CHESTERFIELD AND DISTRICT BOWLING ASSOCIATION

LEAGUE RULES SEASON 2011

Constitution and Rules

Index

I     Name

2    Objects

3    Membership

4    Officers of the Association

5    Management Committee

6    Financial Matters

7    Dissolution of Association

8    Annual General Meeting

9    Rules Revision Meeting

10  Management Committee Meetings

11  Leagues

12  Competitions

13  League Entries and Withdrawals

14  Registration of Players

15  Transfer of Players

16  League Fixtures

17  Postponement of Fixtures

18  Player Restrictions

19  Clubs with more than one green

20  Practice prior to a match

21  Match Day Requirements

22  Completion and return of Result Sheets

23  Determination of League Winners

24  Laws of the game of Crown Green Bowls

25  Code of Dress

26  Disputes

27  Supplementary Rules for Competitions

28  Thompson Hospital Cup and Repechage Trophy

1 NAME

The name of the Association shall be the Chesterfield & District Bowling Association, and referred to as the Association in these rules.

2 OBJECTS

The objects of the Association shall be:

(i) To promote and encourage the game of Crown Green Bowls in Chesterfield and surrounding districts

(ii) To organise leagues and competitions between member clubs

(iii) To promote other competitions as the Association may decide

3 MEMBERSHIP

(i)   At the discretion of the Management Committee, membership shall be open to all bona fide bowling clubs within Chesterfield and surrounding districts

(ii)  Any club accepted to membership shall agree, on behalf of its members, to accept and abide by all of the rules of the Association and the decisions reached by the Management Committee

(iii) Applications for membership shall be proposed and seconded, approved by the Management Committee, and confirmed at the Annual General Meeting

(iv) All clubs in membership must be affiliated to the Derbyshire Crown Green Bowling Association and all players playing for member clubs must also be affiliated to the same.

4 OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Officers of the Association, who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, shall be:

(i) NON MANAGEMENT OFFICERS namely

The President, Vice Presidents, Two Auditors.

(ii) MANAGEMENT OFFICERS

The Chairperson, The Vice- Chairperson, The Secretary, The Fixture Secretary, The Treasurer.

5 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Management Committee shall consist of the Management Officers of the Association and one elected representative of six separate member clubs, plus N.D. Parks and County representatives, to run the Association. No club to have more than one member on this committee. Minutes to be issued to all clubs after each meeting.

6 FINANCIAL MATTERS

The Treasurer shall keep and maintain a record of all income and expenditure and these shall be subject to inspection by the Management Committee at any time

(I) A bank account, or accounts, shall be opened in the name of the Association at such banks or building societies as the Management Committee may decide

(ii) All withdrawals from such banking accounts shall be signed by two authorised signatories as determined by the Management Committee

(iii) A statement of the Income and Expenditure and a Balance Sheet of the financial position of the Association shall be produced annually, as at 31 December

(iv) The accounts shall be audited annually and a copy of the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet shall be sent to each member club at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting

7 DISSOLUTION OF ASSOCIATION

The Association may be dissolved following the consent of two-thirds of the membership present and voting at a Special General Meeting. Any remaining funds shall be either:

(i) returned to the member clubs at the time of dissolution, or

(ii) distributed among groups pursuing similar aims

8 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held on the Second Tuesday in February of each year, or as near that date as may be most convenient. All clubs to be represented at the meeting.

(a) Chairperson to open the meeting and make a roll call of clubs represented

(b) Apologies for absence

(c) A silence in respect of deceased members

(d) Minutes of the previous AGM

(e) Matters arising from those Minutes

(f) To record any Votes of Thanks

(g) Presentation and Acceptance of the audited Accounts

(h) Auditors Report

(I) Election of Officers

(j) Election of Management Committee members.

(k) Expenses, Fees and Prize Money for the coming season

(l) Applications for membership

(m) Confirmation of alterations to rules

(n) Any item, requested in writing, to be included on the Agenda

(0) Information on County matters

(p) Information on North Derbyshire Parks matters

(q) Date of next Management Committee meeting

(r) Chairperson to close the meeting.

9 RULES REVISION MEETING

The RuIes Revision Meeting shall be held in November of each year with all clubs being notified as to the date/by the Secretary of the Association. All dubs in membership of the Association shall be allowed to be represented, to join in any of the discussions and have one vote on any of the proposals.

(i) Details of any proposed rule changes must be approved by the club from which the proposal is made and must be signed by the Secretary or Chairperson of the proposing club. Proposals are then to be submitted, in writing to the Secretary of the Association at least 28 days prior to the date of the meeting.

(ii)  Details of any rule changes proposed by the Management Committee are to be submitted, in writing, to the Secretary of the Association at least 28 clays prior to the date of the meeting

(iii) Details of rule proposed rule changes are to be to be advised to all Officers of the Association and member clubs within 21 days of the meeting date

(iv) The consent of at least TWO-THIRDS of the representatives eligible to vote, who are present at the meeting, is required before any alteration can be made

(v) Any alterations to the rules shall take effect from the beginning of the following season

10 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Meetings shall normally be held once a month between February and October of each year to discuss the business posted in the meeting Agenda

(i) At all meetings the members present shall form a quorum.

(ii) The Chairperson, or in his absence the Vice-Chairperson, shall preside over the meeting. In the absence of both, the meeting shall elect a Chairperson (pro tem) from the delegates present

(iii) Management Committee Meetings shall be RESTRICTED to members of the Management Committee ONLY, and any persons wishing to have any item included on the meeting agenda for discussion shall, submit their request via their club secretary who will submit it in writing to the Secretary of the Association.

(iv) All resolutions shall be carried by a majority vote with the Chairperson having a casting vote as and when required.

When any member of the Management Committee is unable to attend any Management Committee meeting, for whatever reason, they shall not be permitted to be represented by a deputy.

Where any item for discussion arises which affects any club of which any Management Committee member is a member, the said Management Committee member shall declare a vested interest, and while they may discuss the situation, they shall not be able to vote on the matter.

11 LEAGUES

The Association shall organise the following leagues with the number of teams in each division being at the discretion of the Management Officers

(i) Wednesday League - teams shall consist of eight players, playing in four pairs, with the total aggregate score to count as the result. Matches to commence at 6:00pm, one game to be in progress by 6:15pm and a second game by 6:30pm. Scratching time 7.00pm

(ii) Saturday League - teams shall consist of ten players, playing single games, with the total aggregate score to count as the result. Matches to commence at 2:00pm, two games to be in progress by 2:15pm. Scratching time 3:00pm

(iii) Veterans League - teams shall consist of eight players who are 60 years old and over, playing in four pairs, with the total aggregate score to count as the result. Matches to commence at 2:00pm, one game to be In progress by 2:l5pm and a second game by 2:30pm. Scratching time 3:00pm

(iv) Ladies League - teams shall consist of eight female players, playing in four pairs, with the total aggregate score to count as the result. Matches to commence at 6:00pm, one game to be in progress by 6:15pm and a second game by 6:30pm. Scratching time 700pm

(v) If a player has not arrived by the Scratching time a reserve may be substituted provided the reserve is present at Scratching time, is registered for the club, and league rules are not infringed

(vi) Subject to (v) above, in the Wednesday, Veterans or Ladies Leagues any player who does not have a partner, may play on their own provided they play in the same order as they would if they were the lead player of a pair

12 COMPETITIONS

The Association shall organise the following competitions:

(i) Locker Merit - A singles knockout competition open to all male players who are registered with the Association

(ii) Ladies Merit - A singles knockout competition open to all female players who are registered with the Association

(iii) Junior Merit - A singles knockout competition open to all players who are registered with the Association and shall be split into two sections:

a) players who have not reached 14 years of age on 1st January of the year of the competition

b) players who have not reached 18 years of age on I January of the year of the competition

(iv)  Veteran's Merit - A singles knockout competition open to all players who are registered with the Association, who are aged 60 to 64 on the date of the first round

(v) Aquarius Cup - A singles knockout competition open to all players who are registered with the Association, who are aged 65 and over on the date of the first round

(vi) Midland Bank Doubles - A pairs knockout competition open to all players who are registered with the Association

(vii) Association Doubles - A pairs knockout competition open to all players who are registered with the Association

(viii) Champion of Champions - A singles knockout competition open to one representative from each member club as well as the reigning champion.

a) There will be two competitions, one open to male players and one solely for female players

b) The players participating are to be players for the club they are representing in the Chesterfield & District Bowling Association

(ix) Thompson Hospital Cup - A team knockout competition, under handicap of 6 points per division. Each team to consist of 10 players, playing in 5 pairs, and open to all member clubs

(x) Thompson Hospital Cup Repechage - A team knockout competition. under handicap of 6 points per division. Each team . to consist of 10 players, playing in 5 pairs, and open to all clubs knocked out of the Thompson Hospital Cup in the preliminary or first rounds

13 LEAGUE ENTRIES AND WITHDRAWALS

All clubs wishing to enter the Leagues shall submit their entries on an Official Entry Form

(i) Entry fees shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting and must accompany the Official Entry Form

(ii) Clubs shall not withdraw teams already entered

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £10 and entry fees forfeited

(iii) Fines for withdrawals must be paid

Penalty for breach of Rule: The club to be barred from future membership of the Association, until such time as the fines are paid

14 REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS

(i) Each Club affiliated to the Association MUST register their players with the Fixture Secretary of the Association at least 24 hours prior to the first match of the season.

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 and match points awarded to opponents.

(ii) Any additional players MUST be registered at least 24 hours before they can play in any league or cup competition organised by the Association. Registered Players must not be in financial arrears with their club or any other member of the Association.

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 and score awarded to opponents, i.e. 21 — 0.-

(iii) All players wishing to be registered must be in possession of a British Crown Green Bowling Association Affiliation Number or confirm to the Association that they are a new member who has applied for a BCGBA affiliation number. Once received, the number is to be registered with the Fixtures Secretary.

Penalty for breach of Rule: Player to be suspended until confirmation received

(iv) A non-returnable registration fee shall be payable for every Registered Player at each club. This fee shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting.

Penalty for breach of Rule: Players to be suspended until payment received

(v) A player may play for different clubs in different leagues administered by the Association and a registration fee shall be payable by each club

Penalty for breach of Rule: Player to be suspended until payment received from all clubs involved

15 TRANSFER OF PLAYERS

A registered player may transfer from one club in a league to another club in the same league provided the following conditions are met:

(i) The player must not have played more than four matches for the original club in the league

(ii) Only one change of club per season is allowed

(iii) No transfers to be made after 15th June in any season

(iv) The players name and that of their new club, together with agreement from their original club, must be notified in writing to the Fixtures Secretary seven days before the player is allowed to play for the new club

Penalty for breach of Rule: If the player plays before the seven days have elapsed the score to be awarded to opponents, i.e. 21 —0.

16 LEAGUE FIXTURES

All teams shall play on a Home and Away basis as stipulated in the fixture lists

(i) The Association will not give way to other organisations regarding fixtures. Matches which unavoidably clash should be mutually agreed by the clubs involved, to be played on a different date, which shall not be later than 14 days after the original scheduled fixture date

(ii) Fixtures may be reversed by mutual agreement with the clubs concerned and the Result Sheet annotated accordingly

(iii) In the event of a match being commenced and not completed through the intervention of bad weather, or other causes, the completed ends shall stand. The outstanding ends must be

played within 14 days of the original fixture date, the home team captain to make the first

approach to agree to a mutually acceptable date for the playing of the outstanding ends. Substitutes are allowed to play for any player not having played on the original fixture date.

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 will be levied on both teams and the Management Committee will decide on any action to be taken

(iv) All fixture dates are binding on all clubs and teams must turn up to honour the fixture unless a postponement is arranged

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 and maximum points awarded to opponents.

17 POSTPONEMENT OR REARRANGEMENT OF FIXTURES

(I) A rearranged match is one which; by mutual consent, is played prior to the scheduled fixture

date, and apart from the Results Sheet stating that this is a rearranged game and giving the

original scheduled fixture date will require no other special actions on behalf of the captains

(ii) A postponed match is one which, by mutual consent, is played after the scheduled fixture date

(iii) If a match is to be postponed for any reason, the club requesting the postponement must notify the Fixtures Secretary, or if the Fixtures Secretary is not available then the Association Secretary, by telephone of the postponement giving full details of why the fixture cannot be fulfilled. This is to be confirmed in writing within 5 days of the telephone notification.

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5

(iv) The home club is to take the first steps in rearranging a postponed or unfinished match. A match to be played after the original fixture date must be played within 14 days of the original fixture date

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 will be levied on both teams and the Management Committee will set a date for the match to be played

(v) All rearranged matches must be played before the final fixture date in the division of the league concerned

Penalty for breach of Rule: The Management Committee will give a judgement that shall be binding.

Saturday League

(v) Clubs with One Team - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 20 Registered Players

(vi) Clubs with Two Teams - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 30 Registered Players

(vii) NO Clubs with Three Teams - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 40 Registered Players

Wednesday, Ladies or Veterans Leagues

(viii) Clubs with One Team - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 12 Registered Players

(ix) Clubs with Two Teams - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 24 Registered Players

(x) Clubs with Three Teams - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 36 Registered Players

(xi) Clubs with Four Teams - Teams shall not postpone a fixture on the grounds of a shortage of players if they have more than 48 Registered Players

18 PLAYER RESTRICTIONS

A Club may enter two or more teams in a league and play the players in different teams subject to the following restrictions:

(i) In a team of ten players:

Not more than 3 'A' team players in a 'B' team

Not more than 3 'B' team players in a 'C' team

Not more than 3 'C' team players in a 'D' team

Penalty for breach of Rule: Additional players with the highest scores shall have their scores amended to 21 - 0 against them

(ii) ln a team of eight players:

Not more than 2 'A' team players in a 'B' team

Not more than 2 'B' team players in a 'C' team

Not more than 2 'C' team players in a 'D' team

Penalty for breach of Rule: Additional players with the highest scores shall have their scores amended to 21 - 0 against them

(iii) In all teams:

No 'A' team players permitted in a 'C' or 'D' team

No 'B' team players permitted in a 'D' team

Penalty for breach of Rule: Players shall have their scores amended to 21 0 against them

(iv) A player will be classified as 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'D' when they have played FOUR matches for that team

19 CLUBS WITH MORE THAN ONE GREEN

(i) Prior to the season commencing clubs shall nominate which greens their teams are playing on and all fixtures shall take place on the nominated green

(ii) If the nominated green cannot be used, and the team wish to use an alternative green this must be agreed by the opposing Club.

(iii) If agreement is not possible, then both Clubs shall put their point of view in writing to the Secretary of the Association for the matter to be resolved by the Management Committee. The Fixture Secretary should be notified in accordance with the postponement procedure.

20 PRACTICE PRIOR TO A MATCH

(i) No visiting players shall be allowed to practice on the green prior to a match

(ii) No visiting player shall be allowed to play on the green for 48 hours prior to a match, except in matches or competitions sanctioned by the Association

21 MATCH DAY REQUIREMENTS

(i) The captain of the home side shall shuffle his score cards and put them face down for the away captain to cover with his score cards to ensure that opponents are selected by chance

(ii) The away captain shall have the choice of the first three players in a Saturday League, (or the first two pairs in the Wednesday, Ladies or Veterans Leagues), with the choice thereafter alternating between the two captains with the numbers being the same as the first choice

(iii) In the Saturday League the two captains can agree that 4 games be in progress at any time

(iv) In all League matches the team captains or their elected deputies shall act as referees and measurers, unless special appointments have been made by the Management Committee

(v) The winner of each end shall signal to the scorers

(vi) The scorers shall sit close to each other and the scores shall be checked every three ends

22 COMPLETION AND RETURN OF RESULT SHEETS

All club secretaries should ensure that their team captains, and their deputies, are aware of the requirements for completing the Association Result Sheets.

(i) Only the official Result Sheets of the Association are to be used for sending in match results

(ii) The following details are required in all instances:

a) League      -        Saturday, Wednesday, Veterans, Ladies as appropriate

b) Division     -        1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 as appropriate

C) Date         -        Original Fixture Date - and date played if different

d) Venue

e) Home team         -        Ensure team "A", "B", "C", "D" (as appropriate) is quoted

f)  Away team          -        Ensure team "A", "B", "C", "D" (as appropriate) is quoted

g) Players names - If two or more players are registered with the club further details other than just surname and initial are required

h) Scores       -        All Individual scores to be entered and addition checked

i) Captain's signatures   - Both captains to sign to confirm all details entered on the Result Sheet are correct

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 levied on both teams

Penalty for breach of Rule: 22g) only A fine of £5 levied on offending team

(iii) The home club shall forward the completed Result Sheet to the Fixtures Secretary to arrive within 10 days of the match

Penalty for breach of Rule: A fine of £5 for each offence

23     DETERMINATION OF LEAGUE WINNERS

(i) The final league positions shall be determined on the basis of the total points scored

(ii) If there is a tie, the higher placed team shall be the one with least points against

(iii) If still a tie the team having won the greater number of matches will be highest placed

(iv) If the teams still cannot be separated, a deciding match on a neutral green will be played

24 LAWS OF THE GAME OF CROWN GREEN BOWLS

All games shall be played in accordance with the "Laws of the Game of Crown Green Bowls" as laid down by the British Crown Green Bowling Association. In addition, the following Local Rules shall apply:

(i) In a Wednesday, Ladies or Veterans League, any player who, subject to Scratching Times and the playing of reserves, does not have a partner, may play on their own provided they play in the same order as they would if they were the lead player of a partnership

(ii) In the case of the edge of the green being slightly raised, or having an obstruction such as long grass, then any jack or bowl being kept on the green shall count for that end, as long as both teams are informed of any such obstruction before the commencement of the match

25 CODE OF DRESS

(i) The home team captain, or in the case of competitions, the referee shall refuse any player not wearing suitable footwear the right to play on the green, provided notification has not been made that the player suffers from a disability

(ii) All players are to conform to the Code of Dress as set out in the British Crown Green Bowling Association Bye law No 25 on all Finals Days

26 DISPUTES

(i) Any dispute which may occur and is not catered for in these rules shall be resolved by the Management Committee, whose decision shall be final and binding

(ii) Any complaint or protest must be registered in writing to the Secretary of the Association within 7 days of the match or incident concerned and must include full details of the reason for the complaint

(iii) Any protest once registered cannot be withdrawn without the permission of the Management Committee

(iv) All parties involved in the complaint shall receive a copy of the protest from the Secretary of the Association, and at the discretion of the Management Committee any player or club representative may be invited to make a statement but shall not be allowed to take part in the decision making process.

27 SUPPLEMENTARY RULES FOR COMPETITIONS

All games shall be played in accordance with Association Rule 24 and two score cards shall be used for each game.

Entries and Fees

(i) All entries for any of the Association's competitions must be submitted on the Official Entry Forms and must be submitted by the specified closing date

(ii) All entries must be accompanied by the relevant entry fee as stipulated by the Annual General Meeting.

(iii) A levy of 50 pence per player shall also be paid in each round at the time of registering with the referee

Date, Venue, Starting and Scratching Times

(iv) These shall be stipulated by the Management Committee

(v) If difficulty is experienced in acquiring the requisite greens by clubs offering on a voluntary basis, then the Management Officers shall have the power to designate greens as required.

Singles Competitions

(vi) All players can only enter under the name of the club for which they are registered in the following order of priority: Saturday League, Wednesday League, Veterans League, Ladies League

(vii) All games shall be 21 upon a knockout basis

Doubles Competitions

(viii) All players can only enter under the name of the club for which they are registered in the following order of priority: Wednesday League, Saturday League, Veterans League, Ladies League

(ix) All games shall be 21 up on a knockout basis

Registration and Substitutes

(x) All players shall register with the referee before the stipulated Scratching Time. After that time any player not registered shall be refused permission to participate

(xi) If, for any reason, a player is unable to attend in singles competitions no substitute will be allowed

(xii) If, for any reason, a player is unable to attend in a doubles competition a substitute will be allowed to play from the First Round only, provided they are registered with the same club as the original player and not entered to play in the same competition on a different green

28 THOMPSON HOSPITAL CUP & REPECHAGE TROPHY

(i) These shall be handicap competitions, the handicap being six points per division based upon the Wednesday League.

(ii) All teams must be registered with the Association.

(iii) All players must be registered at least 24 hours before they can play in any round of the competitions. The final time for registration being 24 hours before the last 16 of the competitions

(iv) Players in this competition can only play for the club for which they are registered in the Wednesday League. If they are not registered for a club in this League, they can play for the club for which they are registered in the Saturday League. If they are not registered to play for a club in either, they can play for the club for which they are registered in the Veterans League. If they are not registered in any of these, they can play for the club they are registered for in the Ladies League.

(v) Once a player has played for a team in the Thompson Hospital Cup they shall be cup-tied and cannot play for another team in the competition

(vi) When a team is knocked out of the Thompson Hospital Cup in the preliminary or first round they shall be automatically entered into the Thompson Hospital Cup Repechage Trophy

(vii) In all rounds of this competition a collection of 50 pence per player shall be made for the benefit of the host club. All games being played on a neutral green.

(viii) In each match the opponents shall be selected by chance as in the League

(ix) The captains of each team shall toss for the choice of the first, third and fifth pairs to play

(x) Two sets of scorecards must be used and the scores checked after every three ends

(xi) Two games must be in progress by 6.30pm with the third game being in progress by 6.45pm, Scratching time 7pm. On Finals Day the Scratching time shall be one hour after the Starting time

(xii) The Association will nominate official referees for the semi-finals and final

(xiii) The BCGBA Dress Code ,Rule will operate for the semi-finals and final

(xiv) All games shall be 21 up and the winners determined by the highest aggregate score. In the event of a tie the team winning the most number of games shall be declared the winners

(xv) All clubs having entered a team in the Thompson Hospital Cup and withdrawing from the competition in any round, other than being disqualified or being the losing team in any particular round, shall be subject to a fine of £5 and they shall not be allowed to enter the Repechage competition.

Any club withdrawing from the Repechage Competition, other than being disqualified or being the losing team in any particular round shall be subject to a fine of £5.

Penalty for non-payment of fines: Club to be barred from any competition or league organised by the Association until such time as the fine is paid

(xvi) If a team is withdrawn to allow participation in another competition, then in addition to the £5 fine, that club shall be barred from the competition in the following year

(xvii) The semi-finals and final are to be played on the same day and shall be played on the first Saturday after the last scheduled League match of the season

(xviii) Any dispute which may occur, that is not covered in these rules, shall be resolved by the MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.