THE WEST KENT SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

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RULES OF THE LEAGUE

THESE RULES HAVE BEEN COPIED FROM THE OFFICIAL LEAGUE HANDBOOK FOR THE SEAS0N 2011-2012

THE COMPLETE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK IS AVAILABLE ON LINE HERE.

THE ONLY EDITING BELOW HAS BEEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIGHLIGHTING SECTIONS, CORRECTING SPELLING ERRORS AND CREATING A TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rule 1 Nomenclature & Constitution

This Competition shall be designated the West Kent Sunday Football League and shall consist
of not more than 84 teams who shall be Full Member Clubs. All such Member Clubs must be
affiliated to an affiliated County Football Association and their names and particulars shall be
returned annually by the appointed date on the Form "D" to the Kent County Football
Association. The area covered by the Competition Membership shall be a radius of 20 miles of
Tonbridge Station. This Competition shall apply annually for sanction to the Kent County
Football Association and the constituent teams of Member Clubs may be grouped in divisions.
Member Clubs shall not enter any of their teams playing in the Competition in any other
Competition (with the exception of F.A. and County F.A. Competitions) except with the written
consent of the League Council of the Competition.

This competition and its Clubs shall support the FA’s Respect programme. As such it recognises
that everyone in football has a collective responsibility to create a fair, safe and enjoyable
environment in which the game can take place. A Respect League values the contribution of
match officials, players and spectators and ensures that they are treated with courtesy and
fairness by opposing players, club officials and spectators. The League and its Clubs will seek
to play fixtures in a fair, competitive but not antagonistic environment.

Rule 2 Entry Fee, Subscription, Deposit

a) Applications by new clubs for admission to this Competition must be made in writing to the
Secretary by May 18th, accompanied by an Initial Entry Fee of £150 per team, which shall be
returned in the event of non-election. All Clubs previously in membership must re-apply on the
appropriate form, which must be returned together with the Annual Subscription by June 1st
Membership of the League is for one year only. The League Council shall be delegated to place
all teams in any division as it sees fit. Any such decision shall be taken in order to maintain
numbers and standards in the various divisions. In the event that more than 84 teams apply for
membership then the two teams who finished bottom in the lowest division the previous season
shall seek re-election in competition with all new applications at the AGM. At the discretion of
a majority of the accredited voting members present applications, of which due notice has been
given, may be received at the AGM or a Special General Meeting. The Entry Fee shall apply.
When Rule 12(B) is applied or a team seeks a transfer or is compulsorily transferred to another
division no Entry Fee shall be payable.

b) The Annual Subscription shall be £70 per team payable on or before 1st June in each year.

c) No Club shall be allowed to remain in League membership unless all monies due to this
League, or any other League, are paid prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.

d) Clubs must advise annually to the Secretary in writing by 15th July of its County Football
Association affiliation number for the forthcoming season, failing which they shall be fined £10.
Clubs must advise the Secretary in writing, or on the prescribed form, of details of its
Headquarters, Officers and any other information required by the Competition.

Rule 3 Officers

The Officers of the Competition shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting and
elected thereat (N.B. Auditors/Verifiers are not Officers). Secretary, Referees Secretary, Fixtures
Secretary and Minutes Secretary. (N.B. Auditors are not Officers.). The Officers of the
competition shall be Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Registrations Secretary. One council member
to be elected vice chairman.

Rule 4 Management, Nomination, Election

a) The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of The
Football Association by a League Council comprising of the Officers and up to eight members
who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. All participants shall abide by the Football
Association Regulations for safeguarding children as determined by the Association from time
to time.

b) Retiring Officers and members of the League Council shall be eligible to become candidates
for re-election without nomination. All other candidates for election as Officers or Members of
the League Council shall be nominated to the Secretary in writing, signed by the Secretaries of
two Member Clubs, not later than 1st April in each year. Names of the candidates for election
shall be circulated with the notice of the Annual General Meeting.

c) The League Council shall meet as often as is necessary to deal with business as it arises. On
receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Members of the League Council the Secretary
shall convene a meeting of the Council.

d) Except where otherwise mentioned all communications shall be addressed to the Secretary
who shall conduct the correspondence of the Competition and keep a record of its proceedings.

e) All communications received from Clubs must be conducted through their nominated
Officers.

f) The business of the League will be conducted in writing or at meetings, or in special
circumstances by telephone to the League Official concerned. May also be published on the
League website will be kept as up to date as possible but will not be the primary source of
information. Any club failing to reply to correspondence from any League Official within
14 days of the date on the correspondence may be liable to a fine not exceeding £20.
All clubs must have an active e-mail address from which to source League business.

g) All Clubs shall have two (2) emergency telephone numbers which are able to conduct
League business available at all times in addition to the Secretary's normal contact number.
Failure to comply will result in a fine not exceeding £20.

h) League Council meetings including the AGM shall be minuted and circulated to member
clubs.

Rule 5 Powers of Management

a) The League Council may appoint such other sub-committees as they may consider
necessary and may delegate such of their powers as they deem necessary to such committees.
The decisions of all such committees shall be reported to the League Council for ratification. The
League Council shall have the power to deal only with matters within the Competition and not
for any matters of misconduct that are under the jurisdiction of the FA or affiliated Association.

b) Subject to the permission of the Kent County Football Association having been obtained the
League Council may order a match or matches to be played each season, the proceeds to be
devoted to the funds of the Competition and, if necessary, may call upon each Club (including
any Club which may have withdrawn during the season) to contribute equally such sums as may
be necessary to meet any deficiency at the end of the season. (See Rule 6e).

c) Each Member of the League Council shall have the right to attend and vote at all League
Council Meetings and have one vote thereat, but no Member shall be allowed to vote on any
matters directly appertaining to such Member or to the Club so represented or where there may
be a conflict of interest. (This shall apply to the procedure of any sub-committee). In the event
of the voting being equal on any matter,the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

d) The League Council shall have powers to apply, act upon and enforce the Rules of the
Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the Competition including
any not provided for in the rules. With the exception of Rules 5(i), 6(h), 10(a), 11 and 19, for all
breaches of Rule a formal written charge must be issued. The respondent shall be given seven
days from the date of notice to reply to charge and given the opportunity to:- (i) Accept or Deny
the charge (ii) Submit in writing a case of mitigation, or (iii) Put their case before the Management
Committee.Financial penalties can only be imposed if included within the set penalties for
breaches of Competition Rules. All breaches of the Laws of the Game, Rules and Regulations
of The FA shall be dealt with in accordance with FA Rules by the appropriate Association.
With the exception of Clubs playing at step 7 of the Football Pyramid and the FA Woman’s
Premier League the maximum fine permitted for any branch of Competition Rule is £250,
and when setting any fine the Competition must ensure that the penalty is proportional to the
offence taking into account any mitigating circumstances.

e) All decisions of the League Council shall be binding subject to the rights of appeal to the
Board of Appeal in accordance with Rule 16. Decisions of the League Council must be notified
in writing to those concerned within ten days.

f) Six Members of the League Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business
of the League Council and two Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business
by any sub-committee of the Competition.

g) The League Council, as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill in an acting capacity,
any vacancies that may occur amongst their number. The League Council, at their discretion,
shall have the power to co-opt onto the League Council up to two Officers from Member Clubs
to ensure a quorum is achieved at any meeting convened by them. Persons co-opted under this
rule would serve only for the meeting for which they were called.

h) A Club having failed to comply with an order or instruction of the League Council or failing
to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the Competition, shall be
liable to be fined or otherwise penalised at the discretion of the League Council.

i) All fines and charges shall be paid within 14 days of the date of posting of the written
notification. Clubs, Officials or individuals committing a breach of this Rule will incur such
penalties as the League Council may impose.

j) A member of the League Council appointed by the Competition to attend a meeting or match
may have any expenses incurred refunded by the Competition.

k) The League Council shall have the power to fill any vacancy that may occur in the
membership of the Competition between the Annual General Meeting or Special General
Meeting called to decide the constitution and the commencement of the Competition season.

l) The business of the Competition as determined by the Management Committee may be
transacted by electronic mail or facsimile.

m) No participant under the age of 18 can be fined.

Rule 6 Annual General and Clubs Meeting

a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held not later than June 30th in each year. At this
meeting the following business shall be transacted provided that at least 51% of the Members
are present and entitled to vote.
(i) To receive and confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.
(ii) To consider any business arising therefrom.
(iii) To receive and adopt the Annual Report, Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts.
(iv) Election of Clubs to fill vacancies (as recommended by the League Council).
(v) Constitution of the Competition for ensuing season.
(vi) Election of Officers and League Council.
(vii) Appointment of Auditors.
(viii) Alteration of Rules, if any (of which notice has been given).
(ix) Fix the date for the commencement and conclusion of playing season. and kick off
(x) Other business of which due notice shall have been given and accepted as being
relevant to an Annual General Meeting.

b) A copy of the duly audited Balance Sheet, Statement of Accounts and Agenda shall be
forwarded to each Club at least fourteen days prior to the meeting, and to the Kent County
Football Association(s).

c) A signed copy of the duly audited Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be sent
to the Kent County Football Association(s) within fourteen days of its adoption by the Annual
General Meeting.

d) Each Full Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to an Annual General
meeting. Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only. Not less than 14 days notice shall be given
of any Meeting.

e) Clubs who have withdrawn their Membership of the Competition during the season being
concluded or who are not continuing Membership shall be entitled to attend but shall vote only
on matters relating to the season being concluded.

f) All voting shall be conducted by a show of voting cards unless a ballot be demanded by at
least two thirds of the delegates qualified to vote or the Chairman so decides.

g) No individual shall be entitled to vote on behalf of more than one Full Member Club.

h) Any Member Club failing to be represented at the Annual General Meeting without
satisfactory reason being given shall be fined £50.

i) Officers and League Council members shall be entitled to attend and vote at an AGM.

j) The Clubs' Meetings shall be in August and February when deemed necessary. Special
General Meetings will be held when called for under Rule 19.

k) Meetings shall start at 8pm sharp. The Chairman shall have discretionary power to call a
roll of club representatives prior to the close of business. Clubs not represented by a bona fide
member of the club will be fined £50 for the first offence, the fine to be increased by £20 for each
subsequent offence. Any club failing to acknowledge attendance shall be deemed absent. Any
Club representative who, due to special circumstances, cannot remain for the full duration of
business, is required to notify the Secretary, with reasons, before the commencement of the
meeting. Clubs failing to attend for the FULL duration of business at these meetings will be
fined, subject to appeal.

Rule 7 Agreement to be signed

The Chairman and the Secretary of each Club shall complete and sign the following agreement
which shall be deposited with the Competition together with the Application for Membership
for the coming season, or upon indicating that the Club intends to compete.

"We, A ................................................ of .............................................................. (Chairman)
and B .................................................. of ............................................................. (Secretary)
of the ........................................................... Football Club have been provided with a copy of
the Rules and Regulations of the West Kent Sunday Football League and do hereby agree for
and on behalf of the said Club, if elected or accepted into Membership, to conform to those Rules
and Regulations and to accept, abide by and implement the decisions of the League Council of
the Competition, subject to the right of appeal in accordance with Rule 16. Any alteration of the
Chairman and/or Secretary on the above Agreement must be notified to the County Football
Association(s) to which the Club is affiliated and to the Secretary of the Competition.
(Note: The spaces above are intended for the inclusion of the signatures and addresses of officers
and members.)

Rule 8 Qualification of Players

a) Contract players, as defined in Football Association Rules, are not permitted in this
Competition. It is the responsibility of each Club to ensure that any Player signing a registration
form for that Club has, where necessary, the required International Transfer Certificate. Clearance
is required for any Player aged 12 and over crossing borders including Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

b) A registered playing member of a Club is one who, being in all other respects eligible, has
signed a fully and correctly completed Competition registration form in ink, countersigned by
an Officer of the Club, and who has been registered with the Registration Secretary by 12 noon
o n the day prior to playing. And has been confirmed by the Registration sheet. Prior to playing
or has been confirmed by the Registration Secretary. Club must have a minimum of 12 players
registered per team, three weeks prior to the commencement of the season. Failure to comply will
result in a fine of £20. While serving in branch of Her Majesty’s Regular Forces, a player must
obtain the consent of his Association Secretary before signing a registration form to play for a club

c) A player having taken part in matches for any Club affiliated to any County Football
Association shall not be allowed to join, be transferred to, or sign for a Club in the Competition
without first proving to the officials of the intended Club that the player has discharged all
reasonable financial liabilities to the previous Club or Clubs, and a Club official may not accept
such player's signature without first ascertaining whether such claims have been discharged to
the satisfaction of the Club, or Clubs, for which the player last played.

d) At the discretion of the League Council a fee of up to £2 shall be paid for each player registered.

e) The League Council shall decide all registration disputes. In the event of a player signing
a registration form or having a registration submitted for more than one Club priority of
registrations shall decide for which Club the player shall be registered. The Registration
Secretary shall notify the Club last applying to register the player of the fact of the previous
registration.

f) It shall be deemed misconduct for a player to:

(i) Play for more than one Club in the Competition in the same season without first being
transferred.
(ii) Having signed for one Club in the Competition, sign for another Club in the
Competition in that season except for the purpose of a transfer.
(iii) Submit a signed registration form for registration that the player had wilfully
neglected to accurately or fully complete.

g) (i) The League Council shall have power to accept the registration of any player. The
League Council shall have power to refuse, cancel or suspend the registration of any
player or may fine any player, except those under 18 years of age, at their discretion
proved guilty of registration irregularities. (Subject to Rule 16).
(ii) The League Council shall have power to make application to the appropriate County
Association to refuse or cancel the registration of any player charged and found guilty
of undesirable conduct (subject to Rule 16).
(Note: Action under Clause (2) shall not be taken against a player for misconduct on the field
of play until the matter has been dealt with by the appropriate Association, and then only in cases
of the player bringing the Competition into disrepute and will in any case be subject to an appeal
to the Football Association. For the purpose of this rule, bringing the Competition into disrepute
can only be considered where the player has received in excess of 112 days suspension, or 10
matches in match based discipline, in a period of 2 years or less from the date of the first offence.)

h) Subject to The Football Association Rules dealing with players without a written contract
when a player desires a transfer, the Club the player wishes to transfer to shall submit a transfer
form to the Registration Secretary. Such transfer shall be referred by the Registration Secretary
to the Club for which the player is registered. Should this Club object to the transfer it should
state its objections in writing to the Registration Secretary and to the player concerned within
seven days of receipt of the transfer form. Upon receipt of the Club's consent, or upon its failure
to give written objection within seven days, the Registration Secretary may, on behalf of the
League Council, transfer the player who shall be deemed eligible to play for the new Club
on receipt of emailed Registration sheet. In the event of an objection to a transfer the matter
shall be referred to the League Council for a decision.

i) A player may not be transferred to another Club in the Competition after 28th February and
new registrations will not be accepted after 31st March, except by special permission of the
League Council.

j) A Club shall keep a list of the players it registers and a record of the games in which they
have played, and shall produce such records upon demand by the League Council. Failure to
do so will incur a fine of £20.

k) A register containing the names of all players registered for each Club, with the date of
registration, shall be kept by the Registration Secretary and shall be open to the inspection of any
duly appointed Member Club representative at all League Council meetings or at other times
mutually arranged. Registrations are valid for one season only. In the event of a player without
a written contract changing his status to that of a contract player with the same Club, another Club
in the Competition or with a Club in another Competition his registration as a player without a
written contract will automatically be cancelled and declared void. In order to play in the League
again either for his original Club or for another Club it will be necessary for him to be reregistered
as required by this Rule.

l) No team shall include more than (3) players in a League or cup match who have played (5)
League or cup games for any team from the same club playing in a higher division in the current season.

m) (i) Any team playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player or players shall have
any points gained in the match deducted from its total and may be fined and/or
otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the League Council. The management
committee may, at its discretion, award the points available in the match in question
to the opponents, subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed.

(ii) The League Council will award the non-offending team the fixture and three points
with a scoreline of 0-0 subject to the match not being ordered to be replayed.

(iii) In addition the team may have 3 points deducted from its total at the discretion of the
league council and may be dealt with in any further manner which is thought to be fit.

(The following Clause applies to Competitions involving players in full-time secondary
education)

n) (i) Priority must be given at all times to school and school organisations activities.
(ii) The availability of children must be cleared with the Head Teachers when a match is
played on any day other than Sunday.
(iii) To play open age football the player must have achieved the age of 16.

o) Players who are members of a club that has finished its league fixtures may not be transferred
to another club without the permission of the League Council. Note: For players under the age
of 18 the provisions contained in Football Association Rules will apply.

p) A player who has discharged his debt to the League after his Club has withdrawn from the
League, shall have his registration cancelled so allowing him to sign for another Club

Rule 9 Club Colours, Club Name

a) Every Club must register the colour of its shirts and shorts with the Secretary by 1st June
who shall decide as to their suitability. Goalkeepers must wear colours which distinguish them
from other players and the referee. No player, including the goalkeeper, shall be permitted to
wear black or very dark shirts. Any team not being able to play in its normal colours as registered
with the Competition shall notify the colours in which they will play to its opponents at least five
days before the match. If, in the opinion of the referee, two Clubs have the same or similar
colours, the home team shall make the change. Any team not having a change of colours or
delaying the kick-off by not having a change shall be fined £20. The Secretary of the
Competition may request shirts to be submitted if complaints are received as to lack of
distinguishing colours, and the League Council may refuse to permit any shirts or shorts as they
think fit. Shirts must be individually numbered. £5 fine for each offence (per shirt).

b) Any Club wishing to change its name and/or colours must seek permission from its affiliated
County Association and from the League Council. Failure to comply with incur a fine of £10.

Rule 10 Playing Season, Conditions of Play, Times of Kick-Off, Postponements, Substitutes

a) The Annual General Meeting shall determine the commencing and concluding dates for the
ensuing season which shall be in accordance with 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 not later than 31st
March, must not be arranged for a date later than seven days preceding the concluding date
determined by the Annual General Meeting.

b) All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the
International Football Association Board. Clubs must take all reasonable precautions to keep
their grounds in a playable condition. All matches shall be played on pitches deemed suitable
by the League Council. If through any fault of the home team a match has to be replayed, the
League Council shall have the power to order the venue to be changed. The League Council 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.

c) All matches shall have a duration of 90 minutes unless a shorter time (not less than 70
minutes) is mutually arranged by the two captains in consultation with the referee prior to the
commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves. For double header
fixtures matches shall be of 60 minutes duration.
Times of kick-off shall be fixed at the AGM. Any Club failing to commence at the
appointed time shall be fined a sum not exceeding £20 or be otherwise dealt with as the League
Council may determine.
Referees should order matches to commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts
to the Competition. All matches shall commence at 10.30 am. Any variation to the kick off time
shall be at the discretion of the League Council. Teams more than 30 minutes late shall be
deemed absent, and the offending team shall meet all expenses including the Referee's fee.

d) If the occasion arises that a Club with more than one team cannot fulfill all fixtures on the
same day, the fixtures for the most senior team or teams must be played. Should a Club not
adhere to this rule the match and 3 points or the game if it is a cup game will be awarded to their
opponents of both teams unless a satisfactory explanation is received by the League Secretary
in writing within 3 days of the date of the fixture. Clubs in breach of this requirement shall be
fined a sum not less than £10 or otherwise dealt with by the League Council.

e) When it is necessary to stop play owing to fog or other cause, the referee must wait a
reasonable length of time before deciding upon abandonment of the match. Should the time of
the abandonment be not more than 10 minutes from the full agreed time, subject to the committee
accepting the referee's report, the result at the time of the abandonment shall stand.
In the event of a match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club
has control, it shall be rearranged by the Fixtures Secretary.

f) Cup and League matches take preference over friendly matches. Clubs wishing to enter any
competition outside the League's jurisdiction can only do so with the permission of the League
except County Cup Competitions. Failure to obtain permission will be deemed misconduct.

g) Where fixture congestion requires, evening games will be arranged and failure to fulfill these
fixtures will result in action taken under Rule 10p.

h) Any club failing to complete a match due to misconduct by players, club officials or
spectators shall at the discretion of the League Council have the match awarded to the non
offending club or be ordered to replay the game. The non-offending team may be awarded the
fixture and 3 points with a scoreline of 0-0 and a fine of £20 imposed. At the discretion of the
League Council the match may be treated as an unfulfilled fixture and will be dealt with under
Rule 10m. Further action may be taken under Rule 17. In the event of a replay being ordered
the game shall take place on the non offending club's ground and the offending club bear any
expenses incurred by the non offending club. The above decision shall be subject to completion
of any disciplinary action, including appeals, against any decision imposed on a club by the FA,
County FA or Competition.

i) 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. Goal nets and corner flags must be used.
The home team must also supply a set of linesman flags. Failure to provide any of the items will
incur a fine of £5 for each offence. Both teams must supply a first aid kit to a minimum standard.

j) 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 Cup Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary. Clubs
may mutually agree to bring forward a match with the consent of the Fixtures Secretary. In the
event of a revised fixture date, the Clubs must be given by the Competition 5 clear days notice of
the match (unless otherwise mutually agreed). No team shall be allowed to request more than two
free Sundays in any one season.

k) The Secretary of the home Club must give notice of full particulars of the 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 five clear days prior to the playing of the match. The away Club shall seek and acknowledge
receipt of such details particularly when these have been left on a message service.
Any Club failing to comply with the Rule shall be liable to a fine of £5, increased by £5 per offence.

l) Every Club shall play its best available qualified team or teams in all matches in the
Competition.
(Note: The intention of this Rule is not to interfere with normal team selection by Clubs, but to
prevent Clubs deliberately fielding a weakened team in order to unreasonably reserve players
for another game or to boost the strength of another or lower team. It is NOT intended that Clubs
MUST field higher team players in lower teams when the higher team has no engagement. If,
in the opinion of the League Council, the substance or spirit of the Rule is obviously being
disregarded, the Club or Clubs concerned may be called to account for its/their actions and shall
be subject to such decisions as the League Council may determine, despite the fact that Rule 8
has not been infringed.)
In the event of a Club in any match with less than eleven players they may be fined £5 for each
missing player. A minimum of seven players, one of which must be the goalkeeper, will
constitute a team for a Competition match.

m) Home and away matches shall be played. In the event of a Club failing to keep its
engagement the League Council shall have power to re-arrange the fixture, inflict a fine, 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. Not withstanding the
foregoing home and away provision, the League Council shall have power to order a match to be
played on a neutral ground or on the opponent's ground if they are satisfied that such action
is warranted by the circumstances.

n) Any Club unable to fulfill a fixture must without delay give notice to the Fixtures Secretary,
the Competition Referees Appointments Secretary, the Secretary of the opposing Club and the
match officials. Any Club failing to comply shall be dealt with by the League Council who may
inflict any penalty it may deem suitable.

o) At the discretion of the League Council failure to notify the referee may result in the Club
paying the referee's fee in full. Failure to advise any of the aforenamed will result in a fine of
£10 and increased incrementally by £5 for each subsequent offence. In the event of a postponed
match due to weather conditions, the referee will only be paid normal travelling expenses and
shall claim them in the normal way.

p) When a fixture is not fulfilled the offending team shall be deemed absent and a fine of £20
imposed which will be increased incrementally by £10 for each subsequent offence. In respect
of a double header only one fine will be imposed under Rule 10p - all other penalties will be
applied. Further action may be taken under Rule 17. The non-offending team shall be awarded
the fixture and 3 points with a scoreline of 0-0.

q) In the case of a cup tie the match will be awarded to the non-offending team. The home team
shall be responsible for advising their opponents, the Fixtures Secretary and the Referee and
Referees Secretary of any fixture cancellation. Failure to advise any of the aforementioned will
result in a fine of £10 and increased by £5 for each subsequent offence. In exceptional circumstances
and at the discretion of the League Council the fine may be reduced and the match rearranged
if a valid explanation is received in writing by the Fixtures Secretary within three days
of the match date. Any team responsible for two fixture cancellations and fined accordingly will
be called before the League Council and will be subject to further action under Rule 17. League
Council approved match expenses may also be awarded to the non-offending team to include
match fees to a maximum of £50. Any fixture arranged to take place after 31st March which is
not fulfilled shall be re-arranged by the Fixtures Secretary, if the League Council, at its sole
discretion, deems it relevant to the winning of championships, promotion or relegation. If the
fixture remains unfulfilled at the end of the season the matter will be dealt with as misconduct.

r) The League Council 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 League Council are
satisfied that a match was abandoned owing to the conduct of one team or its Club member(s)
they shall be empowered to award the points for the match to the opponents and/or take what
other action they may deem necessary. In the case where a match is abandoned owing to the
conduct of both teams or their Club members, the League Council shall rule that all points for
the match are void. No fine(s) can be applied by the League Council for an abandoned match.

s) A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game use 3 substitute
players from 5 named in any match in this Competition. The referee shall be informed of the
names of the substitutes 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
not be considered to have been a player in that game within the meaning of Rule 8 of this
Competition.

t) The half time interval shall be of five minutes duration, but it shall not exceed fifteen
minutes. The half time interval may only be altered with the consent of the referee.

u) All clubs must have dressing room accommodation to a standard approved by the Council.

v) All pitches must be clearly marked, and conform to the dimensions as laid down in the laws
of the game. However, on receipt of approval from the KCFA or other governing body, the
League may allow the use of pitches whose dimensions are less than those laid down in the laws
of the game. Such approval would be for WKSFL League and Cup games only and such pitches
could not be used for any competitions outside the League's jurisdiction.

Rule 11 Reporting Results

a) The Home Club shall telephone the result of each Sunday match (including County Cup
matches) to the designated phone number between 12 noon and 4pm on the day of the match.
Failure to do so will incur a fine of £5, increased by £5 per offence. Postponed matches must
also be advised.

b) Clubs playing away ties in County Cups against opponents from other Leagues must also
telephone the match result within the stipulated time.

c) The home team must telephone the result of midweek evening games within one hour of the
end of the match.

d) (i) The Referee will be requested to provide a WKSL match form on the day of the match.
In the event that the Referee does not supply the WKSL match form, it is the
responsibility of the home club to supply one. Failure to do so will incur a fine of £10.
And increased £10 for each offence.
(ii) Each player must sign the match form on the day of the match and print their first name
and surname legibly and in block capitals alongside. Failure to comply with either or
both will result in a fine of £5, relative to each player.
(iii) The form must be returned to the Referee prior to kick-off. It is the responsibility of
each Club to ensure that all players names and signatures are on the match form and
that the names of any players who have not appeared and any blank spaces are crossed
through prior to the Referee leaving the ground.
(iv) Further action regarding incomplete, illegible or missing match forms may be taken
under Rule 17(c). At the discretion of the League Council the match may also be
ordered to be replayed or awarded to the non-offending team.
(v) Clubs will be required to fill in a duplicate from listing players that played including
substitutes in the match. This form will also include the referee's marks for the game
and be sent to the Registrations Secretary within three days of the match. Failure to
comply will result in a fine of £10 and possible further action under Rule 17(c).
At the discretion of the League Council the match may also be ordered to be replayed
or awarded to the non-offending team.

e) League Council members shall be empowered to attend matches and require, without prior
notice, all players to give a sample signature for checking by the Registration Secretary. Anyone
wishing to query the qualifications of any player taking part in the match must lodge such
complaint with the League Secretary within 7 days of the date of the match.

Rule 12 Determining Championship or Relegation

a) Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with 3 points being awarded
for a win and 1 point for a drawn match. The teams gaining the highest number of points in their
respective divisions at the conclusion shall be adjudged the winners. Matches must not be played
for double points.
In the event of two or more teams being equal on points team rankings may be decided as follows:
(i) goal difference
(ii) goals scored

b) In the event of a club or team resigning from the League during the playing season and not
having completed 75% of its fixtures, all points and goals obtained by, or against the defaulting
team or club shall be deleted from the League table, and in the case of clubs or teams which
have completed 75% of the fixtures, the points for the outstanding games to be awarded to
their opponents with a score line of 0-0.

c) If a first team from a Club with two or more teams finishes in a relegation position the League
Council may also decide to relegate the Club's second team or third team.

Rule 13 Referees

a) Registered Referees for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the League
Council and by the sanctioning Association(s). Qualified Referees will be dressed in a
predominantly black shirt, shorts and socks and shall display the county badge upon the chest.

b) In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed Referee and in cases where there are no
officially appointed Assistant Referees, the Clubs shall agree upon a Referee. A Referee thus
agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered
Referee. If the two Clubs fail to agree on a substitute Referee and the match (League or Cup)
fails to take place then both Clubs will be charged with misconduct.

c) The League Council may, if they consider it desirable, appoint Assistant Referees, if
available, to any match. Where Assistant Referees are not appointed each Team shall provide
a Club Assistant Referee. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £5, increased by £5 for each
offence, being imposed on the defaulting Team.

d) The appointed Referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the ground in all
matches and the decision shall be final subject to either in the case of a ground of a Local
Authority or the owners of a ground, the Representative of that body is the sole arbiter and whose
decision must be accepted.

e) Match Officials appointed under this Rule shall be entitled to charge standard class public
transport expenses or private car expenses of 30p per mile. Match Fees: Referee £25, Registered
Referees appointed by the League Council as Assistant Referees £25, subject to any limits laid
down by the sanctioning Association(s). The Home Club shall pay the Officials their fees before
the match whenever possible. Failure to pay the Referee will incur a fine of £20.

f) Expenses claimed by Referees will be paid to them at the end of the season. The total cost
of the expenses claimed by all officials will be levied equally against each team registered with
the League. Clubs will be invoiced for their share and must pay in full prior to the Annual
General Meeting. Defaulting clubs will be dealt with as misconduct.

g) In the event of a match not being played because of circumstances over which the Clubs have
no control, the Match Officials, if present, shall be entitled to expenses only. Where a match is
not played owing to one Club being in default, that Club shall be ordered to pay the Officials,
if they attend the ground, their full fee and expenses.

h) A Referee not keeping his or her engagement and failing to give a satisfactory explanation
as to their non-appearance, may be reported to the Association with which he or she is registered.

i) Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The Football Association,
award marks to the Referee for each match and the name of the Referee and the marks awarded
shall be submitted to the Competition on the prescribed form provided. Any Club awarding a
referee a mark of 50 or less must submit their reasons for doing so in writing within 3 days of
the match. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined £10 for either offence
or dealt with as the League Council shall determine. The Competition shall keep a record of the
markings and, on the form provided by the prescribed date each season, shall submit a summary
to The County Association.

j) The Referee shall submit a report form, supplied by the Competition to the Registration
Secretary within two days of the match, not including Sundays.

k) Referees shall be supplied, each season, with a copy of the Competition Rules free of charge.

Rule 14 Continuation of Membership or Withdrawal of a Club

a) A Club shall not be allowed to withdraw any or all of its teams from the Competition after
the Annual General Meeting for the following season. Any Club infringing this Rule shall be
liable to a fine not exceeding £50 per team and shall also be liable for its share of any call which
may be made under Rule 5b.

b) Letters of resignation must be signed by at least three current committee members of the
resigning club accompanied by the minutes of the AGM/EGM ratifying the club's decision. The
Club will be responsible for any fines, costs or expenses subsequently awarded against them by
the League Council for matters which occurred prior to their resignation and may be liable for
a share of any call made against teams for referees expenses.

c) Any Club withdrawing a team from the League after acceptance shall, where it has more than
one team, withdraw the team in the lowest division, or the team as decided by the League
Council, and shall forfeit all fees and payments to the League. They may also be liable to a fine
of up to £50 and for their share of any call made against teams for Referees expenses.

d) Any club withdrawing from the League without clearing all financial liabilities to the
League shall have that debt divided between all registered players and club officials, also
officials will not be allowed to be involved for another club until their share of the debt is paid.
In addition a £5 administration charge per player and club official will be levied.

e) In the event of a Member Club which is an un-incorporated association withdrawing and/
or disbanding it shall be immediately liable to discharge all its financial and other obligations
to the Competition. In the event that any such obligation remains undischarged after a period
of twenty-one (21) days then such obligation shall be met by the then current Club Members,
excluding those under the statutory school leaving age. Until a Member's pro rata obligation is
discharged in full the Member shall not be allowed to participate in the Competition, which may
apply to the Club's Parent County Association for a suspension order.

Rule 15 Protests and Complaints

a) (i) All questions of eligibility, qualifications of players or interpretations of the Rules
shall be referred to the League Council.
(ii) Objections relevant to the dimensions of the pitch, goals, flag posts and other facilities
of the venue will not be entertained by the League Council unless a protest is lodged
with the Referee before the commencement of the match. Any Club lodging such protest
and not proceeding with it shall be deemed guilty of a breach of this Rule and shall be dealt
with by the League Council.

b) Except in cases where the League Council decide that there are special circumstances,
protests and complaints (which must contain full particulars of the grounds upon which they are
founded) must be lodged in duplicate with the Secretary within ten days (excluding Sundays)
of the match or occurrence to which they refer. A protest or complaint shall not be withdrawn
except by permission of the League Council. A Member of the League Council who is a member
of any Club involved shall not be present (except as a witness or representative of his Club) when
such protest or complaint is being determined.

c) Any dispute occurring between Clubs in the Competition shall be referred for determination
by the League Council whose decision shall be binding upon all parties subject to Rule 16.
d) No protest of whatever kind shall be considered by the League Council unless the
complaining Club shall have deposited with the Secretary a sum of £50. This may be forfeited
in whole or in part in the event of the complaining or protesting Club losing its case. The
Competition shall have power to order the defaulting Club or the Club making a losing or
frivolous protest or complaint to pay the expenses of the enquiry or to order that the costs be
shared by the parties.

e)All parties to a protest or complaint must receive a copy of the submission and must be afforded
an opportunity to make a statement at least 7 days prior to the protest or complaint being heard.

(i) All parties must have received 14 days’ notice of the Hearing should they be instructed
to attend.

(ii) Should a Club elect to state its case in person then they should forward a deposit of
£50 and indicate such when forwarding the written response.

f) An independent Review Panel to consist of an independent Chairman, League Council
Secretary or Council Representative, plus three officers from League Member Clubs, who alone
will have voting rights, shall meet from time to time. The sole purpose of the Review Panel shall
be to decide whether or not the League Council's decision was correctly arrived at in accordance
with League Rules and where it is determined that League Rules were not followed, to make a
recommendation to the League Council for their consideration.

g) All requests for consideration by the Review Panel must be made in writing to either the
Treasurer for money matters or the Secretary for all other matters, within 10 days of the League
Council's issuing of the relative League decision. If a personal hearing is required this must be
requested in the letter.

N.B. Any decision by the League Council or Recommendation by the Review Panel can be
appealed against to the appropriate County Football Association.

Rule 16 Board of Appeal

Within 14 days of the posting of written notification of any decision of the League Council of
the Competition a Club, Official or Player against whom action is taken may appeal against such
decision by lodging particulars in duplicate with the Secretary of the Kent Football Association,
including the appropriate fee for adjudication of a Board of Appeal. The grounds of appeal shall
be in accordance with FA Rules. The Board of Appeal may order the appeal fee to be forfeited
and shall decide by whom the costs of the appeal shall be borne. The decision of the Board of
Appeal is final and binding on all parties concerned. No appeal can be lodged against a decision
taken at a special General Meeting unless this is on the grounds of unconstitutional conduct.

Rule 17 Exclusion of Clubs or Teams, Misconduct - Clubs, Officials, Players

a) At the Annual General Meeting, or Special General Meeting called for the purpose, Notice
of Motion having been duly circulated on the Agenda, the accredited delegates present shall have
the power to exclude any Club or Team from further membership. Voting on the point must be
conducted by ballot and supported by more than 2/3 of those present and voting.

b) At the Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose, in
accordance with the provisions of Rule 19, the accredited delegates present shall have the power
to exclude from further participation in the Competition any Club whose conduct has, in their
opinion, been undesirable, which must be supported by (more than) two-thirds of those present
and voting. Voting on this point shall be conducted by ballot. A Club whose conduct is the
subject of the vote being taken shall be excluded from voting.

c) Any Official or member of a Club proved guilty of either misconduct, other than field
offences, or of inducing or attempting to induce a player or players of another Club in the
Competition to join them shall be liable to expulsion or such penalty as a General Meeting or
League Council may decide, and their Club shall also be liable to expulsion in accordance with
the provisions of Clauses a) and b) of this Rule.

Rule 18 Trophy

Legal Owners, Conditions of Taking Over, Agreement to be signed, Awards

a) If a competition is discontinued for any reason, a trophy or any other presentation shall be
returned to the donor if the conditions attached to it so provide or if not dealt with as the
sanctioning Association may decide.
The following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the Cup or Trophy:
"We, A .............................................. and B ................................................ the Chairman and
Secretary of ....................................... FC, members of and representing the Club, having been
declared winners of ........................... Cup or Trophy, and it having been delivered to us by the
Competition, do hereby on behalf of the Club jointly and severally agree to return the Cup or
Trophy to the Competition Secretary on or before the Club's February Meeting. Failure to do
so will incur a fine of £20. If the Cup or Trophy is lost or damaged whilst under our care we agree
to refund to the Competition the amount of its current value or the cost of its thorough repair."

All Trophies with the exception of the individual awards are the property of the League and are
for perpetual competition. They cannot be won outright.

Rule 19 Special General Meetings

A Special General Meeting may be called by the League Council or any club making written
application to the League Secretary supported by ten of the clubs in membership. 14 days notice
should be given, and only the business of the subject of the special meeting will be discussed.
Each Member Club shall be empowered to send two delegates to all Special General Meetings.
Each Club shall be entitled to one vote only, as will members of the Management Committee.
75% of member clubs shall constitute a quorum at a Special General Meeting. Clubs not
represented at a Special General Meeting, when called, will be fined £50.

Rule 20 Alteration to Rules

Alterations, for which consent has been given by the sanctioning Association, shall be made to
these Rules only at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special General Meeting especially
convened for the purpose called in accordance with Rule 19. Any alteration made during the
playing season to the Rule relating to the qualification of players shall not take effect until the
following season.

Notice of proposed alterations to be considered at the Annual General Meeting shall be submitted
to the Secretary by the 1st May in each year. The proposals, together with any proposals by
the Management Committee, shall be circulated to the Clubs by 15th May and any amendments
thereto shall be submitted to the secretary by the 31st May. The proposals and proposed amendments
thereto shall be circulated to Clubs with the notice of the Annual General Meeting. A proposal to
change a Rule shall be carried if a majority of those present and entitled to vote are in favour.
A copy of the proposed alterations to Rules to be considered at the Annual General Meeting or
Special General Meeting shall be submitted to the sanctioning Football Association
14 days prior to the meeting.

Rule 21 Finance

a) The League Council shall determine with which bank or other financial institution the funds
of the Competition will be lodged.
b) All capital expenditure in excess of £500 shall be approved by the League Council. Cheques
shall be signed by at least two Officers nominated by the League Council.
c) The financial year of the Competition will end on 20th May.
d) The books, or a certified balance sheet, of a Competition shall be prepared and shall be
audited annually by some suitable person(s) who shall be appointed at the AGM.
e) All monies due to the League must be paid by cheque/postal order or money order with the
Club's name clearly marked on it.
f) Any payments outstanding after the due date may be increased at the discretion of the League
Council. Further action may be taken under Rule 17.
g) All clubs must supply audited accounts for the previous season to the League Treasurer by
31st July. Failure to do so will incur a fine of £30. Further action may be taken under Rule 17.
h) In the event of a team being fined four times in a season a charge of a further £10 will be
levied. Upon reaching a seventh offence then a further £25 will be levied and further action may
be taken under Rule 17.
i) Invoices sent by the League may be sent by email.
j) At the sole discretion of the League Council an ex-gratia payment may be made to a player,
Club Official, Match Official or League Council Member. Any such payment would be made
only in very exceptional circumstances and/or on the death of any of the aforementioned.

Rule 22 Rules Binding on Clubs

Each Member Club shall be deemed to have given its assent to the foregoing Rules and agreed
to abide by the decisions of the League Council subject to Rule 16. Each Member Club must
abide by any issued Football Association Code of Conduct.

Rule 23 WKSL Cup Competition

a) The Competition will be in four sections, Senior, Intermediate and Junior Cups and the
Junior Trophy.

b) The Senior Cup shall be competed for by teams in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and any other team
within the League that applies to enter. Application to enter must be received by Fixture
Secretary by the 19th June. The Intermediate Cup shall be competed for by teams in Divisions
2, 3 and 4 plus any other team from Division 5 or 6 that applies to enter. Application to enter
must be received by the Fixture Secretary by the 19th June. The Junior Cup shall be
competed for by teams in Divisions 4, 5 and 6 plus any team playing in Division Three at the
discretion of the League Council. The Junior Trophy shall be competed for by teams in Divisions 5
and 6. No club may enter more than one team in any section unless invited to do so by the League
Council. Any of the above sections may initially be played in group format.

c) All arrangements for this competition will be made by the Fixtures Secretary. Cup Final
dates will be published as soon as possible each season and may include days other than Sundays.

d) No player will be permitted to play for more than one Club in this competition. No team
shall include more than three players in a Cup match who have played five league or cup matches
for any team from the same club playing in a higher division or section of the cup competition in
the current season. No player shall be allowed to play in the semi-final or final unless he has been
registered on for the competing Club prior to the 1st December, or has played three league or league
cup matches for the competing club, in the current season. Contravention of this rule will incur a fine
of £20 for each offence, i.e. for each offending player, and the match awarded to the non-offending side.
In the case of postponed matches only those players shall be allowed to play who were eligible
at the time fixed for the playing of the round. Unregistered, or ineligible players will be dealt
with in accordance with Rule 8. Attention is drawn to Rule 10s re. substitutes.

e) In the event of a draw after 90 minutes an extra 15 minutes each way will be played in all
rounds. If the result is a draw after extra time the match will be decided by a penalty competition
as laid down at the International Board Meeting of 27th June 1970.

f) Unfulfilled Cup matches will be dealt with under Rule 10p.

g) When the colours of competing clubs in the Final are similar, both clubs will change.
h) In the event of the home side being unable to provide a pitch on any date set for a Cup Match
the fixture must be switched to the ground of the away side if their pitch is available. If neither
club can provide a pitch, the Fixtures Secretary may order the match to be played on an
alternative pitch.

i) In all cup finals each side shall present two balls of acceptable standard to the referee 15
minutes prior to kick-off.

j) Any player sent off in a cup final will not receive his souvenir on the day of the match.
However, it may be subsequently awarded upon application from the club and player.

k) In all cup competitions the home team will pay for the pitch and the away team will pay the
referee's fee.

l) Should the League appoint assistant referees the League shall pay the fees and the away Club
will still pay the referee.

Rule 24 Spring Cup

This competition shall be held in two sections, senior section teams from division 1, 2 and 3.
Junior section teams from division 4,5 and 6. The Spring Cup shall be a supplementary competition
held at the end of the season. The competition will be held only if it is considered a sufficient
number of teams are free of League Commitments for a period of competition. Entrance shall
be by invitation only and an entrance fee may apply as decided by the League Council. Players
will not be cup tied as per rule23. In the event that the competition is split into more than
one group a club may only have one team in each group. A Player who has played for his club in
the senior section may not then play in the lower section of the competition. All arrangements
will be made by the fixture secretary and apart from the above normal League rules will apply.

Rule 25 (Fair Play)

(i) It is the League's intention to maintain and foster discipline and fair play, on and off the field
of play, by the League's member Clubs their registered players and supporters. Failure to adhere
to appropriate and acceptable codes of conduct will result in the offending Club and all players
registered with it being brought before the League Council for possible action under Rule 17.

(ii) Any player cautioned or dismissed by a Match Official and subsequently fined and or
suspended by a County Football Association, and accumulating a pre-determined number of
disciplinary points, will be deemed to have brought the League into disrepute.

Rule 26

The League Council shall decide on any point not covered by these rules.

Fines tabulated from these rules

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