Cambridge 5-A-Side Football League

League Rules

1. NAME:

The league shall be known as THE CAMBRIDGE 5-A-SIDE LEAGUE.

2. COMMITTEE:

The league shall be run by an elected committee, who shall have full power to run the league as they see fit. The committee shall consist of: a Chairman, General Secretary, Disciplinary Secretary, Treasurer and at least two other committee members.

3. GENERAL SECRETARY:

The Secretary shall convene all general and special meetings of the members of the league and of the committee, and shall conduct the correspondence of the league and have custody of all documents dealing with the league. He shall keep full and correct minutes of all proceedings. He shall keep a register of all affiliated clubs together with the clubs registered players.

4. TREASURER:

The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the league and shall make up the annual statement of accounts and balance sheet of the league and submit the same to the members at the Annual General Meeting.

5. RESIGNATION:

Clubs who wish to resign membership shall send written notice of resignation to the secretary at least four weeks before the A.G.M.

6. SUSPENSION:

The committee shall have the power to suspend any club/player who may offend against the rules of the league or whose conduct shall, in the opinion of the committee, render them/him unfit for membership of the league. A club may be expelled from the league by a majority vote at a properly convened meeting. If any team is expelled during the season then a new team will take over the expelled teams fixtures on a friendly basis and the games will be recorded as a walkover.

7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:

The Annual General Meeting shall be held on a suitable date after the end of the playing season. At least two weeks notice must be given. All clubs must be represented. Failure to be represented at the A.G.M. shall incur that club a fine of £25.00 The following business shall be transacted: To receive and if approved, adopt the reports and accounts of the previous year. To consider and if approved, sanction and duly make alterations to the playing rules. To elect the officers and committee members of the league. To deal with any special matters which the committee desire to bring to the members and to receive suggestions from the members for consideration by the committee. To transact any other business of the league.

8. FINES:

The committee shall have the power to fine any club/player for any breach of the rules of the Cambridge 5-A-Side League.

9. AFFILIATION:

The league shall be affiliated to the Cambridgeshire Football Association. All clubs must also be affiliated to the Cambridgeshire Football Association.

10. FEES:

The Treasurer will inform the clubs at the Annual General Meeting of the fee required for the following season and the date by which the fees must be received. Any club that fails to pay by the due date may be fined. Teams will not be allowed to take part in the league until fees have been paid.

PLAYING RULES  (Updated September 2005)

1. THE PLAYING AREA

Half of the main hall of the Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre will be used, giving a playing area of 100 feet in length and 60 feet in width. The size of the goals will be as supplied by Kelsey Kerridge Sports Centre.

2. THE BALL

The ball will be a size 4 in accordance with the laws of the small-side game

3. NUMBER OF PLAYERS

A team may consist of up to fourteen players of which any five can play in any one game, with up to three substitutes per team per game.

When a team wishes to make a substitution the following conditions must be observed:

The referee must be informed before any change is made, and the change may only be made during a stoppage in play.

Any of the other players, or substitutes, may change places with the goalkeeper.

A player that has been substituted can return to the same game.

A player may transfer from one club to another only once during any one season, after notification to the Secretary. No player may transfer from one team to another after the transfer deadline of 31st March of that season.

If a team turns up with only four players then that team will be fined a sum of £1 (one pound). If a team turns up with three or less players, or fails to turn up, then that team will forfeit the game and will be fined a sum of £15 (fifteen pounds) and be deducted 3 points. On the second occasion when a team is unable to play their games the team will be fined a further £15, deducted another 3 points and will receive a written warning. After a third occasion the team will be expelled from the League and another team invited to take their place.

The £15 will be waived if that team was able to inform the Secretary or Disciplinary Secretary of their inability to fulfil a fixture prior to midday of the day before the fixture was due to take place The deduction of 3 points will still apply. In the case of a team failing to turn up then their opponents will be awarded a 4-0 walkover.     

If a team cannot play the first of two or more fixtures during the night then all matches involving that team shall be recorded as 4-0 walkovers, even if more players turn up later.

It is the responsibility of the team secretary to ensure that a banned player does not take part in any matches.

4. PLAYERS KIT

A team shall wear a uniform kit with the goalkeeper wearing a distinct top from that of the other players. Only non-marking soled shoes are allowed in the sports centre. Shinguards must be worn.

If a team plays in mixed colour kit on 3 occasions they will be fined £10 (ten pounds), and a further £10 (ten pounds) on each subsequent occasion.

A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player, including any kind of jewellery.

5. REFEREES

The committee will appoint the referees and their decisions will be final.

6.DURATION OF THE GAME

The game will be seven and a half minutes each way, with up to one minute at half time.

7. START OF PLAY

The referee will toss a coin between a player from each team, the team winning the toss will have kick-off from the centre spot. Choice of ends will be by mutual consent.

After a goal is scored the team conceding the goal shall have kick-off from the centre spot. From the kick-off the ball must be played back over the half-way line before it goes forward.  If the ball is kicked out of bounds straight from the kick-off the game will be restarted with the ball being rolled back in by a member of the offended team.

8. FOUL PLAY

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following six offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent,
Trips or attempts to trip an opponent,
Jumps at an opponent,
Charges an opponent, even with the shoulder,
Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent,
Pushes an opponent.

A direct free kick is also awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following offences:

Holds an opponent,
Spits at an opponent,
Slides in an attempt to play the ball when it is being played or attempted to be played by an opponent (sliding tackle),
Handles the ball (except for the goalkeeper in his own penalty area).

9. DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Sin Bin Offences:

A player is shown the blue card and sent to the “Sin Bin” for 2 minutes if he commits any of the following offences:

Is guilty of unsporting behaviour,
Shows dissent by word or action,
Persistently infringes the Laws of the Game,
Delays the restart of play,
Fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a free kick or goal clearance,
Enters or re-enters the pitch without the referees permission or infringes the substitution procedure,
Deliberately leaves the pitch without the referees permission.

Sending-Off Offences:

A player is shown the red card and sent off if he commits any of the following offences:

Is guilty of serious foul play,
Is guilty of violent conduct,
Spits at an opponent or any other person,
Denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area),
Denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the players goal by an offence punishable by a free kick,
Uses offensive, insulting or abusive language.

10. FREE KICKS

For all offences other than 'ball over head height' the penalty will be a direct free kick.         

The penalty for 'ball over head height' is an indirect free kick.

All players on the offending side shall be not less than six feet from the ball when the free kick is taken.  

If, from an indirect free kick, the ball goes directly over the goal line without touching another player, then the ball is deemed dead. Play is restarted by the goalkeeper rolling the ball out.

If, in the opinion of the referee, the ball strikes a players head accidentally before going above head height the free kick will be against the kicker.

If the ball rebounds off the goalkeeper, goalpost or bar and goes over head height then the referee will allow play to continue.

There are no goal or corner kicks.

Slide tackles or heading of the ball are not allowed.

11. MISCONDUCT

A player committing misconduct listed below will be reported to the Cambridgeshire Football Association (Cambs FA) and will be dealt with under the appropriate disciplinary procedure. A player sent off for any of these offences will not be allowed to play in any later match of that Competition on that day. (Information from Cambs FA handbook 2005-6).

All fines must be paid before a player may take part in any further matches.

When dealing with misconduct, Cambs FA will have three options:-

a) Suspension for a period of match days within the Cambridge 5-A-Side League,

b) Suspension from all small side football for a period of time,

c) Suspension from all football at all levels for a period of time.

12.   PLAY WITHIN THE GOAL AREA

Only the defending goalkeeper is allowed within the goal area and he is not allowed outside the goal area.

Penalty for infringement:

Defender entering the area = a penalty kick.  

Attacker entering the area = goalkeepers ball. 

Goalkeeper leaving his area = a penalty kick.  

The referee will decide on accidental or intentional entry/exit.

13. PENALTY KICKS

To be taken from the penalty mark on the edge of the goal area. Only the goalkeeper and the player taking the penalty kick are allowed in the area if the penalty mark is inside the goal area. Time will be allowed to take the penalty kick if half or full time expires.

The penalty kicker shall take a maximum run up of three strides.

The player taking the penalty kick may not play the ball a second time until it has touched another player.

14. GOALKEEPER RETURNING THE BALL INTO PLAY

After gathering the ball the goalkeeper must return the ball into play immediately with an underarm bowling action below head height.  Penalty for not doing this will be a direct free kick six feet from the goal area.

The goalkeeper may not deliberately kick the ball from his goal area. Penalty for controlling the ball before kicking it from the goal area will be a direct free kick six feet from the goal area.

15.   RECEIVING THE BALL FROM THE GOALKEEPER  

A player who receives the ball from the goalkeeper shall not return it directly back to the goalkeeper. 

Penalty for doing so will be a direct free kick six feet from the goal area.

16.   SCORING OF GOALS

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball crosses the goal line within the limits of the post and bar unless an infringement of the rules has been made.

Note: These rules are in addition to or replace standard football and small-side football rules where applicable.

If you want to know more about the Cambridge 5-A-Side Football League please contact me: Terry Wilby

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