This Update has FIVE important messages this week which we would ask you to please read.
Cancelling fixtures from December 1st onwards
Freezing temperatures – postponed games
REMINDER: Match returns
Substitutes – What are the rules?
YEL hotline number
Cancelling fixtures from December 1st onwards
Reminder of the League Regulation 14
Postponement of a Winter season fixture – When a home team cancels a Winter league fixture, the YEL reserves the right to reverse the fixture, should it be rearranged. First cancellations will cease to be available from December 1st. Any match cancelled from December 1st onwards will be treated as an on the day cancellation and will be referred to the YEL Discipline Team
Freezing temperatures – postponed games
Temperatures this weekend are forecast to be very low and we’re anticipating several games being postponed due to frozen pitches. Please ensure that you’ve checked with your opposition to see if there is any possibility of reversing the fixture before notifying your players that the game is off. If your opposition’s local and can play then it’s important to try and get the leagues completed although player safety should be your first priority. If you do have to cancel, please notify the YEL Office – yel@live.co.uk – and make sure you enter P-P when you receive your SMS text notification. Do not enter anything else/comment other than P-P
REMINDER – Match returns
Unbelievable there are still an average of 50 fines a week being issued to teams who fail to complete/provide incomplete match returns to the league. 1200 teams are getting it right. We want to see this number down to zero in the new year.
Match returns are mandatory and part of the league rules voted in by member clubs at the AGM. We simply apply the rules on behalf of the members.
Every YEL organised game – cup, league or friendly – must have a match return completed by both home and away teams on Full-Time otherwise fines starting at £5 and rising to £20 will be issued.
We’ve lost count of the number of times we have stated DO NOT USE MATCHDAY APP to complete your match returns. Everyone knows (or should know by now) it is unreliable. The only way to avoid a fine is to log into Full-time and complete the return on the website. We need the score confirming, marks for any appointed referee, respect marks, pitch marks and a complete list of the players who started or were on the bench. Once this is completed, submit it to the league.
Substitutes – What are the rules?
Surprisingly, some teams do not seem to know the rules for the number of substitutes you can have at a YEL game. Here are the rules which must be adhered to:
YEL RULES 20(F)
For Under 11s – Under 18s – a Club may use up to 5 from 5 substitute Players. A Player who has been substituted becomes a substitute and may replace any Player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.
For Mini-Soccer – any number of substitutions may be used at any time with the permission of the referee. Entry onto the field of play will only be allowed during a stoppage in play. A Player who has been replaced may return to play as a substitute for another Player. A Team must not have a match day squad greater than double the size of its team in an age group.
In Youth Football only, the referee shall be informed of the names of the substitute Players not later than 15 minutes before the start of the Competition Match and a Player not so named may not take part in that Competition Match.
To summarise:
U7/U8 – Maximum of five substitutes
U9/U10 – Maximum of seven substitutes
U11/U12 – Maximum of five substitutes
U13/U14 – Maximum of five substitutes
ALL SUBSTITUTES MUST BE NAMED ON THE TEAM SHEET GIVEN TO ANY YEL APPOINTED REFEREE 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE GAME
Any team found to have played more than the permitted number of substitutes will be deemed to have played ineligible player/s and will be fined for each ineligible player over the maximum permitted number of substitutes. The club will also be charged for playing ineligible players (Rule 18N) and will receive an additional sanction from the YEL Discipline team which can include any of the following: removal of any points won, awarding the points available to the opposition, docking up to a maximum of 12 points from the offending team, rescheduling the game.
YEL Game Day hotline
If you have any issues or on the day queries relating to your game only, you can contact the YEL Game Day Hotline number for advice.
07510 305254
Available 9.30am – 12.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
ONLY AVAILABLE FOR ON THE DAY MATCH RELATED ENQUIRIES – no other issues will be discussed.
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