Rules of the South Cotswold Bowls League
1. Object
To promote competitive bowls for male club members in the area. The league is open to teams from any club endorsed by member clubs at the AGM
2. Management
a) The affairs of the League shall be conducted by a League Committee consisting of the Officers of the League being the Chairman, Secretary/Fixture Secretary and Treasurer. The preference would be to form this Committee with no more than one representative from any club.
b) The Chairman, Secretary/Fixture Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually at the League’s Annual General Meeting. All shall have the power to vote.
c) The League will be administered from day to day by the Secretary/Fixture Secretary.
3. Meetings
a) An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in October or November of each year. The Secretary will give 28 days notice by e-mail of this meeting to the Officers and to the designated Contact of each Member Club. At this AGM all reports and the balance sheet will be presented for approval and all Officers will be elected.
b) Any Club wishing to put forward a proposal at the AGM must submit full details in writing to the Secretary not less than 21 days prior to the AGM.
c) Only such proposals, and amendments to such a proposals shall be discussed and voted upon.
d) Matters not on the Agenda may be raised and discussed under Any Other Business but shall not be voted upon.
e) Each Club will send at least one representative to the AGM (only one representative will be allowed to vote). Six points may be deducted at the start of the next seasonfrom all teams from any Club that fails to send a representative.
4. League Composition
a) The League will consist of Divisions with a Maximum number of eight teams in a Division with each Division playing fixtures on a home and away basis.
b) If more than one team is entered by a Member Club, the teams shall be suffixed A, B, C etc. and this will define the ranking of these teams within the Club.
c) Each team will consist of three rinks of four players.
d) The lowest ranked team in a Member Club who are unable to field three full rinks may field a team of two full rinks.
e) The League structure will be decided each year at the AGM along with the necessary promotions and relegations to achieve this. The aim should be, wherever possible, the promotion of two teams from each Division.
f) Any Club that is a member of the League may only withdraw teams by starting with its lowest ranked team.
g) Any Club that is a member of the League, or team re-entering after withdrawal, will play in the lowest Division.
h) Any changes to the League structure will be voted on by the Clubs at the AGM of the League.
5. Fixture Protocols
a) All games will be played on the designated Tuesday evening unless one of the reasons for a postponement, detailed below, is fulfilled.
b) The allowable reasons for postponement/re-arrangement of any fixture are as follows:
i. An unfit green due to prevailing weather conditions
ii. Where a Club has at least three players involved in the final stages of a competition at Leamington Spa and that date conflicts with a League date.
iii. Where a Club has at least four players invited to participate in the County President’s tour.
iv. Where a Club has at least four players due to play in a County or National full rink (four players) competition where the date of the match is fixed by the competition playing protocols. Entry into the competition must have been made by the Club and on behalf of the Club and not by individual players.
v. Where a Club has at least four players due to play in an away fixture of a County or National full rink (four players) competition where the date of the match is an offered date by the opponents and is unavoidably a Tuesday evening. Entry into the competition must have been made by the Club and on behalf of the Club and not by individual players.
c) In the case of a postponement under the provisions of clause b)i. above, all players and the Fixture Secretary must be informed as soon as the decision is taken to postpone the match.
d) In the case of a potential postponement or re-arrangement under the provisions of clauses b) ii, b) ii, b) v and b) v above, the Fixture Secretary must be informed immediately upon being aware of the clash of fixtures to allow Officers to consider whether a postponement may be allowed.
e) If a game must be postponed due to weather, the home team must offer a choice of three alternative dates for the re-arranged game. These dates must be within 28 days of the published date, and not more than 7 days after the last published League fixture date. The dates should be offered within three days of the original fixture and one of the offered dates must be accepted by the away team within three days of receiving the new dates. Both captains are responsible for advising the Fixture Secretary of the re-arranged date immediately that it is agreed.
f) Where a match is postponed under any of the clauses b) ii, b) iii, b) iv and b) v above, the re-arranged game must be played within two weeks before of after the given date and the team seeking the change must offer three dates for the game. If the game in question is the final game of the season, it must be played no later than seven days after the season’ end. In addition, at least one week’s notice of the proposed change must be given to the affected Club. Both captains are responsible for advising the Fixture Secretary of the re-arranged date immediately that it is agreed.
6. Playing Protocols
a) All games will commence by 18.30. If all players are present before 18.30 and both captains agree, an earlier start can be made. Games will consist of 18 ends, with two trial ends. If the weather is likely to shorten the game, both captains can agree that no trial ends be played, with only one shot be awarded to the winning side for the first two ends.
b) Clubs will be required to keep the score cards for each game until the end of the season. Rink score boards must be left out until all rinks have finished.
c) Rinks will not be pre-allocated. The scorecards will be placed face down on a table, shuffled and the away captain will number the rinks.
d) If a team starts with a rink of only three players a fourth player may join the game only up to and including the second end. At the end of the game one shot will be deducted from the final score for that rink for each end where only three players were present.
f) The points awarded will be two points for each winning rink (one to each side if the score is tied) and four points to the team with the higher aggregate of shots (two points to each team if the aggregate score is tied).
g) In the event of rain or other unavoidable cause stopping the game, the points will be shared unless 12 ends have been played on all rinks, when the results will stand as that on all three rinks at the end of the 12th end.
h) The home captain is required to e-mail the results to the Fixture Secretary before 18.00hrs on the day following the match. Failure will result in the issue of a warning letter for a first offence. Thereafter the offending team will be deducted two points for each occasion that a result is late in notification.
i) If a team is withdrawn during the playing season the results of all matches against that team will be deleted.
j) At the end of the season the position of teams in a Division is determined by the total number of points won by each team. In the event of two or mores ides having the same number of points, the position of the Clubs is decided by shot difference. If the shot difference is the same, then the higher number of shots scored will decide the higher placed side.
k) In the event of a team being unable to field a side they will forfeit the game. Their opponents will be awarded all 10 points and 10 shots for the game. Where a Clubs lowest ranked team fields only two rinks, their opponents are to be given 2 points and 20 shots for the third rink.
l) Matches will be played in navy, black or grey trousers or shorts manufactured for the sport of bowls together with Club shirts that have been registered with the County/Bowls England or plain white shirts provided that all members of the team wear the same style of garment. Club coloured wind jackets, sweaters and rainwear are also permitted. All shirts and other external wear must be County approved.
m) The League does not restrict the movement of players between teams within a Club and relies on Clubs not to deliberately move players to gain an advantage. Where there is a suggestion that this has happened, the matter should be reported to the Fixture Secretary. He will ask the Club concerned to provide all their League cards for the season for all its teams and, in conjunction with the other Officer(s) of the League and the Club involved, review the Club’s selections. The Officers will complete a rep[ort on whether there seems to be unusual player movement to gain an advantage and will decide upon the matter. Where a Club has been found to breach this rule, all the Club’s teams will have 10 points deducted from their total
7. League Fees
The fees for the subsequent season will be agreed at the AG. These fees should be sent to the Treasurer by 31st December following the AGM.
8. Eligibility
Participation in the League is confined to bone fide members of the affiliated Clubs.
November 2023