Governance is about ensuring that football is administered and organised within the Rules and Regulations of The FA and County FA.
A good working knowledge of the structure of the game is important and avoids misunderstanding concerning the roles of the various organisations. The game of Association Football in England is organised, controlled and governed by The Football Association whose offices are situated at Wembley Stadium, PO Box 1966, London SW1P 9EQ.
It is played under the laws of Association Football, which are controlled by FIFA and the International Football Association Board. The rules and regulations of the Football Association detail the manner in which football is controlled and administrated throughout the country. The object of the rules and regulation is to enable the game to be governed throughout the country in a uniform manner.
County Football Associations
There are 43 geographical County football Associations, as well as the football associations of the Amateur Football Alliance, the armed forces and the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, each of which is affiliated to The Football Association. The organisation and control of the game played in each County Football Association and members of the council are able to help any league, club or individual with any problem that may arise. The work of each association is carried out by committees and boards, which are responsible to each council.
Leagues and Clubs
Once a club is accepted into membership of a County Association, it is required to abide by the Rules of The Football Association, league or competition and may be fined and/or otherwise disciplined if it breaches these rules. It is important to appreciate that in most cases, league officials are honorary officers and that a poorly run club causes a great deal of additional work for all concerned.
A club secretary, in particular, must have a good working knowledge of the rules of all organisations of which the club is a member. In the most serious cases of maladministration, a club may be expelled from its league, or in cases where breaches of The Football Association rules have occurred, its affiliation may be suspended or withdrawn (cases are generally subject to a right of appeal, but where a decision is taken at a General Meeting there is often no appeal).
Code of conduct
It is important to remember that football is supposed to be fun as well as a competitive sport. Players, officials and spectators should abide by the Code of Conduct for Football, copies of specific codes of conduct for players, officials and coaches are available from the Northumberland FA.
This section of the site provides members and anyone involved with the game a guide on the various administrative procedures involved in football.
The work of the Governance department involves the day to day running of the County Football Association in various administrative areas, including:
- Affiliation
- Discipline
- Insurance
- Child Protection
- FA Policy
- Refereeing
It is essential that there are set processes governing the game so that all participants know if they are following correct procedures. It also ensures that in all actions there is a transparent process to avoid misunderstanding.
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