Avoid Problems ......Use the Rules! ......A Request for Help from the Match Secretary!

Three problems have arisen over the last couple of weeks and these need to be addressed promptly to ensure matches are not postponed, needlessly.

The home team should contact their opponents and, more importantly, the referee for the match, if they are lucky enough to have one, at least 48 hours prior to the kick-off. Venue, kick-off time and colours can be confirmed. This procedure should be carried out even though the referee may have visited the venue previously. Failure to follow this procedure usually results in the referee contacting the Match Secretary looking for confirmation that all is well for the match. It could, ultimately lead to a fine for the team not following the rule.

If a match has no referee, the two teams cannot decide to postpone the match without first gaining the permission of the Match Secretary. The Match Secretary will, usually, contact the home team, for a match with no referee, the evening before the match to ask what the two teams want to do; play with club officials refereeing or postponing the match. The evening before is usually the call when it seems very unlikely that a referee or referees will be found to officiate at uncovered matches. It may be that matches can be left on until the morning of the match if there is any indication that referee will become available.

Teams playing at the astroturf at Garthdee need to take their own corner flags with them as they are not provided by the venue. Under the Laws of the Game, a referee does not need to play a game where there are no corner flags and this may result in a game being treated as an unfulfilled fixture with a subsequent loss of the tie or match and a fine for the home team.

Finally, there hasve been problems with the website in documents not uploading and matches, particularly cup ties, not being able to be posted. This has caused considerable problems with regard to referee call-offs and reappointments. Please, double check with your referee if you think anything's wrong and if the Match Secretary hasn't called to ask what you want to do if you don't have referee, then please check in with her.