Starring System

16. Players:

16.1 Players must be fully paid up members of their Club in the current League season.

16.2 Any player may transfer to a new Club prior to the start of the season.

16.3 Once the season has started, a player may transfer to one new Club but this must be agreed by both Clubs and both the League Administrator and the

     Division Secretary must be informed.

16.4 Once the season has started, a player may transfer to one Club only. She may not return to her original Club nor join another Club until the end of the

     season.

16.5 No player may transfer after 31st January until the start of the new season.

17. How to Star Your Players

17.1 Starring window will be open three times each season. The dates are:-

• Sunday 20th September - Friday 25th September 2020 @ 23:59) 
• Sunday 18th October - Friday 23rd October 2020 @ 23:59
• Sunday 17th January - Friday 22nd January 2021 @23:59

17.2 Clubs entering more than one team in the National, East and the Norfolk League must enter on the NHA website seven starred players for each

      team except their lowest.

17.3 Starring lists must be entered electronically on the NHA Website.

17.4 The starring window will be open for six days. During this time, a repeating, countdown warning notice will be sent electronically to each Club

       Secretary up to the midnight deadline for the submission of starring lists.

17.5 Lists can be changed during the six days up to the midnight deadline.

17.6 A ‘thank you notice’ will be sent to each Club once they have completed their list(s).

17.7 Where list(s) have not been entered and the window is closed, Clubs must e-mail their lists to the Hon. Secretary.

17.8 An automated penalty notice will be issued one minute after midnight for those failing to send in their starring list(s).

17.9 The penalty will be confirmed at the next meeting of the League Management Committee when a formal penalty notice will be issued.

Penalty: Clubs failing to register or re-register their starred players by the agreed dates will automatically receive a penalty of:-

       £20 per team in the first instance.

       £30 per team in the second instance

       £50 per team in the third instance

18.Starred Players

18.1Teams should be selected on a weekly basis according to their playing strength. Non-starred players may be selected up or down according to their

standard of play but not to artificially strengthen a lower team.

18.2 A starred player may play in a higher team but may not play in a lower team.

Penalty: Where a team fields a starred player in a lower team, the penalty will be the loss of 3 points and a 0-3 score awarded to their opponents. 

18.3 A starred player should not be starred unless they can fulfil 60% of their games.

18.4 The Committee will identify a player who has not met their correct quota of games and seek the reason for this at the end of the starring period.

18.5 A new set of starred players or a new individual can be identified when Clubs re-register their starred players for the new starring period.

18.6 If a Club does not select a team at any level for lack of players but still fields lower teams, players in the lower teams are deemed ineligible.

Penalty: The penalty will be the loss of 3 points and a 0-3 score against for the conceded team and all teams below.

Divisional Secretaries will monitor the use of starred players closely and if clubs openly abuse the starring rule, the committee will issue an appropriate penalty.

19 Non-Starred Players

19.1 Any non-starred player may double-up and play for a higher team.

19.2 Any non-starred player may double up and play down one team to make the lower team up to 12 players.

19.3 A Club’s lowest team may be made up to 13 players ONLY if that team is in either Division 2 or Division 3.

19.4 A goalkeeper doubling up as a goalkeeper will not count in the 12 (13) players permitted on the team sheet.

20 Goalkeepers

20.1 A non-starred goalkeeper may double-up as a goalkeeper for any team. But, in the interest of safety, it is the Club’s responsibility to ensure the

    goalkeeper is at an appropriate level for the game.

20.2 A non-starred outfield player may play for any team as a goalkeeper provided the player is fully kitted up as a goalkeeper throughout the game. The

   goalkeeper will not count in the 12 (13) players permitted on the team sheet.

20.3 A non-starred goalkeeper, doubling up as an outfield player, may play for any team provided they do not artificially strengthen the team. This player will

   count in the 12 (13) players permitted on the team sheet.

The Committee’s Guide to Doubling-up of Non-Starred Players

1. Doubling-up will be defined as: A player who plays more than one game in any one day to enable another team to field 12 or 13 players according to the Division.

2. All teams within a club must be selected on playing strength so that the strongest available side is put out at each level commencing with the highest team. If a team is not involved in a match, the Club shall select its League teams as if all teams were in fact playing and shall not unfairly

    strength the lower sides by including players from the squad of a higher team without a match.

3. In the interest of fair play, doubling-up should be viewed as the exception rather than the rule.  

4. A Club must not gain, or seek to gain, unfair advantage by doubling-up a player or players to a lower team.

5. Any doubling-up deemed by the League Management Committee to be contrary to the spirit of the rule will be viewed as a breach of the rule.

6. Players playing more than one league game must be marked on the team sheet with the letter D and the number of the team for which they are normally selected. For example, a player doubling up for the 2nd team from the 3rd team would have D3 next to their name. A player doubling up for the 4th team from the 3rd team would also have D3 next to their name. The player doubling up should be advised to the opposing Captain before the start of the game.

7. A Club must be prepared to submit a team sheet for a higher, non-playing team if requested by the League Management Committee.

Penalties: Where the League Committee believes doubling-up has artificially and unfairly strengthened a team, the penalty for the offending team will be           

          the loss of 3 points and a 0-3 score against.