League Rules

Woodhall Spa and District Friendly Bowls League Rules 2009.

1. THE AIMS OF THE LEAGUE

a. To provide League Matches for members of clubs who wish to play in the afternoons.

b. To promote friendship between Clubs and their Members.

c. The elected Committee shall manage the affairs of the League.

2. COMPOSITION OF THE LEAGUE

a. The League will consist of two equal status sections.

b. League Match Points will be awarded: 2 points for a win per rink and 1 point for a tie per rink;

c. If, at the completion of all matches, there is a Points Tie, the total aggregate difference will decide final League positions.

d. A play-off for the League Cup will take place between the 2 Section Leaders.

e. Before this Final begins, Captains will agree a rink from the unturned cards. This rink will play 19 ends, so that, in the event of a tie at 18 ends, this 19^th end result will determine the overall League winner.

f. The Runners-up will receive the Runner-Up Shield.

3. COMPOSTION OF TEAMS

a. Teams will consist of 3 rinks, each of 3 players. Each player will bowls 3 woods per end.

4. ENTRY FEES for teams playing in the League and in the Ron White Shield shall be fixed at the AGM prior to the start of the League season.

5. MATCH PLAY

a. Unless otherwise stated specifically in these Rules, the “LAWS OF THE GAME – EBF – AS AMENDED 2008” publication shall apply to all matches.

b. A match will consist of 18 played ends. Should a match be terminated for any reason, the score at the time of termination will count as the final score provided that at least 12 ends have been completed. If 12 ends have not been completed (by all 3 rinks), then the match shall be void and shall be replayed in its entirety at a date MUTUALLY agreed between the teams.

c. There shall be no trial ends.

d. The Home Team shall deliver the jack for the first end.

e. To count, woods must be within 2 metres of the jack.

f. Players must wear regulation footwear and should normally wear white above the waist and grey below, at all times when on the Green. Team Captains should ensure that this Rule is adhered to by all their players.

g. SUBSTITUTE FOR A PLAYER WHO IS ILL OR ABSENT

i. 10 MINUTES shall be allowed from the advertised start time for an absentee to arrive.

ii. If, after 10 minutes have elapsed, a player has not arrived, a substitute may be used – BUT may not play as a Skip.

iii. If no substitute is available, EBF Law VII.3 shall be observed.

iv. A player who becomes ill at any point after the first end has started and unable to continue, may be replaced by a substitute – if any is available – such substitute may NOT play as a Skip. Otherwise the score at that point shall be frozen and count towards the result. The remaining players may continue to play if they wish, but the subsequent ends will not count towards the result.

v. In any case where a substitute has started to play, that person must play to the end of the match and the original player may not take any further part.

h. All woods must bear the correct club stickers – except that if both teams normally play with the same coloured stickers, the Home team must all either remove their stickers or add a temporary distinguishing mark to each side of every wood, before the start of play.

i. Clubs with two or more teams may interchange players from their own teams as often as they wish – provided no player plays for more than one such team within a period of eight days.

j. Any Club unable to field a team for any reason other than inclement weather or the green being unplayable (and this decision is entirely that of the green keeper concerned): the Club defaulting shall forfeit all six points. The non-offending club shall receive the six rink points and an additional 10 shots per rink – a maximum of 30 shots – as a penalty.

k. All matches are to be played in the afternoon, starting at 2.30 on the days shown on the official fixture list. Should an earlier start be requested, the team making this request must telephone the opposition and ask if this is agreeable – and be bound by the reply.

l. Should a change of date for a match be required the home team shall be responsible for putting forward alternative dates. Both teams must agree and the Match Secretary informed accordingly.

m. In the event that no suitable alternative date can be arranged, the Home team Captain shall send a written report to the Match Secretary. After taking into account all relevant aspects from both Clubs, the Match Secretary shall decide the distribution of points and this decision shall be final.

n. The start of the season shall be the first Wednesday in May and the end of the season shall be as determined by the Match Secretary each year.

o. RESULT SHEETS must be returned, completed, to the Results Secretary IMMEDIATLY after the game, by mail or by email.

6. IN THE CASE OF 2 MATCHES IN ANY ONE WEEK

a. The 2^nd match on the official fixture list may be played on any day in that week – IF BOTH TEAMS AGREE. The Match Secretary MUST be informed of any change in date.

7. CLUBS WITH SMALL NUMBER OF PLAYERS

a. Clubs with small number of players and having difficulty in fielding a full team may co-opt players from another club – BUT the Results secretary must be informed. This is a concession to be used only in rare circumstances. Such “borrowed” players may not play as Skip.

8. At the end of the season, a Competition will take place for the Ron White Memorial Shield.

a. League Teams will be invited to enter 1 team to take part in a Round Robin contest in each Section. Each team shall consist of 5 players who may be rotated at the end of each match.

b. The winners of each Section will play-off in the Final.

c. The winners of the Final will receive the Shield to hold for one year and the Runners-Up will receive a replica.

d. No player will be eligible for this competition unless he/she has played in at least 6 League Matches during that season for the Club he/she represents.

e. Names of players entered in teams must be submitted to the Results Secretary at least 2 weeks before the event.

f. The entry fee (see 4 above) to be paid on the day of the Competition.

g. In the event of there being an odd number of teams in the League, a draw will be made from all the teams and the team drawn will not play in that year’s competition BUT will be guaranteed a place in the following year.

h. Should a team withdraw from the League during the season, the drawn team in g above shall take its place in the Competition.

i. A stand-by team – for emergency use only – shall be provided by the club hosting the event. Such team must comply with iii, iv and v above.

j. Once they have played, this team will continue to the end of the Competition as if they had entered originally.

9. ANY MATTER NOT SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED FOR will be dealt with in such manner and belief that true sportsmanship will prevail. It is the League’s belief that, in the absence of a specific Law or Rule, Common Sense will find a way to complete a happy solution to a knotty problem. Unusual incidents not specifically provided for frequently occur – it is on such occasions that the “Friendly” word of the League’s title will be uppermost in everyone’s mind.

In the rare event that teams cannot agree, the League Secretary must be approached by the teams concerned for a solution that shall be binding on the parties concerned.

As agreed at AGM 2009