OUTDOOR SEASON CLUB COMPETITION RULES 2024

The Competition Secretary shall act under the authority of the Management Committee and shall oversee the organizing and running of all club competitions.

The Club Competitions are run under World Bowls Laws of the Sport Crystal Mark Latest edition and South Molton BC Outdoor Club Competition Rules.

COMPETITIONS

Club competitions are open to all members. Unless otherwise stated all competitions shall run on a knock-out basis leading to the finals. Forms for entries to club competitions will be posted in the clubhouse by the Opening Day of the outdoor season. Entries should be made within 3 weeks and the appropriate fees paid. The 2024 entry fee for play-by-date, knock-out competitions £2 per player.

Members are responsible for paying their own fees only and should not include any payment in respect of any other member Members can either email [email protected] details of the competitions you wish to enter including whom you are entering with for the mixed pairs and H Spratt or add your entries to the sheet on the notice board. Payment for entries can be placed in the letterbox in the clubhouse with the above details on the envelope or paid online. BACS – using sort code 30-90-91 account 65900860 the account name is South Molton Bowling Club. Please add your name as a reference plus “club comp” if not enough characters please CI C

Members will not be entered for any competition not paid for at the end of the entry period.

3 weeks after Opening Day the lists will be removed from the noticeboard and entry to all competitions will be closed. The draw for all play-by-date competitions will take place in the clubhouse with at least 6 club members present. All members are entitled to attend. The Competition Secretary will post all draws on the clubhouse noticeboard within 72 hours, together with dates that all rounds of all competitions have to be played by.

Any member unable to play their match by the given date must inform the Competition Secretary as soon as possible. In extreme circumstances, the Competition Secretary can allow the match to be played after the set date, but both members may be eliminated if the Competition Secretary does not feel that every effort was made to play the match by the set date. The Competition Secretary’s decision is final.

Entry forms for the round-robin competitions will be displayed at least 2 weeks before the competition. Entries will close at 2 pm the previous day. The draw for teams will be made 15 minutes before the start time.

Competition finals will be played on Finals Day. The two dates for Finals Day will be listed in the season’s fixture booklet. Any member in a final who cannot make either Finals Day should let the Competition Secretary know as soon as possible. The dress for Finals Day is white and club shirt. The dress for all other rounds will be greys and club shirts. Markers are to wear greys and club shirts.

TROPHIES AND PRIZES

Perpetual trophies will be presented on Finals Day to all competition winners and individual prizes or certificates will be presented to all winners and runners-up. Trophy winners will hold their trophies for a year and must return such trophies to the club in a clean condition by the end of July.

WEEKLY COMPETITIONS

Games will be arranged and drawn on the day of play by the Competition Secretary or his/her nominee. Please see the Fixture list for dates.       Midweek Trophy-Wednesday draw to be at 10.15 am.                              Mole Trophy – Mondays, draw to be done at 6pm.                                   Red Squirrel – Thursdays draw to be done at 6.30 pm.                        Godfrey Bater Trophy – Fridays start no later than 6.15 pm 

HANDICAPS

Handicaps will be allotted to all members based on each player’s achievements in previous years. All new members will start with a handicap of 21, with additional handicap points being added as follows;

2 points are added for winning a specified club singles competition, with the exception of the Lyddon Cup (men) and the Govier Cup (women) where 4 points will be added.

1 point added for coming runner-up in a specified club singles competition, with the exception of the Lyddon Cup (men) and the Govier Cup (women) where 2 points will be added.

A maximum of 4 points can be added through club competitions.

The specified club singles competitions are The Lyddon Cup, The Govier Cup, The Pidler Trophy, The Ladies Handicap Singles Trophy, The Men's Two Wood Singles, The Ladies Two Wood Singles and The Open Two Wood Singles. These are the club’s singles competitions that have no restriction on entry.

5 points are added for obtaining a County Badge. Any club competition points awarded will no longer count.

1 point is added for receiving a trial for a county event. 1 point added for playing in a county event.

A maximum of 7 points can be added to a player’s handicap score, giving a maximum total of 28.

COMPETITIONS

MEN

LYDDON CUP
A scratch singles competition with the winner being the first to reach 21 shots. If the winner agrees, he will be nominated by the club for the National Champion of Champions Competition, to be played the following year.

PIDLER TROPHY
A handicap singles competition. The first man to reach his handicapped score will be the winner.

SENIOR MEN

A singles scratch competition to 21 shots for men having reached the age of 70 by the club's Opening Day of the season.

TWO WOODS
A scratch singles competition to 21 shots.

E J KINGDON CUP
A drawn pairs scratch competition played over 18 ends.

 

WOMAN

GOVIER CUP
A scratch singles competition with the winner being the first to reach 21 shots. If the winner agrees, she will be nominated by the club for the National Champion of Champions Competition, to be played the following year.

HANDICAP SINGLES TROPHY
The winner will be the first lady to reach her handicapped score.

SENIOR LADIES
A singles scratch competition to 21 shots for ladies having reached the age of 65 by the club's Opening Day of the season.

TWO WOOD SINGLES
A scratch singles competition to 21 shots.

MARK KINGDON CUP
A drawn pairs scratch competition played over 18 ends.

MIXED COMPETITIONS

SAM BRIGHT MIXED PAIRS
A scratch competition of the best of 3 sets of 6 ends. Tied sets are allowed, however if the match is level after the third set an extra end will be played to determine the winner. Toss to decide who starts the extra end.

 IAN TUCKER EXMOOR TROPHY
A special combined handicap mixed triples round-robin competition to be played on a Saturday, generally in September.This is not a drawn event. Individuals enter as a team of 3, with all ‘following year’ handicaps added together and divided by 2 to reach the playing handicap (rounded up if necessary). A maximum of 16 mixed triples. The final to be played on the same day. N.B. Jack out of the rink: 1 shot away and the end not replayed.

OPEN COMPETITIONS

JUNIORS TROPHY
A scratch singles competition with the winner being the first to reach 21 shots for members not having reached the age of 18 by the club's Opening Day of the season.

BOB TRICKER MEMORIAL TROPHY
A scratch singles competition for members who have not won a club singles competition. The winner being the first to reach 21 shots.

GORDAN BALMENT OPEN TWO WOOD
A scratch singles competition, played if possible on one day, up to and including the semi-finals. Play to be over 15 ends with the final first to 21 shots.

TWO WOOD PAIRS
A drawn scratch competition played on one day, up to and including the semi-final. Play to be over 15 ends with the final over 21 ends.

H SPRATT TROPHY
A handicap pairs competition. Both player's handicaps are added together and divided by two to reach a whole number, with a rounding up if necessary. Matches will be over 18 ends with additional shots to the lesser handicapped pair to be added to the score of the first end.

P KINGDON SHIELD
A drawn triples competition is to be played up to and including the semi-final stage on a Saturday, as agreed with the Fixture Secretary. The final to be played on Finals Day, or as directed by the Competition Secretary.

GODFREY BATER MEMORIAL TROPHY
A triples competition played over 6 Friday evenings, on a round-robin basis with a maximum of 12 teams competing. Teams are to be of men or ladies with at least one player of 3 years or less bowling experience. This player should play at least 50 % of the games. Each team must consist of up to 5 members. 2 games are to be played each evening, or as directed by the Competition Secretary. Games consist of 10 ends, start time is as per the fixture book. 10 points for a win, 5 points for a draw, 1 point for each end won. Toss to decide who starts. Jack set 3m from the ditch. Jack out of the rink – 1 shot away and end not replayed. No visiting the head.  Playing order of a team must remain the same throughout a game. Entry fee is £3 per team per night.

The competition committee aims to have a list of members willing to be asked to play should a team be unable to field a team. If required that member can play for more than one team but will not become a team member. 

MOLE TROPHY
To be played on a maximum of 5 rinks on Monday evenings throughout the outdoor season. Two rinks not used for Mole Trophy will be available for national or county competitions only.  The draw is to take place at 6pm with play to start as soon as possible after. Triples matches are to be played where possible, with pairs or rinks taking place where numbers dictate.   Inexperienced bowlers will be drawn first to fill the ‘lead’ positions (moving up to ‘number 2’s’ if a high number of inexperienced players present). Those drawn No 2 and Skips can change positions before play if desired. Play will be over 15 ends for triples and 17 ends for pairs or rinks. At the end of the competition, each player’s best 10 scores will be totaled and the winner will be the player with the highest aggregate score.

MID-WEEK TROPHY
Play will be in triples, pairs, or rinks (depending on number of entries) on a Wednesday morning on the dates shown in the Fixtures Book. Arrive by 10.15 am.  Players decide within their team their position of play. 12 ends for triples, 14 ends for pairs or rinks. Best 10 scores over the season to count.

RED SQUIRREL Played on a Thursday evening, the draw to be done at 6.30 pm. Triple games where possible, with pairs or rinks where numbers dictate.  Two sets of 7 ends with players drawing for rink, home/away and position. Inexperienced players to play in a lead position where possible. Each player records their own score, adding on the shots for both games. The player with the highest shots will be awarded 4 pts, runner up 2 pts. Should there be 2 players with the same winning shots, 3 pts will be awarded to each player. Should there be 2 players with the same runner up shots, 1 pt will be awarded to each player. Should there be a tied pts position at the end of the competition then shots will need to be taken into account.

2-4-2 TROPHY                                                                                                                           A drawn pairs event played to a conclusion, on a round robin basis. The number of ends played and number of matches played will be dependent on the number of entrants. Points are scored on the basis of 1 point for each end won. Record shot difference.  The lead bowler will bowl 2 of their four woods and then exchange places with their team member, who will bowl all 4 of their woods, before changing positions with their team member again, for him/her to bowl their remaining 2 woods. The following end will be bowled in the opposite team order to one just bowled. 1 point away for jack out of rink. 

COMPETITION FEES
All competition fees will be set by the Management Committee.

SINGLES COMPETITIONS
All singles matches must be played with the attendance of a Marker, appointed by agreement of the players. Spouses or partners of the players involved should be discouraged from being selected as Marker. The Marker should fully understand his/her duties as laid down in the Laws of the Sport of Bowls.

SUBSTITUTES
In the event of an enforced absence of a team member a substitute player can be allowed. Any team requiring a substitute to be used in their team should contact the Competition Secretary who will be responsible for selecting a player of a similar standard to the unavailable player.

SCORECARDS
A scorecard must be kept by the Marker for all singles matches and on completion of the match the players must sign the scorecard confirming the result. Two scorecards must be kept for all other matches and skips or their nominated team member shall agree scores made during the match. At the conclusion of a match both scorecards must be pinned on the clubhouse noticeboard for collection by the Competition Secretary. The name of the winner should be entered on the draw sheet on completion of the match.

LATE STARTS
All players should arrive promptly for a match and be ready to play by the agreed start time. In the event of a player being late no penalty shall be incurred if the match starts within 30 minutes of the agreed start time. Any player not ready to start the match within 30 minutes of the agreed start time shall forfeit the match. The Competition Secretary should be informed at once by a player claiming the match under these circumstances.

COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES
Should a dispute occur during a match the Laws of the Sport of Bowls and Club Competition Rules in force at the time shall apply. Any member not happy with the Competition Secretary’s decision on a dispute can appeal the decision to the Management Committee. The member should immediately make his/her case known to a member of the Management Committee, whereby the Management Committee will then endeavor to meet within a 48-hour period to give the final ruling on the dispute.