Clubs: Affiliation opens 12 June 2023 Leagues: Sanctioning opens TBC

Deadline for entry to County Cups: Clubs must now manually enter eligible teams into competitions - this no longer happens automatically. clubs must manually enter teams by midnight on Sunday 6th August 2023 to guarantee entry into County Cup competitiions.

Please note, every Team must be affiliated before it can play any form of affiliated football.

Following a review of our affiliation model, we have removed Club-level affiliation fees. 

Team Fees:

All Youth & Adult teams: £12
Disability & Walking Football teams: £10
Pro Game: £25

Public Liability and Personal Accident insurance can be purchased for all Clubs and Teams at Step 5 and below through the affiliation portal.

Public Liability (1 policy covers the whole club):

County Cover: £32
Protection against legal liability for bodily injury to third parties and damage to their property including nuisance trespass or interference

County Cover Plus: £64
All of the benefits of County Cover plus additional protection for player-to-player claims

Personal Accident (1 policy per team):

Adult Teams:
Adult Intermediate: £42.50
Adult Superior 120: £64
Adult Superior 200: £90.50
Adult Superior 400: £153
Adult Superior 600: £212.50
Adult Superior 1000: £323

Veterans, Walking & Adult Disability – Small-Sided Teams:
SS Intermediate: £25
SS Superior 120: £50
SS Superior 400: £108.50
SS Superior 600: £150
SS Superior 1000: £230

All Youth Teams:
Youth Superior Gold: £24
Youth Superior Platinum: £33

If you wish to upgrade your insurance, this can also be purchased through the affiliation portal.

Entering the County Cups is now a completely separate process from affiliation. Please make sure you do not forget to enter these.

There is full guidance on how to enter the County Cups available here.

Clubs can enter one Team per cup. Any player registered with any Team within a Club in the relevant age group or day of the week will be eligible to play in Cup fixtures.

The county cup entry fee is £15 per team. The deadline for entries is Sunday 6th August 2023.

We will be running the following County Cup competitions for the 2023/24 season:

Saturday Men’s Cups

• Senior Cup Mandatory for Men’s Teams competing in the NLS/EFL
• Charles Twelvetree Trophy Optional for all other Saturday Men’s Clubs, with one Team entry per Club

Women’s Cups

• Senior Cup Mandatory for Clubs with Teams competing at Tiers 1 – 6 of the WP
• Women’s Trophy Optional for all other Women’s Clubs, with one Team entry per Club

Sunday Men’s Cups

• Sunday Cup Optional for Clubs whose Sunday First Team plays in the top division of a Sunday League
• Sunday Trophy Optional for Clubs whose Sunday First Team plays outside the top divisions of a Sunday League, with one Team entry per Club

Youth Cups

• Mixed U12-U18 Optional for Clubs with Teams in those age groups, with one Team entry per Club
• Girls' U12-U18 Optional for Clubs with Teams in those age groups, with one Team entry per Club

Clubs will be able to enter Teams as part of the Affiliation process at £15 per Team.

As in previous seasons, we will be running Saturday and Sunday pathways in the mixed U12 and U13 Competitions. Clubs can enter one Team across both age groups and must confirm which pathway they wish to enter. The County Cup Final will be held between the winner of the Saturday and Sunday pathways in each age group.

Any player registered with any Team within a Club in the relevant age group or day of the week will be eligible to play in Cup fixtures.

 

Every player must be registered through the Whole Game System to their Club, Team/s and League and have a unique email address (or be linked to a parent with a unique email address).

This applies across all age groups and formats.

The FA have created an extensive library of resources to support Clubs and Competitions with the registration process which is constantly updated with new information which can be accessed via their Grassroots Helpdesk.

If you need any support with the player registration process, please contact Support@Berks-BucksFA.com.

 Adult Football
• All Adult Clubs must now have a named Welfare Officer. There are no qualifications required for the 2023/24 season but will be required from 2024/25 onwards.

Youth Football
• All Youth Team Officials must have an in-date Safeguarding Children qualification as well as a DBS.

Disability Football
• All clubs with disability teams must have a named Disability Welfare Officer who has completed the Safeguarding Adults course.

Please see full Safeguarding requirement checklist below:

	DBS	Safeguarding for Committee Members	Safeguarding Children Course	Welfare Officer Workshop	Safeguarding Adults Workshop (from 2024/25 season)
Adult Team Coach (no U18 players)
Adult Team Coach (with U18 players)	X		X
Youth Team Coach	X		X
Club Chair		X
Club Secretary		X
Club Treasurer		X
Club Welfare Officer (Youth Teams)	X	X	X	X
Club Welfare Officer (Adult Teams)					X
Youth League Official		X
Youth League Welfare Officer	X	X	X	X

Key: DBS - Disclosure & Barring Service Check

Any individual coaching under 18s must hold an FA-approved DBS check issued within the past three years and an in-date FA Safeguarding Children qualification. 

All clubs with youth teams must have a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) appointed. Club welfare officers require an in-date, FA-approved DBS check and must have attended an FA Safeguarding Children Course and an FA Welfare Officer Course.

For all clubs with youth teams, the Chairperson, Secretary, Welfare Officer and Treasurer must also have completed the online Safeguarding for Committee Members course within the past five years.

 

All Youth League officials must have completed the online Safeguarding for Committee Members course within the past five years.

Youth League Welfare Officers must also have an in‐date FA‐approved DBS check.