At 1 June 2020 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, 32 Promotion and Relegation C8-C12.4 League Ranking at the End of a Season 32-33 C13.1-C13.3 Entitlement to Participate in Divisions 34-35 C14-C18 The Premiership 35-36 C19-C21 Promotion and Relegation as between 36 the Championship, League One and League Two C22-C28 The Premiership/Championship Play-Off Competition 36-38 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 40-42 Equality of Points C38-C41 Champion Clubs 42 C42-C43 Football and Competition Rules 42-43 C44-C45 League Cup Competition 43 C46-C47 Reserve League 43 C48 Competitions 43 C49 Regulations 43 C50-C51 UEFA Competitions 43-44 C52 Club Ceasing to Operate, participate in and/or be a 44-49 Member of the League 2 Section D: Clubs D1-D8 Membership Criteria 50-51 D9 Employee Contracts 51-52 D10-D11 Inducement to Breach Contracts 52 Section E: Club Financial Arrangements E1-E16 Insolvency 53-56 E17-E19 Default in Player and Football Manager/Coaching 56-57 Staff Remuneration E20-E29 HMRC Obligations and Reporting 57-59 E30.1-E30.6 Inspection of Financial Records 59-62 E31.1-E31.12 No Overdue Payables and Compliance with 63-66 National Minimum Wage Section F: Players F1-F2 Registration and Eligibility 67 F3-F22.6 Compensation 67-70 F23-F36 Development Contribution 70-73 Section G: Fixtures and Match Officials G1-G6 Fixtures 74 G7 Postponement and International Selection 74 G8 Match Officials 74 G9-G11 Kick-Off Times 74-75 G12 Half-Time Interval 75 G13 Duration of Matches 75 G14 Teams for League Matches and Play-Off Matches 75 3 G15 Laws of the Game 75 G16-G18 List of Players 75-76 G19-G22B Substitution and Extra-time 77 G23-G29 Player Identification 77-78 G30-G37 Clubs to Register Colours 78-79 G38-G45 Clashes of Colours 79-80 G46 Shirts to Bear Logo(s) 80 G47 Match Balls 80 G48-G49 Match Report 80 G50-G52 Postponement and Abandonment of Matches 80-81 G53-G55 Non-fulfilment of Fixture Obligations 81 G56-G60 Attendance of Medical Practitioners and Others 81 G61 Head Injuries 82 G62-G63 Pre-Arranging Results 82 G64-G64.4 Shirt Advertisements and Televised Matches 82-83 G65 List of Referees 83 G66 List of Assistant Referees 83 G67 Appointment of Referees and Assistant 83 Referees G68 Misconduct 83 G69-G73 Retainers and Allowances for Referees and 83 Assistant Referees G74-G75 Payment of Hotel Expenses Incurred 83-84 G76 Illegal Payments to Referees and Assistant 84 Referees 4 G77 Referee to Visit Ground Early During Bad 84 Weather or at Request of Home Club G78 Pitch Report 84 G79 Assistant Referees’ Flags 84 G80-G82 Choice of Football to be Used 84-85 G83-G84 Referee Observer 85 G85 Ball Attendants’ Clothing 85 G86.1-G86.5 Substitution and Time Remaining Boards 85-86 Section H: Stadia H1 Technical Area Facilities 87 H2-H3 Covered Stadia 87 H4-H8 Synthetic and Artificial Pitches and Surfaces 87-88 H9-H10 Pitch Protection 88-89 H11-H12 Pitch Condition 89-90 H13-H18 Registration of Ground 90 H19-H20 Pitch Dimensions 90-91 H21 Waiver, Relaxation and Period of Grace 91 H22-H24 Ground Safety, Behaviour at Matches and 91 Damage to Stadia H25-H39.5 Unacceptable Conduct 91-94 H40-H43 Damage to Stadia 94-95 H44-H47 Giant Screens and LED Perimeter Boards 95-96 H48 Appendices 96 5 Section I: Commercial, Broadcast and Sponsorship I1 Media Co-operation Requirements 97 I2-I3 Operating Expenses 97 I4-I22 Commercial Contracts, Broadcasting and 97-100 Transmission I23 Fixture Lists etc. 100 I24-I25 Gate Receipts 100 I26-I32.3 Admission Prices, Admission to Grounds and 101-102 Ticket Distribution I33-I37 Press and Media Facilities 102 I38-I41 Defaulting Clubs 102-103 I42-I51 Expert Determination 103-104 I52-I54 Definitions and Interpretation 104-105 Section J: Inquiries, Commissions, Adjudications and Appeals J1-J3 Adjudication of Disputes 106 J4-J8 Power of Inquiry and Determination 106-107 J9-J10.2 The Panel 107 J11-J12 Commissions 107 J13-J15 Rules of Procedure 107 J16-J19 Powers of the Board and Commissions 108-109 J20-J22 Decisions 109 J23-J25 Appeal to the Judicial Panel 109-110 J26 Representation 110 J27 The Board 110 6 J28 Advice 110 Section K: Miscellaneous K1-K4 Confidentiality 111 K5 Scottish FA Council 111 K6 Dual Interests 111 7 Appendices Appendix 1 Code of Practice for Use of Giant Screens 112-113 Appendix 2 Code of Practice for Use of LED Perimeter Boards 114-115 Appendix 3 Outturn position of Premiership Division at end of Season 2019/20 116 as provided in Rule C7A and Rule C53 Outturn position of Championship, League One and League Two Divisions 116-117 at end of Season 2019/2020 as provided in Rule C7A and Rule C53 Composition of Divisions for Season 2020/2021 118 Appendix 4 Code of Conduct for Under 18 Players 119-121 Appendix 5 Media Co-Operation Requirements 122 Appendix 6 Scottish Professional Football League – Match Information Forms 123-124 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 125-139 Regulation Title Page Number Number 1-3 Introduction 125 4-7 Registration 125-126 8-9 Amateur Registration 126 10-11 Registration of Under 18 Players 126 12-16(iii) Eligibility 126-127 17 Suspended Players 127 18 Submission to Jurisdiction 127 19-20 Playing 127-128 21-22 Club Authorised Persons 128 23-26 Termination of Registration and 128 Consequent Playing Restrictions 27-30 Approach to, by or in Relation to 128-129 Registered Players 31-38 Contracts of Service 129-130 39 Retention of Documents 130 40 Suspensions, Fines, Termination of 130 Contracts of Service – Notification to League 41 Contract of Service with Option 130 42 Conflict between Rules and Regulations 131 and Player Contract of Service 43-51 Transfer of Players 131-132 9 52 Intermediaries and Transfers 132 53-54 Temporary Transfers – 132-133 General Provisions 55-56 Term of Temporary Transfers and Written 133 Agreements 57-59 Restrictions on Temporary Transfers 133-134 60 International Temporary Transfers 134-135 61 Recall of Goalkeepers on Temporary 135 Transfers 62 Temporary and Permanent Transfers 135 63 Void Agreements as Regards Which 135 Clubs a Temporarily Transferred Player May Play 64 Prohibition on Playing Against 136 Transferor Club 65 Expiry of Term or other Termination 136 of Temporary Transfer 66-67 Extension Provision for Clubs entitled to 136-137 Participation in League 1 or League 2 68-70 Temporary Transfers and the Reserve 137 and Development Leagues 71-75 Trialists 138 76-82 Commitment Letters 138-139 Annex 2 The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition 140-161 Regulations 1-1.5.8 Introduction 140 2 Title 141 3-3.3 Board Powers 141 4-4.19 Competition Format and Participants 141-146 10 4.1 General 141 4.2 Participants 141 4.3 Draws and Ballots 142 4.4 Rounds 142 4.5-4.7 Basis of Competition 142 4.8-4.13 First Round – Group Stage 142-144 4.14-4.16 Second Round 144-145 4.17 Quarter Finals 145 4.18 Semi Finals 146 4.19 Final 146 5-5.13 Matches 146-147 6-6.9 Players 147-149 7-7.10 Player Colours and Numbers 149-150 8-8.6 Eligibility of Players 150-151 9-9.4 Trophy and Awards 151 10-10.10 Admission Charges and Shares of Gates 151-153 11-11.2 Admission Arrangements for Visiting 153 Clubs and clubs 12-12.3 Division of Receipts in Abandoned 153-154 and Replayed Matches 13-13.1 Neutral Venues 154 14-14.1 Financial Records 154 15-15.1 Prohibited Conduct 154-155 16-16.1 Full Strength Teams 154-155 17-17.13 Match Officials 155-156 18-18.1 Footballs 156 19-19.15(viii) Commercial Arrangements 156-159 20-20.2(iii) Media Co-operation Requirements 159-160 21-21.4 Application of Rules 160 11 Board Minimum Prices for Ground 161 Admission for League Cup Annex 3 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve League 162-179 Competition Regulations Operated Under the Title of the SPFL Reserve League (“the Reserve League”) Annex 4 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Cup 180-193 Competition Regulations Annex 5 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Challenge Cup 194-207 Competition Regulations Annex 6 The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup 208-228 Competition Regulations Annex 7 Guidance by the Scottish Professional Football League 229-236 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 237-241 Annex 9 Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules 242-254 I(a)-(c) Definitions, Interpretation and Infringement 242-243 of these Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules II(a)-(e) Infringement of Pyramid Play-Off 243-245 Competition Rules III(a)-(g) Team Eligibility and Running of Competition