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6. PLAYERS
6.1 STATUS OF PLAYERS
The FA Rules will apply in respect of all matters concerning players.
Players will be contract, non-contract or scholars and their status must be clearly stated on all registration forms.
Contract Player means any Player (other than a Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play under a written contract of employment with a Club.
Non-Contract Player means a player (other that a Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play for a Club but has not entered into a written contract of employment with a Club.
All players must be registered on forms provided by the Competition. Each player must be registered as contract, non-contract or scholar and notice must be given to the Competition in the event of any change to the status registered during the currency of the registration of that player within 5 days of the change of registration being effected. To be eligible, a player of a Club must have obtained an International Transfer Certificate (if required), have signed a Competition registration form and have been registered and approved by the Company in accordance with a procedure set by the Board before playing in any Competition organised by the Company.
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.
All players' contracts shall be in the full name of the Club. If the club is a corporate body, the contract must state the full name of the company, and also include the company registration number.
The registration of a player shall be valid for one Playing Season only.
Players' Registration Forms will be made available to Clubs by the League and will be charged in accordance with the Fees Tariff.
The registration of scholars must be in accordance with The FA Rule C3(a).
The Board have the power to refuse or cancel the registration of any player found guilty of undesirable conduct and to disqualify the player in question from participating in any or all matches in the Competition for a breach of Rule.
Except when specific approval has been given by the Board a Club cannot sign or transfer more than one player, contract or non-contract, from another Club at any one time, unless a period of 14 days has elapsed between each signing.
The Board have the power to place an embargo on the registration, transfer or the loan transfer of players by any Club who are deemed to be in breach of these Rules.
6.2 REGISTRATIONS
6.2.1 In the event of a player signing registration forms for more than one Club, priority of registration shall decide for which Club he is entitled to play. The Club submitting the later form shall be notified of the prior registration of the player and the circumstances under which the registration forms were signed shall be investigated by the Board. Any player found to have signed registration forms for more than one Club or any Club found to have knowingly induced a registered player of another Club to sign a registration form, shall be dealt with by the Board in such a manner as it shall think fit.
6.2.2 At least 11 players must be registered 7 days prior to the commencement of each Playing Season.
6.3 LATE REGISTRATION
Subject to the provisions of Rule 6.5, a player will only be eligible to play in a match organised by the Company under these Rules if the appropriate forms are received by the Company (including by facsimile) by two (2) hours preceding the scheduled kick off time of such match.
No player whose registration is received after the two (2) hours preceding the scheduled kick off time of any match will be eligible to play in a match organised by the Company on that day.
If a registration form is sent to the Company by facsimile, that form must then be posted by first class post and show a post mark within 5 days of the sending of the facsimile. The form when received must be identical to that received by facsimile. Any Club deemed to have falsified any form will be deemed to have played an ineligible player and dealt with in accordance with Rule 6.8.
The late registration of a player by facsimile is not automatically valid and it is the responsibility of the Club to ensure that the player is NOT registered with any other Club. When the player involved was previously registered with another Club, it is necessary for that Club to complete the standard Competition cancellation of registration form or transfer form prior to or at the same time as the registration or transfer to the new Club.
6.4 TRANSFERS
6.4.1 The transfer of the registration of a contract player from one Club to another must be in writing, on the Competition transfer form, duly signed by the contract player and the two Clubs and forwarded to the Company for approval and registration. Such contract player does not become a bona-fide player of the Club seeking his transfer until that Club has received from the Company a certificate of registration or the provisions of Rule 6.3 have been complied with. The registration of a contract player whose contract is cancelled by mutual consent shall be automatically cancelled upon receipt by the Company of a copy of the relevant FA form.
Where a Club cancels the registration of a player, contract or non-contract, for any reason whatsoever, the Club must notify the Competition Secretary immediately, in writing and such notification must be signed by an authorised signatory of that Club to be valid.
A non-contract player whose registration for a Club is cancelled or transferred for any reason whatsoever, cannot return to his original Club until a minimum of four weeks has elapsed from the date of the cancellation or transfer without the consent of the Board.
6.4.2 Should a Club wish to register a Non-Contract player who is registered by another Club, both Clubs if in agreement must sign the standard Competition transfer form applicable to Non-Contract players.
If a non-contract player also registers for a club not in membership of the Competition, his registration for the Competition may be retained by the Club.
6.4.3 A player may not register for a Club unless at least 14 days have expired from the date of registration with another Club. A Club may not register a transfer of a contract player unless that player has been registered with the transferring Club for at least 14 days.
6.4.4 Short Term Loan Transfers - Loans of contract players shall be allowed only to or from Clubs in membership of:
- The F.A. Premier League Limited
- The Football League Limited
- The Football Conference Limited
- The Isthmian Football League Limited
- The Northern Premier Football League Limited
- The Southern Football League Limited
- Approved Leagues at Step 5
[This Rule does not apply to NCE]
6.4.5 Long Term Loan Transfers -
[This Rule does not apply to NCE]
6.4.6 The Company may, at its discretion, refuse any further registration of players to any Club which has not completed payment of a transfer arrangement made with another Club or arranged for the payment to be adequately secured. The Club concerned will continue to pay the player in accordance with his contract.
6.5 CLOSING DATE FOR REGISTRATIONS
After 5pm on 31st March each season, registrations and transfer of registrations will be declined or will be approved subject to such limitations and restrictions as the Board may determine and, if so determined, the player shall only be eligible to play in the matches for which permission is granted by the Board.
6.6 CLUB LIST OF PLAYERS AND TRANSFER LIST
Clubs shall furnish the Competition Secretary by 1st June with the following details;
6.6.1 a list of contract players whose agreements do not terminate at the end of the current season;
6.6.2 a list of contract players in respect of whom the Club has exercised its option in accordance with Football Association Rule C1(J);
6.6.3 a list of contract players in respect of whom the existing agreements do not include an option to renew but which the Club is desirous of offering further engagements, in accordance with Football Association Rule C1(J);
6.6.4 a list of contract players in respect of whom the Club has exercised its option in accordance with Football Association Rule C1(J) but whose registration the Club is prepared to transfer;
6.6.5 a list of contract players the Club has released.
6.7 SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS
A Club at its discretion may use three substitute players at any time in a match. Substitution can only be made when play is stopped for any reason and the Referee has given permission. When a Club is making a substitution it shall use a board to show the number of the player to be substituted and the number of the substitute player.
A maximum of THREE SUBSTITUTES may be nominated and they must be included on the official team sheet handed to the Referee before the match in accordance with Rule 8.11.1. A substitute may not be used to replace a player who has been suspended from the match by the Match Officials.
If a player does not take part in a match for which he is a nominated substitute he shall be deemed as not having played for the Club in that match.
If a named substitute is not a registered player with the Club for the Competition and does NOT take part in the match, the offending Club may be fined in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
6.8 PLAYING AN INELIGIBLE PLAYER
Any Club found to have played an ineligible player in a match shall have any points gained from that match deducted from its record and have levied upon it a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
The Company may vary the decision in respect of the deduction of points gained only in a case where a substitute player participates in a match or is listed on the official team sheet but does not participate in that match.
The Board may also order that such match be replayed on such terms as are decided by the Board which may also levy penalty points against the Club in default.
6.9 FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS
6.9.1 Subject to clauses 6.9.2 to 6.9.7, and to the Rules and Regulations of The FA, a Club may negotiate a financial agreement with its players.
6.9.2 All players under a written contract must be registered with the Competition and The FA.
6.9.3 All payments and benefits due to the player must be shown in the contract.
6.9.4 All payments made to players must be made by the Club and fully recorded in the accounting records of the Club.
6.9.5 All salaried payments (whether to contract or non-contract players) must be subject to PAYE and National Insurance.
6.9.6 All salary payments due on written contracts must be stated gross, before PAYE and National Insurance deductions.
6.9.7 Any players paid expenses should be reimbursed via an expense claim form. The club should retain all expense records in a format acceptable to the Inland Revenue.
6.10 NON UNITED KINGDOM PLAYERS
The Rule does not apply to the Northern Counties East Football League.
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