Aims and Objectives

Constitution

Age Qualification

Coach Qualification

Fixtures

Referees

Discipline

Registration

Transfers

Insurance and Public Liability

Health and Safety

Procedures

Matchday Procedures

Playing Rules

Aims and Objectives

1(a).The North West Counties Junior Rugby League Association is an autonomous body of coaches, with the aim of teaching the game of Rugby League to school children up to and including Year 7, to the highest possible standard Back to top

Constitution

(b).The Association has legally constituted officials elected on an annual basis, consisting of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Disciplinary Chair and a BARLA Representative, all with honorarium entitlement.

(c).There is a Life President, Frank Cookson and three Life Members, Joe Clarke, John Simmons and Morris Svabic who are general members of the committee.

(d). Ad-hoc members may be invited to join the committee from time to time.

(e). All players, Coaches and Clubs registered with this Association will accept these rules and all future changes and amendments to these rules, and will accept the decisions of the mebers and the elected committee on all matters. Parents/Carers of players will also be deemed to have accepted these rules. Back to top

Age Qualification

2(a). The age qualification for each age group is under the appropriate age at midnight on 31st August (at the start of each season).

(b). No mixed sex teams at the age of 12 and upward.

3. Teams fielding an over age player will be disqualified from all competitions and be disbarred from the Association membership, with no refund of fees. Teams may reapply for associate membership the following season. Coaches involved may receive sine-die suspension. Back to top

Coach Qualification

4. All teams in this Association must be led by a properly qualified coach. The minimum qualification being Mod Games Coach. Any coach who is taking a team without the necessary qualification must ensure they are enrolled on the soonest possible coaching course to enable them to gain the qualification that will allow them to carry on with fixtures in the Association. All coaches must be registered with BARLA Back to top

Fixtures

5(a). All coaches must endeavour to field sides of equal strength to the opposition.

(b). High score differences are to be discouraged. Newspaper reports will NOT indicate scores if the points diffenerece is 30 points or more.Newspaper reports that express over and above a thirty point winning margin will result in a fine of at least £1.00 per point over the prescribed amount to the offending side.

6. Under 12's age group teams may compete in knock-out competitions e.g. Lancashire Cup, National Cup etc. Otherwise all games will be friendlies. Permission to play in any competition other than this Association must be gained by the team or club who wished to participate from this Association.

7(a). New clubs will be affiliated for one season to prove that they satisfy the necessary criteria for becoming full members.

(b). All teams will honour their away fixtures.

(c). At Under 8's and Under 9's any team who can field six or more players will endeavour to make up their shortfall with opposition substitutes. No game at these age groups should be called off if twelve or more pooled players are available.
Teams at Under 10's and Under 11's who are unable to field eight or more players should make up their shortfall with opposition substitutes. No game at these age groups should be called of if sixteen or more pooled players are available.
At Under 12's if a team is unable to field nine or more players then the shortfall should be made up with opposition substitutes. No game should be called off if eighteen or more pooled players are available.

8(a). Clubs will be fined if a team fails to turn up without good reason, or turns up one hour after the scheduled kick off time. Kick off times to be arranged by coaches beforehand. The association allotted kick off time is 10.30am. The away coach or their fixture secretary should contact their opposite number early in the week before a game is scheduled to arrange directions for venue etc.

(b). Late cancellations will be scrutinised by the Disciplinary Chair and a case may be brought to a hearing.

(c). Games may be shortened or abandoned due to adverse weather conditions or due to serious injury. Both coaches to agree. Games abandoned for any other reason will result in a disciplinary hearing. Back to top

Referees

9(a). Referees must be neutral and on the BARLA list. If a listed referee is unavailable, referees who are under instruction can take charge if both coaches are in agreement.

(b). The home side is responsible for arranging a referee. If the home side is unable to arrange for a listed referee, then the away coach has the option to referee the game themselves.

(c). Only coaches who regularly attend Association meetings can referee games.

(d). A neutral can appoint referees if both coaches agree. The Association may appoint a referee for any game at their discretion.

(e). The referee who started the game must finish the game unless they are injured and unable to carry on. A change of referee during a game for any other reason will result in a disciplinary hearing.

(f). Referee abuses will NOT tolerated. Heavy fines or even sine-die suspensions may be incurred to coaches and clubs who are found to be persistent referee abusers. The same penalties may be incurred to clubs or coaches in cases of (singular) severe referee abuse. Back to top

Discipline

10(a). Discipline on the field: a player can be (i) warned by the referee (ii) warned by their coach (iii) sent off. The referee may send a player of at once if a serious offence has been commited.

(b). The home side is responsible for spectator behaviour. The away side will co-operate.

(c). The disciplinary committee will meet on the last Tuesday of the month, when necessary. The disciplinary committee decisions are final and will not be discussed in open meetings, unless the executive decides otherwise.
Appeals are as per BARLA rule 10, ss1 to 7 inclusive.
If an appeal is to be lodged with BARLA then a copy of that appeal MUST be sent to the Association Secretary within fourteen days of the appeal being made.

(d). Any club or coach who wishes to make a complaint MUST inform the Disciplinary Chair in writing within fourteen days of the incident taking place.
The secretary of the club who the complaint is against MUST receive a copy of the complaint within fourteen days also.
When the Disciplinary Chair receives a complaint, a hearing shall be convened and both clubs shall be informed of the time of the place by the Disciplinary Chair.
Both coaches involved MUST attend that hearing to give evidence. Any coach invited to attend a disciplinary hearing to give evidence and fails to do so will be fined £30 over and above any subsequent fine that might be imposed by the hearing.
The Association reserves the right to hold a disciplinary hearing in the absence of one of the parties involved.
Parents/Guardians/Carers who wish to make a complaint must do so through their club or coach.

(e). ignorance of rules and procedured will not be used in mitigation at Disciplinary Hearings.

(f). Any member of the Association executive or member of the Disciplinary Commitee can inform the Disciplinary Chair of any matter that he or she thinks may warrant a hearing. Under these circumstancesthe Disciplinary Chair will inform the club(s) or coach(es) involved and a hearing will take place, subject to the fourteen-day rule.

(g). Disciplinary Hearings may result from comments made on team sheets, or by one coach not signing the team sheet. The fourteen day rule will be deemed to be in effect and a hearing will be convened in the usual way.

(h). A fine of £5.00 will be imposed on any club who fails to turn up at an Asociation monthly meeting, without apologies.

(i). A fine of £30.00 will be imposed on any club that fails to turn up at an A.G.M. or an E.G.M. Apologies will NOT be accepted.

(j). Any club who fails to turn up to three monthly meetings in any twelve monthly period, with or without apologies, will be expelled from the Association with no refund of any fees. The following season that club may apply for associate membership. Back to top

Registration

11(a). Registration of players is a MUST. Unregistered players are unable to train or play for any club because of insurance eligibility. One or more unregistered player training or playing for a club can make void the club's and/or the opposing club's insurance and therefore clubs and coaches could become liable for any claim that may be brought.

(b). Players can only play and train with the clubs they are registered with, unless approval has been granted by the Association to train and play elsewhere.

(c). Players must be registered with the relevant Registration Secretary for the age group they are playing in. The only age group that a player can play for is the age group he/she is registered to, unless that player is reprsenting the Association in a County game.

(d). Existing clubs may not sign a player from a Development Area with the Association's permission.

(e). A player may only sign for a club in his/her area.

(f). Registration cards are the property of the Association and must be returned each year to the relevant Registration Secretary.

(g). A player will only be deregistered with the return of his/her card to the relevant Registration Secretary. A player must have been deregistered for a full twelve months before he/she can move to another club without the need for a transfer from that original club.

(h). To register a player two passport-type photographs of the player must be sent to the relevant Registration Secretary together with a photostat copy of the player's birth certifivcate or any official document with the player's name and date of birth on it, an official BARLA signing-on form correctly filled in and bearing the player's signature and that of their parent/carer. A self-addressed envelope.
It is advisable to write the player's name, club & age group on the back of the photographs.
Parents must be awre that a child wishing to play junior Rugby League with this Association can only for one club, that is the club he/she first registers with unless transfered according to BARLA transfer rules.

(i) Teams can only register twenty-five players, except at Under 8's and Under 9's who are unlimited.

(j) Players must be registered for 48 hours before they can play. Back to top

Transfers

12(a). Teams may only apply for two transfers in any one season. Both transfers must NOT be from the same club.

(b). A player may only play for a club in his/her district. If there are no teams in a district at that player's age group, then the club wishing to register them MUST seek special permission from the Association in order to legitamately sign them.

(c). Transfer request must be made in writing to the Association Chairman by the club wishing to sign the player, together with a correctly filled in BARLA transfer form and the player's registration card. Transfer forms must have the written permission of both clubs involved before the Association approval is decided.

(d). Players selected for Association representative matches may NOT be transfered without the approval of the BARLA Youth Commission.

(e). The Association's decision on a transfer is final and will not be discussed in open meetings unless the Association executive decise otherwise. Appeals can be made as per BARLA rules. The Association Secretary is to be notified in writing by the apealing club of any appeal made to BARLA within fourteen days of the appeal being lodged. Back to top

Insurance and Public Liability

13. Player insurance and club public liability is compulsory and all clubs must be members of the BARLA scheme. Remember, unregistered players are uninsured players. Back to top

Health and Safety

14(a). Player safety is paramount and MUST be addressed at all times.

(b). Consideration MUST be given to playing areas with safety in mind. Coaches are expected to keep spectators away from touchlines, try lines and the in-goal area. When two games are taking place on two halves of the same pitch then a safe coned off area between the two playing areas must be maintained.

(c). Post protectors MUST be used if the goalposts are within the playing area. No protection - no play. The exception is if the Samba-type mini posts are being used.

(d). No goal keeping gloves with serrated handgrips are permitted.

'Stick mits' are not permitted

(e). No jewellery, earrings, watches etc are to be worn by players

(f). Soft Optimum-type shoulder pads may be used at all age groups. NO HARD PADS AT ALL.

Steeden-type strap on pads are not permitted. No forearm pads are to be worn.

(g). Safety standards must be maintained and improved upon at all times. Any way the Association can improve on safety will be discussed and may be implemneted at the regular monthly meetings, without the need fo calling an E.G.M. or waiting for the A.G.M. Back to top

Procedures

15(a). Regular monthly meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month.

(b). All teams are allowed one vote at all monthly meetings, unless the association decides that it is in the best interest of a particular age group to vote on a particular item, then that age group only will vote.

(c). At an AGM or an EGM, then the vote will be one per club, with a two-thirds majority of clubs present and entitled to vote to carry an item. Any item not carried will revert to status quo. The Chair will vote at his/her discretion. The Association Secretary will not vote. Clubs with outstanding fines against them may not vote at an AGM or EGM.

16 (a). The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on the first Tuesday of July.

(b). All executive positions will be up for election at the AGM.

(c). Any club wishing to make a proposal for the AGM must do so in writing, properly seconded and sent to the Association Secretary not less than twenty-eight days before the meeting is due to take place. The Association Executive can bring up proposals in the same way. Usual practice for the Association is to read out the proposal at the meeting preceding the AGM, to enable coaches to take proposals to their clubs for discussion. Only items on the agenda will be discussed at the AGM. The vote will be by show of hands.

(d). Association members can call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) at any time. An EGM can be called if a proposal is raised by any club, seconded by any other club, and nine other clubs are in agreement with a scheduled monthly meeting, providing that twenty-eight days' notice is given in writing to the association Secretary. Only items that appear on the Agenda or agendum will be discussed at an EGM. The voting rights are the same as the AGM Back to top

Matchday Procedures

17. Registration cards must be handed to opposition coaches before a game is played in order for them to check player identity. NO CARD - NO PLAY.

18(a). Team sheets are the responsibility of the designated home side. The team sheet must be a NWC official team sheet.

(b). The team sheet MUST be filled in correctly with the name of the two clubs, the age group, the date, the score, the participating players' names, the referee's signature along with their comments, the signatures of both coaches to prove they agree with the referee's coments. If one coach does not sign the team sheet, then both clubs will be invited to attend a disciplinary hearing to explain.

The team sheet must be endorsed with ticks to show that the pre-match checks have been conducted in respect of players' cards, coaches' cards, post protectors (pads), studs (on boots), hands, personal protection (p.p.), and jewellery.

(c). Team sheets that are incorrectly filled in will lead to an automatic fine of £5.00 to the home club and may lead to the away club being fined the same amount.

(d). Team sheets MUST be handed in at the first monthly meeting following the game. On e missing team sheet will lead to a fine of £5.00. If two consecutive sheets are missing in the same month the the fine on the second sheet will be doubled.

(e). Team sheets are required from the home side for each fixture irrespective of whether that game is postponed or cancelled. Back to top

Playing Rules

20. Under 7's, Under 8's and Under 9's play Mini Rugby League, nine a side as per National Coach Education rules booklet
Under 10's and Under 11's play Mod Rugby League, eleven a side as per National Coach Education rules booklet
Under 12's play thirteen aside full International Rules with the execption that the scoring side restarts, no one-on-one ball stealing is allowed and there are no 40/20 field kicks. Back to top

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