Sanctioning of Competitions

1. (a) Form “D”
Associations, Competitions or other combinations of Clubs, Players or Officials, shall not be formed without the consent of The Association, or of the Affiliated Association or Affiliated Associations concerned.
All applications for formation of Competitions (other than Charity Competitions) shall be made on the form marked “D”, and applications for continuance must be made on this form annually.
All Affiliated Associations, Competitions or other combinations of Clubs, Players or Club Officials, Officials or Match Officials shall observe the Rules.
Associations or Clubs in membership of or affiliated to The Association or an Affiliated Association shall not play against any association or club belonging to any association, competition or combination of clubs to which such consent has not been given.
Clubs being members of more than one Affiliated Association shall be under the jurisdiction of the Affiliated Association of which they first became a member, except in matters arising in a match under the control of another Affiliated Association.
(b) Competition Regulations for Clubs and Players
Any Competition or other combination of Clubs may, subject to these Rules, make such regulations between their Clubs and Players as they may deem necessary. Where a Competition or other combination of Clubs is sanctioned direct by The Association an Appeals Board shall be appointed by The Association.
Where a Competition or a combination of Clubs is sanctioned by an Affiliated Association an Appeals Board shall be appointed by the sanctioning Affiliated Associations.
(c) Powers of Affiliated Associations over Clubs not in Membership

(i) An Affiliated Association must not close a ground of a Club or another Affiliated Association. The matter must be dealt with by a joint commission of the Affiliated Associations concerned.

(ii) Clubs entering a Competition of an Affiliated Association of which they are not in membership shall be under the control of that Affiliated Association so far as the rules of the Competition are concerned. If in such matches, Clubs or Players are reported for offences against the Laws of the Game, or the Rules, such offences shall be dealt with by a joint commission of the Affiliated Associations concerned unless otherwise mutually agreed.

National League System

2. (a) There shall be a National League System comprising participating Competitions between which relegation and promotion links shall operate on such basis as shall be determined by the Council from time to time.
(b) The Competitions and the Clubs participating in the National League System shall be bound by Regulations for the Establishment and Operation of the National League System as determined by the Council from time to time.
(c) The Competitions participating in the National League System shall be as determined by the Council from time to time.

Charity Associations, Benefit Competitions and Charity Matches

3. (a) Form “E”
Charity Associations or Benefit Competitions shall not be formed without the consent of The Association or of an Affiliated Association. All applications for formation shall be made on the form marked “E” annexed to these Rules and applications for continuance must be made on this form annually.
All Charity Associations or Benefit Competitions shall observe the Rules and Regulations of The Association.
Associations, Clubs or Players in membership of The Association or an Affiliated Association shall not play or take part in any Charity Association or Benefit Competition to which consent has not been given.
(b) Charity Matches
Individual matches (not competition matches) may be played, for charity, or some similar object approved by The Association or an Affiliated Association. Reasonable expenses not exceeding 20% which may be approved by the consenting Association on the application for consent, may be deducted from the gross proceeds.
The balance must be paid over within 14 days of the match being played, and at the same time a return of the sums received and paid together with the necessary receipts, must be sent to the association which gave consent.
A match arranged between two Clubs or teams in which a trophy, medals or other reward is given to the Club or Players is not a Competition within this Rule.

Sanctioning of Matches

4. (a) Unaffiliated Football
Clubs, Players and Club Officials subject to the jurisdiction of The Association or an Affiliated Association shall not be associated with nor play with or against any Club which is not a member of The Association or an Affiliated Association. Those who immediately prior to their association with unaffiliated football organisations were under the jurisdiction of The Association or an Affiliated Association, shall not be eligible to participate in football under the jurisdiction of The Association or an Affiliated Association without the consent of The Association or an Affiliated Association.
No match between unaffiliated teams shall be played on grounds which are under the jurisdiction of Clubs which are in membership with The Association or an Affiliated Association.
(b) Matches with Foreign Associations, League and Clubs
Affiliated Associations, Competitions or Clubs wishing to play a match or series of matches against members of another national association must apply on the prescribed forms to The Association at least 28 days before the date of the intended match or the first of a series of matches.
The Association has in its discretion the power to consent or refuse an application. When consent has been given The Association will inform the other national associations concerned.
An application to participate in a match or a series of matches against members of another national association involving players of school age shall be required to demonstrate that all such players have received the necessary permission from their Head Teacher before The Association will give consent.
Affiliated Associations, Competitions and their Clubs must not pay a commission of more than 10% of the reimbursements of travelling expenses to organisations or persons arranging their tours. Where a national association provides in its rules for the membership of all associations, competitions, and clubs within its area, consent for matches with unaffiliated associations, leagues or clubs will not be given.
[This Rule does not apply to matches between members of The Association or an Affiliated Association and members of The Scottish Football Association, The Football Association of Wales and The Irish Football Association.]

Football and Religious Observance

5. (a) A Participant cannot be compelled to play football on bona fide occasions where religious observance precludes such activity, save where the Participant:

(i) has consented to do so on such occasions; or
(ii) is registered as a player under written contract, which shall be taken as consent to play on such occasions unless otherwise provided for in the contract.

(b) Annually, when planning programmes, Competitions shall define and notify agreed dates of such occasions.

Scratch Teams

6. Except with consent of The Association, or of the Parent Association, no match at which gate money is taken shall be played if either of the competing teams is a scratch team. Where consent is given for such a match the provisions of Rules B7(a) and 7(b) shall apply. Proceeds of Matches or Competitions
7. (a) Clubs and Players shall not compete in any Match or Competition (including smallside Matches or Competitions) the proceeds of which are not devoted to a Club or association or some other object approved by The Association or by an Affiliated Association.

Small-Side Matches

(b) Small-side Matches and Competitions (not more than seven-a-side) may be arranged provided that:-

(i) the Competition has been sanctioned by The Association or the relevant Affiliated Association in accordance with the agreed procedures laid down from time to time by The Association;
(ii) in the case of single matches, charity Competitions and Competitions played over a short period of days, they must be sanctioned by The Association or the Affiliated Association concerned in accordance with agreed procedures laid down from time to time by The Association;
The sanctioning of such a match or Competition in this case shall automatically accord to the team and/or Competition the status of an affiliated body and to the Players participating in the match or Competition the status of affiliated Players for the team for which they play in the match or Competition. A list of the competing teams must be submitted to the sanctioning Association;
(iii) the rules governing the eligibility and conduct of the players shall be under the control of the management committee of the Competition subject always to the overriding authority of The Association or the Affiliated Association concerned and shall in so far as practicable be in conformity with the Rules. In the case of individual Matches the eligibility and conduct of the Players shall be the responsibility of the sanctioning body;
(iv) for small-side games played for charitable objectives a statement of accounts of the event shall be supplied to the sanctioning body concerned within 21 days.
(v) Where two Affiliated Associations cover the same area, the permission must be obtained from the appropriate Parent Association.
(vi) There shall be no close season for small-side games.
(vii) The Laws applicable to small-side games are printed elsewhere in this Handbook.

The Playing Season

8. (a) Council to Determine
The Council shall determine annually the date on which the playing season shall commence and the season shall terminate not later than the following 1st June. Each Competition shall within the limit laid down by The Association, determine the length of its own playing season.
(b) The Close Season
The Close Season shall be defined as the period between 1st June and 30th June inclusive each year, save where the Council makes an order to the contrary. No matches other than those permitted and played in accordance with paragraph (c) of these Rules may be played in the Close Season.
(c) Matches which may be played in the Close Season
No matches other than the following may be played in the Close Season:-

(i) Small-sided matches as specified in Rule B7, Mini-Soccer matches or matches played according to “The Laws of the Game – 9 v 9” and those organised in connection with works’ clubs sports days on private grounds and at fetes and similar sports functions.
(ii) Matches between Army, Navy and Royal Air Force teams and teams of the Auxiliary Forces in Competitions whilst in camp. Such Competitions shall be strictly confined to the units concerned and gate money shall not be taken.
(iii) Matches involving members of Boys’ Brigades, Scouts and kindred organisations in Competitions whilst in camp.
(iv) Matches for National Representative teams or Clubs played under the auspices of FIFA or UEFA.
(v) Matches between Clubs in the FA Premier League and The Football League for the following season.

(d) Matches which may be played prior to the commencement of the Season After 30th June and prior to the commencement of the playing season matches may be played between teams of the same Club or between teams of different Clubs.
(e) An appropriation will be made annually from the amount payable to the competing Clubs, The Association and the Cup Pool from The FA Challenge Cup Semi-Finals and Final of 5.5% and 2.5% from the net receipts of The FA Community Shield to which The Football League will contribute 6.3% of the net gate from its League Cup Semi- Finals and Final. The total amount will then be distributed to Affiliated Associations as decided by The Association.
(f) Eligibility of Players
Players who have not previously been registered or recognised playing members of Clubs, or who have not been engaged for the following season may play in matches after 30th June and prior to the commencement of the playing season.
(g) Special Provisions

(i) The appropriate sanctioning association may grant special permission for Competition and other Matches to be played preceding the dates fixed by the Council for the opening of the playing season and shall attach to the granting of such permission whatever conditions it may deem expedient.
(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule B3(b) The Association shall determine in each year the date on which and the financial conditions under which The Football Association Community Shield match shall be played.
(iii) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Rule, Affiliated Associations shall determine the dates on which County Cup Matches shall be played.

Suspension of the Game and Extension of Season

9. The Council shall have power to suspend the game either sectionally or entirely. They may also extend the periods for playing, as from time to time, in their discretion, shall be deemed necessary, or desirable, and agreements between Clubs, Players, and Club Officials, Officials and Match Officials shall be subject to such decisions.