FA Cup Replay amendment

A small amendment to section 54(8) is required. 54(7) already requires a competition organiser to consult with the IFR before changing a rule, the proposed amendment bolsters this in two ways:

  1. by stating that any consultation must include the competition organiser showing that it has consulted with all eligible clubs, and can demonstrate that a majority of those clubs approve of the change (in accordance with the competition own rules); but

  2. if the proposed change will directly or indirectly affect the revenue received by a participating club, then the competition organiser must seek the IFR’s consent to the rule change.

A tracked change version of the relevant section of the Bill is shown below.

Note that a breach of s.54 is already within the meaning of “relevant infringement” committed by a competition organiser (Sch.7), and so a failure to comply with these amended requirements will be caught by the normal sanction and enforcement powers.