Player Registration
40) All player Registration must be in accordance with Rule Forty of the SAFA Constitution and Cup Competition Rules which (inter-alia) states:-
“A player to be eligible to play must be registered on a Recreational Form for the relevant club(s) provided that such clubs are in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.
A player may not register for more than one club who play on the same fixture day, this being defined by the affiliation form submitted by each Association and League.
The entire Recreation Form, fully and properly completed, must be received by the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League within three days of the date of signing (Sundays excluded). A player’s eligibility to play will be governed by the Constitution and Rules of the relevant Association and Leagues.
The Recreational Form as posted must be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope to the sender. After being franked by the relevant Association/League stamp to establish its date of receipt, the club portion of the form will be returned to the club.
Failure to complete the complete postal address, including the village or town, district or post code as required on a Recreational Form will result in the registration being rejected.
Changes of addresses of registered players must be intimated in writing to the National Secretary and to the Secretary of the Relevant Association /League responsible, by the Secretary of the club to whom such players are attached within fourteen days of such change.
The registration of a player on a Recreational Form will lapse automatically at the end of a season (30th June each year) in which he signed the form, and the player will be free to sign for the club of his choice thereafter.
Note: With the exception of the summer registrations, when the recreation forms will automatically cancel on the 30th September in each season.
A player who is registered for s club by means of a Recreational Player Registration Form may, from 1st May each season, sign and be registered for that club for the ensuing season.
A player who is registered for a club by means of a Recreational Player Registration Form may, from 15th May each season sign and be registered for another club for the ensuing season, provided he is otherwise eligible to do so.
Before a player signs a Recreational Form, the club should ensure that all details have been fully inserted. The player, at the time of signing, must personally insert the date of signing. The player’s signature and that of the Secretary or other accredited official of the club shall be attested by a responsible third party.
A player who is suspended (dated or games) may not sign on a Recreational Form – unless in the case of a games suspension – his registration is automatically ended in the terms of this rule.
Should a player have his registration cancelled prior to the commencement of a game(s) suspension he shall be eligible to register for another club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association and thereafter complete his suspension prior to playing for that club.
Players who play without having been registered in accordance with this rule will be grounds for protest in the season in which the offence has occurred.
Failure to adhere to the registration procedure will result in the responsible parties being dealt with by the relevant committee.
No transfer or cancellation of registration will be sanctioned after 31st March each season to allow a player to register for another club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association with the exception of that of a goalkeeper only.
Players registered for a club in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association which operate more than one team shall have freedom of movement within that club subject to the Constitution and Cup Competition Rules of the Scottish Amateur Football Association.
A player may have his registration cancelled by submitting the appropriate request in the correct manner to the relevant Association or League.
A club having a desire to have a player’s registration cancelled must forward their club portion of the Recreational Form to the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League complete with a stamped addressed envelope for its return.
The cancellation of a player’s registration will be effective from the date on which the proper notice of cancellation is received by the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League. When a request to have a registration cancelled has been lodged, the player shall neither play nor sign for any other club until his registration has been cancelled by the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League.
Players of clubs who fold or cease to exist during the currency of a player’s match suspension shall be eligible to register for a new club. The club for which the player registers, should send the Recreational Form to the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League accompanied by a letter from the player indicating the number of matches of his suspension he has still to serve. The matches played by that new club, from the date of receipt, will be counted towards the serving of suspension.
When a player and a club for which he is registered are unable to mutually agree to the cancellation of his registration, the player may apply to the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League to have his registration cancelled. The Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League shall refer the matter to their Executive Committee who shall have the authority to sanction the cancellation of the player’s registration provided that the player has met all his commitments to the club to which he is currently registered. The player will only be eligible to participate again, in football, after receiving written notification from the Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League.
The Registration Secretary of the relevant Association or League shall have the authority to cancel registrations of players in cases of clubs, for which they are registered, becoming defunct, debt suspended for a period of one month or longer or where reasons satisfactory to the Registration Secretary are adduced as to why the registration should be cancelled.
Players of a defunct club will be permitted to register for another club subject to the registration rules.
Players must be registered for clubs in membership of the Scottish Amateur Football Association on a Recreational Form in order to be eligible to participate in all cup ties played under the jurisdiction of that body.
Trialists who are eligible to play will be permitted subject to the registration rules of each relevant Association or League.
