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Sunday 11-a-side Football League rules

1. Organisation

The League is organised and delivered by Warwick Sport. The League will be managed by the Warwick Sport Sports Engagement Officer. The Sports Engagement Officer and the League Activator will have the final say on all matters of the league.

All captains (or nominated team member) must attend a compulsory captain meeting ahead of the season starting. Details of when this will take place will be sent to all captains prior to the start of their league.

2. Squads

  1. The Captain must register the team to the Warwick Sport leagues.
  2. Teams must have a squad of between 12 and 30 players. Matches will be 11-a-side but if teams are struggling to submit a full squad, then the team sizes can be reduced as long as both Captains agree (e.g. Playing 10 on each side). The original squad may be added to throughout the season, up to this limit.
  3. At least 7 players must be present to start the game.
  4. Players are allowed to play for more than one team, and it is up to the player’s discretion who they play for should the two teams play together.
  5. The league is a mixed gender league, but there are no set requirements on minimum number of male/female players.
  6. All players must be registered to their team on BUCS PlayLink opens in a new window and captains must email the team name to warwickactive@warwick.ac.uk

3. General Rules

  1. All players must book on to the session each week as a participant to gain access through the Sports Hub barriers.
  2. All communication and updates will be made via the Active League Teams channelLink opens in a new window, which all captains must register on.
  3. Matches will consist of 2 x 30-minute halves with a 10-minute half-time break.
  4. The rules of the International Football Association Board will apply at all times (currently according to the Laws of the game and FA rulesLink opens in a new window).
  5. Sin Bins will be introduced as of the 25/26 academic year and will apply at all times. Sin Bins will be used according to the FA’s Guidelines for temporary dismissals Sin Bins | England FootballLink opens in a new window
  6. Due to Active league match duration Sin Bins will last for 8 minutes rather than 10 minutes – in line with FA guidelines for temporary dismissals
  7. 3 points will be awarded for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.
  8. 72+ hours’ notice is required for cancellation or rearrangement of fixtures. If it is not possible for matches to be rearranged, this will result in a draw. Cancellations after this deadline will automatically result in a 3-0 win to the opponents.
  9. Any team who does not show up for a match on the day, with no notice or communication to the league organiser and the team they are scheduled to play will receive a 2-point deduction.
  10. If a team turns up over 30 minutes late, they automatically lose the game 3-0 but can continue to play the game as a friendly.
  11. Teams are allowed unlimited substitutes on a rolling basis.
  12. Teams are responsible for providing a match ball.
  13. All captains will be required to either referee or provide a player to referee for certain matches throughout the season. Referee allocations will be specified by the League Activator as early as possible.
  14. Failure to referee a match will result in the following disciplinary actions:
    • 1st instance: 1 point deduction from the league table
    • 2nd instance: 3 point deduction from the league table
    • 3rd instance: 5 point deduction from the league table
    • 4th instance: Team removed from the league, with no refund given for any remaining fixtures.

4. Fixtures

  1. Fixtures for the term will be uploaded to BUCS PlayLink opens in a new window.
  2. Teams unable to fulfil a fixture must give at least 3 days’ notice to both the League Activator and the opposing team’s captain. Where possible, the league activator will attempt to meet all match reschedule requests. However, in the case of excessive requests, the match may have to be forfeited.
  3. Teams failing to fulfil a fixture without obeying the above procedures will forfeit the match 3-0. For postponements after the notice period, or other rule breaches, penalty appeals will be considered at the discretion of the League Activator.
  4. The date, time and location of a fixture can be changed in agreement between the two Captains, if facilities allow. The game must be played within 10 days of the original fixture unless agreed otherwise with the League Activator.
  5. The structure of the league will depend on number of teams, likely consisting of group stages and a knockout competition.

5. Results

  1. Match results should be entered on the relevant BUCS Play league by each captain, within 24 hours of the match being played.
  2. Result disputes can be raised via BUCS Play, via the League Activator or emailed to warwickactive@warwick.ac.uk.
  3. General league position will be decided on the following basis:
    • Points
    • Goal difference
    • Goals scored
    • Match result
    • Number of matches won

6. Disputes

  1. In the case of a dispute teams should first contact the League Activator.
  2. If there is disagreement with the decision of the League Activator or Sport Engagement Officer, the matter shall be referred to the Active Wellbeing Manager, who’s decision is final.

7. Conduct

Team captains are encouraged to report any misconduct to the relevant Sport Engagement Officer overseeing the league.

Should a team, or players from a team, indulge in any actions that are deemed by the organisers to be detrimental to the good spirit of the league, then the organisers are entitled to take appropriate action. This may include, but is not limited to, suspension of players, loss of points, exclusion from the competition with no refund given and referral to the University’s student conduct team. Please refer to our Active Leagues code of conduct.

8. League refunds

  1. Refunds will not be issued for teams failing to attend fixtures at any point during the time allocated for the league.

  2. Refunds will only be issued if Warwick Sport has to cancel a fixture resulting in a team not meeting the minimum of 6 games played. This refund will be issued at the price per fixture per minimum squad number.

9. Contact

  1. Initial contact should be made to the relevant League Activator.
  2. If you have any further questions on the league, contact warwickactive at warwick dot ac dot uk.

I’ve signed up, what happens next?

Please email your team’s name to warwickactive at warwick dot ac dot uk.

Your League Activator will be in contact via email once the sign-up deadline has passed to provide information around the captain’s meeting, first fixture dates, format etc.

The provisional league start date is included in the details of your booking.

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