1(a) The Competition shall be called the NHCSFL Whitbread Cup Competition for the Whitbread Cup, and shall be competed for annually in the form of a Knockout Competition.
1(b) Entry shall be confined to clubs which participate in the Premier Division, Divisions 1 and 2 of the NHCSFL – 1 team per Club.
1(c) A player shall not play for more than 1 club in the Competition in the same season.
CHALLENGE CUP COMPETITION
1(a) The Competition shall be called the NHCSFL Challenge Cup Competition for the Challenge Cup, and shall be competed for annually in the form of a Knockout Competition.
1(b)Entry shall be confined to clubs which participate in Divisions 3 and 4 of the NHCSFL – 1 team per Club.
1(c) A player shall not play for more than 1 club in the Competition in the same season.
THE RESERVE CUP COMPETITION
1(a) The Competition shall be called the NHCSFL Reserve Cup Competition for the Jack Coyle Trophy, and shall be competed for annually in the form of a Knockout Competition.
1(b) Entry shall be confined to Reserve teams in the NHCSFL – 1 team per Club.
1(c) A player shall not play for more than 1 club in this Competition in the same season.
CUP RULES - APPLICABLE TO ALL COMPETITIONS
PLAYERS
2 A player taking part in these Competitions must be registered with the Registration Secretary on the appropriate form at least 7 days prior to the match, but this qualification shall not apply to matches played previous to 1st November in any season. All players taking part
in Semi-Final and Final ties must have played 4 competitive games for their teams prior to the Semi-Final ties in all Competitions (NHCSFL League and Cups, National and CountyCups).
MANAGEMENT
3(a) The management and control of the Competitions shall be vested in the Management Committee, which shall have the power to deal with any matter not provided for in these Rules.
3(b) The Management Committee to seed the Competitions as required.
REFEREES AND ASISTANT REFEREES
4(a) Registered referees shall be appointed by the Management Committee to act in all matches.
4(b) In the event of a non-appearance of the referee, clubs must mutually agree upon a substitute and providing a game be played to the finish it shall rank as a cup tie.
4(c) In all matches prior to the Semi-Final each club must provide its own club assistant referee or be fined a sum of £5.
4(d) Assistant referees shall be appointed by the Management Committee to act in the Semi-Final and Final ties.
4(e) Referees fees for all rounds shall be £25, qualified referees appointed by the Management Committee as assistant referees £15. The payment of these fees shall be shared equally between the competing clubs.
4(f) In the event of a match not being played – Rule 13(F) to apply.
4(g) Referees not keeping their engagement – Rule 13(B) and 13(G) to apply.
4(h) Referees marks – Rule 13(H) to apply.
4(i) Referees are instructed to report – Rule 13(I) to apply.
4(j) The officials in the Final tie shall receive for their services suitably inscribed momentos similar to the winners.
CUP AND TROPHY MATCHES
5(a) The Management Committee shall make the draw for the various rounds and shall fix dates and grounds on which they are to be played. The kick-off for all matches in these Competitions, excluding the Final ties shall be 10.30am, or as determined by the Management Committee. Any Club failing to commence at the appointed time may be fined a sum not exceeding £5, or otherwise dealt with as the Management Committee may determine.
5(b) All matches shall be played on the dates fixed by the Management Committee, priority being given to Football Association or CountyCup games.
5(c) All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as set out by the International Football Association board.
5(d) The duration of the game shall be 90 minutes except that in special cases provided for in these Rules. An extra 15 minutes each way must be played should the score be level at normal time, including time allowed by the referee for wasted time, loss through accident or any other causes. Should the scores be level at the end of extra time the match will be decided by penalties. Teams not ready to kick-off within 25 minutes of the scheduled kick-off shall not be allowed to play. Referees must order matches to commence at the appointed time if possible.
5(e) Goal nets and corner flags must be provided at all ties.
5(f) The Semi-Final and Final ties shall be on neutral grounds to be decided by the Management Committee, the duration being 90 minutes with 15 minutes extra time each way if necessary. Should the scores still remain level at the end of extra time the match will be decided by the taking of penalties in accordance with the Football Association, “obtaining a result of the Knockout Competition”.
5(g) It is the responsibility of all home clubs to present the match ball and assistant referees flags to the referee 10 minutes before the time of kick-off. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule will be fined, or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the Management Committee.
5(h) Every club shall play its best available qualified team in all matches in the Competition. In the event of a team playing with less than 11 players they shall be fined £5 for each player deficient. A minimum of 7 players will constitute a team for a Competition match.
5(i) In the event of a club failing to keep its engagements the Management Committee shall have the power to inflict a fine, award the tie to the opponents, order the defaulting club to pay expenses incurred by the opponents or otherwise deal with them at its discretion.
5(j) Any club failing to produce a pitch voucher, or receipt where required, shall be fined £5 and or dealt with as the Management Committee decides.
5(k) The net receipts of the Final tie shall be divided as detailed below after the following:
(i) One third of the receipts to the NHCSFL.
(ii) The remaining two-thirds net receipts to be divided between the 2 Finalists in proportion to the value of the tickets sold by them for the Final tie.
5(l)All match expenses shall be shared equally between the competing clubs in all rounds prior to the Final tie.
5(m) Results – League Rule 11 to apply.
5(n) Notice of appointment – League Rule 10(D) to apply.
5(o) Notice to opponents and referees – League Rule 10(I) to apply.
5(p) In the event of a match not being played (or abandoned) owing to causes over which neither club has control it shall be replayed in its entirety on a date to be arranged by the Management Committee.
5(q) The Management Committee shall review all abandoned matches and in the cases where it is of advantage to the Competition, and does no injustice to another club, shall be empowered to order the score at the time of abandonment to be recorded as a result.
CLUB COLOURS – CLUB NAME
(6) League Rule 9 to apply.
PROTESTS AND APPEALS
(7) League Rule 18 to apply.
WINNERS OF THE COMPETITION
(8) League Rule 18 to apply.
ALTERATION TO RULES
(9) League Rule 20 to apply.
SUBSTITUTES
(10) League Rule 10(G) to apply.
OBTAINING A RESULT
TAKING OF KICKS FROM THE PENALTY MARK
The International Board at its Meeting on 27th June 1970 accepted a proposal by the Federation Internationale de Football Association that the practice of drawing
lots to determine who of 2 teams in a drawn match should proceed to a later stage in a Knockout Competition or receive the trophy (if any) be discontinued and be replaced by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark which will be considered to be part of the match, subject to the following conditions:
(1) The referee shall choose the goal at which all the kicks will be taken
.
(2) He shall toss a coin and the team whose captain wins the toss shall take the first kick.
(3a) Subject to the terms of the following paragraph (c) and (d) both teams will take 5 kicks.
(3b) The kicks will be taken alternately.
(3c) If, before both teams have taken 5 kicks, 1 has scored more goals than the other could, even if they were to complete its 5 kicks, taking of the kicks will cease.
(3d) If, after both teams have taken 5 kicks, both teams have scored the same number of goals, or have not scored any goals, taking of the kicks shall continue in the same order until both teams have taken an equal number of kicks (not necessarily 5 more kicks) and 1 has scored a goal more than the other.
(4) The team which has scored the greater number of goals, whether the number of kicks taken in accordance with the terms of the forgoing paragraphs 3(a) or 3(c) shall qualify for the next round of the Competition, or shall be declared the winner of the Competition, as the case may be.
(5a) With the exception referred to in the following paragraph 5(b) only players who are on the field of play at the end of the match, which shall mean at the end of extra time in-so-far as the match in which extra time is authorised is concerned, and any who, having left the field of play temporarily with or without the referee’s permission are not on the field of play at that time, shall take part in the taking of penalties.
(5b) Provided his team has not already made use of the maximum number of substitutes permitted by the Rules of the Competition under which the match was played, a goalkeeper who sustains an injury during the taking of the kicks and who, because of the injury is unable to continue as a goalkeeper, may be replaced as a substitute.
(6) Each kick should be taken by a different player, and not until the eligible player of any team, including the goalkeeper, or the named substitute by whom he was replaced in terms of paragraph (5) as the case may be, having taken a kick, may the player of the same team take a second kick.
North Home Counties Sunday Football League - Founded 1966
