Removing a Player from your League

Under FA Regulations, Leagues are permitted to refuse or cancel the registration of a player on the basis of “undesirable conduct” or “bringing the Competition into disrepute” (SCOR/Y 18.G.3/4).

Criteria

The threshold for a player to be deemed to have committed “undesirable conduct” or to have “brought the Competition into disrepute” is:

1. Repeated, proven misconduct; leading to
2. Suspensions in excess of 112 days or 10 matches within a two-year period

Single incidents of misconduct, suspensions due to standard red cards, or total suspensions of less than this threshold are not deemed sufficient for the League to take action over a Player’s registration.

If a League believes a Player meets the threshold for action they should contact the parent CFA of the Club the Player is registered or intending to be registered with. The County FA will provide confirmation of their disciplinary record and if they meet the above criteria. Please note that the League cannot act until the County FA has completed any disciplinary procedures against the Player.

Process

Before the League makes any decision on cancelling or refusing a Player’s registration, they must charge the player in accordance with the process set out under SCOR/Y 6.D: 

1. The Player is charged with undesirable conduct or bringing the Competition into disrepute and given seven days to respond to the charge
2. The Player may accept or deny the charge, and may request the opportunity to appear before the League Management Committee 
3. The Management Committee considers the charge and determines if the charge is found proven or not proven
4. Any decision to cancel or refuse a registration must be time limited (i.e. cannot be permanent or indefinite)

Appeals

Any decision taken over to cancel or suspend a Player’s registration may be appealed by the Player (or their Club acting on their behalf) to the Berks & Bucks FA in accordance with SCOR/Y 7.F. 

Any appeal must be submitted in writing to the County FA within fourteen days of the decision. 

Probationary Periods

Any Player who has previously had their registration rejected/cancelled but has reached the end of their term limit will automatically be deemed to be under a probationary period for 12 months. If the Player commits any further act/s of proven misconduct during this period the League has the right to consider further charges of undesirable conduct.

More Information

If you need any further support on this topic, please contact us via the Support Hub.

For more information about managing a grassroots football Club or League, please visit www.Berks-BucksFA.com. Alternatively, find us on socials @berksandbucksfa for the latest news and updates.