At 22 July 2019 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 14-26 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, 27-28 Statutes and Regulations B7 Commitment to National Teams 28 B8-B9 Scottish Cup and League Cup Competitions 28 B10-B12 Other Football Competitions 28 B13 Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Parties 28-29 1 Section C: The League and other Competitions C1-C7 Membership of the Company, Divisional Membership, 30 Promotion and Relegation C8-C12.4 League Ranking at the End of a Season 30-32 C13.1-C13.3 Entitlement to Participate in Divisions 32-33 C14-C18 The Premiership 33-34 C19-C21 Promotion and Relegation as between 34 the Championship, League One and League Two C22-C28 The Premiership/Championship Play-Off Competition 34-36 C29-C32 The Championship/League One and League One/ 36-38 League Two Play-Off Competitions C33 Pyramid Play-Off Competition 38 C34 Allocation of Points in League Matches 38 C35-C37 Determination of League etc. Position in Case of 38-39 Equality of Points C38-C41 Champion Clubs 40 C42-C43 Football and Competition Rules 40 C44-C45 League Cup Competition 41 C46-C47 Reserve League 41 C48 Competitions 41 C49 Regulations 41 C50-C51 UEFA Competitions 41 C52 Club Ceasing to Operate, participate in and/or be a 41-42 Member of the League Section D: Clubs D1-D8 Membership Criteria 43-44 2 D9 Employee Contracts 45 D10-D11 Inducement to Breach Contracts 45 Section E: Club Financial Arrangements E1-E16 Insolvency 46-49 E17-E19 Default in Player and Football Manager/Coaching 49-50 Staff Remuneration E20-E29 HMRC Obligations and Reporting 50-52 E30 Inspection of Financial Records 52 E31.1-E31.12 No Overdue Payables and Compliance with 52-55 National Minimum Wage Section F: Players F1-F2 Registration and Eligibility 56 F3-F22.6 Compensation 56-59 F23-F36 Development Contribution 59-62 Section G: Fixtures and Match Officials G1-G6 Fixtures 63 G7 Postponement and International Selection 63 G8 Match Officials 63 G9-G11 Kick-Off Times 63-64 G12 Half-Time Interval 64 G13 Duration of Matches 64 G14 Teams for League Matches and Play-Off Matches 64 G15 Laws of the Game 64 3 G16-G18 List of Players 64-65 G19-G22B Substitution and Extra-time 66 G23-G29 Player Identification 66-67 G30-G37 Clubs to Register Colours 67-68 G38-G45 Clashes of Colours 68-69 G46 Shirts to Bear Logo(s) 69 G47 Match Balls 69 G48-G49 Match Report 69 G50-G52 Postponement and Abandonment of Matches 69-70 G53-G55 Non-fulfilment of Fixture Obligations 70 G56-G60 Attendance of Medical Practitioners and Others 70-71 G61 Head Injuries 71 G62-G63 Pre-Arranging Results 71 G64-G64.4 Shirt Advertisements and Televised Matches 71-72 G65 List of Referees 72 G66 List of Assistant Referees 72 G67 Appointment of Referees and Assistant 72 Referees G68 Misconduct 72 G69-G73 Retainers and Allowances for Referees and 72 Assistant Referees G74-G75 Payment of Hotel Expenses Incurred 73 G76 Illegal Payments to Referees and Assistant 73 Referees G77 Referee to Visit Ground Early During Bad 73 Weather or at Request of Home Club 4 G78 Pitch Report 73 G79 Assistant Referees’ Flags 73 G80-G82 Choice of Football to be Used 73-74 G83-G84 Referee Observer 74 G85 Ball Attendants’ Clothing 74 G86.1-G86.5 Substitution and Time Remaining Boards 74-75 Section H: Stadia H1 Technical Area Facilities 76 H2-H3 Covered Stadia 76 H4-H8 Synthetic and Artificial Pitches and Surfaces 76-77 H9-H10 Pitch Protection 77-78 H11-H12 Pitch Condition 78 H13-H18 Registration of Ground 79 H19-H20 Pitch Dimensions 79-80 H21 Waiver, Relaxation and Period of Grace 80 H22-H24 Ground Safety, Behaviour at Matches and 80 Damage to Stadia H25-H39.5 Unacceptable Conduct 80-83 H40-H43 Damage to Stadia 83-84 H44-H47 Giant Screens and LED Perimeter Boards 84-85 H48 Appendices 85 Section I: Commercial, Broadcast and Sponsorship I1 Media Co-operation Requirements 86 5 I2-I3 Operating Expenses 86 I4-I22 Commercial Contracts, Broadcasting and 86-89 Transmission I23 Fixture Lists etc. 89 I24-I25 Gate Receipts 89 I26-I32.3 Admission Prices, Admission to Grounds and 90-91 Ticket Distribution I33-I37 Press and Media Facilities 91 I38-I41 Defaulting Clubs 91-92 I42-I51 Expert Determination 92-93 I52-I54 Definitions and Interpretation 93-94 Section J: Inquiries, Commissions, Adjudications and Appeals J1-J3 Adjudication of Disputes 95 J4-J8 Power of Inquiry and Determination 95-96 J9-J10.2 The Panel 96 J11-J12 Commissions 96 J13-J15 Rules of Procedure 96 J16-J19 Powers of the Board and Commissions 97-98 J20-J22 Decisions 98 J23-J25 Appeal to the Judicial Panel 98-99 J26 Representation 99 J27 The Board 99 J28 Advice 99 6 Section K: Miscellaneous K1-K4 Confidentiality 100 K5 Scottish FA Council 100 K6 Dual Interests 100 7 Appendices Appendix 1 Code of Practice for Use of Giant Screens 101-102 Appendix 2 Code of Practice for Use of LED Perimeter Boards 103-104 Appendix 3 Financial Disclosure Requirements 105-107 Appendix 4 Code of Conduct for Under 18 Players 108-110 Appendix 5 Media Co-Operation Requirements 111 Appendix 6 Scottish Professional Football League – Match Information Forms 112-113 8 Annexes Annex 1 Player Regulations 114-128 Regulation Page Number Number 1-3 Introduction 114 4-7 Registration 114-115 8-9 Amateur Registration 115 10-11 Registration of Under 18 Players 115 12-16(iii) Eligibility 115-116 17 Suspended Players 116 18 Submission to Jurisdiction 116 19-20 Playing 116-117 21-22 Club Authorised Persons 117 23-26 Termination of Registration and 117 Consequent Playing Restrictions 27-30 Approach to, by or in Relation to 117-118 Registered Players 31-38 Contracts of Service 118-119 39 Retention of Documents 119 40 Suspensions, Fines, Termination of 119 Contracts of Service – Notification to League 41 Contract of Service with Option 119 42 Conflict between Rules and Regulations 120 and Player Contract of Service 43-51 Transfer of Players 120-121 9 52 Intermediaries and Transfers 121 53-54 Temporary Transfers – 121-122 General Provisions 55-56 Term of Temporary Transfers and Written 122 Agreements 57-59 Restrictions on Temporary Transfers 122-123 60 International Temporary Transfers 123-124 61 Recall of Goalkeepers on Temporary 124 Transfers 62 Temporary and Permanent Transfers 124 63 Void Agreements as Regards Which 124-125 Clubs a Temporarily Transferred Player May Play 64 Prohibition on Playing Against 125 Transferor Club 65 Expiry of Term or other Termination 125 of Temporary Transfer 66-67 Extension Provision for Clubs entitled to 125-126 Participation in League 1 or League 2 68-70 Temporary Transfers and the Reserve 126 and Development Leagues 71-75 Trialists 127 76-82 Commitment Letters 127-128 Annex 2 The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition 129-150 Regulations 1-1.5.8 Introduction 129 2 Title 130 3-3.3 Board Powers 130 10 4-4.19 Competition Format and Participants 130-135 4.1 General 130 4.2 Participants 130 4.3 Draws and Ballots 131 4.4 Rounds 131 4.5-4.7 Basis of Competition 131 4.8-4.13 First Round – Group Stage 131-133 4.14-4.16 Second Round 133-134 4.17 Quarter Finals 134 4.18 Semi Finals 135 4.19 Final 135 5-5.13 Matches 135-136 6-6.9 Players 136-138 7-7.10 Player Colours and Numbers 138-139 8-8.6 Eligibility of Players 139-140 9-9.4 Trophy and Awards 140 10-10.10 Admission Charges and Shares of Gates 140-142 11-11.2 Admission Arrangements for Visiting 142 Clubs and clubs 12-12.3 Division of Receipts in Abandoned 143 and Replayed Matches 13-13.1 Neutral Venues 143 14-14.1 Financial Records 143 15-15.1 Prohibited Conduct 143 16-16.1 Full Strength Teams 144 17-17.13 Match Officials 144-145 18-18.1 Footballs 145 19-19.15(viii) Commercial Arrangements 145-148 20-20.2(iii) Media Co-operation Requirements 148 21-21.4 Application of Rules 149 11 Board Minimum Prices for Ground 150 Admission for League Cup Annex 3 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve League 151-168 Competition Regulations Operated Under the Title of the SPFL Reserve League (“the Reserve League”) Annex 4 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Cup 169-182 Competition Regulations Annex 5 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Challenge Cup 183-196 Competition Regulations Annex 6 The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup 197-217 Competition Regulations Annex 7 Guidance by the Scottish Professional Football League 218-225 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 226-230 Annex 9 Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules 231-244 I(a)-(c) Definitions, Interpretation and Infringement 231-232 of these Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules II(a)-(e) Infringement of Pyramid Play-Off 232-234 Competition Rules III(a)-(g) Team Eligibility and Running of Competition 234-235 IV Competition Rules – General 235-241 (a) Laws of the Game 235 (b)-(d) Appointment of Match Officials 235-236 (e)-(f) Clash of Colours 236 (g) Number of Players and Substitutes 236 (h)-(i) Eligibility of Players 237 (j)-(n) Team Lines 237-238 (o)-(t) Replacement of Players on Team 238-239 (u)-(dd) Pitch Protection 239-240 (ee)-(hh) Admission Charges and Abandoned 240-241 Matches 12 V(a)-(h) Commercial Rules 241-242 Annex to Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules – Form of 243-244 Team Line Annex 10 Playing Kit Rules in Terms of Rules G46 and G64 245-249 1 The Shirt and League Sponsor Logo 245 2 The Shirt and Club Crest 245 3 Front of Shirt 245 4 Back of Shirt 245 5 The Shorts 245-246 6 The Socks 246 7 Club Crest and Manufacturer's Identification 247 8 Sponsorship Designation 248 9 Measurement Guide 249 13 A General Name A1 The name of this combination of Football clubs is The Scottish Professional Football League.