FCOPS Southern Counties Football League Rules for the 2026/27 Season

1. Scope & Authority

1.1 These rules govern all competitions run by the FCOPS Southern Counties Football League (the "League", or "FSCL") and its member clubs.

1.2 The League is not affiliated to The Football Association however operates under the FA's Standard Code of Rules for Leagues, adapted for our competition format.

1.3 Where any rules are silent or in conflict with FA rules, FA rules take precedence.

2. Member Clubs

• Basildon
• Bexley
• Bishop Stortford
• Borehamwood
• Bromley
• Enfield
• Fisher FC
• Leyton
• Millwall
• Romford
• Strood

3. Entry Fee

Each team will pay an entry fee of £70, to be paid to Michael Mullin (Sheamus) at Millwall. This is to be paid by 31st July 2026. Michael will source 3 trophies and purchase prior to the competition starting (FCOPS SC League Trophy, FCOPS SC Cup, FCOPS SC Shield). All remaining funds will be donated to charity at the end of the season, with the winning team choosing which charity the money goes to.

4. FA Registration

It has been agreed that clubs participating in the league DO NOT have to have an affiliation with the FA.

5. Player Eligibility

5.1 Criteria

All players must comply with at least one of the following criteria;

• They are currently an active MvF player.
• Have been registered to MvF on or after 1st January 2026 and therefore at some point since that date had a BMI of 27.50 or over. It is appreciated that some players may go on to lose weight and get under or around this BMI value but still be members of MvF or previous members who left since January 2026.
• Any player who played in the Southern Counties League 25/26 Season.
• Players who have not been registered at MvF or played in 25/26 season must have a BMI of no less than 32 at the point they signed up with dated proof of this.

5.2 Website Team Photos

• During the summer of June 2026 – August 2026 teams will be required to upload a head shot of every player in their squad along with showing proof of their players eligibility as per the rules above to be checked by the league office.
• This can be a MvF email since January 2026, a BMI report of 32 or above, or proof of the players eligibility under the 24/25 rules which they played a part of the season in for their team.
• Until a player has a head shot, proof of eligibility signed off and is registered onto the league website, they will not be able to play in a league game.

5.3 Age Requirement

The League is an 18+ competition. Every player must be at least 18 years of age on the day of their first League appearance. Clubs are responsible for verifying date of birth at registration; the League office may request evidence at any time.

5.4 Eligibility Infringements

With all teams required to submit all players onto the website the need for challenging player eligibility is now void. However, in the event a team is found to play any player not signed off and registered on the team's website with a photo, the resulting game will be awarded as a 5-0 forfeit to the opposition. Any previous games in which the player has been involved in will result in a points deduction for the team in question of any points gained from those matches, up to a maximum of 12 points including the most recent game. If the same player is to then continue to feature in games once proven to be ineligible, the team will be expelled from the league for the rest of the season.

6. Squad Size

6.1 Club Squad Limit

Clubs will be limited to a squad size of 35 players. This will mean no more than 35 players can be uploaded to the website during the 26/27 season.

6.2 Matchday Squad Limits

Match day squads are limited to a maximum of 18 players. This does not mean that a team must take 18 players to a game…they simply cannot take more than 18.

6.3 Transfer Window & Wild Cards

During the 26/27 Season, there will be a lock on squad changes. From 1/9/26 squads will be set until 14/12/2026. A transfer window will be in place from 14/12/2026 to 11/1/27. During this window, clubs can make any changes they need to their squads, and players can move between clubs. Any new players will be required to comply with league rules and have their proof of eligibility signed off by the league and uploaded to the website. Player moves will need to be confirmed by both managers to the league officials and then moved on the website accordingly. Squads however can not exceed the 35 limit.

The window will then close again until the end of the season and reopen following cup finals day. To ensure flexibility for all teams in 26/27 Season, each team will have 5 wild cards between September to December, and a further 5 between January to June. These do not save and stack.

These wild cards will allow teams to bring in new players or switch players in and out of their squads, again confirmed to the league and signed off with the website updated accordingly before any player plays.

7. One Club Per Player

Each player is only allowed to feature for one team for the duration of the season. Players that attend two or more MvF venues must pick which team they want to represent at the start of the season and can only play for that team. A transfer can only take place during the transfer window, confirmed by both club managers and signed off by the league. If a player moves MvF venues part way through the season, they can continue to play for their original club. Players are also allowed to feature at a club night but play for a different 11's club, however they can still only remain playing for this one club.

8. Season Dates & Fixtures

The official opening day of the season is Sunday 6th September 2026, with all league games to be completed by 11th April 2027. Every effort must be made to book fixtures within the allotted time window provided. Reasonable changes between managers on home/away leg of the fixtures is allowed to be altered. The main league table games should all be completed by January 10th 2027, allowing for the league split and new fixture booking window so as to not delay the second part of the league taking place.

9. Pitches

It is assumed that all pitches will be 3G/4G. However, grass pitches are allowed if prior warning is given by the home team to the away team that it is a grass pitch.

10. Kick Off Times

All games must be played on a Saturday or Sunday, and all games must have a kick off time of no earlier than 11:00am and no later than 4:00pm. Kick offs can be arranged outside of these days/times but only if both club managers agree to it. The away manager is not obliged to accept a kick off time outside of these hours if the home team cannot secure a pitch.

11. Substitutions

Roll on/roll off substitutions in all games.

12. Results Publication

• After each game, the score will be published from club managers in the manager's WhatsApp group for results, and their relative league in second part of season.
• Managers will have the ability to report squad, result, goal scorers, assisters and those who receive cards on the new website via the managers portal. Results won't be published without league admin sign off.
• At the end of each calendar month the league table will be updated for any results not done already and again shared in the managers WhatsApp group for each manager to share with their own club. If not filled in by managers, league admin will only be able to report scores resulting in missed scorers and assisters.
• It should be stated if the red card was a straight red card or 2 yellow cards resulting in a red.
• Approved results are final unless appealed in writing to the League office within 7 days.

13. Suspensions

• If a player receives 2 yellow cards in a game which result in a red card, that player will be suspended for the next game and cannot feature.
• If any player receives a straight red card, that player will be suspended for the next 3 games. There is NO grey area on this and no challenging of referee decisions…if there is a red card, there WILL be a suspension.
• Cup games falling within the next game or next three games would be included in the suspension.
• Club managers are to ensure these suspensions are carried out in line with these rules. If any suspended player is found to have played in a match, that team will receive a 5-0 forfeit despite what the score was on the pitch.
• To ensure there is protection for league officials on matchdays, verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated. Any physical abuse could result in additional suspension or expulsion from the league.

14. League Format

For the 26/27 Season the FCOPS Southern Counties Football League will be starting a new format. (For the purposes of the rules, the below will be based on a 10 team league).

The season will begin as one league table. All teams will play each other once (Random draw of either 4 home and 5 away games or 5 home and 4 away games). The website will conduct the random draw for all teams which will have the facility to be watched live. Once all fixtures are completed in the league table there will be an FCOPS Southern Counties Football League winner announced.

The league will then split into two – the FCOPS Southern Counties Cup (FSCC) and FCOPS Southern Counties Shield (FSCS). 1st to 5th will place in the cup, 6th to 10th in the Shield (in the event of an odd number overall in the league, the Shield will take on the extra team). Again, all teams will play each other once (Random draw 2 home and 2 away games). Once completed each mini league will have a playoff. The 1st placed team goes into the final. There will be a playoff between the 2nd to 5th placed teams in each league. The first round will be a one-off game with the highest ranked team taking home advantage (games will be 90 minutes with a penalty shootout if a draw at full time…no extra time will be played).

Playoffs will be 2nd vs 5th (2nd have home advantage), and 3rd vs 4th (3rd have home advantage). The winners of these two games will play the second round in a two legged playoff with home advantage in the first game to the winner of 2nd and 5th place.

The winner of the play offs in each league will face first place on cup finals day to win the Cup or Shield. Cup finals day will also host the Inter-Southern Cup final.

15. Payment For Pitches

This upcoming season all away teams to pay their half of the pitch no later than 6 days before the game. Unless agreed otherwise with the home team.

16. Inter-Southern Cup Format

16.1 The cup will have a draw before each round to determine who plays who. This will be drawn live.

16.2 All ties will be 1 single game (no return replays), with the first team drawn being the home team. A draw at full time will result in a standard penalty shootout, with no extra time to be played, to decide the winner of the tie.

16.3 Games for your drawn tie need to be agreed between the two managers for a suitable date to be played, to ensure it fits within both teams' schedules. To ensure draws are done timely, the suggested windows are as follows for the coming season:

• R16 Draw Take Place August 2026 — Round of 16 – September 6th 2026 – 8th November 2026
• QF Draw Take Place week of 9th November 2026 — Quarter Finals – 16th November 2026 – February 7th 2027
• SF Draw Take Place week of 8th February 2027 — Semi Finals – 15th February 2027 – 31st May 2027
• Final – On Finals Day End June/Early July 2027 (Date TBC)

17. Forfeits

17.1 In the event of a forfeit due to extreme circumstances, such as weather conditions stopping a game, pitch damage, etc. There should be no costs to either team incurred, and the game will need to be rescheduled and agreed between both managers a suitable date with similar kick off time.

17.2 Where games are forfeited for avoidable reasons such as player numbers, a reschedule can be considered if agreed between both team managers and the league. However, the team being let down has the right to claim a 5-0 forfeit where rescheduling is not possible for them. Games agreed as forfeits can not be reversed the decision once agreed is final.

17.3 In the event a forfeit is put forward for an agreed fixture with more than 14 days' notice, no charges would be incurred. In the event less than 14 days' notice is given but more than 7 days, the cost would be split 50/50 for the pitch hire (In the event the away team is forfeiting). If 7 days or less notice is given the team having to forfeit is responsible for incurring 100% of the pitch costs if a refund cannot be retrieved from the venue.

17.4 To avoid unnecessary forfeits, there will be penalties in place for forfeited games. Where a fixture is confirmed by both sides (Date for the game) and an avoidable forfeit takes place the penalties would be as follows;

• 1st Instance – No penalty
• 2nd Instance – 1 Point Deduction
• 3rd Instance – 3 Point Deduction
• 4th Instance – 3 Point Deduction
• 5th Instance – removed from the league for rest of season.

To ensure clarity regarding this, the forfeit penalties of 17.4 above will not include forfeits which arise through player eligibility, or players fielded who are suspended. These penalties above are only for forfeited games as per the rules of 17.1-17.5.

17.5 In the event a game was agreed to be a double header (2 league games as one or a league and cup game in one), where forfeiting both results are recorded as a 5-0 walkover, they cannot be separated or altered after the fact. They however will only count as 1 instance of forfeiture for penalties.

18. League Office

18.1 All communication with the League office should go through the email address on file for each club. The League office operates on working hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

18.2 Fees, invoices, and any financial contributions are handled outside the platform, coordinated directly with the League office.

Version 1 — the ground-zero rulebook for the 2026/27 season. Effective from the date shown above. Revisions are versioned; managers can view the current rules and the full change history from their dashboard.