With everyone busy preparing for the start of the new season, we have all the information you need to be ready to take part in this year’s Hertfordshire FA County Cups

The individual cup pages have now been refreshed and once the draws have been made for each competition you’ll be able to find details of all the fixtures and results.

The rules for all of our Cups have also been updated and full versions can be downloaded from the ‘Rules and Documents’ page of the ‘Cup and Competitions’ section of this site.

There you will also find updated Guidance Notes to help you understand what’s required from clubs and match officials involved in each competition. These should answer most of your questions, so are a good place to start if you are unsure of anything.

We're here to help

Remember that for home games you need to confirm the kick off time with Paul Musgrave at least 10 days before the fixture. Not only will this allow the Referees Secretary enough time to allocate an official to your match, but it will ensure that you do not incur a fine of £15 for failure to notify. After the game you also need to submit your scores to Full Time (so make sure each team's SMS contact is up to date) and also complete the Match Report Form. 

We appreciate there are new teams and club officials every season who may not know the process and we are always happy to help, however you do need to contact us with any issues. Teams will be subject to a fine if kick off times are not provided in time, match report forms are not completed or if teams fail to fulfil the fixture without prior consent. Should you have any further queries regarding our 2019/20 Cup Competitions please get in touch.

You can email competitions@hertfordshirefa.com or call us on 01462 677622.

Key changes for this season

For those in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of the key changes implemented in Hertfordshire FA County Cup Competitions for the 2019/20 season:

Youth Competitions Mercy Rule

Once a team has reached a 9 goal advantage (9-0, 10-1, 11-2) the game is considered ended and the result should be reported as such. This has been introduced to help keep matches enjoyable whilst still being competitive. The teams may choose to play a friendly or training match (with potentially more balanced sides) in the remaining time available.

Sin Bins

Temporary dismissals are to be used for cautions for dissent in all competitions where no clubs from Step 1 (National League) or above are involved. 

Sin Bins are being introduced all across grassroots football this season having been trialled extensively with positive feedback from clubs and officials. Further details on the introduction of Sin Bins can be found here.

Veterans Cup Age Eligibility

All players in the Veterans Cup must be at least 35 years old on 1st September. Previously teams could have a maximum of 4 players aged over 35 with the rest of the team required to be over 40 years old.

Women’s Cup Seeding

In order to provide a better balance to the competition, selected teams will now enter in Round 2. Previously all teams would be entered into Round 1.

Roped Off Pitches

The home club must provide a roped or fenced off playing area in the Semi-finals of the Saturday Junior Cup and all Adult Sunday Competitions. There is no longer a requirement to provide this at the Quarter-final stage. 

Assistant Referees in Quarter Finals

Neutral Assistants will be appointed to the Semi-finals of the Saturday Junior Cup and all adult Sunday Competitions, but no longer at the Quarter-final stage.

Laws of the Game Changes

Not specific to our County Cups but in case you weren't aware, there have been a number of changes to the Laws of the Game ahead of the new season – you can find details of these and the reasons behind them in this guide.