NISFA Rules

I

The following shall be elected from teachers at the first meeting of Council following the Annual General Meeting:-

(a) A Referees and Disciplinary Committee

(b) A Primary Competitions Committee

(c) A Secondary Competitions Committee

(d) NISFA delegate to the IFA

The Council shall have power to elect and appoint such other Committees as are considered necessary. Each Committee shall have five members - a convener and four others. The Officers shall be ex-officio members of all committees and shall be entitled to vote.

At the meeting of Council following the final international match in alternate seasons Team Managers, who shall be teachers, for the International Teams shall be appointed. Each Manager shall select a Team Committee and submit the names of the members of this Committee for formal approval at the first meeting of Council in the new season. He shall attend coaching courses in his official capacity.

At the final Council meeting of each season representatives to the Schools' Association Football International Board shall be appointed.

The NISFA nominee for SAFIB Vice Chairman will be offered first to past NISFA Chairpersons and then to the longest serving active member of the NISFA Council, who have not already been SAFIB Chairman

The Council may make a grant towards the expenses of members of Council and Team Committees attending meetings, trials or representative matches.

A pupil may represent the Association in International matches in accordance with the rules of the Schools' Association Football International Board.

Notification of a pupil's selection to play in representative matches must be given to his School Principal and to the Secretary of his Organisation. Following such notification the school may be requested to help defray the cost of the pupil's international team uniform and kit.

The expenses of pupils playing International matches or International trial matches may be defrayed from the funds of the Northern Ireland Schools' Football Association. Each pupil playing in an International match shall receive a Certificate and such other token as Council may decide.

Council affirms that the Northern Ireland Schools' Football Association will not make arrangements for any fixture to be played within Northern Ireland on a Sunday, and in the course of making arrangements for fixtures outside Northern Ireland the Association's representative(s) will request that no fixtures be arranged for Sundays.

However, Council recognises that other countries have different cultures and traditions and , if the arrangements made by another Association mean that a fixture outside Northern Ireland is to be played on a Sunday, the Association will accept the fixture provided that the travel, accommodation, financial and other arrangements are acceptable to Council.

In any case where a fixture is to be played on a Sunday the parents of all players under consideration for selection will be advised as soon as possible and will be requested to inform the Association, in writing, whether they are prepared to allow their son to play in the Sunday fixture(s).

Parents' wishes in this respect will be accepted without question. It will be made clear to parents that their son's availability or non-availability for the Sunday fixture(s) will not prejudice their selection for other games and Council affirms that all selections will be made strictly on merit from the players available for each game.

Complimentary tickets for International matches may be issued at the discretion of the Council or match Organising Committee

The Council shall have power to deal with any matter not specifically provided for in these Rules.

The following competitions shall be promoted:-

(a) (i) The Inter-District Challenge Competition for Primary School pupils - Open to all affiliated Organisations.

(ii) The Inter-District Challenge Competition for pupils under 14 years - Open to all affiliated Organisations.

The Council shall have the power to re-organise, sub-divide or amalgamate Organisations for the purpose of these competitions.

(b) The Small Schools Primary Cup - Open to all Primary schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member Primary schools with a total enrolment of not more than 50 boys in P4 to P7.

(c) The Primary Challenge Cup - Open to all Primary schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member Primary schools.

(d) The Minor Challenge Cup for pupils under 12 years - Open to all schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member schools.

(e) The Small Schools Cup for pupils under 13 years - Open to all schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member schools with an enrolment of under 40 boys in Year 9.

(f) The Intermediate Challenge Cup for pupils under 14 years - Open to all schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member schools.

(g) The Small Schools Cup for pupils under 15 years - Open to all schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member schools with an enrolment of under 40 boys in Year 11.

(h) The Senior Challenge Cup for pupils under 16 years - Open to all schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member schools.

(i) The Youth Cup for pupils under 18 years - Open to all schools in affiliated Organisations and to Associate Member schools.

Other competitions may also be promoted as Council may decide. (See Appendix C)

A competition fee as decided by Council shall be paid by each Organisation and Associate Member school.

Cup competitions shall be played down to 16 teams in a manner decided by Council. Competitions will then proceed by way of an open draw. The Competition Committees shall make the draws for the respective competitions. The first drawn team in each case shall have choice of ground except in semi final and final ties, the arrangements for which shall be made by the Competition Committee.

The entry dates for all competitions shall be as determined by the appropriate Competition Committee.

In semi final and final ties all gate receipts shall be the property of the Northern Ireland Schools' Football Association.

The successful teams in final ties shall be awarded the respective trophies but these shall be the property of the Association and shall be held only for such a period as the Council may decide. Permanent awards shall be presented to sixteen players of teams in final ties.

An Appeals Committee shall deal with all written appeals to Council. The Officers shall appoint the members of the Appeals Committee. No member of a Committee whose decision is appealed may be a member of the Appeals Commottee.

All written appeals must be lodged within fourteen days of the relevant matter and must be accompanied by a £20 deposit which will be returned in the event of the appeal being upheld.

The Appeals Committee's decision shall be final.

1. All players shall be within the prescribed age limits set by Council for each competition at midnight on 1st July prior to the season. A player normally becomes ineligible on leaving school but, if in attendance at school at the close of the Easter term, shall be eligible to play in the NISFA Youth Cup final if it is played during the Easter holidays. A player may play for two schools only with the consent of Council.

2. All teams shall be under the direct and sole control of a teacher. A school team must be accompanied by a teacher of that school.

3. Each team must register its colours with the appropriate Competition Committee and where two teams play in similar colours the away team must change. Goalkeepers must wear a distinctive colour.

4. All matches shall be played under the Laws of the Game with the following exceptions:-

(a) The type of ball used in NISFA competitions shall be as indicated in the regulations for each competition. (See appendices)

(b) There shall be no strict application of the law as to the dimensions of the ground, but subject to the prior agreement of both teachers.

(c) In all ties teams may be altered by the substitution of FIVE players chosen from a maximum of five named players.

(d) The duration of matches shall be as indicated in the regulations for each competition. (See appendices)

(e) In Primary school competitions goalkeepers may not be challenged while in possession of the ball.

5. The Referees Committee shall arrange for the referee for each match. Where an officially appointed referee fails to keep his engagement the teams shall mutually agree upon or toss for choice of a referee who shall be considered an officially appointed referee for that match. The referee must be a teacher. Except in final ties the competing teams shall appoint linesmen who must be teachers. Linesmen for final ties shall be appointed by the Referees Committee.

6. All ties shall be played on a grass or 3G astroturf surface except with the prior agreement of both teachers.

1. Home teams are responsible for arranging games.

2. In ties prior to the semi final, the visiting team is responsible for providing a competent referee who must be a teacher.

3. Games shall be 25 minutes each way. Extra time of five minutes each way is played only in finals and replays. In the case of a replay being a draw at the end of normal time the tie will be decided by applying the away goals rule over the two matches. If both teams have the same away goals then extra time will be played. The tie will then be decided first by the score or , if still a draw , away goals will apply again and then , if necessary , by penalties (see Appendix D).

There is no replay in a final. If the match is still tied after extra time in a final the cup will be shared.

4. All ties prior to semi finals shall be on a single-leg basis as drawn.

5.a Goalkeepers may not be challenged while in possession of the ball.

.b The Back Pass Rule will not apply and the goalkeeper may lift the ball.

.c The four step rule will also not be applied to the goalkeeper.

6. A size 4 leather ball at the correct pressure must be used.

7. Games must be played by the specified date unless an acceptable reason has been forwarded to the Primary Competition Committee.

8. The winning team, or the home team in a drawn game, must return the result to the Primary Competition Convener within three days of the game taking place.

9. In the event of a dispute all relevant facts must be forwarded to the Primary Competition Committee Convener within three days of the game taking place.

10. The venue and format of the semi final and final ties shall be decided by the Primary Competition Committee.

11. Match officials for the semi final and final ties shall be appointed by the Referees Committee.

12. The Primary Competition Committee shall have power to eliminate teams failing to comply with any of these regulations.

1. Teams entering competitions thereby undertake not to withdraw and to complete fixtures by the specified date.

2. Matches are to be played on the date specified, but may be played beforehand with the agreement of the Secondary Competition Committee.

District Cup Thursday afternoon

Minor Cup Friday afternoon

Small Schools Under 13 Cup Monday afternoon

Intermediate Cup Thursday afternoon

Senior Cup Wednesday afternoon

Small Schools Under 15 Cup Thursday afternoon

Youth Cup Wednesday afternoon

3. The result of each match is to be notified by the winning team, or the home team in a drawn game, to the Secondary Competition Convener within three days of the date specified for that round.

4. The duration of each match shall be:-

All matches, if drawn, will have a period of extra time as follows:-

            (a)       When the first match of any tie except the final is drawn a replay must be played within one week of the date specified for that round.  When the final is drawn after extra time penalty kicks will be taken to decide the winner.

            (b)       If the replay (in any tie before the final) is drawn after extra time penalty kicks will be taken to decide the winner.

                        (See Appendix D)

5. The Secondary Competition Committee shall have the right to vary dates, if necessary, due to unforeseen circumstances.

6. The type of ball shall be size 5 leather at the correct pressure.

7. In rounds prior to semi finals where both teams play in similar colours the away team must change.

8. In rounds prior to the quarter final the away team is responsible for providing the referee who must be a teacher.

9. The Senior Cup final will be played on Easter Monday or as near to that date as the Council or Secondary Competition Committee may decide.

10. In a Cup Final both teams must wear numbered jerseys.

11. The Secondary Competition Committee shall have power to eliminate teams failing to comply with any of these regulations.

Other competitions, which may be organised by Council, shall be played according to Rules drawn up by Council or its nominated Committee.

1. The referee shall choose the goal at which all penalty kicks shall be taken.

2. Each team shall take 5 penalty kicks. The kicks shall be taken alternately.

3. The referee shall toss and the team whose captain wins the toss shall take first kick.

4. The team which scores the greater number of goals shall be declared the winner.

5. Only those players who are on the field at the end of the match i.e. at the end of extra time, shall be eligible to take part in the penalty kicking.

6. If, after both teams have taken 5 kicks, each has scored the same number of goals or neither has scored, the taking of penalty kicks shall continue (one additional kick by each team) in the same order until such time as each has taken the same number of kicks and one team has scored a goal more than the other.

7. Each kick shall be taken by a different player and not until all eligible players of any team, including the goalkeeper, have taken a kick may a player take a second kick.