16 March 2015 The Rules of the Scottish Professional Football League Contents Rule Number Page No. Section A: General A1 Name 13 A2 Alterations to Rules 13 A3 Severability 13 A4-A18 Definitions and Interpretation 13-24 A19 Board and Chief Executive 24 A20 General Meetings 24 A21-A22 Designation of Rules by Numbering and Lettering 24 Section B: Membership of the League B1-B3 Relationship between Clubs and the League 25 B4-B6 Agreement on Compliance with Applicable Rules, 25-26 Statutes and Regulations B7 Commitment to National Teams 26 B8-B9 Scottish Cup and League Cup Competitions 26 B10-B12 Other Football Competitions 26 Section C: The League and other Competitions C1-C7 Membership of the Company, Divisional Membership, 27 Promotion and Relegation 1 C8-C12.4 League Ranking at the End of a Season 27-29 C13 Season 2013/2014 29 C14-C18 The Premiership 29-30 C19-C21 Promotion and Relegation as between 30 the Championship, League One and League Two C22-C28 The Premiership/Championship Play-Off Competition 30-32 C29-C32 The Championship/League One and League One/ 32-34 League Two Play-Off Competitions C33 Pyramid Play-Off Competition 34 C34 Allocation of Points in League Matches 34 C35-C37 Determination of League etc. Position in Case of 34-35 Equality of Points C38-C41 Champion Clubs 36 C42-C43 Football and Competition Rules 36-37 C44-C45 League Cup Competition 37 C46-C47 Development League 37 C48 Competitions 37 C49 Regulations 37 C50-C51 UEFA Competitions 37 C52 Club Ceasing to Operate, Participate in and/or be a 37-38 Member of the League Section D: Clubs D1-D8 Membership Criteria 39-41 D9 Employee Contracts 41 D10-D11 Inducement to Breach Contracts 41 2 Section E: Club Financial Arrangements E1-E16.3 Insolvency 42-45 E17-E19 Default in Player and Football Manager/Coaching 45 Staff Remuneration E20-E29 HMRC Obligations and Reporting 45-47 E30 Inspection of Financial Records 47 Section F: Players F1-F2 Registration and Eligibility 48 F3-F22.6 Compensation 48-51 F23-F36 Development Contribution 51-54 Section G: Fixtures and Match Officials G1-G6 Fixtures 55 G7 Postponement and International Selection 55 G8 Match Officials 55 G9-G11 Kick-Off Times 55-56 G12 Half-Time Interval 56 G13 Duration of Matches 56 G14 Teams for League Matches and Play-Off Matches 56 G15 Laws of the Game 56 G16-G18 List of Players 56-57 G19-G21 Substitute Players 57 G22-G28 Player Identification 57-58 3 G29-G36 Clubs to Register Colours 58-59 G37-G38 Clashes of Colours 59 G39 Shirts to Bear Logo(s) 59 G40 Match Balls 59 G41-G42 Match Report 59-60 G43-G45 Postponement and Abandonment of Matches 60 G46-G48 Non-fulfilment of Fixture Obligations 60 G49-G53 Attendance of Medical Practitioners and Others 60-61 G54 Head Injuries 61 G55-G56 Pre-Arranging Results 61 G57-G57.4 Shirt Advertisements and Televised Matches 61-62 G58 List of Referees 62 G59 List of Assistant Referees 62 G60 Appointment of Referees and Assistant 62 Referees G61 Misconduct 62 G62-G66 Retainers and Allowances for Referees and 63 Assistant Referees G67-G68 Payment of Hotel Expenses Incurred 63 G69 Illegal Payments to Referees and Assistant 63 Referees G70 Referee to Visit Ground Early During Bad 63-64 Weather or at Request of Home Club G71 Pitch Report 64 G72 Assistant Referees’ Flags 64 G73-G75 Choice of Football to be Used 64 4 G76-G77 Referee Observer 64 G78 Ball Attendants’ Clothing 64 Section H: Stadia H1 Technical Area Facilities 65 H2-H3 Covered Stadia 65 H4-H8 Synthetic and Artificial Pitches and Surfaces 65-66 H9-H10 Pitch Protection 66-67 H11-H12 Pitch Condition 67 H13-H21 Registration of Ground 67-69 H22-H24 Ground Safety, Behaviour at Matches and 69 Damage to Stadia H25-H39.5 Unacceptable Conduct 69-71 H40-H41 Damage to Stadia 71-72 H42-H46 Giant Screens and LED Perimeter Boards 72 Section I: Commercial, Broadcast and Sponsorship I1 Media Co-operation Requirements 73 I2-I3 Operating Expenses 73 I4-I22 Commercial Contracts, Broadcasting and 73-76 Transmission I23 Fixture Lists etc. 76 I24-I25 Gate Receipts 76-77 I26-I32.3 Admission Prices, Admission to Grounds and 77-78 Ticket Distribution I33-I37 Press and Media Facilities 78 5 I38-I41 Defaulting Clubs 79 I42-I51 Expert Determination 79-80 I52-I54 Definitions and Interpretation 80-81 Section J: Inquiries, Commissions, Adjudications and Appeals J1-J3 Adjudication of Disputes 82 J4-J8 Power of Inquiry and Determination 82-83 J9-J10.2 The Panel 83 J11-J12 Commissions 83 J13-J15 Rules of Procedure 83 J16-J19 Powers of the Board and Commissions 84-85 J20-J22 Decisions 85 J23-J25 Appeal to the Judicial Panel 85-86 J26 Representation 86 J27 The Board 86 J28 Advice 86 Section K: Miscellaneous K1-K4 Confidentiality 87 K5 Scottish FA Council 87 K6 Dual Interests 87 Appendix 1 Code of Practice for Use of Giant Screens 88-89 6 Appendix 2 Code of Practice for Use of LED Perimeter Boards 90-91 Appendix 3 Financial Disclosure Requirements 92-94 Appendix 4 Code of Conduct for Under 18 Players 95-97 Appendix 5 Media Co-Operation Requirements 98 Appendix 6 Composition of Divisions of the League for and during Season 2013/2014 99-100 Annex Regulations of The Scottish Professional Football League Limited 1. Player Regulations 101-117 Regulation Page Number Number 1-2 Introduction 101 3-11 Registration 101-103 12-14(iii) Eligibility 103 15 Suspended Players 104 16 Submission to Jurisdiction 104 17-18 Playing 104 19-20 Club Authorised Persons 104-105 7 21-24 Termination of Registration and 105 Subsequent Playing Restrictions 25-29 Approach to, by or in Relation to 105-106 Registered Players 30-37 Contracts of Service 106-107 38 Retention of Documents 107-108 39 Suspensions, Fines, Termination of 108 Contracts of Service – Notification to League 40 Contract of Service with Option 108 41 Conflict between Rules and Regulations 108 and Player Contract of Service 42-51 Permanent Transfer of Players 108-110 52-71 Temporary Transfers 110-115 72-76 Trialists 115 77-83 Commitment Letters 115-117 2. The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition Regulations 118-138 1-1.3 Definitions 118 2 Name 119 3 Control of the Competition 119 4-4.20 League Cup Format and Dislocation of 119-122 Matches 5-5.5 Substitute Players 122-123 6-6.4 Trophy 123 7-7.4 Eligibility of Players 123-124 8-8.7 Admission Monies and Share of Gates 124-125 9-9.3 Division of Receipts in Replayed League 126 Cup Matches 8 10 Ground Rent - Neutral Venue 126 11 Financial Records 126 12 Misconduct in Pre-Arranging Results 126-127 13-13.8 Club Colours 127-128 14 Reports of Results 128 15 Full Strength Teams to be Played in All 128 Matches 16-16.12 Referees and Assistant Referees 128-130 17-17.3 Stadia 130 18-18.2 Giant Screens, Led Perimeter Boards and 130 Clocks 19 Stadia and Playing Fields 130 20-20.2 Special Instructions Relating to 131 Contributions of Articles to Newspapers and Journals 21-21.3 Admission Arrangements for Visiting Clubs 131-132 22 Provision of New Footballs 132 23-23.4 Responsibility of Clubs/Behaviour of 132 Spectators 24 Appeals 132 25-25.14 Commercial Arrangements 133-135 26-26.2(c) Media Co-Operation Requirements 135-136 27 Application of Rules 137 28-28.1(h) Responsibilities of Clubs to Sponsors 137 The Scottish Professional Football 138 League Cup Competition Board Minimum Recommended Prices of Ground Admission 9 3. The Scottish Professional Football League Under 20 League 139-157 Competition Regulations Operated Under the Title of the SPFL Development League (“the Development League”) A1-A4 Eligibility and Divisional Arrangements 139-140 B1-B12 Basis of Competition 140-144 C1-C17 Match Arrangements 144-147 D1-D15 Players 147-149 E1-E12 Match Officials and Technical Area Facilities 149-151 F1-F8 Registration of Ground 151-153 G1-G2(c) Media Co-Operation Requirements 153-154 H1-H2 General 154 I1-I13 Commercial Arrangements 154-157 4. The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup Competition 158-170 Regulations 1 Introduction 158 2 Title 158 3 Board Powers 158 4-4.6 Format 158-160 5 Dates for Ties 160 6-6.5 Dislocation of Matches 160 7-7.5 Substitute Players 160-161 8-8.5.3 Club Colours 162 9-9.5 Eligibility of Players 163 10-10.3 Admission Money and Share of Gates 163-164 11 Financial Records 164 10 12-12.4 Trophy 164-165 13-13.14 Commercial Arrangements 165-168 14 Prohibited Conduct 168 15-15.2(c) Media Co-Operation Requirements 168-170 16-16.2 General 170 The Scottish Professional Football League 170 Challenge Cup Competition Board Minimum Recommended Prices of Ground Admission 5. Guidance for Clubs on Unacceptable Conduct Made Under and 171-176 in Terms of Rule 37 Unacceptable Conduct at a Stadium on the 171-172 occasion of an Official Match Guidance 172-176 6. Rules of Procedure 177-181 1-1.13 General Rules 177-180 2-2.11 Hearing Procedures 180-181 7. Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules 182-193 I(a)-(c) Definitions, Interpretation and Infringement 182-183 of these Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules II(a)-(e) Infringement of Pyramid Play-Off 183-185 Competition Rules III(a)-(g) Team Eligibility and Running of Competition 185-186 IV Competition Rules – General 186-189 (a) Laws of the Game (b)-(c) Clash of Colours (d) Substitutes (e)-(g) Team Lines (h)-(q) Pitch Protection (r)-(t) Admission Charges and Abandoned Matches V(a)-(h) Commercial Rules 189-191 11 Annex to Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules – Form of 192-193 Team Line 12 As at 16 March 2015 A General Name A1 The name of this combination of Football clubs is The Scottish Professional Football League.