Academies League Championship Central

KSFA ACADEMIES LEAGUE REGULATIONS SEASON 2025-26

(These regulations should be read in conjunction with the KSFA Rules and Competition rules)

General

1. Entry to the League is open to schools/colleges that have a post-16 football programme within their timetabled / extended curriculum. Those schools / colleges are not permitted to enter the English Colleges FA League, the Kent Colleges Student Sports Association League, Tactics League, or any other league competition that is neither sanctioned nor recognised by the KSFA. Schools / colleges affiliated to KSFA cannot “flip“ their name to that of a partner provider to circumvent this regulation.
2. Schools/colleges must provide a minimum of four hours of football coaching/education within the timetabled / extended school week.
3. Schools/colleges entering the KSFA Academies League are responsible for the actions of their staff, players and spectators. All schools/colleges must abide by the Code of Conduct. Any school/college whose players’ / staff / spectators’ conduct is considered by the KSFA to be objectionable will be dealt with at the KSFA’s discretion and may be disqualified from the KSFA Academies League. 
4. Schools/colleges can employ outside agencies/coaches to coach players and to be present at the matches; however, a member of school/college staff must accept ultimate responsibility for the running of the team, and for all communication with the KSFA.  
5. Links with professional or semi-professional clubs (or their community schemes) can support the programme; however, under no circumstances can players who train with a club during the timetabled school/college week play in the KSFA Academies League. This includes any club apprentice schemes and PASE teams.
6. Schools/colleges may market their football academy programmes in order to recruit students from other schools but are strongly encouraged to develop their programme from within rather than by adopting extensive recruiting methods to attract the best players from other schools/colleges. Marketing of the programme must be done by the school itself following normal LA protocols, and not by third parties (e.g. clubs or coaching operators) or on external football websites (e.g. the Kent Youth League).
7. Schools/colleges must make their players available at all times for KSFA representative teams.
8. Schools/colleges must seek permission from the KSFA to enter into a partnership with clubs that employ contract players (this includes the community schemes of such clubs)
9. Schools/colleges can only enter non-ESFA/KSFA competitions with the permission of the KSFA
10. Matches that take place against teams from outside the membership of the English Schools FA (e.g. professional clubs, coaching academies, community schemes, etc) can only take place with permission from the KSFA. This requirement also applies to any coaching company that the school /college may employ – i.e. it is not acceptable for the name of the team to be changed to that of the coaching company (or any other organisation) to circumvent this requirement.
11. Representing a school in the KSFA Academies League must not be conditional on playing for a specified club or attending a particular coaching academy 

Player eligibility

1. Players must be on the roll of their school/college and be in Years 12, 13 or 14 by age. Players of Year 11 age are not eligible.
2. Only players who are in full-time attendance at school/college (i.e. timetabled for ten morning/afternoon sessions per week) are eligible to play inthe KSFA Academies League.
3. Players that play in the KSFA Academies League are not allowed to play in any other division in the KSFA Under 19 League. Note that players registered with the National Football Youth League, the National League U19 Alliance, the PL/FL Development League, the English Colleges FA League, the Tactics League or any other league not recognised by the KSFA are not eligible to play in the KSFA Academies League. Players registered with the Isthmian U23 league, the IsthmianYouth League, the Isthmian Development League, or any other league that plays the majority of its games in midweek may only play for their clubs in those leagues in weeks when their school / college does not have a game in the KSFA Academies League.Players who infringe this rule will have their registration for the KSFA Academies League cancelled. (See note 1 below)
4. All players participating in the KSFA Academies League must make themselves available to play, if selected, for KSFA representative teams. Players who do not make themselves available may have their KSFA Academies League registration cancelled. Schools/colleges that have a KSFA Academies League fixture scheduled on the day of a county game may request a postponement of their league match if they have two or more players or a goalkeeper playing for the county.
5. All players are to register at the beginning of the season and the school/college must submit the Registration Form and pay the appropriate fee before the date of the first fixture.  Failure to register and pay before the first fixtures will result in players being deemed ineligible to play and any points gained from matches in which unregistered payers are involved will result in points being forfeited.
6. Any additions to the squad after that must be registered and sent to the KSFA; if a player moves schools/ colleges during the course of the season, the receiving school/college must apply to the KSFA for permission for the player to play in the KSFA Academies league. De-registration is permitted, but a player who has been de-registered during the course of a season will not be permitted to re-register during that season.

Match arrangements

1. All games must be played in accordance with the fixture schedule issued by the KSFA. In advance of the fixtures being published, schools/colleges may notify the KSFA of a maximum of three dates when they wish not to have a fixture. Following publication of the fixtures, postponements will not be permitted for school/college events (including examinations and inspections), club football, staff absence, lack of transport, etc. Schools/colleges that participate in ESFA and other non-KSFA cup competitions must arrange games in those competitions to avoid clashing with KSFA Academies League matches and county fixtures. Schools/colleges that fail to complete a fixture as scheduled and without a reason that is acceptable to the KSFA may incur a fine of £50 and/or be dealt with at the discretion of the KSFA. If weather causes a game to be postponed, it may be re-scheduled by mutual agreement between the two schools or will be re-scheduled by the KSFA.  
2. The home school/college must confirm match arrangements (venue, kick-off time, colours, etc) with their opponents and the match referee by email midday on the Thursday prior to the game. Schools/colleges must retain copies of email threads relating to match confirmation for scrutiny by the KSFA in the event of a dispute. Schools/colleges that fail to comply with this will incur a fine of £10 and/or be dealt with at the discretion of the KSFA. 
3. All scheduled league matches will take place on Wednesday afternoons and will kick off at 2.00 pm unless otherwise agreed by the two teams and approved by the KSFA.  Re-scheduled matches may take place on other days of the week
4. Matches must be played on pitches that are a minimum of 100m x 60 m in size. Matches can be played on 3G/4G pitches that conform to these size requirements and for which a current FA Test Certificate exists, providing that the away school/college is notified at least 7 days in advance of the day of the game. 
5. Matches will be 45 minutes each way.
6. Players’ shirts must be numbered. If playing kit bears any name / logo, the name / logo of the school/college must also be included (i.e. it is not acceptable for playing kit to bear only the name of a coaching company or club).
7. Schools/colleges must appoint a neutral qualified referee for all home matches and pay the referee a fee of £40 in cash on the day of the match.  Schools/colleges that fail to appoint a neutral qualified referee and / or fail to pay him/her as required will incur a fine of £30 and/or be dealt with at the discretion of the KSFA.   The referee must not be a student from the school/college. However, schools are encouraged to provide assistant referees for home fixtures; these can be students at the school/college or on the Academy programme.
8. All misconduct must be reported by the match referee to the KSFA within 48 hours of the game and will be dealt with under FA and ESFA disciplinary procedures. The home school / college is responsible for making the referee aware of this requirement.
9. Results must be submitted to the KSFA within 2 hours of the conclusion of the match. Schools/colleges that fail to comply with this will incur a fine of £10 and/or be dealt with at the discretion of the KSFA.   
10. Suitable refreshments for players and officials must be provided by the home school/college.  Schools/colleges that fail to comply with this will incur a fine of £50 and/or be dealt with at the discretion of the KSFA.  

Note 1 – The KSFA and the Isthmian League have agreed that a player who does not play for his school/college in the KSFA Academies League in a particular week may play for his club in the Isthmian League in that week. The Isthmian League fully accepts that, in accordance with FA Rules, schools’ football takes priority. Schools / colleges are responsible for ensuring that, if a player represents his school / college in a particular week, he does not play in a midweek club game (Monday to Friday) in that same week. The onus is on the school / college to liaise with clubs accordingly.