Claim Form (Online)

Pay-In Form

Match Officials Claim Form

Minibus Booking Form

Native Events Portal

QMU Kit Shop (Macron)

Edinburgh Leisure Sports Pitch Booking

Book Maggie's for your Event

Bake Sale Form

Social Media Request Form

BUCS (for rules, regulations and Playing Under Protest Forms)

Scottish Student Sport (SSS)

Budget Request Form: Submit by the beginning of May every year

Core Budget: Allocated by the SU; goes towards essential running costs.

Non-Core Budget: Income from membership fees, fundraising, sponsorship, etc; goes towards non-essential running costs (socials, equipment, etc).

Get Reimbursed:: Submit a claim form with receipt/s and 2 committee signatures (contact union@qmu.ac.uk for the pin number to access the claim form).

Claim Form (Online)

Pay-In Form: Deposit money at SU reception within 3 working days.

Pay-In Form

Match Officials: to be printed and signed by the match official, then returned to the SU office.

Match Officials Claim Form

Submitting Invoices: send all invoices to Derek Hainey for payment.

How To Spend Money From Your Club Account: email Derek Hainey to discuss payment for larger orders.  For smaller orders, it's quicker for you to pay for it then get reimbursed via a claim form.

How to Get Funding / Other Funding Opportunities:   The Vice-Chancellor's and Student Development Fund - The majority of awards will be around £750 to £1,250.

How to Arrange Sponsorship: 

Pubs, bars, clubs, relevant brands, local businesses etc are happy to sponsor university clubs. 

Email/phone them to say you're looking for a club sponsor, and see what they have to offer. 

All sponsorship contracts must be shown to the Students Union for approval before signing. 

You must not sign any contract before showing us!!

How to Get Your Club/Society Account Statement: email Derek Hainey, Emma, or Silvia to get an up to date statement of how much money is in your club account.

Minibus Hire:

Must be booked via the SU with a qualified driver (21+, full UK licence, 3 years experience)

Keys and Drivers Folder can be picked up on the day from Security - the driver MUST sign the insurance waiver provided in the Drivers Folder before driving

Buses must be booked 10+ days in advance due to limited availability

Buses must be refuelled and parked exactly where you found it after use

Any damage inflicted to the vehicle must be reported to the Students’ Union immediately.

Minibus Booking Form

Public Transport: Free for U22s in Scotland with NEC (a National Entitlement Card that acts as your free bus pass)

Using Private Vehicles: Must have valid MOT, tax, insurance

Large coach hire: To book a large coach and driver, contact union@qmu.ac.uk

Affiliation:

• is mandatory for all members - students cannot purchase membership without buying affiliation first (membership is locked until affiliation is purchased)
• is tiered (Low/Med/High) and the link should always be displayd at the bottom of your club pag
• is required for insurance claims and cover, and access to SU support

Membership Questions

• How Do Students Join My Club or Society?
  • they join via the QMUSU website, by clicking the "Join Now" button on your club page
  • if they email you saying they are getting a "doesn't meet the criteria" message, it means they've not paid the relevant affiliation yet, so let them know they need to do that first, then they'll be able to buy membership.
• How to Check Membership List
  • committee members can check this via their dashboard - all committee members have access to this
  • watch this 2-minute video that shows how you can check your members list

Data Protection for Clubs and Societies​​​​

• Collect Only What You Need
  • Only collect data that is essential for running your club or society (e.g., name, student ID, email).
  • Avoid collecting sensitive personal data (e.g. health, ethnicity) unless absolutely necessary and justified.
• Store Data Securely
  • Use password-protected documents and cloud storage with multi-factor authentication (MFA).
  • Avoid printing data or storing files on USBs or personal devices.
• Limit Access
  • Only share member data with committee members who need it for their role.
  • Don’t keep old committee members on mailing lists or shared drives.
• Don’t Keep Data Forever
  • Delete or anonymise data when it's no longer needed (e.g. after someone graduates or leaves the club).
  • Do an annual data clean-up at handover time.
• Use BCC in Emails
  • Always use the BCC (blind carbon copy) field when emailing members to avoid sharing email addresses.

• University Room/Studio Bookings: use Celcat to book rooms and studios in the university
• Sports Centre/Sports Hall Bookings: Email sportsreception@qmu.ac.uk
• External Pitches: Edinburgh Leisure Sports Pitch Booking
• Dance Studio: Email sportsreception@qmu.ac.uk

• QMU’s official kit supplier is Macron, available via the QMU Kit Shop.  All kit must be purchased via Macron.
• Kit purchases come from your core budget.
• All kits must display the QMU crest, however the rest of the kit design is customizable.
• All kit orders must be approved by the President – Student Activities (PSA) before ordering. 
• Teams are encouraged to seek sponsorship to fund kits, as the SU does not always provide kit funding yearly.

Code of Conduct: All clubs must comply.  When you start a QMUSU-affiliated club, you are agreeing to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Risk Assessments:

Required for all events/training - email union@qmu.ac.uk for a blank template.

One risk assessment can be done for the full year.  Just email the SU each updated version if you're adding more events to it throughout the year.

Accidents and Injuries:

All injuries and accidents must be reported to the SU. 

Come up to the SU office and we will get you to fill out an Accident Report form. 

Completed Accident Report forms can be used as part of your evidence in an insurance claims case.

Insurance claims: email union@qmu.ac.uk for the link to the claims portal.

Terms of Membership:  

created by your committee, this is the set of rules you want your members to abide by.  A student contractually agrees to abide by those terms when they pay membership to your club.  Some examples include:

• Respectful Conduct: All members are expected to treat others with respect, regardless of background, identity, or opinions. Discriminatory language or behaviour will not be tolerated and may result in immediate removal from the club.
• Communication & Responsiveness: Members are expected to regularly check the club group chat and respond to messages from the committee when necessary. Failure to acknowledge important communications (e.g. event sign-ups, attendance confirmations) may affect your participation in future activities.
• Minimum Engagement Requirement: Members are asked to attend at least one society event or activity per semester to remain active in the club. This helps foster a sense of community and ensures fair access to limited-capacity events.

President – Student Activities (PSA)

• Silvia Cardinale
  📧 SCardinale@qmu.ac.uk
  📱 Instagram: @silvia_qmusu

Finance Administrator

• Derek Hainey – DHainey@qmu.ac.uk

Events & Admin

• Emma Lean – Elean@qmu.ac.uk / union@qmu.ac.uk

• Flyers & Posters
  • Put up eye-catching, branded posters in Maggie's and Accommodation. (Get all posters stamped by the SU first).
  • Include a QR code linking to your sign-up form or Instagram.
• Stall at Give It A Go
  • Decorate your stall with banners, props, and music related to your society.
  • Offer freebies (badges, sweets, stickers) and create a mailing list sign-up sheet or QR code.
• Free Food or Pizza Social
  • Host a casual welcome event with free food — always a crowd-puller.
• "Bring a Friend" Event
  • Reward current members who bring someone new to a meeting or social.
• First-Timers Raffle or Giveaway
  • Offer small prizes (e.g. vouchers, snacks) for new sign-ups at your next event.
• Collaborate with Other Societies
  • Co-host an event or competition with another club — you’ll both tap into each other’s audiences.
• Pop-up Mini Events
  • Run 10-minute demos or challenges around campus (e.g. quiz questions, mini games, fitness challenges).
  • Host a bake sale (use the bake sale form)
• Get Featured by the Students’ Union
  • Ask to be spotlighted on their social media or newsletter.
• Participate in University Events
  • Have a presence at mental health week, sustainability week, or similar uni-wide initiatives.
• Create a Presence on Campus
  • host bake sales, meet-ups in Maggie's, wear your club kit around campus

To ensure a smooth handover:

• Outgoing committee members must prepare a handover pack, including:
  • Any Meeting minutes
  • Financial plans/budgets
  • Key contacts
  • Login info
  • Any ongoing plans/issues
• Handover packs must be submitted to the SU and sent to their incoming commitee by the start of May every year.
• It is expected that all outgoing committee members explain their role and offer informal support to the new team.
• AGMs should include an overview of the year and introduce the new committee.

Annual General Meeting (AGM):

• Must be held before 2nd May to secure future SU funding.
• Organised by the Vice-President/Vice-Captain.
• Includes:
  • President’s report on activities
  • Financial report from Treasurer
  • Discussion of issues or development plans
  • Election of the new committee
• Minutes must be recorded and shared with QMUSU.

Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM):

• Called if:
  • A committee member resigns.
  • There's a need for re-election due to non-attendance or performance.
• Must follow the same format as the AGM for fairness and transparency.

• Use Microsoft Teams or Zoom for virtual meetings/elections.
• Ensure all members have access and are given reasonable notice.
• For online elections:
  • Use a Google Form or Microsoft Form for anonymous voting.
  • Include candidate statements and roles.
  • Only current members with affiliation can vote.
• Record meeting minutes and save a copy for the handover pack.
• If quorum isn’t met, reschedule the meeting

Each society/sport must have a:

• President/Captain
• Vice-President/Vice-Captain
• Treasurer

Optional roles include:

• Social Sec
• Wellbeing Officer
• Fundraising Officer
• Media Secretary

All committee members must:

• Be democratically elected by affiliated members.
• Perform roles without bias.
• Engage members and represent them fairly.
• Attend committee training or risk being replaced via an EGM

If a member wishes to raise a complaint:

1. Raise the issue informally with the committee.
2. If unresolved or serious:
   • Email the President – Student Activities (Silvia Cardinale) or Emma Lean (Union Affairs Assistant).
3. For serious allegations (e.g., misconduct, harassment):
   • SU will carry out an investigation under the Disciplinary Procedure.
4. Breaches may result in:
   • Removal from committee
   • Club sanctions
   • Budget reductions or disaffiliation

• All committee members should:
  • Encourage Bystander Training.
  • Signpost students to QMU Wellbeing Services, not offer personal advice.
• In the event of a disclosure (e.g., assault, mental health crisis):
  • Do not promise confidentiality.
  • Listen calmly, take them seriously.
  • Signpost to relevant support:
    • QMU Student Services
    • Nightline
    • NHS 24
• Wellbeing Officers should be approachable and informed but are not counsellors

• HelpZone: Health and Wellbeing
• Online Student Safety Guide
• Stressbusting Zone
• Extenuating Circumstances
• Academic Appeals
• Disciplinaries and Plagiarism
• Fitness to Practice/Fitness to Study
• Student Housing Support
• QMU Student Services/Report and Support/Wellbeing/Counsellors etc
• For FREE menstrual products and condoms, head to the Student Union reception.

• Native is QMUSU's events ticketing platform - all SU and S&S events are uploaded to it, and all ticket sales must go through it.
• All your events must be uploaded to Native.  
• Native is connected to the QMUSU website (even though it's an external website), so you log in using your QMUSU login details.
• All Presidents/Captains have admin access to native, meaning they can create private or public events, sell tickets, scan entries, etc.
• Events require SU approval before going live (email union@qmu.ac.uk to let us know you've submitted an event for approval)

Native Training Videos

• Managing Events
• Creating Tickets
• Ticket Scanning

Things to consider:

• What do you want to do? Does your event have a theme?
• What’s the purpose? Do you want to raise money?  A celebration? Is it to get people together or showcase talent?
• What date* works best for those who need to be there? (Organiser, performers, audience etc)  *It’s useful to have a back up date in case your preferred date isn’t available.
• Is there a need to move furniture around? Do you need a stage?
• If so you may be a need to put in an Assist to help with set up and set down. You should speak to Maggie’s staff about this.
• Do you need specific lighting, a PA system, projector etc?  If so this must be arranged with Maggie’s or the SU Office in advance. We have limited resources so please don’t assume we have what you need! Depending on what you require you may need to borrow from QMU Media Services or hire from an external company.
• Do you need specific food or drinks as part of your event?
• You are not allowed to bring your own alcohol into Maggie’s & there are restrictions on external food.

Do you need a risk assessment?

Most events that take place in Maggie’s are covered by the venue risk assessment. However, if you’re doing anything that’s a little out of the ordinary you may be required to submit an additional risk assessment for your event. SU staff can help with this if required.

Booking Your Event

To book your event, fill in the Event Proposal Form.  This goes straight to Maggie's staff (not SU staff).

Fill out the Bake Sale form, and email it to FacilitiesSupport@qmu.ac.uk

Facilities Support will let you know if that date is available.  There is always a table set out down by Guthrie's, so that's the table you will use. 

Remember to contact the SU to book our card reader and cash float (if you need it), by emailing us at union@qmu.ac.uk.

• Social Media Countdown & Stories
  • Post a series of countdown stories on Instagram leading up to the event (3 days before, 1 day before, on the day).
  • Include event posters, reels, and polls (e.g. “Are you coming?”).
  • Tag the university, SU, and relevant course pages for reach.
• Group Chats
  • Share the event details in:
    • Society WhatsApp/Discord chats
    • Course group chats
    • Flatshare/residence group chats
• Campus Posters and SU social media posts
  • Make posters bold and visual — include date/time, location, and one big “WHY TO COME”.  If ticketed, include a QR code.  (Take all posters to the SU office to get stamped, otherwise they'll get taken down).
  • Create a social media post that the SU can post on their Instagram page (use the social media jotform)
• Lecture or Seminar Shoutouts
  • Ask lecturers if you can pop in for a 1-minute event plug at the start or end of classes — especially in relevant subject areas.
  • Focus on the social benefits and any freebies or special guests.
• Student Union Support
  • Promote your event on the SU Instagram account (use the social media request form)
  • List it in the official SU events calendar by posting it on Native

• create an event on Native, and add all event info needed (see Native training links above)
• submit your event, and once it's been confirmed it will appear live on both Native and the What's On calendar on the QMUSU homepage.

• Large events (100+ people or public-facing) may require:
  • A risk assessment (if it's a large event it will need its own risk assessment)
  • Security
  • Event planning meetings with the SU
• Small events (e.g. socials) will still need risk assessments, especially if external venues, guests, food or transport are involved.  Make sure to add this to your main risk assessment, and send the SU the updated version.

Extra Tips:

• Start planning several months in advance for large events.
• Create a run sheet and delegate roles. (It's an excel event spreadsheet - you can download free templates online) .
• Always have a designated First Aider if using off-campus venues.

• Use our Native ticketing platform (for instructions, see Events & Ticketing section above)
• Provide:
  • Event name, date, location
  • Ticket prices and numbers
  • Max attendance
  • Blurb about the event
  • Event image
• Ticket sales revenue goes into your non-core account.
• Check to see if you'll need to use the SU's cash float (a box with £50 worth of £1 coins/£5 notes/50ps, etc).  if you do, email union@qmu.ac.uk.

Extra Tips:

• Consider tiered pricing (early bird/general).
• Put a QR code on your posters/advertising that link directly to the ticketing page.

Consider the following when planning your event:

• Use step-free venues and note this in your event promo.
• Offer quiet spaces for breaks.
• Ensure presentations/videos are captioned.
• Include trigger warnings where relevant.
• Have a point of contact for accessibility questions (e.g., your club's Wellbeing Officer).

Best Practices:

• Ask attendees about access needs in ticket forms.
• Keep lighting and sound levels adjustable.
• Provide digital participation options where possible.

• If the speaker is bringing their own vehicle they will need booked into the QMU car park, otherwise they will be charged for parking/fined.
• Email union@qmu.ac.uk with the speakers first and last name, their vehicle registration number, and the date they will be attending campus.  The SU will book their vehicle in for that day.

At the end of each academic year, QMUSU celebrates student achievements with:

• Colours (Team Colours/Blues for sports team members, Society Scarlets for society members) – Individual recognition for outstanding contribution.
• Sports & Societies Awards – Recognises overall club achievements.

These awards:

• Highlight student leadership, commitment, and development.
• Are announced at Grand Ball, usually held in mid-April.

Categories include:

• Team/Society of the Year
• Presidents/Captains Award
• Outstanding First Year
• Sport/Society Personality of the Year
• Newcomer Award
• Excellence in Sport
• Academic Society of the Year
• Community Award
• Most Improved Sport/Society
• Bleed Blue

Keep an eye on your emails as the PSA will send out instructions, along with the link to the voting forms, at the start of each year.

• QMU’s official kit supplier is Macron, available via the QMU Kit Shop.  All kit must be purchased via Macron.
• Kit purchases come from your core budget.
• All kits must display the QMU crest, however the rest of the kit design is customizable.
• All kit orders must be approved by the President – Student Activities (PSA) before ordering. 
• Teams are encouraged to seek sponsorship to fund kits, as the SU does not always provide kit funding yearly.

• All affiliated Sports & Societies members have access to the SU’s group accident insurance policy.
• To be covered, members must:
  • Pay the correct affiliation fee (Low/Medium/High)
  • Be matriculated students
  • Be listed members of the club
• Insurance covers registered members during club activities only.

• Payment is handled via a Match Officials Claim Form.
• The process:
  • Ref or umpire signs the form and fills in their bank details.
  • Treasurer and one other committee member sign to authorise.
  • Hand in the form at the SU Reception.
  • SU processes payment ideally within 3 working days.

• Submit a claim form with:
  • Two committee signatures
  • Photo of the receipt
• Email is sent to PSA and Finance Administrator to authorise payment.
• Claim form is available here: Claim Form (Online)
• You’ll need a PIN from the PSA to access the form

• Use the Minibus Booking Form to book a 9 or 12-seater minibus
• For long-distance fixtures, contact union@qmu.ac.uk to enquire about a large coach
• Travel receipts should be retained for reimbursements (money spent on petrol, etc, can be claimed back).

• You are responsible for booking practice/fixture facilities.
• For external pitch hire: Edinburgh Leisure Sports Pitch Booking
• For the QMU Fitness Studio, Astro, and Sports Hall: Email sportsreception@qmu.ac.uk 

• QMUSU handles BUCS entry; your President/Captain must liaise with PSA before the start of May (deadline for entry into BUCS is start of May) 
• Fixture rules, match requirements, and admin (like postponements) fall under the Captain’s responsibility.
• Budget requests should include competition entry cost
• BUCS (for rules, regulations and Playing Under Protest Forms) - ensure you are aware of any major/sport-specific regulations
• Scottish Student Sport (SSS) (a good contact to have for all BUCS teams, they essentially represent BUCS in Scotland)

There are the two main governing bodies for university sport in Scotland:

BUCS

British Universities and College Sports is the national organisation for higher education sport in the UK.

You must be familiar with their rules and regulations, along with sport-specific rules and regulations. This can all be found on their website.

All Captains, Vice-Captains and members of your team who will be competing in BUCS must be registered on the BUCSPlay App.  A guide on how to use the BUCSPlay App for both Captains and team members was emailed to everyone.

Scottish Student Sport (SSS)

Established to ensure quality and breadth in well-managed sporting programs, increasing and promoting involvement in physical activity, and aiding and supporting the development of appropriate professional structures and systems throughout sport in higher education in Scotland.  They also offer news updates regarding student sport throughout Scotland, along with putting on their own games and events so make sure to check their website regularly for updates and competitions (https://www.scottishstudentsport.com/).

Governing Bodies for Individual Sports

Certain sports teams (not all) are required to affiliate to the governing body of their specific sport. This will usually include a team affiliation fee, paid for from the core budget – remember to include this in your core budget application – and a player registration fee. Each team member is responsible for their own player registration, and if players are not affiliated with their governing body then they will not be allowed to compete.

Please check the up to date guidance below to see if your team needs to be affiliated:

BUCS Sport Specific Affiliations 2025-26

All communications around fixtures should be done via the Students’ Union (union@qmu.ac.uk.)

Using BUCSPlay as a Captain

Captains are in charge of adding members to their team, creating teamsheets, and inputting scores.  Click here for the Captains Guide to BUCSPlay.

Scores

After every game Captains must input the score into BUCSPlay immediately after the game finishing, along with emailing union@qmu.ac.uk with the score as all scores inputted by Captains must then be approved/rejected by Institution Administrators (Emma & Silvia) before 12pm the following day.

BUCS regulations on inputting scores are as follows:

REG 13.2 The results of all league and knockout competition matches must be entered, and approved, on BUCS Play no later than 12:00 on the first working day following the fixture.

REG 13.2.1 Where an institution/Playing Entity has not approved a result for a knockout competition match in accordance with REG 13.2 they shall incur a £10 fine.

REG 13.3.1.1 If, within the five working days preceding the results submission deadline, the ‘away’ institution/Playing Entity is required to request action by the BUCS Executive due to a lack of action from the ‘home’ institution/Playing Entity (and a breach of REG 13.2), the ‘home’ institution/Playing Entity will incur a £100 fine per fixture.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct scores are uploaded to BUCS Play before the deadline as you may be forced to forfeit matches or pay for fines of up to £250 due to late reporting or changing any inaccuracies with BUCS.  Please also check the BUCS Play app to ensure correct fixture information has been entered by the opposition for away games.

Start Time:

No League or knockout round match may start before 1pm. Similarly, no league match should be scheduled to finish at such a time that an away team would unnecessarily arrive back at their institution after midnight.

Notification of Fixture:

It is the responsibility of the home team’s SU to contact the visiting team in writing (email) to confirm the fixture details at least 48 hours (outside of weekends and bank holidays) prior to the fixture.

Fixtures Amendments:

Any amendments to start time, kit colours, date must be agreed with the opposition in writing (email) between the SU’s. Amendments to venue that do not cause unreasonable impact upon travel arrangements and are communicated more than 48 hours before the fixture do not need to be agreed but must be communicated in writing (email) to the appropriate person before updating BUCS Score.

Umpires/Referees

It is the club’s responsibility to organise all umpires/referees for their BUCS fixtures. If you’re having difficulty finding an umpire/referee, please get in touch with Scottish Student Sport (SSS) or the PSA or Union Affairs Assistant. Before fixtures, referee receipts should be collected from SU Reception, then completed, signed by the referee, and returned to the SU attached to a cash claim form after the match has finished.

Rearranging Fixtures

Committees should create a shared calendar early in the season and have all fixture dates on here.  BUCS fixtures are releases in July so you will know most of your fixtures for the season.  We recommend the app Spond, as your entire team can access the calendar and let you know their availability.  The key to successful fixtures is organisation and preparedness.

• If you need to re-arrange a match, you must email union@qmu.ac.uk as soon as you know you cannot compete.
• Teams must provide a valid reason, in line with BUCS guidelines, and 3 alternative dates.
• If a suitable alternative date can be agreed with the other University, it should be updated by the home University on BUCS Play.
• If a rearrangement cannot be agreed, due to no satisfactory reason or insufficient advanced warning the outcome will be a ‘walkover’. This means the team concedes to the other team who are automatically given the points for the game and would lose 3 of their own points. This is a last resort and should be avoided whenever possible. If need be, involve SSS for support to prevent this and always ensure you have contacted the PSA for help.
• Please note that if the re-arrangement is very last minute, then the team may still have to pay transport costs if a minibus has been booked.

Please ensure you are familiar with BUCS Regulation 14 Postponed and Abandoned Matches as it contains all the information you need to know regarding rescheduling and cancelling matches.

You can only view BUCS fixtures, scores and information when signed into the BUCS Play app. This app is available on the App Store or Google Play.

Late Cancellation of Matches:

Where a team has to cancel a fixture within 48 hours of its agreed start time, that team will be liable for reasonable costs incurred by its opposition. The 48-hour ruling will apply regardless of whether an institution is notified of the cancellation. The 48-hour ruling will apply regardless of whether an institution is notified of the cancellation:

1. Where the away team has started their journey, only for the fixture to be postponed by either, the match official(s) or grounds staff (written evidence required), the fixture shall be replayed at the venue of the AWAY team.)
2. Where a late cancellation is required, notification must be made in writing (email) to the main AU (or equivalent body) contact. Confirmation that notification has been received must be obtained either by phone or in writing from said contact to constitute adequate notification).
3. If there are concerns that a match may be postponed (i.e., heavy rain forecast), the away team are to inform the opposition of their proposed departure time and ask that a decision be made about whether the match will take place before this proposed departure time.

Forfeited Matches:

An involuntary walkover occurs when it is considered (whether by the BUCS office or the Disciplinary Committee) that a team has forfeited on a fixture through reasons beyond the reasonable control of that team, club or Athletic Union. A voluntary walkover is deemed to have occurred when it is believed that reasonable actions undertaken by the team, club or Athletic Union of the offending institution would have prevented the forfeit. Teams, Clubs or Athletic Unions deemed to have given involuntary walkovers will, in normal circumstances, be deemed to have conceded the match but will not be deducted three points.

Abandoned Matches:

Abandoned matches are matches called off, for whatever reason, by the match official(s) once play has begun. Postponed matches are matches called off up to and including the day of the match, due to bad weather, ground conditions, bad light or other extenuating circumstances (force majeure). It is intended that postponed matches will always be replayed.)

Playing Under Protest:

If a team feels, upon arrival or during a fixture, that the conditions do not adhere to those outlined in the BUCS regulations or fixture confirmation, they should complete a 'Playing Under Protest’ form as soon as the grievance is noted. If a team travels to, begins or continues   a fixture with knowledge of a breach of regulations but fails to  complete a Playing Under Protest form they are deemed to have accepted the conditions of play and can therefore not play under protest, nor appeal for that reason UNLESS information comes to light after the fixture has been completed.

*Refer to Regulation 12 of the BUCS Regulations for full details.

Please click HERE to be redirected to the full BUCS Regulations.

Prior to Match Day and on Match Day – All fixtures

1. Check BUCS/SSS website for fixture venue, start time and any last-minute changes.  The time on BUCSPlay is the kick-off time, so make sure you arrive in plenty of time to allow a warm-up.
2. Check BUCS Play for the kit colour you are supposed to wear – (Home team changes if there is a kit clash so be prepared)
3. Kit is washed/cleaned/counted and everyone is aware who is bringing it to venue.
4. *IMPORTANT* Check all players participating have S&S Affiliation (fines will be given for any teams with non-affiliated players).
5. Team sheets prepared clearly for officials and copy retained if using a paper copy.  All teams must input their players onto the online team sheets on the BUCSPlay App. Fines of £100 are issued by BUCS if this is not done before the match.
6. Ensure you have a BUCS Playing Under Protest Form – if there are any issues regarding the match, any grievances or problems that arise before a game it must be noted on the Playing Under Protest form in order to be rectified post-match.  Full guidance and regulations on this can be found here.
7. Check risk assessment and current guidance to ensure the match can happen safely.

Home Game

1. Check facilities are booked and confirm time with Sports Administrator for the opposing team 48 hours before the match.  Booking home game venues is the responsibility of the committee, NOT the SU.
2. Officials are mandatory and need to be booked at least 3 weeks in advance.
3. Post-match hospitality is arranged (if required).
4. Equipment checked and any special match day kit prepared (match balls pumped up, First Aid Kit etc.)
5. Always submit results onto the BUCSPlay App and to the Union Affairs Assistant (union@qmu.ac.uk) immediately after the game.

Away Game

1. Check the risk assessment and current guidance to ensure travel can happen safely
2. Double-check your minibus confirmation email to ensure you’ve got your minibus booked for that day. 
3. Take plenty of water and food for journey – both ways (post-match recovery).
4. Arrange who is bringing different items of kit (balls/playing kit/water bottles etc.).
5. Leave with plenty of time to make your fixture – don’t be late.
6. If you have taken a minibus to your fixture, remember to fully refuel the bus before returning to QMU.
7. If your team are using public transport to get to the venue, plan routes in advance to avoid last-minute overpriced tickets, and use Under 22 bus passes when possible.

You can download and print a copy of this checklist HERE. *This list is not exhaustive and should be used as a starting point for your preparations.

DO

✅Complete and photocopy/scan so you have 3 copies in total

✅Complete every field on the template

✅Have players correctly assigned to their shirt numbers

✅Complete the Date of Birth and Nationality for players

✅Use BLOCK CAPITALS

✅Retain ONE copy should it be requested by the SSS office

✅Hand the remaining TWO copies to the referee before the match

✅Check with the referee at full time that they are happy to send in ONE copy to SSS HQ

✅Take a legible photo of the final sheet to keep for your records

✅Get your oppositions copy - at the end of the game each team should have their own copy and a copy from their opponents of their team lines

✅Make sure the referee adds their details to the form for any queries

✅Retain team lines ALL season – failure to produce these on request leads to disciplinary action

DO NOT

❌Leave out Dates of Birth or Nationality – you will be fined

❌Leave out goal scorers, cautions or end result of fixture – you will be fined

❌Assume the referee knows they have to submit the team lines at the end of the fixture

❌Forget to remind the referee the team lines needs to reach SSS within 10 days, unless there has been a red card (in which case the team lines need to be returned within 72 hours)

TEAMSHEET FINES

Unreturned/incomplete teamlines: £10 fine

DEADLINES

An unreturned team line is any team line that is not returned to the SSS office, either digitally or physically, by the designated deadlines below:

• Completed Semester 1 fixtures = Wednesday 10^th December 2025
• Completed Semester 2 fixtures = Wednesday 15^th April 2026

We expect all teams to uphold the values of SSS and their respective institutions when competing and if any queries come in across the season, please notify:

• Chris Purdie, Head of Competitions, on chris@scottishstudentsport.com