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NR13 3AA


NORFOLK COUNTY BOWLS ASSOCIATION

OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP RULES

PLAY IN ALL COMPETITIONS SHALL BE LIMITED TO TWO BOWLS ONLY PER PLAYER EXCEPT IN FOUR BOWL SINGLES AND 3 BOWL RINKS

1. Failure to comply with these Rules

 a) Any person who fails to comply with any of the NCBA rules contained in Sections 2, 3, 6 or 8 shall be disqualified from taking further part in the relevant competition The Area Secretary / Area Competition Secretary shall decide the outcome of any infringement whilst the competitions are being played in area. The Outdoor Competition Secretary shall decide the outcome of any infringement at the County Semi Final or Finals. In any case of dispute, the Area Committee with or without the assistance of the Outdoor Competition Secretary (or Executive Committee if the County Semi Finals or Final are affected) shall adjudicate.  

2. Eligibility to Enter

a) Male only Competitions shall be open to any member of a club affiliated to Norfolk County Bowls Association (N.C.B.A.) The competitions are 2 Bowl Singles, 4 Bowl Singles, Under 25 Singles, Senior Singles, Secretaries Singles, Champion of Champions, Pairs, Senior Pairs, 2 Wood Blocks and 3 Wood Rinks.

 b) Mixed Competitions shall be open to any male member of a club affiliated to Norfolk County Bowls Association (N.C.B.A.) and any female member of a club affiliated to the Norfolk County Women’s Bowls Association (N.C.W.B.A.) The female competitor(s) need not necessarily come from the same affiliated club as the male competitor(s) but must come from the same County Area. The Competitions are Mixed Pairs, Senior Mixed Pairs and Mixed Rinks.

c) Under 25 Open Pairs Competition is run by the N.C.B.A but is open to any combination of male or female players (i.e. 2 males, 2 females, or 1 male and 1 female) Competitors, as in rules 1(a) and 1(b), must be affiliated to the N.C.B.A. or the N.C.W.B.A. Players forming a pair may come from any club or area within the N.C.B.A. or N.C.W.B.A.

d) All new club members must be registered with the County Secretary 3 days prior to the competition round they are going to play in.


3. Rules and Laws Applicable to games


a) The Norfolk Club Championships shall be played under E.B.F./ E.W.B.F. rules and ‘Laws of the Game’ which are in the EBF & EWBF Yearbook Pages 35 – 62 (except item b below)

 b) The minimum cast of the Jack shall be 23 metres or 21 metres on the rinks under 30 metres, which it is permissible to use until the County Finals. Suitable markers must be placed 25 or 23 metres from the rink ends.


4. Substitutes


 a) In Pairs, Rinks and Block games a substitute will be allowed as long as the relevant Area Secretary is informed of the substitution and the player named before that game takes place, except due to unforeseen circumstances on the day the game takes place, in which case the Area Secretary must be notified as soon as possible thereafter. In Pairs, one, in Triples two of the original entry must play. The substitute may act for any other player in the pair or block.

 b) In Mixed Pairs or Mixed Blocks Championships male or female substitutes will be allowed as long as the relevant Area Secretary is informed of the substitution and the players named before that game takes place, except due to unforeseen circumstances on the day the game takes place in which case the Area Secretary must be notified as soon as possible thereafter. In Pairs, one, in Triples two of the original entry must play. Male substitutes must come from the same Club as the male they are replacing; Female substitutes must be affiliated to the N.C.W.B.A. and come from the same Club as the female they are substituting. A male can only substitute for a male and a female for a female.

 c) If the substitute is to be played in the County Semi Finals or Finals the Area Secretary concerned should inform the Outdoor Competition Secretary of their validity to play.

 d) The ‘original entry’ is the persons who play in the first game of any of the above Championships.

 e) Players are allowed only one entry in each competition, and no defeated player shall be eligible to act as substitute in the same Competition in following rounds of the current season.

5. The Draw

 a) For any entry to go into the draw the entry form and competition fees must have reached the County Secretary before the closing date of 31st January of the year of competition.

 b) If there are more than 8 entries in any one outdoor championship competition across the whole County the entries will be divided into Areas, as agreed by the County Executive.

 c) Should there be 8 or less entries into any outdoor championship competition across the whole County the Outdoor Competition Secretary shall conduct a draw and arrange the neutral venue for the competitors (in the preliminary / first round the home player(s) shall give dates complying with rule 7b & c by the 3rd Sunday in May unless otherwise stated in the draw book) to be reduced to 4 Singles players, Pairs or blocks. These 4 Singles players, Pairs or Blocks shall contest the County Semi-finals and a separate draw shall be made for these matches.

 d) Club Secretaries submitting competition entry forms must ensure that in pairs and blocks all the proposed players are named. The County Secretary will not accept entries without all players being named. Should there be a change in players before the first round of bowls is played the new players shall form the pair or block, however previously named players in that pair or block will not be eligible to play for another pair or block.

 e) The draw will be made by the relevant Area Committee or County Competition Secretary. (In accordance with b) and c) above).

 f) All areas must have the same Sunday closing date for all rounds. The closing date for the last round must be the Sunday 1 week before the area finals date.

6. Fees


Any number of entries will be accepted from Clubs, Entry fees, Blocks and Triples £9.00, Pairs £6.00, Singles £3.00. All Singles entrants or Skips must purchase a copy of the Area Handbook at £1.00 each.


7. Fixing the Date, Time and Venue for Play


 a) The first out of the draw to have choice of green and the rink.

 b) In a preliminary / first round match they must give their opponent(s) dates for play at least 3 weeks prior to the closing date of that round of play and subsequent rounds within 2 days of receiving notification of their next opponents in the draw. See c) below

 c) They must give 3 dates with matches commencing no later than 7pm. The three dates given are to be spread across the weeks available for the relevant round of the competition. One date may be at the weekend by mutual consent. Weekdays given must all be different days of the week. The opposition must respond to those dates within 48 hours

 d) Play may commence before 7.00pm by mutual agreement up to and including Area Semi-Finals.

 e) If any player or players are not on the green within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, their opponents may report the matter to the Area Secretary with a view to claiming the game

 f) If any game is not played by the time limit, as fixed by the Association, the player or players responsible for the delay will forfeit the game.


8. Play


All games shall be from scratch, blocks and pairs matches shall be of 21 live ends. Three wood triples to be 18 live ends. In the event of a tie at 21st end, or 18th end in three wood triples an extra end or ends shall be played, the skips to toss for the Jack for the extra ends. Single matches to be 21 points up.


9. Submission of Scorecards / Results


After the completion of each match the individual players in singles or skips in pairs or blocks will sign the cards and the winning player(s) will post them to the Area Secretary. They will also telephone the result to the Area Secretary or County Competition Secretary (if relevant) within 24 hours.


10. Area Secretary’s Role


 a) The Area Secretary will ensure proper use of substitutes throughout the matches in accordance with the National Handbook rules. The names on the first card submitted in any Pairs and Blocks Competition shall constitute the original Pair or Block.

 b) They shall inform the competitors in any round of the competition whom their next opponent is and record the date and time they did this.

 c) They will fix the Area Finals with their committee  


12. Area Finals


 a) The location and date of the Area Finals will be arranged by the relevant Area Committee. No Area Finals shall be played on the same day as a pre-arranged County fixture or function.

 b) Players who enter the competitions and reach the area finals must be prepared to play on the Friday, 2 days earlier than the official date, on instruction of their Area Secretary. This rule will be used if they or another player(s) reach this point in many games and cannot be expected to play them all on one day.  


12. County Semi-Finals and Finals


a) After the Final in each Area has been played the winners will go on to the County Semi-Finals and Finals on greens already selected by the A.G.M.

b) All players reaching County Semi-Finals must be prepared to play on the Friday, 2 days earlier than the official date, on instruction of their County Competition Secretary. This rule will be used if they or another player(s) reach this point in many games and cannot be expected to play them all on one day.  


13. Trophies / Awards


 a) Winners in each Competition shall hold the Challenge Cup until June 30th of the following season, when all Cups shall be returned to the County Competition Secretary,

 b) Mementoes will be awarded to Winners and Runners-up in each Competition.

 c) Male Winners of these Championships will be awarded a County Badge (see constitution 22a).

14. Attendance at National Finals


 a) (1) Singles winners who reach County Semi-Finals or Finals Competitions must be prepared to attend and play the whole of the National Finals week at Skegness or Newark should they qualify to do so. If they cannot attend and play, they must withdraw as soon as possible prior to the semi-finals or finals being played.                           (2) If a player in pairs or blocks competitions becomes aware that they will not be able to continue to Skegness or Newark as above, he/she should withdraw from the competition(s). A valid substitute may be used to fulfill their absence.

 b) Anyone winning a County Semi-Final or Final and not attending the National Finals without a valid reason (holiday and other code of bowls will not constitute a valid reason) will receive a swinger and will have future competition entries (indoor and outdoor) declined for a year if, as a result of their withdrawal, the County will not have a representative player or team in the competition in question

 c) Any subsequent non-attendance, subject to rule b above, by a County winner at National Finals would result in exclusion for 3 years from NCBA competitions and representative matches.

 d) If a player cannot attend any National Final, they must notify the Secretary in writing as soon as possible stating the reason. The Executive Committee will decide if the reason given is acceptable.


15. Executive Powers


The Executive Committee shall have the power to withdraw any of these Championships if in their opinion insufficient entries are received and their decision on any dispute arising shall be final.


16.Dress Code


See page 22


INDOOR FEDERATION COMPETITIONS


The purpose of the indoor competitions is to allow players who are members of an outdoor affiliated club to enter indoor competitions as well. Therefore, any player wishing to enter the indoor competitions must be on an outdoor club’s player list as submitted on 31st August of the year in which the indoor competitions commence.

1. Indoor competitions are on an open draw down to the semi-finals.  








DRESS CODE


A) This applies to County Competitions, Durham Centenary, County Cup, Subsidiary Cup, Burton Cup, County League, and County Competitions up to but not including the Area Finals. White or coloured shirts registered with the County Secretary, grey trousers or shorts with or without a logo, Grey, White or coloured shoes. All must be provided by Bowlswear Suppliers. BOWLS ENGLAND SHORTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. Ladies dress code as per the ladies rules.

B) This applies to Area Finals, County Semi-finals and Final.  White trousers or shorts with or without a logo, white or coloured bowls shoes. All must be provided by Bowlswear Suppliers. BOWLS ENGLAND SHORTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.                                                                                             C) Logos/Sponsors Logos must not exceed 300mm wide by 75mm high, on the front or rear of the garment. Other sponsors logos must not exceed the size of a County Badge. These must be registered with the County Secretary.                 D) This applies to the Adams, Newton, Derbyshire and Eversley Teams, Skegness & Newark.                               National Rules apply:- Males players participating in Inter-County Matches and National Championships must wear white or Coloured Shirts (County Shirts) white or cream trousers, white shirts (with EBF logo) white or coloured shoes provided by a Bowlswear Manufacturer. Full rule can be found on page 42 & 43 7.21 in the National Handbook.