BIRMINGHAM SENIOR SCHOOLS FOOTBALL FEDERATION 

RULES FOR BIRMINGHAM SENIOR CUP COMPETITIONS 

The rules attached are derived in conjunction with the Standard Code of Rules for Youth Football (SCORY), which has been adapted by a National Working Group of ESFA Members to be applicable to football organised by affiliated Districts of the ESFA

1. COMPETITIONS

All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game as determined by the International Football Association Board. The Competitions shall be managed by. the executive committee of the above Federationn and shall only be open to those schools affiliated to the Federation. This Competitions and each team must make every effort to promote equality by treating people fairly and with respect by recognising that inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them. them. Alll participants must abide by the ESFA and The Football Association Regulations for Safeguarding Children.

The Trophies shall be offered for annual competition between schools affiliated to the Birmingham Associations, plus any school affiliated to Solihull.

As from season 2021 - 22 there will be no entry fee but all competing schools should be affiliated to their local association..Entry forms should be sent directly to the General Secretary by the specified deadline date.. Entry forms are sent out after the Easter holidays for the next season .

. NAME OF COMPETITIONS

a)     The City of Birmingham Cup U16.

b)    The Aston Villa Schools Charity Cup U15.

c)     The Trevor Gill Trophy U14

d)    The George Welford Federation Cup U13.

e)     The West Midlands Travel Trophy U12.

Matches shall be played on the cup-tie principles. The draws shall be made using the web site facility following the necessary input of data by the secretary.  The Semi-Final shall be played as per draw. The Committee shall fix the limit dates by which all ties shall be played. Failure to keep within these limit dates WILL lead to disqualification unless there are exceptional circumstances. All results must be emailed to the secretary or inputted onto the website within the deadline date. Failure to do so could lead to disqualification from the competition,.It is the responsibility of both schools to contact one another to arrange the game at a date mutually accepted well within the limit date.

    In the event of the schools not being able to stage the game, they shall advise the secretary of the Trophy at least eight days prior to the last day fixed for the completion of the round.

 2.: CONTROL

a)   The entire control and management of the competition shall be invested in the committee.

b)   The officers shall be the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, the Secretaries of Kings Norton & South Birmingham S.F.A., Birmingham S.F.A., Solihull S.F.A. & Aston, Erdington & Saltley S.F.A. and the five Final co-ordinators. In the event of the section running representative teams the team manager(s) would also become officers.

c)   The rules of the competitions shall be those of the Football Association except as otherwise stated.

d)   All teams must be under sole control of teachers who are members of staff at the school.

e)   The winning school staff be responsible for suitable engraving and for the maintenance of the Trophy in good order. 

f)    It shall be the responsibility of the Head of Physical Education in the school to ensure the return of the Trophy on or before March 1^st to the Secretary of the Competition.

3. PROTESTS AND APPEALS / MISCONDUCT

Protests arising from Competitions/Leagues organised for schools by Aston Erdington & Saltley SFA] shall be submitted to the Management Committee in line with the ESFA policy for protests, as published in the ESFA Handbook. 

A report on any incident involving the caution or dismissal of a player should be sent in writing to the General Secretary / Section Secretary as soon as possible after the match. The Management Committee will decide on the appropriate action to take to discipline the player. Any incident not covered explicitly in these rules will be dealt with by the Management Committee at its discretion. Spectators are the responsibility of the school they attend.

4. TROPHIES & MEDALS

All trophies are the property of the Birmingham Senior Schools Football Federation

16 Medals and mementoes shall be provided for all finalists and league champions,

 

5. ALTERATION TO RULES

These rules may be altered only at a General Meeting of the Federation in accordance with the rules governing that General Meeting

Dissolution of the Competition shall be by resolution approved at a general meeting in accordance with the constitution of the Competition/League.

 

6. PARTICIPATION

 

Players who are under six years of age on 1st September in any playing season shall not be allowed to participate in Competitions/Leagues sanctioned by ESFA/CSFA. A child who has not attained the age of ten years at midnight between 31 August and 1 September shall not play and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play in a match between sides of more than seven players in that playing season. The relevant age for each Player is determined by his or her age as at midnight on 31 August of the relevant Playing Season. Up to and including Under 15s (Year 10),  players must not play, and shall not be permitted or encouraged to play in a match where any other player is older or younger by two years or more than that child. 

Mixed-gender matches shall be played in line with current FA regulations 

A player may only play for the School or College he/she is currently attending and on whose roll he/she appears at the time of the game in which he/she is playing. 

 If the Committee has any doubt as to the qualification of any player taking part in these competitions it shall have the power to call upon the school to which he belongs, or for which he played, that he is qualified according to the rules and failing satisfactory proof the offending school will be disqualified from the competition

 

7.         COMPETITION/LEAGUE: FORMAT, FIELD OF PLAY, THE BALL

Age Group	Duration	Extra Time   Size of Ball
Under 12   9 V 9	2 X 30 (Min 20)	2 X 7                  4
Under 13   11 v 11	2 x 35 (Min 25)	2 x 7                   4
Under 14   11 v 11	2 x 35 (Min 25)	2 x 10                 4
Under 15   11v 11	2 x 35 (Min 25)	2 x 10                 5
Under 16   11 v 11	2 x 40 (Min 25)	2 x 10                 5
Under 19  11 v 11	2 x 45 (Min 25)	2 x 15                5

8.         COLOURS, PLAYERS ATTIRE

Players participating in this league/competition must wear shin protection. And all items of jewellery must be removed before the start of a game.

Goal keepers must wear colours which differentiate them from other players and no team should play in black..In the event of a clash in colours the home team should change.

            

9. DURATION OF MATCHES AND FIXTURE DATES

Match duration shall be:  (see above table

Except by permission of the Management Committee all Competition matches must be played/ by the closing date set for the playing of a specific set of matches but priority shall be given to ESFA and parent County Schools’ Association Cup Competitions. All other matches must be considered secondary. Teams may mutually agree to bring forward a Competition Match with the consent of the General /Section) Secretary.

Precedence of matches

1.     E.S.F.A.

2.    W.M.M.C.S.F.A. Inter-Association.

3.    W.M.M.C.S.F.A. Individual Schools.

4.    B.S.S.F.

5.    Aston Erdington and Saltley District Cups.

6.    League Games.

 

10.FIELD OF PLAY, POSTPONEMENTS, SUBSTITUTES

The Management Committee shall have power to decide whether a pitch and/or facilities are suitable for Competition Matches and to order the team concerned to play its Competition Matches on another ground. Football Turf Pitches (3G) are allowed in these Competitions provided they meet the required performancestandards and are listed on the FA’s Register of Football Turf Pitches.

‘Repeated’ substitutions are allowed in all Competitions up to and including the Under 18 age group. In 9v9 and 11v11 matches, teams are permitted to use 5 substitutes from five named players. In small-sided matches: Indoor 5-a-side - 3 named substitutes 7-a-side - 3 named substitutes )

If it is deemed inadvisable to play for the required time matches may be reduced by 5 minutes each way.  If a match which is played after the limit date set forth by the Committee results in a draw, extra must be played, for the Blues, Villa Cup and Trevor Gill.In the event of a draw after extra time the match will then be decided by penalties.Postponed, abandoned or drawn matches shall be played or replayed within the limit date. Where schools are not mutually agreed on a date the matches shall be referred to the Secretary. When a re-play match is necessary a result must be obtained in that game.

When the cup final result is a draw, extra time may be played at the discretion of the Competition Secretary. In the event of a draw the Trophy will either be shared for six months by each school or decided by penalties at the discretion of the competition secretary.

Advised pitch sixes /goals

School Year Group	Maximum Permitted Format	Minimum pitch Size		Maximum pitch Size		Recommended goal sizes in feet	Ball size
		Yards	Metres	Yards	Metres
Year 2	5v5	30 x 20	27.45 x 18.3	40 x 30	36.3 x 27.45	12 x 6	3
Year 3	5v5	30 x 20	27.45 x 18.3	40 x 30	36.3 x 27.45	12 x 6	3
Year 4	7v7	50 x 30	45.75 x 27.45	60 x 40	54.9 x 36.6	12 x 6	3
Year 5	7v7	50 x 30	45.75 x 27.45	60 x 40	54.9 x 36.6	12 x 6	3
Year 6	9v9	70 x 40	64 x 36.6	80 x 50	73.15 x 45.75	16 x 7	4
Year 7	9v9	70 x 40	64 x 36.6	80 x 50	73.15 x 45.75	16 x 7	4
Year 8	11v11	90 x 50	82.3 x 45.75	100 x 60	91.44 x 54.9	21 x 7	4
Year 9	11v11	90 x 50	82.3 x 45.75	100 x 60	91.44 x 54.9	21 x 7	4
Year 10	11v11	90 x 50	82.3 x 45.75	110 x 70	100.58 x 64	24 x 8	5
Year 11	11v11	90 x 50	82.3 x 45.75	110 x 70	100.58 x 64	24 x 8	5
Year 12	11v11	100 x 50	91.44 x 45.75	130 x 100	118.87 x 91.44	24 x 8	5
Year 13	11v11	100 x 50	91.44 x 45.75	130 x 100	118.87 x 91.44	24 x 8	5

11.REPORTING RESULTS

 

a)     Matches shall be played on the cup-tie principles.

b)    The draws shall be made using the web site facility following the necessary input of data by the secretary.

c)     The Semi-Final shall be played as per draw

d)    The Committee shall fix the limit dates by which all ties shall be played. Failure to keep within these limit dates WILL lead to disqualification unless there are exceptional circumstances. All results must be emailed to the secretary or inputted onto the website within the deadline date. Failure to do so could lead to disqualification from the competition.

e)    It is the responsibility of both schools to contact one another to arrange the game at a date mutually accepted well within the limit date.

f)   In the event of the schools not being able to stage the game, they shall advise the secretary of the Trophy at least eight days prior to the last day fixed for the completion of the round

 

Claiming Games: Games should only be claimed in extenuating circumstances.  No school should enter the result for a claimed game. The responsibility remains with the General/Competition Secretary.  Schools wishing to claim a game have to contact the General / Competition Secretary stating reasons why, with copies of emails / documentation sent , to  prove attempts had been made to play the game, as well as informing the opposition via email,.  All claimed games are to  be entered 1 – 0  by the General Secretary / Competition  Secretary. Dcumentation is necessary before a decision can be made.regarding awarding a game.

Results

All Cup results should be emailed or inputted onto the web site as soon as they are played. Any games not played could result in both teams being withdrawn, unless an extension has been granted by the General Secretary Competitions  Secretary. Venues for are decided by  the home team in the cup draw on the website. 

Rearranged Games These should be rearranged by the schools at their earliest convenience. Schools must be informed of any postponement at least two days in advance of the match, unless due to extenuating circumstances. Failure to do so could result in the game being forfeit. The onus is on both schools  to confirm games. Failure to turn up for a game can result in forfeit of the game.

12. MATCH OFFICIALS / FINALS

Registered referees for all Competition/League matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the Management Committee. Referees between the ages of 14 and 16 are only eligible to officiate in competitions where the Players’ age band is at least one year younger than the age of the referee. In cases where there are no officially appointed Match Officials in attendance, the home side must provide  a refereewho shall have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee .Where assistant referees are not appointed each Team shall provide an assistant referee. All match officials must wear full kit

Th General Secretary / Section Secretaries are responsible for arranging the final at a venue of their choice and provide suitable officials . Medals and a Trophy will be made available by the General Secretary / Competition  Secretary and will be available for both finalists as well as a trophy for the winning team

13 ENTRIES FOR NEXT SEASON 

These must be in the hands of the  General Secretary by the last school day of the April/May Half-Term..Draws will be done automatically by the web site .

14. FINANCE

Money raised from the five competitions shall be belong to the BSSF Football Federation  to help to finance the five cup competitions and   support of senior schools football. Where possible the final ties should take place at a private and enclosed ground and  a gate itaken , proceeds  are to be returned to the parent body B.S.S.F.