Match Day

 

What size goals are used and what is the format?

 

Under 8s & Under 9s:

Mini-soccer 12 x 6 ft / 5 v 5

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Under 10s & Under 11s:

Mini-soccer 12 x 6 ft / 7 v 7

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Under 12s & Under 13s:

16 x 7 ft / 9 v 9

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Under 14s & Under 15s:

Full size / 11 v 11

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Under 16s, Under 17s & Under 18s:

Full size / 11 v 11

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How long is each match and what are the kick off times?

 

No match shall kick off earlier than 10:00amam or later than 3:00pm (2:30pm for the months November to February) without agreement from both teams and written consent from the relevant Fixtures Secretary

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Under 8 / Under 9: 4 x 10 min quarters

Under 10 / Under 11: 25 mins each way

Under 12 / Under 13: 30 mins each way

Under 14 / Under 15: 35 mins each way

Under 16: 40 mins each way

Under 17 / Under 18: 45 mins each way

 

Referee Fees 2026-27:

Under 8: £20

Under 9: £20

Under 10: £22

Under 11: £22

Under 12: £27

Under 13: £27

Under 14: £30

Under 15: £30

Under 16: £35

Under 17: £40

Under 18: £40

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Ball Size:

U8 - U11: 3

U12-U13: 4

U14-U18: 5

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Minimum number of players required to start a match:

11 v 11: minimum of 7 players

9v9: minimum of 6 players

7v7: minimum of 5 players

5v5: minimum of 4 players

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Fixtures

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Who do I contact about a fixture?

Your first point of contact for MHL fixture matters is the Fixtures Secretary for your age group.

Please include your club, team, age group and the fixture concerned when contacting them.

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Can a scheduled MHL fixture be moved?

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Fixtures should normally be played on the date scheduled by the League.

Where a change is permitted, the relevant Fixtures Secretary must be involved and/or give approval in accordance with the League Rules.

Please do not assume that an agreement between two team managers automatically changes a League fixture.

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Can we request a free week?

Yes, U7–U11 teams may request up to five free weeks during the season and U12–U18 teams may request up to two.

Requests should normally be submitted to the relevant Fixtures Secretary at least 21 days in advance and remain subject to approval.

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What happens if our MHL fixture clashes with a County Cup fixture?

FA and parent County FA competitions take priority.

The relevant MHL Fixtures Secretary must be informed of the clash within the timescale specified in the League Rules so that the MHL fixture can be dealt with appropriately.

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Postponements

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What should we do if a fixture cannot be played?

Do not simply treat the fixture as cancelled.

Follow the postponement procedure in the League Rules and, where applicable, consider whether an alternative venue or reversal of the fixture is possible.

The relevant Fixtures Secretary must be notified of a postponement by 6.00pm on the day of the match.

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Who rearranges a postponed fixture?

The MHL Fixtures Secretary is responsible for League fixture scheduling.

Clubs should therefore follow the instructions of their relevant Fixtures Secretary rather than independently treating a new date as confirmed.

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Referees

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What happens if the League hasn't appointed a referee?

The fixture is not automatically cancelled.

Where an MHL referee has not been appointed by the relevant deadline, responsibility passes back to the clubs to find a suitable referee in accordance with the procedure set out in the League Rules.

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Who do I contact about an MHL referee appointment?

Contact the appropriate MHL Referee Co-Ordinator.

For questions about a particular appointment, please provide the age group, teams, fixture date, venue and kick-off time.

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How do I report a problem or concern about a referee?

Referee performance should be dealt with through the League's referee marking and reporting process.

Where a referee receives a mark of 60 or below, a written report must be submitted to the Mid Herts Referee Co-Ordinators in accordance with the League Rules.

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Results & Match Administration

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When must MHL match results be submitted?

The League result card must be completed by 6.00pm on the day following the scheduled fixture.

Please ensure all required information is completed.

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Where do I find official MHL fixtures, results and competition information?

Official fixture and competition information is published through the systems used by the Mid Herts League - links to Mitoo, REFSEC and other League resources can be found on the MHL website.

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Cups

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Where can I find the rules for MHL Cup competitions?

The League Cup & Shield Rules and Divisional Cup Rules are published on the League Documents page.

Please check the rules for the specific competition rather than assuming normal League-match procedures apply.

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Can a published MHL Cup Final date be changed?

Published Cup Final dates should be treated as fixed.

They will not normally be changed except where another competition has precedence under the applicable rules.

Teams involved in MHL competitions should therefore keep the published Final dates available and not assume that they will play on their usual playing day as our Finals are held over both Saturdays and Sundays - MHL Key Dates 2026-27

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Discipline & Safeguarding

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How do I report misconduct or poor behaviour at an MHL match?

Misconduct is dealt with by the County FA with which the relevant club is affiliated, rather than being investigated directly by the MHL.

Reports should be submitted through the appropriate County FA process, with the relevant MHL officials copied where required - click HERE for more information

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Who do I contact about a safeguarding concern?

Safeguarding concerns should normally be raised through your Club Welfare Officer and the appropriate County FA safeguarding process.

The MHL Welfare Officer is available for League-level safeguarding matters and guidance.

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SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION

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League Administration

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Where can I find the current MHL Rules and official documents?

The current League Rules, Appendices, Cup Rules, Codes of Conduct and other official documents are available HERE

Always refer to the documents for the current season.

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Who should contact the League?

League-level enquiries should come through a Club Secretary, particularly where the matter concerns registrations, administration or an internal club issue.

For fixture matters, contact the relevant Fixtures Secretary directly.

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I'm not sure who at the League I need to contact. What should I do?

Use our Committee and Fixtures Secretaries pages to identify the person responsible for your enquiry.

Sending your enquiry directly to the appropriate League official helps us respond more quickly.

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