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RULES OF PLAY

 

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.

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.

The number of rinks to be played shall be 6 or as determined by the Annual Meeting.

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:

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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.

 

 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.   Any team playing a substitute 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 and 30 shots, (Amended ABM Nov 2018). (further amended from 5 shots to 10 shots at ABM 2022)

 

Clubs with more than one team in the league, may, in exceptional circumstances, be permitted to use TWO players from the other team to enable a fixture to be fulfilled.   No player may be moved to another team more than 4 times in a season.  Clubs with two or more teams must provide the League Secretary with the appropriate team lists for each team.   However players for the Knock Out Cup competition should only be permitted to play in one team.   Any player, so introduced, 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.  (Amended ABM 2012) (Amended ABM 2019 subject to review at ABM 2020) (Now to be reviewed at ABM 2022) (Rule regarding four players rescinded at ABM 2022.

 

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).

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​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)

 

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.

 

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).  This rule will apply from 2024.

 

All league trophies will be presented at the ABM.

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