Devon and Exeter League football is set to start again on Saturday, April 3rd.

The league gave clubs the opportunity to continue fixtures or drop out of their respective decisions with no penalty.

After a league management committee meeting on Monday, all clubs have been contacted with the adjusted rules for the remainder of the season.

Twenty clubs have stated they don't wish to continue, equalling to 31 teams, including Beer Albion, Seaton Town, Colyton, Exmouth, Upottery.

There is talk in East Devon of a mini-league to give players some football before next season.

Axminster Town Reserves and Lyme Regis 1st and Reserves will be resuming their season.

No spectators will be allowed into grounds until May 17th and outdoor hospitality at clubhouses will not be possible until April12th with table service only in operation and social distancing strictly observed

The following rules been adopted and sanctioned by the Devon County Football Association and will only be implemented for the rest of this 2020/2021 season:

• Every team within the league had a choice to continue or not. There is no fine for teams withdrawing at this stage.

• There will be no promotion or relegation at the end of season, only movement due to withdrawals (depending on the outcome as to whether the league reverts back to non-regional divisions).

• Teams that request to continue and fail to fulfill a fixture, will be fined £20 and have a point deducted. If they fall foul on three occasions, they will be deemed unable to finish the season and be withdrawn from their division with immediate effect.

• If both teams fail to fulfill a fixture other than COVID-19 or weather issues, both will be fined £20 and deducted a point.

• Games that have been abandoned this season will be recorded as the result when the abandonment took place.

QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS

Each team must field at least seven players in their starting 11 that were registered with their club before December 31st 2020.

A team shall not include more than five players who have taken part in five or more senior competition matches during the current season

CONDITIONS OF PLAY

Teams withdrawing will have all their results cancelled from League tables.

Five named substitutes will be allowed and used as rolling substitutes, but only one can be used at a time during play (as many as you like at half time with the permission of the referee).

If the season is finished, the winners of each division will be presented with a plaque from the D&EFL and their sponsors' award (no individual medals). The East and West premier divisions will play off for the Premier Division Trophy and Sponsors Award.

All matches shall have a duration of 90 minutes. All matches shall have duration of 90 minutes unless a shorter time (not less than 60 minutes) is mutually arranged by the two clubs in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the match, and in any event shall be of equal halves. Two matches involving the same two teams can be played on the same day providing the total playing time is not more than 120 minutes.

Two matches can be played on the same day, on the same ground as stated above. Those taking advantage of this must agree with opponents the venue, referee costs as there will be two fees (one and a half fees) and travelling expenses to consider as well as the away team's travelling expenses.

League secretary Neil Anthony said: "Hopefully we can get players playing and enjoying football again. Have an enjoyable kick-about for the rest of this season and let's hope we can get back to some sort of normality next season."

He advised clubs to make sure that their risk assessments are up-to-date and ready and COVID-19 procedures are all in place.

The South West Peninsular League, in which Axminster Town competes, have called an end to their season and the Perry Street League is expected to do the same.