Club Bye-Laws for Play on the Green

A1       Laws of the Game

The Laws of the Sport of Bowls (4th Edition) and the E.I.B.A. Ltd National Championship Rules shall apply in all circumstances not covered by these Bye Laws.

A2       Organisation

These Bye-Laws apply to the Camberley and District Indoor Bowling Club (hereafter referred to as the “Club” or “CDIBC”).

The Competition Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of the Club’s Internal Competitions and shall be accountable to the Bowling Committee.

The League Secretary shall be responsible for the administration of the Club’s League Programme and shall be accountable to the Bowling Committee.

A3       Rink Behaviour`

Use of ‘grippo’, ‘glycerine’, ‘rosewater’, ‘non water-based chalk puffers’ or similar items are not allowed.

No food, of any kind, is to be taken past the stairways onto the green surrounds.

Members must not conduct themselves on or off the green in a manner likely to cause damage to the club’s high reputation.

A4       Dress

For Club Matches:

CDIBC Shirts

Coloured waistcoats/cardigans (Ladies only – optional)

For matches specified as whites – white tailored or bowls manufacturer trousers or shorts, or for Ladies only, white skirts, cropped trousers or culottes – white socks (Men only)

For matches specified as greys – grey tailored or bowls manufacturer trousers or shorts, or for Ladies only, grey skirts, cropped trousers or culottes

A member failing to wear a CDIBC Shirt for a club match may render themselves ineligible for selection for future club matches until a shirt is secured

For Leagues and Club Competitions up to and including Quarter-Finals:

White, predominantly white, E.I.B.A registered coloured bowls manufacturer or customised coloured bowls shirt or blouse. Any shirt or blouse worn must have a collar and sleeves. CDIBC Shirts are also permittedd

Club coloured waistcoats/cardigans (ladies only) – optional

Grey tailored or bowls manufacturer trousers or shorts or, for Ladies only, grey skirts / culottes / cropped trousers

For Club Competition Semi-Finals and Finals:

White, predominantly white, E.I.B.A registered coloured bowls manufacturer or customised coloured bowls shirt or blouse. Any shirt or blouse worn must have a collar and sleeves.  Club tie (Men only – optional); CDIBC Shirts are also permitted.

Club coloured waistcoats/cardigans (Ladies only – optional)

White tailored or bowls manufacturer trousers or shorts or, for Ladies only, white skirts / culottes / cropped trousers – white socks (men only):

In addition to the items detailed above, white jumpers and white fleeces are also permitted.

Headgear in the form of caps or visors may be worn provided the fabric is predominantly white. Tinted visors may also be worn.

Note: the club’s dress code is relaxed for ‘Roll-up’ sessions, Fun Drives and Coaching School pupils under instruction, whereby smart, casual clothing (no jeans) may be worn.

FLAT SOLED SHOES WITHOUT HEELS must be worn at all times whilst on the green.

A5       Cost of Rinks

Cost of rinks will be as determined by the Management Committee from time to time, and will be displayed at the Reception Desk.

A6       Rink Booking Procedures

ALL RINK BOOKINGS must be made, provisionally, via the Rink Management System (RMS) attached to the Club’s website at https://crbs.cdibc.co.uk  Up to 3 provisional dates/times for an individual match may be made.  It is extremely important that all provisional bookings for a specific match are made together as part of the same booking process.

When the date/time booked for a game has been accepted by, or otherwise agreed with, the opponent(s), the rink required should be ‘confirmed’ using the appropriate facility on the RMS.  When a rink is confirmed, any provisional bookings for the same game will be automatically cancelled.

Confirmed bookings will be ‘authorised’, after a check that they do not conflict with other commitments.  Only Bowling Committee Members, or persons authorised by the Bowling Committee, may make authorisations of confirmed bookings.

Provisional bookings will be held open for a maximum of 3 days awaiting confirmation by opponent, after which they will be cancelled, and the session time made available for others.

A single (2 hour) session only may be booked for club competition singles, open two wood pairs, and novice pairs – the match may commence early if booked for 10.00am, subject to prior arrangement to allow for earlier opening of the club, or overrun if booked for the last evening session midweek, or where the following session has not previously been booked for another match.

A league game may not be moved to an alternative rink in favour of an internal club competition, except, in the circumstances set out below, to enable a four-hour club competition game access to a rink for a double session.

  • Where a two-hour league game is scheduled on a rink having the previous or following sessions vacant that game will, if required, move to another available rink in the same session to enable a four-hour club competition game to take place. If no other rink is available, the league game may not be moved.
  • A league game shall not be moved under this rule where any other rink has both sessions free in the same four-hour period.
  • When under this rule a competition game is authorised in the RMS the captains of the moved league teams shall be notified of the change of rinks as soon as this is done and may rearrange their game.

This arrangement will apply to all rounds up to the semi-finals.

A league game may be moved to an alternative rink in favour of an external (national, county, etc.) competition, subject to meeting provisions of sub-paragraph 3 above.

Rinks may be booked for a ‘roll-up’ via the ‘Book a Rink for a Roll-Up’ facility on th RMS – these bookings are made as ‘confirmed’.

If a confirmed rink booking is not taken up, the member booking the rink will be charged the full rink fee, which would have been chargeable for the match, unless the booking is cancelled in advance via the RMS.

A7       National, County, other External Competition Bookings

Within the season, rinks are left free during midweek league sessions (day and evening) primarily for use by competitors in national, county and other external competitions.

League sessions or Internal Club Competitions may only be postponed in favour of an external competition as a last resort, and then only with permission from the League (or Competition) Secretary, subject to no other day being possible, and no other rink being available, unless exceptional circumstances (as determined by the relevant Secretary) apply.

Competitors may not approach league or competition team captains before the relevant Secretary has agreed postponement.  Following agreement of postponement, at least 3 days notice must be given, by the person booking the rink, to the captains of the league or competition teams concerned.

League and/or Internal Club Competition matches may be postponed in favour of Club Matches or National, County or other External Competition semi-finals, area finals, and/or finals, at the discretion of the League or Competition Secretary.

Under no circumstances will rinks, which have been booked and confirmed for matches involving visiting competitors, be cancelled and taken for other matches.

Matches scheduled to be played away must NOT be played at home, unless a free rink can be found – rinks booked for other purposes may not be cancelled, under any circumstances, to accommodate these matches.

A8       Contravention of Bye-Laws

Members contravening these bye-laws, or those for leagues or competitions, where no specific penalty is laid down, will be verbally warned by a member of the Bowling Committee in the first instance.  Further contravention will result in a written caution.  Any subsequent transgression may lead to suspension (or possible expulsion).

Any disputes between league teams or competitors as to the interpretation of the bye- laws should be referred to the League or Competition Secretary concerned who shall consider the facts of the case and arrive at a decision.

In certain circumstances the relevant secretary may refer the case to the Bowling Committee, who will appoint a Sub-Committee (of 3 members) to adjudicate on the matter.  The member(s) in dispute have the right to present their case(s) personally before the Sub-Committee, before a decision is reached, which may include action(s) not elsewhere laid down.

Members are reminded that no set of rules can cater for every situation, and that unusual incidents not specifically provided for in either these bye-laws or the laws of the game may occur.  The Bowling Committee will always endeavour to apply commonsense to resolve any such problems.

LEAGUE MATCH BYELAWS

B1       Eligibility

All League Bowlers shall be playing members of the Club, whose club subscriptions are up-to-date.

B2       Registration

One member of each league team shall be appointed as the team’s captain.  Prior to the start of each league season the League Secretary will send a League Team Registration Form to the captain of each league team that has been previously registered.

The captain shall be responsible for the registration of the league team by returning a completed League Team Registration Form, together with appropriate fees, to the League Secretary on or before the closing date stipulated on the form. A team shall not be permitted to play an unregistered player, or a player currently registered with another team in the same league (or another division of the same league).  Any team playing an unregistered player(s) shall have 2 points deducted from their league total in respect of each match concerned.

Team captains may register additional players or de-register members that have resigned from their team at any time during the season, using the Additional League Players Registration Form available from the League Secretary’s registration form box (situated by the ramp entrance to the green).  A player resigning from a team will not be eligible for registration in a different team in the same league (or another division of the same league) in the same season.

Pairs:       each team shall register a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 players.

Triples:     each team shall register a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 players.

Fours:        each team shall register a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 players.

B3       Application of New Team

Any team wishing to enter a league in the following season should enter the contact details for their team captain on the appropriate League Programme Sign-up Sheet. These sheets are in the League Programme Sign-up Sheet folder that is normally available on the reception desk towards the end of the Winter League season.

Any team wishing to enter a league in the current season should contact the League Secretary at the earliest opportunity.

The League Secretary may, at his discretion, refuse a request to enter a new team in a league in circumstances where this would be impractical.

The League Secretary will send a League Team Registration Form to the captain of each new league team.

The captain shall be responsible for the registration of the league team by returning a completed League Team Registration Form, together with appropriate fees, to the League Secretary on or before the closing date stipulated on the form.

B4       Time of Play

All league matches must be played on the day and time allocated, unless the match is:

  • postponed (in advance) by mutual agreement of the league teams involved, and then only with the prior approval of the League Secretary.
  • officially postponed (see Bye Law B5)
  • unable to be played due to special circumstances prevailing. Special circumstances shall be determined as such by the League Secretary and will only be invoked in situations beyond the control of the teams concerned – this does not include holidays, other engagements, etc.  Examples of ‘special circumstances’ could be ‘adverse weather conditions’, ‘power and/or heating failures’, ‘illness / bereavement’ etc.  The League Secretary may decide to treat the match as ‘postponed, to be re-arranged’, or may declare the match as ‘cancelled’ with no penalty to either teams involved.

At least 8 minutes prior to the start of each league match both teams must collect their scorecards from the green steward at the reception desk. The scorecard will only be provided by the green steward on full payment of the rink fees. Note that a depleted team (see bye law B9) must still pay the full rink fees.

In the event of a ‘no-show’ by a team, the captain of the defaulting team will be billed for the total rink fee for his/her team, and the opposing team will be awarded a 10-0 win (and 2 points).  The non-defaulting team must inform the League Secretary that the match was not played by writing on the scorecard the names of the team members that arrived for the match and a note stating that their opponents failed to turn up.  The card must then be placed in the result card slot for that league.  If the non-defaulting team wish to play on the rink anyway, roll-up rink fees will apply.

In the event of both teams defaulting, the captain of each team will be billed for their own rink fees (no result will be recorded, and the match treated as unplayed).  However, if both league team captains agree, subject to approval of the League Secretary, the match may be treated as postponed, and re-arranged as defined below, except that a ‘Postponed League Match’ form must be completed and returned to the League Secretary, no more than 5 days after the date of the original game.

A league match that is to be postponed must be re-arranged, to be played before the end of the season, by the two league team captains concerned.  A ‘Postponed League Match’ form (available from the box containing the blank Additional Players Registration forms) must be completed and returned  to the League Secretary, prior to the date of the original game.  This must show the new date and time agreed for the match (which must also be booked and confirmed via the RMS (in accordance with bye-law A6).  Failure to play a postponed match will result in both captains being billed for the rink fees.

B5       Official Postponement

A league match may be postponed where the rink is required for official club matches or national / county / other external competitions.  See bye-law A7.

Team captains must be given at least 72 hours notice of any alterations to the playing schedule.

B6       Team Playing Constitutions

Mixed leagues: at least one member of the opposite sex.

Open leagues:   any combination.

Men’s leagues:   men only.

Ladies leagues:  ladies only.

Failure to abide by these regulations will result in the offending team being treated as a ‘no-show’, and bye-law B4 will apply.

B7       Two Hour League Matches

These matches shall be a maximum of 2 hours duration.

Pairs:       shall be a maximum of 18 ends.

Triples:     shall be a maximum of 16 ends.

Fours:    shall be a maximum of 18 ends.

2 points will be awarded for a Win, 1 point for a Draw.

The match will not start until the start of session bell rings.

An illegally delivered jack (i.e. which comes to rest outside the confines of the rink) will be ‘placed’ by the opposing skip, who may also direct where the mat is to be positioned.

If, during the course of an end, the jack is caused to leave the side of the rink, the jack shall be placed on the pre-marked ‘spot’ on the rink that is on the same side that it left the rink. If a bowl is already on or obscuring the ‘spot’ the jack will be placed as near as possible to the bowl without touching it, between the ‘spot’ and the centre of the rink. If any other bowl is in the way, the jack will be placed as near to that without touching it and the centre of the rink. In other words, directly between the ‘spot’ and centre line without touching a bowl.

In the event of a ‘tied end’, i.e. when the nearest bowl of each team is equidistant from the jack, the end shall not be replayed, but entered on the scorecard as having been played without any score indicated to either team.

The 7‑minute warning bell will signify that no further end can be started.

An end will be deemed to have started if the jack has been delivered before the warning bell starts ringing.  The jack will be deemed to have been delivered the instant it leaves the hand (it does not need to be at rest when the bell starts ringing).

A jack coming to rest illegally after the 7 minute bell has ceasing ringing will be ‘placed’ by the opposing skip, who may also direct where the mat is be positioned.

An end, once begun, will be played to the finish.

No trial ends will be allowed.

No player will visit the head during the course of a match.

Skips must leave the head together and not return to the head under any circumstances.  Other members of the team will not go to the head until all players (except the skips) have delivered all their bowls. The penalty will be one shot deducted from the offending team’s score for each offence.

B8       Fixed Number of Ends League Matches

These matches shall be a maximum of 3 hours duration (including trial ends, if played).

2 points will be awarded for a Win, 1 point for a Draw.

The match will not start until the start of session bell rings.

Trial ends will be allowed.

Reasonable visiting the head will be allowed.

When a jack is delivered illegally the Laws of the Sport of Indoor Bowls will be applied.

If, during the course of an end, the jack is caused to leave the side of the rink, the jack shall be placed on the pre-marked ‘spot’ on the rink that is on the same side that it left the rink.  If the ‘spot’ is already occupied or obscured see B7 for more detailed instructions.

B9       Late Arrival, Depleted Teams and Retirements

A late arrival in a fours or triples match may start play at the 2nd or 3rd end and a normal game played, provided that those players who arrived on time have only bowled the regulation number of woods each in the 1st, and where applicable, 2nd ends

A fours or triples league game may be played with one player short by following the procedures set out below.

In a depleted fours match (i.e. three players only), leads and seconds should use 3 woods each and the skip 2 woods.  The team (or teams) of three will forfeit 25% of their total score.  If a team plays with three players on more than three occasions the forfeit will be increased to 40% of their total score for all the depleted fours matches that they play thereafter.  These adjustments shall be calculated exactly by the League Secretary.  For example, if a team of three has scored 13 shots at the end of a match and they have previously played two matches with only three players, 25% will be deducted from the score of 13 resulting in a final match score of 9.75 shots.  However, if a team of three has scored 16 shots at the end of a match and they have previously played three or more matches with only three players, 40% will be deducted from the 16 resulting in a final match score of 9.6 shots.

In a depleted triples match (i.e. two players only), leads and skips should use 4 woods each.  The team of three playing in a depleted triples match shall play as a normal triple (i.e. each player shall use 3 woods each).  As for all other league matches, the team that wins an end shall take the mat and deliver the jack on the next end.  However, the team of three players shall always play the first wood following delivery of the jack, regardless of the team that has delivered the jack.  They will, therefore also be the last to play in any end, playing their ninth wood after the eighth and final wood of the opposing team of two has been played.  This will ensure alternate bowls are played throughout the game.  The team of two players will have to manage their changeover positions accordingly.  The team (or teams) of two will forfeit 25% of their total score.  If a team plays with two players on more than three occasions the forfeit will be increased to 40% of their total score for all the depleted triples matches that they play thereafter.  These adjustments shall be calculated exactly by the League Secretary.  Examples of these calculations are as for a depleted fours game, shown above.

Depleted teams (fours or triples) must still abide by the league playing constitution (e.g. if a mixed league, one of the team actually bowling must be of the opposite sex to other team members also bowling), otherwise bye-law B6 applies.

The non attendance of one player in a pair, or two or more players in a triple or a four, will count as a ‘no-show’ and bye-law B4 will apply.

If, during a match, one member of a ‘triples’ or ‘fours’ team ‘retires’, on medical grounds, the match may be completed by the remaining members of the team without penalty provided that the remaining members of team continue to bowl with the same number of bowls each.  Alternatively, the remaining members of the team may opt to play as a depleted triple or four, in which case they will forfeit 25% of their total score.

B9 Promotions and Relegations

At the end of the season, for two division leagues, the bottom two teams in the upper division will normally be relegated, and the top two teams in the lower division will normally be promoted.  Changes to the league structure for the following season may make this impractical, and this procedure may be varied at the League Secretary’s discretion.

B10     Withdrawals

In the event of any team withdrawing from a league during the season, the League Secretary shall have discretion over filling the vacancy.

Should a team not be replaced, all results recorded against that team will be discounted in compiling the league table.

CLUB COMPETITION BYELAWS

C1       Club Competition Entries

Means of entry to Club Competitions shall be by submission of the appropriate entry form, together with entry fees, before the closing date stated on the form.

Entry forms will be available at the start of each season, and will show the dates and times for the Club Competition Semi-finals and Finals.  In signing and submitting the entry form, competitors are agreeing that they and their team will abide by these bye-laws and observe the following conditions of entry:

Members may not enter/participate in CDIBC competitions if they have entered or subsequently take part in club competitions at another Indoor Bowling Club in the same season, where participation in those competitions would conflict with the CDIBC Semi-finals and Finals Dates.

Competitors who become eligible to enter any External Competition by virtue of success in a competition at CDIBC will represent the Club in that competition, should they choose to enter it.

Competitors agree that they and their team, will be available to play on the dates/times selected by the Competition Secretary for the Club Competition Semi-Finals and Finals should they reach this stage.

The Novice Pairs competition is open only to those bowlers with 3 years or less indoor and/or outdoor bowling experience and who have not reached a final in an indoor club competition.

The Ladies Novice Singles competition is open only to those lady bowlers who have not reached a final in an indoor club competition.

The Men’s Novice Singles competition is open only to those gentleman bowlers who have not reached a final in an indoor club competition.

The Bowling Committee may at its discretion disqualify competitors from current and future competitions for non-observance of these conditions.

Following the closing date for entries the draws for all competitions will take place.

A minimum of 8 entries are required for each competition.  In the event that there are less than 8 entries for a competition, the Bowling Committee will decide whether or not the competition should be run.  If the Bowling Committee decides that the competition should not be run, the entry fees for that competition will be refunded.

Progress sheets detailing the draws, the closing dates for each round (see C5 below) and updated results will be posted on the Competitions notice board at intervals during the season.

C2       Rounds up to the Semi‑Finals

Competitions shall be played as follows.

Singles: First to 21 shots – always played to the finish.

Pairs:  21 ends, or four hours, whichever is the shorter.

Triples:  18 ends, or four hours, whichever is the shorter

Fours: 21 ends, or four hours, whichever is the shorter.

2 Wood Pairs: See below for special rules for this event.

Novice Pairs:  See below for special rules for this event.

C3       Playing Conventions

Matches subject to the four hour session rule:  two trial ends and visiting the head are allowed. If after the required number of ends have been played the scores are level an extra end shall be played if this can be done within the four hour time limit. If it cannot, and for any match subject to this rule, where after four hours the scores are level, the winners will be decided on number of ends won.  If both sides have won an equal number of ends the side winning the last completed end will be deemed the winners.

Singles matches:  the first to reach 21 shots is the winner. If the match is not completed within a 2 hour session, it may only be continued if the rink is free for the following session, otherwise it must be continued on a different (free) rink or at some other time to be agreed by the players concerned. No visiting the head is permitted until both players have played at least 2 bowls each.  The penalty will be one shot deducted from the offending player’s score for each infringement of this rule.  All ‘dead ends’ to be re-played.

2 wood pairs: rounds up to the semi-finals shall be the best of 3 sets of 7 ends each, subject to an overall two hours’ maximum time limit. Matches should be played in a designated club two-hour session.

Teams shall toss a coin for right to deliver jack at start of first set, then alternate for subsequent sets. In the event a match goes to a deciding set (i.e., the deciding set is the third set in matches prior to the semi-finals or the fifth set in the case of the semi-finals and finals) teams shall toss a coin for the right to deliver the jack at the start of this set.

No trial ends are permitted in rounds up to the semi-finals. Dead ends are to be re-played.

In rounds prior to the semi-finals visiting the head is not permitted and skips must leave the head together in these rounds.

Each set shall be played to determine a winner so that where a set is tied after seven ends an extra end (or ends in the event of a dead end or tied end) shall be played. Where time does not permit a set to be completed the score standing at the completion of the last end, i.e., the end during which the seven-minute bell sounded, shall count as the score for that set. In the event the match is tied the winner of the greatest number of ends overall in the match shall be the winner. If this still leaves the match tied the winner will be the winner of the last end played.

The semi-finals and final shall be the best of 5 sets of 7 ends.

Novice pairs:  rounds up to the semi-finals shall be played under the rules for a two hour league match as per bye-law B7.

In the event the match is tied the winner of the most number of ends overall in the match shall be the winner.  If this still leaves the match tied the winner will be the winner of the last end played.

Semi-finals and Finals shall be played subject to the rules for a normal pairs competition match as per bye-law C2 above.

C4       Rules for Constitution of Teams

A mixed fours team shall consist of two ladies and two gentlemen.

In pairs, triples and fours, players taking part in the first game constitute the team. One substitute may be used in succeeding rounds provided that he/she has not already entered the competition. In this context ‘entered’ is taken to mean: has played in an earlier round or has been named in the draw.

In mixed competitions, two substitutes, one of each sex, are permitted, but only one  substitute per round may be used.  If a substitute, or substitutes, is/are required for more than one round, the same substitute(s) shall be used.

Rules where a match cannot be played:

If a team cannot, allowing for the use of a substitute, fulfil a match either in the current or a future round of a competition, it must withdraw from the competition immediately, and the team captain shall notify this to his or her opponents and the Competition Secretary.

Non-attendance of one or more players in a team in any match which has been confirmed in the rink diary (and not previously cancelled), will result in the game being forfeited by the offending player/team.  The defaulting player or team will pay the total rink fee (for both teams).  In the event of non-attendance by one or more players in both teams, each team will pay their own rink fees.

C5      Closing Dates

The Closing Dates for the rounds of each Competition up to the semi-finals will be posted by the Competition Secretary once the competition draw has been completed.  No extension will be granted beyond the closing dates of the rounds without the agreement of the Competition Secretary.  Matches may only be played later than the posted date if the rink booked for the match is taken by a national or other senior competition, or at discretion of Competition Secretary. If a competitor is awarded a walkover by his or her opposition, the Competition Secretary must be notified accordingly on or before the closing date of the round.  Failure to play a match on or before the closing date of the round may result in the elimination of both competitors from that competition.

C6       Procedures For Rounds up to the Semi-Finals. 

The Challenger i.e., the first named player on the draw sheet must offer his or her opponent the choice of two dates (one of which must be at a weekend). For the first round, these dates are to be not less than 14 days before the closing date of that round, and where it is a second or subsequent round, the offer of dates must be made within 8 days of the closing date of the previous round. In the event the challenger defaults on this procedure the second named player then becomes the challenger and shall offer any two dates before the closing date of the round.

Note: For rounds up to the semi-finals the challenger will be responsible for providing the marker.

For rink booking procedures see bye-law A7 above.

C7       Semi‑Finals and Finals

Semi-Finals and Finals are played in ‘whites’ (see bye-law A4), except for the Novice competitions which are played in ‘greys’.

Two trial ends are allowed, as is visiting the head at any time.

All matches are subject to the four hour rule.

Two Wood Pairs matches to be best of 5 sets of 7 ends.

The Novice Pairs will be played as a normal pairs competition, i.e. to 21 ends.

The Competition Secretary will arrange markers for singles semi-finals and finals.

All semi-finals and finals will have an Umpire or Competent Person appointed by the Competition Secretary.