1.TITLE
The League shall be called the York & District Private Clubs Bowls League.
2. OBJECTIVES
(a) To promote a mixed league from clubs in York & District who bowl on private greens.
(b) To safeguard and foster the level green game of bowls in a friendly and competitive spirit thereby encouraging good fellowship and friendship throughout the bowling fraternity.
3. MEMBERSHIP
(a) Membership shall be open to all clubs in York & District who play on level greens, provided that the Club shall play on a private green.
(b) The League shall be subject to the Bowls England rules and conditions except as stated inthese rules.
(c) Every application for membership shall be submitted inwriting or e-mail to the Honorary Secretary of the League. (d} Every new application for membership shall be considered and determined by the Executive Committee of
the League and approved by the Annual General Meeting.
‘- {e) As fromthe 8thOctober 2017 the words’ York & District’ shall mean an area not exceeding 20miles radiusfrom Clifford’sTower, York,and noclubsoutside that area shall be considered for futuremembershipof the League.
4. REGISTRATION FEEAND ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
(a)When an application for membership is accepted by the Executive Committee and approved by the Annual General Meeting, a registration fee of £10 shall be paid by the club.
(b) The annual subscription payable by teams inmembership of the League shall be determined by the Annual General Meeting, and reviewed each year.
(c) The annual subscription shall be paid to the Honorary Treasurer of the League by 31st January each year.
5.ADMINISTRATION
(a) The affairs of the League shall be administered by a Committee consisting of a President, Vice President Honorary Secretary and an Honorary Treasurer, and two members from each section of the League, These Officers shall be the duly elected members of the Executive Committee.
(b) Officers shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting of the League to be held on a Sunday each year on a Date to be arranged annually.
(c) Candidates for office must be members of the clubs inthe League and their nomination shall be made and accepted at the Annual General Meeting.
(d) The election shall be by ballot.
(e) The Executive Committee shall have power of nomination of a candidate inthe same method as a club of the League.
(f) The Executive Committee shall have power to fill a casual vacancy for Officers between Annual General Meetings
(g) The ExecutiveCommittee shallmeet as when required at such times and places itshall determine
6 APPEALS
The ExecutiveCommittee shall adjudicate upon any dispute referred to it, beinga dispute arisingbetween League clubmembers, or clubs, or, on the interpretation of the Laws of the Game.The complaintmust bemade in writing to theHonorary League Secretary,within72 hours of the incident,whowill arrange anExecutive Committeemeeting to hear the complaint, at least 50%of Executive to attend. The decision of the ExecutiveCommittee shall befinal.
7. SEVERANCE OF MEMBERSHIP
A club may resign from membership by giving as much notice as possible inwriting to the Honorary League Secretary. Key timings are prior to AGM and prior to fixture date arranging (Mid January) .
The club shall then cease to have any claimor interest in the funds or assets of the League and shall be asif the clubhad never been amember of the League. Any teams resigning duringthe playingseasonwill result in all points inmatches playedbeingdeclared void.
8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TheAnnual General Meetingshall be held each year as laidout in5(b) when itshall elect the Executive Committee and Officers.
21 days notice of the date will be given to all member clubs.
Any motions to be included on the agenda shall be made inwriting to the Honorary Secretary not less than 10 days prior to the meeting, these will be considered by the Executive Committee prior to the full AGM and forwarded to the full AGM, with their recommendations, for a short debate and a vote, as has been the normal procedure within the Private Clubs League.
Each member club shall be allowed two members to attend the Annual General Meeting with full voting powers. The President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer to have full voting powers.
9. LEAGUE AND CUP MATCHES
(a) All matcheswill be played under Bowls England Rules except as stated inthese rules.
(b) Each League and Cup fixture shall be of three rinks of triples, playing 18 ends straight off,with ONE on the first TWO ends and the JACK decided by the toss of a coin.
(c) The rinks shall be mixed. Each rink must contain one lady or one male bowler
(d) Dress shall be greys with white tops or Club shirts. Only regulation flat smooth soled shoes may be worn.
Dress for Finals Day shall be Club shirts with white trousers unless agreed by all finalists and the league secretary.
(e) The said rinks shall be comprised of members of one club.
(f) Any match postponed for rainmust be played at a later date by mutual agreement,with notificationto league ‘– secretary.
(g) Any match “rained off’ after all rinks have played 12 ends shall be deemed a completed game. When a match is abandoned due to weather conditions and over the agreed minimum ends to constitute a completed game, scores to count are those from the last completed end on each rink, even if all rinks have completed a different number of ends.
(h) Two points shall be awarded to each winning rinkwith an additional two points to the overallwinners of a League match.
(i) Any team turning up with only 2 full rinks in league matches shall forfeit the 2 rink points plus the 2 aggregate points. Fielding Two rinks must be an option prior to postponing/rearranging fixtures due to player availability. One point will be awarded for a tied rink and one point for a result tied overall in a League match.
j) Cup matches to be decided on the aggregate score.
k) In acupmatch,anyteamhavingmember/sofarinknotturningout asstatedin9(c)shall losethematch
(I) Ina cup match, if the ‘aggregate score is level after 18 ends, each rinkwill play one or more ends until a result is achieved.If a 12endmatch has been agreed due toweather conditions and thematch ends level and extra ends are not an option,due to theweather,then the teamwith the mostwinning ENDSwillbe deemed the winner. If the ends are also level then the Toss of a coinwill be the final option.
A new toss will be made before any extra ends are played.
(m) If any league or cupmatch is stopped on account of badweather or any other valid reason before the completionof 12ends, itshallberearrangedandstartedasifanewgame,thisisaPCLrulewhichoverridesBowls England ruling.
(n) If a Club is unable to play on the agreed date and it is not possible to agree a new date before the end of the season that Club shall receive no points but a penalty of 10 shots against and their opponents will be awarded 6 points.
(o) Player unable to continue playingonce the match has started – substitute to play ifone present and of the right gender, to comply with 9(c), if nosubstitute the Club affected to forfeit that rinks 2 pointsand the 2 aggregate points.
(p) If inthe event of extreme weather conditions it is necessary to leave the green,for Health&Safety reasons,the Endwill restart from the same position itwas left, Nomember of any team will be expected to remainon the green. This PCL ruling overrides Bowls England ruling.When LIGHTNINGin particular is heard inthe near vicinity,whether raining or not,player’s safety is paramount and players are to leave the green and only return after a period ofTEN minutes haveelapsed since the last sighting.
(q) In League matches only, all THREE rinks must complete all 18 ends to ensure fairness to other clubs who may be involved in promotion/relegation battles,which can be decided on shot difference.
10.FIXTURES
(a) The sections of the League shall be determined by a draw being made at the first Annual General Meeting and thereafter there will be promotion and relegation at the end of each season as determined by the Annual General Meeting.
(b) League Fixtures shall be flexible within a 21 day period, with added flexibility to cover unforeseen occurrences.
Cup matches will be played within the timescale of the cup draw unless agreed with the league secretary.
(c) It shall be the responsibility of the home team to suggest dates and starting time to their opponents, although weekend fixtures are normally 14.00 start, but both they and week days fixtures shall be mutually agreed.
(d} Any fixture can be brought forward to a date agreed between the two teams concerned but all games must be played by the last date of the set period, except as in 9(f) or previously agreed with league secretary.
(e) Each team shall play all other teams inthe sectiontowhich itwas elected ona set home and away basis,
reversinp home and away to be notified to League Secretary, one of the two fixtures must be planned to be played inthe 1s half of the season with the reverse fixture planned inthe second half.
(f) A Champion of Champions trophy will be played for at the end of each season.The format of the competition to
be decided by the Executive Committee. The winning team will be declared the Champion of Champions of the York and District Private Clubs Bowls League and shall hold the trophy for 12 months.
(g) Definition of a neutral green – this means a Neutral PCL green.
(h) For fixtures relating to the Knockout cup only, if after agreeing a date for a cup tie one of the clubs wants to ‘- postpone for any reason, other than adverse weather or bereavement, then the opposing clubwill provide TWO
further dates within the set period, one of which must be a weekend option. If the club who called off the 151date is unable to meet either of the two new dates then the fixture isawarded to the other team.
11(a) PLAYER REGISTRATION
All clubs shall submit to the League Secretary, in writing,by the 1st May each year a list of all players, if a club has 2 or more teams inthe League separate lists must be submitted. Teams playing unregistered players shall forfeit that rinks score and points.
Clubs may register additional players during the season but they must be registered before playing,additional
playersmayberegisteredwiththe LeagueSecretary bytelephonebuttheymustbeconfirmed inwritingor byemah.. . Bowlerswho aremembers of2 ormoreclubs inLeaguemembershipmustnominateat the beginningof the season which clubtheywill beplayingfor, and once they have playedfor that clubinthe League they will not be allowed to changeclubsorteamswithinthe Leaguefor thatseason.
11(b) CLUB FIXTURE LISTS
Copies of new seasons fixtures to be supplied by ALL teams,effective from the 2015 season onwards, to include agreed start times to league secretary by mid- Aprileach year.
12. MATCH RESULTS
Match results will be recorded on cards to be supplied by the Secretary. Both Captains will complete and sign the result card and the home team will be responsible informing the League Secretary of the result within 24hrs either by telephone or E-mail. Scorecards to be posted or E-mailed,if possible, asap after the match is played.
13. KNOCK-OUT CUP
A knock-out cup competition will be arranged by the Executive Committee annually and entries will be on a voluntary basis.
14. OTHER
Any matter not covered by these rules shall be resolved by the Executive Committee.
Last amended:
AGM 29/09/13:Rule 9(n) amended to give O points to conceding Club and 6 pts to opponents. AGM 28/09/ 14
AGM27/09/15 Rule 9(i), 9(1) & 9(p)
AGM09/10/16 Rule 8, 9(n},9(o) & 10(e) EECM15/01/17 Rule 10(h)
AGM 08/10/17 Rule 3(e)