YORKSHIRE COUNTY CHALLENGE CUP,
SHIELD AND SILVER TROPHY COMPETITIONS RULES
1.The Cup shall be called ‘The Yorkshire County Football Challenge Cup’. The Shield shall be
called ‘The Yorkshire Challenge Shield’ and the Trophy shall be called ‘‘The Yorkshire Silver Trophy’. Together they constitute the Yorkshire Cup Competitions, and they shall be competed for by clubs in membership of the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union Limited (YRFU) in accordance with these Rules.
Where sponsorship is involved, the name of the sponsor will be included where appropriate in the
title of the competitions.
The Competitions shall be organized by the YRFU Competitions Committee (‘the Committee’).
2.The precedence for games is League Competitions followed by County Cup, Shield, and Trophy. A
Cup, Shield, or Trophy match deferred for a fixture of a higher precedence must be played, at the
latest, by the next available date in the season. The Committee shall determine the dates when games shall be
played and shall have power to order a game to be played as an evening fixture to ensure that the timetable for the
Yorkshire Cup Competitions can be met. The Committee shall also have power (upon such terms as it may determine)to order that a fixture be played on a neutral ground, (or to order reversal of a fixture), if ground conditions warrantsuch, or if floodlights are required and the team drawn at home cannot provide these.”
3.All clubs in membership of the YRFU, except for the Cup, shall without entrance fee be drawn in the Ties, unless they notify the Competitions Secretary not later than May 1st that they do not wish to play in the competitions the following Season.
THE YORKSHIRE COUNTY FOOTBALL CHALLENGE CUP
4.The Committee shall select clubs as appropriate to take part in the competition.
5.The Ties shall be drawn and the matches played as and when the Committee determine. Such
matches may only be played on any other day, before the set date, by permission of the
Committee.
THE YORKSHIRE CHALLENGE SHIELD
6.The Committee shall select clubs as appropriate to take part in the competition.
7. The Ties shall be drawn and the matches played as and when the Committee determine. Such
matches may only be played on any other day, before the set date, by permission of the
Committee.
THE YORKSHIRE SILVER TROPHY
8.The Committee shall select clubs as appropriate to take part in the competition.
9.The Ties shall be drawn and the matches played as and when the Committee may determine.
The early rounds may be arranged on a basis of four zones. Such matches may only be played
on any other day, before the set date, by permission of the Committee.
GENERAL
10.The drawing of all Ties shall be by lot (with due allowance for seeding and zoning) and all
matches shall be played on the ground of the club first drawn except by special permission of the
Committee and with the exception of the three finals which shall be played on neutral grounds.
11.If the ground of the club first drawn shall be considered unsuitable for a Tie, their opponents may
object to the Committee who may order the match to be played on the ground of the objecting club or
on a neutral ground. All objections under this Rule must be in writing and lodged with the Competitions Secretary at least four days before the date of the match.
12.If by mistake, inadvertence, or any other cause, any club is left out of the Yorkshire Cup Competition at
the time the Ties are drawn, the Committee have power to deal with the position as they think fit.
13.Clubs participating in all Ties except the three Finals shall share the GROSS GATE (net of VAT
where appropriate) which shall include Car Park and Programme receipts. The home team shall
bear all match expenses including Referee Society appointed officials, with the visiting team paying
its own travelling expenses, each from their half share of the gross gate. In all Ties where gate money
is taken, the members of the home club, including ladies and guests of any sponsor of the match,
must pay for admission to the grounds, stands and enclosures.
14.The Final Ties shall be played on the grounds of a neutral club selected by the Committee and the
proceeds from these matches shall be exclusively for the benefit of the YRFU funds. Allocation to the
host club and the finalists shall be at the discretion of the Committee. In all finals if after 80 minutes the teams
are tied, then extra time of up to 10 minutes each way with a one-minute interval shall be played with the first
team to score being the winner. If at the end of extra time the teams are still tied then the winner shall be the
team having scored the most tries, and if that is equal then it shall be the team having scored the most goals
from tries. If the teams are still tied the winner shall be determined by utilizing the procedure set out in RFU
Regulation 13.6.5 (b) as amended from time to time.
15.Every club which has been drawn to play a Tie at home must provide a ground affording a clear
playing space of not less than 83 metres from the goal to goal and 55 metres from touch-line to touchline.
Such ground must be provided with a suitable margin, not less than 2 metres wide along the
touch-line and not less than 7 metres behind the goal lines and must be properly fenced off or roped
off from the spectators. All matches must be played on the recognised main pitch assuming it is fit to
play. All objections under this Rule must be lodged with the Competitions Secretary as provided in Rule
27.
16.1Teams shall be composed of bona fida playing members of the club, subject to the below causes.
16.2A player who is effectively registered with a club in accordance with RFU Regulation 14 may play only
for that club.
16.3A player effectively registered with a club at the date of Transfer Deadline (as defined in RFU Regulation 14)
may not play for another club in the Yorkshire Cup Competitions during the remainder of the season.
16.4A loan player can only play for the club to which he has been loaned.
16.5A player shall not play for more than one club in any of the Yorkshire Cup Competitions in the same season.
17.If the Committee have any doubt as to the qualification of any player competing in these competitions,
it shall have power to call upon such player at the club to which he belongs, or for which he played, to
prove to the satisfaction of the Committee that he is properly qualified according to the Rules, and
failing such satisfactory proof, the Committee shall have power to disqualify such player and
remove such club from the competition. Any appeal must be lodged within 24 hours of being notified
by the Committee.
18.The duration of play in each match shall be one hour and twenty minutes, i.e., forty minutes each way.
The referee shall allow extra time for stoppages of play due to accident or any other cause.
19.In all rounds up to and including the semi-final if, after 80 minutes, the teams are tied, then extra time
of up to 10 minutes each way with a one minute interval shall be played with the first team to score being
the winner. If at the end of extra time the teams are still tied then the winner shall be the team having
scored the most tries, and if that is equal then it shall be the team having scored the most goals from tries.
If the teams are still tied the side drawn to play away from home shall be the winner.
20.Matches which have been postponed or abandoned during play through stress or weather must be
played or replayed before the day on which the next round should be played unless with special
permission from the Committee obtained for exceptional reasons. A postponed or abandoned game
shall be played on a date and at a time mutually agreed between the respective clubs, but if the clubs
are unable to agree then the Committee shall fix a date and time.
21.Should any club refuse or fail to play on the day fixed or agreed upon, such club may be disqualified
by the Committee.
22.If the Home Club considers the weather conditions may prevent the match taking place, the Visitors
should be advised in sufficient time before their team departure to allow them or their appointed
representatives the opportunity of a pitch inspection. If there is then disagreement the Visitors
must travel and if the captains disagree as to the fitness of the ground, the decision will be made by
the appointed referee, such decision being final.
23.The Referees Society shall in each match arrange the appointment of a referee and may also
arrange for the appointment of touch judges.
24.The Committee has the power in its absolute discretion to disqualify a club even if its team wins the
round if in the opinion of the Committee the team did not play in accordance with the spirit of the game of
Rugby Union Football. Any appeal must be lodged within 24 hours of being notified by the Committee.
25.When two clubs whose jerseys are of similar colours and pattern, the home team must change its
colours. In the Finals when both teams have similar colours then the Committee shall toss a coin
and inform which finalist needs to change shirts.
26.The Committee has the power to cancel the entry of any club at any stage of the Competitions,
notwithstanding these Rules to the contrary.
27.Upon winning any of the competitions, the Cup, Shield and Silver Trophy will be used on the
day/evening for photographs only. If after this day a club requires the Cup, Shield or Silver Trophy
for a dinner/photo shoot, then the County will loan the item upon condition it is returned within 7 days
of the event and in like good order and condition. Each winning finalist will be given an appropriate
replacement to keep.
28.Any club raising an objection under these rules must do so within 24 hours of the conclusion of the
match, stating the grounds of the objection and the Rules under which the objection is made and
lodge £50 with the Competitions Secretary previous to the hearing of the appeal, which sum shall be
forfeited should the Committee consider the objections frivolous or groundless. Any such objection
shall be heard and determined by a Sub-Committee of the YRFU which shall not include the
District Representative of either of the clubs concerned. The decision of the Committee on all questions
procedural or otherwise shall be final.
29.If a club has more than one player selected in the Yorkshire Senior County Squad, that club may,
should it so wish, apply for the postponement of Yorkshire Cup or Shield Competition game on the
same day. Qualifiers for National Cup Competitions will be decided by the Competitions
Committee.
30.The Committee is the sole interpreter of these Rules and any appeal against that interpretation must
be lodged within 7 days to the Honorary Secretary Y RFU. The Officers will examine the
appeal and a final judgement made. Whilst the Committee is in the first instance the sole interpreter
of these Rules, clubs shall have the right to appeal against the Committee interpretation or their
application of the Rules generally and Rules 17, 24 and 31 in particular, but excluding Rule 28.
Such appeal shall be heard by a panel of not less than three persons who are Past Presidents of the
County and no longer on the Council of YRFU.
31.Any team withdrawing from any round may result in expulsion of that club for the following season's
competitions. Clubs may also be called upon to pay their opponents all actual out of pocket
expenses in connection with the game.
NOTES FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF CLUBS
1. Replacements.
For the Yorkshire Cup a squad of 20 players can be used, of which 5 players must be capable of
playing in the front row.
For the Yorkshire Shield & Silver Trophy a squad of 18 players can used, of which 4 players must be
capable of playing in the front row.
For all finals a squad of 22 players can be used, of which 5 players must be capable of playing in the
front row.
1.2Rolling substitutions are permitted in the Competition in accordance with Regulation 1.3-1.9 below.
1.3Each team shall be permitted to have no more than a maximum of 12 player interchanges (“Player Interchanges”) in any one match.
1.3aTeams in the Yorkshire Cup 5 – Replacements = 10 Player Interchanges
1.3bTeams in the Yorkshire Shield/Silver Trophy 3 – Replacements = 8 Player Interchanges
1.3c For all Finals teams are allowed 7 – Replacements = 12 Player Interchanges
1.4After the Permitted Player Interchanges have been made no other replacements, substitutions or Player
Interchanges will be permitted for any reason (including injuries, sending offs and suspensions) and in the event that a player is injured, sent off or suspended from the field the team will play with one less player and with uncontested scrums in the event that this involves a front row player and the game cannot continue safely with contested scrums.
1.5Player Interchanges replace the “blood bin”. If a Player has an open wound and thus has to leave the field, and the team has used all of its Player Interchanges, that Player may not be replaced and the team shall continue with a maximum of fourteen players. The Player is permitted to return once the wound has been treated and the bleeding stopped.
1.6Not more than two Player Interchanges per team may occur at any one time and may only occur during a stoppage in play and with the knowledge of the Referee who is entitled in his sole opinion to refuse to allow or postpone a Player Interchange if he believes either that the Player Interchange would prevent the opposition from restarting the game quickly or where a Player has been injured or that it would not be safe for the replacement Player who has been previously injured to play in the match.
1.7A Player must enter the field of play on the halfway line.
1.8A Player who is a replacement shall not be entitled to take a kick at goal until a passage of play has taken place since that Player took to the field of play.
1.9A Player who suffers two injuries in a match which has necessitated that Player being replaced on each
occasion is not permitted to act as a replacement following the second injury.
2.Pitch Enclosure.
All clubs have been asked to pay strict attention to Rule 15 regarding the fencing off (or roping off) of
the playing enclosure, and Referees are asked to make sure that there is no encroachment by
spectators onto the enclosure. In the event of difficulties, Referees should be able to rely on cooperation
from the club officials and should report any occasion when this is not forthcoming.
3.Early Warning.
In matches played with an evening kick off and there is the possibility of postponement due to
inclement weather, the home club should keep the visiting club as fully informed as reasonably
possible, having particular regard to the distance to be travelled by the visiting club.
4.Reporting Requirements.
4.1The Home Team shall E-MAIL the result to within 1 hour of the final whistle of
the game. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £25.
4.2The YRFU Match Report Sheet must be filled in, before the game, by both teams, giving the names of players
and replacements and indicating the front row players. This must then be given to the referee and which should be
signed by him/her after entering the score, and then handed back to the Home Team. A clear and legible copy of the
Match Report Sheet must then be E-MAILED by the Home team to to arrive no later than
48 hours after the conclusion of the match. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £25, and could result in the loss of the game for the offending team.
5.The Committee trust that on all occasions when Ties are played clubs will play the strongest side that they have
available.
David Towler
Secretary YRFU Competitions Committee
Tel: 0113 281 7620 / 07711 113280
E-mail:
RESULTS MUST BE E-MAILED TO
WITHIN 1 HOUR OF THE FINAL WHISTLE OF THE GAME.
FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A FINE OF £25.