At 29 July 2021 The Rules and Regulations of the Scottish Professional Football League Contents Rule Number Title Page No. Section A: General A1 Name 14 A2 Alterations to Rules 14 A3 Severability 14 A4-A18 Definitions and Interpretation 14-26 A19 Board and Chief Executive 27 A20-A21 General Meetings 27 A22-A23 Designation of Rules by Numbering and Lettering 27 Section B: Membership of the League B1-B3 Relationship between Clubs and the League 28 B4-B6 Agreement on Compliance with Applicable Rules, 28-29 Statutes and Regulations B7 Commitment to National Teams 29 B8-B9 Scottish Cup and League Cup Competitions 29 B10-B12 Other Football Competitions 29 B13 Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Parties 29-30 1 Section C: The League and other Competitions C1-C7 Membership of the Company, Divisional Membership, 31 Promotion and Relegation C8-C12.4 League Ranking at the End of a Season 31-33 C13.1-C13.3 Entitlement to Participate in Divisions 33-34 C14-C18 The Premiership 34 C19-C21 Promotion and Relegation as between 35 the Championship, League One and League Two C22-C28 The Premiership/Championship Play-Off Competition 35-38 C29-C32 The Championship/League One and League One/ 38-40 League Two Play-Off Competitions C33 Pyramid Play-Off Competition 40 C34 Allocation of Points in League Matches 40 C35-C37 Determination of League etc. Position in Case of 40-41 Equality of Points C38-C41 Champion Clubs 41-42 C42-C43 Football and Competition Rules 42 C44-C45 League Cup Competition 42 C46-C47 Reserve League 42-43 C48 Competitions 43 C49 Regulations 43 C50-C51 UEFA Competitions 43 C52-C53 Club Ceasing to Operate, participate in and/or be a 43-48 Member of the League C54 League 1 Division Competition 2020/2021 48-54 C55 League 2 Division Competition 2020/2021 54-60 2 Section D: Clubs D1-D8 Membership Criteria 61-62 D9 Employee Contracts 63 D10-D11 Inducement to Breach Contracts 63 Section E: Club Financial Arrangements E1-E16 Insolvency 64-67 E17-E19 Default in Player and Football Manager/Coaching 67-68 Staff Remuneration E20-E29 HMRC Obligations and Reporting 68-70 E30.1-E30.6 Inspection of Financial Records 70-74 E31.1-E31.12 No Overdue Payables and Compliance with 74-77 National Minimum Wage Section F: Players F1-F2 Registration and Eligibility 78 F3-F22.6 Compensation 78-81 F23-F36 Development Contribution 81-84 Section G: Fixtures and Match Officials G1-G6 Fixtures 85 G7 Postponement and International Selection 85 G8 Match Officials 85 G9-G11 Kick-Off Times 85-86 G12 Half-Time Interval 86 G13 Duration of Matches 86 G14 Teams for League Matches and Play-Off Matches 86 3 G15 Laws of the Game 86 G16-G18 List of Players 86-87 G19-G22F Substitution and Extra-time 87-91 G23-G29 Player Identification 91-92 G30-G37 Clubs to Register Colours 92-93 G38-G45 Clashes of Colours 93-94 G46 Shirts to Bear Logo(s) 94 G47 Match Balls 94 G48-G49 Match Report 94 G50-G52 Postponement and Abandonment of Matches 94-95 G53-G55 Non-fulfilment of Fixture Obligations 95 G56-G60 Attendance of Medical Practitioners and Others 95-96 G61 Head Injuries 96 G62-G63 Pre-Arranging Results 96 G64-G64.4 Shirt Advertisements and Televised Matches 96-97 G65 List of Referees 97 G66 List of Assistant Referees 97 G67 Appointment of Referees and Assistant 97 Referees G68 Misconduct 97 G69-G73 Retainers and Allowances for Referees and 97-98 Assistant Referees G74-G75 Payment of Hotel Expenses Incurred 98 G76 Illegal Payments to Referees and Assistant 98 Referees 4 G77 Referee to Visit Ground Early During Bad 98 Weather or at Request of Home Club G78 Pitch Report 98 G79 Assistant Referees’ Flags 98 G80-G82 Choice of Football to be Used 98-99 G83-G84 Referee Observer 99 G85 Ball Attendants’ Clothing 99 G86.1-G86.5 Substitution and Time Remaining Boards 99-100 Section H: Stadia H1 Technical Area Facilities 101 H2-H3 Covered Stadia 101 H4-H8 Synthetic and Artificial Pitches and Surfaces 101-102 H9-H10 Pitch Protection 102-103 H11-H12 Pitch Condition 103-104 H13-H18 Registration of Ground 104 H19-H20 Pitch Dimensions 105 H21 Waiver, Relaxation and Period of Grace 105 H22-H24 Ground Safety, Behaviour at Matches and 105-106 Damage to Stadia H25-H39.5 Unacceptable Conduct 106-108 H40-H43 Damage to Stadia 108-109 H44-H47 Giant Screens and LED Perimeter Boards 109-110 H48 Appendices 110 5 Section I: Commercial, Broadcast and Sponsorship I1 Media Co-operation Requirements 111 I2-I3 Operating Expenses 111 I4-I22 Commercial Contracts, Broadcasting and 111-129 Transmission I23 Fixture Lists etc. 129 I24-I25 Gate Receipts 129 I26-I32.3 Admission Prices, Admission to Grounds and 129-130 Ticket Distribution I33-I37 Press and Media Facilities 130-131 I38-I41 Defaulting Clubs 131 I42-I51 Expert Determination 131-132 I52-I54 Definitions and Interpretation 132-133 Section J: Inquiries, Commissions, Adjudications and Appeals J1-J3 Adjudication of Disputes 134 J4-J8 Power of Inquiry and Determination 134-135 J9-J10.2 The Panel 135 J11-J12 Commissions 135 J13-J15 Rules of Procedure 135 J16-J19 Powers of the Board and Commissions 136-137 J20-J22 Decisions 137 J23-J25 Appeal to the Judicial Panel 137-138 J26 Representation 138 J27 The Board 138 6 J28 Advice 138 Section K: Miscellaneous K1-K4 Confidentiality 139 K5 Scottish FA Congress 139 K6 Dual Interests 139 7 Appendices Appendix 1 Code of Practice for Use of Giant Screens 140-141 Appendix 2 Code of Practice for Use of LED Perimeter Boards 142-143 Appendix 3 Outturn position of Premiership Division at end of Season 2019/20 144 as provided in Rule C7A and Rule C53 Outturn position of Championship, League One and League Two Divisions 144-145 at end of Season 2019/2020 as provided in Rule C7A and Rule C53 Composition of Divisions for Season 2020/2021 146 Appendix 4 Code of Conduct for Under 18 Players 147-149 Appendix 5 Media Co-Operation Requirements 150 Appendix 6 Scottish Professional Football League – Match Information Forms 151-152 8 Annexes These are not part of the Rules but are referred to therein and are bound to be complied with in the same respects as the Rules. Annex 1 Player Regulations 153-168 Regulation Title Page Number Number 1-3 Introduction 153 4-7 Registration 153-154 8-9 Amateur Registration 154 10-11 Registration of Under 18 Players 154 12-16(iii) Eligibility 154-155 17 Suspended Players 155 18 Submission to Jurisdiction 155 19-20 Playing 155-156 21-22 Club Authorised Persons 156 23-26 Termination of Registration and 156 Consequent Playing Restrictions 27-30 Approach to, by or in Relation to 156-157 Registered Players 31-38 Contracts of Service 157-158 39 Retention of Documents 158 40 Suspensions, Fines, Termination of 158 Contracts of Service – Notification to League 41 Contract of Service with Option 158 42 Conflict between Rules and Regulations 159 and Player Contract of Service 43-51 Transfer of Players 159-160 9 52 Intermediaries and Transfers 160 53-54 Temporary Transfers – 160-161 General Provisions 55-56 Term of Temporary Transfers and Written 161 Agreements 57-59 Restrictions on Temporary Transfers 162-163 60 International Temporary Transfers 163 61 Recall of Goalkeepers on Temporary 163 Transfers 62 Temporary and Permanent Transfers 163-164 63 Void Agreements as Regards Which 164 Clubs a Temporarily Transferred Player May Play 64 Prohibition on Playing Against 164 Transferor Club 65 Expiry of Term or other Termination 164-165 of Temporary Transfer 66-67 Extension Provision for Clubs entitled to 165-166 Participation in League 1 or League 2 68-70 Temporary Transfers and the Reserve 166 and Development Leagues 71-75 Trialists 166-167 76-82 Commitment Letters 167-168 Annex 2 The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition 169-191 Regulations 1-1.5.8 Introduction 169 2 Title 170 3-3.3 Board Powers 170 4-4.19 Competition Format and Participants 171-176 10 4.1 General 171 4.2 Participants 171 4.3 Draws and Ballots 171 4.4 Rounds 171 4.5-4.7 Basis of Competition 171-172 4.8-4.13 First Round – Group Stage 172-174 4.14-4.16 Second Round 174-175 4.17 Quarter Finals 175 4.18 Semi Finals 175 4.19 Final 175 5-5.13 Matches 176-177 6-6.9 Players 177-179 7-7.10 Player Colours and Numbers 179-180 8-8.6 Eligibility of Players 180-181 9-9.4 Trophy and Awards 181 10-10.10 Admission Charges and Shares of Gates 181-184 11-11.2 Admission Arrangements for Visiting 184 Clubs and clubs 12-12.3 Division of Receipts in Abandoned 184 and Replayed Matches 13-13.1 Neutral Venues 184-185 14-14.1 Financial Records 185 15-15.1 Prohibited Conduct 185 16-16.1 Full Strength Teams 185 17-17.13 Match Officials 185-186 18-18.1 Footballs 186-187 19-19.15(viii) Commercial Arrangements 187-189 20-20.2(iii) Media Co-operation Requirements 189-190 21-21.4 Application of Rules 190-191 11 Board Minimum Prices for Ground 191 Admission for League Cup Annex 3 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve League 192-209 Competition Regulations Operated Under the Title of the SPFL Reserve League (“the Reserve League”) Annex 4 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Cup 210-223 Competition Regulations Annex 5 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Challenge Cup 224-237 Competition Regulations Annex 6 The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup 238-259 Competition Regulations Annex 7 Guidance by the Scottish Professional Football League 260-267 Limited to Clubs on Unacceptable Conduct at a Stadium on the occasion of an Official Match in Terms of SPFL Rule H37 Annex 8 Rules of Procedure 268-272 Annex 9 Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules 273-285 I(a)-(c) Definitions, Interpretation and Infringement 273-274 of these Pyramid