All players must be fully registered before playing in a league or cup fixture. In some circumstances (see below) it may be possible to register a player within 48 hours of a match being completed. 

 

The responsibility for registering a player shall be with the club. 

 

The registration of all players is via play-cricket. 

When registering the information that we require is: 

 Full player name (surname, forenames, and initials); 

 Current address including postcode. 

 Date of birth, country of birth (if outside UK date of most recent entry to UK). 

 Previous club(s). 

 Registered category. 

 In addition, all Category 3 players must complete a Registration Form. 

 Each player will be allocated a unique identifier automatically via play-cricket. 

 Checking photo identification on all new players is mandatory for safeguarding purposes. 

By virtue of his/her registration, every player registered to play in the League explicitly acknowledges and agrees to abide by the following: - 

 The ECB Code of Conduct and the Spirit of Cricket 

 The League’s Rules, Disciplinary Rules, and Playing Conditions 

 

Registration will be accepted after a match only if a player has been brought in as a last-minute 

replacement, and under no circumstances having played for another club. 

Any such registration must be completed within 48 hours of the match 

 

The League operates a player loan system for players to assist short-handed clubs. 

 Players from other Leagues may be loaned, but clubs should be aware of the team strengthening regulations. 

 Loan players will only be allowed to play for the club’s lowest team in YPLN. 

 Loan players must be fully registered on Play-Cricket as a Loan Player by the borrowing club within 24 hrs of the match being played. 

 Any player, whether adult or junior, involved in a loan transfer will not be permitted to sign for the borrowing club for the current or subsequent season without the specific permission of the loaning club and approval by the League’s Registration Officer. 

 Any breach of these rules will be subject to penalties laid down in the League’s Schedule of Penalties 

 

Players may be ‘dual-registered’ with two or more clubs. The difference between ‘dual registered’ and ‘loan players’ is that the former is an agreement that lasts for a set amount of time (usually a full season) and allows players to move back and forth between the two (or more clubs) subject to team strengthening etc. 

 Written permission must be provided to the League by the club holding the player registration, who will then be eligible to play for another named club until that permission is withdrawn. 

 Team strengthening rules will apply. 

 Dual-registered players will not be permitted to permanently join any other club they have played for under this rule for a period of 12 months after the agreement has been terminated unless both clubs agree. 

 

 Clubs must remove any player from their on-line players’ register once they have left the club. 

 Clubs must check an approved photocard identification when a previous club or player history cannot be found. 

 Clubs must satisfy themselves into which category each player falls prior to registration and make sure that all required paperwork including visas, work permits, etc, where required, is complete and accurate. 

 It is a serious offence to falsify or withhold any documents relating to player transfers or registrations for all categories of player. 

 

Category 1 – Eligible Player 

 A British Citizen born in England or Wales, OR 

 A person who is does not meet the above criteria but who has been resident in this country for a 

minimum of 210 days (not necessarily continuously) between the preceding 1st April and 31st March and who has not played as a ‘Home Player’ in another country. 

Category 2 – Contracted player 

 A player (capped or uncapped) qualified to play for England under the current ECB regulations and, currently, under contract to a First-Class County Club or MCC Young Cricketers. For the purposes of clarification, a contracted player is one who has a current full playing contract, a summer contract or a development (scholarship) contract but not an Academy contract (16-19 years). 

Category 3 – Unqualified player 

 A player who does not meet the criteria for either Category 1 or Category 2. 

 

Please Note: The League are not registered immigration officials and cannot give advice on visas and other aspects involving migration. It is a club’s responsibility to ensure that a player (s) meets UK Government directives. 

Player Recategorisation 

Clubs who have players who would previously have been registered as Cat 3, but who meet the ‘210 day rule’ must complete form entitled RR07 YPLN Player Recategorisation Agreement for each player and return fully completed to the General Manager. 

 

Regulations relating to players transferring between clubs as laid down by the Yorkshire Cricket Board will apply throughout the year with the following additions: 

 Clubs must use Play-Cricket to transfer players. This also applies to players moving from other ECB affiliated leagues. Where other clubs are not affiliated or do not use play-cricket a fully completed transfer form will be required. 

 Transfers must be completed at least 48 hours before the player concerned appears in a League or League Cup match. 

 Clubs may only withhold a transfer request if the player has failed to fulfil all financial and contractual obligations. 

 A player may not transfer to any other affiliated club if he has failed to pay any fines imposed by a league disciplinary panel. 

 No transfer will be permitted after the 17th fixture date of the season except with the specific permission of the League. 

 Any objection to a transfer must be submitted in writing to the Secretary within five days of the transfer request. 

 A player will have the right to appeal to the General Manager if a transfer is refused or delayed 

 

 

 All players must be fully registered before playing in League or Cup matches. 

 No team may not field more than 1 player from Category 3 (Unqualified Player). 

 Clubs may play County contracted players provided that in any season the player plays for only one club in YPLN. 

 Dual registration and open age loans will be allowed in order that Premier League clubs can loan players to clubs in lower leagues in order to give them experience. 

 Players cannot play in other ECB Premier Leagues under the ‘dual-registration’ scheme 

 Players may be transferred from other Saturday league clubs in accordance with the League transfer rules. Any such transfer much be approved by the League before the player takes part in any match. 

 No transfers or registrations will be allowed after midnight on August 15th except with the specific permission of the League. 

 Under 12 age group players or younger may not play, or act as substitute fielder, in matches played under the auspices of the League, unless they have previously been selected in a County U12 or Area U12 squad, are a minimum of 11 years old on 1st September in the year preceding the current season and the club holds explicit written consent for them to play. 

 Under 13 age group players may play in matches played under the auspices of the League provided that the club holds explicit written consent for them to play. 

 Any team in breach of any of these rules will be subject to penalties as laid down in the League’s Schedule of Penalties. 

 

 All players must be fully registered before playing in League or Cup matches. 

 All teams must include a minimum of 8 Category 1 players. 

 Category 3 players are not eligible to play below the first two Levels of the divisional structure without special permission from the Registration Secretary. This special permission will only be granted for players who fail to meet the Category 1 criteria because they have only recently moved to this country for genuine reasons involving work or study only. Clubs must provide written evidence of this when making the application for special permission. Note: first two levels are the Two ECB Premier Divisions and The Championship. 

 Clubs must provide written evidence and complete the registration form when making the application for special permission. 

 There is no limit to the number of Category 3 players which may be registered by a club. 

 Clubs may register ONE Category 2 (Contracted Player) player. 

 Category 2 (Contracted Player) players are not eligible to play below the First Division (s). 

 All bona-fide members of a club will be regarded as eligible, irrespective of whether they receive financial or other reward for playing cricket (except Cat 3 players), from any source. 

 No transfer will be permitted after midnight on August 15th except with the specific permission of the League. 

 No club will strengthen its second, or lower, team, at any stage in the season, with a player who has played regularly for one or more of its higher teams. A player will be classed a regular player for the team that he has made most appearances for during the season. Players will only be classed as a regular player for a team once they have played 4 matches for that team during the current season. 

 Category 2 players will be regarded as regular first team players. 

 Clubs may drop a player to a lower team for a genuine reason such as loss of form, return from injury, signing of new players or more players becoming available, for example, but clearance must be sought from the Secretary or a deputy before the fixture takes place. 

 If one of a club’s teams does not have a fixture, for whatever reason, any player who has been a regular player for that team cannot play for one of the club’s lower teams without clearance from the Secretary or a deputy who may place a caveat on the role that the player can play in the match. Any player who has played 10 or more matches for particular teams by August 15th will only be eligible to play for a lower team for remaining matches of the season with clearance from the Secretary or a deputy before the fixture takes place. 

 Any breach of these rules will be subject to penalties laid down in the League’s Schedule of Penalties. 

 

 Under 12 age group players or younger may not play, or act as substitute fielder, in 

matches played under the auspices of the League, unless they have previously been 

selected in a County U12 or Area U12 squad, are a minimum of 11 years old on 1st 

September in the year preceding the current season and the club holds explicit written 

consent for them to play. 

 Under 13 age group players may play in matches played under the auspices of the League provided that the club holds explicit written consent for them to play. 

 Any team in breach of any of these rules will be subject to penalties as laid down in the 

 League’s Schedule of Penalties. 

ECB Guide for obtaining Sponors Licence  

ECB Immigration Questions  

Home Office Immigration Rules for Cricket  

Player Registration Rules  

ECB Overseas Players Information  

Category 3 Professional Player Registration Form  

Category 3 Amateur Player Registration Form  

210 Day Rule registration Form  

Player Recategorisation