Norfolk Bowls
Association.
LADIES’ RULES
AND REGULATIONS.
1.
Administration
(a) The
Ladies’ affairs of the Association shall be conducted by the Officers of the
Council consisting of President, Senior Vice-President, Junior Vice-President.
Hon Secretary, Hon Assistant Secretary. Hon Treasurer, Hon Competition
Secretary, Benevolent Secretary, Immediate Past President and Bowls England
Delegate.
(b)
Each affiliated club shall be entitled to send to any Council and General Meeting,
including the Annual General Meeting two voting representatives and all major
decisions shall be decided by ballot.
The President shall have the casting vote at all meetings.
(c)
The Council
shall consist of the Officers of the Council plus two voting members from each
affiliated club and shall meet as often as the business of the Ladies’ Section
requires. The Secretary, after
consultation with the President, shall notify all members concerned.
(d)
Fourteen days’ notice of any Council or General Meeting, including the
Annual General Meeting shall be given by the Hon Secretary to all persons
entitled to vote, except in the case of urgency.
(e)
Any affiliated club may send a requisition to the Hon Secretary to call a special
meeting. Such requisition shall state
the nature of the business to be brought before the Council which, if they
consider the matter of sufficient importance, shall instruct the Hon Secretary
to call an Extraordinary General Meeting.
The notice of the meeting shall state the business for which it has been
called and no other business shall be transacted at that meeting.
(f)
All Past Presidents to be appointed Honorary Life Members. Other members may also be
appointed for special services rendered to the game. Honorary Life Members shall be entitled to
attend General and Special Meeting without a vote unless acting as delegates.
(g)
The financial year shall end on 30th September.
(h)
Where a rule refers to nominations these are required to be forwarded by the due date to Hon
Secretary by the secretary of the nominee’s club, to be signed by her, her club
secretary and club President or other club official. Propositions from clubs are required to be
forwarded by the due date to Hon Secretary by the secretary of the club and the
club President or other club official.
(i) At the Annual General Meeting the Senior
Vice-President and the Junior Vice-President shall automatically be elected as
President and Senior Vice-President respectively. Nominations for Junior Vice-President shall
be submitted and be received by the Hon Secretary not later than September
30th
(j)
Nominations for Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer, Hon Assistant Secretary,
Competition Secretary, Benevolent Secretary, Press Officer and Bowls England
Delegate must be received by Hon Secretary not later than 30th
September, together with any propositions from clubs to be placed before the
Annual General Meeting. Any officer, who wishes to resign her post, depending
upon the circumstances of her decision, is required to give reasonable notice
of her intentions to the Executive,
(k) The Executive shall have the power to fill any vacancy on the Executive by co-option
to be ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
(l) The Hon Secretary shall conduct the business affairs of the Ladies’ Section under the
direction of the Officers of the Council.
(m) The Hon Treasurer shall receive all monies on behalf of the Ladies’ Section and shall pay
such monies into the Section’s Bank Account.
All accounts, where possible, shall be paid by cheque, and signed by two
of the four designated signatories. If
paid by cash, receipts to be obtained.
The Hon Treasurer shall produce for distribution at the Annual General
Meeting a balance sheet for the previous year duly audited by an approved
experienced person appointed for the purpose.
(n) The Hon Secretary shall keep a record of all business transacted at General, Council and
Executive Meetings and at each such meeting shall submit a report of the
proceedings of the previous meeting.
(o)
Allowances for the forthcoming year to be decided upon at the
Annual General Meeting and paid by the 29th September. Any officer being considered for such payment
must withdraw from the meeting whilst discussion takes place. The Treasurer to be informed of the decision.
(p) The Executive shall be
empowered to adjudicate upon any disputes referred to it arising between or
amongst affiliated clubs or any members thereof as to the meaning or
interpretation of the laws of the game or any of the rules, bye-laws,
regulations and conditions or any point not covered by the laws, rules,
bye-laws regulations or conditions or any matter of practice policy or
complaint which it shall hold to be within its jurisdiction. The subject of
reference or appeal must be stated in writing to the Honorary Secretary who
shall call either a Special Executive Meeting to discuss it or postpone its
consideration until the next Executive Meeting. Parties may be heard on each side and the decision
of the Executive shall be final.
2. County and National Team Selection
(a) Inter County
Friendly Matches.
County
Friendly Games – Selection open to all badged players and players with points
towards their badge may be considered. It is not necessary for players to have
entered a county competition. Club
Secretaries to send names and playing positions to Assistant County Secretary
on prescribed form issued at the appropriate time.
The selection committee will consist of the President, Hon
Competition Secretary (Hon Secretary and Hon Assistant Secretary with no vote),
Immediate Past President plus one Council Member from each zone, with a
second-named person to take her place if the elected delegate is unable to
attend.
National Team
Selection.
A selection committee for the Johns Trophy and Walker Cup
competitions to consist of President and Hon Secretary (with no vote), the
Competition Secretary and Team Captain plus four experienced bowlers who may
also be part of the team but non-players must be prepared to attend all Johns
Trophy and Walker Cup games. Nominations
to be received by Hon Secretary no later than 30th September.
3.
Competition Rules.
(a)
The Laws of the game as laid down by Bowls England to be enforced.
(b)
All competitions shall be confined to those clubs, which are affiliated to the
Norfolk Bowls Association and Bowls England.
No competitor shall allow her name to be submitted for entry in the
Junior Singles, Junior Pairs, Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours and Senior Fours competitions by more
than one club in any one year. The County to which her one club is affiliated
is the only County for which a competitor may compete in the National
Championships or Inter-County Championships.
(c) No Club
affiliated to the Norfolk Bowls Association shall play a person in a
National Competition who has already played in a National Competition in any
other County affiliated to Bowls England in the same season.
Players who
join from another County and are badged in that county will receive four points towards
their Norfolk badge. They may not enter the Unbadged competitions.
(d) For the
purposes of the Competitions the County may be divided into Zones to be
decided upon from time to time.
(e) All
competition entries for the following season must be sent to the
Competition Secretary by club secretaries on the prescribed forms, together
with the current entry fees to arrive not later than 1st November.
Fours
(2 bowls) to consist of 18 ends;
Triples (3 bowls) to consist of 18 ends;
Pairs (4 bowls) to consist of 18 ends; Unbadged Pairs (4 bowls) to
consist of 18 ends. In Singles (4 bowls)
the winner will be the first to score 21 shots.
2-Wood Singles to consist of 21 ends – game to cease when one player
cannot win.
Junior
Singles (4 bowls) the winner will be the first to score 21 shots. Pairs (4
bowls) to consist of 18 ends. Competitions open to members of clubs affiliated
to the Norfolk Bowls Association who have not attained the age of 25 on the 1st
April in the year of the competition.
(f) The draw
for all Competitions shall be made by a sub-committee consisting of the
President, Hon Secretary, Hon Competition Secretary and Hon Assistant
Secretary.
(g) Players
may only enter county competitions and the Norfolk Champion of Champions from
one club, with the exception of the Benevolent Triples – see (r).
(h) No county
competitions to be played on indoor rinks or on greens that do not comply
with Bowls England Rules.
(i)
Challengers
to give two dates and different days of the week at least fourteen days before
the date of the first game and thereafter within three days of the end of each
successive round. Opponents shall reply
within three days accepting one of the dates offered unless already playing
another B.E. competition, when a further date must be given. Fixed date games may be played before the
specified date by mutual agreement between the parties.
Games can be
played at any time up to 6 p.m. start Monday to Friday where the distance of
the away team is not over 50 miles and a weekend date must be offered if
requested.
Challengers to find
suitable markers (no relatives) for singles competition games.
Challengers
to provide refreshments if possible.
(j) No
extension of time set for the various rounds of county competitions will be
allowed unless special permission has been given by the Competition Secretary.
Officers and players selected for International, Walker Cup (Double Rink) and
Johns Trophy games must be allowed to play all county competitions.
Entrants
to
the county competitions who concede a competition game (give a walk-over) may
be excluded from entering that competition for the following season at the
discretion of the Executive.
(k) Competitors
who have to give a game for any valid reason must inform their County
Competition Secretary and also their Club Secretary.
(l). Competition
score cards, complete with names of all players must be sent to the
Competition Secretary by the winner/s immediately after the match by first or
second class post having first telephoned her with the result and such cards
must be signed by the losers.
(m) Competition
Challengers to play on their home green if available, otherwise an
alternative affiliated green may be used.
(n) If one
side is more than thirty minutes late after the time fixed for the game,
the game may be claimed by the opponents.
(o)
In Pairs,
Triples and Fours the players taking part in the first game shall constitute
the team and shall normally play together throughout the competition. One additional and the same player may,
however, be used as a substitute at any time, provided she has not already
played in the competition. She may play
in any position.
(p)
In the event of a tie, an extra end shall be played.
The skips to toss and the winner has the right to decide who shall play
first.
(q) Semi-Finals and Finals to be played on
greens chosen by the Executive.
(r)
The Benevolent Triples (2 woods/15 ends) to be played up to the quarter finals on one
day. Triples may consist of players from more than one club.
(s) Fours,
Triples, and Pairs competitions
to be played on fixed dates.
(t)
Webb Trophy. This is a double fours
competition – 8 ladies who must be bona fide playing members of the same
club. The game shall consist of 18 ends,
one four to play at home and the other away at the same time on the same day in
all rounds. Games to be played on the
dates stipulated but may be played before the fixed date by mutual
agreement. The final shall be played at
the County Arts Club on the date stipulated and arrangements for playing the
final shall be made by the Competition Secretary.
A
club is allowed to make any number of entries in this competition and shall
have the option of substituting players and of altering the position of players
for the second or succeeding rounds but a player may only play for one team in
her club. An extra end shall be played
on the green of the club of the challengers.
There
shall be no telephones on the green.
Contact with the opposing club shall be made ONLY by the club official
and the score should be made known to BOTH teams.
If
the green of one of the contestants should be unfit for play due to inclement
weather or other circumstances, the game shall be played, if practicable, on a
neutral affiliated green by mutual agreement or the green of their opponents if
fit for play.
(u) Norfolk Top Club Players are required to play from the club in which they play
their county competitions. Two clubs
with insufficient members to enter a team may join together to make up a
team. To be played at times agreed by
both sides and including evenings if required.
A team shall
consist of 10 players. The disciplines
are Four-Wood Singles (21 shots), Four-Wood Pairs (18 ends), Three-Wood Triples
(18 ends) and 2-Wood Fours (18 ends).
Failure to field 10 players will result in a walk-over. Before the start of the match a coin will be
tossed for the choice of the jack (first end), the winner having the choice of
keeping or giving the jack away, and make the draw for rinks for each
discipline.
The
format for the competition will be as follows :-
1 point for every discipline won, a total of
four points available. In the event of a
drawn discipline the point will be shared, i.e. ˝ a point each. After completion of
the four disciplines the winning side will be decided by the highest
number of points. In the case of a tie, the winner will be decided on the total
number of shots scored from the four disciplines. Should these be equal as well as the match
score extra ends in the pairs, triples
and fours will be played to determine the result. In
this event a further toss of the coin will be made, the winner having
the choice of keeping or giving the jack
away. Shots do not count on the extra
ends – only the result of the three
disciplines, i.e,. 2-1 3-0. All
disciplines will be played simultaneously.
Between rounds
substitutes/changes are allowed in the side and between disciplines provided
the players are members of the same clubs and have not played for another side
during the current competition. For this
competition only substitutes during play is allowed for the singles player in
case of illness or injury, the score being resumed after interruption
(v)
Any disputes involving competitions should be addressed to the Competition
Secretary who, if necessary, will call a meeting of the Executive.
(w)
Points System and County Badge
County Competitions leading to Nationals – Fours, Triples,Pairs,
4-Wood Singles and 2-Wood Singles
Finalists
12points
Semi-finalist
6 points
Quarter finalists 4 points
Junior Singles and Pairs.
Winner
2 points
Runner-Up
1 point
Junior Singles and Pairs who play in the National Championships at Leamington Spa will receive points Quarter-Finalist 1 point
Semi-Finalist 2 points
Finalist 3
points
Winner 4 points
Senior Fours.
Quarter-Finalist 1 point
Semi-finalists 2 points
Finalist 3 points
Winner 4 points
County Competitions NOT leading to Nationals
Coronation Triples and Benevolent Triples.
Winners 4 points
Runners-Up 2 points
Semi-
finalists 1 points
4-Wood Unbadged Singles and Unbadged Pairs.
Winner
8 points
Runner-Up
4 points
Semi-finalist
3 points
Quarter-Finalist 1 point
Champion of Champions(Norfolk).
Winner 6 points
Runner-Up
3 points
Semi-
finalists 1 point.
National
Competitions administered by Bowls England –
Senior
Singles, Senior Pairs Champion of Champions
and Tony
Alcock Trophy.
Winner 4 points
Runner up 3 points
Semi finalist 2
points Quarter finalist 1point
4. County Badges.
(a)
Finalists
in County Competitions be given County Badge on Finals Day, or
(b)
To
receive a County Badge 12 points must have been earned. Badges to be presented at the first County
Game played after earning points.
(c) Players from other counties who have recently
played for their county in the Johns Trophy and Walker Cup teams shall be
awarded four points towards their county badge, at the discretion of the
Executive.
5.
Johns Trophy and Walker Cup (Double Rink).
(a) Johns Trophy
and Walker Cup flashes to be awarded to players who have played in these
competitions for three years, although not necessarily consecutively.
(b) Badged
players will receive Johns points which will be valid for three years, as
follows :-
Winners 4 points
Runners-Up 3 points
Semi-Finalist 2 points
Quarter
Finalist 1 point
Johns Trophy and Walker Cup Teams will be selected from those
players with Johns points and others who may be invited to play by the
selectors.
(c) Names of
players nominated by their club secretary to be considered for the Johns Trophy
and Walker Cup Competitions to be forwarded to the Competition Secretary by
Club Secretaries NO LATER THAN MARCH 1st.
6. County
Dress.
|
OPEN DAY |
Whites/Club top; Club bowls stickers; If jacket is worn it should be white or
Club. |
|
2-WOOD
SINGLES |
As for Open Day. |
|
PRESIDENT’S
DAY |
Whites/Club top; Club Bowls Stickers; If jacket is
worn it should be white or club. |
|
COUNTY
FRIENDLIES |
Whites; County Shirt; County Blazer/Approved
Jacket. |
|
FRIENDLY
MATCHES |
Whites and Club shirts. |
|
JOHNS /
WALKER/AMY ROSE |
Whites; County shirt and County approved jacket. |
|
BENEVOLENT
TRIPLES |
As for Open Day.
Triples can be made up from more than one club, white tops or Club
shirts to be worn. |
|
COUNTY
COMPETITIONS |
Greys with white or Club top. Registered club clothing may be worn. Club Bowls Stickers. |
|
EXECUTIVE
MATCHES |
Whites;
County shirts and jacket. Club
Jacket/Blazer. Others – Full County
Uniform. |
|
COUNTY
FINALS |
Whites/club Top.
If Jacket/Blazer is worn it should be Club. |
|
NATIONAL
FINALS including JOHNS/WALKER/AMY ROSE |
Whites; County shirt and jacket. |
|
IN ALL CASES
– OTHER THAN COUNTY COMPETITIONS |
County Officers, Past Presidents & Hon. Life
Members to wear full County Uniform.
If bowling on Open Day, 2-Wood Singles, Benevolent Triples and County
Finals, their club colours should be worn on the green, together with their
club stickers. |
|
PRESIDENT’S
TOUR |
Information available from the President. |
|
TROUSERS,
SHORTS & CROPS |
Grey or white as appropriate may be worn. |
Amendments to these rules took place at the Annual
General Meeting of the Norfolk Bowls Association Ladies held on 8th
November 2023