Lions Clubs International

NOMENCLATURE and CONSTITUTION

Nomenclature and Constitution

1This combination of Football Clubs shall be designated the Lions Clubs International 5 Nations Youth Football Competition and shall consist of not more than 256 Youth Football Clubs who shall be Associate Member Clubs.

All such Football Clubs shall be duly affiliated to a recognised County Football Association and shall have been nominated for entry by a Lions Club, or by the Management Committee for the competition, within Multiple District 105 (that is the countries of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) of the International Association of Lions Clubs, and their names and particulars shall be returned annually by the appointed date on the prescribed form to the Football Association.

All nominee Football Clubs must be Youth Teams and shall be formed of players over the age of twelve (12) on 31^st August and under the age of fourteen (14) on the first (1st) September in the current season.

The competition must receive the sanction of the Football Association, to whom it may be affiliated.

Entrance Fee

2(a)Applications by Football Clubs for admission to the Competition must be made in writing to the Competition Chairman and must be accompanied by an Entrance Fee of £25 per team which shall be returned in the event of non-selection.All applications that have been sponsored by a Lions Club must be countersigned by a member of the nominating Lions Club. The closing date for entries is the last Saturday in August.

(b)A Football Club must advise the MD Competition Chairman in writing by the last Saturday in August annually of their County Football Association affiliation number.Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the Competition.

 

Officers

3The Officers of the Competition shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Competition Secretary, to be elected annually, by the Council of Governors, Lions Clubs International Multiple District 105.

Management

 

4(a)The Competition shall be governed in accordance with the Rules, Regulations and Practices of the Association by a Management Committee, consisting of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Competition Secretary and the District Youth Football Officers.

(b)The Management Committee shall meet as often as is necessary, and shall deal with business as it arises.

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

 

Powers of the Management

5(a)The Management Committee may appoint an Emergency Committee and/or other sub-committees as they may consider necessary and may delegate all or any of their powers to such committees, or in the event of a dispute within a single District the District Officer may assume such powers provided that the Lions Club or the football team represented by that District Officer is not involved in that dispute. The decisions, of all such committees, or the District Officer shall be reported to the Management Committee. In cases of prima facie contravention of the rules the decision may be to disqualify either or both teams from the competition. In these cases such decisions will be final, with no right of appeal, without the need to bring such matters to the full Committee, provided that the District Officer has assessed the necessary facts in the case and has consulted with the Management Committee Chair, Vice Chair, or secretary, and his District Youth Team Chairperson, or District Governor.

In a fast-moving competition such as this, when matches for each round are subject to a deadline, necessary timescales will not permit the delays associated in convening the full MD Committee.

(b)Each member of the Management Committee shall be entitled to attend all Management Committee meetings, and have one vote thereat but no member shall be allowed to vote on any matter directly appertaining to himself or to any Lions Club or Youth Team he represents (this principle shall apply to the procedure of any Committee).In the event of the voting being equal on any matter the Chairman shall have a Second or Casting vote.

 

(c)The Management Committee shall have powers to apply, sit upon and enforce the Rules of the Competition and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the Competition, including any not provided for by the Rules.

(d)All decisions of the Management Committee shall be binding subject to the right of appeal to the Board of Appeal (and in accordance with Rule 18).Decisions shall be notified in writing to all concerned within seven days.

(e)Five (5) members of the Management Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and five (5) members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by any Sub-Committee.

(f)The Management Committee as it may deem necessary, shall have power to fill any vacancies that may occur, and have the right to co-opt other members for advisory purposes only.

(g)All fines and charges shall be paid within 7 days of the date of the notification of imposition (unless otherwise ordered).Clubs, Officials or individuals committing a breach of this Rule shall be liable to such penalties as the Management Committee may impose.

Annual General Meeting

6No Annual General Meeting shall be held.This competition shall be part of the Lions Clubs International Multiple District 105 Youth Activities Trust, a Registered Charity No 287292.The details and report of the Competition will be presented to the Annual Convention of Lions Clubs International Multiple District 105 as part of the Youth Activities Trust Report for their approval.

The Council of Governors, Multiple District 105, Lions Clubs International shall cause to be kept books, accounts and records as will enable it to draw up annually, and at such shorter periods as it may require, an Income and Expenditure Account together with a Balance Sheet showing the assets and liabilities of the Youth Football Competition as at the end of the financial year and at such other intermediate dates as the Council may require.

The Annual Accounts and Balance Sheet will be included in the report of the Youth Activities Trust, Registered Charity No 287292 whose accounts are prepared yearly to the 30th June and presented at the following Multiple District 105 Annual Convention.

Auditors are appointed by the Multiple District 105 Annual Convention.

A signed copy of the duly audited Balance Sheet and Statement of Accounts shall be forwarded to the Football Association (as the Sanctioning Association) within 7 days of its adoption by the Multiple District 105 Annual Convention.

Qualification of Players

7(a)All Football Clubs must have amateur status and must not be associated with or affiliated to any Premiership, Championship or Football League Club.Entries will not be accepted which are, in the opinion of the Management Committee, representative sides, either of Leagues or a combination of Leagues, whether or not playing in Inter League Competitions.Entries from schools will be acceptable, provided these teams are properly affiliated to the Junior FA, have their own insurance cover to play under and are willing to play their fixtures as required within the deadlines, even if this should involve a game on Sunday or in school holidays.

(b)To be eligible all players must be over the age of twelve (12) on 31^st August, and under the age of fourteen (14) on the first (1^st) September in the current season.

Provisions Regarding Qualifications of Players

8(a)A player shall not in the same season of this Competition play for more than one competing Football Club in this competition, but the members of each respective team may be changed during the series of matches.

(b)Each individual player shall have been a recognised playing member of the Football Club for which he is selected to play at least 14 days prior to the date fixed for the playing of any round, and only those players who were qualified to play in a previous round shall be eligible to play in the semi-final or the final ties.

(c)In the case of postponed matches only those players shall be allowed to play who were eligible on the original date, see 8b above.

(d)If the Management Committee have any doubt as to the qualification of any player taking part in the Competition, they shall have power to call upon such player, or the Football Club to which he belongs, or for which he played, to prove that he is qualified according to the rules, and failing satisfactory proof, the Management Committee may disqualify such player, and may remove the Football Club from the Competition, order the game to be replayed or awarded to the opponents or impose such other penalty as they may think fit.

(e) All teams must have available to be shown to the opposing team manager and or the referee the standard proof of identity applicable to their local league. For example in most cases throughout the leagues young players should have a photographed & signed identity card showing date of birth. These can then be compared with the signatures on the match report form - see 12 (b).

(f)A Football Club may at its discretion use five substitute players at any time in a cup tie, except to replace a player who has been suspended from the game by the referee after play has commenced.The substitution can only be made when play has been stopped for any reason and the referee has given permission.

(g) A team shall be permitted to use all five substitutes in any match whose names shall be given to the Referee prior to the commencement of the game.

 

(h) A player who has been substituted during a match himself becomes a substitute & may, in turn, replace another player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.

Colours

9(a)Every Football Club must register its colours with the Management Committee who shall decide as to their suitability.

(b)Goal-keepers must wear colours which distinguish them from other players and the referees.

(c)No player, including the goal-keeper, shall be permitted to wear black shirts.In the event of a colour clash, the Home Team will change.

 

Playing Season

10(a)The Management Committee shall fix the date in the following season on which the normal playing season of the competition shall terminate and no Football Club shall be compelled to play after that date.

(b)All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the game as settled by the International Football Association Board.

 

Notification

 

11Home Football Clubs must notify opponents, referee and linesmen, not less than five days before the match, of the exact route to the ground, also the colours in which the Team will play.In the event of the match being played on a ground other than named on the Football Club's entry form, the Competition Secretary must be advised at the same time. In the event of a neutral ground having been arranged by the Management Committee these responsibilities will become those of that committee. If the competition schedule has been delayed for any reason then to move the competition forward the Management Committee may waive this 5 day rule.

Arrangements must be made between the Home Football Club Secretary, his Football Club's opponents and the Match Officials to cover any emergencies i.e. postponements of game due to bad weather etc, to save unnecessary expense/travelling etc, such postponement shall not normally take place until the date fixed for the playing of the match, however in the event of a sustained period of heavy rainfall leading up to the game a pitch inspection may be made the day before the scheduled match, and the Competition Secretary must be so advised. When a game has been arranged at a mutually convenient neutral ground (see Rule 18), it will be the responsibility of both competing teams to check with the Club hosting the match.

It will be the responsibility of the management committee to ensure that all parties have the necessary contact details.

A Football Club guilty of contravention of one or more sections of this rule, shall be fined £3.00 for each contravention.

 

Results of Matches

12(a)The District Co-ordinator (see your current MD Directory) must be informed of the result by telephone at the end of the match. Football Clubs entering without the sponsorship of a local Lions Club will be given details of their local District Co-ordinator, who may be referred to as “The District Youth football Officer”.

(b)Each competing Football Club shall be supplied with a match report form, and the Secretary of each competing Football Club, shall send the match report form together with result and full names and signatures of the players who took part therein, to reach the MD Competition Secretary within 5 days of the match having been played.

Referees and Assistant Referees

 

13(a)Referees and Assistant Referees shall be appointed from the County Association Lists of Referees.

A fee consistent with your local youth league rules or guide lines should be offered to a referee and to each assistant referee.

(b)In the case of a match being postponed and the match officials actually travelling to the ground they shall be paid half fee and full travelling expenses.

(c)Match officials shall acknowledge directions received from the Home Football Club where possible giving a telephone number at which they can be contacted prior to travelling to the ground.

Match Expenses

14(a)The Home Football Club will be responsible for all expenses involved in playing the match except the visiting Football Club's travelling costs.These will be the responsibility of the visiting Football Club.

 

(b) In the later stages of the competition when a team nominally drawn as the away side is faced with a journey exceeding 2 hours 30 minutes the management committee will arrange a neutral ground close to the mid-way point between both teams. In this event the management committee will take responsibility for appointment of match officials, and refreshments, and will consider travelling expenses of both teams.

(c)The Semi-Final and Final ties will be played on a neutral ground and the Management Committee will have direct control of all arrangements.

 

Misconduct

15All cases of misconduct must be reported to the County Association to which the Football Club concerned is affiliated.

Protests

16(a)All protests, claims, complaints shall be referred to the Management Committee within 48 hours of the match accompanied by a protest fee of£10.00, part of which shall be the hearing fee, ie £3.00.The Football Club losing the appeal shall lose full protest fee.Should a Football Club's appeal be upheld, then the fee of £7.00 will be refunded.

(b)Any protest relating to the ground, goal-posts, cross-bars, or other appurtenances of the game, shall not be entertained by the Management Committee, unless notice with particulars has been given to the Football Club immediately it comes to their knowledge and an objection has been lodged with the referee before the commencement of the match.The referee shall require the responsible Football Club to remove the cause of objection, if this is possible without unduly delaying the progress of the match.

(c)When an objection has been lodged with the referee, a protest and fee must be lodged with the MD Competition Secretary, see 16a, and no objection or protest shall be withdrawn except by leave of the Management Committee.

(d)In dealing with any protests the Management Committee may take into consideration the possession by the protesting Club of any knowledge which if properly used, might have obviated the protest.

(e)The MD Competition Secretary shall send a copy of the protest and particulars to the Football Club protested against.

(f)Each Football Club may use witnesses to support its case.

(g)If a member of the Management Committee is connected with a Football Club concerned in a dispute or protest, he shall not sit on the Management Committee while the dispute or protest is being considered.

(h)Neither a Barrister nor a Solicitor shall represent a Football Club at the hearing of a dispute or protest, unless he is the Chairman or the Secretary of the Football Club concerned.

Appeals against a decision of the Competition Committee

17Appeal against Decision of The Association, Affiliated Associations and Competitions sanctioned by The Association

An appeal to the Appeals Board of the Football Association shall be made and be conducted only in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Football Association that relate to appeals to an Appeals Board as are in force at any time.

See Appendix and note appeal fee of £50.00 is payable on lodging appeal with Soho Square.

Playing of the Competition

18The Management Committee may divide the constituent teams into geographic groups conforming as near to the territorial divisions of the Districts within Multiple District 105 as is considered practicable.

The names of the Football Clubs in each such group shall be drawn in couples these couples shall compete with each other, and the names of the winners shall be drawn in couples and compete with each other.

All matches must be played by the date specified for each round of the competition as notified with the draw for each round.

After discussion between both managers the home team manager will offer three possible dates before the “date to be played by” as notified with the draw for each round.If none of these dates is accepted by the away team manager, the home team manager must notify the sponsoring Lions Club who in turn will inform the Lions District Officer, who will decide who will progress to the next round, based on information from both football team managers and from both Lions Clubs, consulting any other District Officer(s) who may be involved.

This decision may be to disqualify either or both teams from the competition if no solution is found.The District Officer(s) decision is final with no grounds for appeal.

However, in the event of a serious disruption to the competition schedule, such as that experienced in seasons 2009–2010 and 10-11, when some games were not organised until after the “date to be played by” the Management Committee may decide to waive this “3 dates rule”, and will decide a suitable method to move the competition forward. That Committee decision will be final with no grounds for appeal. This rule will only be invoked if there is a danger that the semi-final dates cannot be met.

The winner of each District shall go forward to a National Competition and shall be drawn in couples, these couples shall compete with each other and the names of the winners shall be drawn in couples and compete with each other, and the winner of the Final Tie shall be the holder of the Cup for the current year.

Byes shall be drawn at the discretion of the Management Committee.

Each game will be played on the ground of the Football Club first drawn in the ballot, unless otherwise mutually arranged. This option is to be given serious consideration when the team drawn away is faced with a long journey especially given the ages of the players competing.

Note that where the team nominally drawn as the away side is faced with a journey exceeding 2 hours 30 minutes, then the management committee will enforce this option. See Rule 14(b).

The Referee shall have the power to disqualify any player, or not, for misbehaviour during the match, and the team to which a disqualified player belongs shall play the remainder of the game without him, nor shall any substitute be allowed.

Every player must wear the distinctive colours of the Football Club for which he is a playing member and, should two Football Clubs have similar colours, the Home Club shall change its colours.Should both Football Clubs concerned in the Semi-Final Tie or Final Tie have similar colours, then both Football Clubs must change and, in the event of such Football Clubs not agreeing upon the colours to be worn, the Management Committee shall decide.

The duration of each match shall be 70 minutes, played as two halves of 35 minutes each, separated by a half-time interval of 10 minutes.If after the expiry of 70 minutes both Football Clubs have scored an equal number of goals, a further 20 minutes of extra time shall be played, in two 10 minute halves.If, following the completion of extra time, the match is still drawn; the winners shall be determined by a series of kicks from the penalty spot.(For procedure see Rule 20).

In accordance with FA Guidelines a size 4 football must be used.

19A Cup, which shall remain the property of Lions Clubs International, Multiple District 105, shall be presented to the winning team at the conclusion of the Final tie.The Football Club shall insure the Cup for not less than its replacement value, and be responsible for its return to the MD Competition Secretary by 1st March the following year.Should the Cup be destroyed by fire or other accident whilst under the care or custody of the Football Club, the Football Club shall refund to the Competition an amount equal to its replacement cost or the cost of thorough repair.

On cessation of the Competition, the Cup shall be returned to the Council of Governors, Lions Clubs International Multiple District 105.

In addition to the Cup, the Management Committee shall present suitable mementoes to each of the players, managers and match officials in the Final Tie.

MATCHES MAY BE PLAYED ON A SATURDAY OR A SUNDAY OR ANY DAY OR EVENING AS MUTUALLY AGREED BY BOTH TEAMS. In the event of the weather threatening to disrupt the schedule, consideration must be given to playing during half term or full school holidays, and to using flood-lights and / or artificial playing surfaces where necessary.

OBTAINING A RESULT

Taking of Kicks from the Penalty Spot

20The taking of kicks from the penalty spot, which shall not be considered part of the match, will determine which of two teams in a drawn match shall proceed to a later stage of the competition, subject to the following conditions:

(a)All kicks shall be taken at one goal, which shall be chosen by the referee.

(b)The referee shall toss a coin, and the team whose captain wins the toss shall take the first kick.

 

(c)Subject to the terms of paragraphs (iii) and (iv),

(i)Both teams shall take five kicks

(ii)The kicks shall be taken alternately

(iii)If, before both teams have taken five kicks, one has scored more goals than the other could, even if it were to complete its five kicks, the taking of kicks shall cease.

(iv)If, after both teams have taken five kicks, both have scored the same number of goals, or have not scored any goals, the taking of kicks shall continue, in the same order until such time as both have taken an equal number of kicks and one has scored a goal more than the other.

(d)The team which scores the greater number of goals in accordance with paragraphs (c) (i),(c)(iii) or (c)(iv) shall qualify for the next round of the competition.

(e)(i)With the exception referred to in paragraph (e)(ii), only the players who are on the field of play at the end of the match, which shall mean the end of extra time in a match in which extra time is authorised and any who, having left the field temporarily, with or without the referees permission, are not on the field of play at that time, shall take part in the taking of kicks.

(ii)Provided that his team has not already made use of the maximum number of substitutes permitted by the rules of the competition a goalkeeper who sustains an injury during the taking of the kicks, and who, because of the injury, is unable to continue as goalkeeper, may be replaced by a substitute.

(f)Each kick shall be taken by a different player, and not until all eligible players of any team, including the goalkeeper or substitute by whom he was replaced have each taken a kick, may a player of the same team take a second kick.

(g)Subject to the terms of paragraph (e) (ii) any player who is eligible may change places with his goalkeeper at any time during the taking of the kicks.

(h)(i)Other than the player taking the kick from the penalty spot, and the two goalkeepers, all other players shall remain within the centre circle whilst the taking of kicks is in progress.

(ii)The goalkeeper who is a member of the same team as the kicker shall take up a position within the field of play, outside the penalty area at which the kicks are being taken, and at least 20 yards from the penalty spot.

 

Rules

21Each Football Club shall be deemed to have given its assent to the foregoing rules and agreed to abide by the decisions of the Management Committee.

Definitions

In the interpretation of these Rules the expression 'The Association' shall be taken to mean 'The Football Association', 'The Football Association of Wales', 'The Irish Football Association', 'The Scottish Football Association', and ‘The Football Association of Ireland', as appropriate both individually and collectively.

In the context of Football Club the term ' Association' shall mean the National Association to which the individual Football Club is affiliated either directly or through a County, Regional, Schools, or Area Association affiliated to the National Association.

APPENDIX

The Appendix to these Rules of the Competition must be read in conjunction to these rules and contains those rules laid down by the Football Association which then become part of the rules of this competition.

August 2011