A&H

Open Age Competition rules vs Laws of the game

Phonesurgeon

Phonesurgeon

Cook, Cleaner and Bottle Washer
Level 7 Referee
When competition rules are ambiguous and you find the answer in the laws, which take priority?
Been accused by my local Saturday league, of breaching competition rules where the laws are very specific, and support my decision.
Obviously the team "wronged" have complained to league.
 
The Referee Store
Laws of the game apply, except where competition rules state otherwise.

Where there is confusion, be proactive and ask your referee secretary for clarity.

Just out of curiosity, what conflict between LOTG and competition rules could arise?
 
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Comp rule states that a team can use 5 from 5 sub's. But when team have just 1 sub, can they make a repeat sub?
Comp rules does not say, whereas law 3 does.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
Comp rule states that a team can use 5 from 5 sub's. But when team have just 1 sub, can they make a repeat sub?
Comp rules does not say, whereas law 3 does.
Click to expand...
No confusion there.....five subs five changes, one sub one change.
Competition rules will only modify the laws where the laws are allowed to be altered in limited circumstances such as the number of subs and roll on roll off subs.
 
I find the use of the word sub or subs confusing here. Substitutes and substitutions are different things. Using the full word helps.
Do the competition rules allow for returning substitutes? If no then only one substitutions allowed. If yes then you can make five substitutions even if you only have one substitute player.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
Comp rule states that a team can use 5 from 5 sub's. But when team have just 1 sub, can they make a repeat sub?
Comp rules does not say, whereas law 3 does.
Click to expand...
Elsewhere the competition rules should state specifically whether it's unlimited interchange/rolling subs or limited substitutions. '5 from 5' reads as limited subs. If it was unlimited interchange, it would just state '5' not '5 from 5' - '5 from 5' is quoted as different to, say, '3 from 5' (which, naturally, means limited subs). If it was interchange, '5 from 5' is redundant wording. If it was unlimited, this would normally be specified elsewhere.
 
So what was the point in making changes in law 3 and allow for returning substituted player then?
So that the coffin dodgers sitting in league committee can tell us that the laws are only guidelines?
 
Phonesurgeon said:
So what was the point in making changes in law 3 and allow for returning substituted player then?
So that the coffin dodgers sitting in league committee can tell us that the laws are only guidelines?
Click to expand...
To say that the use of returning substitutes is allowed is not the same thing as saying the use of returning substitutes must be allowed.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
So what was the point in making changes in law 3 and allow for returning substituted player then?
So that the coffin dodgers sitting in league committee can tell us that the laws are only guidelines?
Click to expand...
what? That modification has always been permitted, was just restricted to certain competition types.
 
So you allowed this team to use 5 rolling subs, even though they only had one substitute available and the competition rules don't state that a player who has been substituted becomes a substitute i.e. can be reused?

I think you've dropped the ball on this one, and I guess you'll just have to take it on the chin.
 
If I could paraphrase Law 3 slightly, it says that return substitutions are permitted in certain categories of football - but only with the agreement of the relevant controlling authority. So if the competition organisers have not explicitly authorised return substitutions, they are not permitted.
 
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