Norfolk Bowls Association

 

 

 

 

County League Rules

(Version 2.5 as updated DECEMBER 2024)


County League Rules

 

Rules of Play

 

1) League matches are limited to playing members of clubs affiliated to the Norfolk Bowls Association.

 

2) All Teams to consist of 12 players, subject to rule (8d) constituted by 3 fours comprising any number of male & female playing members

 

3) Clubs with more than one team in the league shall designate their strongest side their 'A' team, their second strongest side their 'B' team and their third strongest their 'C' team.

 

4) PLAYER REGISTRATION & ELIGIBILITY

 

a) Clubs with more than one team in the County League must register 12 players for their ‘A’ team. The registered players must be registered with the Hon. League Secretary prior to their first scheduled League match in the year the season starts. Clubs with only one team in the County League do not need to register their players.

 

b) Any player not being one of the registered players may play for any other of that Clubs teams for any number of games.

 

c) The registered players may only play for the team for which they have been registered (but subject to paragraphs (e) & (f) below).

 

d) Any team found to have broken rule 4 (c) shall have 5 points deducted for each occasion they have defaulted. In addition, for each game in which this rule has been broken the offending team will lose any points won in that game and all points for that game will be awarded to the opposing team. In addition the offending team will have 10 shots added to their “shots against” total and the opposing team will have 10 shots added to their “shots for” total

 

e) In exceptional circumstances, a member of the originally registered players may be deregistered from that team in order that he may play for another of that Club’s team. An approach must be made to the Hon. League Secretary in writing or by e-mail giving the reason for the request to have that player de-registered. The decision on de-registration will be made by the Hon. League Secretary whose decision will be final.

 

f) A player may only play for one Club in the current season but in exceptional circumstances, a player may play for a different Club. An approach must be made to the Hon. League Secretary in writing or by e-mail giving the reason for the request. The decision on whether the player may play for another club will be made by the Hon. League Secretary whose decision will be final.

 

5) COUNTY COMPETITIONS

A player may enter County Competitions from any club of which he is a bona fide playing member and is not restricted to entering from the Club to which he is registered for County League matches.

 

6) POINTS AWARDED

Subject to rules 4(d) & 7(f), in all league matches 2 points will be awarded to the winning team and 1 point to each team for each winning four. In the event of a tied four, each team shall receive half a point. In the event of a team tie each shall receive 1 point. If two teams finish the season level on points, the winner will be determined by shots difference & should this be equal the winner will be ascertained by the aggregate results of the matches already played between the two teams.

 

7) FIXTURE ARRANGEMENT

a) Fixtures will be notified to Club Secretaries by the League Secretary.  

b) Matches will be played home and away (unless specified otherwise) on fixed dates to be determined by the League Management Committee, but may be played on an alternative date by mutual agreement, provided all fixtures are completed prior to the last scheduled date of matches in the respective league zone

c) Any club with two teams in the same league must play their games home and away against each other before the last three games of the season.  

d) No match may be postponed to a later date without the permission of the League Secretary, other than when a match is postponed because of weather conditions or two or more players are involved in International Matches or National Championships under the jurisdiction of the County Association or Bowls England. In these circumstances the League Secretary must be informed of the postponement and the match re-arranged in accordance with para (e) below

e) In the event of a match being postponed in accordance with the above a re-arranged date for the match must be agreed within 7 days of the date of the original fixture date and the League Secretary informed of the re-arranged date. The home team shall, within four days of the original fixture date, offer their opponents a minimum of two dates but not more than four, subject to the limit dates above, one of which must be accepted.

f) If a team fails to fulfil a match or postpones a match without the permission of the League Secretary  per para (d) above their opponents will be awarded 5 points and have 10 shots added to their “shots for” total & the offending team will be deducted 5 points and have 10 shots added to their “shots against” total

 

8) PLAYING ARRANGEMENTS

a) League Matches will commence not later than 6.30pm up to the end of July and at 6.15pm for all dates in August.

 

b) All matches will consist of 18 live ends. No trial ends will be played, other than visiting teams playing on an artificial surface who shall have the option of two trial ends provided they are completed prior to the designated commencement time and will be deemed not to infringe law 15 of the laws of the game.

 

c) A draw will be made for rinks.

 

d) If at the commencement time, a full team of 12 players is not present then the commencement time will be delayed for 15 minutes.

 

Unless a minimum of nine players are ready to play within a period of 15 minutes from the designated commencement time, the match will be deemed to be unfulfilled in accordance with rule 7 and points and shots will be allocated also in accordance with rule 7.

 

However if less than nine players are ready to play within a period of 15 minutes from the designated commencement time and the reason is due to an accident or illness en-route no points will be deducted and the match re-arranged as per rule 8.

 

If at the commencement time, which includes any 15 minute delay, a complete team of 12 players is not present, those players present must be formed into rinks of 3 or 4 players and the match then started with the playing format for each rink being:-

 

Rinks with 4 players:

Play will be in the usual manner for fours play

 

Rinks with only 3 players

Lead – no bowls played

No. 2 - 2 bowls

No.3 – 2 bowls

Skip – 2 bowls

 

The opposition to the rink with 3 players to play 2 bowls per player in each position in the usual manner, with the lead playing 2 bowls one after the other.

 

At conclusion of each end, the team winning the end (or having the jack on the 1st end) will cast the jack BUT the lead in the team with the 4 players will always play the first 2 bowls, one after the other. The No.2 of the team winning the previous end (or having the jack on the 1st end) will then play and then the remaining bowls will be played in the usual order.

 

e) Should the player(s) absent at the commencement time, then arrive, those player(s) will, at the conclusion of an end, slot into the rinks with only 3 players, as determined by their Team Captain, in ANY position with the other players moving up or down in position as necessary.

 

f) Rinks with 4 players cannot be changed and no players may change from the rink in which they started the match

 

g) All matches to be played to a conclusion with the final scores standing and points allocated in the usual fashion in accordance with rule 6

 

h) Discs of the same colour shall be used on the bowls of all players of a team in the league.

 

9) INCLEMENT WEATHER

In the event of inclement weather determining that no further play is possible, matches, in which the number of ends played is 36, will be deemed to have been completed and the scores will stand. In matches where the total number of ends is less than 36, the tie will be declared void and the game replayed. Play will cease on all rinks simultaneously and ends commenced but not completed shall be declared null and void.

 

10) PLAYING RULES

All matches to be played under Bowls England Rules, unless amended herein.

 

11) DRESS CODE

 The dress code for all matches will be in accordance with Bowls England Regulations

 

12) LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

For all rounds of the WP Baker Cup & Hansells Solicitors Cup the Umpire present will, prior to the match commencing, nominate the rink number to play an extra end should this be required.

Play shall be in accordance with rule 6 but in the event of a tie on points the nominated rink number will play an extra end and the result of this end will determine the result.

The zone play offs shall be on dates, other than the Middleton Cup semi-finals/final date, fixed by the League Management Committee.

 

13) RESULT SUBMISSION

For the purpose of acquainting the league secretary with the match result, a club representative will submit the match result within two days of the match via the template on the Norfolk Bowls Association website. The match score cards must be retained by the Club Secretary in case of dispute of the result or player eligibility

 

14) PRESENTATIONS

The following presentations will be made:

a) The winners of the Premier Zone will hold the 'Cromer Cup' for one year & in addition their club will receive a bannerette and 14 medals.  

 

b) The winners of each Zone 1 will play off for the League Championship and hold the 'WP Baker Cup' for one year & in addition their club will receive a bannerette and 14 medals and the runners-up will receive the CPS Gas Cup.  

 

c) The winners of each Zone 2 and 3 will play off for the 'Hansells Solicitors League Cup' to be held for one year and in addition, the winning club will receive a bannerette, 14 medals and the sum of £100. The runner-up will receive the Hansells Cup and the sum of £75 and the losing semi-finalists £25. In the event of the league structure meaning there are less than four Zone 2 & Zone 3 winners, the League Management Committee will then decide on the teams to be involved in the play off.

 

d) Shields will be presented to Zone 1, 2 and 3 winners with the exception of the WP Baker Cup winner.

 

15) PREMIER LEAGUE & PROMOTION/RELEGATION

a) The winner of the League Championship shall be invited to join the Premier Zone. Should that club decline, the runner-up shall be invited.  

 

b) The bottom team in the Premier zone shall be relegated to an appropriate Zone provided the winner or runner up of the League Championship wishes to join the Premier Zone.

 

The Premier shall consist of 8 teams.

 

Two teams will be promoted from Zones 2 and 3, and two teams relegated from Zones 1 and 2.

 

If, as a result of a team being promoted to the Premier Zone, a Zone 1 has 6 teams, then instead of two teams being relegated to Zone 2 only one team will be relegated, and likewise only one team relegated to Zone 3.

 

Where as a consequence of a new entry, a Zone 3 has 9 teams then only one team will be relegated from a Zone 2 provided the Zone 2 does not have 9 teams.

 

Where as a consequence of relegation from the Premier Zone a Zone 1 has 9 teams then 3 teams will be relegated to a Zone 2 and 2 teams promoted from a Zone 2.

 

In any circumstance where a Zone 2 will comprise 9 teams then 3 teams will be relegated to a Zone 3 and 2 teams promoted from a Zone 3.

 

c) Where a club has more than one league team and the team promoted to the Premier Zone is other than an 'A' team, it will be re-designated as their 'A' team, subject to their 'A' team not already being in the Premier Zone, in which case the promoted team would be designated 'B'.

 

d) Should a club with one team withdraw that team from the Premier Zone at the conclusion of the season, the bottom team shall be relegated and both the winner and runner-up of the League Championships invited to join the Premier Zone.

 

16) ALTERATION TO RULES

Alteration of or additions to all or any of the foregoing rules shall only be made at the Annual Meeting or at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose. Four weeks written notice detailing the terms of such proposed alterations or addition, which shall also be stated in the notice of business for such meeting, shall be given to the Secretary. All such notices of motion must be submitted by clubs through their Honorary Secretaries or by the League Management Committee through the League Secretary.

 

17) FINANCIAL BUSINESS

All financial business shall be done through the Norfolk Bowls Association.

 

18) PROTESTS

For the purpose of considering and determining all disputes, complaints and protests there shall be established a special sub-committee consisting of the Hon. League Secretary, League Chairman, Hon. Men’s County Secretary, Men’s County President & one of the elected League Zone representatives.

All protests appertaining to the green etc. must be intimated before the commencement of the sixth end and all protests against a player within three days after the game.

 

Notwithstanding the intention to lodge a protest appertaining to the green the game must be completed. Protests appertaining to the green shall be notified on completion of the game and confirmed in writing to the Hon. League Secretary within one day of the game. The Secretary of the club concerned will be notified of an inspection by the greens inspection committee who will report to the sub-committee whose decision will be final and will be conveyed to the Secretaries of the Clubs concerned.

 

Notwithstanding the intention to lodge a protest against a player the game must be completed. Protests appertaining to a player shall be notified in writing to the Hon. League Secretary within three days of the game and will be referred to the sub-committee who will consider the protest and make a decision which will be final. The decision will be conveyed to Secretaries of the Clubs concerned.

 

(ends)


APPENDIX

 

REVISIONS December 2024 following 2024AGM

 

Rules 1 & 2

Change from male only to all (to allow male & female)

 

Rule 8(b)

Change from 21 ends to 18 ends