LEAGUE RULES

 

The Club League Rules and the administration there of will be determined by the Games Committee solely.

 

(1)       LAWS OF THE GAME

 

                Subject to the following Club variations, it is intended that matches will be in accordance with the Laws of the Game, as adopted by                 the English Indoor Bowling Association LTD.

 

 

(2)          ALL LEAGUES

 

1.            All players must be fully paid up Adult or Junior members of the IDIBC, junior members are         permitted to play in leagues from 10 years of age. At least one team member must be a Full Adult Member.

 

2.            The Team Captain is responsible for paying the League Registration Fee prior to the commencement of the league in question, or at the time of registering additional players.   Failure to adhere to this could result in action taken by the Games Committee.

 

3.            The composition of League teams will be as follows:

 

                Men’s Evening Fours League – Minimum of 5 players. Combination Men only.

 

                All Triples Leagues - Minimum of 4 players. Combinations Men/Ladies or Mixed

 

                All Pairs Leagues - Minimum of 3 players. Combinations - Men/Ladies or Mixed

 

4.            No player may register for more than one team in any particular league.

 

5.1          Additional players may be registered by completing the League Player Registration

                Form, making sure it is dated. The form should be posted internally though the Games

                Committee post box.

 

5.2          Replacements: If Team Captains wish to replace a member of his/her team, then the    same form as indicated above, should be completed indicating current member to be                deleted and new member to be inserted.

 

 

(3)          ORDER OF PLAY

 

1.            No trial ends will be permitted.

 

2.1          Games will be of 16* ends duration or 2 hours play, should the full 16 ends not be            completed at the end of the session time the score shall count as it stands.

                *Double chance first game 7 ends, second game maximum of 8 ends.

2.2          Double Chance League: In the second game of a match, players and/or positions may be             changed from those in the first game.

 

3.            If on the last end the jack is improperly cast, it will not be recast but will be placed by the              opponents, the mat must be left in its original position. The end must be played to a               completion.

 

4.            The jack will not be cast after the bell rings, i.e. five minutes before the end of the          session times.

 

5.            All leagues: In the event of the jack being hit off the rink it will be replaced at one of the              predefined spots on the rink, these spots will be 300mm behind the 2m T mark and half way              between the centre line of the rink and the edge of the rink, the jack will be replaced on one            of these spots prior to the next bowl being delivered or the end decided. If the jack is hit off             the rink to the right, it will be positioned on the right hand predefined spot. If the jack is hit              off the rink to the left, it will be positioned on the left hand predefined spot. When the            defined spot is occupied, the jack will be repositioned at the nearest available position along      the line between the predefined spots and the centre line of the rink, but not touching an  obstructing bowl.

 

6.            No player other than the skip will be allowed to visit the head, the skip will be allowed only         one visit per end, staying at the head while the opposing skip bowls shall constitute a visit.

 

 

(3)          POSTPONEMENTS

 

1.            Games may only be postponed due to exceptional circumstances.

 

       (i)     Cock of the Walk League & Double Chance League: Matches are allowed to be                 cancelled/postponed, however,               matches must be played before the final league fixture.

 

2.            The Captain of the team postponing the match will notify:

 

       (i)     The Club Manager in writing using the League Cancellation Form provided.

 

       (ii)    The opposing Team Captain as soon as possible on the same day.

 

3.    (i)    Rearrangement of postponed matches should be mutually agreed within 7 days of the original fixture. The Captain of the team postponing will be responsible for (a) booking the  rink and (b) notifying the Fixture Secretary in writing of the rearranged date for the fixture.

                The match should be played within 28 days of the original fixture and 7 days after the last            league fixture of the season.

 

       (ii)    The Fixture Secretary will have full power to organise any matches not rearranged within the     7 day time period (see 3 i).

 

4.            Teams failing to complete any postponed matches by the end of the season (See 3 ii) will be      liable for the full payment of the rink fees, plus a default penalty. (See Section 5). Payment   will be paid by the Team postponing the match. It is a requirement that all matches are           played.

 

5.            When a full league session is postponed due to exceptional circumstances, the Fixture

                Secretary will rearrange that league session (not necessarily in accordance with rule 3    above).

6.            If in the course of a match, a game has to be abandoned, a scorecard must be submitted             giving the reason for abandonment.

                Providing 10 ends have been completed then the result will stand. Less than 10 ends, the            match will be replayed.

 

7.            Any bookings made on a provisional basis will be confirmed as soon as possible with the

                Fixture Secretary. Failure to cancel a provisional booking may result in the rink fee being               requested.

 

(4)          LATE STARTS

 

1.            A team with only three players (or two in triples) present at the starting bell must            commence playing (see rule 6), unless rule 4.2 and 4.3 are used.

 

2.            A player may join a team as long as 25 minutes has not passed.

                Note: If a team is one player short at the start time the team must play complete game with      three players (Fours), two players (Triples), unless the third/fourth player is certain to attend                within 25 minutes.

 

3.            Any team not on the rink within 25 minutes of the session start time will be in default, (see

                Rule 5).

 

(5)          DEFAULT

 

1.            If a team concedes a match, they will be responsible for the payment of all rink fees payable.    For teams failing to play postponed matches they will be deemed to be in default, 2 points               and 10 shots will be deducted from the end of the season league score.

 

2.            When a team is in default (See above 5.1), the opposing team will receive two points and 10      shots.

 

3.            When a fixture is cancelled on the day or through non-appearance, the defaulting team shall     lose four points and fined £5. This team is also responsible for full payment of the rink fee.

                When the rink is used by the opposing team or third party, the rink fee payable shall be                reduced to cover the amount outstanding. Failure to pay may result in expulsion from the league.

 

4.            In the event of a team playing an ineligible player or unregistered player in any league   match:

 

       (i)     The opposing team will receive two points only and any shots it has scored in the match will        stand.

 

       (ii)    The offending team will be fined two points and lose any points gained in the match. The            shots scored by its opponents will be recorded as shots against.

 

(6)          DEPLETED TEAMS

 

1.            Any team in the Men’s Evening Fours League unable to field four players may field three             players each playing two bowls.

 

                The depleted team is still expected to pay the full team’s rink fee.

2.            Any team in a Triples League unable to field three players may play with two players each            playing three bowls.

               

                The depleted team will have to pay the full team’s rink fee.

 

 

(7)          KNOCK-OUT MATCHES

 

                This section applies to the Men’s Evening Fours League Shield and League Play-Offs only.

 

1.            Teams in the LEAGUE KNOCKOUT SHIELD will be handicapped dependant to their final league position the previous season. New teams will be handicapped accordingly.

 

2.            In the event of a tie the winner will be the team winning most ends. If this is again level,              then the team winning most of the last seven scoring ends will determine the winner.

 

 

(8)          LEAGUE TABLES

 

1.            Two Points for a Win

 

                One Point for a Draw

 

                Should two or more teams be level after the league programme has been completed, the          best shot difference will count. If this is not decisive, the results of games between the    teams will count, shot average again being taken into consideration. If still inconclusive a        play-off will be arranged to determine the League Winner/Relegated Team.

 

2.            Where leagues are based on a promotion and relegation basis between divisions, teams will      qualify for the division in which they play the following season by virtue of the results and final positions they obtain in the previous season.

 

3.            The basic principle will be the promotion of the two teams and the relegation of two teams.       If an imbalance in the number of teams is created in the division(s) of any league by                 disbandment or by addition of any new teams, the Games Committee reserves the right to adjust the number of teams to be relegated or promoted.

 

4.            Discretion can be used by the Games Committee as to which division a player shall play in,           except in the case of a relegated team player, who can only play in a lower division the             following season to which he/she is relegated.

 

5.            COCK OF THE WALK LEAGUE: Teams will be drawn into qualifying sections, each section will        play on a league basis. The section winners and runner-up will play off in a league basis to               determine the overall winner of the Cock of the Walk League. In the qualifying stages the        best runner-up will be the team with the most points, if equal on points shot average will           decide.

 

6.            DOUBLE CHANCE LEAGUE: Teams will be drawn into sections, each section will play on a               league basis to provide a group winner. The group winners will play off on a league basis to  determine the overall winner of the league. Except when there are only two sections in         which case it will be a straight knock out final.

 

(9)          SCORECARDS

 

1.            Scorecards properly completed with scores, team numbers and names, league title and               player’s names shall be signed by both skips and must be placed in the rack provided on the       noticeboard immediately after each game.

 

2.            Players names must be entered onto the scorecard, failure will result in a two point        deduction from their total points.

 

 

(10)        TRANSFERS

 

1.            A player can play for only one team in a season, but can transfer, subject to completing the

                League Player Registration Form provided as long as he/she has not actually played in the           team that season.

 

 

(11)        FINALS

 

1.            All Finals where applicable will be played to the full 16 ends with extra end(s) to decide the         winner.

 

 

(12)        DISPUTES

 

1.            Any disputes or queries shall be referred to the Games Committee in writing, within 7 days        of the match. The ruling of the Committee shall be final.

 

 

 

Rules Amended and Approved May 2016