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Rules & Constitution

Basingstoke & District Bowling Association Rules & Constitution
Basingstoke & District Bowling Association Rules & Constitution

BASINGSTOKE & DISTRICT BOWLING ASSOCIATION

 

RULES 2023

SECTION A. ADMINISTRATION. RULES I to 20 INCLUSIVE.

1. Titles and Council.

The Association shall be known as the Basingstoke and District Bowling Association, and shall be administered by a Council comprising a President, Deputy President, Chairman, Vice Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, League Secretary, Competition Secretary, Match Secretary, and one elected delegate from each Affiliated Club.

2. Objects and the Area.

a) The Association shall foster and promote the game of Flat Green Bowls in the Basingstoke District. The District is defined as being within 20 miles radius of Basingstoke Town Hall and any Club formed within this area shall be eligible to apply for affiliation. Changes in admission and entry fees for affiliation, League teams and Competitions shall be by vote at the A.G.M.=

b) Leagues and competitions will be played under the rules of Bowls England and Bowls Hampshire.

3.

a) The Officers shall be elected annually at the A.G.M. and the Deputy President shall be nominated by Clubs in rotation as follows: - Basingstoke Town, Burghclere, Old Basing, Oakley, Thornycrofts, Whitchurch, Kingsclere, Howard Park, A.W.R.E., St Mary Bourne, Alton, Marnell, Andover, Hook, Alton Social. Any new Club will wait its turn before taking up its rotation. The Deputy President will automatically succeed the President after one year in office, and the Past President will continue for 1 year to have membership of the Council.

b) Life Presidents may be appointed at the A.G.M. having previously been approved by the Council. They shall, in the opinion of the Council, have rendered valuable service to the game, and whose integrity is worthy of such election. they shall have no voting rights at Council Meetings, except as holders of an Office, or as a Delegate of a Club.

c) The Council may appoint sub-committees as necessary, Deputies to Officers as it sees fit, and fill vacancies as they occur. Any sub-committee so formed will maintain records of its proceedings. Deputies to office holders will enjoy voting rights only when deputising for the Officer not being present.

d) An honorarium shall be paid to the incoming President at the start of his year of office. The amount of the honorarium will be set at the AGM.

4. Benevolent Fund:

The Association shall run a Benevolent Fund to assist sick or distressed members of Clubs. The Fund will be administered by the Treasurer, who will maintain the records, assisted by the Secretary and one other member of the Council, any two of whom will be empowered to sign Cheques on the Benevolent Fund.

5. A.G.M.

a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held early in December, to which each affiliated Club shall be entitled to one vote on each proposition, and this be cast by their delegate at the Meeting. The Secretary must record each vote cast at the Meeting with the Clubs name. Other non-Council members may attend, but will not be eligible to speak or vote.

(b) Eight Club Delegates shall constitute a quorum at an A.G.M. or an E.G.M. (Called under Rule 6.)

(c) Rules may not be amended or new rules made, except at an A.G.M. or at an Emergency Meeting called to discuss rules. Propositions to change rules will only be accepted if submitted by a member club or the Council and must be in the hands of the Secretary at least 21 days before the AGM.

6. E.G.M

(a) An Emergency General Meeting may be convened at any time by request by not less than three Clubs, in writing. Attendance and voting shall be as observed for an A.G.M. in Rule 5. The business discussed shall only be that for which the meeting was specifically called. In the absence of a quorum, the Meeting will adjourn for 7 days, when, if no quorum then be present, those attending shall debate and vote on the business. The Council subject to the same rules as above may also call an Emergency General Meeting.

7. Council Meetings:

The Council shall meet at least two times in each year. Seven Officers and Delegates shall constitute a quorum at a Council Meeting.

8. Casting Vote:

The Chairman shall have only a casting vote at any Council or General Meeting.

9. Agenda and notice of Meetings.

Items for inclusion in the Agenda of Meetings shall be in the hands of the Secretary at least 21 days before the Meeting. Notice of all Meetings shall be 14 days. No notice of motion will be accepted at the A.G.M. or E.G.M.

10. Cheques:

Cheques on the Association funds may be signed by any two of the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

11. Balance Sheets:

The Treasurer of the Association shall present a Balance Sheet of the year's finances at the A.G.M. An accounts examiner, not being an Officer of the Council, elected at the previous A.G.M, shall have previously examined the Balance sheet The Financial year will be from November 1st to October 31st annually.

12. Team Selection

A Selection Committee comprising of the Council, shall nominate all players and reserves for the various representative matches.

Only those players entered for Association Competitions and League will be eligible.

13. Annual Tour.

An Annual Tour may be held. This will be organised by a Tour Committee, whose Officers will be elected by the Tour Members, for the next year. Those Officers will be confirmed in office at the A.G.M. The Tour will be self-financing.

14. Emergency Committee:

The Emergency Committee will consist 3 of the following officers:-

President, Vice President, Chairman and Vice Chairman.

The Secretary will attend all meetings of the Emergency Committee to record the minutes of the meeting and to deal with any correspondence and to advise the meeting on any questions they may have, but will have no voting rights.

The duties of the Emergency Committee will be to resolve any disciplinary matters in accordance wit Bowls England regulation 9.

15. Mobile Phone

All use of mobile phones or electronic devices during B.D.B.A. Competitions and league games is banned.

If this rule is breached, the team or player will be given one warning.

If repeated, in a competition they will forfeit the game, in a league game they will have 1 point deducted.

16Dress code

Club shirts are to be worn in all rounds of competitions, additionally Players should present themselves for play wearing bowls designed or tailored trousers/shorts.   These to be grey or registered club colours for all rounds of competitions/league or white/registered club colours for finals . (for team competitions where clubs have registered non-grey team coloured trousers/shorts, e.g. navy, they may decide whether to wear this colour or white in final but all team members must wear the same colours)

Any player presenting themselves for play in any other colour or design of trousers/shorts(e.g. Cargo/football style etc.) should not be permitted to play, and will not be permitted to play on finals weekend or Hants and Berks semis/finals.

The wearing of over trousers for inclement weather is permitted but does not overrule the requirement for the correct attire under these garments as specified.

.

17 - 20 Spare

LEAGUES RULES 21 TO 30 INCLUSIVE

21.Organisation. (provisional update: amended to include changes following 2023 AGM vote)

Leagues will comprise of one Rinks League and one Triples League, and will run on Divisional basis, with 2 teams promoted and 2 teams relegated annually. Unless the Council decides there is an imbalance, when it shall be empowered to take action to balance the Divisions.

b) 1. Rinks League shall be of 18 ends, 2 Rinks to constitute Team. Scoring shall be 1 point for each winning rink and 2 points for the higher aggregate. This league is open to male bowlers only.

2.Triples League shall be of 18 ends. 3 Triples to constitute a team.Scoring shall be 1 point for each winning triple and 2 points for the higher aggregate score. This is a mixed league open to all bowlers.

c) In the event that two or more teams tie on points for the league title the winners shall be the team with the best shot average.

22.Entries.

a) Clubs must confirm team entries by 28th  February annually to the Secretary.

23. Match Times and Absentees.

a) League matches shall be played at 6.30 pm on Friday evenings, or on such other evenings or times asset be the League Secretary with the approval of the Council. A full list of League fixtures and start times will be sent to Clubs before the 1st March each year.

b) In the Triples League up to three absentees will be allowed in any team. The team with the absentees will concede 2 points to their opponents immediately. The remaining two triples will play for one point each and one point for the aggregate. (Total 3 points) Any team late by more than 15 minutes, or with more than three absentees, will not play the match and will receive no points. They will also have a penalty of 2.5 points deducted from their total for the season. The innocent team will be awarded, at the end of the season, a number of points (rounded up to the nearest half point) equal to the average of their points for all games played during the season. The match will not be re-arranged.

c) In the fours league up to two absentees will be allowed in each team on three separate occasions only each season. For each absentee player the team will play a team of three. The lead and two playing three bowls each shall make up the number of bowls. 25% of the total shots scored by each 'four" playing three men shall be deducted from their score at the end of the game. In the event of both teams turning up players short and a team of three being drawn against a team of three they shall still play as though they are playing a four, i.e. only 8 woods per end and both "threes" will deduct 25% of their shots at the end. Should a team turn up more than 15 minutes late or be in violation of this rule (23c) concerning absentee players, they will not play the match and will receive no points. They will also have 2.5 points deducted from their total for the season. The innocent team will be awarded, at the end of the season, a number of points (rounded up to the nearest half point) equal to the average of the points from all games played during the season. The match will not be rearranged.

24 Postponed matches

a) Matches may he postponed or abandoned due to weather conditions or greens being unplayable due to circumstances beyond the control of the home club, and the league Secretary informed within 3 days. Postponed or abandoned games under this rule must be played by the end of September.

(b) A team may, on one occasion in a season, request that a match be postponed for reasons not covered in rule 24(a). They must notify their opponents and the league secretary at least 36 hours prior to the original fixture date that they want the match postponed.

(c)Games postponed under rules 24a and 24b must be rearranged on a date mutually agreed by both teams within 14 days of the postponement and the league secretary must be informed of the revised date. Postponed games under this rule must be played by the third Friday in September.

(d) Postponed games not played by the end of September will be treated as the team originally requesting the postponement failing to turn up and they will receive a further 2.5 point deduction from their points total while the innocent team will receive an average as per rule 23(b) and (c).

25. Re-arrangements.

Matches may be brought forward by mutual consent of the Clubs. The League Secretary must be given notice of the rearranged match.

26. Result Reporting

The home teams will be responsible for notifying the results to the League Secretary.

27. Abandoned Matches.

Matches abandoned after 10 ends have been completed by at least 2 rinks will he treated as a completed match and the result at that time shall stand. Matches abandoned before 10 ends have been completed by at least 2 rinks shall be treated as void and shall he rearranged as per rule 24. This rule applies to both triples and fours leagues.

28. Bad Light

Games played in late August and September may be shortened by mutual agreement prior to the start of the game. Fours games may be reduced to 14 ends and Triples games reduced to 12 ends

29. Eligibility

Players in BDBA leagues should be full members of their club.

30 not used.

SECTION C.

COMPETITION RULES

RULES 31 TO 40 INCLUSIVE.

31. Types

a)

Annual competitions, open to all full members of affiliated clubs, shall be held. The competitions will be, Novice Singles, Singles, Pairs, Triples, Rinks, Over 60 Pairs, Champion of Champion Singles, a 3 Rink Knock Out between Clubs for the Hants & Berks Cup and a Two Wood Triples.

(b) A Novice is defined as any player in an Affiliated Club, Registered or not for League matches, who has only had up to 3 years bowling experience and has not won any of the following

i) A National / County / Open Competition.

(ii) This or another Association / District / League Competition, apart from being a member of a Club multi-triple or rink team, not including the BE National 2 Fours.

32. Open Tournaments:

Two Open Tournaments will be held annually whenever possible, preferably on the spring and Summer Bank Holidays, at venues to be arranged.

33. Closing Dates:

The closing dates for entries, competition dates for competition rounds, fixed dates for Pairs, Triples. Rinks, and Hants & Berks rounds, and dates for tournaments will be decided by the council .

34. Eligibility:

a) Competitors in all competitions may only enter from one club and must be available for the leagues with that Club in the current season. A competitor who changes Club after the competition entries have been recorded must notify the Competition Secretary of that change and cannot compete with members of the former Club.

b) The Singles Champion of a Club from the past season will be eligible to enter the Champion of Champions competition for that Club, providing he entered in that season and in the current season any other BDBA competition ( other than open competitions).

35. There will be no time extensions granted except under exceptional circumstances.

36. Semi finals & Finals:

(a) Semi Finals to be on neutral greens to be mutually agreed by the two teams.

(b) Finals venue to be arranged by the competition secretary.

(c) Dates to be confirmed on competition entry sheets.

37. Challenge Method

The first named players in each tie shall be the challenger, and be responsible for all arrangements. The challenges must, within 7 days of the start of the round, offer his opponent at least three dates for play, not all in the same week, and not on Friday night League nights. The opponent must, within 3 days, accept one of the dates offered or concede the tie. The time for commencing a tie shall be mutually agreed, but no player / s shall be compelled to accept a time earlier than 6.00 pm. Mondays to Fridays, or 10:00am Saturdays or Sundays, nor after 6:30pm. any day.

In the event of the challenger not fulfilling his obligation according to these rules, The opponent shall offer one date that must be accepted and contact the Competition Secretary. No alteration of an accepted date shall be made, unless mutually agreed upon. Failing such arrangement, the Players desiring such alteration must play on the accepted date, or give his opponent a 'walk over'.

 

38 to 40 not used.

Basingstoke & District Bowling Association Rules & Constitution