Rules and Regulations of The Association Season 2012-2013 CONTENTS 3 page Introduction by the Chairman 5 The Football Association/Council 7 Board and Committee Membership 12 Standing Orders/Powers and Duties 15 Professional Game Board 29 National Game Board 36 Football Regulatory Authority 43 Judicial Panel 50 Memorandum of Association 57 Articles of Association 65 Rules of The Association 97 Sanction & Control of Competitions 145 Referees 149 Youth Football 170 Areas and Overlapping of Associations 171 National League System 173 Women’s Football Pyramid 181 Women’s Super League 187 Programme for Excellence (Female) 222 Advertising 230 Equality Policy 237 Safeguarding Children 238 Vulnerable Adults 248 Anti-Doping 257 Football Agents 320 Third Party Investment 350 Owners’ and Directors’ Test 354 Disciplinary Procedures 363 - Section A: Field Off ences in First Team Matches 363 - Section B: Field Off ences in Non-First Team Matches 377 - Section C: Field Off ences in Friendly Matches 388 - Schedule A: Standard Directions, incidents caught on video 389 - Schedule B: Standard Directions, incidents reported to The Association 392 - Schedule C: Standard Directions, incidents on or around fi eld of play and media comments 394 - Schedule D: Standard Directions for Appeals 399 - Field Off ences, below Football Conference National Division 403 - Assaults on Offi cials 411 - Regulations for Football Association Disciplinary Action 414 - General Provisions relating to Inquiries, Commissions and Appeal Boards 423 - Regulations for Football Association Appeals 427 - Memorandum of Procedures for Teams in Leagues at Steps 5 to 7 431 4 CONTENTS - Disciplinary Procedures at Personal Hearings 446 - Interim Suspension Order Regulations 449 - Safeguarding Children in the Disciplinary Process 454 - The Football Association Disciplinary Process for Small-Sided Football 457 Small-Sided Football 465 Matches against Foreign Clubs 485 Standard Club Rules 487 Standardised Rules 491 Standard Code of Rules 535 Standard Code of Rules for Youth Competitions 551 Youth Rules 569 Medical Regulations 571 Goalpost Safety Guidelines 580 Pitch Sizes/Artifi cial Grass 581 White Line Marking of Pitches 583 Respect 586 Directory of Associations 590 Clubs in Full and Associate Membership 592 N.B. Amendments made to regulations since the publication of the last edition are marked with side rules. The latest version of all FA Rules and Regulations can be found on www.TheFA.com and FIFA Regulations and the Laws of the Game can be accessed on www.fi fa.com. INTRODUCTION BY THE CHAIRMAN 5 INTRODUCTION BY THE CHAIRMAN I am very pleased to welcome you to The Football Association Handbook, the essential guide to the rules and regulations of football. The Handbook has been published every year since 1895, excluding the war years, and should again prove an invaluable companion to people involved in football at all levels. The FA has the privilege and responsibility to oversee football in England as a whole and in all its aspects. We do so in partnership with a powerful professional game – and a national game administered locally by dedicated people and played in facilities all over the country. We are grateful for the privilege and determined to meet in full the responsibility. Football is ‘one game’ and we approach it with one set of values. Football has rules to protect those who take part in it and I hope that every recipient of the 2012-2013 Handbook, whatever his or her involvement in the game, will fi nd it a helpful reference book during the season. DAVID BERNSTEIN – CHAIRMAN, THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION 7 THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Wembley Stadium PO Box 1966 London SW1P 9EQ Tel: 0844 980 8200 www.TheFA.com Patron: Her Majesty The Queen President: HRH The Duke of Cambridge, KG Senior Vice-President: G Thompson, OBE, JP (1979), Sheffi eld & Hallamshire FA Life Vice-Presidents: T Myatt (1978), Staff ordshire FA F Hannah, MBE, CEng, MIMechE, ARTCS (1979), Manchester FA P Rushton (1974), Worcestershire FA DJ Insole, CBE (1979), Cambridge University N White, FSCA (1976), Liverpool FC LFJ Smith (1982), Surrey FA WT Annable (1967), Nottinghamshire FA RG Berridge (1976), Bedfordshire FA RE Barston (1981), Leicestershire & Rutland FA AJ Hobbs (1984), Somerset FA JJ Waterall (1986), Nottinghamshire FA RW Kiddell, OBE, JP, ACII (1980), Norfolk FA PS Hough (1988), Dorset FA FLJ Hunter (1988), Liverpool FA K Compton (1988), Derbyshire FA JA Christopher (1990), Berks & Bucks FA DJ Henson (1986), Devon FA B Walden (1991), Northamptonshire FA CJ Saunders (1982), Independent Schools Vice-Presidents: BW Bright (1984), Kent FA MM Armstrong (1984), Huntingdonshire FA CB Taylor (1991), Barnsley FC MR Leggett (1992), Worcestershire FA RE Maughan (1992), Northumberland FA Sir DG Richards (1994), The Premier League 8 THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Honorary Vice-Presidents: His Grace The Duke of Marlborough, DL Air Vice Marshal SJ Hillier, CBE, DFC, MA, RAF Rear Admiral C Johnstone, CBE Major General B Brealey Honorary Members: Sir Tom Finney, CBE (1978) Sir Bobby Charlton, CBE (1978-90, 1991) JV Hayward (1993) C Jones (1995) Mrs PF Smith, OBE (1998) KW Ridden (2000) Lt Cdr PJW Danks, RN (2001) MR Berry (2002) Gp Capt PW Hilton, RAF (2002) W Wilson (2002) FD Pattison (2004) Sir Doug Ellis, OBE (2004-05, 2006) DG Champion (2005) R Tinkler (2005) IH Stott (2005) DJ Lewin (2006) M Gibson (2006) ST Farmer, JP (2007) JW Coad, ACII (2009) ACF Turvey, FCIM (2009) DB Dein (2009) MG Benson (2010) DR Sheepshanks (2011) DJ Hovard (2011) BW Moore (2011) RD Bayley (2012) General Secretary: Alex Horne THE COUNCIL 9 THE COUNCIL FOR 2012-2013 Chairman: David Bernstein (2011) Leader of Council: BW Bright (1984), Kent FA Vice-Chairmen: National Game: RF Burden, FCIB, MBCS, FRSA (1995), Gloucestershire FA Professional Game: Sir Dave Richards (1994), The Premier League Senior Vice-President: G Thompson, OBE, JP (1979), Sheffi eld & Hallamshire FA Life Vice-Presidents: T Myatt (1978), Staff ordshire FA F Hannah, MBE, CEng, MIMechE, ARTCS (1979), Manchester FA P Rushton (1974), Worcestershire FA DJ Insole, CBE (1979), Cambridge University N White, FSCA (1976), Liverpool FC LFJ Smith (1982), Surrey FA WT Annable (1967), Nottinghamshire FA RG Berridge (1976), Bedfordshire FA RE Barston (1981), Leicestershire & Rutland FA AJ Hobbs (1984), Somerset FA JJ Waterall (1986), Nottinghamshire FA RW Kiddell, OBE, JP, ACII (1980), Norfolk FA PS Hough (1988), Dorset FA FLJ Hunter (1988), Liverpool FA K Compton (1988), Derbyshire FA JA Christopher (1990), Berks & Bucks FA DJ Henson (1986), Devon FA B Walden (1991), Northamptonshire FA CJ Saunders (1982), Independent Schools Vice-Presidents: BW Bright (1984), Kent FA MM Armstrong (1984), Huntingdonshire FA CB Taylor (1991), Barnsley FC MR Leggett (1992), Worcestershire FA RE Maughan (1992), Northumberland FA Sir DG Richards (1994), The Premier League Divisional Representatives: 1. D Robinson (2007), Billingham Synthonia FC 2. RD Coar (2001), Blackburn Rovers FC 3. A Shaw (2009, 2012), Altrincham FC 4. P Coates (1994), Stoke City FC 5. PM Hough (2012), Hull City FC 10 THE COUNCIL 6. JM Elsom, FCA (2001), Grimsby Town FC 7. PR Barnes (1997), Redbridge FC 8. C Reeves (2012), Poole Town FC 9. IL Beeks, MBE (2007, 2008), Wycombe Wanderers FC 10. JD Pearce (2001), Bognor Regis Town FC Association Representatives: Amateur Football Alliance M Brown (2007) Army Major W Thomson (2001) Bedfordshire R Everitt (2012) Berks & Bucks RA Lipscombe (2010) Birmingham RJ Wood (1998) Cambridgeshire R Pawley (2009) Cambridge University Dr JA Little (1999) Cheshire DD Edmunds (2004) Cornwall G Lee (2005) Cumberland G Turrell (2007) Derbyshire F McArdle (2008) Devon C Davey (2008) Dorset S Whittle (2009) Durham JC Topping (2007) East Riding D Johnson (2005) English Schools JA Read (2002) Essex MB Game (1999) Gloucestershire RF Burden, FCIB, MBCS, FRSA (1995) Hampshire EJ Ward (1998) Herefordshire RJ Perks (1997) Hertfordshire EWJ King (2007) Huntingdonshire MC Frost (2005) Independent Schools DR Elleray (2002) Kent PCB Smith (2005) Lancashire WB Warburton (2006) Leicestershire & Rutland D Jamieson (2008) Lincolnshire RC Jackson (2005) Liverpool D Horlick (2008) London AJ Sharples (2000) Manchester JB Halford (2004) Middlesex PJ Clayton (1997) Norfolk RJ Howlett, JP (1999) Northamptonshire R Cotter (2009) North Riding MSM Birt (2006) Northumberland EA Wright (2012) Nottinghamshire Mrs E Oram (2007) Oxfordshire D Tutton (2011) Oxford University R Tur (2002) Royal Air Force Sqd Ldr N Hope, MBE (2008) Royal Navy Lt Cdr SG Vasey, RN (2001) Sheffi eld & Hallamshire B Jones (2008) THE COUNCIL 11 Shropshire D Simpson (2007) Somerset AP Hockley (2005) Staff ordshire BJ Adshead (1997) Suff olk M Head (2007) Surrey RS Lewis (2002) Sussex PR Bentley (1999) Westmorland G Aplin (2003) West Riding B Chaplin (2012) Wiltshire RJ Gardiner (2010) Women’s Football Conference Mrs S Hough (2000) TKT Win, JP (2007) Worcestershire R Northall (2011) Representatives of The Premier League: Sir DG Richards (1994), The Premier League D Gill (2004), Manchester United FC M Collins (2007), Fulham FC D Barnard (2007), Chelsea FC D Eales (2010), Tottenham Hotspur FC Ms M Byrne (2011), Sunderland FC P Faulkner (2012), Aston Villa FC I Gazidis (2012), Arsenal FC Representatives of The Football League: M Arthur (2007), Nottingham Forest FC A Kleanthous (2008), Barnet FC G Clarke (2010), FL Chairman K Lamb (2007, 2009, 2010), Middlesbrough FC S Harvey (2011), Leeds United FC R Bowker, CBE (2012), FL Independent Director J