Men - Rules

Honorary League Secretary – J.D. Holmes

Three leagues will be operated by Bowls Northumberland (Men’s Section) and they are Knight and Nines on Tuesday evenings and Clegg on Wednesday evenings.

GENERAL CONDITIONS – RELATING TO LEAGUES

NB – These conditions apply to the three leagues for men which are run under the auspices of Bowls Northumberland.

1.     All games will start at 7 pm except in August when they will start at 6-30 pm: 15 minutes grace will be given to visiting teams.

2.     The home team will be responsible for all green fees.

3.     The home team will appoint an Umpire before each game and he will be in close attendance for the whole game.

4.     a) Any team not fulfilling a fixture will be in default.

      b) When a team has been in default in any division of any league on three (3) occasions it will be deemed to have withdrawn from that league. Any matches it has played, and those in which it has been in default, will be deleted from the records and the league table revised accordingly.

5.     A player having represented his club in any of the County Leagues may subsequently play in them for ONE other club in the same season but, having done so, may not play again for his original club in that season. The club to which he ‘transfers’must inform the League Secretary that he is about to play.

6.     That any club playing unregistered player(s) will be deducted two (2) points for each game played.

7.     Where matches are postponed or not completed but not due to weather conditions, the game must be played within 4 weeks after cancellation or declared void. If the matches are postponed but due to weather conditions, then the following conditions will apply:

        a) The match must be played within 10-days days after the last scheduled Clegg fixture.

       b) If, for any reason other than a team being in default, matches are not played as in (a) then they are void, and neither team will receive or lose points or shots.

       c) The two clubs should agree a mutually convenient date for any re-arranged game. If no agreement can be reached then the matter is referred to the League Secretary.

       d) Where a game is unfinished it shall resume with the scores as they were when the game stopped unless at least 11 ends (Clegg and Knight Leagues) or 9 ends (Nines League) have been completed on all rinks when by mutual agreement the result will stand. The result to be determined by the usual method for the appropriate league, taking into account the scores of all completed ends on each individual rink.

8.     If when all their games are completed, any teams are level on points, the highest shots difference will decide the winners. Should they still be level, then the highest shots scored will decide.

9.     Official score sheets which are supplied to each club must be completed by the Home Team, signed by a Representative of both clubs and posted to the League Secretary as soon as possible. Clubs are urged to use first class post.

10.     When a team withdraws from a league then only two of the teams taking part in the relevant division will be relegated.

11.   Division winners will hold the divisional cup for one year.

12.   Entries to all leagues for the following season should be sent to the County Secretary on the Annual Returns Forms no later than the 30th November of the previous year. There is an entry fee payable of £5 for each team entered into each  league.

13.   In order to rationalise, as far as possible, the number of clubs in the various divisions of each league, the GPC may vary the standard ‘three-up, three-down’ practice for promotion and relegation as set out in Condition 14 regardless of whether there is to be a change in the number of divisions in a given league. If appropriate this Condition will take precedence over Condition 8 above.

14.    Dress for all league games to be in accordance with Rule 3 (DRESS) of the County Championship Conditions.

15.    In all leagues the top three clubs in all divisions (except Division One) will be promoted, and the bottom three clubs in all (except the lowest division) will be relegated, but see General Conditions 9 and 12 above.

16.    When a club has more than one team in any league no member may play for more than one of these teams in the same season. The club will be in default in respect of any match in which this Condition is breached, and the appropriate league rule (Clegg and Knight Rule 9 or Nines rule 2) will apply.

17.    For all league matches each competing team shall designate one of the players as “Captain of the Day”. In the event of any problems occurring before or during the match, such as the curtailment of the number of ends to be played due to inclement weather etc. then the two “Captains of the Day” shall consult and come to an agreement as to what will occur. Once a decision has been agreed then this decision is irreversible. If the captains cannot reach an agreement as to the number of ends to be played, then the full number for the appropriate league will then be played, but if it subsequently proves to be impossible to complete either the full or a reduced number of ends then condition 6 (d) will apply.

RULES RELATING TO THE CLEGG AND KNIGHT LEAGUES

NB – These rules relate to the men’s leagues run under the auspices of Bowls Northumberland.

(These rules are to be read in conjunction with the General Conditions-Relating To Leagues published on the Leagues Page of this site)

1.     Affiliated Clubs may enter one or both of these Leagues.

2.     All games to be 21 ends (unless mutually agreed otherwise) with four triples playing two bowls each for both teams. No trial ends will be played but one shot will be scored at each of the first two completed ends.

3.     a) If a single player is absent from one or both sides, the game to proceed, the number of bowls in the defaulting side/sides to be made up by the two players playing three bowls each. One third of the total shots scored by each rink playing two players to be deducted from its score at the end of the game.

        b) In the event of a player having to withdraw from a match after it has begun he will be replaced by a substitute (if available) who must be a bona fide member of the club. If no substitute is available the other two players on the rink concerned will play three bowls each for the remaining ends and one third of the shots which they score at those ends will be deducted from their total.

4.     The minimum number of players for a League match shall be ten (10): any team with less than ten shall be in default.

5.     In all league matches six points will be awarded to the winning team with three points each in a drawn game. In addition, two points will be awarded for each individual winning rink with one point for a draw.

6.     When a team is in default the opponents will receive 14 points and 20 shots.

RULES RELATING TO THE NINES LEAGUE

(These rules should be read in conjunction with the General Conditions- Relating to Leagues which are on the Leagues Page of this site)

1.     Normally Nine players will form a team – The team will be made up with a PAIR (4 bowls each player, a TRIPLE (3 bowls each player) and a FOUR (2 bowls each player), two playing in a Pairs (four bowls each), three playing in a Triple (three bowls each) and a Fours (two bowls each). Exceptionally a team/teams will be allowed to play with eight players if a single player is absent from one or both sides, in which case the Fours Rink(s) will play with three players playing with 3 woods, 3 woods and two woods, against the four players playing with two bowls each. One fourth of the total shots scored by the team(s) comprising three players will be deducted from the scores of the Fours segment at the end of the game. In the event of a player having to withdraw from a match after it has begun he will be replaced by a substitute (if available) who must be a bona fide member of the club and who may not skip. If no substitute is available the following will apply:  If the withdrawal is from the Fours segment the three remaining players will play three bowls, three bowls, and two bowls for the remaining ends and one fourth of the shots they score at those ends will be deducted from their total. If a player withdraws from the Pairs or the Triples segment he will be replaced by a member of his team’s Fours squad (to be chosen by the team, but who may not skip) and the three remaining members of the Fours squad will play three bowls, three bowls, and two bowls for the remaining ends and will have one fourth of the shots which they score at those ends deducted from their total.

2.     Exceptionally a team/teams will be allowed to play with eight players if a single player is absent from one or both sides, in which case the Fours Rink(s) will play with three players playing with 3 woods, 3 woods and two woods, against the four players playing with two bowls each. One fourth of the total shots scored by the team(s) comprising three players will be deducted from the scores of the Fours segment at the end of the game. In the event of a player having to withdraw from a match after it has begun he will be replaced by a substitute (if available) who must be a bona fide member of the club. If no substitute is available the following will apply:  If the withdrawal is from the Fours segment the three remaining players will play three bowls, three bowls, and two bowls for the remaining ends and one fourth of the shots they score at those ends will be deducted from their total. If a player withdraws from the Pairs or the Triples segment he will be replaced by a member of his team’s Fours squad (to be chosen by the team, but who may not skip) and the three remaining members of the Fours squad will play three bowls, three bowls, and two bowls for the remaining ends and will have one fourth of the shots which they score at those ends deducted from their total.

3.     When a team is in default the opponents will receive 8 points and 20 shots.

3.     Unless mutually agreed otherwise, Pairs, Triples, and Fours will play 18 ends. No trial ends will be played but only one shot will be scored at each of the first two completed ends.

4.     Eight points will be available for each match – two points for each winning Pair, Triple, and Four (one point for a draw) and two points for the overall winning team (one point in case of a draw).