This Update has SIX important messages this week which we would ask you to please read.
Clock is ticking rapidly towards deadline date
Photo quality – Important you get it right
Minimum facility requirements for a YEL organised game
More than four players in/out? Has the level of your team changed significantly?
Team officials need to add photos onto their Whole Game System account
Two coaches – only 7 weeks to start of season
Clock is ticking rapidly towards deadline date
Player Registrations Amazing job being done by Club Player Registration Officers. Over 11,000 players now registered!! However, there are a significant number of teams that still need to get up to min player numbers by Wednesday evening (24th) to ensure they continue to progress towards the start of the season.
Free Withdrawals – 24th July is the last day for free withdrawals so check this weekend to make sure your team is viable. Do not work on a ‘I’m hoping I’ll get some more players’ basis as it will cost you your league fee if you don’t make it. Please be realistic.
League Fees – 24th July is the deadline for ALL league fees to be paid. Failure to be paid by the deadline will result in a late payment charge being applied and could lead to the team being withdrawn by the league
U9-U14 Teams – 24th July is the last day to make an application to enter a U9-U14 team into the league for this season. We cannot guarantee that the application will be successful. It will be dependent on space being available at the appropriate level.
Affiliation – 24th July is the deadline for teams to be affiliated in order for them to progress towards the start of the season.
Photo quality – important you get it right
Reminder: For a player registration image to be accepted by the YEL, it needs to be a good quality passport style head and shoulders only image – see image – NOT a ‘distance photo where the image of the player is very small.
Minimum facility requirements for a YEL organised game
ALL CLUBS & TEAMS – There are minimum requirements for a pitch to be accepted for a YEL organised fixture. Whilst it’s recommended that there are changing facilities available, the MINIMUM requirement is that there are toilets onsite and open on matchday. It’s not acceptable in 21st Century for anyone to be expected to ‘use the bushes.’
This YEL Rule/regulation will be enforced. Any team found using a pitch which does not comply with the minimum requirement will be referred to the YEL Discipline team.
More than four players in/out? Has the level of your team changed significantly?
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR U12-U14 TEAM MANAGERS. If your team has had a significant number of players leave/join (4 or more) which has strengthened/weakened your team since the end of the 23/24 season, please email the YEL Office with details so we can ensure that we place you in the correct ability based division.
Team officials need to add photos onto their Whole Game System account
It has long been a player registration requirement that a head and shoulders image be uploaded onto the club portal before the player can be registered. It made no sense whatsoever that Managers and Coaches, for some reason, were allowed to register without uploading a head and shoulders image of themselves. We are in complete agreement with our parent County FA that this is poor practice from a safeguarding point of view. Our League Regulation 1(B)(iv) now make it a rule that:
‘Team Officials (Manager/Coach/Assistant Manager/Assistant Coach) must have their photo uploaded to Club Portal.
A parent can stand in if either coach is not present provided they have an in date FA safeguarding children certificate and in date FA DBS.
Failure of a team to comply with this rule will result in the membership application to join the league being rejected. If a team is not compliant with this regulation during the season, it will receive a fine of up to £100 for failing to follow a management instruction and will have its fixtures withdrawn immediately until the team becomes compliant.’
All Team Officials log into their Whole Game System account and upload a current image of themselves.
This regulation is an additional safeguarding measure to help everyone know who is standing on the coaches’ side of the pitch and to assist YEL Respect Field Officers/County FA Officials when checking that those coaching, have the necessary in date qualifications to allow them to do so.
Two coaches – only 7 weeks to the start of the season
Have you got two qualified coaches for your team?
This has been part of FA Safeguarding policy for a number of years. Our parent County FA supports it and we also fully support it and endorse it hence it being added to our League Regs.
Every team playing affiliated football must have TWO qualified coaches at ALL football activities – training and matches. This mandatory FA requirement has been incorporated into our League Regulations 2024-25. This is a safeguarding requirement to protect both players and coaches.
League Regulation 1(iv) Coach/Manager requirements for a registered YEL team
As part of the YEL’s parent County FA rules, each team playing in the YEL must have two coaches with in-date qualifications registered to the team on Club Portal who should be present at YEL organised matches and all training activities. Qualifications required to be compliant:
Coach one: must hold ALL of the following:
• In-date accepted DBS
• FA Level 1/Introduction to Coaching Football (I2CF) Qualification (Min)
• In-date Safeguarding Children Course / Recertification
• In-date Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAiF)
Coach two: must hold a minimum of the following:
• In-date accepted DBS
• In-date Safeguarding Children Course / Recertification
• In-date Introduction to First Aid in Football (IFAiF) OR In-date FA Sudden Cardiac Arrest Module & In-date FA Concussion Module
It is advisable for the team to have a parent with an in date DBS and Safeguarding Children certificate who can stand in (don’t need to actively take part in the training session/coaching on game day) should one of the coaches be unavailable rather than cancelling a game or training session.
Contacting the YEL
If you email the YEL OFFICE – yel@live.co.uk – please ensure you state the team name, age group and playing day so we can quickly deal with the enquiry
Rob Harwood CEO
YEL OFFICE