Section 12 from the Complete FA Handbook:
DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIP
12. (A) Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with
points to be awarded for a win and points for a drawn match. The teams gaining the
highest number of points in their respective Divisions at the conclusion shall be adjudged
the winners. Matches must not be played for double points. In Mini Soccer points can only
be awarded for Under 9 Competitions onwards.
In the event of two or more teams being equal on points team rankings may be decided in
any one or more of the following ways:-
(i) goal average or goal diff erence
(ii) goals scored or deciding match(es) played under conditions determined by the
Management Committee.
(B) Automatic promotion and relegation shall be applied for the fi rst and
last teams in each Division except as provided for hereunder, subject
to the provisions of Rule 1(b).
(i) Should one or more teams withdraw from any one Division after the fi xtures have
commenced an equal number of teams to those withdrawing in that Division shall not
be automatically relegated.
(ii) Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of the season may be fi lled on any of the
following ways:
(a) retention of otherwise relegated team(s)
(b) additional promotion of the next ranked team(s) from the Division below
(c) election
(iii) The last teams in the lowest Division shall retire, but be eligible for
re-election except as below, and be subject to the conditions of paragraph (B)(i) above.
(iv) When a senior team is relegated to a lower Division of which its reserve team is a
member, or entitled to be a member, such reserve team must accept relegation to, or
retain its position in, the next lower Division; and should the senior team be relegated
to the lowest Division its reserve team automatically retires from the Competition.
(v) Should either or both of the leading teams in any of the Divisions have its senior team
in the next higher Division, promotion shall fall, at the discretion of the General Meeting,
to the next highest team or teams in the Division concerned.
(C) In the event of a team not completing 75% of its fi xtures for the season all points obtained
by or recorded against such defaulting team shall be expunged from the Competition table.
(D) Where a promotion and/or relegation link exists between Competitions
Clubs, providing they meet the appropriate grading criteria, will be eligible to make
application to the Competition at their Annual General Meeting.
Should the Champion Club not wish for promotion or, alternatively, not have the necessary
grading criteria, then the or place Club will be eligible under
the same conditions.
At the end of each season and depending on the geographical location of Clubs gaining
promotion to or being relegated from the Competition, it may
be necessary for the Competition either (a) to accept a Club from the
Competition, or (b) have a Club transferred to the same Competition.
The bottom Clubs in the Competition will
be relegated. Each relegated Club will be allocated either to the
Competition or to the Competition recommended as most
appropriate by the Joint Liaison Committee. Clubs will be promoted to the
Competition from the
Competition, and the Competition providing that each Club
is either the Champion Club or Runner-up or place Club and
has the necessary grading criteria.
In the event of there being no eligible Club wishing promotion or not having the necessary
grading criteria from any of the Competitions, this will reduce the number of Clubs to be
relegated from the Competition.
If only Clubs are eligible or wish for promotion, the bottom Clubs in the
Competition will be relegated. If only Club is
eligible or wishes promotion, only the bottom Club in the
Competition will be relegated.
If no Clubs are eligible, or wish for promotion, no Clubs will be relegated from the
Competition.
In the event of a Competition Club not being placed in the
bottom Clubs at the end of the season, wishing to resign from the Competition at
the end of the season, or having been excluded under Rule only Clubs
will be relegated at the end of the season.
In the event of a Competition Club opting to be relegated
or being relegated under Rule such Club or Clubs will replace the Club or Clubs
otherwise due for relegation.
