PBFL MANAGERS NOTES

The manager is responsible for arranging the following:

• Ensuring all team members are aware of the kick off times for the following Saturday.

• Ensure the registrations forms and fees for all team members are collected and passed to the Treasurer (or another Committee member) as soon as possible. For your information – if fees are not paid before the relevant players 4th match that player will not be able to take part in that or any further games until the fee is paid in full, or arrangements for payment have been agreed with the Treasurer.

• Each player must play at least 2 thirds or one half (depending on the age group) of every match.

• If you cannot get the minimum number of players necessary to play a match (U8 – 4, U10 – 6, U12 – 8, U14 – 8, U18 – 8) then you must contact the fixtures secretary as early as possible and in any event before 7.30pm on the Thursday evening before the match is due to be played.

• Paying the referee before each game starts, at the following rates:

o U8 – £8 per team per match
o U10 – £9 per team per match
o U12 – £11 per team per match
o U14 – £13 per team per match
o U18 – £15 per team per match

• Where the team is designated the “home” team (ie where they appear first on the fixture list) provide a good quality match ball as follows:

o U8 – size 3
o U10 – size 4
o U12 – size 4
o U14 – size 4
o U18 – size 5

• Provide a basic first aid kit.

• After each game completing a team card, available from the canteen, which shows the date and opponent’s team, name of each player, their shirt number, the thirds/halves they played (if not a full game), the reason for any players absence, the score at each third/half and at full time, the referees name and a mark for his standard of refereeing, and any other comments (good or bad) you feel should be drawn to the Committee’s attention (such as assistant/referees standards, other managers/parents behaviour). The cards are used for checking any score discrepancies, and any disputes surrounding players not playing their full entitlement. They are also used for the best referee awards at the end of the season.

• For U8/U10 teams, the teams playing the first matches should take a relevant sized goal from outside the canteen for use on their pitch, together with 2 corner flags. The last teams playing on any pitch should ensure that the goal and 2 corner flags are returned to the canteen after their match. For U12 teams, the goals are kept in the large container near the U12 pitches, along with the corner flags. Please check to see if you are the last match on that pitch.

• The manager is responsible for ensuring that if a player leaves the team during the end of the season, all elements of the playing kit (shirt, shorts and socks) are collected from that player so they can be passed on to their replacement. Any problems in recovering the kit should be passed on to the registration secretary as soon as possible.

The manager can charge each player a small weekly fee to cover any costs he incurs, such as the first aid kit, footballs etc and the weekly referee fees. Photos will be taken of every team during the season, copies of which will be available for every player to purchase. Some managers will take the cost of these out of the weekly fees, if they have sufficient funds, others will simply ask the parents to pay themselves. Some managers will also use any surplus funds for a party etc at the end of the season, or alternatively return any surplus funds to the parents. In the event of any disputes regarding fees paid to the manager, the Treasurer is entitled to inspect the team’s financial records. A player who is substituted as part of the normal player rotation rules can only return to the field of play if the referee is satisfied that a player is sufficiently injured that they can take no further part in the match. The injured player can then take no further part in the game. If you have any instances where players do not turn up for 3 weeks in a row, without a good reason, inform your age groups registration secretary, who will attempt to contact the player, and if necessary provide a replacement player from the waiting list. The manager must always set a good example to his players and the parents, by encouraging the team and accepting the referee’s decisions at all times. Remember the referees may not be much older than the players themselves, and therefore still learning themselves. The Committee will always endeavour to provide a referee for every game, and assistants for age groups U12, U14 & U18, but if this does not prove possible, managers may be asked to referee/act as an assistant for the match themselves, or ask one of their parents to do so. A manager acting as an assistant referee may coach the team in every aspect of the match EXCEPT an offside decision.

The following are the only exceptions allowed to the standard FA rules and laws of the game:

o U8 – no off sides, goalkeeper allowed to pick up a “back pass”, foul throws can be re-taken.
o U10 – no off sides, foul throws can be re-taken once.
o U12/U14/U18 – no exceptions.

U8 & U10 – we would not normally expect bad behaviour to be serious enough to warrant yellow or red cards. If the referee deems such behaviour to warrant a yellow card, we encourage referees to request that the manager removes that player from the pitch for 5 minutes to “cool down”. If there is a recurrence of bad behaviour by the same player the referee is encouraged to ask the manager to remove that player for the rest of the game (without showing a red card and therefore reporting the matter to the FA). Such action will be reported to the Referee’s Secretary and Welfare Officer who will decide if further action is necessary. The referee is of course entitled to apply the full disciplinary rules at all times, including the use of cards.