At 1 July 2021 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, 31-33 Promotion and Relegation C8-C12.4 League Ranking at the End of a Season 33-35 C13.1-C13.3 Entitlement to Participate in Divisions 35-36 C14-C18 The Premiership 36-37 C19-C21 Promotion and Relegation as between 37 the Championship, League One and League Two C22-C28 The Premiership/Championship Play-Off Competition 37-40 C29-C32 The Championship/League One and League One/ 40-42 League Two Play-Off Competitions C33 Pyramid Play-Off Competition 42 C34 Allocation of Points in League Matches 42 C35-C37 Determination of League etc. Position in Case of 42-43 Equality of Points C38-C41 Champion Clubs 43-44 C42-C43 Football and Competition Rules 44 C44-C45 League Cup Competition 44 C46-C47 Reserve League 45 C48 Competitions 45 C49 Regulations 45 C50-C51 UEFA Competitions 45 C52-C53 Club Ceasing to Operate, participate in and/or be a 45-51 Member of the League C54 League 1 Division Competition 2020/2021 51-56 C55 League 2 Division Competition 2020/2021 56-62 2 Section D: Clubs D1-D8 Membership Criteria 63-64 D9 Employee Contracts 65 D10-D11 Inducement to Breach Contracts 65 Section E: Club Financial Arrangements E1-E16 Insolvency 66-69 E17-E19 Default in Player and Football Manager/Coaching 69-70 Staff Remuneration E20-E29 HMRC Obligations and Reporting 70-72 E30.1-E30.6 Inspection of Financial Records 72-76 E31.1-E31.12 No Overdue Payables and Compliance with 76-79 National Minimum Wage Section F: Players F1-F2 Registration and Eligibility 80 F3-F22.6 Compensation 80-83 F23-F36 Development Contribution 83-86 Section G: Fixtures and Match Officials G1-G6 Fixtures 87 G7 Postponement and International Selection 87 G8 Match Officials 87 G9-G11 Kick-Off Times 87-88 G12 Half-Time Interval 88 G13 Duration of Matches 88 G14 Teams for League Matches and Play-Off Matches 88 3 G15 Laws of the Game 88 G16-G18 List of Players 88-89 G19-G22F Substitution and Extra-time 90-93 G23-G29 Player Identification 93-94 G30-G37 Clubs to Register Colours 94-95 G38-G45 Clashes of Colours 95-96 G46 Shirts to Bear Logo(s) 96 G47 Match Balls 96 G48-G49 Match Report 96 G50-G52 Postponement and Abandonment of Matches 97 G53-G55 Non-fulfilment of Fixture Obligations 97 G56-G60 Attendance of Medical Practitioners and Others 97-98 G61 Head Injuries 98 G62-G63 Pre-Arranging Results 98 G64-G64.4 Shirt Advertisements and Televised Matches 98-99 G65 List of Referees 99 G66 List of Assistant Referees 99 G67 Appointment of Referees and Assistant 99 Referees G68 Misconduct 99 G69-G73 Retainers and Allowances for Referees and 99-100 Assistant Referees G74-G75 Payment of Hotel Expenses Incurred 100 G76 Illegal Payments to Referees and Assistant 100 Referees 4 G77 Referee to Visit Ground Early During Bad 100 Weather or at Request of Home Club G78 Pitch Report 100 G79 Assistant Referees’ Flags 101 G80-G82 Choice of Football to be Used 101 G83-G84 Referee Observer 101 G85 Ball Attendants’ Clothing 101 G86.1-G86.5 Substitution and Time Remaining Boards 101-102 Section H: Stadia H1 Technical Area Facilities 103 H2-H3 Covered Stadia 103 H4-H8 Synthetic and Artificial Pitches and Surfaces 103-104 H9-H10 Pitch Protection 104-105 H11-H12 Pitch Condition 105-106 H13-H18 Registration of Ground 106 H19-H20 Pitch Dimensions 107 H21 Waiver, Relaxation and Period of Grace 107 H22-H24 Ground Safety, Behaviour at Matches and 107-108 Damage to Stadia H25-H39.5 Unacceptable Conduct 108-110 H40-H43 Damage to Stadia 110-111 H44-H47 Giant Screens and LED Perimeter Boards 111-112 H48 Appendices 112 5 Section I: Commercial, Broadcast and Sponsorship I1 Media Co-operation Requirements 113 I2-I3 Operating Expenses 113 I4-I22 Commercial Contracts, Broadcasting and 113-131 Transmission I23 Fixture Lists etc. 131 I24-I25 Gate Receipts 131 I26-I32.3 Admission Prices, Admission to Grounds and 131-132 Ticket Distribution I33-I37 Press and Media Facilities 132-133 I38-I41 Defaulting Clubs 133 I42-I51 Expert Determination 133-134 I52-I54 Definitions and Interpretation 134-135 Section J: Inquiries, Commissions, Adjudications and Appeals J1-J3 Adjudication of Disputes 136 J4-J8 Power of Inquiry and Determination 136-137 J9-J10.2 The Panel 137 J11-J12 Commissions 137 J13-J15 Rules of Procedure 137 J16-J19 Powers of the Board and Commissions 138-139 J20-J22 Decisions 139 J23-J25 Appeal to the Judicial Panel 139-140 J26 Representation 140 J27 The Board 140 6 J28 Advice 140 Section K: Miscellaneous K1-K4 Confidentiality 141 K5 Scottish FA Congress 141 K6 Dual Interests 141 7 Appendices Appendix 1 Code of Practice for Use of Giant Screens 142-143 Appendix 2 Code of Practice for Use of LED Perimeter Boards 144-145 Appendix 3 Outturn position of Premiership Division at end of Season 2019/20 146 as provided in Rule C7A and Rule C53 Outturn position of Championship, League One and League Two Divisions 146-147 at end of Season 2019/2020 as provided in Rule C7A and Rule C53 Composition of Divisions for Season 2020/2021 148 Appendix 4 Code of Conduct for Under 18 Players 149-151 Appendix 5 Media Co-Operation Requirements 152 Appendix 6 Scottish Professional Football League – Match Information Forms 153-154 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 155-170 Regulation Title Page Number Number 1-3 Introduction 155 4-7 Registration 155-156 8-9 Amateur Registration 156 10-11 Registration of Under 18 Players 156 12-16(iii) Eligibility 156-157 17 Suspended Players 157 18 Submission to Jurisdiction 157 19-20 Playing 157-158 21-22 Club Authorised Persons 158 23-26 Termination of Registration and 158 Consequent Playing Restrictions 27-30 Approach to, by or in Relation to 158-159 Registered Players 31-38 Contracts of Service 159-160 39 Retention of Documents 160 40 Suspensions, Fines, Termination of 160 Contracts of Service – Notification to League 41 Contract of Service with Option 160 42 Conflict between Rules and Regulations 161 and Player Contract of Service 43-51 Transfer of Players 161-162 9 52 Intermediaries and Transfers 162 53-54 Temporary Transfers – 162-163 General Provisions 55-56 Term of Temporary Transfers and Written 163 Agreements 57-59 Restrictions on Temporary Transfers 164-165 60 International Temporary Transfers 165 61 Recall of Goalkeepers on Temporary 165 Transfers 62 Temporary and Permanent Transfers 165-166 63 Void Agreements as Regards Which 166 Clubs a Temporarily Transferred Player May Play 64 Prohibition on Playing Against 166 Transferor Club 65 Expiry of Term or other Termination 166-167 of Temporary Transfer 66-67 Extension Provision for Clubs entitled to 167-168 Participation in League 1 or League 2 68-70 Temporary Transfers and the Reserve 168 and Development Leagues 71-75 Trialists 168-169 76-82 Commitment Letters 169-170 Annex 2 The Scottish Professional Football League Cup Competition 171-193 Regulations 1-1.5.8 Introduction 171 2 Title 172 3-3.3 Board Powers 172 4-4.19 Competition Format and Participants 173-178 10 4.1 General 173 4.2 Participants 173 4.3 Draws and Ballots 173 4.4 Rounds 173 4.5-4.7 Basis of Competition 173-174 4.8-4.13 First Round – Group Stage 174-176 4.14-4.16 Second Round 176-177 4.17 Quarter Finals 177 4.18 Semi Finals 177 4.19 Final 177 5-5.13 Matches 178-179 6-6.9 Players 179-181 7-7.10 Player Colours and Numbers 181-182 8-8.6 Eligibility of Players 182-183 9-9.4 Trophy and Awards 183 10-10.10 Admission Charges and Shares of Gates 183-186 11-11.2 Admission Arrangements for Visiting 186 Clubs and clubs 12-12.3 Division of Receipts in Abandoned 186 and Replayed Matches 13-13.1 Neutral Venues 186-187 14-14.1 Financial Records 187 15-15.1 Prohibited Conduct 187 16-16.1 Full Strength Teams 187 17-17.13 Match Officials 187-188 18-18.1 Footballs 188-189 19-19.15(viii) Commercial Arrangements 189-191 20-20.2(iii) Media Co-operation Requirements 191-192 21-21.4 Application of Rules 192-193 11 Board Minimum Prices for Ground 193 Admission for League Cup Annex 3 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve League 194-211 Competition Regulations Operated Under the Title of the SPFL Reserve League (“the Reserve League”) Annex 4 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Cup 212-225 Competition Regulations Annex 5 The Scottish Professional Football League Reserve Challenge Cup 226-239 Competition Regulations Annex 6 The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup 240-262 Competition Regulations Annex 7 Guidance by the Scottish Professional Football League 263-270 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 271-275 Annex 9 Pyramid Play-Off Competition Rules 276-288 I(a)-(c) Definitions, Interpretation and Infringement 276-277 of these Pyramid