LEAGUE RULES & CONSTITUTION

(As agreed at the AGM on 22nd November 2019)

  1. The League shall be called the Ryedale & District Veterans’ Bowls League.

  2. The Executive Committee to consist of five Officers to be elected each year at the Annual General Meeting ie Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary/Treasurer, Competition Secretary and Fixture Secretary who will manage the day to day running of the league.

  3. The Executive Committee to additionally co-opt up to seven club representatives from seven separate member clubs to help resolve any disputes that have been received in writing which cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the five league officials.

  4. Applications for membership to be considered at the AGM.

  5. Subscriptions shall be agreed and paid at the AGM.

  6. Age eligibility to play in the league to be 50 and over at the start of the season.

  7. Teams to consist of four open triples playing 18 ends. Where a club has more than one team playing in the league each player must be registered with only one of the club’s teams and can only play for that team during the season. The club to be held responsible for honestly managing the registration of players. Scorecards where club’s have more than one team should have all the players name on them and must be kept by team captain’s for the duration of the season.

  8. In the event of a team being a player short the triples playing two members shall play four bowls each. The jack shall be delivered by the winners of the previous end or the toss in the case of the first end. The full triple shall bowl the first and last bowl.. NO 25% PENALTY IMPOSED FOR A REDUCED RINK.

  9. All matches to be played to Bowls England rules except for any local domestic rules introduced by the league as agreed at the AGM. Must play 4 rinks if players short NOT just 3 rinks. Visitors jack in league matches , coin toss for jack in cup matches. Count one shot on the first two ends for all matches.

  10. Matches to be played on a Wednesday commencing at 2pm unless otherwise agreed by both team captains. League fixtures to be organised by the Fixture Secretary Cup and other league competitions to be organised by the Competition Secretary. Dates for all rounds of the cup competitions including Semi Finals and Finals to be determined by the Competition Secretary liaising as necessary with the Fixture Secretary and these dates must be observed unless there is rain interference when the Competition Secretary should be informed who will give the appropriate directive in order for the cup matches to be played.

  11. Competitors who wish to play in the league competitions must play for a team in the league.

  1. Points for league matches to be awarded 10 overall, 2 for each winning rink (1 each for a drawn rink) and 2 for the overall aggregate shots. If at the end of the season two or more teams have equal points the ratio of shot difference will be taken into account in determining the final league placings. Two teams are promoted or demoted from each division.

  2. Substitutes are allowed if a player falls ill or called away through family illness.

  3. All disputed matches to be reported to the Fixture or Competition Secretary, as appropriate, within 48 hours. Should the Executive Committee have to rule its decision will be final.

  4. Rain interference – Bowls England rules to apply in that when a game is interrupted or postponed it shall be resumed with the scores as they were when the match was stopped. An end commenced but not completed (ie shots not declared) shall be declared dead. A reduced number of ends may be agreed by both captain’s BEFORE the match commences but at least 12 ends have to be completed on all rinks to constitute a match.

  5. Matches postponed due to adverse weather conditions or any exceptional circumstances to be rearranged by mutual agreement between the team captain’s AND MUST be played no later than three weeks after the final league fixture of the season. Sharing of points is not allowed.

  6. Results of League ,Cup and Competition matches to be notified to the Fixture Secretary as well as the Cup and Competition matches to the Competition Secretary ON THE SAME DAY AS THEY ARE PLAYED.

  7. Dress code to be Grey’s and Whites or Club Shirts (worn by every member of the team) with regulation bowling shoes. Dress code to be at the discretion of the Captain’s on a match basis.

  8. Annual Luncheon with presentation of trophies to be held in October/November. Date and venue to be decided at the AGM.

  9. Annual General Meeting to be held in November, 14 days notice to be given to all teams. Resolutions to be received by the League Secretary at least 3 weeks prior to the AGM. Any Extraordinary General Meeting to take place within fourteen days of the date on which the request is received.

  10. Semi Finals of the Fred Dews Triples, Vivian Booth Pairs and Singles will be played as a normal round and mutually arranged by the participants. The Finals will be played on a neutral green (unless the finalists are from the same club). The time and date of the Finals to be arranged by the Competition Secretary liaising with both sets of finalists , as necessary.

  11. These are the rules as adopted at the 2019 AGM.

REVISED 22ND NOVEMBER 2019