There have been a number of complaints already this season of players being “poached” to play in other teams. The league management committee feel that maybe people do not understand the current FA rules on this subject. So, the current (simplified) FA rules are reproduced below. If you don’t understand them or are in any doubt of how they apply to you, ring me.

The same applies to club appointed officials, maybe people don’t understand the rules which can then lead to allegations of adults refereeing/running the line at their own games and cheating by openly coaching their players whilst adopting the role of a match official. Hopefully the articles below will assist in clarifying these matters and stopping these things happening.

THE FA SEVEN DAY APPROACH RULE.

The same rules apply for either situation below:

a) You are approached directly by a player or indirectly about a player signing for you that is already signed to another club.

b) You want to speak or approach a player signed with another club about signing for you.

FA (simplified) Rules.

1. A manager wishing to speak to a player about joining their team, when the player is already registered with another team MUST ask their Club Secretary to write to the Club Secretary of the players current Club giving seven days’ formal written notice of their intention to speak to the player.

2. The written notice must be sent by Special Delivery or Recorded Post, or a written acknowledgment otherwise obtained from the Secretary or Chairman of the player’s current Club. (Fax or e-mails may be used provided a receipt of acknowledgment is also obtained.)

3. Once this has been done the player can be spoken to on or after the eighth day, and the player must be registered on or before the 21st day.

4. If the player declines your offer to leave their current team and join your team then you cannot approach them again in the same season (FA season is from 1^st July 2005 to 31^st May 2006)

5. You can only approach one player in the same team at any time.

6. You cannot approach another player in the same team within 28 days.

A Club which is the subject of a complaint alleging failure to give notice in accordance with the FA rules can be subject to a charge of misconduct under FA Rule E1(b). Therefore ALL instances of this rule being breached need to be raised by your Club Secretary with your County FA.

REFEREES

Managers/Assistants/Club Officials/Parents etc who referee or run the line at games CANNOT and MUST NOT coach the players at any time during the game, at half time or when the game is halted or the ball goes out of play. Remember rule 13B says where the competition has been unable to appoint a Referee, the Clubs shall agree upon a Referee. A Referee thus agreed upon shall, for that game, have the full powers, status and authority of a registered Referee. ALL bookings and sending offs MUST be reported on a county FA referees report form to your county FA (speak to Chris Lacey, Tom Edwards or Pete Barnard for a report form and assistance in completing the report). Failure to submit a report can make you liable to a charge for a breach of rules by your county FA.