THE FA has received a few queries relating to the legitimacy of the appearance of Barnsley's 15-year-old striker, Reuben Noble-Lazarus in their recent Championship match against Ipswich Town. FA Rule C4 that relates to players of school age clearly distinguishes between players within and those outside The FA's Programme for Excellence, therefore Noble-Lazarus' first-team debut was wholly legitimate. The decision of The FA Council - where age-related rule changes are sanctioned - accepted that the Programme for Excellence has clear provisions in terms of staffing requirements etc. that enable those clubs to monitor young players' development more closely and to ensure appropriate steps are taken before playing a 15-year-old in open age football. Those standards cannot be guaranteed outside the Programme for Excellence
