FAW Amateur Trophy

Rules of the Football Association of Wales AMATEUR Trophy

1. SCOPE OF APPLICATION

The present regulations govern the rights, duties and responsibilities of all parties participating and involved in the preparation and organisation of “The Football Association of Wales Amateur Trophy” Competition (hereinafter the Competition).

2. CUP OWNERSHIP

The Cup is the property of The Football Association of Wales Limited and shall be presented to the winning Club following the outcome of the final tie.  The Champions shall then be responsible for its return to the Association on or before the 1st day in March in the ensuing year in good order and condition. Should the Cup be lost, destroyed or damaged by fire or any other cause whilst under the care and custody of the Club, the latter shall refund to the Association the amount of its current insured value or the cost of thorough repair in addition to any other penalty which The Football Association of Wales may impose.

3. MEDALS

In addition to the Cup, the Association shall present 25 medals to the Players, substitutes and technical staff in the Final Tie. Any additional medals must be purchased by the Club concerned. When a Player taking part is ordered to leave the field of play for misconduct, the medal to which he may be entitled may be withheld at the discretion of the National Cup Board.

4. CONTROL OF COMPETITION

The entire control and management of the Competition shall be vested in the National Cup Board. The National Cup Board shall have the power to formulate the rules of the Competition and to alter or add to the rules as they, from time to time, deem expedient. Clubs shall be bound by any Contract entered into by the National Cup Board in relation to the Competition. In any matter not specifically mentioned in these rules, the Committee shall have the power to take such action and impose such penalties as it deems necessary.

5. ELIGIBLE CLUBS

The Competition shall be open to all Clubs in Tier three of the Pyramid system and below, including those Clubs who do not play in National Leagues. It is mandatory for the Tier 3 Clubs to enter the Competition. The National Cup Board may reject the entry of any Club if they deem such a cause desirable.

6. ADMITTANCE

(a) Each Club desirous of competing shall give notice to the Chief Executive Officer of the Association on a form on or before the 31^st July immediately prior to that season, in which such Club proposes to compete and shall, with such notice, forward an entrance fee of thirty-five pounds sterling including VAT. The National Cup Board may reject the entry of any Club if they deem such a course desirable. Clubs entering for this Competition must play their best team or be dealt with for misconduct by the National Cup Board.

(b) Clubs seeking to play ties on artificial pitches shall return with the entry form such information as they wish to place before the National Cup Board when it considers authorisation of an artificial pitch, or pitches under rule 9(e) of these rules. The consideration of such information may be delegated by the National Cup Board.

7. BYES

The four Clubs which competed in the Semi-Final Ties in the previous season, and other Clubs to be selected by the National Cup Board, shall be exempted from taking part in the Competition until the later stages. The National Cup Board may divide the remainder of the Clubs who have entered into groups as nearly equal in number and as conveniently situated geographically as may be possible.

8. THE DRAW

(a) The Clubs after having been placed by the National Cup Board in their groups shall be drawn in couples. These couples shall compete, and the winners shall be drawn and shall compete in the same manner, and this shall be continued until the end of the Competition, when the winning Club shall hold the Cup.

(b) Immediately after each draw; the fixtures, the Conference Date and the time of kick-off shall be published on the website of the Association. The National Cup Board shall have the authority to determine the kick-off time and the date of the match to suit the Transmission Contract or in the overall interest of the Competition. Clubs shall not mutually arrange to play a match in lieu of a Cup Tie. If a match is played to a conclusion, it must be a Cup Tie.

(c) In any Round where paired Clubs desire to play on a date other than the Conference Date, or at a venue other than the registered ground of the team first drawn, both Clubs shall notify the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of their request within 7 days of the draw. Matches shall not be played after the Conference Date, with the exception of the immediate Sunday afterwards (the following day) and shall only be permitted if the two participating Clubs agreed. If any request is granted, then the re-arranged date shall be regarded, for all purposes, as the Conference Date for the Round concerned. The provisions of rule 9(a) shall apply to the choice of ground.

9. STADIUM / GROUND INFORMATION AND FACILITIES

(a) Registered Ground

(i) In each tie the game shall be played on the registered ground of the Club first drawn. If the registered ground is unavailable, the fixture must be reversed to the opponents registered ground. When the fixture has been reversed, the Club which will now host the match is responsible for all of the expenses as described in rule 24.

(ii) A Club not having the facilities as required by rule 9(b) and having not obtained the consent of the National Cup Board to the use of an alternative ground shall play on its opponent’s ground.

(iii) Clubs shall not play on a neutral ground without the consent of the National Cup Board.

(iv) The National Cup Board shall have the power to order any match to be played on an alternative ground if it is deemed necessary.

(b) Ground Facilities - Goal nets must be used in all ties. The playing area must be roped, railed or walled off, except those areas and spaces excluded from spectator viewing. Dressing and showering accommodation must be separate for each team and Match Officials and should be situated within a reasonable walking distance to the pitch, as accepted by the Association.

(c) Appeal – Unsuitability of Ground - Unsuitability of Ground If the ground of the Club entitled by the draw to have the Cup Tie played on its ground is considered unsuitable for the Cup Tie, having regard to all the circumstances, the opposing Club may appeal to the Association within seven days of the receipt of the official intimation of the draw. Such appeal must be accompanied by a fee of £50.00 which may be forfeited in the appeal is not sustained. The National Cup Board may order the match to be played on the ground of the appealing Club, or on a neutral ground. The payment of the expenses incidental to the Appeal shall be at the discretion of the National Cup Board.

(d) Playing Condition of the Ground - Each Club must take every precaution to keep its ground in playing condition and, if necessary, either Club may appeal to the Association and the Secretary shall require the Referee or some other Referee to examine the ground and decide as to its fitness for play in sufficient time to save expenses of unnecessary journeys being incurred by the Clubs. Subject to this rule, the Referee shall have power to decide as to the fitness of the ground in all matches and must report to the ground where the match is to be played at least one and a half hours before the time of kick-off. During the months of November, December, January and February, the Referee shall visit the ground two hours before the time of kick-off. If necessary, the home Club may require the Referee to visit the ground two hours or more before the time of kick-off any time during the season.

(e) Artificial Pitches - Football turf must be in accordance with the FAW’s Regulations for the use of Synthetic Turf in all Competitions’ and the pitch must be listed on the FAW’s Register of Artificial Grass Pitches.

10. CLUB KITS

(a) Numbers and Names

(i) The competing teams shall number sixteen Players each.

(ii) Player names are permitted on the back of the shirts in accordance with the FAW Kit Regulations.

(b) Colours

(i) For all matches, the home Club has the first choice as to which of its official kits announced on the entry form it wears for its home matches. If the Clubs are unable to agree on the colours to be worn by their teams, they shall inform the Association, who shall have the final decision.

(ii) In any case, if the Referee decides on the day of the game that the colours of the two teams could lead to confusion, he shall decide on the colours. As a rule, in such cases it shall be the home team that must change colours, for practical reasons.

(iii) For the final, both teams may wear their first choice of colours. However, if there is a clash, the team designated as the away team must wear alternative colours. The Association shall propose suitably contrasting colours in advance of the match.

(iv) Goalkeepers must wear colours which distinguish them from the other Players and the Match Officials.

(c) FAW Kit Regulations - the FAW Kit Regulations shall apply to all matches in the Competition, unless specified otherwise in these regulations.

11. DURATION OF MATCHES

(a) A match lasts for two equal halves of 45 minutes.

(b) Allowance is made by the Referee in each half for all time lost in that half in accordance with the IFAB Laws of the Game.

(c) The half-time interval lasts 15 minutes.

12. PROVISION FOR MATCHES

For all matches the following provisions shall apply:

(a) Matches in all stages of the Competition are played in conformity with the IFAB Laws of the Game.

(b) Matches in The JD Welsh Cup take priority over the FAW Trophy. Then, matches in the FAW Trophy take priority over any other Official Match, Open Friendly Match or Closed Friendly Match.

(c) Any late kick-off or late arrival of a Match Official must be reported by the Referee to the Association and the National Cup Board shall have the power to impose a fine.

(d) Electronic performance and tracking systems (EPTS) are permitted. In accordance with the Laws of the Game, if used:

• they must not pose any danger to the Players and/or match officials.

(e) Post-match hospitality for Players and Club officials shall not be mandatory, but if it is agreed in advance by the two Clubs in writing, and one team fails to honour the agreement, the offending Club will be subject to reimbursement of reasonable costs, as agreed by the Association.

(f ) The use of red cards and yellow cards for team officials are applicable and in accordance with the ‘FAW Disciplinary Procedures Concerning Field Offences in Cup Matches Only – Team Officials.’

13. EXTRA TIME AND PENALTIES

(a) Extra Time - If the result stands as a draw at the end of normal playing time, extra time is not played in the FAW Amateur Trophy Competition, and the winner is determined by kicks from the penalty mark (see 13b).

(b) Penalties

(i) Kicks from the penalty mark are taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in the IFAB Laws of the Game.

(ii) The Referee decides which goal will be used for the kicks:

a. If either goal can be used for the kicks, then, in the presence of the two captains, the Referee shall toss a coin to decide which goal will be used.

b. For reasons of safety/security, state of the field of play, lighting or other similar reasons, the Referee may decide which goal will be used without tossing a coin. Such decisions are final and require no justification.

(iii) To ensure that the procedure is strictly observed, the Referee is assisted by his team, who also note down the numbers of the Players on each team who have taken kicks from the penalty mark.

14. POSTPONEMENTS AND ABANDONMENTS

(a) Postponement or Abandonment for the first time - When a match has been postponed or abandoned before its completion and neither Club being at fault, it must be played on or before the following Wednesday for ties where the Clubs are geographically located within 50 miles and with floodlights. For all other ties, it must be played on or before the following weekend. If the Clubs concerned fail to agree on a mutually agreeable date, the Association will fix the date.

(b) Postponement or Abandonment on two occasions - When a match has been postponed or abandoned before its completion on two occasions, the fixture shall be reversed, with home advantage being awarded to the visiting team. When a fixture has been postponed by the Association for whatever reason, this will not count as one of the ‘two occasions’ as described above. When the fixture has been reversed, the Club which will now host the match is responsible for all of the expenses as described in rule 24.

15. PROVISION FOR SEMI-FINALS AND FINAL

(a) Stadium and Match Arrangements:

The Association shall determine the stadium for all semi-final and final ties and shall have direct control of the arrangements. At the Association’s request, the stadium must be clean of advertising for centralised branding.

(b) Tickets:

Competing Clubs will be provided with 15 complimentary tickets each. Competing Clubs must settle all ticket accounts with the staging Club / Association within 14 days of the match.

16. FLOODLIGHTING

(a) Matches may be played in daylight or under floodlight conditions provided that the installation meets with the approval of the Association or by mutual agreement of the two Clubs.

(b) Clubs may appeal to the National Cup Board within three days of the receipt of the official intimation of the draw if they consider the floodlights of the Club on whose ground the tie is to be played to be below the required standard. Such appeal must be accompanied by a fee of £25.00, which may be forfeited if the appeal is not sustained.

(c) The Referee will decide at what point in the game the lights shall be switched on. This will necessitate a discussion with responsible officials of the competing Clubs before the game when an agreed signal must be arranged.

(d) The cost of floodlighting not exceeding (i) in Rounds 1 and 2 £50.00 and (ii) from Round 3 onwards £100.00, may be charged to match expenses at Cymru Premier League grounds and £50.00 at any other ground.

17. REPORTING RESULTS

(a) Each Club competing in a Match shall send the completed standard electronic Result Form to the Association within sixty (60) minutes of the final whistle, using the systems and procedures set by the FAW from time to time. The Referee shall send the completed standard Referee’s Report Form to the Association within ninety (90) minutes of the final whistle, using the systems and procedures set by the FAW from time to time. The Referee’s Report Form must be complete in all details, including the result of the Match, the full names of the Players taking part in the Match, the names of the substitutes and details of any substitutions made (including the Match time when the substitution was made), and details of any yellow cards and red cards issued (including the Match time when the card was issued).

(b) Clubs failing to comply with this rule or submitting an incorrect information shall be subject to a fine as determined by the National Cup Board and in default of payment shall be struck out of the Competition.

18. PROVISIONS FOR WITHDRAWING FROM THE COMPETITION

(a) Any Club intending to withdraw must give information of their intention to do so to the Association and to the Secretary of the opposing Club, and will be reported to the National Cup Board, who shall have power to compel such offending Club to pay the expenses incurred and take such action as they may deem suitable and expedient.

(b) Clubs failing to give a satisfactory reason for withdrawing shall not be allowed to enter the Competition the following season and shall be liable to a fine.

(c) Any Club that withdraws from the Competition, after earning prize money, will be fined at least the equivalent amount of prize money received, as well as the standard fine.  

(d) In the Semi-Final and Final Ties any Club failing to play without showing a good and sufficient cause for such failure to play, may be adjudged by the National Cup Board to have been guilty of serious misconduct, and liable to be dealt with under the Rules of the Association.

19. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALIFICATIONS OF PLAYERS, SUBSTITUTES AND TEAM SHEETS

(a) The Cup shall be competed for annually in accordance with these rules and matches shall be placed under the Laws of the Game as approved by the International Football Association Board. Unless a satisfactory reason is given, each team shall represent the full available strength of each competing Club.

(b) Substitutes

(i) A Club may at its discretion use five substitute Players at any time in a Cup Tie, except to replace a Player who has been sent-off from the game by the Referee after play has commenced. Substitute Players must be nominated to the Referee on the official team sheet.

(ii) During the match, each team:

a.  may use a maximum of five substitutes;

b.  has a maximum of three substitution opportunities;

c.  may additionally make substitutions at half-time;

d.  where both teams make a substitution at the same time, this will count as a substitution opportunity for each team.

​​​(c) The Players shall also be duly qualified according to the Rules of the Association and may have either Professional or Amateur status.

(d) A player can play for more than one competing Club in the Season, provided that they are duly qualified according to the Rules of the Association.

(e) A Player who has been suspended may play in postponed, drawn or replayed ties after the term of his suspension has expired.

(f ) A substitute Player who has not been fielded is entitled to play for another competing Club in the course of the same season, provided that he is registered in accordance with rule 19(c).

(g) Both Match Team Sheets must be completed and submitted using the systems and procedures provided by the FAW from time to time, at least thirty (30) minutes before kick-off of each Match up to the Semi-Finals and at least sixty (60) minutes before kick-off for the Semi Final and Finals Matches.

Any Club failing to carry out these provisions will be fined a sum not exceeding £100.00.

(h) After the team sheets have been submitted by both teams, and if the match has not yet kicked off, no replacement is allowed except in the following cases:

(i) If any of the 11 Players indicated on the team sheet as forming the starting 11 are not able to start the match due to unexpected physical incapacity, they may only be replaced by any of the five substitutes listed on the initial team sheet, with the exception of the Goalkeeper, who may be replaced by a non-listed substitute. The substitute(s) in question may then only be replaced by a registered Player (Players) not listed on the initial team sheet, so that the quota of substitutes is not reduced. During the match, five Players may still be substituted.

(ii) If any of the five substitutes listed on the team sheet are not able to be fielded due to unexpected physical incapacity, they may only be replaced by a registered Player not listed on the initial team sheet.

(i) In all rounds of the Competition a Player must have been a registered member of his Club by 5:00pm on the last working day before the Conference date of the Competition. In the case of postponed, drawn or abandoned matches only those Players shall be allowed to play who were eligible at the Conference Date.

(j) A registered Player is one who has either, in the case of a Player under written contract, registered with the Association or, in the case of a Player without a written contract, registered with a League in which his Club competes in the current season.

(k) A Player on temporary (loan) transfer is ineligible to compete unless permission is given by the loaning Club in writing and a copy is submitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the Association prior to the tie.

20. VALIDITY OF PLAYERS’ QUALIFICATION

(a) If the National Cup Board have any doubt as to the qualifications of any Player taking part in this Competition, they shall have power to call upon such Player, or the Club to which he belongs, or for which he played, to prove that he is qualified according to the rules and failing satisfactory proof the National Cup Board shall remove the Club from the Competition, and may impose such other penalty on the Club or Player as they may think fit.

(b) If the National Cup Board removes a Club in accordance with the provisions set out in rule 20(a), their opponents are deemed to have won the tie.

21. DISQUALIFICATION

The National Cup Board shall have the power to disqualify any competing Club, or Official, or Player or Players for any competing Club, who may be proved to be guilty of any breaching of the Association's Rules.

22. PROVISIONS CONCERNING MATCH OFFICIALS

(a) Appointments

(i) In all matches, the Referee team shall be appointed by the Football Association of  Wales. Neither past nor present members of either contending Clubs shall be eligible.

(ii) The Referee team are appointed as follows:

a. For matches up to and including Round 4, in principle, the Association appoints one Referee only.

b. For Round 5 matches up to Quarter Final, in principle, the Association    appoints one Referee and two assistant Referees.

c. For Semi-Final and Final matches, in principle, the Association appoints one Referee, two assistant Referees and one fourth official (substitute Referee).

d. The Association reserves its right to provide additional Referees where it deems necessary in any tie.

(b) Payment of Fees and Expenses

Payment of Fees and Expenses - the fees and expenses of all officials appointed by the Association to officiate in any match prior to the Semi-final Tie shall be paid by the Club upon whose ground the match takes place unless otherwise instructed by the National Cup Board.

(c) Scale of Expenses to be Paid to Officials

(i) Standard class railway fare operating on the day of the match will be allowed.

(ii) An allowance of £0.45 per mile will be allowed to all officials officiating who travel by private car.

(iii) Officials shall be entitled to claim a meal allowance of up to £10, upon production of receipts, for all matches where travel exceeds 150 miles. In the event of doubt, a route finder must be used to prove distance travelled.

(d) Scale of Fees to be paid to Officials

Qualifying Round - Round 3:

- Referee £35, Assistant Referees £23 each

Round 4 to Round 5:

- Referee £40, Assistant Referees and 4th Officials (if appointed) £30 each

Quarter Finals:

- Referee £50, Assistant Referees and 4th Officials (if appointed) £35 each

Semi-finals:

- Referee £60 Assistant Referees and 4th Officials £40 each

Final:

- Referee £100 and a souvenir medal. Assistant Referees and 4th Officials £60 each and a souvenir medal.

(e) Officials are entitled to their travelling expenses if incurred and half their fees if the match to which they were appointed is not played.

(f) The home Club shall send details of the match to the Referee and Assistant Referees who shall acknowledge receipt.

(g) Referees and Assistant Referees shall acknowledge acceptance of appointments for all matches in the Competition to the Chief Executive Officer of the Association within three days.

(h) The duties of the Referee and Assistant Referees shall be defined in Laws of the Game 5 and 6.

23. PROVISIONS RELATING TO PROTESTS

(a) All questions relating to the qualification of competitors or interpretation of the rules, or any dispute whatever shall be referred to the National Cup Board, whose decision shall be final and binding on both Clubs.

(b) Every protest must be made in writing and must contain the particulars of the ground upon which it is founded. Two copies of the protest must be lodged with the Association, accompanied by a fee of £100.00 within two days of the match to which it relates (Sundays not included). The fee shall be forfeited to the Association in the event of the protest not being sustained.

(c) The National Cup Board may order any Club engaged in a dispute or protest to pay such sum as may be considered necessary towards defraying the expenses incurred.

(d) Any protest relating to the ground, goal posts or bars or other appurtenances of the game shall not be entertained by the National Cup Board unless an objection has been lodged with the Referee before the commencement of the match, and not later than one hour before the official time of the kick-off. The Referee shall require the responsible Club to correct the cause of the objection if this is possible without unduly delaying the progress of the match.

(e) When an objection has been lodged with the Referee, a protest must be made to the Association and neither objection nor protest shall be withdrawn, except by leave of the National Cup Board.

(f ) The Chief Executive Officer of the Association shall send a copy of the protest and particulars to the Club protested against.

(g) If a member of the National Cup Board is connected with the Club concerned in a dispute or protest, he shall not sit on the National Cup Board while the dispute or protest is being considered.

(h) A Club summoned to attend a hearing of a dispute or protest may be represented by one (1) or more of its Members. A Barrister or Solicitor may represent the Club of which he is Chairman or Secretary at the time of the alleged offence, but otherwise only with the prior consent of the National Cup Board. Any person summoned to attend a hearing of a dispute or protest must attend personally and shall not be legally represented except with the prior written consent of the National Cup Board.

24. MATCH PROCEEDS

(a) The proceeds of matches shall be divided equally between the competing Clubs, after paying out the Legitimate Expenses as described below:

Legitimate Expenses:

• Fees and expenses of the match officials
• Gate attendants
• Turnstile operators 
• Stewards and Security
• Advertising
• Police charges
• Floodlighting (in accordance with rule 16)
• Contribution to First Aid Helpers
• Clearing the ground of snow and water (provided the visiting Club is consulted beforehand on the approximate cost)

(b) The gate receipts shall be approximately divided immediately after the match and a full statement and settlement shall be made to opponents and the Association within 14 days of the match, on the Statement of Receipts and Payments Form supplied. Failure to comply with this clause will incur a fine and any further punishment as determined by the National Cup Board.

(c) Any Club failing to comply with these provisions may be ordered by the National Cup Board to pay interest on monies due calculated at 5 per cent above HSBC Bank base rate for the period during which they are outstanding.

(d) When a match is postponed through causes over which neither Club has any control, the expenses shall be paid out of the receipts of the match when played.

(e) In any match ordered to be replayed in consequence of a breach of rule, the Club in default shall not receive any share of the proceeds of such replayed match (except standard class railway fares for the thirteen Players) without the consent of the National Cup Board, and such consent shall only be given under special circumstances. If consent is not given the share shall be taken by the Association.

(f ) In cases where the receipts are not sufficient to cover the entire expenses of the match, the deficit shall be shared by the two competing Clubs.

25. SAFEKEEPING OF THE CUP

When the winning Club have been ascertained the Chief Executive Officer of the Association shall hand the Cup to the representatives on receiving a document to the following effect, and subscribed to by them...

“We, Secretary of the Club, and Members and representing the said Club, which has been declared to have won The Football Association of Wales Trophy for the current year, and the same having been delivered to us by or on behalf of the said Association, do hereby, on behalf of the said Club, individually and collectively, engage to return the same to the said Association on or before the first day in March in the ensuing year in good order and condition, and in accordance with the conditions of the annexed Rules, to which also we have subscribed our respective names.”

The Club winning the Cup shall insure the same through The Football Association of Wales at its current value. Should the Cup be lost, destroyed or damaged by fire or any other cause whilst under the care or custody of the Club, the latter shall refund the Association the amount of its current value or the cost of thorough repair in addition to any other penalty which the Association may impose.

26. MATCH PROGRAMME

(a) For all matches, the home Club must publish a programme or team sheet, with details of both teams, which may be in hard copy and/or digital format.

(b) If requested by the Association, the Home Club shall forward to the Head of Competitions, a copy of the Match programme within three (3) days of their request.

27. NOTICES

All notices required to be given to the Association by any of these rules shall be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, at the offices of The Football Association of Wales Ltd, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan CF72 8JY.

 

As approved by the NCB - Jan 2022