The Requirement For Clear Drafting Within League Rules And Competitions

This week, the Supreme Court of Gibraltar ruled on an extraordinary matter in respect of Europa FC's application for an injunction to prevent the Rock Cup final from being played, in the process highlighting that football clubs in Gibraltar are capable of seeking legal recourse in the Gibraltar Courts.

This follows Europa FC's appeal against the Gibraltar Football Association (the "GFA") and its Appeals Committee's decision to find that Europa FC had breached its rules and regulations. Specifically, the GFA disqualified Europa FC from the Rock Cup on the basis that it had breached rule 14.8 of the GFA 'league' rules which provides as follows:

"14.8 In relation to rule 14.7 above  [permitting 5 substitutions in a match], at least 2 of the 5 permitted substitutions must consist of Home-Grown Players under the age of 23. A breach of this rule shall result in the match being declared a forfeit by the team committing the breach."