The Chairperson and Secretary of the Fixtures Committee will only engage with Club Secretaries regarding Fixtures related issues. All queries to the Fixtures Committee must be submitted by the Club Secretary to deshenry3@gmail.com cc’ing the County Board Secretary.
Any club with more than 1 ground must put them in preference 1, 2, 3 etc. Clubs should nominate which ground will be used for which fixtures at the start of the season. Clubs must ensure that their home pitch is available, 6 days in advance of any fixture. If the pitch is not available, and no alternative is available, the game will be played at the opposition pitch.
Where there is doubt about whether a pitch is playable, it is the responsibility of the home team to have the pitch inspected a minimum of 6 hours before the appointed Throw-in time of the game. If the pitch is deemed to be unplayable, the game will be played at the opposition ground. In the event that a referee appointed to referee a fixture attends the ground and deems the pitch to be unplayable. The home team will be responsible for the referee match fee and the game will be re-scheduled by Fixtures to be played at the opposing team’s pitch.
Matches can only be cancelled at short notice in the event of a bereavement of a close family member of a player, mentor or club official, serious tragedy in the Parish, and provided the Fixtures Committee and the opposing team have been informed. A close family member is defined as a parent/child, sibling or grandparent. Cousins are included only in tragic circumstances.
Where a club seeks to re-schedule a fixture for any other reason, agreement must be reached with the opposing club to have the fixture played within 10 days of the original fixture date but no later than the scheduled final round of fixtures in the competition. Agreement must be reached and Fixtures notified at least 48 hours before the throw-in time of the original fixture. Fixtures should also be informed of the new date and time for the fixture. No postponements will be allowed within 48 hours of the throw-in time
All fixtures must be played by the deadline date (the date of the final round of fixtures in the competition. Any team that does not fulfil a fixture by the deadline date will forfeit the fixture(s) and will incur a fine of €100 for each fixture.
Any Club failing to fulfil an underage League or Championship (Cup or Shield) Final fixture will incur a fine of €250.
Any Club failing to fulfil an adult League Final fixture will incur a fine of €500. Any team failing to fulfil an Adult Championship final will incur a fine of €1,500
For all League and Championship games – 2 sheets on headed Club Stationery signed by the team Manager must be handed to the referee containing
The fixture details – Date, Competition and opposition
A list of the names of all team panel members including LGFA Registration number and numbered according to their jersey number for the fixture.
the names of team Mentors including their LGFA Registration Number.
Failure to provide a signed team list in accordance with the above will incur a fine of €25 to the club.
All U16 and U14 Division 1 League, Adult Senior and Intermediate Championship games and underage A Championship games, including Minor A, will be 15 a-side. All U16 and U14 in Division 2 and Division 3 League, and B and C Championship games will be 13-aside.
For all divisions in the Group Stages of the Adult Leagues, when County Players are not available for Club League Fixtures – Maximum available up to 15 players (minimum 11*) with sides being equalised for injuries.
Note that 11 players MUST start the game – Official Guide Rule 383*
Maximum available means that the team present with the lowest number of players determines the number of starting players on the pitch irrespective of how many players the other team has. If the determining team loses a player through injury or otherwise, the other team must remove a player to equalise the sides.
e.g. Team A has 17 players & Team B has 12. The game is 12 a-side Team A has 5 players on the bench. Team B loses a player through injury – Team A must remove a player to equalise the sides for the remainder of the game.
NB – In games of less than 13 aside, the playing pitch should be made narrower by between 10 – 12 metres (i.e. 5 – 6 metres on either side). Cones may be used to highlight the sideline.
In the Adult Leagues, semi-finals will be determined as follows:
The team finishing 1st following the group stages will play the team finishing 4th, while the team finishing 2nd will play the team finishing 3rd. The team having home advantage in the Group stages will concede home advantage for the opposition in Semi-Final matches.
The winners of both semi-finals will contest the League Final.
For U12 games, Rule 351 (Official Guide 2019) applies.
For U12 games – Goals and Points will be of equal value i.e. 1 score.
For U12 games - For all divisions – Maximum available up to 13 players (minimum 11*) with sides being equalised for injuries.
Note that 11 players MUST start the game – Official Guide Rule 383*
Maximum available means that the team present with the lowest number of players determines the number of starting players on the pitch irrespective of how many players the other team has. If the determining team loses a player through injury or otherwise, the other team must remove a player to equalise the sides.
e.g. Team A has 17 players & Team B has 12. The game is 12 a-side Team A has 5 players on the bench. Team B loses a player through injury – Team A must remove a player to equalise the sides for the remainder of the game.
Payment of expenses to referees will be made twice yearly – This means that clubs will be billed in August for all games officiated before 31 July and in November, or earlier if possible, for games officiated from 1 August.
In Underage League and Championship competitions, Cup and Shield Finals will be played.
In groups of 6 teams – the team finishing first in the group stages will qualify for the Cup Final. The teams finishing in 2nd and 3rd place will qualify for the Cup semi-final, the winner of which will play in the Cup Final. The team finishing 4th in the group stages will qualify for the Shield Final. The teams finishing in 5th and 6th will qualify for the Shield semi-final, the winner of which will play in the Shield Final.
In groups of 5 teams, the teams finishing 1st and 2nd in the group stages will qualify for the Cup Final. The team finishing in 3rd place in the group stages will qualify for the Shield Final. The teams finishing in 4th and 5th will qualify for the Shield semi-final, the winner of which will play in the Shield Final.
Unlimited substitutions can be made in all adult and underage League and Championship fixtures.
Where 3 teams finish level on points in the Group Stages of the League and Championship, a draw will be conducted by the Fixtures Committee – the first team drawn will receive a bye into the final/semi-final with the remaining 2 teams playing-off to decide who will play the first team drawn in the final/semi-final.
Where 2 teams finish on the same number of points in the Group Stages of the League and Championship, their position in the will be determined by the result of the Group game between the 2 teams.
Extra time to be played in all League and Championship play-off games, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, with the exception of Championship Finals.
For League finals – in the event of a draw following extra time. A replay will be scheduled by the Fixtures Committee.
For all Championship finals – in the event of a draw, no extra time will be played. A replay will be scheduled by the Fixtures Committee. Extra time will be played in all replays.
Play-off Games and semi-finals for Adult and Underage League and Championship competitions will be determined as follows: The team having home advantage in the Group stages will concede home advantage for the opposition in Play-off, Quarter-Final and Semi-Final matches.
Rule 364 (Official Guide 2019) applies - For play-offs, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and League and Championship Final Replays - In the event of a draw following extra time, a shoot-out shall take place from 30 metres, between the 2 goal posts, where indicated by the referee, unless in competitions at U14 level and below where it shall take place on the 20 metre line.
Each team shall take 5 kicks at point scoring. If the scores are still tied after each team has taken their 5 kicks, sudden death procedure shall follow, using different players within the panel of players, until such time as there is a winner.
Only players remaining on the field of play at the end of extra time are eligible to take the kicks. Where a player is sin binned or sent off the field of play before the end of extra time, that player cannot take part in the shoot-out.
The Sligo LGFA Fixtures Committee/Co-ordinator reserves the right to change the throw-in time of a fixture to avoid a clash with another GAA Fixture scheduled at the same venue or to facilitate the same referee being able to officiate at 2 games on the same day/evening, where necessary.
The referee will notify the Fixtures Committee by text/WhatsApp of the result of each game within 3 hours of the game being completed.
The Sligo LGFA Fixtures Committee reserves the right to change the date of original fixtures. Original fixture dates are provisional and may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or priority with County Teams Fixture commitments.