SCORY stands for the Standard Code of Rules for Youth Competitions. It is the framework of competition rules set by The Football Association for youth and mini-soccer leagues in England. Youth competitions such as the FDYFL must base their league rules on SCORY, with certain permitted sections adapted to suit the individual competition and approved by the relevant County FA. SCORY covers areas such as player registrations and eligibility, fixtures, match procedures, protests, discipline and the responsibilities of clubs and league management committees.
A Team shall not include more than [3] Players who has/have played in [1] or more senior Competition Matches during the current Playing Season unless a period of 21 clear days has elapsed since they last played. 21 clear days is counted by excluding the day when the relevant Player last played and the day when the Player intends to play again. For the purpose of this Rule a senior competition(s) is /are [The Kent Youth League].
The important distinction is that this rule relates to a player's participation in an FDYFL Competition Match. It does not restrict the number of such players who may be registered to an FDYFL team.
There is no restriction on the number of players who also participate in the relevant senior competition that may be registered to an FDYFL team.
For example, an FDYFL team could have five, six or more players registered who also play in the Kent Youth League. That, by itself, does not constitute a breach of Rule 18.M. The restriction applies when those players participate in an individual FDYFL Competition Match.
Kent FA have clarified to the League that: Participation occurs when the player becomes an active player on the field of play. Therefore, for the purposes of Rule 18.M:
This distinction is particularly important because FDYFL operates return substitutions (Roll-On, Roll-Off).
The maximum of three applies to the total number of qualifying players who participate during the entire match. It does not mean that a team can continually rotate qualifying players provided that no more than three are on the pitch at the same time.
Example
A team has five qualifying players: A, B, C, D, E.
Players A, B and C start the match.
Players D and E are named as substitutes.
If Players D and E remain unused throughout the match, only three qualifying players have participated.
This complies with Rule 18.M.
However, if Player D subsequently enters the field, four qualifying players have now participated.
If Player E also enters the field, five have participated.
This would breach Rule 18.M, even if there were never more than three qualifying players physically on the pitch at the same time.
The simplest way to remember this: It is three participating players per match – not three players on the pitch at any one time.
Yes.
Being named on the official Squad List does not, by itself, mean that a player has participated in the match. For example, a team may name five qualifying players within its matchday squad but only use three of them. Provided the remaining two players never enter the field of play, only three qualifying players have participated. There would therefore be no breach of Rule 18.M. This makes the accurate identification of unused substitutes particularly important.
A player who has played in the relevant senior competition is caught by Rule 18.M until 21 clear days have elapsed since their most recent qualifying appearance. When calculating the 21 clear days:
Once 21 clear days have elapsed since the player's most recent senior competition appearance, that player no longer counts towards the maximum of three. If the player subsequently participates in another relevant senior competition match, the 21-clear-day period starts again from that latest appearance.
It is the responsibility of every Club and Team Official to ensure that the players they use in an FDYFL Competition Match are eligible to participate. Where a team has players who also participate in a relevant senior competition, the Team Official should understand before the fixture:
The responsibility for complying with Rule 18.M sits with the team selecting and using the players. It is not the responsibility of the opposition coach or the match referee to manage another team's compliance with the rule during the game.
FDYFL permits return substitutions and does not currently require teams to submit a detailed match report recording every substitution or every player's playing time. However, clubs must be capable of accurately confirming, if required, which players named within their matchday squad:
Teams are therefore strongly advised to retain a simple record of their unused substitutes after each fixture. This does not need to be submitted to the League. This information may be requested by the League if a subsequent eligibility query or investigation arises.
If a team believes that its opposition may have breached Rule 18.M, the matter should be dealt with calmly and through the correct League process. A suspected eligibility issue should not become a confrontation between coaches, players, parents or spectators.
Before or during the match
If a concern is identified before kick-off, a Team Official may politely raise the matter with the opposition Team Official to allow them to check their team selection.
However:
Eligibility is ultimately a matter for the League to consider through the appropriate process.
Any concern regarding player eligibility should be raised through the appropriate Club Official rather than being submitted directly by a parent or spectator. The Club should provide the League with as much factual information as reasonably possible, including:
Clubs should avoid making definitive accusations of rule breaches before the matter has been investigated. Where the matter constitutes a formal protest or complaint, the requirements and timescales contained within the relevant SCORY provisions must also be followed.
The appearance of four or more qualifying players on a Squad List will not, by itself, be treated as proof of a Rule 18.M breach. This is because a player may legitimately have been named as a substitute without entering the field of play. Where the League considers that an eligibility query requires investigation, it may seek information from the relevant clubs.
This may include:
The League may request that the Club Secretary or other authorised Club Official provides a written declaration confirming which of the relevant players actually participated.
For example: "We confirm that Players A, B and C participated in the fixture. Players D and E were named as substitutes but did not enter the field of play."
Clubs are expected to provide accurate information when requested as part of a League investigation.
There may be occasions where one club believes that four or more qualifying players participated while the other club states that only three did. The League will consider the information and evidence available to it before reaching any decision. The presence of a player's name on the Squad List will not automatically establish that the player entered the field of play. Equally, simply stating that a player was an unused substitute may not necessarily conclude an investigation where reliable evidence indicates otherwise. Each case will therefore be considered on the information available and in accordance with the Competition Rules. Where the available information does not establish that an additional qualifying player participated, the League should not simply assume participation because the player appeared on the Squad List.
Where the League is investigating a potential breach of Rule 18.M, the Management Committee may require the Club Secretary or another authorised Club Official to provide written confirmation of which players actually participated in the fixture and which remained unused substitutes.
Clubs must ensure that any information provided to the League is complete, accurate and truthful.
For example:
“We confirm that Players A, B and C participated in the fixture. Players D and E were named as substitutes but did not enter the field of play.”
This declaration may form part of the evidence considered by the Management Committee when determining whether a breach of Rule 18.M has occurred.
Under SCORY Rule 6.H, Clubs are required to comply with an order or instruction of the Management Committee and to attend to the business and correspondence of the Competition to the satisfaction of the Management Committee.
Accordingly, where the League has reasonable evidence that a Club has knowingly provided false or misleading information, withheld relevant information, or failed to respond accurately to a formal request made as part of an investigation, the Club may be charged under Rule 6.H. Any charge will be dealt with in accordance with the formal SCORY process and, if proven, may result in a fine in accordance with the Fines Tariff.
This would be considered separately from the underlying player eligibility matter.
Where the investigation establishes that a Team has fielded more than the permitted number of qualifying players contrary to Rule 18.M, the Management Committee may determine that an ineligible player has been fielded and apply the provisions of Rule 18.N, including the applicable fine and, where points are awarded, the sanctions provided for within that Rule.
The League expects Clubs and their Officials to cooperate openly with any eligibility investigation. Attempting to conceal a breach by falsely declaring a player to have been an unused substitute when that player actually entered the field of play would be treated as a serious matter.
The purpose of this process is not to penalise genuine mistakes or reasonable uncertainty. It is to ensure that eligibility investigations can be conducted fairly and that all Clubs can have confidence that information supplied to the League is accurate.