Berkshire County RFU
Youth League Rules & Regulations - 2010/11
Please note changes to Rule 7.2
1. Description
The Competition shall be called the Berkshire County RFU Youth League and will be open to Youth Teams from Under 13 to Under 16 at each club in membership of the Berkshire RFU. All matches in the Competition shall be played under the current version of Laws of the Game of Rugby Union as framed by the IRB together with the Under-19 Variations as applicable to the age group in question and these rules as set out below.
2. Organising Committee
2.1 The Competition will be organised by a sub committee (the Organising Committee) appointed bythe Youth Committee of the Berkshire County RFU whose decisions will be binding and final on any matter, specifically:
a) the interpretation of these rules; and
b) any aspect not provided for in the rules.
2.2 The Organising Committee is comprised of Steve Cullen, Sarah Manning, Andy Croy and Allan Jones. Sarah chairs the Disputes and Rules Committee with Andy and Alan. Steve Cullen is the Youth League Administrator to plan and organise the structure of the League fixtures, administer and compile results and provide a focal contact point for all routine issues and inquiries.
The contact information is as follows:
3. Fixtures
3.1 Each club must confirm their participation at each age group of the League for the 2010/11 season to the Youth League Administrator by 15th January 2010. After this date participation will be at the discretion of the Organising Committee.
3.2 The Youth League Administrator will notify the clubs entering the League of the Berkshire Youth League dates for the 2010/2011 season by 15th December, 2009. Final fixture will be issued by the end of March 2010 at the latest. Fixture dates will be determined according to the RFU Structured Season and the policies of the Organising Committee.
3.3 Each club will play each other club in the competition once at each age group in Division 1 will be only A squads. In Division 2 there will be a mix of A and B squads - in some age groups they will play home and away fixtures. All teams will be placed into age group Leagues/Divisions according to their results.
3.4 The RFU’s U19 variations to the Laws of the Game will apply to the playing of all fixtures except where the rules of the League differ in which case the League rule will apply.
3.5 A team may not play more than 2 matches in a season with less than 15 players as short teams.
3.6 For each fixture one club will be designated as the home club and one as the away club. The home club is responsible for making all match-day arrangements including the provision of the referee and a suitable safe playing field set out according to Law 1 of the Laws of Rugby Football Union. With the agreement of the away club the home club may cede home status to the away club, or play at a neutral venue. If the match is played at a neutral venue the designated home club is responsible for all the match-day arrangements. If the designated home club cedes home status the hosting club becomes responsible for all the match-day arrangements.
3.7 All matches will be played during the season on the Sundays notified to the clubs by the Youth League Administrator. Kick-off times will normally be 11.00am but can be altered by the home club where there is a bona fide reason. Where the kick-off time is to be moved from 11.00am then the home club must notify the away club as early as possible and at least one week in advance.
3.8 Once match dates have been notified to the clubs by the Youth League Administrator any match date can be changed but only by the agreement of both the clubs in question. Agreement to move a fixture may not be unreasonably withheld up to one month in advance of the original fixture date and both clubs should work together to agree a mutually suitable alternative date.
3.9 Where a change in fixture date is determined according to 4.1, 4.3 or 7.4 below agreement from the other club cannot be withheld.
3.10 The existence of a pre-arranged friendly fixture is NOT an acceptable reason to decline a change of date where the other club has a bona fide basis for their request for a change of date. The existence of a pre-arranged tour IS an acceptable reason to decline a change of date.
3.11 Without exception all League fixtures have to be completed by 30th April of the season in question. Any fixtures outstanding at this date will be void.
3.12 Where a team withdraws from the League part way through a season, all of their match results to date will be declared void and expunged from the League.
4. Unplayed, Postponed or Abandoned Matches
4.1 If weather conditions or the state of the pitch prevent a match being played or a match is abandoned because of such conditions with more than 10 minutes playing time remaining, the match shall be played or replayed on the next playing Sunday or a date agreed by both clubs as soon as possible.
4.2 The decision on weather conditions and/or pitch conditions making a match unplayable can only be made by the match referee in consultation with both teams and the respective groundsman where appropriate.
4.3 If a club has two or more players unavailable due to a school or representative trial or fixture, or other school commitments on the same date as a fixture, then the club in question can request that the game be rearranged. The request must be made as soon as possible, but in any event at least one week in advance of the fixture in question. Should the clubs involved not agree on the necessity to reschedule the fixture the Youth League Administrator’s decision will be final. It is expected that clubs will be reasonable in their requests to reschedule and their agreement to the requests.
4.4 In the event of a League match not being played for any reason other than under 4.1 or 4.3 above or 7.4 below or a circumstance agreed by either both teams or the Organising Committee, the club not in default will be awarded 4 League points and 1 Bonus point and the score deemed to be 20-0; 4 tries to nil.
4.5 If a club is unable to field a side for a League match, other than for reasons allowed in 4.3 above, they must notify their opponents and the Youth League Administrator no later than 8.00pm on the preceding Friday. Failure to do so will result in 2 League points being deducted from the offending club in addition to that club forfeiting the match in question under 4.4 above.
4.6 If a match is rescheduled it should be played;
a) On a mutually agreed date,
b) If a date cannot be agreed, on the next free league Sunday in the Youth Structured Season,
c) If there are no free league Sundays, on the next Club Training Sunday,
d) If no Sundays can be used, on a date determined by the League Administrator.
5. Club Positions
5.1 The position of a club in the appropriate age group League of the League will be established according to the number of League points the club has been awarded. Clubs will be placed in ascending order with the highest number of League points at the top. League points will be awarded as follows:
4 League points for a win;
2 League points for a draw;
1 bonus League point for a loss by 7 match points or less; and
1 bonus League point for scoring 4 or more tries in the fixture.
5.2 In the case of equal number of League points accumulated, positions between clubs will be determined according to the result(s) of the match(es) between the clubs, with the club with the highest number of League points (including bonus points) from these matches being placed highest in the League..
5.3 If a tie remains after applying 5.2 the clubs will be placed in the League according to which has the highest match points difference. Match points difference is the difference between cumulative match points for and cumulative match points against.
5.4 If a tie remains after applying 5.3 then the club with the highest total match points scored will be placed highest in the League.
5.5 If a tie remains after applying 5.4 then the club with the highest tries scored will be placed highest in the League.
5.6 If after the above it is still not possible to establish the position of the clubs, and even if the winning of the League is involved, then a tied position will be declared.
5.7 Should two clubs (A and B) be level after applying 5.2 and one of those clubs has received or made a concession under 4.4 to another club (C) the results in the matches A v C and B v C will be discounted before applying 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5. This principle will be extended should more than one concession or more than two clubs be involved.
6. Notification of Match Result
6.1 Each club should ensure all League results are notified to the Youth League Administrator within 48 hours of the end of the match.
6.2 Failure to notify results may render the result void.
6.3 The Youth League Administrator is responsible for the collation of all results and publication of the League tables and will publish the results within a maximum of 5 working days of receiving ALL results. Latest results and tables will be published on the Berkshire County RFU website, www.berksrfu.com
7. Players
7.1 A club may only play or select as a replacement or substitute players who:
i) are bona fide playing members of the club;
ii) are of the correct age on 1st September of the season in question as follows:
for u-16s, have attained 15th birthday but have not attained 16th birthday
for u-15s, have attained 14th birthday but have not attained 15th birthday
for u-14s, have attained 13th birthday but have not attained 14th birthday
for u-13s, have attained 12th birthday but have not attained 13th birthday
iii) have not played in any Berkshire Youth League fixture for any other Berkshire RFU registered club in the season in question.
7.2 Where a club does not have a particular junior age group team then a maximum of four players from that age group may be included in the squad of the age group one year up. Under no circumstances can a mini/midi age group boy play up in a junior age group team.
7.3 A club will be deducted up to 4 League points by the Organising Committee on each occasion that it has been represented by an ineligible player or an ineligible player acts as a replacement or substitute.
7.4 Where a team has fewer than 15 players but at least 12 players then the match can proceed and be played with the opposition reducing its team accordingly to the same number. The No.8, both flankers and the whole back row will be missing respectively where the match is played 1, 2 or 3 players short. If the shortage of players is both known in advance and is of a once-off nature, due to e.g. a flu attack, then the match should be postponed and played on an alternative date rather than proceeding with short teams. The match shall be played on the next playing Sunday or a date agreed by both clubs as soon as possible
8. Replacements and Substitutes
8.1 In all matches in the League replacements and substitutes are permitted in accordance with the RFU regulations relating to their use. A player who has been substituted may replace any player, whether or not that player has been injured. Players may be exchanged at any time during the match, when the ball is dead and with the knowledge of the referee.
8.2 A team may select a squad of up to 22 boys allowing a maximum of seven substitutes of which two must be qualified to play in the front row. If a team has 3 or fewer substitutes in the squad then only one substitute has to be front row trained.
8.3 Where a team reduces its playing team number down to match a short team then it may retain its full squad and hence play more than 7 substitutes.
9. Duration of Matches
9.1 In accordance with RFU regulations the duration of each match will be as follows:
i) for u-13s & u-14s: 25 minutes each half;
ii) for u-15s: 30 minutes each half;
iii) for u-16s: 35 minutes each half.
10. Referees
10.1 10 .1 The home club will be responsible for arranging the match referee who should be a County Society referee where possible. For all matches the referee should be at least RFU Level 1 qualified and should neither be a coach of the age group at the club nor be conflicted through any other relationship with the team (e.g. father of a player).
10.10. 2 Both clubs in a fixture will provide one touch judge each who will act under the referee’s direction.
10.3 10.3 Where the only referee(s) available are linked to one or both age group teams then the match can still proceed with such a referee if both teams are in agreement. If there is a choice of referees in such situations then the away team will make the selection.
10.4 10.4 If a player is yellow-carded by the match referee he will spend 10 minutes of actual playing time off the pitch without replacement and remain adjacent to and under the control of his coach.
10.5 10.5 If a player is red-carded he will immediately leave the pitch and proceed to the clubhouse. The player will then be banned from playing in his team’s next League match.
11. Disputes
In the event of any breach or dispute arising out of these rules the matter shall be referred to the Chairman of the Disputes & Rules Committee who will either make a decision if the dispute is a straight forward matter of interpretation or submit the matter to the Organising Committee for a decision where a judgement is required. In either case the decision will be final.
