The Rulebook

Matchday

On Arrival

• Players must arrive into the changing room and add their name onto the picking board before 7:50pm. Failure to do so will forfeit their participation in the game.
• Players must be ready to play and start the match at 8:00pm. [added 2018]
• Players are advised to remain in the dressing room until the captains have been selected.

Attire

• Players should bring both a yellow and white football shirt. An official Plus 30 football top is preferred but not required.
• Players may wear shorts and football socks of any colour.
• Studded or bladed football boots are strictly prohibited. Players are advised to wear astro turf football trainers. "Moldies" are acceptable too. [updated 2022]
• Players wearing prohibited footwear will not play.
• 

Captain's Responsibilities

• Pick a team against their rival captain.
• Organise their team and tell them where to play on the field.
• Each captain will take home either the ball bag or the kit bag for that gameweek. If a captain is unable to do this or is away the following week, they should ask someone to take the bag for them.
• One of the captain's on the night will be responsible for writing the match report. (see "Match Reports").

Rules on the field

• 4 touch rule
• No slide tackles
• Goalkeepers cannot pickup the ball from a passback.
• Goalkeepers must throw or roll the ball out (cannot kick out of hands.)
• Goalkeepers are allowed out of the area.
• Anyone can enter and score inside the box.

Penalty shootouts

• For league and cup matches, where a penalty shootout is required to determine the victor of the fixture, both captains should take 3 penalties each and then sudden death if required.
• Only the captain's can take the penalties.
• The penalty taker may only take one step before taking the kick.
• A goalkeeper may be nominated by each captain or they can go in goal themselves.

Plus 30 League Competition

Setup and Format

• Players are seeded; A, B or C. Each seed group contains players of similar football ability. Players are seeded by the club secretary at the AGM.
• Within each seed group a draw will take place to decide the rivalries. (Who each player will pick sides against).
• Rivals will pick sides against each other twice during the season, each having the advantage of choice in each leg.
• After both legs have been played, the aggregate score will determine which cup competition the player will enter.
• If the aggregate score is level, a penalty shootout or a coin toss will decide the winner.
• The winner will enter into the Captains cup, the loser will enter the Duffers cup.
• In the final four weeks of the league season, the two highest placed players in the league table will pick teams against each other. The lower placed player in the league table will have the advantage of BOTH first pick AND extra man. For the final game of the season, the lower placed player may only decide to have first pick OR extra man.
• If the league winner is decided before the season end date, the league will continue to the end but the top two will no longer be required to pick.
• Guests are not permitted to play in league games.

Season start and end dates

• The league commences on the first available match day in September.
• The league ends on the last available match day before the FA Cup Final, (usually mid-May.)
• The league end date can be moved back only;
  • for games that are cancelled in the final 4 games of the season [added 2022]
  • or, until the minimum number of league games (25) have been played [added 2022]

Point System

• A player is awarded TWO points for a win.
• A player is awarded ONE point for a draw.
• A player will receive ZERO points for a loss.
• A player is awarded ONE point if they stand down.
• A player is penalised TWO points for failing to produce a match report before 9pm the Sunday following the game.
• A player's point average is calculated by taking the number of points (not including stand down or deducted points) and dividing by the total number of games the player has played.

The Stand Down List

• The maximum number of players allowed to play in a match is 18. If the total players exceed this limit, then the appropriate number of players will be sent home to reduce the numbers to 18. Whichever attending member is closest to the top of the stand down list, will not play.
• If the club is aware the limit will be exceeded, players at the top of the stand down list can be notified (told they will be stood down) a few hours prior to kick off. The player will be moved to the bottom of the stand down list.
• Players may only be officially stood down within 3 hours of kickoff and when all players have checked in. [added 2023]
• In the final four weeks of the season, players who are mathematically able to win the league are exempt from the stand down list.

Stand Down Points

• A league point is awarded to players who;
  • stand down due to being top of the stand down list.
  • attended a league game that is cancelled after 7:50pm on matchday. [added 2022]
  • attended a league game that is cancelled during a game, for example due to weather, injury, lights malfunction. [added 2022]

Player Valuation

• A player's value is calculated over the course of the season.
• A player's value is only affected by games which count toward the league.
• A player can increase their valuation by playing matches, winning points, scoring, assisting, being awarded man of the match, keeping a clean sheet and increasing their goal difference.
• A player's value has no bearing on league position.

Captains and Duffers Cup

General Format

• Cup fixtures are single round knockout games; they must be decided by penalties or coin toss if they end in a draw. Cup finals will go to a replay if they end in a draw. [updated 2015]
• Cup fixtures are decided at 7:50pm before kick off; two available captains in the same cup stage will be drawn at random.
• In cup games, players with a lower seed than their opposing captain will have automatic choice of first pick or extra man.
• In a situation where a cup game must be played, but the captain(s) fixtured are not in attendance, a player in attendance will be nominated to pick on the captain's behalf.[added 2023]

Captains Cup Format

• Captains must win their fixture to progress to the next round of the tournament.

Duffers Cup Format

• Captains must win their fixture to get out of the tournament. The loser will progress to the next round.

Match Reports

Who writes it?

• Players should expect to write at least two match reports a season; 1 league report, 1 cup report.
• The player who is set to write the report is noted on the match report screen following the game.
• The following guidelines are used to determine who should write the match report;
  • League Game - The captain who has choice writes the match report
  • League Game (final 4 weeks) - The captains should alternate match reports
  • Captains/Duffers Cup (Final) - The cup winner writes the report
  • Captains Cup (Knockout Round) - The captain who loses the match writes the report
  • Duffers Cup (Knockout Round) - The captain who wins the match writes the report
  • All other scenarios - The captain who has choice writes the match report

• Match reports should be submitted by email to [email protected]