Refunds & Deregistration

The Club understands that there are times when players may need to cancel their registration. While we strive to assist our players as much as possible, we must operate within certain rules and circumstances that are not always within our control.

In 2025, Football Australia implemented changes to the registration refund process, resulting in longer wait times for refunds. Previously, clubs were responsible for issuing refunds directly to members. However, the new system requires that refunds be processed by Football Australia, necessitating approval from each level of organisation involved before releasing the fee refund. This change has impacted the speed at which registration refunds are received. Coaching refunds remain the responsibility of the club.

APRIL 3RD DEADLINE

To receive a FULL refund of the LFC component of fees (minus admin fee*) you must initiate the Refund and ensure you are Deregistered before the season commences.
Pro Rata Refunds will be considered only for exceptional circumstances after this date.

REFUND POLICY

Registration Fees

Non-Injury Refund Requests (e.g. duplicate registrations, change of clubs):

  • Preseason: Players who request a refund before the season starts are eligible for a full refund of NSFA and LFC component of fees minus a $50 admin fee

  • During Season: A partial refund may be requested due to extenuating circumstances after the season has commenced. It will exclude the NSFA and LFC fixed costs portion and will be applied on a pro rata basis and is subject to a $50 admin fee.

Injury Refund Requests

  • Preseason: Players injured in preseason training/match who request a refund before the season starts, are eligible for a full refund of NSFA and LFC fees minus a $50 admin fee. IMPORTANT: in the submission form please clearly state that the football injury is the reason for the refund request so that the FA and FNSW components are not refunded, maintaining the validity of your football insurance.

  • During Season: A partial refund may be requested due to extenuating circumstances after the season has commenced. It will exclude the NSFA and LFC fixed costs portion and will be applied on a pro rata basis and is subject to a $50 admin fee. We recommend players still state that they do not want the refund request to impact the validity of their insurance.

Recommended wording for the Refund Request submission form:
“I am requesting a refund for my club registration fees due to a football-related, season-ending injury. I understand that the FA and FNSW insurance components are non-refundable to maintain the validity of my insurance.”

NOTES: 

  • All refunds are subject to a *$50 Administration Fee, applied at the club's discretion.

  • All players requesting a refund must be deregistered from LFC

  • FA and FNSW determine their own refund component. Once the season commences there is no refund of either component. Preseason - at this stage it is not clear to us what the policy is for refund amounts of these 2 components.

  • Upon commencement of the season, LFC will consider refunds for exceptional circumstances and on a pro-rata basis.

Coaching Fees

No refunds given for the First Instalment - the flow on impact of withdrawing from a team affects the entire team and the administration team behind the scenes and it can be difficult to find a replacement.

If having to withdraw due to season-ending injury or other extenuating circumstances, a pro-rata discount may be possible for the 2nd instalment. Please discuss with your Age Coordinator.

How to Request a Refund and Deregister

To leave Lindfield FC you must DEREGISTER and you may also request REFUND of your Registration Fees. A player cannot register with another club until the de-registration has been approved by LFC and also has 2nd tier approval from NSFA, which can take up to 7 days

SUBMIT REQUEST

  • Follow these guidelines on How to deregister and request a refund in my Play Football Account.

  • If you also wish to claim a Refund on Coaching Fees - please email Accounts NB the initial instalment is non- refundable as per the Player Offer Agreement. Remaining fees can be refunded on a pro rata basis. Please note, the fees aren’t able to simply be broken down to a weekly cost as we have many sunk costs to provide the coaching service, the coaching hours are just one small element. LFC is a non for profit organisation, our coaching fees cover our expenses, plus a small allowance for contingencies.


EVALUATION BY ORGANISATIONS

Each organisation evaluates and approves/declines the request based on its refund policy.

  • Lindfield FC. Where possible, LFC will approve a full refund if deregistration and refund request has been initiated before the season starts. *A discretionary $50 admin fee applies.

  • NSFA will automatically decline the request as their fees are paid by LFC separately eg TEAM fees, ground/light hire, Facility fees etc, etc SO DO NOT BE CONCERNED. This will not impact your claim. It happens this way as other Associations handle it differently.

  • FNSW and FA - Football Australia Policy says: “it is unlikely that a refund of the National Registration Fee component will be provided if a Participant has participated in an organised football activity (including training and/or any Match)”


SUBMISSION

  • Approved amounts are submitted to Football Australia for processing.


FINAL DISBURSEMENT

  • Once all approvals consolidated, Football Australia processes the refund back to the participant's original payment card

  • Refunds are disbursed weekly once the outcome and funds have been provided by each entity - there is currently a 2-3 week delay on the processing of refunds. If yours has been longer than 1 week - please contact our Registrar info@lindfieldfc.com.au to escalate with NSFA.


DON’T FORGET

Please ensure you advise your Age Coordinator and Manager so they can remove you from the team and allow them time to find another player to take your spot.


SPECIAL NOTES

  • Participants can track their request status in real time through their member profile

  • Refunds are processed back to the original payment method (card used during the registration).

  • By law, Active Kids Vouchers cannot be refunded for cash, they can however be transferred to another institution.
    If you require this to happen, please advise the Registrar as soon as you have filled in the Active Kids Voucher Transfer Form.

  • Why must the de-registration be completed by April 3rd to get a full refund? This is the cutoff date set by Football Australia.

Fee Refund Policy 

Admin Fee is $50 per refund request.

Player Registration Fees

Full refund on Registration Fees (Play Football Registration) up until April 3rd (NOTE: you must be FULLY deregistered by this date).

A partial refund after April 3rd, may be requested due to extenuating circumstances. Fixed Cost cannot be refunded as the Club incurs Association Fees, Insurance Charges etc for each player at April 3rd.

Coaching Fees

No refunds given for the First Instalment - the flow on impact of withdrawing from a team affects the entire team and the administration team behind the scenes and it can be difficult to find a replacement.

If having to withdraw due to season-ending injury or other extenuating circumstances, a pro-rata discount may be possible for the 2nd instalment. Please discuss with your Age Coordinator.