SENTINEL CUP - RULES AND PROPOSED CHANGE OF NAME – (POTTERIES & NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE CHARITIES CUP?)

Constitution

The purpose of this Competition is to raise funds annually in respect of Charitable Organisations and Good Causes that exist throughout Stoke-on-Trent and surrounding Districts.

The running of the Competition will be overseen by an Organising Committee consisting of representatives from both the Potteries & District CBA and the Stoke-on-Trent & District Bowling League.

Entries will be welcomed from any local bowls teams with the proviso that participating Club’s teams will be required to organise collections between themselves for all rounds of the Competition up to the Semi Final stage for the eventual beneficiaries.

Donations will also be welcomed from Clubs and individuals.

COMPETITION RULES

1. The Competition shall be held annually to raise funds for the benefit of Charitable and other good causes in the locality.

2. The running of the Competition will be overseen by an Organising Committee as outlined in the Constitution.

3. In order to raise a good level of funding, all Club’s teams currently playing in the Stoke-on-Trent & District Bowling League will be entered into the Competition automatically. Entries will also be accepted from any other Clubs who do not fulfil this criteria.

4. Entry fee will be a nominal £2 per team and teams will be able to field both male and female players.

5. The opening two rounds of the Competition will be played on Wednesday evenings and will be programmed into the Stoke-on-Trent League fixture list, enabling those teams to take part. Future rounds of the Competition will take place in midweek evenings with the Semi-Finals and Final played off on one Sunday.

6. Teams will consist of 8 players and teams will also receive a handicap based on their previous year’s League positions to be decided by the Organising Committee.

7. All matches will take place on neutral greens to be selected by the Organising Committee and all participating teams will be expected to make their greens available for the duration of the Competition and in particular, the opening rounds.

8. Where a Club has two or more teams in the Competition that Club shall star 8 first team players with those players being deemed ineligible to play for that Club’s other teams for the duration of that seasons Competition. Clubs fielding more than 2 teams in the Competition will also be required to star a further 8 players who will be ineligible to play in that Club’s lower ranked teams. All lists of ‘starred players’ to be approved by the Organising Committee.

9. Players are only eligible to play in the Competition if they are bona-fide members of their Club and have been registered to play for that Club in a geographical local League No player shall be permitted to play for more than one Club in the Competition.

10. Players must have played at least four League matches for their Club in one or a combination of geographical local leagues before the Quarter Final stage of the Competition and six before the Semi-Finals and Final.

11. Players involved in a tie are not allowed to practice on a selected green for a period of eight days prior to that tie being played, except in an organised match or competition recognised by the Organising Committee.

12. Before a match commences, captains will arrange their teams in order of play and this will constitute the draw. All games shall be 21 up under BCGBA rules and standard jacks will be used. The respective captains shall toss a coin to decide which team has odd or even numbers for first delivery of the jack.

13. Players must be present to play when called upon, and if a player is absent one hour after the official start time for the match, a reserve may be called upon, but if no reserve player is available, that team shall forfeit 21 points to their opponents.

14. On completion of the match, the team with the highest number of points, including their handicap, will be declared the winners. In the event of a tie on points, the match will be awarded to the team with the most winners and if that is equal, to the team with the best individual winner.

15. The winning captain shall be responsible for the delivery of all monies collected during the match together with the score sheet, signed by both captains, to the person nominated by the Organising Committee as soon as possible after the completion of the match.

16. In the event of inclement weather on the day of, or during a tie, representatives of the host club shall decide whether or not their green is fit for play, and their decision will be final. A rearranged date for the completion of the match will be agreed on by all parties concerned within fourteen days of the original match date.

17. In each tie up to the Semi-Final stage, both team captains will act jointly as referees and measurers. From the Semi-Finals onwards the Organising Committee shall arrange for a referee to be present. The venue for the Competition Semi-Finals and Final shall be chosen by the Organising Committee. Each team contesting the Semi –Finals and Final shall submit their playing order, including reserves, to the person nominated by the Organising Committee one week before the date of the those ties.

18. The Club winning the Competition shall be entitled to hold the trophy for twelve months. That Club shall be required to give satisfactory security to the Organising Committee for the safe custody of the trophy during the period it is in their possession and shall return it in good condition to the person nominated by the Organising Committee at least fourteen days prior to the Final round of the following season’s Competition, or in other cases, on demand. The trophy shall not, under any circumstances, become the property of any Club.

19. Any situation that arises in connection with the running of this Competition that is not already provided for in the above Rules shall be addressed by the Organising Committee whose decision will be final.

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