League Rules

League Rules   (2024)  LR V24-1.0    as at 170324

League Rules

1. The League Competition

a. Divisions - The League shall consist of one or more Divisions as decided by the Executive

Committee with not more than eight teams in a division.

b. Number of teams - Clubs in membership shall be entitled to apply to the Committee to enter

one or more teams each comprising of two rinks of four registered players.

c. Entry of teams - Each club shall notify the Hon. Secretary before the 31 of December each

year the teams to be entered. A Team having not entered the League Competition in the

previous year shall play in the lowest division.

d. Promotion and Relegation - The winner and runner-up of each division shall be promoted

to the next higher division. The two teams scoring the lowest number of points shall be

relegated to the next lower division. In the event of two or more teams finishing with an

equal number of points promotion or relegation shall be decided on shot difference. It is

not permitted to have more than two teams from the same club in any one division with

promotion or relegation being adjusted accordingly by the Executive Committee. Also In

exceptional circumstances promotion or relegation may be modified by the Executive Committee.

e. Disputes – If any dispute should arise concerning a match the matter must be reported

within 48 hours in writing to the Hon Secretary for a ruling by the Executive Committee.

f. Regulations - The ‘Laws of the Sport of Bowls’ and those of ‘Bowls England’ shall apply to

this competition unless otherwise modified by these League Rules.

(The Laws of the Sport of Bowls and these League Rules have been drawn up in the spirit of

true sportsmanship. So, if a situation arises that is not covered by these laws/rules, players,

markers and umpires must use their common sense and a spirit of fair play to decide on the

appropriate course of action)

2. Registration of Players

All players shall be members of a club in membership of the CMBL. Be registered with

the Hon. Secretary and fees paid to the Hon. Treasurer by not later than 1 May. They will

be permitted to compete in a named league team. Each team squad may not exceed a

maximum of twenty five registered male or female players. Changes or additions may be made to

the registration of players at any time. No player shall play for more than one club competing

in the League in any one year. Any team competing with an unregistered player shall have

two points deducted from their league total. The whole team shall additionally have its

total shots scored in that game reduced by one fourth (including decimal places) for each

unregistered player taking part.

3. Transfer of players

The transfer of players between the teams of any one club shall be permitted only once

during the competition year subject to the agreement of the Hon. Secretary.

4. Playing arrangements

a. Fixtures - Teams shall play each other twice during the competition on a home and away

basis on dates defined by the Executive Committee. Where more than one team from the

same club are in the same division wherever possible they shall play each other home and

away – one game early in the season and one game mid way through the season.

b. Number of rinks - Each match played in the league shall consist of two rinks of four

registered players.

c. Starting time – All matches including trial ends are to commence by 6.15pm. This may be

varied with the agreement of both Team Captains to allow known missing players to arrive.

The start time however shall not be delayed any longer than fifteen minutes. (Rule 4d and

4e may also be involved)

d. Players missing – A team having less than seven players available at the ‘Starting Time’

(Rule 4c) shall forfeit the match to their opponents together with ten shots and eight points.

e. Rink of three players - Any team competing with a rink of three players shall have three

bowls for each of the lead and second player and two bowls for the skip. A match so started

must complete in the same manner. The team rink with three players will have their score

reduced by one fourth of the total shots scored (including decimal places) and to be deducted

from their score after the game has finished.

f. Number of ends - During June and July the number of ends played shall be twenty one and

during May and August shall be eighteen ends.

g. Rink/Green fees - All rink and green fees shall be paid by the host club playing on their own

green.

h. Draw for Rinks - Pre prepare score cards with the selected teams. The home Team Captain

(TC) to advise the rink numbers on which the match is to be played. The home TC to place

their scorecards face down on a table. The away TC to place their scorecards face down

on top of the home scorecards. The away TC to mark on the back of the top cards the rink

numbers previously advised (The away TC may randomly choose which face down card has

which rink number) Turn the cards over and mark on the front the randomly selected rink

number.

i. Award of points - Four points shall be awarded to the team winning the match on aggregate

score from the two rinks. In the event of the aggregate score being equal each team will be

awarded two points. Two points will also be awarded to the winning team on each rink with

one point each being awarded in the event of a tie.

j. Result and score cards - A Match Result Card is to be signed by both Team Captains as

a correct record of the match together with one set of Score Cards signed by the competing

skips as a true record of their rink scores.

k. Result Notification - Match Result Cards and one set of Score Cards shall be sent by the

home drawn side by first class post or by electronic mail not later than the day following the

match to the Hon. Match Secretary or the designated League Steward.

l. Teams in default – A team in default of these ‘Playing arrangements’ shall be deemed to

have lost the match by ten shots and eight points even in the event of them having won or

drawn the match. Should the match be lost the result will stand and ten shots added to the

deficit.

5. Postponements

a. Rearrangement - If a league match is postponed due to weather conditions or the venue

not being available the match shall be played before the CMBL published relevant division

penultimate match date. However, if the penultimate or last league match is postponed the

match shall take place within one week of the original match date. Rearranged games shall

play the number of ends applicable to the original playing date (ie May & August 18 ends and

June & July 21 ends)

b. Notifications - The rematch date shall be notified to the Hon. Match Secretary or the

designated League Steward within fourteen days of the original date or within seven days in

the case of the postponement of the penultimate or last league match.

c. Qualifying ends - In the event of a match being unable to be finished due to weather

conditions – provided two thirds of the scheduled ends are complete (i.e. Twenty four ends

in an eighteen end two rink match or twenty eight ends in a twenty one end two rink match)

the score at the time of abandonment will stand as the final result. Otherwise Rule 5a and 5b

applies.

d. Dangerous conditions – In the event of conditions being considered dangerous to the

players (e.g. lightening) the match must be postponed and Rule 5a, 5b or 5c shall apply a

appropriate.

e. Exceptional circumstance – In the event of exceptional circumstances not otherwise

covered by the rules at least two independent Officers of the Committee shall be empowered

to agree a postponement of a match.

END