YEL Update - 12th September 2025 - Young Elizabethan League

This Update has SIX important messages this week, which we would ask you to please read.

Match returns – (94 teams failed to complete on the first weekend)
Laws of the game – important changes for 2025-26 season changes
Team sheets and Player ID checks
SMS text – how to report scores
U7s-U10s ONLY – No deliberate heading and No throw ins – now pass ins/dribble ins
Play safe weekend 2025 – 27/28 September

Match Returns (94 teams failed to complete on the first weekend)

94 teams failed to complete a match return on the first weekend. This weekend will be treated as a warning and no fines will be raised. If your team is on the list sent out by the office, please ensure you don’t appear again and follow the instructions below.

All YEL organised games – friendlies, league and cup games, must have a match return completed by each team. If you are unsure how to complete them, read the step by step ‘Basic guide to running a YEL Team’ – Useful information for coaches on YELonline.com

https://yelonline.com/managers-and-coaches-useful-information/

DO make sure you complete the match return by logging into Full-Time

DO make sure you complete all sections

DO make sure you ONLY list the players who started in the ‘started’ section; list the players who started as subs and came on in the ‘subs used section’ (There should be no entries in the ‘subs unused’ section as all children who attend games should play at some stage)

DO ensure the return is completed within 24 hours of the advertised kick off time (League Regulation 3C)

DO NOT use MatchDay app to complete your match return. Its poor reliability is well known and has been widely advertised by the YEL. We’ll not accept this as a valid reason for an incomplete match return

Laws of the game – important changes for 2025-26 season

Brief summary of FOUR important law changes:

Goalkeeper possession – 8 second rule – corner kick awarded after 8 secs
Captains only protocol – only captains can interact with the referee if they signal it
Penalty kick double touch
Drop Balls

https://www.theifab.com/law-changes/latest/?sc_src=email_6687442&sc_lid=704995430&sc_uid=FDrTlsLJq4&sc_llid=48024

Please read and understand the article and share the information with your parents as some were very confused and were questioning the referees when they implemented them last week, particularly the awarding of a corner after the keeper failed to release the ball within the prescribed time.

Team sheets & Player ID checks

U7-U14 teams – Player ID sheets – By now, ALL teams should have downloaded their A4 player ID sheets. If you haven’t or are struggling, either contact your secretary for assistance or follow the instructions below.

U9-U14 teams – Team sheets – If there is an officially appointed YEL Referee, all teams should provide them with a team sheet listing all of the starting players along with the subs, prior to the start of the game. Team sheets can be downloaded from YELonline.com under the ‘Useful information for managers/coaches’ section.

Our referees are required to complete reports on every YEL game they officiate so we will know if teams have failed to do ID checks/provide team sheets. This is a League Rule/Regulation, voted in at the AGM.

Downloading ID sheets

https://grassrootstechnology.thefa.com/support/solutions/articles/48001146406-download-a-squad-list

Team sheet download

https://yelonline.com/managers-and-coaches-useful-information/

EXPLANATION OF HOW AN ID CHECK IS DONE – At the game, you should have your printed ID sheet of players/photos downloaded from Whole Game System. Before the match, go to your opposition manager and exchange sheets. Call in the players from both teams. Call out the names of the opposition players on the sheet in front of you whilst the opposition manger does the same for your players. Exchange sheets back. If any players are not on the list THEY CANNOT PLAY as the are not league registered. This applies to YEL organised friendlies, league matches and cup games. Any issues, call the YEL Hotline – number at the bottom of the Update

SMS Text – how to report scores

Scores should be submitted straight away (max 3 hours after the advertised kick off time on Full-Time)

DO NOT enter half time score

DO NOT do live goals on matchday app

AGREE FINAL SCORE WITH OPPOSITION before texting the result by SMS

Only report the score via SMS text (nothing else)

If you do not receive the SMS text, email the YEL Office with your team name, age group and playing day – office@yelonline.com – (We will check that your details – name & phone number – are correct on Ful-Time)

CORRECT WAYS TO REPORT A SCORE BY SMS TEXT – just the score or short codes with score and hyphen (NOT ‘v’) MUST BE HOME TEAM SCORE FIRST, THEN AWAY TEAM SCORE

0-3
MS06 2-5 WW24
Mp10 3-1 ey17

EXAMPLES OF TEXTS CREATING ERROR MESSAGES (DO NOT USE ANY OF THESE STYLES)

H 3 – 1 A
H 2 – A 3
H – A 0 – 2
3v0

U7-U10s ONLY – No deliberate heading and No throw ins – now pass ins/dribble ins

Two points to remind you about:
U7-U10s are not allowed to deliberately head the ball. Any infringement will result in an indirect free kick.
U7-U10s do not take throw ins. These have been replaced by Pass ins/Dribble ins. As the name suggests these are ‘dribble ins’ and ‘pass ins’. They ARE NOT INDIRECT FREE KICKS. We have heard that a number of coaches during pre season tournaments/early season friendlies have been encouraging players to take the restart as an indirect free kick and shoot at the goal in the hope that the ball hits a player and goes in. This is not a pass in/dribble in, it is a kick in and cannot be condoned. The idea behind this initiative is to encourage players to find space to allow a pass in or dribble in if there is no defensive player standing 5m away to stop this. This is a massive development point for attackers and defenders and should not be undermined by attacking teams trying to gain an unfair advantage.

Video ‘Dribble in/pass in’ demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP_DzpoMSXg

No heading
https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2024/May/17/New-heading-rules-for-grassroots-football-youth-matches

Play Safe Weekend 2025 – 27/28 September

Quick reminder that the annual FA Play Safe weekend is coming up at the end of September. The YEL fully supports this initiative and we encourage all member clubs to get involved. All clubs should have received an information pack from The FA. Just in case you haven’t, here is a link to England Football with full details.

https://www.englandfootball.com/playsafe

YEL Game day hotline

Anyone that has a query relating to their game on the day of the game only on either Sat/Sun can contact a league representative for advice between 9am and 12.30pm. Only match day queries will be dealt with – nothing else

Contacting the YEL

If you email the YEL OFFICE – office@yelonline.com – 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

YEL Update – 12th September 2025