Rules
1. TITLE
The competition shall be called the "Old Boys' Cup" and be known as an AFA affiliated competition.
2. MANAGEMENT
a) The control and management of the competition shall be vested in a committee consisting of the officers: President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Honorary Secretaries and an Honorary Treasurer, plus not more than four members, all of whom shall be elected at an annual general meeting. A further three members shall be appointed by the 'Arthur Dunn Cup' committee.
b) The committee may at any time fill any casual vacancy among its members
c) At any meeting, four shall form a quorum.
3. INVITATIONS TO COMPETE
a) The number of clubs taking part in the competition shall not exceed twenty-four, which may be annually invited by the committee.
b) In accordance with AFA rules, if as a result of misconduct, the AFA Council decided as a punitive measure to exclude for a period of time a club or team from any or all AFA Cup competitions, then the Old Boys' Cup shall follow suit in respect of the competitions as directed by the AFA Council, and for the same duration.
c) Club teams playing in this competition must consist of bona fide members of the club.
d) The invitation to compete in the Senior Cup mus tbe sent out in March every year, and acceptance thereof shall be notified to the Honorary Secretary within 14 days of the issue of such invitation.
e) New clubs having been invited to compete for the following season, and who have accepted that invitation, MUST send representation to the AGM. Such club(s) shall not have a vote at this meeting, however failure to attend will result in a fine as decided by the committee.
f) Clubs invited to compete in the Senior Cup may also enter their lower teams into the Junior (2nd XIs), Minor (3rd XIs), 4th XI, 5th XI, 6th XI and 7th XI Cups. Clubs with more than seven teams may also entere such XIs into the 7th XI Cup.
g) The entrance fee for each eleven entered shall be specified by the Old Boys' Cup committee, in the letter of invitation, and shall be payable before the 31 May.
4. PLAYING CONDITIONS
a) The draw will be made at a meeting prior to the AGM and the accepting clubs shall be drawn by lots in pairs, the necessary byes being drawn in the first round. Winners and runners-up in the previous season's competition shall not be entered into the draw for any preliminary rounds in the said cup.
b) The committee shall fix the dates for each round and the ties shall be played on these dates, unless an earlier date mutually agreed upon by both clubs and the Honorary Secretary amy direct the clubs to play on a Sunday.
c) i/ The club which is in each instance drawn first shall have the choice of ground, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
ii/ In the event of a fixture being postponed on a second occasion due to the pitch / weather, the team drawn first will concede home advantage and the fixture played at their opponents ground. Should weather cause significant disruption to the fixtures and the committee deem it necessary to allow fixtures to be played on weekdays or Sundays, and cancellation of such fixtures may result in the tie being awarded to the non-defaulting club.
d) The Old Boys' Cup committee will appoint, whenever possible, referees and, in certain instances, assistant referees. Fees payable to these officials shall be the same as advised by the AFA for their cup competition. In the event of the competition being unable to supply a referee, then the club which is drawn first, shall be responsible for providing a referee.
e) Where the colours of the two competing clubs are similar, the home team must change their strip.
f) Each tie shall be of two equal halves and of a maximum duration of one and a half hours, or such shorter period of not less than one hour as the competing clubs may agree upon.
g) A club may use up to three substitutes at any time in a match, except to replace a player who has been suspended from the game by the referee. The substitution can be made only when the play has been stopped for any reason and the referee has given permission. The names of up to three substitutes must be nominated (and the players identified) to the referee prior to the commencement of play. Substitutes not so named may not take part in the match.
h) All clubs that enter the Old Boys' Cup may apply to stage one of the competitions finals. The committee decide on the venue for all finals.
i) The two finalists shall take a match ball to the final, and the choice of which ball is to be used will be made by the referee. The footballs will be returned to the clubs immediately after the match.
5. RESULTS
Representatives of both clubs will submit notice of the result of each tie, with the full names of their players involved by the method indicated by the Match Secretary, no later than the Monday following the match.
NB. For season 2011-2012 results are to be submitted by the Results Submission Form on the Old Boys Cup website.
6. TROPHIES
a) The Honorary Secretary shall be the legal owner of all cups, in trust of the "Old Boys' Cup competition".
b) The winning club shall hold and be responsible for the safe keeping of the cup(s) from the time of presentation, until returned to the Honorary Secretary of the competition.
c) The competition shall insure the cup(s) annually. If any cup(s) is/are lost or damaged whilst in the custody of the holding club, immediate notice must be given to the Honorary Secretary with full particulars. The costs incurred for any such loss or damage to be the responsibility of the holding club.
d) The winning club shall return to the cup(s) in their possession to the Honorary Secretary of th ecompetition by 28 February of the following year unless otherwise requested. The Honorary Secretary will then arrange for the engraving of all trophies, the cost of which will be invoiced to the winning clubs. Failure to return the cup(s) by 28 February or as otherwise requested, shall result in a fine of £50 for each cup.
e) The committee shall award pennants for the winners and runners-up of each cup, for their retention.
f) The committee shall provide commemorative plaques to the referees and the assistant referees of all finals.
g) The committee shall provide winners and runners-up medals to up to 14 participating players of each team. A player sent off the field of play for misconduct in a cup final shall not be presented with a medal for playing in that final, and in the event of the captain being sent off, the cup shall be presented to his deputy. Neither shall any player who wilfully refuses to attend the presentation ceremony be presented with such medal for playing in that final. In all such cases the cup committee shall decided subsequently whether to make any award.
7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a) The AGM shall be held in the month of June each year upon a date and at a time to be fixed by the committee.
i/ to receive and, if thought fit, to pass an autied statement of accounts for hte financial year ended on the preceding 31 May.
ii/ to elect a committee and officers in accordance with rule 2(a).
iii/ to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with these rules.
b) i/ every club which has taken part in the competition during the preceding season, and who has been invited and accepted an invitation to compete MUST send one representative to attend at the AGM.
ii/ any club which fails to send a representative to the AGM shall be fined an amount as decided by the committee.
iii/ any club which has taken part in the comptetition during the preceding season, but whose invitation has been witheld as a result of the AFA applying their cup rules - see OBC rule 3(b) - shall be entitled to send an observer to the AGM and any subsequent Special General Meeting, but will not have a vote at any such meeting.
iv/ the officers and members of the committee shall also be entitled to attend and vote at the AGM.
c) Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM must be sent ot the Honorary Secretary during the month of April, immediately preceding such a meeting.
8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting shall be convened at any time by order of the Management Committee, or upon a requisition in writing of six clubs. The Honorary Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting to be held within three weeks from the receipt of such requisition. At such a meeting any decision of the committee may be reversed or amended by a three-quarters majority of those present.
9. APPEALS
An appeal by a club or individual against a decision made by the committee of the Old Boys' Cup, must be made tot he Amateur Football Alliance in accordance with their rules.
Such an appeal must be made in writing and lodged personally or by recorded postal delivery to the offices of the Alliance, and must be received by them within fourteen days of the date stated on the written notification of the original decision.
The appeal must be accompanied by an appeal fee of £20, the disposal of which shall be at the discretion of the appeal board, appointed by the Alliance from three members of its Emergency Committee.
10. CHARITIES
In keeping with the original concept of the committee of 1913, the committee shall make donations to any charity they deem fit.
11. EMERGENCY POWERS
Any matters not provided for by, and any alteration to, the foregoing rules, shall be decided by the committee, whose decisions shall be accepted as final by all clubs and players taking part int he competition.
12. JUNIOR, MINOR, 4TH XI, 5TH XI, 6TH XI AND 7TH XI CUP COMPETITIONS
a) The foregoing rules shall applyin every respect to the above mentioned competitions, except tha tno player shallbe qualified to take part in those competitions unless he is a bona-fide member of the team concerned.
b) In the Junior Cup clubs must field their first, then reserve team, and so on down the competition.
c) If on receipt of a complaint a clubshould be found in default of this rule, then the committee may order the tie to be replayed, or award the tie to the other side.
13. THE OLD BOYS' VETERANS CUP
Clubs who have been invited to compete in the Senior Cup for the current season may enter their Veterans into this competition. In view of the fact that not all clubs run a veterans side, the committee shall have the right to invite clubs not taking part in the Senior Cup, to enter their Veterans team, onlyin order to bring up th enumbers to make a worthwhile competition.
The rules of the Old Boys' Cup competition shall apply so far as they are altered or modified by the following rules:
i/ no player shall be qualified to take part in the competition unless he is in at least his 36th year (i.e. 35 years of age) on the 1 October of the current season and qualified under rule 3(b) of the Old Boys' Cup competition.
ii/ players who take part in any one of the other seven Old Boys' Cup competition are NOT DEBARRED from selection for a veterans team.
iii/ all ties shall be played on Sundays, unless otherwise mutually agreed by the clubs concerned.
iv/ in the Veterans Cup competition, it is permitted in accordance with the Laws of the Game for substitutions to be allowed on a rolling basis (i.e. a player who has been subtituted may return to the field of play himself as a substitute).
14. GENERAL
No alteration by way of additions, deletions, amendments or otherwise shall be made to the rules, except at the AGM or at a Special General Meeting, No alterations to the rules shall be effected unless two thirds of those present and voting, as defined by rule 7, support the alteration.
No less than 14 days notice prior to the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting must be given to the Secretary of any proposed alteration and the same sent to each club at least seven days prior to the meeting.
The competition shall be called the "Old Boys' Cup" and be known as an AFA affiliated competition.
2. MANAGEMENT
a) The control and management of the competition shall be vested in a committee consisting of the officers: President, Vice-Presidents, Chairman, Honorary Secretaries and an Honorary Treasurer, plus not more than four members, all of whom shall be elected at an annual general meeting. A further three members shall be appointed by the 'Arthur Dunn Cup' committee.
b) The committee may at any time fill any casual vacancy among its members
c) At any meeting, four shall form a quorum.
3. INVITATIONS TO COMPETE
a) The number of clubs taking part in the competition shall not exceed twenty-four, which may be annually invited by the committee.
b) In accordance with AFA rules, if as a result of misconduct, the AFA Council decided as a punitive measure to exclude for a period of time a club or team from any or all AFA Cup competitions, then the Old Boys' Cup shall follow suit in respect of the competitions as directed by the AFA Council, and for the same duration.
c) Club teams playing in this competition must consist of bona fide members of the club.
d) The invitation to compete in the Senior Cup mus tbe sent out in March every year, and acceptance thereof shall be notified to the Honorary Secretary within 14 days of the issue of such invitation.
e) New clubs having been invited to compete for the following season, and who have accepted that invitation, MUST send representation to the AGM. Such club(s) shall not have a vote at this meeting, however failure to attend will result in a fine as decided by the committee.
f) Clubs invited to compete in the Senior Cup may also enter their lower teams into the Junior (2nd XIs), Minor (3rd XIs), 4th XI, 5th XI, 6th XI and 7th XI Cups. Clubs with more than seven teams may also entere such XIs into the 7th XI Cup.
g) The entrance fee for each eleven entered shall be specified by the Old Boys' Cup committee, in the letter of invitation, and shall be payable before the 31 May.
4. PLAYING CONDITIONS
a) The draw will be made at a meeting prior to the AGM and the accepting clubs shall be drawn by lots in pairs, the necessary byes being drawn in the first round. Winners and runners-up in the previous season's competition shall not be entered into the draw for any preliminary rounds in the said cup.
b) The committee shall fix the dates for each round and the ties shall be played on these dates, unless an earlier date mutually agreed upon by both clubs and the Honorary Secretary amy direct the clubs to play on a Sunday.
c) i/ The club which is in each instance drawn first shall have the choice of ground, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
ii/ In the event of a fixture being postponed on a second occasion due to the pitch / weather, the team drawn first will concede home advantage and the fixture played at their opponents ground. Should weather cause significant disruption to the fixtures and the committee deem it necessary to allow fixtures to be played on weekdays or Sundays, and cancellation of such fixtures may result in the tie being awarded to the non-defaulting club.
d) The Old Boys' Cup committee will appoint, whenever possible, referees and, in certain instances, assistant referees. Fees payable to these officials shall be the same as advised by the AFA for their cup competition. In the event of the competition being unable to supply a referee, then the club which is drawn first, shall be responsible for providing a referee.
e) Where the colours of the two competing clubs are similar, the home team must change their strip.
f) Each tie shall be of two equal halves and of a maximum duration of one and a half hours, or such shorter period of not less than one hour as the competing clubs may agree upon.
g) A club may use up to three substitutes at any time in a match, except to replace a player who has been suspended from the game by the referee. The substitution can be made only when the play has been stopped for any reason and the referee has given permission. The names of up to three substitutes must be nominated (and the players identified) to the referee prior to the commencement of play. Substitutes not so named may not take part in the match.
h) All clubs that enter the Old Boys' Cup may apply to stage one of the competitions finals. The committee decide on the venue for all finals.
i) The two finalists shall take a match ball to the final, and the choice of which ball is to be used will be made by the referee. The footballs will be returned to the clubs immediately after the match.
5. RESULTS
Representatives of both clubs will submit notice of the result of each tie, with the full names of their players involved by the method indicated by the Match Secretary, no later than the Monday following the match.
NB. For season 2011-2012 results are to be submitted by the Results Submission Form on the Old Boys Cup website.
6. TROPHIES
a) The Honorary Secretary shall be the legal owner of all cups, in trust of the "Old Boys' Cup competition".
b) The winning club shall hold and be responsible for the safe keeping of the cup(s) from the time of presentation, until returned to the Honorary Secretary of the competition.
c) The competition shall insure the cup(s) annually. If any cup(s) is/are lost or damaged whilst in the custody of the holding club, immediate notice must be given to the Honorary Secretary with full particulars. The costs incurred for any such loss or damage to be the responsibility of the holding club.
d) The winning club shall return to the cup(s) in their possession to the Honorary Secretary of th ecompetition by 28 February of the following year unless otherwise requested. The Honorary Secretary will then arrange for the engraving of all trophies, the cost of which will be invoiced to the winning clubs. Failure to return the cup(s) by 28 February or as otherwise requested, shall result in a fine of £50 for each cup.
e) The committee shall award pennants for the winners and runners-up of each cup, for their retention.
f) The committee shall provide commemorative plaques to the referees and the assistant referees of all finals.
g) The committee shall provide winners and runners-up medals to up to 14 participating players of each team. A player sent off the field of play for misconduct in a cup final shall not be presented with a medal for playing in that final, and in the event of the captain being sent off, the cup shall be presented to his deputy. Neither shall any player who wilfully refuses to attend the presentation ceremony be presented with such medal for playing in that final. In all such cases the cup committee shall decided subsequently whether to make any award.
7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
a) The AGM shall be held in the month of June each year upon a date and at a time to be fixed by the committee.
i/ to receive and, if thought fit, to pass an autied statement of accounts for hte financial year ended on the preceding 31 May.
ii/ to elect a committee and officers in accordance with rule 2(a).
iii/ to decide on any resolution which may be duly submitted in accordance with these rules.
b) i/ every club which has taken part in the competition during the preceding season, and who has been invited and accepted an invitation to compete MUST send one representative to attend at the AGM.
ii/ any club which fails to send a representative to the AGM shall be fined an amount as decided by the committee.
iii/ any club which has taken part in the comptetition during the preceding season, but whose invitation has been witheld as a result of the AFA applying their cup rules - see OBC rule 3(b) - shall be entitled to send an observer to the AGM and any subsequent Special General Meeting, but will not have a vote at any such meeting.
iv/ the officers and members of the committee shall also be entitled to attend and vote at the AGM.
c) Notice of any resolution to be proposed at the AGM must be sent ot the Honorary Secretary during the month of April, immediately preceding such a meeting.
8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
A Special General Meeting shall be convened at any time by order of the Management Committee, or upon a requisition in writing of six clubs. The Honorary Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting to be held within three weeks from the receipt of such requisition. At such a meeting any decision of the committee may be reversed or amended by a three-quarters majority of those present.
9. APPEALS
An appeal by a club or individual against a decision made by the committee of the Old Boys' Cup, must be made tot he Amateur Football Alliance in accordance with their rules.
Such an appeal must be made in writing and lodged personally or by recorded postal delivery to the offices of the Alliance, and must be received by them within fourteen days of the date stated on the written notification of the original decision.
The appeal must be accompanied by an appeal fee of £20, the disposal of which shall be at the discretion of the appeal board, appointed by the Alliance from three members of its Emergency Committee.
10. CHARITIES
In keeping with the original concept of the committee of 1913, the committee shall make donations to any charity they deem fit.
11. EMERGENCY POWERS
Any matters not provided for by, and any alteration to, the foregoing rules, shall be decided by the committee, whose decisions shall be accepted as final by all clubs and players taking part int he competition.
12. JUNIOR, MINOR, 4TH XI, 5TH XI, 6TH XI AND 7TH XI CUP COMPETITIONS
a) The foregoing rules shall applyin every respect to the above mentioned competitions, except tha tno player shallbe qualified to take part in those competitions unless he is a bona-fide member of the team concerned.
b) In the Junior Cup clubs must field their first, then reserve team, and so on down the competition.
c) If on receipt of a complaint a clubshould be found in default of this rule, then the committee may order the tie to be replayed, or award the tie to the other side.
13. THE OLD BOYS' VETERANS CUP
Clubs who have been invited to compete in the Senior Cup for the current season may enter their Veterans into this competition. In view of the fact that not all clubs run a veterans side, the committee shall have the right to invite clubs not taking part in the Senior Cup, to enter their Veterans team, onlyin order to bring up th enumbers to make a worthwhile competition.
The rules of the Old Boys' Cup competition shall apply so far as they are altered or modified by the following rules:
i/ no player shall be qualified to take part in the competition unless he is in at least his 36th year (i.e. 35 years of age) on the 1 October of the current season and qualified under rule 3(b) of the Old Boys' Cup competition.
ii/ players who take part in any one of the other seven Old Boys' Cup competition are NOT DEBARRED from selection for a veterans team.
iii/ all ties shall be played on Sundays, unless otherwise mutually agreed by the clubs concerned.
iv/ in the Veterans Cup competition, it is permitted in accordance with the Laws of the Game for substitutions to be allowed on a rolling basis (i.e. a player who has been subtituted may return to the field of play himself as a substitute).
14. GENERAL
No alteration by way of additions, deletions, amendments or otherwise shall be made to the rules, except at the AGM or at a Special General Meeting, No alterations to the rules shall be effected unless two thirds of those present and voting, as defined by rule 7, support the alteration.
No less than 14 days notice prior to the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting must be given to the Secretary of any proposed alteration and the same sent to each club at least seven days prior to the meeting.
