COUNTY COMPETITIONS REGULATIONS

Last Amended 15th September 2022

Made under Rule 17(c)

  • 1. These Regulations shall apply to the following Competitions:
    Four Wood Singles Championship (21 up)
    Two Wood Singles Championship (21 ends)
    Pairs Championship (4 woods, 18 ends)
    Triples Championship (3 woods, 18 ends)
    Fours Championship (2 woods, 18 ends)
    Wardrop Cup Competition (disciplines as above)
    Unbadged Singles (21 up)
    Juniors Singles Championship (21 up)
    Ivens Cup Competition (2 woods, 18 ends)
    Senior Fours Championship (2 woods, 18 ends)
    Junior Pairs Championship (4 woods, 18 ends)

Qualification for Entry

  • 2. Only bona fide members of clubs affiliated to the County Association shall be eligible to compete.
    competitors shall be playing members of the same club.
    In the Junior Pairs playing members may be from different clubs. The definition of Junior for Junior Pairs is the same as for Junior Singles (see Rules & Constitution rule 18b).
  • 3. A Competitor shall not represent, or allow his name to be submitted for more than one club, or one County Association in any one year.
    Entries to the Junior Pairs are exemptfrom the one club rule.
    The competitor can only play in competitions for the club he has entered from, unless regulation (4) applies.
    In the event of a competitor, having entered from a club and subsequently leaving that club which remains affiliated to WCBA
    – His singles entries (four woods, two woods, junior and unbadged) must be forfeited
    – His entry in the Pairs, Triples, Fours or Senior Fours may be taken over by his original partner(s), provided he and the other members of the team have advised the names of ALL his intended partners to the Hon. Comp. Sec by 31st March.
    – His entry in the Junior Pairs can be retained providing he is a member of another club affiliated to WCBA
  • 4. Should a club cease to exist after the entry date, the members may be permitted, for one season only, to compete under the name of that club irrespective of which club or clubs they have joined.
  • 5. An Unbadged player is one who, at the time of entry, has not been badged by Warwickshire or any other County nor any Association of equivalent standing in the domain of Outdoors Lawn Bowls.

Administration

  • 6. The County shall be divided into the following areas:
    • Birmingham
    • Coventry
    • Rugby
    • South Warwickshire
    The Executive Committee shall appoint an Area Secretary to control the Competitions in each Area up to and including the Area Finals.
  • 7. The Hon Competition Secretary of the Association shall control the County Draw stages of the Competitions.

Dress

  • 8. Greys, White or Club Tops and flat soled shoes will be worn for all rounds of County Competitions up to the Quarter-Finals at which stage Regulation Dress will apply.

Draw

  • 9. The draw shall be made afresh for each Round, the first out being the Challenger and the second out being the Opponent.
  • 10. The complete Draw for all Competitions shall be made by the Executive Committee and published only in the Official Yearbook of the Association. It is the responsibility of each individual competitor to acquaint himself with the Draw, and with these regulations, by purchasing a copy of the Official Year Book.

Play

  • 11. All Competitions shall be played in accordance with the Laws of the Sport of Bowls as prescribed by the World Bowls Board.
  • 12. The Challenger shall have choice of Green, either to play on his own Club Green, his Opponent's Club Green, or on a Green of regulation size in the same area approved by the Executive Committee (note the visiting Skip draws for rinks Laws of the Sport 3.2).
  • 13. The Challenger must make available at least two rinks from which his opponent may draw. Should there be more than one match on the same green then the minimum rinks to be available is the number of matches to be played and rinks are drawn in order of arrival; the last to arrive having 'Hobson's Choice' or draw from the rinks remaining if more than the minimum were put into the draw at the beginning of the draw. Once the draw has been made no changes are permitted to the green.
  • 14. Each round of each Competition shall be played on the fixed date and time published in the Draw. However a tie in any round, except from the last sixteen onwards to the Final, may be played before the fixed date by mutual agreement, between the competitors concerned. Alteration of the fixed dates for matches in the last sixteen and quarter finals shall be allowed only by the authority of the Hon Competition Secretary, or for the purpose of "County Business" as defined by the Executive Committee
  • 15. Competitors who have made no agreement to play on an earlier date and fail to appear on the fixed date shall be automatically disqualified from that particular Competition.
  • 16. Two trial ends may be played before the first end of a tie is played. If after the draw for rinks has been made, a player plays on the same rink before the start of the tie, the player will be disqualified.
  • 17. If an umpire is not present when a tie commences it shall be the responsibility of competitors to examine their opponents bowls.

Game Stoppages

  • 18. If a game is stopped because of darkness, weather conditions or any other valid reason, the game should be continued either on the same day or on a different day with the Competition Secretary's approval. The scores will be as they were when the game was stopped. If an end has started but all the required bowls have not been played it should be declared dead. If both parties cannot agree on a mutual date and time, then both will forfeit the game
    In the event of no decision being reached in the replay match owing to weather conditions, the score in matches in which less than five ends have been played will be decided by the toss of a coin.

Tied Result

  • 19. If the scores are equal when all ends have been played in a Pairs, Triples or Fours tie, an extra end or ends shall immediately be played until a decision is reached.

Bowls

  • 20. Each bowl complying with the requirements of the Laws of the Sport of Bowls shall be stamped with the official stamp of the Board. The currency of the stamp shall be for a period of 10 (ten) years expiring on 31st December and the imprint on the bowl shall record the latest year in which such a bowl may be used. Composition bowls, bearing a legible stamp for 1985 or later, can continue to be used without re-stamping until such time as the stamp becomes illegible.
    N.B. Those Bowlers playing in the National Championships must have a current valid World Bowls stamp (the oval shaped design) or they will not be allowed to participate.

Disputes and Disagreements

  • 21. If any Competitors fail to appear within 30 minutes of the fixed or agreed time of starting, their opponents may claim the tie.
  • 22. In the Area stages of the Competition any disputes or disagreement of any decision and in the County Draw stages shall be referred to the Hon Competition Secretary for decision.

Appeals

  • 23. Competitors shall have the right of appeal from a decision of, either an Area Secretary or the Hon Competition Secretary, and all appeals shall be submitted in writing, to reach the Honorary Secretary of the Association within 48 hours of a decision being received by the competitors concerned.
  • 24. The Competitions Sub-Committee shall adjudicate upon all appeals and their decisions shall be final.

Substitution

  • 25. In a Pairs, Triples or Fours Competition, one substitute, who has not previously played in that Competition may be played as a substitute. Should a substitute be necessary in subsequent Rounds, only the original substitute shall be eligible to play. When any substitute plays the Score Card must be clearly marked with the word "Substitute" against his name. This regulation shall not apply to the Wardrop Cup Competition in which there shall be no restriction on the number of substitutes played.
  • 26. Should a competitor concede a match, he is assumed to have played the match and is not available as a substitute in the remaining rounds of the Competition.
  • 27. A competitor having once played in a Pairs, Triples or Fours partnership shall not be eligible to play in any other Pairs, Triples or Fours partnership in the same playing season.
  • 28. In the Pairs, Triples and Fours the Score Card showing the names and initials of all players taking part in the first tie will be accepted as the official Entry. In subsequent Rounds substitutes may be placed only in accordance with the provisions of Regulations 24, 25 and 26.
  • 29. Score Cards must show the names and initials of each player in each Round of the Competition.
  • 30. The first Score Cards used, by a player or team in any of the competitions, must be signed by the losers and must be sent to the Area Secretary, or the Hon. Competition Secretary, as the case may be, by the winner immediately after the completion of a tie, and, when posted, must be sent by first class post or scanned and sent via email

Markers

  • 31. Markers in all Singles Competitions shall carry out their duties strictly in accordance with the provisions of Law 42 of the Sport of Bowls.

Umpires

  • 32. Each club on whose Green a tie is played shall appoint an Umpire who shall carry out his duties strictly in accordance with the provisions of Law 43 of the Laws of the Sports of Bowls.

Appendices

  • Your Attention is drawn to Bowls England regulations No 50 pertaining to National Championships and No 53 pertaining to National Competitions.
  • Regulations 1.4 in both documents refer to the case where a Club ceases to exist.
  • Regulation 8.1 in Regulation 50 and Regulation 7.1 in Regulation 53 refer to the prohibition of smoking, including electronic cigarettes, on the green the breach of which results in disqualification.

Important Notes for Competitors

  • No Extension of Dates will be allowed in any competition, other than subject to County Competition Regulation 13
  • The players taking part in the first tie are the OFFICIAL ENTRY and any subsequent SUBSTITUTION MUST BE CLEARLY INDICATED
  • Please be aware that in all men's competitions to receive any monatory award for any competition the player in singles or a player from the team, in team events, must attend and collect the award at the Annual Presentation Luncheon. IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THEN THE PAYMENT WILL NOT BE MADE

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