Local Bye Laws

Teams, Coaches and players

All teams shall play in their Club colours except where colours clash, in which case the second named team in the draw will change to a contrasting colour.
Each team playing in matches, whether competitive or not, that have been arranged, sanctioned or authorised by Mainland Soccer, shall be in possession of a suitably approved ball.
Mainland Soccer shall have the power to suspend or expel any Club, team or individual who wilfully breaks the Bye laws or the Laws of the Game.
Mainland Soccer shall have the power to discipline any player, who is cautioned or sent off by the Referee whether on or off the field of play, where an official report has been sent to the Mainland Soccer office.
Any Club, team or coach who refuses to accept a Referee appointed by the Referees Associates, or is found to have abused or harassed a Referee, then the said Club, team or coach (whomsoever commits the offence shall be fined a minimum of fifty dollars ($50.00) and shall be liable for suspension
No Club/School shall allow players under suspension or disqualification to take part in any match controlled by Mainland Soccer. A breach of this Bye law renders the offending Club/School liable to suspension and/or fine as the Executive may see fit.
For all grades, any player ordered off the field by a Referee (or person acting in that capacity whether qualified or not) from a match under their control shall have imposed upon them by their Club an automatic suspension of one playing day. Mainland Soccer shall have the right to request the player concerned to appear before its Executive or Judicial sub committee and if so requested, the player shall remain suspended until such time as determined by the Federation.
Mainland Soccer shall have the power to discipline any player, coach or spectator who is guilty of bringing the game into disrepute. Such disciplinary action may not only include the penalties described in Bye law 3, but may also include the power to deduct points from a team with which the said player, coach or spectator is associated.
Furthermore, the Federation shall have the power to discipline a coach under the requirement of the Coaching Code as laid down in the Handbook that coaches are deemed responsible for the conduct of parents and supporters associated with a team

Registration and grading of players

All players shall be registered on the form provided (or such other as may be approved). Players shall be registered in each grade in alphabetical order, with each grade on a separate sheet. Late registrations shall be made with each grade separate.
When a player is first registered, the registration shall be accompanied by acknowledgement that his/her certificate of birth or such other evidence as may substantiate his/her date of birth and is acceptable to the Federation has been sighted and held by the Club/School.
If proof of age is not possible to obtain at time of initial registration, 28 days shall be allowed, on request, for dispensation. Players without proof of age after the 28 days shall be classified as unregistered and not permitted to play.
In the competitive grades, requests for player transfers to be given in writing to the Federation, to be dealt with at the Executive's discretion.
Players shall be graded according to age between 1st January and 31st December in the playing year. This means that: 7th Grade is for players younger or turning 7 during year, 8th Grade is for players younger or turning 8 during year. Exceptions for three players, per grade, per Club may be made if their birth date is after 1st October in the previous year. Any team that has more than two dispensations per team will play for zero point's exception being rural teams.
Applications for re-grading of other players under the jurisdiction of the Federation shall be in writing prior to the player playing.
If a player plays three games in a higher grade, he/she is ineligible to play in a lower grade without being re-graded.
Any team playing an unregistered player or a player not eligible by reason of age or any other cause, under these Bye laws will forfeit any points won in any match in which such player has taken part during the season and will be fined as the Federation shall see fit. Each such match shall count as a win for the opposing team providing their team card is in order.

Team Cards and Results

The Federation shall supply to Clubs/Schools, team cards for the purpose of recording the player's names playing or intended to be played, in any match. Such cards shall have provision for the signatures of the team's coach/manager, the opposition coach/manager, the Referee together with such other information, as the Federation may deem necessary.
Prior to the commencement of each match a team card shall be completed by each team and handed to the Referee. At the finish of the match the team cards shall be returned to the captain/coach/manager of each team.
If no referee appointed then both coaches shall sign each others cards, to approve scores and any comments.
Team cards for all grades after being correctly filled and signed shall stay with the club unless, (1) Mainland Soccer has an appointed referee officiate, (2) there is a dispute regarding the score, (3) player eligibility or (4) incident. If any of these has occurred the team card has to be in the hands of Mainland Soccer by the following Wednesday.
Any team/club/school/manager, filling out a team card with the intention of misleading the Federation shall be fined a maximum of fifty dollars ($50.00) and the team/club/school/manager shall be liable for suspension.
Results for Competitive Grade must be in by email or prior arrangement, to the results officer results@mainlandsoccer.co.nz no later than 8:00am the Sunday after the game. If not this will be regarded as a late result and will incur a $5.00 fine per team.

Equipment

Two corner posts must be provided by each team. The posts must be such that they extend a minimum of five feet above the playing surface and are of a material and in such condition that they are unlikely to cause injuries to players. The minimum fine for not providing corner posts or posts deemed to be hazardous shall be five dollars ($5.00).
Nets, if nets are available these can be assembled using plastic pegs to secure.
Balls, The game shall be played with FIFA approved match balls, each team shall provide 1 FIFA approved match ball, and during the course of the game other FIFA approved match balls may be used. If no FIFA approved match balls are available a ball suitable to both coaches may be used.

Non Competitive Grades

All grades below and including 10th Grade shall be non-competition; non-competition being defined, as there shall be no points awarded for winning or drawing a game, nor will games be "strung" together for the purposes of determining a winner of a grade.
There will be no knock out games for these grades.
The number of players in a team shall be as per competition rules.
Any team playing an unregistered player or a player not eligible by reason of age or any other cause, then the Club/School may be fined at the discretion of the Federation.

League Competitions

The Federation reserves the right to decide the winner of any competition in whatever manner the Executive considers appropriate.
The Federation shall organise and administer competitive leagues for the eleventh to seventeenth grades. The Federation reserves the right to determine the makeup of such leagues and may for the proposes of providing adequate competition combine grades where appropriate or provide separate leagues for school or sexes provided that there is sufficient numbers and that it is in the best interests of the development of the players and the code.
11th Grade. The games where possible will be played on intermediate size grounds. There will be 4 grading games, weather permitting, at the commencement of the season. Teams will be placed in sections of 14 teams, where possible, with 1 full round.
For the 12th Grade to 17th Grade no Grading. Teams will be placed in sections of 8 teams, where possible, based on their placing last season. This will be done in consultation with clubs. Then there will be one full round where 1st round winners will receive 1st round winners certificates. Teams will be re-graded with promotion relegation as necessary, all points set to zero. And the second round will be played for. The winner of this 2nd round will be deemed as division Champion.
Players shall be interchangeable between their own Club/School teams only in the registered grade or above for the duration of the competition. Where a player plays in a grade above the registered grade, the registered grade shall be noted on the card beside the player's name. Failure to comply with this Bye law will result in the Club/School being fined five dollars ($5.00) for each offence.
Any player playing three games above their registered grade shall be placed in the higher grade until such time as the player is regraded by the Federation. After re-grading should a player play in a higher grade that player must remain in the higher grade.
Points shall be awarded for each game in accordance with the following scale:
Winning a game in the manner prescribed by the Laws of the Game: 3 points
Drawing a game in the manner prescribed by the Laws of the Game: 1 point
Winning a game by default 3 points and 3 goals
Bye 0 points 0 goals
Deferment of a game may be granted at the discretion of the Federation where a team has three or more players absent from the team because of commitments at an event sanctioned by the Federation. Requests for such deferment to be in writing at least twenty-one days prior.
A maximum of five substitutes is permitted in all grades.
A system of rolling substitutes is permitted in all grades.

Knockout Cup Competitions

The entire control and management of these competitions shall be vested in the Federation executive.
All players registered in a grade are to compete in that grade's Knockout Cup competition. Players are eligible to play in a higher-grade Knockout Cup Competition than their registered grade. A player once named on a team card becomes cup tied to that team and grade for the duration of the competition; this includes senior competitions.
For 12th to 17th grades, at the conclusion of the League Competition, weather and time permitting there shall be Knockout Cup Competitions. The Knockout Competition shall be within each Grades Section. For 8 or 7 team sections the format shall be position on table vs position on table at the conclusion of the season. The draw that was made at a Delegates meeting on 7th December 2005 at English Park and drawn by various attendees shall be put in place for 2007 season. The draw as follows (6 v 4), (8 v 2), (5 v 3) and (1 v 7) for 7 team sections 8 shall be the Bye. First named team shall be the home team.
In the 12th to 17th grades inclusive, goals only shall count during normal playing time to determine a result. In all rounds including the final, games which result in a draw at full time extra time will be played to a maximum of 10 minutes each way. The game will cease immediately a goal is scored with the team scoring the goal being declared the winner. If the game is still a draw the game will immediately be decided by a penalty shootout.
A team once defeated shall be considered to be out of the competition
There shall be NO byes after the first round.
In the case of a replay only those players shall be allowed to play in the later match or matches who were eligible on the date fixed for the original game, but a player who was under suspension at the date of the original game may play in a subsequent match or matches after his term of suspension has expired.
The name of the winning Club(s) shall be inscribed on the trophies won by each Club in a manner approved by the Federation and at the expense of Mainland Soccer
There will be no deferment of knockout games. Explanatory note: this does not - include cancellation by the Federation

Disputes and Complaints

Mainland Soccer will handle all disputes or complaints from Club administrators only, this has to be on Club letterhead or email from Club Administrator. Within 3 working days of the dispute.
There is a dispute or complaint form available from your club, which can be filled out by any party but this has to go through your club administrator.

Appeals and protests

All appeals must be in writing and will be dealt with by the Federation. All appeals must be in the hands of the Federation by 7.00pm not later than seven days following the meeting at which the offence was announced.
A Representative of each interested Club/school may attend the Federation meeting at which an appeal/protest or dispute is heard. The Club/school entering the appeal or protest must give forty-eight hours notice of its intention to appeal to the Federation who shall notify the interested parties.