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

After the COVID pandemic had reduced the number of competitions we could sustain in recent years, we are delighted to welcome back the Saturday and Sunday Intermediate Cups to the programme of competitions being organised for 2022-23.

We are also pleased to introduce a brand new competition for Under 18 Girls to provide for those teams who are outside the Under 16 age group but not yet wanting to enter an open age competition in the form of the Women’s Cup.

In preparation for the start of the new campaign, the individual cup pages have been refreshed and will be updated with details of fixtures as the draws are made for each competition. 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 those involved in each competition. These should answer most of your questions, so are a good place to start if you are unsure of anything.

Cup Final Dates

We are also pleased to confirm details of the County Cup Final Dates for 2022-23. Following feedback from clubs, the date of the Under 18 Boys Cup Final has been brought forward so that there is no potential for clashes with A-Level exams. With the details of King Charles coronation now confirmed, we have also moved finals that were originally scheduled for May 6 to allow everyone to be free to enjoy the historic celebrations. 

The date of the Senior Cup Final may be subject to change due to the availability of the two clubs reaching the last two and their participation in other Competitions that may take precedence over the County Cup.

Don't Get Fined!

Remember that for youth home games you need to confirm the kick off time by email at least 7 days before the fixture. This allows the Referee Appointment Officers enough time to allocate an official to your match and ensures that you do not incur a fine of £15 for failure to notify.

All clubs (whether home or away) must communicate the result of their County Cup match by 11.00pm on the date of the fixture. This communication must be in the form of an SMS message in response to an automated message sent from the County FA on the day of the game or by entering the result on FA Full-Time or the Matchday app. Any club failing to communicate the result of their game by this deadline shall be liable to a fine.

The FA Full-Time system is being used to record full details of each match. In addition to the result, all remaining information (e.g. the players selected for the match, substitutes used, referee scores, etc) must be added on the system no later than 11.00pm the day after the match is played. A fine will be imposed if the system has not been updated by the club within the time stated.

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.

We're Here to Help

Should you have any further queries regarding our 2022-23 Cup Competitions please get in touch with us. You can email your County Cup related queries to competitions@hertfordshirefa.com.

Key changes for this season

Here’s a quick summary of the key changes implemented in Hertfordshire FA County Cup Competitions for the 2022-23 season, along with a reminder of some which were introduced in recent seasons.

Please refer to the relevant Rules and Guidance Notes for each competition for further information:

Reporting Results

There is no longer a standalone Match Report Form. After the game you need to submit your scores via SMS or the Matchday app and also complete a full match report via FA Full-Time. Please ensure nominated substitutes and used substitutes are shown accordingly. Unused named substitutes are not considered to be cup tied.

Referee Fees

It is the AWAY Team that is now responsible for paying the Match Official in all Youth competitions, Saturday Junior Cup, and all Sunday Adult Competitions.

Match Postponements

Only matches postponed due to the weather will be rearranged.

Extra-Time

There will be no Extra-Time in any match. Matches which are drawn at full-time shall be decided by kicks from the penalty mark.

Roped-Off Pitches

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

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.

Assistant Referees

Neutral Assistants will be appointed to the Semi-finals of the Saturday Junior Cup, Saturday Intermediate Cup and all Adult Sunday Competitions (including the Women’s Cup), but no longer at the Quarter-final stage.

Sin Bins

Temporary dismissals are to be used for cautions for dissent in all competitions (including youth) where no teams from Step 1 (National League) or above are involved. This means temporary dismissals are not used in the Senior Challenge Cup.

For further general information helpful to those participating in the new season, see our Grassroots Football Guidance for 2022-23.