Weston super Mare & District Over 55's Bowls League
WESTON-SUPER-MARE & DISTRICT OVER 55's MENS
TRIPLES BOWLING LEAGUE
RULES AND CONSTITUTION
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NAME
The League shall be known as the ‘WESTON-SUPER-MARE & DISTRICT MENS’ OVER 55s TRIPLES BOWLING LEAGUE’.
2. MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the League shall be open to bowling Clubs who are affiliated to the Somerset County bowling Association and whose greens are within the North Somerset Area of the Somerset County B.A. Applications for Membership must be submitted to the League Secretary by 1st October in any year and shall be considered for approval by a Special Meeting of the Member Clubs convened in accordance with Rule 3 (e). (Amended ABM Nov. 2011)
3. MANAGEMENT
(a) Management of the League shall be vested in the Annual Meeting of Member Clubs to be held in October or November each year.
(b) Member Clubs shall be entitled to send two representatives to the Annual Meeting to represent the interests of their Clubs and to discuss and vote on matters concerning the running and constitution of the League. Each delegate being entitled to vote.
(c) The Annual Meeting shall appoint a Chairman; Secretary and Treasurer for the ensuing year which three Officers shall comprise the Management Committee and shall be responsible for the day-to-day running and administration of the League. The Secretary shall produce a Report and the Treasurer an audited Statement of Accounts at each Annual Meeting covering the period ended 30th September.
(d) Clubs whose delegates are so elected to position of League Officer shall be entitled to send delegates to replace the elected Officer/s.
(e) Notice of the Annual Meeting (or any Special Meeting which the Committee or at least three Member clubs collectively shall be empowered to call) shall be given to Member Clubs not less than four weeks prior to the date set for the meeting together with the agenda. No matters other than those of which notice has been given will be dealt with. Voting shall be on the basis of majority decision with the chairman having a casting vote in the event of a tie.
(f) Annual and Special Meetings shall have a quorum of at least 4 Member clubs.
4. FINANCE
(a) Member clubs shall be required to pay an annual subscription to cover the cost of trophies and running expenses etc. The amount of such subscription shall be decided at the Annual Business Meeting called for such purposes.
(b) Any monies still held after payment of all expenses and a retained reserve, will be donated to charity. (Amended ABM Nov 2009).
(c) The nomination of charities is split between the winners of Groups one and two and the winners of the Knock Out Cup. The money split in the proportions of 1/3rd of the charitable donation available. (Amended ABM Nov 2009)
(d) The League may enter into any sponsorship agreement, which the Management Committee is able to arrange on behalf of Member Clubs.
5. RULES OF PLAY
(a) Each Clubs in Groups A and B shall play every other Club in the group both Home and Away each season or as directed by the Annual Meeting.
(b) Matches will be on the basis of 3 wood triples of 18 ends and shall be played mid-week under Bowls England Men’s Rules or as altered by this League. Matches shall normally commence at 2.30 p.m. or as mutually agreed by the clubs involved. Dress for matches will always be whites or Club colours. Promotion & Relegation between Groups A & B will be Two Teams up and down unless additional club teams are elected into league membership.
(c) The number of rinks to be played shall be 6 or as determined by the Annual Meeting.
(d) The result of each match shall be notified to the League Secretary by the Home Team Captain within 48 hours of each match, using the printed result cards provided for the purpose. Points will be awarded as follows:
Winning Team - 8 pts
Drawn Match - 4 pts to each team
Each winning rink - 2 pts
Tied Rinks - 1 pt to each team
The League Secretary shall advise League results and tables to Member Clubs weekly/Monthly during the playing season. The weekly situation to commence from the end of June onwards.
(e) (i) Any Club unable to field a full complement of players must notify opponents as soon as possible before the match takes place. If, as a result, the full number of rinks cannot be played the opponents shall be awarded 2 points and 10 shots for each short rink. In the event of a player being taken ill on the rink and there is no reserve, then the rink will be forfeited unless they have played the minimum of 12 ends. If 12 ends have been played, then the score will stand. If a reserve/eligible substitute is available, then that person may play but MUST NOT skip. Any team playing a substitute/ineligible player as a skip shall receive a penalty of 6 points and this shall be deducted by the league (Amended ABM Nov 2010). Any Club unable to field a team of 6 rinks, then the minimum number of rinks to fulfil a match shall be 3. If a match is conceded due to the default of one Club only, then the Opponents shall be awarded 20 points. (ABM 2023)
(e) (ii) Clubs with more than one team in the league, may, in exceptional circumstances, be permitted to use FOUR players from the other team/s to enable a fixture to be fulfilled. No player may be played as a substitute in another team/s more than 4 times in a season. However, players for the Knock Out Cup competition WILL only be permitted to play in one team. Any player, so introduced, whether league or Cup, must be regarded as a substitute and may not play as a Skip. The Captain of any team introducing the substitute MUST advise the opposing Captain of any substitute being used before the commencement of the game. Failure to do so WILL result in deduction of either rink points, 10 shots or both as determined by the Management Committee. Clubs with two or more teams must provide the League Secretary with the appropriate team lists for each team. Once the lists have been received by the League Secretary, players WILL NOT be transferred to another team throughout the remainder of the season. Team lists to be received by the Secretary BEFORE THE FIRST MATCH BEING PLAYED BY ANY OF THE CLUB’s TEAMS.
Any member of a club with more than one team, MUST be registered in a team BEFORE they are permitted to play in a match. (ABM Nov 2023)
(e) (iii) In the event of a team being one ore more players short at the starting time, due to possible delay, after a period of not more than 15 minutes, trial ends will commence with all those players so present. The late arriving players may join the match providing that they are on the green before completion of all trial ends. (Amended ABM Nov 2009)
(e) (iv) Players are entitled to be a member of more than one club during a season, BUT may only play in this league for one club. At the commencement of each season, such players MUST stipulate which club they intend to play Over 55s for. Clubs must therefore inform the league Secretary, BEFORE THE FIRST MATCH BEING PLAYED BY ANY OF THE CLUB’s TEAMS, the name of such players. (ABM 2023)
(f) Where matches are not completed due to adverse weather conditions, etc. the result shall stand if 12 (minimum) or more ends have been played by each rink. (Bowls England Laws of the Game referring to domestic arrangements will otherwise apply and arrangements should be made to replay the match). In the event of a fixture not being completed by the end of the season due to conditions not just attributable to one club, only the match points should be shared equally. (Amended ABM Nov. 2010)
(g) In the event of Clubs finishing the season with equal points, the Club having the greater shot difference shall assume the higher position in the League Table.
(h) All Clubs must have arranged to play 8 (eight) games by the end of June, 11 (eleven) games by the end of July and to have completed arrangements to play all their matches by the second full week in September. Failure to do so, MAY result in a penalty to be imposed at the discretion of the Management Committee. (Amended ABM 2022).
(i) All league trophies will be presented at the ABM.
6. OVER 60’s KNOCK OUT CUP
(a) This competition will be played among member teams using recognized K.O. Cup rules. The exception being, that if shots are tied after 18 ends then one rink will play an extra end to decide the tie. (This rink has been designated as being rink No. 3).
(b) The draw for the K.O. Cup will take place at the A.B.M.
(c) The venue for the K.O. Cup Final shall be decided by alphabetical order.
(d) Dates: Preliminary round by 31st May, round 1 by June 30th, Round 2 by July 31st. S/F by August 31st, Final 2nd or 3rd week of September.
7. GENERAL
(a) The League Championship Trophy donated by Ray Newbury shall be known as the “Newbury Cup” and remains the property of the League. Winners of the Trophy and of any other League trophies shall be required to hold them until re-presented, and to be responsible for loss or damage to the trophy during that time.
(b) Any matter not covered by the Rules & constitution, or any question of interpretation shall be dealt with by the Management committee whose decision shall be final and binding.
(c) No amendment to the rules & Constitution shall be made except by resolution of the Annual Business Meeting.
[Version 2024 – corrected on 2nd April 2024 – reason omission of 5 ( e ) (iii) from previous version.]
