Constitution and Administration

The Association

1. The Association shall consist of Clubs and affiliated Associations such as the Council may approve and which are otherwise qualified hereunder.

all Clubs and Affiliated Associations shall play and/or administer football in conformity with these rules and also:
(a) The Laws of the Game and (b) the Statutes and regulations of FIFA and UEFA Definition and interpretation 2.

in the interpretation of these Rules (a) the terms of Articles 2 and 3 of the Articles of Association of The Football Association Limited shall apply; (b) the words or expressions used herein shall have the following meanings:-

"Associate Member Club" means a Club accorded the status of an Associate MemberClub pursuant to these Rules

"Club" means a football club;

"Club Official" means any official, director, secretary, servant or representative of a club;

"Competition" means any competition (whether a league or knock-out competition or otherwise) sanctioned by The Association or an affiliated Association;

"Contract Player" means any player (other than a Trainee or Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play under a written contract of employment with a Club;

"Football Association Premier League, The" means The Football Association Premier League limited or any successor body;

"Football Creditor" means
(i) The Association
(ii) The Football Association Premier League Limited
(iii) The Football League Limited
(iv) The Football Conference Limited
(v) The Northern Premier League Limited
(vi) The Southern Football League Limited
(vii) The Isthmian Football League Limited
(viii) Any member club or any of the organisations listed in (i) to (vii) above (ix) Any full-time or part-time employee of a member club, as defined in (viii) above, or former full-time or part-time employee of such a member club, in respect of sums due to such person by way of arrears of remuneration or expenses (x) The Professional Footballers’ association (xi) The Football Foundation (xii) Any affiliated Association (xiii) Any other affiliated clubs or leagues.

"Football League, The" means The Football league Limited or any successor body;

"Laws of the Game" means the Laws of the game as settled and in force from time to time by the International Football Association Board and fIFA; by the Board after such dissolution, or in default thereof by such Judge of the High Court of justice as may have or acquire jurisdiction in the matter, or if and so far as effect cannot be given to such provision, then to some charitable object. 

"Licensed Agent" means an agent holding a licence issued by The Association in accordance with the applicable FIFA regulations governing players’ agents;

"Management Committee Member"; means a person responsible for the management and administration of an unincorporated club;

"Management Committee Member" means a person responsible for the management and administration of an unincorporated club;

"Manager" means the Official of a Club responsible for selecting a Club team;
"Match" means a football match sanctioned by The Association or an Affiliated Association;

"Match Officials" means referees and assistant referees and includes reserve officials and fourth officials;

"Non-Contract Player" means any Player (other than a Trainee or Player on a Scholarship) who is eligible to play for a Club but has not entered into a written contract of employment;

"Official" means any official, director, secretary, servant or representative of an affiliated Association or Competition;

"Out of Contract Player" means a Contract player whose contract has expired;

"Player" means any Contract Player, Out of contract Player, Non-Contract Player or other Player who plays or is eligible to play for a Club;

"Participant" means an Affiliated association, Competition, Club, Club Official, licensed Agent, Player, Official, Match Official, management Committee Member, Member or Employee of an affiliated club and all such persons who are from time to time participating in any activity sanctioned either directly or indirectly by The association;

"Professional Footballers’ Association, The" means The Professional Footballers Association or any successor body. In the case of a Club in membership of more than one Affiliated Association, the "Parent Association" means the Affiliated association in which the Club was first a member.

Affiliation of Clubs

3. (a) Application to be a Full Member Club A Club may apply to be a Full Member Club on the appropriate form published by The Association. A completed form must be received at The Association before 1st March in any year.

(b) Application to be an Associate Member Club A club may apply to be an Associate Member Club on the appropriate form published by The Association. A completed form must be received by The Association before 1st March in any year.

(c) Control by the Council Eligibility to be a Full member Club or Associate Member Club shall be under the control of the Council, which shall have the power to make regulations concerning eligibility criteria and conditions. Notwithstanding that an application may satisfy such criteria and conditions, the Council shall have the power in its absolute discretion to refuse an application to be a full Member Club or Associate Member Club.

(d) Rights and Privileges Neither a Full Member Club nor an Associate Member Club shall have rights or privileges other than as arise pursuant to the articles of Association and the Rules.

(e) Resignation by a Full Member Club or Associate member Club A Full Member Club or Associate Member club may resign its status as such to have effect only at the end of the playing season. Written notice of an intention to resign must be received at the Association by 31st December in that playing season.

(f) Termination of Status of Full Member Club or associate Member Club The Council may at any time decide that a Club shall cease to have the status of a Full Member Club or Associate Member Club on such terms as it considers appropriate. A Club shall automatically cease to have the status of a Full member Club or Associate Member Club if it ceases to be in membership of an Affiliated Association.

(g) Transfer of Membership The Council will use the following minimum criteria in deciding whether to approve the transfer of membership by a Full Member club or Associate Member Club;

(i) The shareholders or members of the existing Full member Club or Associate Member Club have voted to agree the transfer of the membership to the proposed future member

(ii) All ‘Football Creditors’ of the existing Full member Club or Associate Member Club must be fully satisfied

(iii) All other creditors of the existing Full member Club or Associate Member Club must be satisfied and evidenced as such

(iv) The proposed future Full Member Club or associate Member Club must provide financial forecasts showing their ability to fund the Full member Club or Associate Member Club for the next 12 months or to the end of the season following transfer (whichever is the longer)

(v) Evidence of funding sources will be required.

(h) Suspension of Membership/Rights and Privileges on such terms and conditions as it considers appropriate the Council may at any time suspend the status, rights and privileges of a Full Member Club or Associate Member Club.

(i) Nursery Clubs Any Club which is under obligation to another Club, written or otherwise, by reason of which it has not the sole and entire control of its own management, finances and players, shall be deemed to be a "Nursery Club" and is not entitled to be a Full Member Club or Associate Member Club.

(j) Annual Return of a Full Member Club and associate Member Club Each Full Member Club, associate Member Club and any other Club which The association determines from time to time shall forward to The Association before 1st July in each year a completed Form "A" in such form as shall be published by The Association from time to time and shall supply such further information as is required by the Council. A Club shall report to The association as soon as possible any change in the information set out on the Form "A" most recently submitted.

(i) If the Club has failed to submit a fully completed Form A to The Association by 1st July in any year it shall be subject to such fine or other appropriate sanction as may be determined by the council.

(k) Subscription Fees of Full Member Clubs and associate Member Clubs

(i) Each Full Member Club and Associate Member Club shall on or before 1st July in each year pay to The association such subscription fee as shall be determined from time to time. An annual subscription shall not be refundable in any circumstance.

(ii) A Full Member Club or Associate Member Club which has failed to pay any subscription due to The association by 1st July in any year shall be subject to such fine or other appropriate sanction as may be determined by the Council.

Affiliation of Associations

4. (a) Conditions of Affiliation

(i) Each Affiliated Association shall cover a defined area and shall neither extend nor alter such area without first having obtained the consent of the Association.

(ii) Affiliated Associations may admit to membership clubs within their area, and provide for the proper management and control of such Clubs. (iii) An annual affiliation fee shall be paid by all Clubs in membership with Affiliated Associations and shall not be less than the amount determined from time to time by The Association.

(iv) All Clubs affiliated to an Affiliated association which are not Full or Associate Member clubs are designated "Non-Member Clubs" and shall observe the Rules.

(v) Second or Reserve Teams must always be so described. (

b) Annual Return-Form "B" Each Affiliated association shall forward to the Secretary on or before 1st November in each year, a return in accordance with the form marked "B" in the Schedule annexed to these Rules.

(c) Subscription A membership fee, payable within one week of approval of application, and an annual subscription payable by 1st June in each year, shall be as determined from time to time by The association.

(d) Other associations and clubs The Council shall have the power to admit into membership any association of football clubs within the British commonwealth, or any football club in any area where an association has not been established. The annual subscription shall be as determined from time to time by The Association. The membership of either such association or football club does not confer the right to send a representative to any meeting of the Association, nor to exercise a vote at any such meeting.

Failure to Pay Subscription

5. An Affiliated Association whose subscription is unpaid on 1st August in any year shall cease to be a member of The Association from that date.

Powers of Council

6. Save as otherwise expressly provided by these rules, resolutions and decisions of the Council shall be binding upon all Affiliated Associations and Clubs and all members thereof, until they are rescinded or varied.

Privileges of Council Members

7. Each Member of the Council shall be furnished with a pass (which shall not be transferable), and all Clubs shall admit the holder to their grounds and stands upon production of such pass without requiring any other authority, except on occasions when the Council shall otherwise decide.