1. Registration and Particulars of Clubs
On or before 1 June in each year, or within one week of joining, each club shall forward to the Secretary of the Association a return (Form A) stating the name of the Club, year of formation, number of members, name and address of President, Chairman and Secretary, who will be its registered Secretary for all purposes of the Association until proper notification of a change is given, in writing to the Secretary of the Association - address of its playing ground or grounds, not to exceed two in number, where the members register, cash book and minute book are kept, whether Annual General Meetings are held to which a statement of accounts is submitted, whether gate and other receipts are entirely placed to the credit of the Club, or if not, how applied, and the distinguishing colours of the Club.
No Club shall be allowed to change its registered name after 1 August in any year.
NB A second ground may not be registered by a Club after 1 October in any season without the consent of Council.
All clubs in Membership of the Association shall provide proof that they have arranged financial cover for its players in the event of injury as shown in Section ‘C’ of the Financial Appendix.
Each Club shall forward with Form 'A' Registration a Fee in accordance with its status (see Section 'A' of the Financial Appendix.)
The payment of the Registration Fee shall entitle the Club to receive one copy of the Handbook.
Clubs shall not be allowed to take part in any Competition until and unless the Registration Fee has been paid by the due date. Failure to pay by this date will result in a Fine being imposed (See Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix).
Failure to pay by 14 June each year will result in additional Fines being imposed by the Council.
Clubs wishing to place Advertising on players' clothing shall be required to make Application to Council.
2. Books of Competitions and Clubs
All Competitions and Clubs, members of this Association, shall keep accounts and a minute book of their meetings - showing the election of any new member and the date of his election - and shall produce such minute book, and all other books of the Competition or Club, to the Council as and when required. All books and Vouchers for at least two seasons preceding the current season must be retained by the Club, and be ready for production whenever required by the Association. At least two Clubs each season shall be required to produce their books for inspection by the Council. An Annual Balance Sheet must be forwarded to the Secretary of the Association by 1 June each year with the Affiliation Forms: no club will be permitted to affiliate without submitting the Balance Sheet. Clubs failing to comply with this rule shall be fined as shown in Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix.
3. Cup Competitions
A Club having membership with the Dorset County Football Association Limited shall be required, if considered eligible, to enter and play its recognised 1st XI in one of the Cup Competitions of the Association according to its status, which status shall be decided by the Dorset County Football Association Limited (Cup Entry Fees - see Section 'A' of the Financial Appendix). Such fees to be paid by 1 June in each year. Obligations in all County Cup Competitions shall take precedence over all League and other Competitions with the exception of Numbers 1-10 in the Match Precedence List in the Directory. Exemption from Cup Competitions may be allowed by the Council of the Association subject to the payment of exemption fees shown in Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix.
4. Sanctioned Competitions
Each League and Competition granted sanction by the Association - other than Charity Competitions, shall pay to the Association an Annual Subscription (See Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix) and no League or Competition shall be allowed unless sanctioned by the Council. The Subscription payable by a Competition the whole of the net profits of which are devoted to recognised charitable objects shall be as shown in Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix.
Each Sanctioned Competition may make application for the appointment to its Management Committee of a representative of the Association, and where such appointment is made the travelling expenses of the representative so appointed shall be borne by the Competition concerned, if claimed.
In the case of a Club or Sanctioned Competition being disbanded, a financial statement, together with all books, shall be forwarded when called upon, to the Secretary of the Association and any balance in hand shall be dealt with by the Council.
No Six-a-Side or similar Tournament shall be arranged without permission of the Council. Application in respect of such Tournaments shall be forwarded so as to be in the hands of the Secretary of the Association at least 21 days previous to the date of the proposed Tournament and be accompanied by a fee as shown in Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix, and the date thereof shall not be altered, except by permission of the Council. Ten per cent of entry fees of such Tournaments shall be payable to the Dorset County Football Association Benevolent Fund. An audited Balance Sheet shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Association within 28 days of the Tournament.
Scratch teams shall not compete in any Tournament without special permission.
Any player taking part in an unsanctioned Competition shall be liable to be dealt with by the Council.
5. Privileges of Members of the Council
Each Member of the Council shall be furnished with a pass, and all Clubs belonging to the Association shall admit the holder to their grounds and stands upon production of such pass without requiring any other authority.
6. Long Service Medals
A Medal shall be presented by the Association to each Council Member upon completion of 20 years service on the Council.
7. Appeals
Appeals from the decisions of League Management Committees, League Management Disciplinary Committees, Sanctioned Leagues or Competitions, may be made to the Association, who shall have the power to reverse or vary any decision appealed against, and to order payment of such expenses as they may deem fit. Each appeal must be lodged with the Secretary of the Association in duplicate, within fourteen days of the date of posting of the decision, accompanied by a deposit (See Section 'C' of the Financial Appendix) which may be forfeited if the appeal is not upheld: the reason for the Appeal shall be clearly stated. The decision of the Appeals Committee shall be the final ruling of the Association.
8. Alterations to Rules
Alterations to these membership rules may be made by Council in accordance with the Articles of Association. Any member of the Association wishing Council to consider a proposed alteration of these Rules must give written notice of its proposal to the County Secretary on or before 1 March in any year.
9. County Matches
All Clubs, members of the Association, shall be bound to place their players at the disposal of the Council for County Matches. The Council shall have the power of selecting any matches they may deem fit.
Any player who is selected to play for the Association and fails to do so shall not play for any Club on that day or the preceding day unless he first obtains the consent of the Chairman of the County Match Committee. Any player failing to comply with this Rule may be judged by the Council guilty of misconduct. Any Club found to have encouraged or instigated such a player to commit such an offence shall be deemed guilty of a similar offence.
A Club having its goalkeeper or having two or more players selected to play for a County Team or accepted for a County Coaching Course shall be allowed to postpone a fixture in which they are engaged on that day, if they so desire.
The Council shall have the power to select any dates and grounds they may deem fit for County or Representative matches.
10. County Honours
The Awards will be presented as follows:
Male teams – an award for the first appearance, an award for the third appearance, a County Cap for eight appearances, a second County Cup for sixteen appearances: a special award for twenty five appearances.
Female teams – an award for the first appearance, an award for eight appearances, an award for sixteen appearances, a special award for twenty five appearances.
11. Matches outside the County
Members of the County Match Committee shall be entitled to travelling expenses as from time to time agreed by the Board of Directors to male County matches and members of the Women’s Committee shall be entitled to traveling expenses as from time to time agreed by the Board of Directors to all female County Matches played in Dorset. The Chief Executive of the Association shall make arrangements for at least one member of the Committee to attend matches played outside the County.
12. Registration of players
No player, including Youth players, shall sign more than one Saturday Registration Form in Dorset competitions in the current season or previous close season unless he is transferred. No player, including Youth players, shall sign more than one Sunday Registration Form in Dorset competitions in the current season or previous close season unless he is transferred. For the purpose of this Rule the current season shall end on the 31 May each year. Players eligibility for Cup Competitions shall be as shown in the Players Cup Eligibility List. No player under the age of sixteen years at midnight 31 August in the current season shall play in an Open Age County Cup Competition.
A player under written contract with the Football Association shall play only for the club by which he is registered (FA Rule C1).
13. Notice of Approach
No Club nor any person shall, during the current season, attempt to induce any player of a Club in Membership or Associate Membership of this Association or of any affiliated Association as hereinafter provided to sign for another Club without at least seven days notice in writing to the Secretary of the Club for which the player was last known to have played in a recognised Competition and negotiations with the player must cease at the expiration of 21 days from the date of such notice being given. The notice must be forwarded by registered post or recorded delivery and the receiving Club shall supply written acknowledgement within 7 days of receipt of such notice. A second notice shall not be given by the same Club in respect of the same player during the current season. The approaching Club or person shall not give notice of intention to approach more than one player of a Club at the same time and shall not give notice of intention to approach another player of the same Club within 28 days of a prior notice. Except with the written consent of the Club 7 days notice is necessary if the first approach is made by the player, but this consent shall not be unreasonably withheld where circumstances of a special character exist e.g. change of residence or non selection for any team of the Club for three consecutive weeks.
14. Age Limit Competitions
Any individual judged to have knowingly broken the age limit rule of any competition, or by furnishing false information as to age, shall be suspended for a period not exceeding 12 months, and be dealt with in any other manner as the Council may deem fit.
15. Rules relating to schoolchildren
1. Whilst a pupil remains on the roll of a recognised school priority must at all times be given to school or school organisations activities.
2. A Club selecting a pupil to play in any match under the jurisdiction of the Association shall clear the availability of the pupil on every occasion with his Head Teacher.
3. Children who are under eleven years of age shall not be allowed to participate in eleven a side football.
16. Discipline
The Council shall have the power to deal by Suspension from taking part in football or football management, fine or otherwise, as they may decide, any person charged with violations of the Laws of the Game, the Rules and Regulations of the Football Association, or of this Association or of any League or Competition, or with misconduct on the part of any person, League or other Competitions, Organisation or Club or on the part of their members, players or officials, and deciding all disputes that may arise including the determinations of such actions which may be deemed to have brought the game into disrepute.