What happens if my team arrives late or can't play?

Question

Accepted Answer

SAFA Competitions Uniform Rule 28 sets strict arrival times. It is an offence if your team is not:

in the change rooms at least 60 minutes before kick-off
available with every player at least 30 minutes before kick-off for the card inspection
on the field at least 5 minutes before kick-off

There is no grace period. The only exception is when kick-off is delayed by an earlier SAFA-sanctioned match the SAFA office knows about.

If the match isn't played because your team was late or didn't arrive:

you forfeit the match points and may be charged with misconduct
a vehicle breakdown or not finding the venue is not a defence
for a first offence in a season, a designated SAFA official can award the match and two goals to the opponents
a team conceding a walkover should submit a report within 48 hours

Repeated walkovers: a team conceding 3 walkovers in a stream of 10 or more teams, or 2 walkovers in a stream of 8 or 9 teams, in one season faces having its participation terminated, after disciplinary procedures.