A) Powers of Management Committee
A.1 A Club failing to be represented at a meeting shall be fined £15, then £20 for the second, and any subsequent, meetings. Any Club failing to be represented at 3 consecutive meetings without satisfactory reasons being given shall be further dealt with as the League Management Committee may determine.
A.2 All Clubs shall, at the monthly delegates meeting, pay £10 into a monthly Draw Fund. At each meeting there will be a draw of Clubs’ permanent numbers to determine six winning Clubs who will equally share 50% of the monthly Draw Fund. The remaining balance will become part of the League funds.
A.3 If a Club does not attend the monthly delegates meeting then they will not be entered into the Draw Fund, but will be liable to pay £10 as an additional fine, over and above that levied for non-attendance.
A.4 All new Clubs joining the League do so for a probationary period. Failure to attain the required standards in respect of the Code of Conduct, administration, playing standards and ground conditions during the twelve months, may result in their membership of the League being terminated forthwith by the League Management Committee, without reference to Standard Code of Rules number 17.
A.5 For specific functions, namely the Annual Presentation Dinner and the League Cup Final, the League Management Committee may rule that each Club in current membership shall undertake to sell a minimum of dinner tickets or programmes as appropriate, or as may otherwise be determined by the League Management Committee. Clubs MUST attend the League Presentation Dinner to accept trophies or awards including Leading Goalscorer awards. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £100.
B) Qualification of Players
B.1 In instances where the season must be extended into the month of April or, possibly, beyond, a player may neither become registered for a club nor transferred to another Club after 31st March, unless the Club seeking the transfer has fully, and properly, completed the special Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association sanction form which deals with registration of players after 1st March. The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association sanction form must be signed by the League Secretary and only in his absence, or when he is unavailable, will the signature of the Referees Secretary be accepted.
B.2 A player shall be allowed a maximum of two transfers per season.
B.3 Clubs shall be permitted to sign a maximum of two players after the 31st March deadline.
C) Playing Season, Conditions of Play, Times of Kick-offs, Postponements, Substitutes
C.1 The Annual General Meeting shall fix the date in the following season on which the normal playing season shall terminate and no club shall be compelled to play after that date. This will be the first Sunday in May, or the day before the League Cup Final, whichever is the later.
C.2 All clubs must provide the following facilities, as a minimum, which are within reasonable walking distance of the pitch.
1. private, secure and separate changing rooms for home and away players
2. reasonable access to drinking water
3. reasonable access to a private male toilet
4. heated showers
These requirements will be deemed to be an approved standard, and suitable, as judged by the League Management Committee.
No club will be compelled to play a match if any of these facilities are found to be unavailable upon arrival at the ground prior to a scheduled kick-off. A postponement which occurs due to the ground facilities falling below the approved standard will be treated, on behalf of the home club, as a failure to keep an engagement, unless a written confirmation from the ground’s owner shows such a deficiency to be an isolated incident.
Should a club’s facilities not meet the requirements of points 1 to 4, above, the club must give written notification to their opponents, and to the referee, at least five days prior to the fixture. Failure to give five days notice will be deemed to be a failure to fulfil the fixture.
C.3 If, in the opinion of the League Management Committee, a Club’s ground falls below the approved standard of the League, the Club concerned will be asked to seek re-election at the Annual General Meeting.
C.4 In the event that the approved ground becomes unusable either through closure, repair or any other cause, the Clubs must submit, in writing, to the League Secretary, details of alternate grounds they wish to use, for approval by the League Management Committee seven days before the date of the match thereon, unless the alternative ground is agreed by both Club Secretaries, otherwise a fine of £10 shall be imposed. Clubs must make, as a matter of courtesy, both the League and any opponents, aware of delays in the re-opening of their approved ground. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £10.
C.5 Where Clubs are involved in ground sharing, and both Clubs are drawn at home in any cup competition sanctioned by the League, then it is required they enter into a written agreement with the other Club as to who takes precedence on the ground. In all circumstances it is incumbent on Clubs within this League to provide a suitable ground for the playing of cup matches on the date(s) set. Any Club in default of this rule may be expelled from the competition and may be fined £50.
C.6 Referees must order matches to commence at the appointed time, if possible, and must report all late starts to the Referees/Fixture Secretary on the form provided. Clubs must provide corner flags, posts and goal nets. The home team must provide at least two footballs and the away team at least one ball for play. The Referee shall make a report to the League on the form provided as to the footballs being unsuitable. Clubs failing to provide suitable footballs will be fined £10. If an accident occurs to any ball(s) during the match rendering it unsuitable, the above fine would not be applicable.
C.7 Notice of a postponement of any matches must be given without delay (by personal service, telephone or telemessage) by the Club postponing, to the League (Fixture) Secretary, the League Referees’ Appointments Secretary, the Secretary of the opposing Club and the referee (and assistant referee, where appointed). Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be dealt with by the League Management Committee who may inflict any penalties that they deem suitable.
C.8 In the same way, where a club desires the postponement of a fixture to accommodate a religious festival, or similar event, the request must be made in writing to the League Management Committee before the start of the season.
C.9 Where matches are postponed due to the lack of a referee, this should not occur before 12 noon on the day before the Sunday fixture. Until noon on Saturday, every effort shall be made by the Appointments Secretary, and the clubs involved, to secure a match official. Clubs should also keep their opponents advised in these cases (see also Standard Code of Rules number 13(B)).
D) Results / Reports Forms
D.1 Clubs must hand copies of a list of the names of players (including forenames) taking part in the game (including the names of the nominated substitutes) to the referee and representative of opponents 10 minutes before the schedule time for kick-off. Clubs failing to carry out these measures will be fined £10.
D.2 Before 3 pm on the day of the match, the secretary of the home Club must telephone their result to the appropriate League Official, in order that the results may appear in the appropriate morning and evening newspapers. Clubs must telephone in, even if the game has not been played due to postponement owing to unfit ground etc. Failure to do this will result in a fine of £20. In the event of a Club being in an external cup competition, the secretary must telephone in the result whether playing home or away. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in a fine of £20.
D.3 Each Club shall also telephone in to the Publicity Secretary or Referees/Fixtures Secretary the names of the goalscorers before 3 pm on the day of the game for Sunday games.
D.4 For evening games all results and goalscorers must be reported either by e-mail or text message (NOT TELEPHONED) to the Publicity Secretary on the day of the game. Failure to do so will result in a £20 fine.
E) Referees
E.1 Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The Football Association, award marks to the referee for each match. The name of the referee and the marks awarded shall be submitted to the League on the result report form provided. Clubs awarding fifty marks or less are required to submit a written report to the Referees / Fixtures Secretary, in accordance with County Football Association guidelines, outlining the reasons for awarding a low mark. Clubs failing to comply with this rule shall be fined or dealt with as the League Management Committee shall determine.
E.2 Every Club shall provide for the match referee (and assistant referees, if appointed) a separate changing room area separate from the two participating teams. In addition, both Clubs shall be provided with their own separate changing room or area. Clubs in default shall be dealt with by the League Management Committee as they see fit.
G) Trophy
G.1 All trophies competed for under the jurisdiction of the League are the property of the Meadowhall Sheffield and District Sunday League.
G.2 In the event that Trophies are returned in a poor or unclean condition, then the offending Club, or Clubs, will be invoiced with the cost of cleaning and be subject to a fine of £25.
G.3 Clubs leaving membership of the League before, or during, the season, shall return all trophies they hold within seven days of their withdrawal. Failure to do so will result in a fine not exceeding £100 being imposed on the Club.
