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Mid Ulster League Rules & Regulations
1. This amalgamation of Clubs shall be called the Mid-Ulster Football
League.
2. (a) The Annual General meeting shall be held not later than the 30th
June each year. Each Club shall be entitled to have 2 representatives
attending. The representatives attending this meeting shall appoint for
the season, the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon.Treasurer, Hon. Secretary
and the Registration Secretary.The Hon Officials shall have a vote. The
Chairman, in the case of a tie, is entitled to a casting vote. The Hon.
Officials shall be ex-officio members of any Sub- Committee.
(b) The business of the league shall be conducted by a Management Committee elected
annually at the AGM. Where possible thereafter, members can be co-opted. The
Management Committee may appoint from within its members any number of sub-committees-the
sub committee shall be responsible to the Management Committee. The Management
Committee shall be made up as follows. Office bearers and 2 representatives from
each Division of the League. Six to form a quorum.
3. (a) Applications for membership of the league shall be made on the forms provided.
(b) No applications for membership shall be accepted after July 1st.
(c) Clubs currently in membership must pay all League and guarantee fees by September
1st.
(d) All Subscriptions and guarantee fees will be determined annually.
(e) Applications from new Clubs must be accompanied by all relevant League and
guarantee fees. Failure to provide such fees will render any such application
invalid. In the event of any such application being unsuccessful, all monies
will be returned.
(f) Any Clubs with fees outstanding after September 1st will be suspended from
all matches under the jurisdiction of this League until all monies owing have
been paid in full.
(g) Any Club remaining suspended after 12.00 noon on the Thursday prior to a
Saturday fixture or 48 hours prior to the Kick-off of a midweek fixture will
forfeit the points or Cup-Tie to their opponents.
(h) The Management Committee reserve the right to fine any Club deemed to be
in contravention of League Rules.
(j) The minimum fine will be determined annually.
(k) Any Club fined under (h) above, will be notified in writing of:
The nature of the Rule contravened.
The amount of the fine.
The due date by which the fine must be paid.
NB. No Club will be given less than 7 days in which to pay any fine imposed
by this League.
(I) The Management Committee reserve the right to increase the fine for any
Clubs who contravene the same Rule on more than one occasion during anyone
season.
(m) Clubs who fail to pay fines by the due date will be suspended in accordance
with (g) above.
4. (a) The Clubs comprising the League will be divided in Divisions and number
as the Management Committee decide. At the end of the Competition, the Club
attaining the highest number of points shall be declared the Champion Club
of that Division. In the case of a Club having played in the League during
the current season failing to fulfil its fixtures due to resignation, suspension
or dismissal, all record of matches played will be deleted from the current
seasons' record of the League. At the end of the season for the purposes of
relegation, such Clubs will be considered as bottom Club of their section,
but will not exist in the next lower section in the ensuing season. In the
case of a Club having failed to play any matches in the League during the current
season either through resignation, suspension or dismissal, it will be considered
for the purposes of Promotion and Relegation that such Clubs have not existed
in the League during the current season.
Should two or more Clubs be equal on points, goal difference will be used to
determine their finishing position. If the Clubs are still equal on goal difference,
then the goals scored for shall be used to determine finishing position. Should
Clubs still be equal, then they must "play-off' on a ground decided by
the Management Committee to decide the winner. The proceeds of such a game
to be divided between the two competing Clubs and the League in the following
proportions, 50% (net) to the League and 25% (net) to each of the Clubs.
(b) All issues regarding promotion and Relegation will be determined annually
by the Management Committee. NB. As a guideline, the Management will look to
promote 2 teams from each Division per season.
(c) A Club wishing to resign from the League at the end of the season must
do so, in writing, on or before the date of the AGM. Otherwise, it will be
deemed a member of the League for the ensuing season. In the event of this
Rule not being complied with, the guarantee fee will be forfeited.
5. The Management shall have the power to fine, suspend or expel any Cub, any
member Committee of a Club, or any player of a Club whose conduct shall be
deemed or in connection objectionable with any match or fixture. Complaints
under this rule must be received by the League Secretary per Special Delivery
bearing postmark within 4 days of the cause ( Sundays not included) and enclosing
a deposit to be fixed annually which shall be forfeited in all cases where
the complaint has not been sustained. An exact copy of the complaint must also
be sent, at the same time, by Special Delivery service to the Secretary of
the Club concerned The Management Committee shall have the power to deal with
offending Club or Clubs, Player or Players, Official or Officials as they may
think fit, and to deal with any other matter not provided for in these Rules.
6. (a) All communications must be addressed to the Secretary at his address
who shall conduct the correspondence of the competition.
(b) Clubs must answer correspondence when required to do so. The Management
Committee reserves the right to fine any Club who fail to answer Correspondence
when directed so to do.
(c) All Subscriptions and Guarantees must be paid to the Treasurer. A banking
account shall be opened in the name of the Mid-Ulster Football League and all
funds shall be lodged to the credit of this account. Cheques to be signed by
the Chairman and the Hon. Treasurer.
7. (a) All matches shall be played under the jurisdiction of the Irish Football
Association Limited and subject to the Laws of the Game. A bona-fide member
of a Club is one who has signed a League Registration form to be witnessed
(such signature by a second person) and has been Registered with the League
Registration Secretary two days before playing. In the event of a player signing
two or more forms for two or more Clubs, priority of Registration shall decide
to which Club the Player belongs and it shall be the duty of the League Registration
Secretary to notify the Committee of the League. From Mid Ulster Division 1
downwards, no player shall be eligible. who, during the current season has
played more than 6 matches in the Irish League Senior Division. A Club inducing
a player to sign more than one Registration form or violating
this portion of the Rule shall be fined the sum of £12. A player signing
a Registration form while already a signed player for another Club shall be
automatically suspended for 6 matches by the League. Players shall be registered
each season as and from the date of the Annual General Meeting. For this purpose
of this Rule, computerised bulk forms to be signed. After October, forms must
be posted singly. The League Registration Secretary will date stamp each form
on the day he receives the form and that of the computerised bulk form Secretary.
The Registration shall keep a full record of all Registrations and in the case
of a protest shall produce the Registered forms at the meeting. No Club shall
be allowed to register a player after the 31st March in each season.
(b) A players registration may be transferred any number of times during the
season. Applications for the transfer of a players registration must be made
on the Official form provided and accompanied by a fee to be decided.
(c) No Player shall play for more than one Club in the same Cup competition
in the same season annually. No transfer shall be granted after the 31st December.
8. (a) A Club may, at its discretion, nominate up to 5 Substitute players,
of which any 3 may be used in any time in any match, except to replace a player
who has been suspended from the game by the Referee. The substitution can only
be made when play is stopped for any reason and the Referee has given permission.
Only 3 substitutions by each side will be permitted in any match and the substitute
players shall be nominated prior to the commencement of the game.
(b) The Secretary or Representative of a Club
can receive information from the League Registration Secretary regarding the
Registration of any player,
accompanied by a £2 fee for each player.
9. Any team playing an ineligible player or players(
whether through non-registration or otherwise) will be fined £20 for each ineligible player and shall
forfeit the points won in such a match. In the case of a protest being upheld
against a Club which has won a match by any violation of Rule, points so won
will be deducted from them and may be awarded to their opponents. Protests
under this Rule, giving particulars of protest must be received by the League
Secretary bearing Post Mark within 2 days (Sundays not included) from date
of the match enclosing a deposit of £30 which shall be forfeited in the
event of protest not being sustained. A copy of the protest must be sent to
the Club protested against at the same time. All protest and copies under this
Rule must be sent by Special Delivery .Post Office Registration receipts shall
be conclusive evidence as to time of posting.
10. (a) Objections as to ground, goal posts or ball must be lodged by the Captain
with the Referee, in writing before the game is started and the Referee shall
have the power to have such objections made right before the game starts.
(b) Protests must be received by Special Delivery
service, bearing Post Mark within 2 days (Sundays not included) enclosing a
deposit of £30- such
fee will be forfeited in all cases where the protest has not been sustained.
A copy of the protest must be sent to the Club protested against, at the same
time by Special Delivery service.
11. (a) The Fixtures Secretary, or any appointed assistant will be responsible
for arranging all matches- League and Cup- that come within the jurisdiction
of this League. Clubs must play fixtures as directed and may not amend, alter
or postpone any matches without prior agreement from the Fixtures Secretary
or any appointed assistant. No fixture may be arranged, altered or amended,
later than12.00 noon on the Thursday prior to a Saturday fixture or 48 hours
prior to a midweek fixture without prior agreement between both Clubs and the
Fixtures Secretary or any appointed assistant. In the event of any Club attempting
to amend or alter fixtures as above, the Fixtures Secretary or any appointed
assistant shall make a decision by which both Clubs shall abide. Clubs must
play fixtures on these dates arranged by the League except the ground be covered
with snow or declared unplayable by the Referee or is taken by Senior or Parent
Associations. A Referee shall inspect the ground prior to the kick-off and
shall immediately give his decision as to fitness of ground for play. In case
of ground or grounds being covered with snow the League Officials shall have
the power to postpone such fixtures provided that sufficient proof is put before
them that the ground is snow-bound. Clubs must play on all available Saturdays
except in the case of exceptional circumstances when the permission Secretary
of the Fixtures must be obtained. Clubs wishing to apply for a free date must
do so in writing at least 2 weeks in advance signifying same to the League
Secretary and the sanction of Committee or Emergency Committee obtained.
(b) If for any reason a match has been terminated by a Referee, due to circumstances
over which neither competing team has control, the result at the termination
of play shall stand provided that the duration of the match has not been less
than an hour. Any dispute regarding the outcome of the match shall be referred
to the Management Committee for a decision.
(c) All Cup matches will be scheduled to be played as two equal periods of
45 minutes. In the event of any cup match being terminated by the Referee,
Rule (b) above will apply.
(d) Clubs must not arrange fixtures on the date on which Representative matches
or the Semi-Final or Final ties are to be played except by express permission
from the League.
12. Should a team not turn up in reasonable time or fail to fulfil their fixture
as arranged by the League, they will be dealt with by the Management Committee
as per Appendix (a). A team failing to fulfil a fixture for a second time in
the current season will be dismissed from the League and their record expunged.
Reasonable time shall be understood to mean that the Kick-Off should not be
delayed for more than 20 minutes after the Official time for starting.
13. (a) Each team in the League shall register its colours with the Secretary.
No two Clubs shall play in the same colour. In the event of two teams having
the same, the home team must change their colours. A Goalkeeper must wear a
shirt or jersey of a distinctive colour from that of his own team and also
his opponents.
(b) All Shirts must be clearly numbered and all Players and Substitutes shall
wear the numbered shirt that corresponds with their name on the Match Card.
(c) Clubs must append the full names (Surnames and Christian names) of Players
on the Match Card. Where necessary, further initials must be used to identify
Players with the same names.
14. (a) The home Club shall pay the Referee his fee and travelling expenses
as agreed by the League annually. Where no play is possible owing to cases
over which neither Club has control, the Referee, if present, shall be only
entitled to half his match fee and travelling expenses. When the Referee declares
that the Ground is unplayable due to causes over which neither Club has control,
the Clubs may mutually agree to play and the match shall be considered a League
fixture.
(b) Any Club paying a Referee more than his just fee or expenses shall be deemed
guilty of misconduct and fined.
15. (a) Match cards are the property of the Mid Ulster Football League and
must be returned to any appointed addressee when completed.
(b) Prior to the commencement of the season, all Teams will be given 20 Match
cards. Further cards can be supplied on request-free of charge.
(c) Prior to the commencement of the match, both teams must be afforded the
opportunity to view their opponents' team sheet. Failure to do so shall be
reported in the first instance to any Official Referee who shall note this
fact on the Mach card.
(d) In all cases, where Teams have been denied the opportunity to view their
opponents' team sheet, they should report this fact, in writing, to the Hon.
Secretary within Three (3) days-Sundays not included.
(e) Teams reported under (c) and (d) above will be dealt with by the Management
Committee.
(f) Any team making a spurious complaint under (c) and (d) above shall be deemed
guilty of Misconduct and dealt with accordingly.
(g) All match cards shall be handed to the Referee prior to the commencement
of the match and kept in his possession for the duration of the match.
(h) In the event of the official Referee failing to appear, the Home team shall
ensure that the completed match card is forwarded to the appointed addressee
within 72 hours of the completion of the match ( Sundays not included). Competing
teams must agree the final score of the match with the Referee before leaving
the ground. The Referee must append the final score on the match card in the
presence of both teams.
(i) The match card must not be altered, amended defaced or falsified in any
way. Any Club found guilty of altering, amending, defacing or falsifying any
match card, once completed, will be charged with misconduct and dealt with
by the Management Committee.
(j) The home team shall be responsible for overseeing that all sections of
the match card are completed.
(k) The Management Committee reserve the right to fine ant Team who fail to
comply with any sections of this Rule.
16. In the case of Reserve Teams, no Club shall be allowed to play more than
4 recognised First Eleven players in anyone match. A recognised First Eleven
Player is one who has taken part in more than 6 games in the First Eleven during
the current season. A Club who has 3 teams shall not play any player for their
3rd Team who, during the current season has played for their 1st Eleven in
any Association Football. First Eleven shall also refer to a team competing
outside the jurisdiction of this League at a greater or equal standing. Where
Clubs play a recognised First team Player or Players in the Reserve team, Clubs
must denote this by placing a circle around the number of the Player or Players
concerned on the Match Card.
17. (a) A minimum of 8 member Clubs may sign a requisition calling on the Hon.
Secretary to hold a Special General meeting within 28 days. On receiving such
a requisition, the Hon. Secretary shall notify, in writing, all Member Clubs
of the agenda for such a meeting.
(b) The agenda for any Special meeting shall accompany any such requisition.
(c) No items, saving those on the specified agenda shall be discussed at the
Special General Meeting.
(d) All proposals for Rule Changes from Member Clubs shall be made in writing
and forwarded to the Hon. Secretary.
(e) No changes of Rules shall be made unless at the Annual General Meetingor
at a Special General Meeting called for such a purpose.
(f) Proposals for changes to Rules to be considered at the Annual General Meeting
must be placed, in writing, with the Hon. Secretary before April 3rd each year.
(g) The Management Committeeshall have the power to call a Special GeneralMeetingwhich
must be convened as in (a) (b) and (c) above.
(h) The Management Committeemay collectively put forward proposals to be considered
at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting called for such
a purpose.
(i) The Hon. Secretary will be responsible for circulating a copy of all proposed
changes to Rules at least 7 days before the date of any Annual General Meeting
or Special General Meeting.
(j) A three quarters majority of those Clubs present and voting is required
before any proposed changes to Rules can be implemented.
18. (a) For all Matches under the jurisdiction of this League, (League and
Cup), the Home Team shall be responsible for notifying results (telephone or
e-mail) to their appointed Divisional Representative
(b) Results should be notified no later than the times indicated below
(c) Where Clubs/Teams are playing in matches outside the jurisdiction of this
League (Friendly matches excepted) then Divisional must be notified Representatives
whether your team are home or away.
(d) In the event of 2 Clubs from this League competing against each other in
match outside the jurisdiction of this League, then the Home Team shall be
responsible for notifying the result.
(e) In the event of your appointed Divisional Representative being non contactable
the result should be notified to either the Hon. Secretary or an alternative
Divisional Representative.
(f) Clubs/Teams failing to notify the result by the required time will be fined.
Latest time for Notifying Results All matches involving Intermediate Clubs-Immediately
after the fixture has finished. All other Clubs/Teams -No later than 6.30 on
the Saturday or 6.00pm the day following a midweek fixture. NB. Clubs should
notify the Press of their Results. The details for such will be given to Clubs
on an annual basis.
19. (a) The Management Committee will meet with the Clubs on a regular basis
for the imparting of up to date information and distribution of Fixtures. Unless
otherwise notified, these meetings (hereinafter known as League Meetings) will
take place on the last Monday of the Month at a venue to be determined by the
Management Committee.
(b) In the event of a meeting called on any other day than determined in (a) above, all Clubs should receive at least 14 days notice of the change of date.
(c) All Clubs must attend League meetings and must sign the attendance registers
provided by the League. Clubs who fail to sign the Attendance Registers will
be deemed to be absent and dealt with accordingly.
(d) At the Commencement of the next Management Committee subsequent to any
League meeting, the names of all Clubs who have failed to sign the attendance
registers will be read to the Committee. The Committee shall fine all Clubs
deemed absent from any League meeting.
(e) The Management Committee shall have the right to fine a Club deemed to
be absent from League meetings on more than One occasion throughout the course
of any one season under League Rule 3(k).
(f) The Management Committee shall have the right to charge any Club with misconduct
should the said Club fail to attend League meetings on 3 consecutive occasions
during the course of any one season.
(g) Any Club dealt with under (f) above will be required to be interviewed
by the Management Committee as to its suitability to continue in membership
of the League for any ensuing season.
20 (a) In the event of the non appearance of an Official Referee or injury
to an Official Referee which prevents them from continuing, unless an individual
can be agreed by both teams, the competing teams must toss a coin and the team
winning the toss shall have choice of Referee.
(b) Once chosen, the individual concerned should officiate for the duration
of the entire fixture unless injury prevents them from doing so. In the event
of such injury, the Club who initially won the toss of coin shall continue
to have choice of Referee.
(c) The person chosen to Officiate under (a) and (b) above shall have full
powers under the Laws of the Game as distributed annually by the Irish Football
Association.
(d) No team should seek to impose a match official upon their opponents. Any
Club found to have attempted to act in this manner will be charged with misconduct
and dealt with by the Management Committee.
21 The above Rules cover League and Cup Competitions.
Appendix A
(appertaining to Rule 12)
The Secretary
XXX FC
Date
Re: YYY FC v XXX FC
Res Div Z –Sat 12th Never
Dear Secretary
Your Club is charged with failing to fulfil the above fixture. Consequently
your are required to choose one of the two options available as listed
below. Please indicate your choice by placing an X against either option
A or B.
Option A
Our Club accept the charge and do not require a personal hearing with
the Management Committee. We understand that the above named fixture
will be awarded to our opponents and that we will be fined £60.
No Interview will take place.
Option B
Our Club wish to challenge the charge and request a personal hearing
with the Management Committee to outline extenuating circumstances.
We understand that if the charge is proven we will forfeit the above
named fixture to our opponents and our Club will be fined £60.
WE ENCLOSE A DEPOSIT OF £20 WHICH SHALL BE FORFEITED IN THE EVENT
OF THE CHARGE BEING SUSTAINED.
Should your Club accept option B, you will receive at least 7 days written
notice of the date of any interview
Please note that your Club are required to respond to this correspondence
by return, indicating which option you are accepting.
Should your Club fail to return this correspondence within 7 days, the
League will assume that you accept the charge as per option A.
Please note also that shortage of players will not normally be regarded
as extenuating circumstances.
Yours in Sport
PJ Suckling
Hon Sec
Mid Ulster Football League
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