1. Nomenclature & Constitution

(a) This combination of clubs shall be designated the “Liverpool Champions League” and consist of at least 16 clubs, but no more than 64. All such clubs shall be duly affiliated to a recognised County Football Association, their names and particulars shall be returned by the appointed date on the D Form to the LCFA. The league must receive the sanction of the Liverpool County FA and the constituent clubs shall be drawn into groups. All clubs in membership of the League MUST have PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE.

(b) The League Council shall hold a consultation meeting with the member clubs before using their power to decide or adjust the constitution of the groups and the proposed format of the matches to be played.

2. Entrance Fee, Subscriptions payable

(a) The admission subscription shall be payable on or before the commencement of each clubs first fixture

(b) A Club may not participate in a league match until the subsequent fee has been paid. Until Paid - their fixtures may be suspended. Fixtures not played, due to suspension, shall be awarded to the scheduled opponents, 2-0 WIN

(c) Clubs must advise the league of their FA Affiliation number.

3. Officers
The officers of the league shall be: Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary & Welfare Officer.

4. Power of Management

(a) The League Council shall the powers to apply, act upon and enforce the rules of the league and shall also have jurisdiction over all matters affecting the league including any not provided for by the rules.

(b) All decisions of the council shall be binding subject to the right of appeal. Decisions must be notified in writing to all concerned within a period of 7 days.

(c) Three members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(d) A Club failing to satisfactorily attend to the business and/or the correspondence of the league shall be liable to be fined or otherwise penalized at the discretion of the Council.

5. Annual General Meeting

The AGM meeting shall be held on the first Thursday in March. At this meeting the following business shall be transacted:

(I) minutes of previous AGM read,

(ii) constitution of league for the ensuing season

(iii) election of officers

(iv) alteration of rules

(v) arrangement of venue and fixture dates

(vi) any other business

6. Qualification of Players

(a) For the purposes of this competition a bonefide playing member of a club shall be one who, being in all other respects eligible, has signed a fully and correctly completed registration form in ink during the current or forthcoming season with his own club

A player will not be allowed to play in the Liverpool Champions league if:

1 He has currently signed forms with an Academy or School of Excellence or Nationwide Club.

2.He has registered for two qualifying clubs for the competition, a player must choose one club for the entirety of the competition and once played for that club cannot then play for his/her second.

(b) Parents/Guardians will be informed by their club that should they become involved in any violent or threatening behaviour, or be found guilty of any pitch encroachment, then their player’s registration with this league could be withdrawn immediately.

(c) (I)All club secretaries will be responsible for the correct Name & DOB on the players registration form and his eligibility for the competition. Any clubs found to be in default of this rule will be eliminated from the tournament.

(ii) If there is an element of doubt over a players eligibility the matter must be brought to the attention of the council within 7 days of the match in question by letter, whose decision will be final and binding.

(iii) Players in the various age groups must be under age on the 31^st August of that particular year. 2009-10 u11’s-31-08-98, u12s 31-08-97, u13s 31-08-96, u14s 31-08-95

Being school years 6,7,8 & 9.(d) The league council shall have the power to accept the registration of any player and to refuse or cancel the registration of any player they consider guilty of irregularities or undesirable conduct and to disqualify the player in question from participation in all games.

(e) Boys over 9yrs and under 14yrs should not play in a team involving players who are more than 2yrs older.

(f) All registration forms must be returned to the secretary before the commencement of the clubs first match.
(g) Participating clubs MUST produce their own LEAGUE REGISTRATION documents from their qualifying league, and may only perform with the registered players for that team.  A MAXIMUM of FOUR players may be added to the registration document with a maximum of 18 players only.

7 Club Colour , Club Name

(a) Every club must register its colours with the league who shall decide as their suitability. Goalkeepers must wear colours to distinguish them from other players and the referee.

(b) In the event of TWO clubs, in the opinion of the referee having the same of similar colours, the designated AWAY team shall make the change. The Away side being the second team on the fixture sheet.

8 Time of Kick-Off and duration of play

(a) Fixtures shall be arranged by the league competitions secretary, who shall be responsible also for the allocations of kick-off times and pitches, subject to the approval of the council. A set of fixtures for the competition will be notified to the clubs prior to the commencement of the tournament.

(b) All matches shall be played in accordance with the laws of the game as settled by the International Football Association board.

(c) U11s shall play for 25mins each way

U12s, u13s, u14s shall play for 30mins each way

In case of extra-time at Quarter-Final, Semi-Final or Final a further 10mins each way will be played. The referee in charge of the match has the right to shorten this time or in fact go straight to penalties should the circumstances permit him from completing the extra-time permit in its entirety.

NB No golden/silver rules will apply.

If after extra-time, neither side has won the match, then the game will be decided on penalties.

Five penalties per team, then sudden death if still level after five.

(d) Goal nets must be used in all fixtures if possible

(e) In the event of a match not being played of abandoned owing to caused over which neither club has control, it shall, subject to the following clause be replayed in its entirety on a date to be approved by the league council.

(f) The league council shall review all abandoned matches and in cases where it is to the advantage of the competition and does no injustice to any of the clubs shall be empowered to order the score at the time of the abandonment to be recorded as a result.

In all cases where the league council are satisfied that a game has been abandoned owing to the conduct of one of the team or its supporters/members including spectators they shall be empowered to award the points or cup progress for the game to its opponents and/or take what other action they may deem necessary. In all case where the game is abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams or their club members or spectators on receipt of the LCFA findings the council shall take such action as they may consider appropriate.

(g) Players involved in abandoned matches, including substitutes, shall be deemed to have played, and providing team sheets are submitted, such games shall count as an appearance.

(h) When for whatever reasons, a team is reduced to less than 7 players during a match, the game will be abandoned.

(i) Up to a maximum of 7 substitutes may be named and used in a match. (Roll on, Roll off - a maximum of 7 changes in total)

(j) In the event of a team not being present, or having insufficient players, or for any other reason being unable to commence a match being played 10 minutes after the scheduled kick-off, the referee shall be empowered to cancel the fixture.

If it becomes necessary to make a late start, the referee shall be empowered to curtail the game by the equivalent time of the delay, and shall advise both clubs before the kick-off of his decision. In such circumstances the game must still be played in two halves of equal duration.

(k) The Half-time interval shall not exceed 10mins, this may only be altered with the consent of the referee.

(l) Any player receiving two cautions (yellow cards) during the group stages of the competition, in possibly two different matches, will be suspended from his clubs next Champions League match. Likewise, if a player received a straight red card or dismissed from the field of play, will automatically be suspended from his clubs next Champions League match.

This rule applies only in the group stages. So Quarter-Final, Semi-Final and Final ties do not carry over the yellow or red card rule to the next tie.

(m) In the event of a situation arising not covered by the above rules it will be deemed to go before the league committee who will have the power to decide on the most beneficial outcome to all parties.

9 Results/Report Forms

(a) Each club must submit on the day of the game to the referee, a team sheet recording the result of the match - indicating the players who have been selected to play in the game showing goalscorers for your side plus the MoM (name) for the opponents side.

(b) The result form correctly completed shall be signed by a responsible member of the club and the league council shall have the power to take such action as they deem suitable against a club who submit a form that is incorrect.

10 Point System

(a) The first round of the competition shall be decided on points. Three points will be awarded for a win, One point for a draw. The top two sides in each of the groups will go forward to a straight knock-out stage.

(b) If there are two or more teams level on points in the same group, then places will be determined firstly by GD Goal difference, and secondly by the number of goals scored - the team with the highest advancing to the next stage. If still level after this, the league position will be determined by the teams head-to-head match, if still tied then the two or however many teams it involves will take 5 penalties each to determine which side(s) progress to the knock-out stages.

11 Referees

(a) registered referees for all matches shall be appointed in a manner approved by the league council.

(b) In cases where there is no official referee, the clubs may mutually agree upon a referee. A referee mutually agreed upon shall for that game have the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee.

(c) The appointed referee shall decide as to the fitness of the pitch, goal posts, bars or other equipment and his decision shall be final.

(d) Referees MUST forward all cautions and sendings off to the LCFA

12 Protest, Appeals & Deposits

(a) All questions of eligibility, qualification of players or interpretations of rules shall be referred to the council, but no objection relative to the dimensions of the ground, goal posts, bars or other appurtenances of the games shall be entertained by the council unless a protest is lodged by the referee before the commencement of the game.

(b) All protests and complaints must be lodged with the league secretary within 7 days of the match or occurrence to which they refer.

(c) A board of appeal consisting of at least three members shall be appointed by the League Council to deal with cases as they arise.

13 Medals & Trophies

(a) The league will provide a maximum of 18 medals (subject to the number of registered players in the squad) per team to the winners and runners-up of the competition.

(b) A trophy will be awarded to the winning team in each age category

(c) A top goalscorer trophy will be awarded to the player who has scored the most goals in the tournament - penalty shoot-out goals will not be included in this total. (Funds pemitting)

(d) An overall Player of the Tournament trophy will be awarded to the players with the most nominations for MoM (maximum 10)

14 Match Day Rules for Manager

(a) If allocated the first kick-off erect one net.

(b) If allocated the last kick-off, dismantle one net

(c) Managers are responsible for collecting net pegs after playing

(d) In the interest of all concerned, discourage players from bringing valuables to the ground, ie rings, money, chains, watches, bicycles etc

(e) The League Take No Responsibility For Loss Or Damage to Any Property owned by club or spectator 15 First Aid and Welfare Officer

All clubs should have a qualified first aider available at each match in which they are playing, together with a Welfare Officer representative.16 Insurance Cover

Public Liability Insurance cover has been taken out by the Liverpool Champions League through the LCFA, however, this does not cover personal accidents to players, club officials or supporters. Personal accident insurance cover must be taken out by the individual clubs for which the players are performing. It is not the responsibility of the Liverpool Champions League. All manager/secretaries must inform all players of this ruling. Therefore, players taking part in the matches are deemed to have been informed of this rule.

17 Rules binding on Clubs

Each club and member shall be deemed to have given its assent to the foregoing rules and agree to abide by the decision of the Council.

In the unlikely event of the tournament being cancelled due to extreme weather conditions or some other major catastrophy, then there can be no refunds returned to the participating club.