Saturday, December 21, 2024

Aldershot DFA

Aldershot Divisional Football Association

Rules of the Challenge Cup Competitions

1. MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL  
The entire control of the above Cup Competitions shall be vested in the Council of this DFA, who may appoint a Sub-Committee to deal with matters as they arise. All decisions of the Council or Sub-Committee shall be accepted as final and binding by all parties. The following Rules shall apply, except where specified, to all Aldershot Football Association Challenge Cup Competitions.  

2. NAME OF COMPETITIONS  
a) The Competitions, which are to be played for under the Laws of the Game as settled by the International Football Association Board, shall be called the:-
Aldershot FA Senior Invitation Challenge Cup
Aldershot FA Senior Invitation Challenge Cup (Sunday)
Aldershot FA Intermediate Invitation Challenge Cup (Mark Coombs Memorial Cup)
Aldershot FA Junior Invitation Challenge Cup (Saturday)
Aldershot FA Eric Holbrook Junior Invitation Challenge Cup
Aldershot FA Ladies Invitation Challenge Cup
Aldershot FA Youth Invitation Challenge Cup

These Cups or Trophies shall not become the property of any Club.  

b) The Competitions, which shall be competed for annually, must receive the sanction of the Hampshire FA.  

3. ENTRIES  
a) Entrance to these Competitions shall be at the invitation of this DFA and all Clubs invited must be duly affiliated to a recognised County Football Association and to this DFA.  Clubs will only be invited to enter one team in the Senior Competition but may, upon invitation and subject to Rule 3(b), be permitted to enter two or more teams in any of the other DFA Competitions.  

b) The Entry Fee shall be £25 for both the Senior Invitation Challenge Cup Competitions and £20 per team for all other Competitions. The amounts applicable shall be payable at the time of acceptance of the DFA’s Cup Entry Form and be before 1st September. A Club shall not participate in the Competition until the Entry Fee/Affiliation Fees have been paid.  

c) Should the number of entries for any Cup Competition not exceed 11, the Council shall consider the desirability of proceeding with the Competition, in this event if the Competition is cancelled, all monies paid will be refunded.  

4. ELIGIBILITY OF PLAYERS  
a) All players must be recognised members of their respective Club and be duly signed and registered by midday on the day before the scheduled date of any Cup Match. A bona fide player is one who has signed a form for his Club on a recognised League registration form and been duly registered by that League’s Registration Secretary (see also rule 4(h)).   To play in the Youth Invitation Cup a player must be over 15 years of age and under 18 years of age on 31st August for the current season.   Any Club not normally taking part in League Football must provide the Competitions Secretary with a list giving the names of players from which it proposes to select its team. Such list must be submitted at least 7 days before a Tie is due to be played.  

b) The Saturday and Sunday and Youth Competitions shall be deemed separate for the purpose of player qualification.
No player shall play for more than one Club in any of the DFA’s Cup Competitions in  the same season nor shall such players be allowed to play in the Junior Invitation Challenge Cup or Eric Holbrook Invitation Challenge Cup if they have played for their Club in the Association’s respective Saturday or Sunday Intermediate or Senior Cup Competition.  In the event of a Club entering more than one team in either of the Junior Competitions or the Youth Competition, each team must be clearly designated as ‘A’ or ‘B’, and no player shall be permitted to play for more than one of those teams entered.

c) The eligibility of players for the Saturday Intermediate (Mark Coombs Memorial Cup), Saturday Junior and Eric Holbrook Invitation Challenge Competitions shall be defined as follows:-   No Player having played in more than 3 Senior or above Saturday Competition matches (in the current season) shall be eligible to play in the Aldershot Divisional FA Saturday Intermediate Invitation Challenge Cup (Mark Coombs Memorial Cup).  No player having played in more than 3 Intermediate or above Saturday Competition matches (in the current season) shall be eligible to play in the Aldershot FA Junior Invitation Challenge Cup. Likewise, no player having played in more than 3 Senior Intermediate or above Sunday Competition matches (in the current season) shall be eligible to play in the Eric Holbrook Invitation Challenge Cup.  

d) The Council or Sub-Committee shall have the power to remove from a Cup Competition any Club proved to have played an ineligible or otherwise unqualified player, and take such further action against the Club and/or player concerned as is considered necessary – see also Cup Rule 13(g)  

e) In all rescheduled matches within 42 days of the original match only those players eligible to play on the date of the original match shall be allowed to play. In exceptional circumstances where matches are rescheduled 42 days or more from the date of the original match, Clubs may make a request to the DFA to apply for the player eligibility to be based on the date of the rescheduled match.  Such request shall be submitted to the DFA Competition Secretary at least 7 days prior to the date of the rescheduled match.  The requesting Club shall provide any required information promptly for the Council or Sub-Committee to make the decision which shall be final and binding, as per Cup Rule 1. Provided he/she is otherwise eligible, a player who has been suspended may play in re-arranged matches after his/her term of suspension has expired.  

f) Any player under written contract and registered with the Football Association shall only be allowed to play in the Aldershot Football Association Senior Challenge Cup (Saturday Competition).  

g) A player registered after 31st March shall not be eligible for that Season’s Competition except by special permission of the Council or Sub-Committee.  

h) To qualify to play in a Semi-Final or Final Tie a player must have played in at least 3 competitive matches during the current season for the Club he/she represents.  

5. SUBSTITUTES  
Aldershot Divisional FA Saturday Senior Invitation Challenge Cup: A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game, use 5 substitute players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from 5 players. A player who has been substituted may take no further part in the match.  

Other Aldershot Divisional FA Challenge Cup Competitions: A Club may at its discretion and in accordance with the Laws of the Game, use 5 substitute players in any match in this Competition who may be selected from 5 players.   A player who has been substituted himself becomes a substitute and may replace another player at any time subject to the substitution being carried out in accordance with Law 3 of the Laws of Association Football.  

All Aldershot Divisional FA Challenge Cup matches: The Referee shall be informed of the names of the substitutes prior to the commencement of the match.   A player who has been selected, appointed, or named as a substitute before the start of the match but does not actually play in the game shall not be considered to have been a player in that game within the meaning of Cup Rule 4 of these Competitions.    

6. DRAWING AND PLAYING OF TIES  
a) The Ties shall be drawn to be played on dates decided by the Council or Sub -Committee. Immediately after each draw, the Competitions Secretary shall advise each of the competing Clubs the name of their opponents and the date by which the Tie is to be played. With the agreement of the Competitions Secretary, Clubs may play their Ties on a date earlier than that notified, if both Clubs are in agreement. No Club shall have more than 1 bye in a Season but arrangements shall be made to ensure that 4 Clubs compete in the Semi-Finals.  

b) For the Aldershot FA Senior Invitation Challenge Cup Competition (Saturday), Clubs who are members of the Football League, Conference, Isthmian League and Southern League shall be exempt until the Second Round Proper of the Competition. All other Clubs entering the Competition and having floodlights may be exempt until the Second Round Proper unless insufficient number of teams enters the Competition whereby a decision will be made at the sole discretion of the Council or Sub-Committee.  

c) The Cup Secretary shall fix the kick-off time (taking due account of the time of year), which must be strictly adhered to, and any Club responsible for a late start, without satisfactory explanation, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £30.00 and/or otherwise be dealt with as the Council or Sub-Committee may determine.  

d) The Club first drawn in the ballot shall have home advantage.  All match expenses (pitch fees and Match Officials’ Fees) shall be paid in accordance with cup Rule 6(m) (see Cup Rule 12(d) for Officials’ fees). It shall not be permissible for a Club to select a ground other than that on which the Club is normally accustomed to playing unless such has been agreed by their opponents and the Competitions Secretary has also been informed prior to the playing of the Tie. Any team without floodlights, who are drawn at home against a team as defined in 6(b) or above in the Precedence List, must play away under floodlights midweek if requested to do so by their opponents.   The side then playing at home will be responsible for paying the expenses of the match as per Cup Rules. In the event of a Club being unable to find a ground, or any ground being declared unsuitable by the Council or Sub-Committee for the playing of any Tie in these Competitions, the Competitions Secretary shall order the Tie to be played on the opponent’s or a neutral ground and shall fix a date for the playing of the Tie. The Competitions Secretary shall be notified of any reversal of fixtures and/or venue at least 3 days in advance.  

e) The Home Club must provide 3 suitable match balls, suitable dressing accommodation equipped with hot/cold showers and toilet facilities for the Visiting Team and Match Officials, to whom they must send in writing full details, as well as information regarding the situation of the ground and time of kick-off at least 5 days prior to the Tie. In all cases the Home Club or a representative should meet the Officials and Visiting Team at the appointed dressing rooms at least 30 minutes before the official time of kick-off. Any Club in breach of any part of this Rule shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £30.00.  

f) The duration of Cup Competition matches shall be two equal periods of 45 minutes. Thereafter in all matches including the Final Tie, which result in a draw at the end of a normal time, the match shall be decided by the taking of penalty kicks in accordance with Hampshire F.A. Rule 38. In the event of light failing before the end of the taking of kicks from the Penalty Mark, the result shall be decided by the toss of a coin or the drawing of lots.   The half time interval shall not exceed 15 minutes. This may be altered only with the consent of the Referee.  

g) Referees must ensure that matches commence at the appointed time and must report all late starts to the Competitions Secretary and shall notify both the Captain and Secretary of the offending team(s) accordingly.  

h) In the event of a Club failing to keep its engagement, it shall submit an explanation, in writing, to the Competitions Secretary within 3 days, Sunday excluded, or be liable to a fine. If no explanation is submitted, or it is not considered satisfactory, the Club shall be fined a sum not exceeding £50.00 and the match awarded to their opponents and/or the Club dealt with at the discretion of the Council or Sub-Committee. In addition the defaulting Club may be instructed to reimburse reasonable expenses incurred by their opponents. The Competitions Secretary shall have the power to have the game played on a date set by him/her. Failure by either Club to fulfil the fixture will result in the offending Club being fined and removed from the Competition.  

i) Every Club shall play its strongest available team unless some satisfactory explanation is offered. In the event of an explanation being deemed unsatisfactory, the Council or Sub-Committee shall have the power to impose a fine. In the event of a Club playing in any match with less than 11 players, they shall be fined £5.00 for each player deficient.  

j) Notice of postponement of any match must be given without delay (by personal service or telephone) by the Club postponing to the Competitions Secretary, the appropriate Referee Appointments’ Secretary, the Secretary of the opposing Club and the Referee and Assistant Referees if appointed. Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be dealt with by the Council or Sub-Committee, who may inflict any penalties that they may deem necessary.  

k) In the event of a match not being played or abandoned owing to causes over which neither Club has control, it shall, subject to the Precedence List and (l) below, be played on the next Saturday or Sunday or midweek prior to the next Saturday.  

l) The Council or Sub-Committee shall review all abandoned matches and in cases where it is to the advantage of the Competition and does no injustice to either Club, shall be empowered to order the score at the time of abandonment to be recorded as the result. In all cases where the Council or Sub-Committee is satisfied that a match has been abandoned owing to the conduct of one team or its member(s) they shall be empowered to award the game to its opponents and/or take what other action they deem necessary. In cases where a match is abandoned owing to the conduct of both teams and their member(s), the Council or Sub-Committee shall take such action as they consider appropriate.  

m) In all Aldershot Divisional FA Invitation Challenge Cup matches where a gate is normally taken, the Club responsible for staging the Tie shall be responsible for all expenses (see Cup Rule 12(d) for Officials’ fees). In all matches including the Semi-Final where no gate is taken, both Home and Away Clubs will equally share the pitch fees and the Officials fees subject to the limits below. The Home Club shall be responsible for paying all fees and reclaim the share from the Away Club.

The share of match expenses payable by the Away Club in matches where no gate is taken is limited to a maximum of £70 for pitch fees and referee. If neutral assistant referees are appointed, their cost shall be shared equally by both Clubs in addition to this limit.

The Council or Sub-Committee shall make every effort to play the Final Tie on a neutral and enclosed ground. For the Aldershot FA Senior Invitation Challenge Cup (Saturday) Final, after all expenses including the charges for Referee, Assistant Referees, Police, Stewards, Pitch Hire, Gatekeepers, reasonable cost of approved Refreshments, Advertising and Printing have been paid, the remainder, if a profit, is to be divided equally between the two Finalists and this Association.  

n) Any member of the Council of this Association shall have permission to obtain a players’ team check with names, signatures and date of birth at any match under the control of this Association.  

o) The player nominated as captain shall wear a captain’s armband.  

7. PITCH MEASUREMENTS  
All Clubs competing in these Competitions must use a ground or pitch approved by the Council or Sub-Committee of this Association or the Competitions Secretary on their behalf. The dimension of the field of play shall not be more than 110 metres long by 75 metres wide, or less than 100 metres long by 64 metres wide. The Council, Sub-Committee or Competitons Secretary shall have the power to vary these measurements if considered necessary. The Home Club shall mark out the field of play in accordance with the laws of the Game and goal nets must be used in these Competitions.   Where possible a technical area as per the Laws of the Game shall be appropriately marked in front of the Dugouts.  

8. MATCH RESULT CARD/FORM   Each Club shall, at least 30 minutes before the nominated kick-off time, hand to their opponents and the Referee in writing, on the Form provided by the Competitions Secretary, the surname, initials and signature of all players and any other information required on such Form including those of the named substitutes as marked by an ‘S’ in the box provided. The white (top) copy should be posted to the Competitions Secretary by both Clubs within 3 days of the match being played, along with the pink copy received from their opponents before the match. Clubs failing to do so shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £50.00.   Any Club failing to exchange a Match Result Card/Form or submit one which is late or incorrectly completed, shall be fined a minimum of £20.00 with a maximum of £50.00 for the first offence. On a second offence of not exchanging the Match Result Card/ Form with their opponents, the Club, at the discretion of the Council or Sub-Committee, may subsequently be removed from the Competition. Each Club shall retain their copy of the Match Result Card/Form for the duration of the Season. [Also refers to the Association Rule 9(a)]  

9. TELEPHONE RESULTS  
The Clubs shall telephone the results of their match to the Competitions Secretary or his/her designated and appointed contact, on the day of the match between 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm, or before 10.00 pm or immediately after the finish of the match if an evening kick-off. Any Club failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to a fine of £10.00.  

10. WITHDRAWAL OF CLUB  
A Club shall not be allowed to withdraw from these Competitions after the Draw for the Preliminary/First Round has been made. Any Club infringing this Rule shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £50.00.  

11. CUP FINALISTS  
Both the Finalists will be required to supply a new FIFA approved Match Ball for the Cup Final. The Match Ball will be returned to the Club after the completion of the game.  
Note:  Match balls will be supplied by the Aldershot DFA for season 2024/2025

12. REFEREES AND ASSISTANT REFEREES  
a) The appointment of the Referees (and Assistant Referees where available) up to and including the Semi-Final of these competitions shall be made by the Hon. Referees’ Appointment Secretary (Saturday/Sunday/Youth as appropriate). Unless officially appointed, each Club shall provide its own Club Assistant Referee and any Club failing to do so shall be fined the sum of £10.00.  

b) In the event of the non-appearance of the appointed Referee, the senior appointed Assistant Referee will take charge and a substitute Assistant Referee appointed. In cases were there are no officially appointed Assistant Referees, the Home Club shall appoint a substitute Referee and both Clubs must accept the substitute Referee. Either Club failing to do so shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £30.00 and/or dealt with by the Council or Sub Committee as appropriate. A Referee so appointed shall for that game have the full power, status and authority of a Registered Referee.  

c) In the case of Final Ties, the appointment of Referees and Assistant Referees shall be the responsibility of this Association, based upon the recommendations of the Aldershot Division of the Hampshire FA Referees’ Committee.  

d) The fees for officially appointed Referees and Assistant Referees shall be as follows:  
For all rounds up to and including the Semi-Finals:- Referee £40, Assistant Referee £30 (inclusive of travel expenses or private car mileage expenses of 30 pence per mile) and any other permitted expenses actually incurred subject to any limits laid down by the sanctioning Association. Where no gate is normally taken then the Referee and Assistant Referees fees and expenses shall be shared equally between the two Clubs (subject to limits – see Cup Rule 6(m)). Where a gate is taken the Referee and Assistant Referees fees and expenses shall be paid solely by the Club taking the gate. The Home Club shall be responsible for ensuring that the appropriate fees and expenses are paid to the appointed Officials.  

The Aldershot FA Senior Invitation Challenge Cup (Saturday) matches require Officials of commensurate level appropriate to the teams competing and therefore the fees for this competition for all rounds up to and including the Semi-Finals are as follows:- Referee £55, Assistant Referee £40 (inclusive of travel expenses or private car mileage expenses of 30 pence per mile) and any other permitted expenses actually incurred subject to any limits laid down by the sanctioning Association.

e) In the event of any match not being played for reasons over which neither Club has control, the Match Officials if present shall be paid their expenses by the Home Club or gate taking Club as appropriate. However if either or both Clubs are at fault for any match not being played, the Match Officials, if they attend, shall be paid their full fee and expenses by the defaulting Club(s).  

f) Each Club shall, in a manner prescribed from time to time by The Football Association, award marks to the Referee for each match and the name of the Referee and the marks awarded out of 100, shall be submitted to the Association on the Match Result Card provided. Any Club giving a Referee less than 50 marks is required to submit a report as to the reason for low marks, to the Competitions Secretary within 7 days of the said match. Clubs failing to comply with this Rule shall be liable to be fined or dealt with as the Council or Sub-Committee shall determine.  

g) The Referee shall submit a Report Form giving the details of the match, the number of players in each team, the time of kick-off and any other information required on the said Form to the Referees Appointments’ Secretary within 2 days of the match (Sundays not included).  

13. PROTESTS AND APPEALS  
a) All questions of eligibility, qualification of players, as well as other matters of dispute shall be left to the Council or Sub Committee, whose decision shall be final. Should either of the Clubs in connection with any dispute relating to Cup Ties have a member on the Council, the said member shall not be eligible to vote on any motion connected with such disputes.  

b) Each protest, which must contain full details of the grounds upon which they are founded, should be submitted to the Secretary within 4 days of the match or occurrence to which they refer (Sundays not included). Each protest must be accompanied by a deposit of £20.00 which shall be forfeited should the protest not be sustained and the Council or Sub-Committee shall have power to deal further with a Club found to have submitted a frivolous protest.  

c) Any protest relating to the ground, goal post, cross bar or other appurtenances of the game, shall not be entertained unless lodged with the Referee before the commencement of the match and it shall not be possible to withdraw such protest without the permission of the Council or Sub-Committee. The Referee shall require the responsible Club to remove the cause of the objection, if this is possible, without unduly delaying the progress of the match.  

d) Where a protest is sustained or in the absence of a protest, should the Council, any of its Sub-Committee or Officers subsequently discover that any Rule or spirit of that Rule has, in their opinion been breached by either or both Clubs, it shall be in the power of the Council or Sub-Committee to remove one or both Clubs from the Competition in accordance with Cup Rule 13(g) below, and/or otherwise dealt with them at their discretion.  

e) Parties to a protest shall be afforded an opportunity of making a statement when the protest is being heard and where possible shall receive at least 3 days’ notice of the meeting, together with a copy of the protest. The Council or Sub-Committee shall take into consideration when dealing with the protest, the possession by the protesting Club of any information which, if properly used, might have avoided the protest.  

f) The Council or Sub-Committee shall not consider any claim by a Club for the reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with a postponement, or non-fulfilment of a fixture until an attempt has been made by the Clubs concerned, to mutually settle the dispute. The Competitions Secretary is empowered to arbitrate in all claims.  

g) (i) A Club playing an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player and subsequently found guilty of the offence, shall be fined a sum not exceeding £100.  The Council may take further action against the Club and/or players as it may decide.
(ii) In addition, a Club having played an unregistered or otherwise ineligible player and subsequently found guilty, shall if having won the match in question, be removed from the Competition and their opponents reinstated into the next round of the Competition (the Divisional FA Council may only go back one round within the same Competition).  In the event of the match in question having ended in a draw, the offending Club shall be removed from the Competition and the match awarded to their opponents.
(iii) In the event of both teams being in breach of this rule, both will be removed from the Competition.
(iv) In the event of a Club/Team being removed from a Competition in respect of clauses (ii) or (iii) above, after winning the Final Tie, the Council may award the trophy and player awards to the beaten finalists.  The Council may also withhold trophy and player awards for the beaten finalists if removed from the Competition of found to be in breach of the Rules. A(i)

14. CHANGING OF COLOURS  
In the case of 2 Clubs having the same or similar registered playing colours, the second named Club shall play in some different and distinctive colours approved by the Referee. In the Final Tie, in the event of the colours of the Finalists being the same or similar, both Clubs shall change their normal colours which shall be different from each other. Any Club which delays the kick-off by not having available a colour change shall be dealt with as the Council or Sub-Committee may decide.  

15. TROPHY AGREEMENTS  
When the winners of the Cup or Trophy have been ascertained, the following agreement shall be signed on behalf of the winners of the Cup or Trophy:  
“We A……….. and B…….., the Chair and Secretary of …………….. FC, members of and representing the Club, having been declared winners of the ……………………..Cup or Trophy, and it having been delivered to us by this DFA, do hereby, on behalf of the Club, jointly and severally agree to return the Cup or Trophy to this DFA’s Secretary on or before the 28th February. If the Cup or Trophy is lost or damaged whilst under our care we agree to refund to this Association the amount of its current value or the cost of its thorough repair.”  

16. TROPHIES AND AWARDS  
a) In addition to the Cup/Trophy, this Association shall, if funds permit, present awards up to 17 in number to the members of the Winning Team. They may also similarly present awards to the members of the beaten Finalists. The Referee, Assistant Referees and Reserve Official, shall also receive awards for officiating in the Final Tie. The Match Officials may also charge travelling expenses as per Cup Rule 12.  
Note: The DFA can arrange for additional trophies to be supplied after each final at the expense of the requesting Club. This request is to be put in writing to the Competitions Secretary within 10 days of the final tie.

b) When a player taking part in the Final Tie is ordered to leave the field of play for any act of misconduct, the award he/she may otherwise have been entitled to shall be withheld at the discretion of the Council or Sub-Committee.  

17. EXPULSION OF CLUBS – MISCONDUCT  
Any Club Official or Member proved guilty of misconduct, except misconduct on the field of play, of inducing or attempting to induce a player or players of another Club to join them, shall be liable to such penalties as the Council or Sub-Committee may decide and their Club shall be liable to expulsion from the Competition in accordance with the provisions of the Rule.  

18. SPECIAL MEETINGS  
a) Upon receiving a requisition signed by two-thirds of the Clubs, who are competing in the Competition, the DFA Secretary shall call a Special Meeting of all the Clubs concerned with the Competition.  

b) This DFA may call a Special Meeting at any time when it considers the same necessary. At least 7 days notice shall be given of all meetings under this Rule, together with an Agenda of the business to be transacted at such meetings.  

c) Any Club failing to attend a Special Meeting shall be fined £25.00.  

19. ALTERATION TO RULES  
Any proposed alteration to the Rules of these Competitions shall be considered in accordance with this DFA’s Rule 16.  

20. RULES BINDING ON CLUBS  
Each Club competing in these Competitions shall be deemed to have given its assent to these Cup Rules, together with those applicable to this DFA and agrees to abide by the decision of the Council or Sub-Committee.   The Rules of the Hampshire FA, where applicable, shall apply in all cases not covered by the foregoing Rules. Any questions of eligibility, qualification of competitors as well as all other matters in dispute in the Cup Competitions of this Association shall be left to the Council or Sub-Committee whose decision shall be final and binding.  

21. TECHNICAL AREA, CLUB OFFICIALS AND SUBSTITUTES  
Where a technical area is designated, this shall be entered only by authorised Club Officials and named substitutes. Where a seating facility is provided within the area, within or adjacent to a “dug out” or instead of a “dugout”, Club Officials must remain seated throughout the match with the following exceptions:  

a) One designated Club Official may stand to issue instructions to the team, but must then sit immediately after so doing.  

b) The trainer/physiotherapist may enter the field of play only when invited to do so by the Referee.  

c) The named substitutes shall warm up in the area behind the Assistant Referee nearest the dugouts, subject to space being available. Substitutes must not distract the Assistant Referee, or enter the area where he/she is running.  

d) All occupants of the technical area must behave in a responsible manner. Referees have the power to remove anyone who does not do so, and to report the facts to the appropriate authority.  

e) Substitutes ready to replace a player must remain within the technical area until the Referee or Assistant Referee authorises the substitute to enter the field of play only at the halfway line.  
f) Where a seating facility does not exist, and/or where no designated technical area is marked, Club Officials and Substitutes must comply with the instructions of the Match Officials in respect of their location and conduct.  

g) The Referee need not advise or warn the offending team about any of the above during the match unless it affects his control of the match, but he may report the offending team to the Competitions Secretary and any such Club reported may be liable for a fine of up to £25 per match.