BARLA RULES

Age qualification - Under appropriate age at midnight on the 31st august. No mixed sex teams at the age of 12 and upward.

Teams fielding an over age player will be disqualified from all competitions and be disbarred from the Association Membership, with no refund of fees. Teams may re-apply for associate membership the following season. (Coaches involved may receive sine-die suspension).

Coach Qualifications - All teams in this Association must be led by a properly qualified coach, the minimum qualification being, mod games coach. (Any coach who is taking a team without necessary qualification must ensure the He/She is enrolled on the soonest possible coaching course to enable them to gain the qualification that will allow them to carry on with fixtures in the Association.) All coaches must be registered with BARLA.

All coaches must endeavour to field sides of equal strength to the opposition. High score differences are to be discouraged. Newspaper reports will not indicate scores if the points difference is 30 points or more. Newspaper reports that express over and above a, 30-point winning margin will result in a fine of at least £1 per point over the prescribed amount, to the offending side.

Under, 12's age group may compete in knock-out competitions, e.g. Lancs Cup, National Cup etc. Otherwise all games will be friendlies. Permission to play in any competition other than this association must be gained by the team or club who wishes to participate, from this Association.

New clubs will be affiliated for one season to prove that they satisfy the necessary criteria for becoming full members. All teams will honour their away fixtures. At Under 8's and 9's, any team who can field 6, or more players will endeavour to make up their shortfall with opposition substitutes, no game should be called off. If 12, or more pooled players are available. At Under 10's and 11's, any team who can field 8, or more players will endeavour to make up their shortfall with opposition substitutes, no game should be called off. If 16, or more pooled players are available. At Under 12's, any team who can field 9, or more players will endeavour to make up their shortfall with opposition substitutes, no game should be called off. If 18, or more pooled players are available.

Clubs will be fined if a team fails to turn up without good reason, or turns up one hour after the scheduled kick off time. Kick off times to be arranged by coaches beforehand. The Association allotted kick off time is 10.30 a.m. The away coach or his/her fixture secretary should contact their opposite number early in the week before a game is scheduled to arrange directions for grounds, etc. Late cancellations will be scrutinised by the disciplinary chair and a case may be brought up to a hearing. Games may be shortened or abandoned due to adverse weather conditions, or due to serious injury, both coaches to agree. Games abandoned for any other reason will result in a disciplinary hearing.

Referees must be neutral and on the BARLA list. The home side is responsible for arranging a referee, if the home side is unable to arrange a listed referee. Then the away coach has the option to referee the game his or herself, only coaches who regularly attend Association meetings can referee games, if listed referee is unavailable Referees who are under instruction can take charge if both coaches are in agreement. A neutral club can appoint referees, if both coaches agree. The Association may a appoint referee for any game, at their discretion. The referee who started the game must finish the game unless he/she is injured and unable to carry on. A change of referee during a game for any other reason will result in a disciplinary hearing. Referee abuse will not be tolerated, heavy fines or even sine-die suspensions may be incurred to coaches and Clubs who are found to be persistent referee abusers. The same penalties may be incurred to clubs or coaches in cases of severe referee abuse.

Discipline on the field (i) A player warned by referee (ii) A player warned by his/her coach (iii) A player sent off. The referee may send a player off at once if a serious offence has been committed. The home side is responsible for spectator behaviour, the away side will co-operate.

The disciplinary committee will meet on the last Tuesday of the month, when necessary. The disciplinary committee decisions are final and will not be discussed in open meetings, unless the executive decides otherwise. Appeals as per BARLA handbook if an appeal is to be lodged with BARLA then a copy of that appeal must be sent to the Association secretary within fourteen days of the appeal being made.

Any club or coach who wishes to make a complaint must inform the disciplinary chair in writing within fourteen days of the incident taking place, the secretary of the club who the complaint is against must receive a copy of the complaint within fourteen days also. When the disciplinary chair receives a complaint, he/she will convene a hearing informing both clubs of time and place. Both coaches involved must attend the meeting to give evidence. Any coach invited to a disciplinary hearing to give evidence, who fails to turn up, will be fined £30, over and above any subsequent fine that may be imposed by the hearing. The Association reserves the right to hold a disciplinary hearing in the absence of one of the parties involved. Parents or guardians, who wish to make a complaint, must do so through their club or coach. Ignorance of rules and procedures will not be used in mitigation, at disciplinary hearings.

Any member of the Association executive or member of the disciplinary committee can inform the disciplinary chair of any matter that he or she thinks may warrant a hearing. Under these circumstances that disciplinary chair will inform the club or coach or clubs or coaches involved and a hearing will take place, subject to the fourteen day rule. Disciplinary hearings that may result from comments made on team sheets, or by one coach not signing a team sheet. The fourteen-day rule will deemed to be in effect and a hearing will be convened in the usual way.

A fine of £5 will be imposed on any club that fails to turn up at an A.G.M. or an E.G.M., apologies not accepted.

Any club who fails to turn up to three monthly meetings in any twelve monthly period, with or without apologies, will be expelled from the Association with no refund of any fees. The following season that club may apply for associate membership.

Registration of players is a must. Unregistered players are unable to train or play for any club because of insurance eligibility. One or more unregistered players training or playing for a club can make void the clubs and or the opposing clubs insurance and therefore clubs and coaches could become liable for any claim that may be brought.

Players can only play and train with the clubs they are registered with, unless approval has been granted by the Association to train and play elsewhere. Players must be registered with relevant registration secretary for the age group they are playing in, the only age group that a player can play for is the age group he / she is registered to (unless that player is representing the association in a county game.)

Existing clubs may not sign another player from a development area without the Association permission.
A player may only sign for a club in his / her area.

Registration cards are the property of the Association and must be returned each year to the relevant registration secretary.

A player will only be de-registered with the return of his/her card to the relevant registration secretary. A player must have been de-registered for a full twelve months before he/she can move to another club, without the need of a transfer from the original club. To register a player two-passport type photographs of the player must be sent to the relevant registration secretary together with a Photostat copy of the players birth certificate, or any document with the players name and date of birth on it. An official BARLA signing on form correctly filled in, bearing the players parent or guardians signature. A self-stamped addressed envelope. (It is advisable to write the player's name, club and age group on the back of the photographs). Parents must be aware that a child wishing to play junior rugby with this Association can only play for one club. The club he/she first registers with, unless transferred according to BARLA rules.

Teams can only register 25 players, except U7's, U8's and U9's who are unlimited.

Players must be registered for 48 hours, before they can play.

Teams may only apply for two transfers in any one season; both transfers must not be from the same club. A player may only play for a club in his or her district, if there are no teams in a district at the player's age group, then the club wishing to register them must seek special permission from the Association in order to legitimately sign them. Transfer requests must be made in writing to the Association Chairman by the club wishing to sign the player, together with a correctly filled in BARLA transfer form and the player's registration card. Transfer forms must have the written permission of both clubs involved before the Association approval is decided.

Players selected for association representative matches may not be transferred without the approval of the BARLA youth commission.

The Associations decision's on transfers is final and will not be discussed in open meeting unlessthe Association executives decide otherwise. Appeals can be made as by BARLA handbook. The Association secretary to be notified in writing, by the appealing club of any appeal made to BARLA within fourteen days of the appeal being lodged.

Player insurance and club public liability is compulsory and all clubs must be members of the BARLA scheme. Remember unregistered players are uninsured players.

Player safety is paramount and must be addressed at all times. Consideration must be given to playing areas with safety in mind. Coaches are expected to keep spectators away from touchlines, try lines and the in goal area. When two games are taking place on two halves of the same pitch then a safe coned off area between the two playing areas must be maintained. Post protectors must be used if goalposts are within the playing area, no protection, no play, unless samba type mini post are being used. No goal keeping gloves with serrated handgrips. No jewellery, earring, watches, etc to be worn. Soft optimum type shoulder pads may be used at all age groups. NO HARD PADS AT ALL.

Safety standards must be maintained and improved upon at all times, any way the association can improve on safety will be discussed and may be implemented at the regular monthly meetings, without the need for calling an E.G.M.

Procedures - Regular monthly meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month. All teams are allowed one vote at all monthly meetings, unless the Association decides that it is in the best interests of a particular age group to vote on a particular item, then that age group only will vote. At the A.G.M. or the E.G.M, then the vote will be one vote per club, with a two-thirds majority, of clubs present and entitled to vote to carry an item. Any item not carried will revert to status quo. The chairman / woman will vote at his or her discretion. The Association secretary will not vote. Clubs with outstanding fines against them may not vote at an A.G.M. / E.G.M.

The annual general meeting will take place on the first Tuesday of July. When all Executive positions are up for election. Any club wishing to make a proposal for the A.G.M. must do so in writing, properly seconded and sent to the Association secretary not less than twenty-eight days before the meeting is due to take place. The Association executive can bring up proposals in the same way. Usual practice for the association is to read out the proposals at the meeting preceding the A.G.M., to enable coaches to take the proposals to their clubs for discussion. Only items on the agenda will be discussed at the A.G.M. The vote will be by show of hands. Association members can call an Extraordinary Meeting at any time. If a proposal is raised by any club and seconded by any other club and then another nine clubs are in agreement with a call for an E.G.M. Then an E.G.M. will take place at the next scheduled monthly meeting, providing that twenty-eight days notice is given in writing to the Association secretary. Only things that appear on the agenda or agendum will be discussed at an E.G.M., the voting rights are the same as the A.G.M.

Registration cards must be handed to apposition coaches before a game is played, in order for them to check identity. NO CARD - NO PLAY. (Coaches card must also be seen).

Team sheets are the responsibility of the designated home side. The team sheet must be a N.W.C. official team sheet, filled in correctly with the names of the clubs, the age group, the date, the referees name and signature along with his or her comments. The name of every player who participated in the game, the score and the signatures of both coaches to prove that they agree with referee comments. If one coach does not sign the team sheet, then both clubs will be invited to attend a disciplinary hearing to explain. Team sheets that are incorrectly filled in will lead to an automatic fine of £5.00 to the home club and may lead to the away club being fined the same amount. Team sheets must be handed in at the first monthly meeting following the fame. One missing team sheet will lead to a fine of £5.00, if two consecutive team sheets are missing in the same month then the fine for the second sheet will be £40.00, to the home team. Fines not paid on time will be doubled. Postponed / cancelled games require a team sheet from home side.

All rules and regulations of the association are binding on all clubs, players, parents and coaches of member clubs and may not be changed except by A.G.M / E.G.M agreement, as constituted in the association rules. Clarification and anomalies may be discussed from time to time and the Association will adjudge the correct interpretation.

Playing Rules

U7's, U8's and U9's Mini rugby as per coach education programme.

U10's and U11's Mod rugby as per coach education programme.

U12's 13 a side full international rules exceptions being scoring side re-starts and no 40/20's. Playing time 2 x 20 minutes.

 

Association Chairman

Mike Doyle
98 Hulme Road Leigh
Lancs
WN7 5BT
07796623 or
01942707206

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