PRESTON & DISTRICT AMATEYR
BOWLING LEAGUE
CONSTITUTIONAL RULES
1 Title
and Scope of the League
1.1 The
name of the Association will be “Preston and District Amateur Bowling
League”; hereinafter referred to as “the League”.
1.2 Membership
of the League will be open to any team playing on home greens within a radius
of 13 km (8 miles) of Preston Minster.
1.3 The
Preston & District Online Bowls website hereafter referred to as website.
2 Governance
of the League
2.1.1 The
Governing body of the League shall be composed of the President, Chairman,
Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and one representative; hereinafter
referred to as the “delegate”, from each club in any division of the League.
2.1.2 Any
member of the League may attend the Annual General Meeting of the Governing
body of the League; hereinafter referred to as the AGM or any Delegates’
Meeting – see Rule 2.4 – and make representations to it on any issue discussed
by the meeting. Only the nominated delegate of each club will be empowered to
vote; should a vote be taken. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairman of
the AGM or Delegates’ Meeting will have the casting vote.
2.2.1 Only
the League Governing body at the AGM are empowered to amend, to add or delete
any Rules of the League. Proposals for any change(s) with the proposing and
seconding clubs clearly indicated must be submitted in writing to the Secretary
at least five (5) weeks before the date of the AGM. A two-thirds majority is
required for any rule change.
2.2.2 The AGM will be held each year before the
last weekend of February.
2.2.3 Notice
of the AGM will be issued by the Secretary, in writing, to the delegates at
least four weeks before the published date of the AGM. The notice will include
any offices eligible for re-election and the respective nominations received
under Rule 2.3.2. In the absence of multiple nominations, those nominated will
be deemed to be elected. The date of the AGM will be published in the previous
season’s Handbook.
2.3.1 An
Executive Committee shall be appointed by the AGM to administer the League in
accordance with these rules, composed of the President, Chairman,
Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and a maximum of six members drawn from the
delegate body. The President, Secretary and Treasurer will have no voting
empowerment. The Chairman will have only a casting vote in the event of a
stalemate on any issue.
2.3.2 Nominations
for the offices and Executive Committee members are invited from the clubs and
should be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least five weeks before the
published date of the AGM.
2.3.3 The
Executive Committee shall be empowered to deal with any matter arising which is
not covered by these rules.
2.4 Should
the Executive Committee consider any issue is beyond its remit, it shall call a
meeting of the Governing Body which will be known as a “Delegates’ Meeting”.
The rules for notice and agenda for such a meeting will be those as defined for
the AGM at 2.2. No business other than that notified in the agenda will be
discussed.
2.5 All
approaches to the Executive Committee must be made through the Secretary.
2.6 Any
club not represented at the AGM or any Delegates’ Meeting without the consent
of the Executive Committee will be fined £20.
2.7 The
Officers of the League; i.e. the President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary
and Treasurer are the Trustees of its assets and are responsible for their safe
keeping.
2.8 The
Offices of the League; i.e. Chairman, Secretary, Results Secretary and
Treasurer, and Committee shall carry honoraria as determined by the Governing
body of the League at the AGM.
2.9 All
income to the League including Affiliation and Registration fees, fines and
disposal of assets will be kept in a common fund for the general administration
of the League.
3 Registration
of Teams
3.1
The Secretary will issue team registration forms to the clubs at the beginning
of November. These will be returned to the Secretary before the 1st weekend in
December. Clubs will indicate on the forms if their team(s) will also register
for the individual Merit Competition (see Rule 7) and the League Knockout
Competition (see Rule 9). Failure to comply will render the offending team(s)
to a fine of £20.
3.2 Affiliation
fees to the League will be determined by the Governing body of the League at
the AGM.
3.3 Each
club will appoint a captain for each team registered with the League.
3.4 The
preferred night of play is Tuesday. Where a green hosts more than two teams,
those teams holding the higher positions in the League will play on Tuesday
Night where possible.
3.5 Any
team not represented at the Presentation Night without the consent of the
Executive Committee will
forfeit any prize owed them
4 Registration
of Bowlers
4.1 All
bowlers must be registered with the British Crown Green Bowling Association and
their membership number must be included along with their name on the Bowler
Registration Form. Failure to comply will render the offending team(s) to a
fine of £20.
4.2 Bowler
Registration Forms and notice of the date and venue of the Registration Night
will be issued to clubs whom have registered teams with the League, at or
before the AGM. These will be submitted – completed with all bowlers’ names and
BCGBA numbers - back to the Secretary on Registration Night along with the
registration fee(s) determined by the Governing body of the League at the AGM.
A team may register any number of players,
but a surcharge on the
registration fee will be made against teams registering more than 16 players.
The registration fee and surcharge include a League Hand Book for each
bowler.
4.3 In
the case of a club registering more than one team with the League, a bowler can
only be registered with one team and will only be permitted to play for the
team with which he is registered.
4.4 Late
registration of bowlers must be submitted to the Secretary in writing. No
bowler will be permitted to bowl in any League or Knockout fixture until the
Secretary has acknowledged their registration. No [new] bowler registration
will be permitted after 31st May without the express consent of the Executive
Committee.
4.5 Transfer
of a bowler between teams will be permitted following a written application to
the League Secretary. The bowler may not play for his new team until the
Secretary has acknowledged the request. No transfer will be permitted after
31st May without the express consent of the Executive Committee.
4.6 All
League members are entitled to participate in all tournaments held under the
auspices of the North Lanc's & Fylde Crown Green Bowling Association in so
far as the League is entitled to allow it or if they are not otherwise
ineligible.
4.7 Any
bowler not attending the Presentation Night without the consent of the
Executive Committee will forfeit any prize owed them.
4.8 When
any bowler is reported to the Executive Committee for un-gentlemanly conduct
and found guilty, the Executive Committee shall be empowered to cancel his
registration and bar him from playing for any team in the League.
5 Conduct
of League Matches
5.1.1 All
games will be played to twenty one (21) up under the rules of the British Crown
Green Bowling Association.
5.1.2 Standard
Jacks as defined in Appendix A of the BCGBA Rules, 2s full bias carrying a
current
expiry date stamp must be
available for practice and used in all league competitions. Jacks
are not to be stamped on more
than four occasions. Three on the bias side and fourth
and final on none bias side.
5.2.1 All
teams will consist of ten (10) bowlers all of which will be registered with the
League as defined at 4 above. If any team fields an unregistered bowler or
bowlers, should he/they win, the point (s) will be awarded to his/their
opponent (s) who will receive 21: 10 towards the Merit. The offending team
could; at the Executive Committee’s discretion, be fined and/or penalised to a
maximum of 10 points.
5.2.2 The
visiting team will have exclusive use of the green for practice for fifteen
(15) minutes only before the match commencement time. The visiting team
captain/nominated representative shall be allowed to commence their fifteen
minute practice twenty minutes before the match commencement time.
5.2.3 The
visiting team will lead the block.
5.3.1 Each
team shall play home and away matches against each other team in its respective
division of the League in accordance with the fixture list in the League
Handbook.
5.3.2 Two (2) points will be awarded for a
home win, three (3) points for an away win, one (1) point for a home draw and
two (2) points for an away draw plus one (1) point for each winning scorecard.
The home team captain/nominated representative will enter the match
results on the website. The match result cards to be counter signed by the away
team
captain/nominated representative
and retained by the home captain. In the event of match scores not being
entered on the website within 48 hours following the match, the home team will
be fined £10.
5.4.1 Fixtures must be played on or before the date
published in the fixture book/website. Results to be entered on the website for
matches played on a mutually agreed date before that published in the fixture
book/website must be entered on the relevant website date.
A match can only be postponed;
without recourse to the Executive Committee, by a green; agreed by both
captains/nominated representatives or referee (if appointed), to be unplayable,
adverse weather conditions or an unforeseen emergency. See also Rule 5.5.
5.4.2 If an unplayable green, adverse weather
conditions or unforeseen emergency forces a postponement the team
captains/nominated representatives will agree a new date for the match to be
played within 21 days of the Friday following the published date of the said
match. The home team captain/nominated representative shall report the new,
mutually agreed date to the Secretary within 48 hours of the published match
scratch time.
5.4.3 In all cases of a match being interrupted by
adverse weather conditions or unforeseen emergency, the continuation must
commence at the stage when the match was suspended and with game scores at the
point of suspension carried forward. Before the visiting team leave the match
venue, both team captains/nominated representatives will agree a new date for
the match to be completed, within 21 days of the Friday following the published
date of the said match. The home team captain/nominated representative shall
report the new, mutually agreed date to the Secretary within 48 hours of the
published match scratch time. If an unforeseen emergency results in the
consequential unavailability of a player, a substitute – who will
recommence on the carried forward score - will be allowed. If no substitute is
available, the missing bowler’s score at the cessation will stand and his
opponent will receive 21. Rule 5.8.3 will be applied from the recommencement
time.
5.4.4 Any team failing to comply with the
requirements of Rule 5.4 could; at the Executive Committee’s discretion, be
fined and/or penalised by a reduction of points at the Executive Committee’s
discretion.
5.5.1 If
either team captain/nominated representative wishes to postpone a match for any
reason other than that defined in Rule 5.4, they must inform the opposing team
captain/nominated representative and the Secretary a minimum of one week before
the published match date. No match will be postponed other than as defined in
rule 5.4 above without both captains/ nominated representatives having been
informed by the Secretary of the Executive Committee’s approval and the “play
by” date set by the Committee.
5.5.2 Any team
failing to comply with the Executive Committee’s directive under Rule 5.5.1
with
respect to the requested postponement could; at the Executive Committee’s
discretion
be fined and/or penalised to a minimum of 10 points.
5.6
No re-arranged match; as defined in 5.4 and 5.5 above will be played later than
the Sunday at the start of the last week of the League fixtures without the
consent of the Executive Committee.
5.7
Floodlights will be used as necessary when available. Matches at venues with
floodlights; as indicated in the Handbook, will commence at 7pm prompt. Where
floodlights are not provided, matches will start at 6.45pm prompt and five (5)
games will be played concurrently during the months of March, April, August and
September.
5.8.1 The
draw for opponents shall be made by the team captains/nominated
representatives presenting their teams in playing order; one to ten (1 – 10).
Once paired, no bowler can be moved to another pairing. Only substitutes are
permitted.
5.8.2 Normally,
four (4) games will be played concurrently unless Rule 5.7 applies. However, if
the conditions are such that both teams captains/nominated representatives
consider that to complete the fixture, five (5) games will have to be
played concurrently, it is permissible. Pairs one to four (1 – 4) – or five (5)
when necessary – will commence promptly at the match
start time. Pairs five (5), six (6) and seven
(7) – or six to ten (6 – 10) when necessary – will commence when called or
within one (1) hour of the match start time. Pairs eight (8), nine (9) and ten
(10) will commence when called or within one and a half (1.5) hours of the
match start time.
5.8.3 Any
player not making themselves available up to one and a half (1.5) hours after
the match commencement time shall be declared absent and replaced by a
substitute if one is available.
5.8.4 In
the event of a team being short of bowlers, the score shall count as twenty one
– nil (21–0) against the offending team in respect of each missing bowler
cannot claim the pairing as a win towards the Merit. The opponent of any absent
bowler receives twenty one – ten score toward the Merit aggregate.
5.8.5 Any
team failing to play a match in consequence of its League position or for any
other reason not covered by Rules 5.4 and 5.5 above, when no exception
circumstances prevail and unapproved by the Executive Committee will be liable
to expulsion from the League.
5.9 In the event of two or more
teams tying for first or second in any division, the team with the most points
will be deemed successful. If that be equal, then the team with the most wins,
least losses then best aggregate will apply as indicated on the website. The same principle will apply to relegation
positions.
5.10
In the event of a dispute, the team captains/nominated representatives
shall act as referees unless an official referee has been appointed. Should the
dispute still not be settled, a neutral arbitrator shall be called upon.
5.11 Any
team that has been fined for whatever offence and has not paid that fine by 31st September in
that year will have points deducted from the same season’s total.
5.12 Any player awarded a game because of his
opponent’s transgression of any rule cannot
claim the win towards the Merit, but can
receive the score at the games cessation towards
the Merit aggregate.
6 League
Merit Awards
6.1 Claims for Merit awards will be
determined by the website divisional table.
6.2 In
the event of two or more bowlers having the same number of wins, the
bowler with the
higher
aggregate will be deemed the Merit winner ref rule 6.1
7
Merit Competition
Any team having registered for the
Merit Competition (see Rule 3.1) and failing to be represented will be fined
£20.
8 Protests
and Appeals
8.1 Any
protest or appeal must be submitted to the Secretary in
writing with a £20 deposit which will
be refunded should the protest be substantiated or appeal upheld. No
protest, complaint or accusation will be acted upon on word of mouth or hearsay
alone.
8.2 All
teams must co-operate with any consequential Executive Committee investigation.
8.3 Should
a protest or appeal be substantiated, it will be dealt with in accordance with
the appropriate league Rule.
8.4 By
receipt of the League Handbook containing these rules under Rule 4.2, each
bowler and their respective teams will be deemed familiar with the rules.
Consequently, ignorance of them will not be tolerated as a defence.
8.5 Any
club or team found to have deliberately violated the rules of the
League could; at the Executive Committee’s discretion, render itself
liable expulsion from the League.
8.6 Any
bowler found to have deliberately violated the rules of the League could; at
the Executive Committee’s discretion, render them self liable to expulsion
from the League.
9 Team
Knockout Competition;
hereinafter called “the Competition”.
9.1 Limited
to teams having registered for the Competition when registering for the League;
see Rules 3.1 above.
9.1.1 Bowlers
registered with a team not entered into the Competition may play in the
Competition for a team at the same club, provided that team is not in a lower
division.
9.2.1 The
first team out of the draw in each pair will be the "home" team. Each
round of the
competition will be completed to
a separate draw.
9.2.2 The
Semi-final and the final will be played on neutral greens
9.2.3 The
conduct for Knockout Competition matches will be generally as that defined for
League matches in Rules 5 with the exception of Rules 5.3.2 for determining the
winner; see Rule 9.3 and 5.2.3 for the semi-final and final or for opponents
using the same green; see Rule 9.2.4.
9.2.4 In the event of teams sharing the same green
being drawn against each other.
Both
teams to receive the home handicap, with a further 0.5 chalk to be received by
the lowest league positioned team. Both teams shall have alternate blocks
The Semi-Finals & Final will be played on neutral greens.
In the Semi-Finals and Final, cards are to be paired up
before 6:25pm.
Practice for pairings numbered 6 to 10 will be
6:30pm - 6:42pm.
Practice for pairings numbered 1 to 5 will be
6:45pm - 6:57pm.
Markers and measurers are to be provided by all
teams. see also Rule 9.4.
9.2.5 Any
player eligible to play in K/O Cup Semi-Final, Final must have played 3 League
or
Cup matches or the team they are
representing
9.3.1 The result of each match
will be determined in the first instance solely by the total number of points
(chalks) scored; inclusive of the handicap defined at Rule 9.4.
9.3.2 The home team captain/nominated
representative will enter the match result on the online bowls website without
delay. The match result cards to be counter signed by the away team
captain/nominated representative and retained by the home captain..
9.4 Handicaps
Teams will “receive” their handicaps:
i.e. the handicap will be added to their score,
in accordance with the following
tables. The away team to receive an additional
handicap of 0.5 pt. See
website for complete Handicaps details
Handicaps
for the semi-final and final will be subject to review by the Executive
Committee.