At 8 October 2018 The Rules and Regulations of the Scottish Professional Football League Contents Rule Number Page No. Section A: General A1 Name 14 A2 Alterations to Rules 14 A3 Severability 14 A4-A18 Definitions and Interpretation 14-25 A19 Board and Chief Executive 26 A20-A21 General Meetings 26 A22-A23 Designation of Rules by Numbering and Lettering 26 Section B: Membership of the League B1-B3 Relationship between Clubs and the League 27 B4-B6 Agreement on Compliance with Applicable Rules, 27 Statutes and Regulations B7 Commitment to National Teams 28 B8-B9 Scottish Cup and League Cup Competitions 28 B10-B12 Other Football Competitions 28 Section C: The League and other Competitions C1-C7 Membership of the Company, Divisional Membership, 29 1 Promotion and Relegation C8-C12.4 League Ranking at the End of a Season 29-31 C13 Entitlement to Participate in Divisions 31-32 C14-C18 The Premiership 32-33 C19-C21 Promotion and Relegation as between 33 the Championship, League One and League Two C22-C28 The Premiership/Championship Play-Off Competition 33-35 C29-C32 The Championship/League One and League One/ 35-37 League Two Play-Off Competitions C33 Pyramid Play-Off Competition 37 C34 Allocation of Points in League Matches 37 C35-C37 Determination of League etc. Position in Case of 37-39 Equality of Points C38-C41 Champion Clubs 39 C42-C43 Football and Competition Rules 40 C44-C45 League Cup Competition 40 C46-C47 Reserve League 40 C48 Competitions 40 C49 Regulations 40 C50-C51 UEFA Competitions 40-41 C52 Club Ceasing to Operate, participate in and/or be a 41 Member of the League Section D: Clubs D1-D8 Membership Criteria 42-43 D9 Employee Contracts 44 2 D10-D11 Inducement to Breach Contracts 44 Section E: Club Financial Arrangements E1-E16 Insolvency 45-48 E17-E19 Default in Player and Football Manager/Coaching 48-49 Staff Remuneration E20-E29 HMRC Obligations and Reporting 49-51 E30 Inspection of Financial Records 51 E31.1-E31.12 No Overdue Payables and Compliance with 51-54 National Minimum Wage Section F: Players F1-F2 Registration and Eligibility 55 F3-F22.6 Compensation 55-58 F23-F36 Development Contribution 58-61 Section G: Fixtures and Match Officials G1-G6 Fixtures 62 G7 Postponement and International Selection 62 G8 Match Officials 62 G9-G11 Kick-Off Times 62-63 G12 Half-Time Interval 63 G13 Duration of Matches 63 G14 Teams for League Matches and Play-Off Matches 63 G15 Laws of the Game 63 G16-G18 List of Players 63-64 G19-G22 Substitute Players 65 3 G23-G29 Player Identification 65-66 G30-G37 Clubs to Register Colours 66-67 G38-G45 Clashes of Colours 67 G46 Shirts to Bear Logo(s) 68 G47 Match Balls 68 G48-G49 Match Report 68 G50-G52 Postponement and Abandonment of Matches 68 G53-G55 Non-fulfilment of Fixture Obligations 69 G56-G60 Attendance of Medical Practitioners and Others 69 G61 Head Injuries 70 G62-G63 Pre-Arranging Results 70 G64-G64.4 Shirt Advertisements and Televised Matches 70-71 G65 List of Referees 71 G66 List of Assistant Referees 71 G67 Appointment of Referees and Assistant 71 Referees G68 Misconduct 71 G69-G73 Retainers and Allowances for Referees and 71 Assistant Referees G74-G75 Payment of Hotel Expenses Incurred 72 G76 Illegal Payments to Referees and Assistant 72 Referees G77 Referee to Visit Ground Early During Bad 72 Weather or at Request of Home Club G78 Pitch Report 72 4 G79 Assistant Referees’ Flags 72 G80-G82 Choice of Football to be Used 72-73 G83-G84 Referee Observer 73 G85 Ball Attendants’ Clothing 73 G86 Substitution and Time Remaining Boards 73-74 (Comes into effect 1 July 2018) Section H: Stadia H1 Technical Area Facilities 75 H2-H3 Covered Stadia 75 H4-H8 Synthetic and Artificial Pitches and Surfaces 75-76 H9-H10 Pitch Protection 76-77 H11-H12 Pitch Condition 77 H13-H21 Registration of Ground 78 H19-H20 Pitch Dimensions 78-79 H21 Waiver, Relaxation and Period of Grace 79 H22-H24 Ground Safety, Behaviour at Matches and 79 Damage to Stadia H25-H39.5 Unacceptable Conduct 79-82 H40-H43 Damage to Stadia 82-83 H44-H47 Giant Screens and LED Perimeter Boards 83-84 H48 Appendices 84 Section I: Commercial, Broadcast and Sponsorship I1 Media Co-operation Requirements 85 I2-I3 Operating Expenses 85 5 I4-I22 Commercial Contracts, Broadcasting and 85-88 Transmission I23 Fixture Lists etc. 88 I24-I25 Gate Receipts 88-89 I26-I32.3 Admission Prices, Admission to Grounds and 89-90 Ticket Distribution I33-I37 Press and Media Facilities 90-91 I38-I41 Defaulting Clubs 91 I42-I51 Expert Determination 91-92 I52-I54 Definitions and Interpretation 92-93 Section J: Inquiries, Commissions, Adjudications and Appeals J1-J3 Adjudication of Disputes 94 J4-J8 Power of Inquiry and Determination 94-95 J9-J10.2 The Panel 95 J11-J12 Commissions 95 J13-J15 Rules of Procedure 95 J16-J19 Powers of the Board and Commissions 96-97 J20-J22 Decisions 97 J23-J25 Appeal to the Judicial Panel 97-98 J26 Representation 98 J27 The Board 98 J28 Advice 98 Section K: Miscellaneous K1-K4 Confidentiality 99 6 K5 Scottish FA Council 99 K6 Dual Interests 99 7 Appendices Appendix 1 Code of Practice for Use of Giant Screens 100-101 Appendix 2 Code of Practice for Use of LED Perimeter Boards 102-103 Appendix 3 Financial Disclosure Requirements 104-106 Appendix 4 Code of Conduct for Under 18 Players 107-109 Appendix 5 Media Co-Operation Requirements 110 Appendix 6 Scottish Professional Football League – Match Information Form 111 8 Annexes Annex 1 Player Regulations 112-126 Regulation Page Number Number 1-3 Introduction 112 4-7 Registration 112-113 8-9 Amateur Registration 113 10-11 Registration of Under 18 Players 113 12-16(iii) Eligibility 113-114 17 Suspended Players 114 18 Submission to Jurisdiction 114 19-20 Playing 114-115 21-22 Club Authorised Persons 115 23-26 Termination of Registration and 115 Consequent Playing Restrictions 27-30 Approach to, by or in Relation to 115-116 Registered Players 31-38 Contracts of Service 116-117 39 Retention of Documents 117 40 Suspensions, Fines, Termination of 117 Contracts of Service – Notification to League 41 Contract of Service with Option 117 42 Conflict between Rules and Regulations 118 and Player Contract of Service 43-51 Transfer of Players 121-119 52 Intermediaries and Transfers 119 9 53-54 Temporary Transfers – 119-120 General Provisions 55-56 Term of Temporary Transfers and Written 120 Agreements 57-59 Restrictions on Temporary Transfers 120-121 60 International Temporary Transfers 121-122 61 Recall of Goalkeepers on Temporary 122 Transfers 62 Temporary and Permanent Transfers 122 63 Void Agreements as Regards Which 122 Clubs a Temporarily Transferred Player May Play 64 Prohibition on Playing Against 123 Transferor Club 65 Expiry of Term or other Termination 123 of Temporary Transfer 66-67 Extension Provision for Clubs entitled to 123-124 Participation in League 1 or League 2 68-70 Temporary Transfers and the Reserve 124 and Development Leagues 71-75 Trialists 125 76-82 Commitment Letters 125-126 Annex 2 The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition 127-148 Regulations 1-1.5.8 Introduction 127 2 Title 128 3-3.2 Board Powers 128 4-4.19 Competition Format and Participants 128-133 4.1 General 128 10 4.2 Participants 128 4.3 Draws and Ballots 129 4.4 Rounds 129 4.5-4.7 Basis of Competition 129 4.8-4.13 First Round – Group Stage 129-131 4.14-4.16 Second Round 131-132 4.17 Quarter Finals 132 4.18 Semi Finals 133 4.19 Final 133 5-5.13 Matches 133-134 6-6.9 Players 134-136 7-7.10 Player Colours and Numbers 136-137 8-8.6 Eligibility of Players 137 9-9.4 Trophy and Awards 138 10-10.10 Admission Charges and Shares of Gates 138-140 11-11.2 Admission Arrangements for Visiting 140 Clubs and clubs 12-12.3 Division of Receipts in Abandoned 141 and Replayed Matches 13-13.1 Neutral Venues 141 14-14.1 Financial Records 141 15-15.1 Prohibited Conduct 141 16-16.1 Full Strength Teams 142 17-17.13 Match Officials 142-143 18-18.1 Footballs 143 19-19.15(h) Commercial Arrangements 143-146 20-20.2(c) Media Co-operation Requirements 146 21-21.1 Application of Rules 147 Board Minimum Prices for Ground 148 11 Admission for League Cup Annex 3 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve League 149-166 Competition Regulations Operated Under the Title of the SPFL Reserve League (“the Reserve League”) Annex 4 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Cup 167-180 Competition Regulations Annex 5 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Challenge Cup 181-194 Competition Regulations Annex 6 The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup 195-214 Competition Regulations Annex 7 Guidance by the Scottish Professional Football League 215-222 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 223-227 Annex 9 Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules 228-241 I(a)-(c) Definitions, Interpretation and Infringement of these Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules II(a)-(e) Infringement of Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules III(a)-(g) Team Eligibility and Running of Competition IV Competition Rules – General (a) Laws of the Game (b)-(d) Appointment of Match Officials (e)-(f) Clash of Colours (g) Number of Players and Substitutes (h)-(i) Eligibility of Players (j)-(n) Team Lines (o)-(t) Replacement of Players on Team (u)-(dd) Pitch Protection (ee)-(hh) Admission Charges and Abandoned Matches V(a)-(h) Commercial Rules 12 Annex to Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules – Form of 240-241 Team Line Annex 10 Playing Kit Rules in Terms of Rules G46 and G64 242-246 1 The Shirt and League Sponsor Logo 2 The Shirt and Club Crest 3 Front of Shirt 4 Back of Shirt 5 The Shorts 6 The Socks 7 Club Crest and Manufacturer's Identification 8 Sponsorship Designation 9 Measurement Guide 13 A General Name A1 The name of this combination of Football clubs is The Scottish Professional Football League.