Witney & District Football Association

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Rules & Regulations

23. Bye-laws of League Competitions

1. The Home Club shall provide, to the satisfaction of the Management Committee, suitable dressing accommodation for the Visiting Team and Match Officials. Washing facilities, with hot and cold water, shall be provided and membership of the League shall be dependent on the provision of showers.

2. The Challenge Cups and Challenge Shield, the property of the Witney and District Football Association, shall be vested in the President, Hon. Treasurer and Hon. Secretary of the Association for the time being, and shall never become the absolute property of any Club.

3. The name of the Winning Team, inscribed upon a suitable shield, shall be fixed to each trophy. In respect of this the Management Committee will arrange for the necessary fixing to be done, and will be responsible for the payment of the cost involved.

4. Each Club shall purchase a minimum of 5 Association Handbooks each season.

5. All Clubs must pay their Entrance Fees by August 14. Failure to do so shall result in a fine not exceeding £25.00. Failure to pay this fine and the outstanding dues within 7 days will result in the fine being doubled and their opening fixture(s) will be awarded to their opponents. Further delay may result in further fixtures being awarded, as there must be seven clear days between receipt of the monies and being allowed to play.

6. Any Club failing to answer correspondence from the Association within 14 days shall be fined a sum not exceeding £10.00.

7. A Club failing to fulfil a fixture shall concede the points and be liable to a fine not exceeding £25.00 and be dealt with in any other way as determined by the Management Committee. Such a Club must submit the reason for cancellation in writing to the Hon. Secretary within 7 days, failing which, the Council may impose a fine not exceeding £10.00 (see rule 10F).

8. In the event of any match being postponed or unfinished owing to causes over which neither Club has control, the match shall be replayed. No cancellation of matches due to adverse ground conditions shall be effected until after an inspection by a Referee or a Member of the Management Committee and any such cancellation must be notified immediately to the League Hon. Fixture Secretary, The opponents, the match appointed official and the Referees Appointment Secretary.

9. The Management Committee shall arrange for all fixtures and make any rearrangements in fixtures as are considered necessary. All Premier Division teams shall be available to play on the first day of the season if given a fixture.

10. All trophy bases should be returned for engraving at the A.G.M. Any Club failing to return the base on that date shall be fined a sum not exceeding £25. Subsequent failure to return the base to the Hon. Secretary within fourteen days will result in the fine being doubled.

11. A Player who shall have taken part after the 1 st November during the current season in Five Senior Competition matches (as defined by the Oxfordshire FA) is not eligible to apply for reinstatement in Witney and District FA Competitions until his reinstatement to Junior status has been approved by the O.F.A. (to be read in conjunction with Rules 8M & N).

12. Clubs requesting the Management Committee's permission regarding Player eligibility in connection with Rules 8M & N of the League Competition, Byelaws 6, 7 & 8, of the Challenge Cups, and Byelaws 4 & 5 of the Jack Busby Memorial Trophy, must make application to the Hon. Secretary in writing. Only one application per Player will be accepted in any one season.

13. The time of kick-off for League games shall be 2.00 p.m. all season. All Cup matches will kick-off at 1:30 p.m. Any exceptions to these times being determined by mutual agreement or on official instructions.

14. All fines imposed or claims allowed must be paid within 7 days of notification, failure to do so will result in any fine being doubled. In the event of an appeal being made against the decision of the Management Committee, the Club or individual must appeal to the Oxfordshire F.A. and follow the procedure laid down in O.F.A. Handbook. Anyone lodging an appeal is also requested to notify the Witney and District F.A. Hon. Secretary of their intention. There can be no appeal to the Witney and District Management Committee.

15. The Management Committee shall have the power to deal with any offending Club or Players as they may think fit if not specially provided for in these Rules and the Committee shall at all times have the power to make and/or amend any Byelaws which shall in every case be as binding as the Rules.

16. The Management Committee shall have the power to withdraw or refuse to accept the registration of any Player whose disciplinary record is considered to be against the interest the Association and/or to bring its name into disrepute. The Committee shall also have the power to take action against any Club whose Officials or supporters are found guilty of persistently causing trouble. Club Officials may be suspended from holding office for any Member Club or from participating in any Competition under the jurisdiction of the Association and if the offences are of a magnitude which could bring the reputation of the Association into disrepute, the Committee may recommend to the A.G.M. that the offending Club's application for membership be refused.

17. Players injured in matches under the jurisdiction of the Association and in County Cup Competition matches are eligible to apply for a Benevolent Grant. All claims must be made on the Official Claim form which must be completed in full and accompanied by any certificated required. Official Claim Forms are available from the Hon. Secretary. The Management Committee shall determine at all times the payments made to claimants on Forms.