Registration of All Players Will Take Place in Accordance with ECB Guidelines and As Designated

REGISTRATION 2017

Registration of all players will take place in accordance with ECB guidelines and as designated by the League Management Committee.

Registration forms and transfer forms are available from the League Secretary and may also be downloaded from the League website. All required documentation must be submitted to the League Secretary unless Clubs are notified of any alternative arrangement.

Every player registered to play in the League explicitly acknowledges by virtue of his/her registration the Rules of the League and the Playing Conditions, and in particular the powers of the League in relation to conduct and disciplinary procedures, and undertakes to be bound by them. Infringements of the registration regulations and procedure will be reported to a Disciplinary Committee which has the power to impose fines, deduct points or relegate teams as it sees fit.

No player may be registered for more than one club.

To play in the League all players shall be registered under the following categories:

Category 1 Player - players not covered below

Category 2 Contracted Player - to a first class County

Category 3 Overseas Player - as defined by the ECB

Category 3E Overseas Player (Exempt) - see below

Registration will be via Play-Cricket.com. The information required will contain full player name (surname, forenames and initials); current address including postcode, date of birth, country of birth (if outside UK date of most recent entry to UK), previous club(s); registered category plus player and club administrators authorisation. In addition all Category 2, 3 and 3E players must complete a Registration Form. Each player will be allocated a unique identifier.

Player Restrictions

Category 1

No restrictions

Category 2

Maximum one per team unless the player has been a playing member of the Club for more than two years and will be required to re-register each season

Category 3

Maximum one per team and will be required to re-register each season

Category 3E

Maximum one per team and will be required to re-register each season

Category 3E Definition

A player not qualified to play for England under the current ECB regulations; who is ordinarily resident in this country and has been resident in this country for a period of 18 consecutive months prior to the date of request for registration; and has not been out of the country for more than 35 days consecutively or 70 days in total during the previous 18 months. Any remuneration received from playing cricket must not be the main source of his income. The definition of “ordinarily resident” shall be in the absolute discretion of the League Management Committee.

In relation to the registration of Category 3E Players

Clubs must satisfy themselves by checking evidence of any such player’s continuous residence in the UK, e.g. utility bills, council tax bills, entry and departure dates on passport. In addition, every Category 3E player must sign a declaration, as follows:

“ I confirm that I have been resident in England and Wales for the past two years and during that period, I have not been outside England and Wales for longer than 35 days consecutively or 70 days in total. I also confirm that any payment that I receive for playing cricket is not my main source of income. I understand that the punishment for making a false declaration in this regard will be severe and will most likely result in a lengthy ban, which will apply to all forms of recreational cricket in England and Wales.”

In the event of a player making a false declaration, the Club will also be liable to disciplinary action if it has failed to carry out all reasonable checks on the player’s documentary evidence. Clubs will therefore be expected to keep a record of all such checks. Providing that the declaration is signed and the criteria are met these players will be registered as deemed Category One

In relation to the registration of Category 3E Players

As there is a continuing need to verify that the criteria are met, Clubs must re-register all Category 3E players each season, providing evidence of their continuous residence in this country, otherwise they will be deemed to be Category 3 players. If a Category 3E player has unavoidably due to personal reasons had to leave England and Wales for longer than the permitted period, the League Secretary along with three Management Committee Members will consider such player’s application for continued Category 3E status and their decision shall be final.

A player who has a home in England or Wales and has been granted deemed Category One status, who subsequently accepts a temporary work assignment unconnected to cricket in another country, may apply to re-instate his “exempt” status immediately on his return. Approval is at the discretion of the League Secretary and may not be automatic. A student may be granted Category 3E status subject to production of documentary evidence that he/she is a full-time student attending a three year course of study in a bona-fide educational establishment.

The League will consider all EU passport holders qualified to play First Class Cricket and those qualifying to play for England as Category 3E players. All Category 1 players registered in the previous season will not be required to re-register unless they change clubs.

Note: Nine members of each team must be qualified to play for England.

Note: If Clubs do not have a Category 3 player it is permissible to play two Category 3E’s.

Timing of Registration

Pre season all players must be registered as follows:

Category 1 72 hours before the first game

Category 3E 72 hours before the first game

Subsequently, all new players must be registered as above, unless in respect of a Category 1 player he has previously been registered as a playing member of the Club in the Feeder League in the current season, when at the discretion of the League Secretary he may be registered up to 10.00 on the morning of the match.

No player may be registered after the 31st July of each season, unless he has previously been registered as a playing member of the Club in the Feeder League in the current season, when at the discretion of the League Secretary he may be registered up to 10.00 on the morning of the match.

Transfers

Inward transfers of Category 1 players between clubs in the league will be permitted during the season. Only one inward transfer of a player registered with another ECB Premier League club (unless the player is a bona fide member of that club) will be allowed per club per season, provided that the registration takes place before the 31st July. All players may move clubs outside the season provided they have discharged all financial and other obligations to their former clubs. The registration will not be approved by the League Secretary unless accompanied by a transfer form signed by an official of the Club that the Player is leaving, and an Official of the Club that the Player is joining.

Category 3 player registrations must be accompanied by a passport-type photograph, a copy of the relevant pages of the player’s passport and a transfer form if transferring from another club in UK. The player must sign all copies of the registration form. A Category 3 player must quote his overseas address on the registration form as well as his residential address within UK. A Category 3 player will be classed as an “Overseas Professional” or an “Overseas Amateur.”

Overseas Professional

A Category 3 Player, classed as an Overseas Professional may not be registered without a copy of the registering Club’s Certificate of Sponsorship for the player, issued by ECB. A Certificate of Sponsorship will not be issued unless the Player has: a) Played in a minimum of FIVE first class matches (three days or more in duration) during the 24 months prior to the first League match of the season. b) Holds the equivalent of a UKCC2 Coaching qualification.

The following are classed as equivalent to a UKCC2 coaching qualification:

1. Cricket Australia Level 1 2. New Zealand Cricket Level 1 3. South Africa Level 2 (but only if taken at the Bakers Academy)

Overseas Amateur

A Category 3 Player, classed as an Overseas Amateur may not be registered without a copy of ONE of the following:

1) Passport. 2) Copy of Visa 3) Overseas Amateur Registration form.

All Category 3 Players who enter UK through the Standard Visitor Visa route Tier 4 Student Visa, Tier 5 Youth Mobility scheme must satisfy the following criteria:

1. They only want to visit UK for up to six months. 2. They plan to leave UK at the end of their visit. 3. They must have enough money to support and accommodate themselves without working, help from public funds or they must be accommodated by relatives or friends. 4. They do not intend to charge for services provided. 5. They do not intend to study. 6. They are able to meet the cost of the return journey. 7. They are joining, as an amateur, a wholly or mainly amateur team and they must not be paid anything other than board and lodging and other reasonable expenses.

A player who is registered due to his possession of a Visitor Visa or Youth Mobility Visa must not receive any remuneration for playing or coaching cricket. If it is subsequently discovered that a Player, registered via this route, is receiving or has received payment for playing or coaching, the player and the club will face disciplinary action by the League and they will be reported to ECB and the UKBA.

In all the above cases, the onus is on the Club to ensure that the Player is entitled to be in the UK. Clubs should not employ anyone who does not have the legal right to be in the country, or have the legal right to work for them. Under the new regulations, it is the Chairman and Committee of the club who are legally and personally responsible. Home Office Penalties for Visa Abuse Employment paid or unpaid. In Cricket the club Chairman holds the legal responsibilities for all activities in the Club and is therefore the employer. An Employer who has not carried out the correct checks faces a penalty of up to £20,000 The player could be deported and banned from entering the UK

Priority

Any player who has declined an invitation to play with an ECB or County representative side will not be allowed to play in the League on the same day unless explicit permission is given by the management of the representative side. If the representative match involves travel on the day of a league match the player cannot play league cricket on that day.

Appeals

The process and time-scales for dealing with registration matters and appeals will be as defined for disciplinary matters i.e.

Disciplinary Committee will deal with the original issue.

League Management Committee will handle any appeal.

Any matter which cannot be resolved by the League can be referred to the ECB Registration Committee, whose decision is final.

Overseas Players & Managed Migration Immigration Rules (Home Office)

All non EEA citizens will require prior permission (a visa) to come to the UK to participate in sport if they do not hold:

British passport (or is a spouse/ dependant of) European passport (or is a spouse/ dependant of) Ancestral visa

Most common visa types within Cricket are:

Tier 5 Creative & Sporting Standard Visitor Visa Non Visa Nationals (not an actual visa) Tier 5 Youth Mobility Tier 4 (Student)

The ECB are not registered immigration officials and cannot offer definitive advice. Our understanding of the immigration rules for each visa is:

Tier 5 Creative & Sporting:

Designed for professionals in their home country coming here and acting as a professional. Can: Be employed as a player and/or coach for the main sponsor, (or another “sponsor” under the Supplementary Employment rules). Cannot: Seek any other type of employment other than what they were granted permission for to enter the UK. Standard Visitor Visa:

3 years old - merged version of the old Sports Visitor, General Visitor and Business Visitor. Policy of each still applies. Sports section is for a person to join as an amateur in a predominantly amateur team or club to gain experience in a particular sport if they are classified by the Home Office as an Amateur in that sport. Can: Play sport whilst in the UK, as an amateur, providing they are classified as an “Amateur” by the Home Office. Receive reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation (a reasonable amount would be based on the cost of living in that geographical location). Cannot: Seek employment – paid or unpaid. Coach in any capacity. Play sport as an amateur if they are classified as a “Professional” by the Home Office (paid or unpaid).

Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme:

This provides individuals (aged 18 to 30) from certain countries an opportunity to come an experience living and working in the UK.

Can: Seek employment (but not as a sportsperson or coach).

Act as a Coaching Assistant, providing it is under direct supervision of a qualified coach.

Receive reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation (a reasonable amount would be based on the cost of living in that geographical location).

Cannot: Act as a professional sportsperson – paid or unpaid. Play or Coach sport as an amateur if they are classified as a “Professional” by the Home Office

Tier 4 (Student):

Most commonly used by students from abroad studying at a University in the UK.

Can: Play sport whilst in the UK, as an amateur, but only for their local club or the Education Institution they are studying at.

Cannot: Be paid to play. Seek employment that is not part of the subject they are studying - Coach in any capacity – unless it is part of their course they are studying. Home Office definition of Professional vs Amateur:

Paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules set out the definitions for an amateur and a professional sportsperson:

An “Amateur” is a person who engages in a sport or creative activity solely for personal enjoyment and who is not seeking to derive a living from the activity. This also includes a person playing or coaching in a charity game.

A “Professional Sportsperson”, is someone, whether paid or unpaid, who : is providing services as a sportsperson, playing or coaching in any capacity, at a professional or semi-professional level of sport; or being a person who currently derives, who has in the past derived or seeks in the future to derive, a living from playing or coaching, is providing services as a sportsperson or coach at any level of sport, unless they are doing so as an “Amateur”.

Deriving a living is defined as receiving payment for playing cricket and does not need to be the sole earnings. A person may also be considered as “seeking to derive a living” if they have played as part of a player pathway**. ** Player “Pathway”: A player may be considered to be on a “Pathway” and therefore classified as a “Professional Sportsperson”, if that person has played cricket above U17 at state/ province/ territory level (paid or unpaid) in any country. Sanctions and Penalties ECB: If any club found to be playing an individual who is in breach of their visa the process is to: • Inform the Home Office of the breach • Recommend to the club that they no longer use the player • Inform the league and request that they take the appropriate action as per the league rules The same process will apply if a player, in breach of the visa rules, was denied registration in one league to be found registered in another. Home Office: “Employment” can be paid or unpaid. In cricket, the club Chairman holds the legal responsibility for all activities in the club and is therefore the “Employer” An employer who has not carried out the correct checks or chooses to ignore the requirements • Faces a penalty of up to £20,000 • The individual concerned could be stopped from entering the UK or deported • If the club holds a current Tier 5 Sponsor License they can expect this to be withdrawn