Altrincham & South Manchester Bowling League

Altrincham & South Manchester Bowling League

Affiliated to the Cheshire County B.A.Constitution

RULES

Co-opted with B.C.G.B.A. Rules

1.That the League be named THE ALTRINCHAM AND SOUTH MANCHESTER BOWLING LEAGUE.

2.That this League be governed by a Council comprising of:

a)President and Deputy President who shall hold office for three years. The Deputy president to automatically follow the retiring president into senior office and new Deputy President to be elected at three yearly intervals.

b)A Chairman, Deputy Chairman, League Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Treasurer and seven other members to be elected annually at the A.G.M.

c)The Management Council shall have the power to fine or suspend any offending player or club who, in their opinion are guilty of ungentlemanly , insulting or improper behaviour or intimidation likely to bring the game into disrepute, and any emergency matter not provided for in these rules. Five to form a quorum.

3.The League shall promote and organize Crown Green Bowls in compliance with the requirements of the B.C.G.B.A.

4.The league shall consist of as many teams and divisions as are deemed necessary by the League management Council. Thereafter, subsequent promotion and relegation shall take place. The top two teams in each division will be promoted with the bottom two being relegated (this to be at the discretion of the league council.

5.That any club making application to join the league, the League Council shall have the power to accept or reject such an application. Any club wishing to withdraw from or enter into the League shall give written notice to the league Secretary to that effect by 30th November each year. Teams wishing to withdraw and not complying with this rule shall be liable to the forthcoming seasons affiliation fees and footer fees.

6.Two general meetings shall be held: One in November to discuss rule changes, match rules etc. One in January for the election of the League Management Committee, presentation of financial statements & arrangements for the coming season. Each club to be allowed two delegates with the power to vote. Notices of motion affecting any rule changes will not be considered unless received in writing by the League Secretary on or before 1st October. All clubs will be informed of such notices of motion within 7 days of this date and will be allowed until 28th October to submit any amendments to any notice of motion. Any club not represented at either the November rules revision meeting or at the January A.G.M. to be fined £10.

7.The League Secretary shall convene a special meeting within 21 days of receiving such a request to that effect, signed by the secretaries of not less than 6 clubs.

8.That any club making any protest against another club either as a body or against its members individually on any grounds whatsoever, shall forward a copy of such protest to the League Secretary and to the secretary of the offending club within 7 days of the alleged offence . A sum of £10 shall be deposited with the League Secretary by the protesting body. This deposit will be forfeited where such a protest is deemed to be frivolous. The protest will be discussed by The League Council whose decision will be final. No League Council member shall vote on a matter concerning their own club.

9.The annual affiliation shall be £30 per team ( excluding fixture books ) and must be paid by 1st February each year. Each team shall be furnished with 10 rules and fixture books prior to the commencement of the season. The price of each fixture book shall be determined by the League Council and each club will be invoiced for them at the end of the season. Player’s registration fee to be 30p per player, footer fees to be 65p per player per match and they will apply to all league and cup matches. All clubs financial commitments will be invoiced at the conclusion of the League season and they must be paid and settled within 28 days of the date of the invoice sent out by the Treasurer. Clubs failing to comply with this rule will incur a fine of £20.

10.That all accounts of the league be audited annually & a balance sheet prepared & presented at the January A.G.M. The financial year to run from 1st December to 30th November each year.

11.No player shall be eligible to compete in matches unless registered. A list of registrations shall be forwarded to the League Secretary AT LEAST 7 DAYS before the 1st league game. No registrations will be accepted unless accompanied by BCGBA and CCBA numbers. Thereafter a player must be registered at least 48 hours before being allowed to play. A supplementary list will be allowed until 30th June.

11a.A Presentation night will be held at the end of the season for the presentation of all trophies & prizes. The evening will be mixed and will be held at a suitable venue capable of presenting a cabaret and accommodating at least 100+ guests. Each club that participates in the league will be sent 5 tickets for the presentation evening. Each club will be invoiced for those 5 tickets and any others that they apply for by the Treasurer. Any club that is not represented at the Annual League presentation night or any individual winner who is not present or not represented by his or her club at that presentation night shall forfeit any prize money won during the season and that prize money shall be returned to the Leagues bank account. This will be subject to the Management’s discretion.

11b.All past winners of trophies shall hold them until the end of September or arrange for individual trophies to be available for presentation on the final day of each competition. After which each winner whether it is a club or individual shall return the trophies to the League Secretary in a clean and sound condition. No trophies shall remain outstanding after the 1st October. All trophies will subsequently be presented at the League presentation evening along with any other prize money that has been won during the season. Any club failing to comply with this rule shall be responsible for any costs incurred and shall also be fined. The League shall be responsible for the cost of any engraving that is required but it is the responsibility of the winners of each trophy to arrange appropriate insurance whilst the trophy is in their possession.

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MATCH & COMPETITION RULES

12.All matches to be played under the rules of the B.C.G.B.A.

13.Those games to be 21 up with 8 players a side. Teams will be allowed practice on the day of the match. The home team only shall have sole use of the green up to 20 minutes before the starting time, thereafter; the away team shall have sole use of the green for the next 15 minutes. A player shall not practice on an opponents green on the day of the match, even if that said player is a member of the opponents club.

14.That a programme of fixtures of all matches to be played during the season be drawn up by the League Council. All league matches shall be played on a Tuesday night commencing at 7pm, unless otherwise mutually agreed by club secretaries. Clubs with no floodlights will start matches at 6.30pm in April with 5 blocks and also at 6.30pm from 1st August with 5 blocks. Any mutually agreed alteration of fixtures must be notified in writing to the Fixture secretary prior to the commencement of the season with the onus on the home team to provide a date. Matches mutually agreed to be brought forward shall be exempt from this rule.
Any match abandoned due to inclement weather must be restarted from the position when abandoned. Any postponed matches must be notified in writing to the fixture secretary by both the secretaries of the home and away teams within 24 hours of the postponement being agreed with the reason for that postponement. Any match drawn to be played on a neutral green which is postponed for whatever reason, then the above ruling shall apply and it will be the responsibility of the secretary of the first named team drawn out (who shall be deemed to be the home team) to notify the secretary of the neutral green club of such postponement. All postponed cup matches must be played prior to the next round commencing. All postponed league matches must be played within 28 days of the original date. All matches must be completed within 7 days of the last fixture date. Any breaches of these rules will result in both clubs being liable to fines not exceeding £20.

15.In all matches the captains of teams shall be referees and shall have control of the games. The captains shall appoint a deputy during the progress of their games. Such a name shall be given to the opposing team captain & their decision being final.

16.Captains of teams will name their teams in the order in which they want to play. If a player is not present when called upon to play, then that player must be replaced, but will not prevent that player from playing later in the match. Four jacks to maintained throughout the match.

17.The result of League matches shall be determined by the aggregate score.

18.All league match results will be entered onto the web site by either the home team captain ( or someone on tbeir behalf) after the match has been completed. The home captain MUST keep the original match sheet as this may be called upon by the League Secretary to resolve any disputes.

Any mistake spotted in the week following the match can be corrected by either of the captains, after a week, then the original match sheet must be sent to the League Secretary and he will have the power to change the web site accordingly.

Please refer to the Bowrap Direct Entry of Match results user guide for any further assistance,
www.cgleague.co.uk/demo/direct-entry.php

19.Any team playing a defaulter or non registered player, that players score shall be deleted from the match card and the opponents score shall read 21-0. A fine of £5 shall be imposed per player per offence.

20.Clubs playing short of players to be responsible for the opposing team’s footer fees for those shortages.

21.Clubs with 2 teams
A player will be allowed to play 3 games with the ‘A’ team and still be eligible to play with the ‘B’ team at any time during the season, only if the ‘B’ team has used less than 15 players. A player having played more than 3 games with the ‘A’ team will only be allowed to play for the ‘B’ team providing the player has a minus average. Only 2 such players will be allowed to play in any one match. A player may play for both the ‘A’ team and ‘B’ team on the same day subject to the above criteria and a maximum of 3 games per season. Penalty for infringement: players sciore to be deleted & 21 points awarded to opposing player. A fine of £5 per player per offence will be imposed.

22.That any player taking part in a league match for one club, cannot play a league match for any other club during the same season, except where that club has resigned from the league, when the player can then transfer to another club for the remainder of the season.

23.That a prize in each division shall be awarded to the player with the most wins in league matches. Players must have played at least 75% of the league games to qualify. In the event of a tie, the player with the best average will be deemed the winner. Any fraction or decimal point to be rounded up. Walkovers not included.

24.That any club playing in a league match or in a cup competition and is short of the required ten players to form the team, then the opposing team to enter their named player and the score to be inserted as 21-0 with the abbreviation W.O.(walkover)to be written at the side of the said entry.

24a.Club secretaries and team captains shall not make private or mutual arrangements for allocation of points in connection with any match or individual game.

25.In the event of any club failing to keep its engagements in league and cup matches, the club shall be dealt with by the league council who shall have the power to inflict a fine for the first and second offences, but for any further offences the club may be expelled from the League and all records expunged. The club will be notified of the Management Council’s decision and any fine or fines will be indicated on the end of season invoice for subsequent payment.

26.In the event of a tie for the Championship ( div 1 ) or any promotion place in any other division, then the teams concerned must play off (10 a side) on a neutral green as chosen by the Management Council and within 14 days of the final League game. All relegation issues will be dealt with separately by the Management Council.

27.All prize money will be fixed by the League council as recommended by the league Treasurer.

28.That any matter arising and not embraced in the above rules to be settled by the League council whose decision shall be final.

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COMPETITIONS
LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP, KEARNS CUP & A T NOLAN TROPHY

1.League Knockout competitions named: The Kearns cup and A T Nolan Trophy will take place during the season. ENTRY TO COMPETITIONS WILL BE OPTIONAL, 8 players a side, games 21 up. Entry fees to be set annually for each competition at Management’s discretion.

2.All teams to register a squad of a maximum of 16 players and submit entries to the league secretary by not later than by a closing date set by the League Council. The registrations to be taken from the list of team registrations. Any club entering a team comprising of a mixture of players from 2 teams will be handicapped according to the number of 1st team players registered. No name may be altered after the 1st round has been played except in unforeseen circumstances. Details of each teams' cup squads will be included on the A.S.M. web site prior to the 1st round matches taking place and any changes to those squads to be notified in writing to the League Secretary and he will update the web site accordingly. If any squad is altered after the handicapping has been set, then the Management Council or a quorum thereof must meet to discuss and consider if any re-handicapping needs to be set.

3.All matches on a handicap basis, played on neutral greens. Handicapping / draw of teams will be conducted by the League council & will be revised annually. Clubs taking part in the A T Nolan Trophy will retain their handicap allocated in the Kearns cup. No reduction in handicap for winners, runners up & semi- finalists in the A T Nolan Trophy. Teams entering the A T Nolan Trophy will be 1st & 2nd round losers in the Kearns cup.

4.The results of each match to be decided by the aggregate score.

5.Programme of fixtures (as match & competition rule 14).

6.Draw & order of play (as match & competition rule 16). Captains to toss a coin so that each team has an equal number of first leads of the jack. Even numbers one team, odd numbers the other. Four blocks to be maintained throughout. In the event of a tie both captains to select two players each, to play off to decide the result (¼ of any handicap to be taken into account for each team).

7.For competitions only: the Captain of the team drawn out first will be responsible for entering the match result onto the web site as soon as possible after the match has been completed and the home team Captain to retain the original signed match sheet for at least 28 days as that may be called upon by the League Secretary to resolve any disputes.

8.Referees, (as match & competition rule 15).

9.Clubs playing short of players to be responsible for the opposing team’s footer fees for those shortages.

10.There will be NO PRACTICE prior to any game.

11.If during any round of either competition, the game is not played on the date allocated & the teams involved cannot agree on a rearranged date, the league Secretary must be informed immediately so that the league council can allocate a date & green on which the game should be played.

12.Unregistered players (as match & competition rule 19).

13.On any matter not covered by these rules, the decision of the League council shall be final.

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DRESS CODE FINALS ONLY

Suitable footwear must be worn. Hard or block heeled foot-wear , sandals or other open – toed footwear or flip flops MUST NOT BE WORN by any player whilst on the bowling green in any match played under the B.C.G.B.A. jurisdiction.

The following will be the only permitted mode of clothing in finals:

Trousers must be full length and black in colour, Tailored shorts black in colour may be worn. Studs, rivets and zipped pockets are not allowed nor are external pockets on the legs.

Ladies must wear suitable footwear as above, trousers, tailored shorts, tailored cropped trousers or skirts shall be black in colour and at least knee length.

Shirts must be collared and may be embellished with non- offensive logos or emblems and may include the club’s insignia. Where necessary, jumpers and wet weather gear which conform to the above may also be worn.

Nothing in the above rules shall be interpreted to allow the wearing of track suits, shell suits or denim jeans.

Nothing in the above rules shall prevent exceptions being made for individuals with a relevant disability on production of a current medical note.

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INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIONS

1.An open merit competition will take place with players invited to participate from all 3 divisions.

2.Players must have played in at least 2 league games to be eligible to enter & play in the merit competitions.

3.A list of all merit entries must be sent to the league secretary by a date to be arranged by the league council.

4.Entry fee for all individual competitions to be reviewed annually by the League council.

5.Final dates and greens to be selected by the League Council.

6.No player shall be allowed any practice on the chosen green at least 7 days prior to commencing the merit competition. However when a player has drawn a bye through to the next round and then meets a player who has already played a game then the player will be allowed to practice for 10 minutes before their game.

7.Any player who qualifies for a merit day final & who fails to attend on that day, shall unless there are extenuating circumstances, or with the league councils discretion, forfeit any prize money.

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AWARD OF MERIT
(PRESIDENTS HANDICAP)

An award of merit handicap will be held after the completion of all league fixtures. This handicap will be for the player with the most wins in each team that participates in the league. Claims for these awards must be submitted in writing on the form provided by the league secretary on the date specified. No claims will be considered after this date. The league council will fix the handicapping of all players. Entry fee to be set by the league council annually and all clubs will be invoiced at the end of the season. The league council will fix the prize money.