition shall be deemed to be Cup-Tied and shall not be eligible to represent any other Club in that Cup Competition, transfer(s) not withstanding.

Note: Where a Club has both an 'A' and a 'B' team in the same Division, a Player who has played for the 'A' team in any Cup Competition shall be tied to that 'A' team for the duration of the particular Competition concerned and shall not be eligible to play for the 'B' team, transfers notwithstanding. The same shall apply, in the reverse, to Players who have played for the 'B' team.

7. INELIGIBLE PLAYERS:

Any team found guilty of playing an ineligible Player, or Players, in any Cup Match shall be automatically expelled from the Cup Competition concerned and also fined as per Rule.

8. IN THE EVENT OF A DRAW:

In Cup Competitions organised on a single-game knockout basis, in the event of a draw after full-time has been played in any Round, Extra lime must be played. If, after Extra lime, the score is still level, the Match shall be decided by the taking of penalties.

In Cup Competitions organised on a two-leg knockout basis, the above r procedure shall take place if the aggregate score is level after full-time has been played in the second leg.

The duration of Extra Time shall be 10 minutes each way.

9. CUP COMPETITIONS ORGANISED ON A LEAGUE BASIS:

In Cup Competitions in which the preliminary or qualifying Rounds are organised on a League basis, three points shall be awarded for a Win and one point for a Draw.

10. SEMI-FINALS:

Where possible, Semi-Final Matches will be played on Neutral Venues.

At all Semi-Final Matches, an independent Referee appointed by the League shall officiate whenever possible.

The Referee's Match Fee and traveling expenses and the cost of the Ground Permit (if any), shall be shared equally by the Clubs involved.

11. CUP FINALS:

Cup Finals shall be played on Neutral Venues.

An independent Referee and two independent Assistant Referees, all appointed by The League, shall officiate.

The League shall present all three Match Officials with appropriate Mementos, suitably inscribed.

The Cup Finalist Clubs shall receive (25) twenty-five Admission Tickets each and shall be responsible for their sale.

The League Secretary shall ensure that Clubs concerned receive their allocation of Tickets a reasonable time prior to the Cup Finals in question.

Any Club failing to sell its full quota of Cup Final Tickets must make good the resultant shortfall in the proceeds.

Clubs concerned must ensure that all unsold Tickets are returned to the League Secretary no later than (24) twenty four hours prior to the relevant Cup Final. Any failure to adhere to this rule will be dealt with by the League Council.

MINI-FOOTBALL RULES

1. Mini-Football is seven (7) a side. At all ages, rolling substitutes are allowed. No team may have more than seven players on the pitch at one time.

2. All players to be registered and supply a registration card on the day of the game. If there is no card the player does not play. All cards must be signed by the Registration Secretary If the card is not signed than it is not valid.

3. It is the responsibility of the home team to organise the fixture and to inform the away team of venue and kick-off time, preferably before the Wednesday prior to the game, If a team tails to fulfill a fixture, without information the opposition giving 2 days notice (up to Wednesday evening), then this will be deemed as a failure to fulfill and will be dealt with as rules state for Junior Football. Non offending teams will inform the Mini-Football Secretary in writing.

4. Transfer deadline is 31st December. No players will be allowed to transfer after this date. Players transfer fee is £5.00. Clubs will be invoiced.

5. There will be no penalties during the game as per rules only indirect free kicks. If a player continues to foul the referee will show discretion and ask his manager to remove the player or he will have no option but to send the player off. Foul language will not be tolerated.

6. Size 4 balls only to be used.

7. Fines imposed in regard to Mini-Football are as per 'Eleven-A-Side' fines.


SUMMARY OF FINES FOR RULES CONTRAVENTION

	Offence	Fine

Failure to apply to Fixture Secretary for permission to change Kick-Off time or date of Fixture	1st	£1.00
	2nd	£2.00
	3rd	£3.00

Failure to confirm Fixture with Opponents and/or Referee	1st	£1.00
	2nd	£2.00
	3rd	£3.00

Failure to telephone Result to Fixture Secretary by the stipulated time on the day of the Match	1st	£2.00
	2nd	£3.00
	3rd	£5.00

Failure to telephone result to the Fixture Secretary by noon on the third day following the Match day	1st	£5.00
	2nd	£10.00
	(+ subsequent)

Failure to fulfill fixture	1st	£5.00

Playing unregistered or illegible Players(per Player)	2nd	£10.00
	3rd	£15.00

Clubs/teams refusing to fulfill fixtures	1st	£10.00
	2nd	£25.00
	3rd	£25.00
	(and expulsion of team concerned)

Failure to pay Entry fee in due time		£5.00

Failure to reply to Official Correspondence in due time		£5.00

Failure to provide Corner Flags		£5.00

Missing or inadequate Goal Nets	1st	£5.00
	2nd	£10.00
	3rd	£15.00

Failure to attend general Committee meetings	1st	£1.00
	2nd	£2.00
	3rd	£3.00
	(+Subsequent)

Clubs missing more than 3 Meetings in one Season to lose voting rights for remainder of that Season

12. CUP TROPHIES:

The League shall present a suitable Trophy to the Winners of each Cup Competition.

All Cup Trophies must be returned to the League Secretary not less than (28) twenty eight days prior to the relevant Cup Final in the next season, The League shall also award (16) sixteen individual trophies to both the Cup Winner and Cup Runner-Up teams in each Cup Competition.

SUMMARY OF FEES, ETC., FOR LEAGUE & CUPS

League and Cup Entry Fee per Team	£35.00

Player Registration	50p per Player

Mini-Football Entry Fee per Team	£10.00

Transfer Fee	£5.00 per Transfer

Protest Fee	£5.00

Referee's Fee	£4.50

Assistant Referee's Fee	£2.50

Referee & Assistant Referee's Traveling Expenses	.22p per mile

ADDITIONAL RULE

Insurance. Each club shall be responsible for maintaining or procuring that there is maintained in full force and effect at all times proper and adequate insurance cover with policy limits and provisions for each of its players from time to time in respect of their death, or bodily injury, by accident howsoever caused on the field of play including (but without limitation) loss of earnings and other consequential losses (together the 'Insured Risks') and shall ensure that all players from time to time shall be entitled to the benefit of such insurance and shall submit sufficient evidence of the existence of such insurance to the Secretary of The League no later than 31st July in each year and each Club shall indemnify and keep The League fully indemnified against all liability of The League in respect of the insured risks.