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

The individual cup pages have been refreshed and with the draws now 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.

Don't Get Fined!

Remember that for youth home games you need to confirm the kick off time by email at least 10 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.

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 within two days of the match. Please ensure nominated substitutes, and used substitutes, are shown accordingly. Unused named substitutes are not considered to be cup tied.

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 2021/22 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 2021-22 season:

Match postponements

Only matches postponed due to the weather will be rearranged.

Extra-Time

There will be no Extra-Time in any match, except for the Senior Cup and Senior Trophy Semi-final and Final ties. Matches which are drawn at full-time shall be decided on kicks from the penalty-mark (except in Semi-final and Final ties of the Senior Cup and Senior Trophy).

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.

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.

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

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.

For further general information helpful to those participating in the new season, see our Grassroots Football Guidance for 2021-22.