CORK SCHOOLBOYS LEAGUE
Hon. Secretary: Eddie Doyle, 22 Westcourt, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
Mobile: (085) 8887396 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @corksl
Cork Schoolboys League Website: www.corkschoolboysleague.ie
August 2015
TO ALL CORK SCHOOLBOYS LEAGUE REFEREES – SEASON 2015/16
The Cork Schoolboys League season kicks off on Saturday 29th August 2015. There will be a small quantity of night games on
week nights during the first two weeks of September. Our usual night games on week nights will commence on Tuesday 29th
March 2016.
With the introduction of our new website from last season, match cards are no longer posted out to you on a weekly basis. Each
referee will be given a quantity of blank match cards before the start of the season. Each referee will receive a text outlining the
details of the match(s) that he has been appointed to for the weekend on the Monday night before the weekend (you will receive
one text per match). You will then be required to complete the match card fully for each of your games. The list of match fees is
supplied with this letter so that you can include the match fee per game on the match card.
Match Fees are to be collected BEFORE each game. Clubs will be advised accordingly.
Please note the following points:
1.
In periods of bad weather some pitches may become unplayable. Home clubs may only call off a game having firstly
received the permission of the CSL fixture secretary. Once permission is received, clubs have to contact the opposition
and the referee in good time to avoid anyone travelling to the game. Please keep your mobiles on the night before
matches and the morning of matches. If you are not contactable, there is not much that a club secretary can do. If you
don’t answer your mobile a voice message (if your mobile can receive one) will be left and a text will be sent to you
(and copied to me) by the club secretary. It is your responsibility to check your mobiles. If you do call off a match
please advise me immediately on (085) 8887396.
2.
Match cards, together with reports if an incident occurred, are to be returned to Eddie Doyle, 22 Westcourt, Ballincollig,
Co. Cork and should be posted back no later than the Monday after weekend games. For night matches please post all
cards (and reports) the following morning. Please ensure that the scores are written in the boxes at the front of the card
and that you note the yellow and red card details in the spaces provided inside the card. Please also ensure that you sign
the match card and that the managers of each team sign the card as well.
We have included codes on the referee’s card to apply to the different yellow and red card offences as follows:
Yellow Card Codes – C1 – Unsporting behaviour; C2 – Dissent; C3 – Persistent infringement; C4 – Delays; C5 – Fails
to respect required distance; C6 – Enter/re-enter field of play without permission; C7 – Enter/leave without ref’s
permission.
Red Card Codes – E1 – Serious foul play; E2 – Violent conduct; E3 – Spits on opponent or other person; E4 – Denies
goal by handling the ball; E5 – Denies scoring by an offence; E6 – Offensive, insulting or abusive language; E7 –
Receives a second caution in match.
Please include the relevant codes on the relevant areas of the match card next to players name on team list would be
good also) as well as on referee’s reports. It will greatly help the collation of information by the disciplinary committee.
If a match card (and report if there is one), is not received within 4 days of the date of the game, the league will have no
alternative but to bring it to the attention of the Referee’s Observers Group.
VERY IMPORTANT – SUSPECTED OVERAGE/ILLEGAL PLAYERS
If a team manager suspects that an illegal / overage player is playing with the opposition, he can request at half
time that you, the referee, go to the opposition manager and get the suspect player to sign his NAME AND DATE
OF BIRTH AND JERSEY NUMBER on the comments section of the match card. This request can be made for
a maximum of 3 players. You are required to witness the signatures.
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If the opposition manager refuses the request, simply note his refusal and put it on a report. Please note that your
only responsibilities are to make the request, observe that the correct player is signing and putting his date of
birth and jersey number on the card, or to note a refusal if it occurs.
If a suspect player is introduced after half time, this same request can be made at full time again at the request
of a team manager and again to a maximum of 3 players. Again, you are required to witness the signatures.
Other than to apply the above procedure if required, you are there only to referee the game. You are not there, for
example, to award walk overs if a team does not show up and you are not there to comment on the likely legality or
otherwise of a player if asked by a manager. Do not get involved in anything other than your responsibilities as a referee.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL REFEREE’S CARDS ARE SIGNED BY YOU THE REFEREE AND THE
MANAGER OF EACH TEAM.
3.
If you have a sending off or some other possible disciplinary problem with managers, supporters, etc, the Referees
Report must be returned to Eddie Doyle, 22 Westcourt, Ballincollig, Co. Cork with the Official Match Card.
- Please take a photocopy of the report. The original should be sent to the league with the referee’s card, keep
the copy on file for future reference if required.
- Each incident requiring a report must have a separate report per person per club. Do not report players or
officials or supporters from different clubs on the same report as these reports are sent out to the individual
clubs involved.
- Please ensure you use the official referee’s report form that states “without prejudice.”
- In the case of serious offences you may be asked by the league to attend the disciplinary meeting at which the
case is being heard.
4.
Fixtures will appear on the Echo and on the new CSL website www.corkschoolboysleague.ie every Monday night. The
website is the “bible”. Each Monday night you will receive a text(s) from the website with your match appointment(s).
You will receive one text per appointment. The fixtures on the website will be kept updated should changes occur, and
I will also keep in contact with the respective referees about the changes. If for any reason you are unable to do the
game, you must inform Eddie Doyle immediately on (085) 8887396 who will arrange a replacement referee. DO
NOT ARRANGE A REPLACEMENT YOURSELF. DO NOT TEXT BACK TO THE NUMBER FROM
WHICH YOU RECEIVE YOUR AUTOMATED FIXTURE TEXT.
Last season some referees were asked to referee 3 competitive 11 v 11 games in a row due to the usual shortage
of referees. It is not fair on the referee or the teams involved in the third game. This season, no referee will be
asked to referee more than 2 competitive 11 v 11 games in a row. However you will be required to do a third
game, if it is available in the same ground, which will be a non-competitive 7 v 7 game which is 25 minutes a side
on a small pitch because the FAI now want refs appointed to games from U10 upwards.
5.
If for any reason you are unavailable to referee on any given weekend you must advise Eddie Doyle by text on (085)
8887396 no later than the Saturday of the previous weekend.
6.
In the past, clubs have been on directly to referees to change times of games. We have also had situations where referees
have been onto clubs to change times of games to suit themselves. Under no circumstances is either situation allowed.
7.
This season the FAI Development Plan comes into play. U10 and U11 will be 7 v 7 non- competitive “twin” games,
U12 will be 9 v 9 competitive games, and U13 to U16 will be 11 v 11 competitive games. All referees are required
to download the FAI Development Plan from the FAI Website and familiarise yourselves with the new rules. The
download link is
http://www.fai.ie/sites/default/files/atoms/files/PDP%20%28all%20formats%29%20PDF.pdf
The important changes at U10 and U11 7 v 7 twin games are Pitch size – min 60m x 30m, max 65m x 40m
Goal size – 5m x 2m (16ft x 6ft) – if no goals use poles
Retreat Line (marked by yellow cones) – used when keeper is throwing out the ball
Penalty Area size - 23m wide x 9m deep, penalty spot 8m out
Number of players per panel – for further discussion
Match duration - 2 x 25 min halves
Substitutions – roll on/roll off at the half way line without consent of ref, but player must come off before a player can
go on. Players can come on and off more than once.
Throw ins
Throw outs instead of kick outs (one opposition player can remain inside the retreat line)
No offside
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Kick off at half way line after scores
Back pass rule the same
Players showing unacceptable behaviour should be immediately substituted
Corner kicks and Free kicks – normal rules apply but players back 5m from the ball
Team coaches stay on same side of the pitch, parents on the opposite side
The important changes at U12 9 v 9 games are Pitch Size – box to box and full width of normal pitch if a designated 9 v 9 pitch is unavailable
Goal Size – 5m x 2m (16ft x 6ft)
Penalty Area – 29m wide x 12m deep, penalty spot 8m (cones in most cases)
Ball Size – size 4 unless new size 5 (370grm) is available
Squad Size – max of 16 players on card
Substitutions – roll on/roll off at half way line with the permission of the ref. Players can come on and off more than
once
Normal rules apply to this game including offside
U13 and U14 - 11 v 11
Normal rules, pitches and goals apply
Substitutions – roll on/roll off as per 9 v 9
Ball Size – U13 size 4 unless new size 5 (370gms) is available, U14 size 5 unless new size 5 (370gms) is available
Squad Size – max of 16 players on card
U15 and U16 - 11 v 11
Normal rules, pitches and goals apply
Substitutions – roll on/roll off as per 9 v 9
Ball Size – size 5
Squad Size – max of 16 players on card
Panel Sizes U12 to U16
Local CSL Competitions - Panel sizes are a maximum of 16 players on the card. Under no circumstances is a team
allowed more than 16 names on the card.
SFAI Competitions (Nat Cups and Inter Leagues) - Panel sizes are a maximum of 18 players on the card. Under no
circumstances is a team allowed more than 18 names on the card. The panel size has yet to be confirmed by SFAI for
U12 9 v 9. We will let you know when sorted.
8.
Ball size for U10, U11, U12 and U13 is size 4. Ball size for U14, U15 and U16 is size 5.
However if the new size 5 weighted balls are available these should be used.
Ball Sizes in SFAI Competitions must be the new ball size 5 –
U12/13/14 - 370gms
U15/16 - 450gms (normal size 5 as we know it!)
U11, U12 and U13 games are 30 minutes a side, U14 and U15 games are 35 minutes a side and U16 games are 40
minutes aside. If extra time is required in cup games it is 10 minutes a side at all age groups and penalties thereafter if
required.
9.
TIME KEEPING
All referees are expected to be at the ground no later than 30 minutes before the kick off in regular local league and local
cup games. For Local Cup semi finals and finals, as well as SFAI National Cup (Last 32 and onwards) and Inter League
games you should be at the ground no later than 1 hour before the kick off.
The fixtures for Saturday/Sunday 29th/30th August and night games for Monday 31st August to Friday 4th September will
appear on the Echo and on the website on Monday 24th August.
Texts of your appointments will be sent on Monday 24th August also and on each Monday night thereafter. If appointments
change after the generation of the computer text, you will receive a text from me outlining the change.
Should you need any of the above points or anything else clarified, please do not hesitate to contact me on (085) 8887396 at
any time.
I look forward to working with you all and I wish you all the very best of luck for the coming season.
Yours in Sport,
Eddie Doyle
Hon. Secretary
Cork Schoolboys League
(085) 8887396
[email protected]
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