League Rules
GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY BOWLS LEAGUE - LEAGUE RULES (AMENDED November 2023)
1. NAME. a) The League shall be known as the Gloucestershire County Bowls League. b) Divisions within the League shall be known as Division’s with numbers, the highest division as Division 1, and pro-rata. c) The winners of Division One will hold the ‘Gloucester Bowls Club’ League Cup. Winners of Division 2 the Dan Knight Cup Division 3 the Ken Griffin Shield. Division Four the Dave Evans Cup. Division Five the Pat Main Shield.
2. ADMINISTRATION. a) The affairs of the League shall be conducted by a League Committee consisting of a Chairman, League Secretary and Treasurer and one delegate from each registered Club in full membership with the League. b) The Chairman, League Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected annually at the League’s Annual General Meeting to be held in November of each year. All shall have power to vote.
3. ENTRIES. a) The League will be open to clubs affiliated to the Gloucestershire Bowling Association. b) Annual team subscription shall be set by the League Committee. c) Players must be fully paid-up members of the affiliated club. d) Clubs wishing to enter team(s) shall apply by 30th September. e) Continuing membership thereafter shall be assumed. Annual subscription (non-refundable) shall be paid by 31st March each year. f) Clubs wishing their team/teams to resign shall advise the League Secretary in writing as soon as they have resolved to do so, stating clearly when such resignation is to take effect.
4. STRUCTURE. a) The number of teams per division shall be no greater than 10. The number of Divisions will depend on the number of entries in the league. b) Each team shall play each other within the same division at least once. Each team shall play the same number of home and away fixtures (as far as possible) and regulated by the reversing table method in the following season. c) The top two placed teams in the mid and lower full divisions (divisions of 7, 8, 9 or 10 teams) will be promoted and two lowest placed teams in the top and mid divisions will be relegated at the end of the season. In a division where there are less than 7 teams only the top placed team will be promoted and only the lowest placed team in the division above will be relegated at the end of the season. d) Where changes in the number of teams entered to play (dictated by numbers) that fails to meet the requirements of Rule 4a a restructuring of the lowest division may be varied as determined by the League Committee.
5. REGISTRATION of PLAYERS. a) All Players shall be deemed registered players for a team when their names have been recorded on the team’s scorecard prior to the commencement of a game in which they play. The date of registration shall be the day the player plays his first game. Clubs with two or more teams: - (i) Player(s) can play once for the team in the higher division are permitted to return to the lower division team in the same season. (ii) Player(s) who play more than once for the higher division team are not permitted to return to the lower division team in the same season. Any club that has two or more teams in the League is deemed to have separate teams. b) Any team playing an ineligible player shall be deducted six points.
6. FIXTURES. (a) All Fixtures are to be played between the first and last dates issued by the League Secretary in any year. In the event of the matches on the last date, either being abandoned or postponed due to weather, the rearrangement of that fixture will be made in accordance with Rule 6(c). (b) Fixtures will be played at 10am unless a different time has been mutually agreed by both teams or a time has been given by the League Secretary. (c) In the event of a team(s) unable to fulfil a fixture on any dates, other than for weather or cancelled by the greenkeeper, 7 days’ notice is to be given to their opponents. The opposition team to offer 2 dates, of which one must be a Sunday for the match to be rearranged. Nov 2023 Both clubs are to notify the League Secretary by email, within 7 days of the new date. In the event of any non-acceptance of the dates given, a date will be advised to both teams by the League Management Committee when the match is to be played. (d) Failure to play any match will result in the defaulting team being relegated to the lowest division of the League, 'if vacancies exist.’ for the following season. The defaulting team shall submit an application form to rejoin the league by the 30th of September of the season concerned to the Secretary in writing for consideration at the AGM. The League Management Committee shall have the power to expunge their record dependant on circumstances, deduct points from the defaulting team, award the points from the Competition Match in question to the opponents. (e) In the event of a fixture being curtailed or abandoned due to weather a total of 22 ends must have been completed to allow the result of the match on each rink to stand. In the event of 22 ends not being played, the match shall be declared null and void and rearranged by the teams with notification to the League Secretary, by e mail or telephone, within 7 days of the abandonment.
7. PLAY. a) All matches must be played under Laws of the Sport of Bowls Current Edition. Matches shall be played over 21 ends, with two trial ends by mutual agreement of both team captains. b) Rinks shall be drawn by the Captains. c) If a player has to leave the green through illness, a substitute who is a Club member and not played for any other team can be used in any position except Skip. Where no substitute or where a full team is not fielded, the team may play with one player short in both rinks, subject to Laws of the Sport of Bowls Current Edition.. A team with less than 6 players (before or during the match) shall be deemed to have failed to fulfil the fixture according to Rule 7. Players arriving late cannot play except as substitutes in accordance with the Laws of the Game. d) Greys shall be worn for all matches. (In situations where it would be courteous to wear whites, it should be done as a whole team by prior agreement) e) Visiting teams should be respectful of the host club’s hospitality.
8. RESULTS. a) Each winning rink per team shall be awarded 2 points, drawing rinks 1 point each. b) Each winning team shall be awarded 2 points, drawing teams 1 point each. c) The home club must keep a record of the match before copying or sending the two match result cards by e mail or firstclass post to the League Secretary to arrive within 2 days of the match. The away club must retain their match result cards until the end of the season. d) Final league positions, promotions and relegations will be decided on points, with shot difference being a tie decider. In the event of two teams being equal on points and shot difference the result of their respective game decides their final position. In the event that this game ended in a tie the result of the last end count of both rinks shall decide the final position. e) Prize money will be awarded to the top and second placed teams in each division. f) All division’s prize amounts shall be announced before the start of the league season.
9. CHANGE TO LEAGUE RULES. a) Request for rule changes must be submitted in writing to the League Secretary, from the proposing club. b) Request(s) to be received by 30th September each year shall be considered by the League Committee for acceptance at the League’s Annual General Meeting. c) Any agreed changes shall be implemented for that year.
10. CONDUCT of the LEAGUE. The Rules of the League will be administered by the League Management Committee and if a situation arises that is not covered by these rules common sense and a spirit of fair play can decide on the appropriate course of action.