Section I - Leagues and Other Competitions

92. All Official Matches in all leagues or competitions of any description and at any level (including, without limitation, a charity or benefit league or competition) must be sanctioned by the Association.

93. The sanction for each league or competition must be renewed annually by the Association.

94. Subject to Rule 97, no league or competition will be sanctioned by the Association unless each team taking part in such league or competition fields a side consisting of eleven (11) players, from which number there shall be no deviation, unless it be occasioned through injury or some such other and proper cause during the course of any game in such league or competition.

95. Application for sanction of a league or competition shall be made, and thereafter renewed annually, on or before 31st July immediately preceding the Playing Season during which Playing Season the league or competition is intended to be played. Such application must be made in every case using the systems and procedures set out by the Association from time to time. Every such application must be accompanied by one (1) copy of the rules of the league or competition concerned. Every such application must also be accompanied by a list of the names of all the clubs which have consented to join and take part in the league or competition. All such leagues or competitions shall observe the Rules and Regulations. All matches shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

96. All applications for sanction under Rule 92 shall be made direct to the Association.  All applications for annual renewal of the sanction under Rule 93 by National Leagues shall be made direct to the Association.  All other applications for annual renewal of the sanction under Rule 93 shall, in the first instance, be lodged with the Area Association in which the league or competition is situated.  In these cases, the Area Association will vet the application for renewal, and the supporting documents referred to in Rule 95, and will forward the application to the Association with its recommendation for acceptance or rejection but the final decision on the application will rest solely with the Association. 

97. Notwithstanding anything contained in Rule 95 or in any other Rule, the Association may give permission for small-sided leagues or competitions (including, without limitation, Futsal) to be played, provided that:-

97.1 the league or competition has been sanctioned by the Association in accordance with the requirements of Rules 92 or 93. Clubs seeking affiliation to an Area Association in order to participate in a small-sided league or competition must pay the Area Association an affiliation fee;

97.2 in the case of single matches, and one-day competitions, they must be sanctioned by the Association in accordance with the requirements of Rule 92;  

97.3 the rules governing the eligibility and conduct of the players in the sanctioned match or competition shall be administered by the management committee of the sanctioned game or competition subject always to the authority of the Association and shall be in conformity with the Rules and Regulations;    

97.4 the playing of non-sanctioned matches arranged by private individuals for speculative purposes shall not be permitted;

97.5 for small-sided leagues or competitions played for charitable objectives a statement of accounts of the event shall be supplied to the relevant Area Association (or Area Associations if the league or competition falls within the geographical area of more than one Area Association) within twenty-one days (21) of the last match in the event; and   

97.6 the laws applicable to the playing of small-sided games shall be as set by the Association from time to time.

98. No Area Association, National League, Qualifying Club, Associate Member, Subordinate nor other club under the jurisdiction of the Association, nor player, nor Match Official or any other body or individual in any way within the jurisdiction of this Association, shall play in or take part in any league or competition (including, without limitation, charity or benefit league or competition) within the boundaries of Wales unless such league or competition has been sanctioned by the Association.

99. No Area Association, National League, Qualifying Club, Associate Member,  Subordinate nor other club under the jurisdiction of the Association, nor player, nor Match Official or any other body or individual in any way within the jurisdiction of this Association, shall play, or take part in any league or competition (including, without limitation, charity or benefit league or competition) outside the boundaries of Wales unless such participation shall have first been sanctioned by the Association. The application for such sanction shall be made, and renewed annually, on or before 1st April immediately preceding the Playing Season in which the said applicant wishes to participate in the said league or competition. Such application must be made in every case using the systems and procedures set out by the Association from time to time.

100. In all leagues or competitions sanctioned by this Association, the Association shall have the right, as a condition of such sanction, to co-opt one Councillor on to the management committee of such league or competition.

101. Any league or competition of whatever kind within the jurisdiction of this Association shall only be played within a geographical area approved and sanctioned by this Association.     

102. Conference Dates shall be notified by this Association to all Area Associations and to all Clubs concerned by posting such Conference Dates on the Association’s website.     

103. Any club which is within the jurisdiction of the Association and which has received sanction from this Association to compete in a league or competition outside the boundaries of Wales, shall carry out in full its obligations to those Welsh Association Football competitions of which it may be expected reasonably to take part, as defined by the Association from time to time.    

104. The name of any sponsor or the donor of a cup or trophy or any other person may form part of the title of a league or competition subject to the prior written approval of the Association.   

105.  The name of any sponsor may form part of the name of a Club, subject to the prior written approval of the Association. An abbreviated Club name may also be approved by the Association, for example, for the purposes of media graphics. 

106. Subject to Rule 107 and subject to any special sanction granted by the Association under this Rule, no league or competition which has been played during the Playing Season shall be allowed extended time outside the Playing Season to play all matches in the league or competition, including, without limitation, any league or competition played for charitable purposes. The Association may specially sanction a match to be played after the end of the Playing Season if the match is arranged between two distinct clubs, or leagues, or Area Associations or between any two of them. In granting any such sanction, the Association shall be entitled to stipulate to whom the whole or any part of the income generated from any such match is to be paid including, without limitation, payment to a registered charity nominated by the Association.    

107. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Rules:-

107.1 semi-final or final matches of cup competitions of the Association or Area Associations may be played not later than Saturday or Sunday following the end of the Playing Season in any year;    

107.2 small-sided leagues or competitions as specified in Rule 97 may be played at any time, whether in the Playing Season or the Close Season; and 

107.3 matches may be played for charity, or some other object approved by the Association, not later than the Saturday or Sunday following the end of the Playing Season and application for permission to play any such match must be made in writing to the Association (marked for the attention of the competitions department) not later than the 1^st April in the year concerned.