Administration
Name and purpose
The association shall be called the “Sale and Urmston Bowling Association.” Its purpose is to promote crown green bowling amongst member clubs drawn from the local area.
Management
The association shall be governed by a committee consisting of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and one representative from each division. Additional officers (President, Vice-chairman, Fixture secretary, Competition secretary) may be elected as deemed appropriate.
General meetings
An annual general meeting shall be held in January, to include the following business:
All member clubs are expected to be represented (subject to a fine for non-attendance). Clubs have one vote per team entered. Officers do not have a vote in their own right. In the event of a tie, the chairman shall have a casting vote, to be cast in favour of the status-quo.
An extraordinary general meeting may be convened by the committee or on request from three clubs.
All clubs and officers shall be given fourteen days notice of a general meeting, accompanied by the agenda.
Rule changes
Any proposal for alteration of these rules shall be submitted to a general meeting, and approved by a simple majority.
Accounts
The treasurer shall prepare a summary of the accounts for submission to the annual general meeting.
Audit; submission to AGM; timetable for club payments
Applications for membership
Clubs wishing to enter team(s) in the league programmes shall do so before the annual general meeting, accompanied by a deposit.
Resignations
Any club wishing to withdraw a team from the league programmes shall give notice before the annual general meeting. Failure to give notice in time shall render the club liable to the full season fee.
Disputes
Any club making a protest against another club, either as a body or against its members individually or on any grounds whatsoever, shall forward a copy of such protest to the Association Secretary (accompanied by a deposit) and to the Secretary of the offending body within seven days of the alleged offence. The deposit shall be forfeited if such a protest is deemed frivolous.
Care of trophies
Trophies remain the property of the association. All holders of trophies are required to take good care of them and to return them, in a clean condition, when required before the annual general meeting.
Dissolution
Should it be for any reason that the league has to disband, then the league management at that time will distribute all monies and assets held in the name of the league to the clubs (registered with the league at that time) in equal proportions once all debts have been cleared.
League rules
Leagues
The association shall run two league competitions: playing on Monday and Wednesday evenings respectively. Each league shall be organised into one or more divisions, according to the number of teams available. There shall normally be two teams promoted and relegated between divisions, subject to availability of teams.
Method of play
Games shall be played according to the laws published by the British Crown Green Bowling Association, and shall be 21-up. The visitor to have first lead of the jack.
The captains shall each present their score cards in preferred playing order. Four jacks shall be maintained on the green at all times; a player who is unavailable when called may be substituted.
Teams shall consist of ten players in the Monday league, and eight players in the Wednesday league.
Reporting of results
The home captain shall ensure that the match result is reported on the web site within 24 hours of the completion of the match. They shall retain the match result sheet until the end of the season, and provide it to the league secretary on request. Errors in reporting a match result, if not resolved informally between the teams, shall be notified to the league secretary.
League tables
The league tables shall be calculated on the basis of the total chalks scored by each team. Teams which are tied on total chalks scored shall share any prize money due, and custody of any trophy. If teams are tied in promotion or relegation positions the following criteria shall be used as needed: total chalks scores against the team; matches won; chalks scored in matches between the teams.
Start time
Matches shall start at 7.00pm in May, June and July and on all dates at venues with floodlights, or at 6.30pm otherwise.
The home team (and away captain) shall have sole use of the green for practice until 15 minutes before the start time. The away team shall have sole use of the green for the remaining 15 minutes, and the match jacks shall be made available.
Cancellation and rearrangement of matches
No matches to be postponed except through weather conditions, when the home team captain shall make the final decision. Applications for postponement for other reasons to be agreed first with the opposing team and then by written application to the fixture secretary, at least 14 days prior to the match date. Teams not complying with this rule will be subject to a fine and will forfeit 5 chalks per player.
Matches postponed due to adverse weather conditions must be re-arranged within 7 days and played within 28 days of the original match date the fixture secretary to be notified of the new date. If a new date cannot be agreed by the two clubs the committee will arrange the date and time of the match. In the event of a match being abandoned, the result of all the completed games shall stand and all other names be re-drawn on the new date.
Player registration
Player registrations shall be notified by 31 July (separately for the Monday and Wednesday leagues) in any form to the secretary. Players are eligible to play from the day after registration.
Playing restrictions
Eligibility to play for a Monday team is based solely on records in the Monday league, and likewise for Wednesdays. For example, a player may register for one club on Mondays and a different club on Wednesdays.
Within a league, a player may not transfer from one club to another, except with the approval of the club being left and of the committee.
Within a league, a player may not play in two matches with the same fixture date.
Within a league, a player may not play for a second team if they have played three or more games for the first team, and have an aggregate (chalks scored minus chalks conceded) greater than zero.
Defaulters from any club shall be barred from bowling in the association’s leagues or competitions until such obligations are settled.
Averages award
A prize shall be awarded for the best individual average score (chalks scored minus chalks conceded, divided by games played) in each division. In order to qualify, a player must have played in (or received a walkover in) 75% or more of the matches.
Clubs shall make their greens available as required by the league for team and individual competitions, and shall provide match jacks, footers and measuring equipment.
Team knock-outs
The association will run a team knock-out competition for each division.
All matches except the final shall be played with half the games at one team’s venue and half at the other venue. Away players to have first lead of the jack. Matches to start at 7.00pm if there is only one match on the green, and in May, June and July, and at venues with floodlights. Other matches to start at 6.30pm.
The final shall be played at a neutral venue, and may be played at a weekend with a 1.00pm start. The captains shall toss a coin to decide which team leads the jack in odd-numbered games and which in even-numbered games.
Handicaps shall be calculated as late as practicable, based on league results. The leading team to be on scratch and subsequent teams to receive a start equal to the (rounded) difference between their average chalks per match and that of the leading team.
The result of the match shall be based on chalks scored, plus handicaps. If teams are tied, the team with more individual winners wins the match. If still tied in the final, the team with the higher handicap before rounding is the winner. If still tied, the first-named team in the pairing is the winner.
Players must have played in at least three league games prior to the start of the knock-out competition. Where a club has two teams in a league, a player may not play for both teams in the knock-out competition. Eligibility for the second team as per league rule 2.8.4.
There will be no practice prior to any game.
Individual competitions
Entry fees for individual competitions are consolidated in the team league fees; there is no separate fee for individual entries.
Final days will normally be planned to have a minimum of eight entrants and a maximum of 16. Qualifying rounds will be organised if necessary.
The Monday night league shall run a Merit and a Pairs competition. In both competitions, games are 21-up, with no handicap.
The Wednesday night league shall run a first division Merit, second division Merit, a League Handicap, and a Pairs Handicap. Games are 21-up. Handicaps to be set at scratch for first division players and +3 for second division players. No handicaps in the Merits.
Players are eligible to compete in individual and pairs competitions provided they have played in at least four league matches (in the corresponding league) at the closing date for entries.