League Duties for Match Secretaries

Arrangement of Matches

Fixture and referee appointments must not be changed without the consent of the appropriate League Match and Referees’ Secretaries.

Where there is a clash of games, the following order of precedence applies:

(a) FA Vase (b) County FA or AFA Cups (c) London Old Boys Cups & LFFA Cups

(d) School Match (e) League Match (f) Friendly

The ruling on AFA and County FA Cups of equal status is that the cup competition of your parent county takes precedence. County FA Cups will at all times take precedence over County AFA Cups irrespective of status. If Clubs find that County FAs will not accept these rulings, the League Secretary must be informed immediately.

Clubs are reminded that individual teams may not enter more than three Cup competitions played on a Saturday.

The last date of the season for League matches will be fixed by the League Council and notified to Clubs during the season. All teams must be regarded as available for fixtures every Saturday during the season, and for weekday evening matches in April and May, even if games are not initially arranged by League Match Secretaries. However, a Club may request that "no fixture" be allocated to a team on a particular Saturday during the season. Such requests must be made to the relevant Divisional Match Secretary at least four weeks in advance of the date concerned, who will then decide whether to agree to such a request (a suitable reason must be given along with the request). A team may make no more than one such request in a season. When a side has been granted "no fixture" the Club concerned must ensure that its remaining lower sides are not "over-strength". This rule only applies to league fixtures. Clubs with County Cup fixtures may not request "no fixture". Matches which are played must, as usual, comply with rules 10(e) and 10(f) which require the Club’s strongest team to play as the first team, the second strongest team to play as the second team and so on and, if the Club is short of players, the fixtures of the lowest teams must be cancelled in preference to those of the highest teams.

Friendly fixtures should not be arranged before the Club Match Secretary has checked with the appropriate Divisional Match Secretary that no League fixture will be allocated to the team concerned.

"Double Headers"

In circumstances when the programme of fixtures becomes disrupted, most commonly by weather conditions, you may be asked to arrange "double headers" for some or all of your Club’s teams. This is a measure taken to ease fixture congestion and to ensure that the League programme can be completed within the season. "Double headers" can be played between two teams if they have not previously met during the course of the season. The teams play two games, one immediately after the other, each game being of 60 minutes’ duration. Matches cannot be played for "double points". One game will count as your Club’s home match and the other as your opponent’s home match. For League purposes, the games are treated as being entirely separate with three points for a win and one for a draw in each case. Substitutes must be nominated to the referee for each match in the normal way. It is usual for the two clubs involved to share the match expenses, such as the two Referee’s fees and the pitch hire, between them. Clubs may also agree to an early kick-off for the first game so that the second game finishes at the normal time for a single, 90-minute match.

Confirmation of Matches to Visitors and Referees

Check latest kick-off times from the dates at the front of the Handbook. Confirmation of matches, giving date, kick-off times, club colours (home side to change if colours clash) and directions to your ground must be given to the visitors and the match officials at least 5 days prior to the match. If a home club has been unable to make contact with the appointed referee by Tuesday preceding the weekend the games are due to be played, the Hon Referee Secretary is to be informed immediately.

If you plan to use an artificial pitch, even as a reserve option, make sure you agree this with the referee and opposition in advance.

Confirm the date of cup matches with your opponents as soon as possible after the draw is known, in case it clashes with a game of higher precedence (see Arrangement of Matches).

Postponement or Cancellation of Matches

When it is necessary to postpone or cancel a match, the Match Secretaries of both clubs must notify the following, as soon as possible, in the following order:

(a) the Opponents - if the cancellation is caused by ground conditions, it is possible that the game could be switched to the opponents’ ground

(b) the Referee

(c) the Referees’ Secretary - in case the referee can be appointed to another game

(d) your Club Team Secretary

(e) Vivien Syms (020-8360-3339) if the result of the match would have been required as a press result or Fred Nuckey (01708-721-693) if the match would not be required as a press result.

(f) the Divisional Match Secretary.

Both Clubs must notify the Divisional Match Secretary of drawn or postponed Cup games or postponed or unplayed League games by 9.00 pm on the same day. This is so that adequate time is available for League Match Secretaries and Referees’ Secretaries to re-arrange the following week’s programme and appointments. The League Match Secretaries will notify the Referees’ Secretaries of the postponed and re-arranged games for the following Saturday. It is not necessary for Club Fixture Secretaries to contact the Referees’ Secretaries in this regard. League Match Secretaries will re-arrange postponed matches in conjunction with Club Match Secretaries.

If you are involved in either a game against a School or a Cup game, notify the appropriate League Match Secretary as soon as possible. If it is necessary to cancel a match owing to a shortage of players or loss of a pitch, the game involving the lowest team must be cancelled and the Divisional Match Secretary advised immediately.

Other Responsibilities

The following duties may be the responsibility of the Club Match Secretary and should be agreed between yourself and your Club Committee.

The home club must telephone results of all games after the match. Refer to Sending in Results and Rule 11 for full details.

Each Club must send the results of its matches to the League Results Secretary on the Comprehensive Results Sheet and must ensure that they are received within four days of the matches being played. The Comprehensive Result Sheet is a most important document and all sections of the form must be completed for all teams, irrespective of whether they are involved in League, Cup or Friendly games.

Separate notes are provided elsewhere giving guidance on completing the Comprehensive Result Sheets and the marking of Referees.

If you are in any difficulty with regard to your responsibilities, please remember that the League Match Secretaries are always pleased to offer their help and advice.

Withdrawal Of Teams From The Competition

If, during the course of the Season, it becomes clear that your Club has insufficient numbers of players to be able to fulfil all of your League fixtures, you should withdraw a team, usually your lowest XI. To do this, your Club must write to the Chairman of the Fixtures Committee and to the appropriate Divisional Match Secretary, as set out in Rule 14b

Under Rules 10f and 10l the Fixtures Committee has the power to deduct points or to require Clubs to withdraw teams that have not been regularly available for League matches. This may be done to avoid inconvenience to League and Club Officers caused by repeated arrangement and cancellation of League matches. As a general rule of thumb, the Fixtures Committee expects all teams to have completed at least 25% of their League fixtures by January 31st unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as Cup runs or multiple cancellations owing to poor weather.