British Crown Green Bowling Association

History of the BCGBA Senior County Championship

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SENIOR COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP RULES

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1       County teams shall each be composed of 24 male players, 12 playing at home and 12 away, the games all to be played on the same day, except for those against the Isle of Man and on the green of a Club with primary affiliation to the County Association.  Players selected must be bona fide members of a Club affiliated to the County Association.  The name of the Club must be placed after the player’s name on the programme.  No home team player shall be allowed to play in a County Match on a green of any Club of which he is a playing member, nor play for more than one County in any one season.  Definition of a playing member ~ One who pays a subscription to a Bowling Club or to a Bowling Section of a Sports or Social Club, someone who represents a club in an official league / cup match or is a member of an organisation which utilises the green of such Club or Section. If this rule is transgressed then the game shall be awarded to his opponent 21 points to nil.  If a green is considered unfit for play owing to weather conditions, the onus and responsibility for abandoning a match shall rest with the Referee and Groundsman.  If a County Championship game cannot be played due to the green having been deemed unfit for play the game shall be played within seven days, at the same venue, the draw for the matches to stand.  If due to adverse weather conditions the game at one venue has to be abandoned the rule in relation to playing both matches on the same day will not apply.  Matches will not be abandoned before 4 p.m.  If two County Associations are level at the end of the preliminary matches played, both in aggregate and points scored the County with the highest number of shots for will qualify for the semi-finals.  If this does not separate Counties, the number of individual winners throughout the Preliminary Group Stages will be taken into consideration with the County with the greatest number of winners proceeding to the semi-finals.

2       Games shall be 21 up and matches shall commence at 2 p.m. unless mutually arranged.  Visiting teams to have first cast of the Jack.  Jacks to be used in County Matches shall be available for practice.  A minimum of 12 standard jacks with a valid date stamp must be available for practice.

3       The Counties shall be divided into four sections by a draw made at the October Management Meeting and shall play the other Counties in their own section one match (home and away) and be awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw.  The draw shall be made to conform with an agreed five year formula to ensure that Counties meet each other once during that five year period. The County gaining the greatest number of points in each of the four sections shall then play in a semi-final round, the winner of section one against the winner of section two, and the winner of section three against the winner of section four.  In the case of a tie in the semi-final or final, four players from each team, at each venue, shall play again.  The players shall be selected by the respective captains and the draw for pairings will be made by the referee.  When the winners of the semi-finals are known they shall play off in a final match, the winning County receiving the Crosfield Cup and the losing County the Lewis Cup.  In the case of a tie for the top position in any section the winning County shall be determined by the best average according to the number of points scored for over those scored against.  If Counties are drawn in a group containing only three Counties, they will play each other in the following pattern. Two teams will be drawn to play each other on the respective date in May of the relevant year.  The losing County in that first match, will then play the non playing County from the May date, on the respective June date. The final group match will comprise of the winning team in the first match and the non playing County in May.  In the case of a tie in that first match, the first named County in the draw will play on the respective June date and the second named County on the respective July date.

4       County Associations shall select their team at least 14 days before the dates of their matches, except when County matches are due to be played within 14 days, when the County Associations shall select their teams at least 7 days before the date of the matches.  No County shall be allowed to adopt Rules which penalise in whatever form their opponents away team players or any Club for which they play so as to affect their opponents County away team selections.  Home teams and reserves shall be allowed practice up to the day of the match and also 15 minutes on the day of play, which shall terminate 5 minutes before the away team practice is due to start. No practice is allowed by away players once a green and teams have been officially exchanged subject to the rules in relation to normal competitive games.  Should this action occur, then that player shall be barred from taking part in the relevant match.  Half an hour’s practice (which shall terminate ten minutes before the agreed time of start of the match) shall be allowed the visiting team and reserves on the day of play.  After the commencement of the match, no further practice shall be allowed at that venue.

5       Counties shall give at least 14 days’ notice of their teams, reserves, venue and officials to their opponents and the National Administrator by entering all the details on the approved Bowling Results website before midnight on the Sunday 2 weeks prior to the match.  Where such venues have more than one green, the one intended for play should be clearly indicated in the notice. No County shall play more than one match on one green during the same season.

6       Failure to comply with Rule 5 will incur a fine of £20.00 on the defaulting County.  The draw thus arrived at shall be strictly adhered to unless with the consent of the two captains and the referee.

Not less than two reserves shall be named on the programme, and no other player shall take part in the match until the named reserves have been called upon to play.  The home players only shall be numbered according to the programme.

7       Approved referees shall be appointed for all County Matches and they shall be paid agreed match expenses and a meal provided at the County venue.  All expenses to be paid by the  Referees  Society Secretary.  The Home County shall appoint two Assistant Referees to assist the Referee. The Home County will be responsible for providing all measuring equipment likely to be required by the referee.

8       Gate money taken at any section match (including the championship final) shall belong to the Home County.

9       Each County Association shall pay to the British Crown Green Bowling Association the sum of £5.00 in respect of each home match and an agreed sum per match, as determined annually by the Management Committee, to pay the referee’s match fee and travelling expenses.

10     All Senior County Championship games shall be played on the first Sunday of the month commencing with the first Sunday in May, except for those against the Isle of Man, which shall be played on the Saturday before the first Sunday of the month commencing with the first Sunday in May.

11     Any County Association failing to field a full team shall be fined £20.00 for each missing member.

12     Each County Association should provide, at their home venue, a meal after the match has been completed for the players and officials listed on the official match sheet and any representatives of the competition sponsors who may be in attendance.  Each County is liable to pay for the cost of the meal for their team and officials at either venue.  The minimum cost of the meal per head will be agreed annually by the Management Committee.  Failure to provide a meal after the match will result in that County paying a fine equal to the minimum cost of the meal per head plus £1 for each player or official of both Counties listed on the official match sheet, and the matter will be referred to the Management Committee who will have the power to increase the fine.