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CCSMBA RULES AND CONDITIONS OF PLAY
AREA WINTER LEAGUE

  1. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
    1. The Area Winter League is a County competition played between club teams in each of the 4 County areas – Central, East, North and West – subject to full ESMBA and CCSMBA Rules and dress code. (The colour grey worn must conform to the swatches supplied to all clubs.)
    2. Only clubs registered with the CCSMBA may enter 1 or more teams in their own area.
    3. A new club must have 10 affiliated members before being allowed to enter a team into the league.
    4. Only players affiliated to the CCSMBA with the relevant club may play for that club.
    5. All rules concerning registration of clubs; affiliation and movement of members; and payment of fees; are laid down in the CCSMBA Constitution (see Section 3 of this Information Pack). League fees are payable by the preceding 31 May to the appropriate Area Representative, who is responsible for checking registrations and formulating the programme for his area.
    6. Matching club stickers must be used by all players in a team.
  2. FORMAT
    1. Each Area League may be split into 2 or more divisions if the number of entries makes in impracticable for every team in an Area to play every other. These divisions are entitled Premier Division, Division 1, Division 2 etc: each division having the same number of teams if possible. If the teams cannot be split evenly between divisions, the number of teams in divisions will be scaled down starting with the Premier Division.
    2. In all areas except the North, one match against another team will consist of 2 fours playing 10 ends consecutively on the same mat on the same night at home. The process is repeated away for the return match. The 2 fours may play at the same time on 2 mats only in extreme circumstances such as severe weather conditions and only with the agreement of both captains.
    3. A North Area match consists of one four playing 21 ends at home and a different four playing 21 ends away. No player is allowed to play both home and away. The 2 games are normally played within the same week.
    4. 2 trial ends are allowed in all cases.
    5. Each team comprises 8 players although if necessary a team may play with a maximum of one player short over a match as defined above.
    6. A maximum of 2 matches in a season may be played with a player short. If a team exceeds this rule, a 4 point penalty will be applied to the 3rd and any subsequent match.
    7. A club entering only 1 team does not have to nominate specific players for that team. A club entering more than 1 team must comply with the following registration rules.
  3. TEAM PLAYER REGISTRATION
    1. Before any matches are played, a club with more than 1 team must register the names of a minimum of 8 players per team in writing with the Area Representative. Named players cannot then play in any other team within the same division or below.
    2. A player may however substitute for an absent player in a team from the same club in a higher division, but no more than 3 times in any one season.
    3. Clubs may register or de-register players during the season provided there are 5 or more matches (or games in the case of North Area) still to be played and the Area Representative is informed in writing. The change is not legal until his written permission is granted.
    4. De-registered players may not be re-registered for the same or any other team in the division that they have been previously de-registered from, or for any team in a lower division.
    5. If a club has more than one team in the same Division, once a reserve has played for one team he/she cannot be used in any other team in that division.
    6. The penalties for playing an illegal player, are :
      1. the offending team will forfeit the match (or game in the case of North Area) and 4 points (2 points in the North) will be deducted from their overall points.
      2. the opposing team will be awarded 6 points (3 points in the North) and a score of 15 shots to 7.
  4. SCORING SYSTEM
    1. 6 points are available for each match. 2 points will be awarded for each game won and 1 point for each game drawn. 2 points will be awarded for each match won on shot aggregate and 1 point for each match drawn on shot aggregate.
    2. League table positions will be determined by
      1. match points for matches won or drawn – if equal, then
      2. games won – if equal, then
      3. shot difference ie between shots for and against overall – if equal, then
      4. shot average.
        NB In the case of North Area, a) and b) are combined before league position is determined.
  5. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
    1. The result sheet, checked and signed by both captains, must be sent by the home club to the Area Representative immediately after each game, using first class post or personal handover. The Area Representative will send updated league tables to clubs at regular intervals and notify the press.
    2. The Area Representative is responsible for informing the Competition Secretary of the eventual League winners immediately after the result is known, for the purpose of playing the Bebbington Cup.
  6. PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
    1. The winners and runners-up of Divisions 1, 2 and any lower divisions will be promoted into the division above them. The bottom 2 teams of every division except the lowest will be relegated to the division below them.
    2. Any club (including a new club) may enter a new team at the beginning of the season. That new team must play in the lowest division and thus seek promotion.
  7. PROGRAMME
    1. For all areas except the North, the first half of the League Programme will commence in the first week of October and end by 16th December. The second half will commence after the 2nd January and finish 2 weeks prior to the date of the Bebbington Cup as given in the County fixture list. The North Area League Programme is not split into 2 parts but will commence and finish overall to the same timetable.
    2. When registering teams for the season clubs must notify their Area Representatives of
      1. the days they wish to play their home games
      2. time of commencement of play (which must not be before 7pm on a working day and 2 pm on a Sunday)
      3. any specific date(s) on which they cannot play home or away games
      4. possibility of hosting 2 fixtures on the same day, ie 2 teams playing simultaneously at 1 venue using 2 mats.
    3. The Area Representative will prepare and send out to clubs the League Programme showing the fixtures for every team, taking into consideration information from 7.2 above plus County Team fixtures, County Competition dates and Bank Holidays wherever possible.
    4. Once the programme has been agreed between clubs and the Area Representative, all teams must adhere to their fixture dates.
  8. RESCHEDULING OF FIXTURES
    1. Rescheduling must be agreed by the Area Representative and will only be allowed in special circumstances, defined as :
      1. the home team having to surrender its hall
      2. bereavement in the club
      3. extreme weather conditions
      4. 3 or more team members (2 or more in the case of North Area) playing in an Inter County match.
        NB Rescheduling owing to holidays or sickness is not acceptable – the team must either find a substitute within the League rules or concede the match (or game in the case of North Area).
    2. A rescheduled fixture must be re-arranged and played within 14 days unless special circumstances again apply and are agreed by the Area Representative. If special circumstances are deemed by him not to apply and the fixture cannot be played within 14 days, the original offending team must concede the match (or game in the case of North Area).
    3. In the case of Central, East and West Areas, all fixtures due to be played during the first half of their League Programme must take place before the second half commences. If this does not happen the offending team must concede the match.
    4. Should any match (or game in the case of North Area) be conceded by a team for whatever reason, the conceding team will be penalised by 4 points (2 points in the North) and the opposing team will be awarded 6 points (3 points in the North), with no shots scored for or against.
  9. START TIMES
    1. All fixtures should start at the scheduled time unless a later starting time has in special circumstances been mutually agreed between the Captains prior to the game. ESMBA Rules on absentee players then apply.
    2. However, in the case of Central, East and West Area, if a player due to play in the first four is late, a player from the second four may take his place and the late player may be slotted into the second four if he arrives in time. If he does not arrive in time to play in the second four, ESMBA rules apply and this will also count as a ‘player short’ under League rules (see Para 2.6 above).
    3. An exception also applies for Central, East and West games if the Away Captain on arrival informs the Home Captain that the second four will be late but will arrive within a reasonable time (normally one hour). The second four will thus be deemed to be excused from the 10-minute wait time rule by mutual agreement.
    4. Any disputes must be presented in writing to the Area Representative, who will ask the CCSMBA Management Committee for a ruling.