DOVER & DISTRICT SKITTLES ASSOCIATION

RULES

1 OBJECT
The object of the Association is to promote and foster a friendly and sporting spirit amongst the skittle playing fraternity. Also to organise and run the various leagues and other competitions which are held annually amongst the clubs of the Association - also any other events that may be held.

2 ORGANISATION
The following officers to be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and to be known as the Organising Committee:
Chairman Vice-Chairman
General Secretary Asst. Secretary
Treasurer Asst. Treasurer
Games Secretary
2 Trustees 2 Auditors

3 HONORARIUMS
These will be made to the Organising Committee members on an annual basis as approved by the Monthly Management Meeting.

4 DUTIES
Chairman To take the Chair at all meetings and Management meetings of the Association.
Vice Chairman To take the Chair in the absence of the Chairman and assist the Committee at all times.
General Secretary To attend all meetings and keep a permanent record of all minutes. To ensure that all club secretaries are in possession of a copy of the minutes of the previous meeting before the next meeting. To be responsible for all printing etc. required and arranging events of the Association.
Asst. Secretary To assist the General Secretary at all times.
Treasurer To handle all monies belonging to the Association and maintain accounts for audit and presentation for the Annual General Meeting. To purchase and maintain records and insure all Trophies belonging to the Association – assisted by the General Secretary.
Asst. Treasurer To assist the Treasurer when necessary. Also to be responsible for the running of any raffles, draws etc. that may be determined from time to time.
Games Secretary To receive results from clubs and compile league tables for all leagues. To check that names shown on result cards are as listed amongst those registered by the respective clubs. To keep the local press up to date with information with a view to early publication.
Auditors To arrange with the Treasurer to complete the audit of the Association’s accounts at least two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.
Trustees To safeguard the monies of the Association and sign cheques in conjunction with the Treasurer
5 ALLEY MEASUREMENTS
The length of an alley shall be 52 feet, but the minimum length shall be 48 feet. The overall width shall be 7 feet with a 2 inch camber, but the actual bowling surface shall be 6 feet 3 inches wide.
Fouling line – This should be clearly marked by a painted line 4 inches wide with it’s forward edge 6 feet from the end of the alley.

6 SKITTLES
These should be contained in a square measuring 4 feet across the diagonals with the outer ring of skittles being 17 inches apart. The height of the skittles to be 8 ½ inches.
BALLS
Skittle balls shall be 4 inches minimum and 4 ½ inches maximum in diameter.

7 PLAYERS
All players must be registered with a club at the beginning of the season. The Games Secretary must be notified of all such registrations. Once a player has played for an “A” team he or she cannot play for a “B” team or vice-versa. Any team infringing this rule or playing un-registered players will be fined.

8 NEW PLAYERS
No player can play for any club until he/she has been registered by that club with the Games Secretary, except by agreement between captains in an emergency. Any emergency registration to be notified to the Games Secretary by means of the result card (no more than TWO new members on a night) who will notify the Management committee of any such registration.

9 COMMENCEMENT OF SEASON
Opening and closing dates for all league matches, individual and nine-ball competitions and any other competitions shall be decided by the Organising Committee.

10 TIMES OF PLAY
All games shall commence not later that 8 p.m. unless agreed by the two captains.
Individual and 9 ball competitions, Aylesham Trophy and Fountain Trophy semi-finals / final shall start at 7.30 p.m.

11 ENTRANCE FEES
The entrance fee for the season shall be decided by the Management Committee and shall be payable by the last Management meeting prior to the commencement of the season. Failure to pay on time shall lead to a further charge of £5 per team.
New teams or teams the Organising Committee deem may default, shall pay a deposit of £25 upon registration, which shall be retained by the Association in the event of default, or repaid at the conclusion of the season.

12 TROPHIES
All winners and runners-up team trophies, including individual and 9 ball trophies are the property of the Association. It is the duty of the Secretary of any club winning a trophy to see that it is suitably engraved, the cost of engraving to be paid by the club concerned.

13 MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in January each year.
The Management Committee, which consists of one representative of each club and the Organising Committee, shall hold a meeting once a month.
13 contd…
Attendance at this meeting will be recorded, any club not being represented for two successive meetings shall be informed that a failure to attend the next meeting will result in that club/pub being barred from the skittles league for the following season, and consequently if the club/pub concerned is not represented at the following monthly meeting, this ban will be imposed automatically.

14 UMPIRES
In all league and knock-out games only the captain or vice-captain whose name shall be shown on the scoreboard will officiate on the line. Non-playing captains or vice-captains cannot officiate. In play-offs, semi-finals, finals and individual and 9 ball competitions, neutral umpires will be appointed.

15 COMPLAINTS
Any complaints with regard to the rules of the Association on governing games etc. must be sent in writing to the Games Secretary within 48 hours. They will then be dealt with by the Management Committee, whose decision will be final.

16 GAMES RULES
When delivering the ball the player must stand with both feet on the alley behind the delivery line, the arm being given free movement to swing behind the base line. The ball to be delivered in the space up to and including the delivery line. Any ball delivered over this line will be ruled as a “no-ball”. Also if a ball strikes the side of the alley before reaching the skittles it will be ruled as a “no-ball”.

17 NO BALL
When a “no-ball” is delivered in any league game, knockout or individual competition, any skittles knocked down MUST be left down as a penalty and not counted in the score. In the case of a “no-ball” being delivered in a 9 ball frame, any skittles knocked down will be replaced on their spots.

18 FORMATION OF LEAGUES
The formation of all leagues will be decided by the Management Committee at the first meeting of the new season. The leagues to be constituted at the discretion of the committee, based on the number of teams registering, which may have to be limited. Mens leagues constituted as the Sunday league. Ladies leagues constituted as the Wednesday league.

19 FIXTURES
All fixtures for league games will be agreed upon by the Management committee and strictly adhered to by all clubs. No league matches may be cancelled and re-arranged. Any team unable to fulfil a fixture shall concede the match and the points will be awarded to the opposition. In the event of a technicality leading to a fixture not being able to be played, the Organising committee shall determine a mutually agreed date for rescheduling the fixture.

AMENDMENT TO RULE 19 AS PASSED AT THE JANUARY 2001 A.G.M.

Rule 19
“ League matches shall be played on the scheduled date and time, UNLESS mutually agreed by the captains of BOTH participating teams that the game be played on an AGREED date BEFORE the scheduled date, without prejudice. At least two weeks notice by the cancelling team to be given to the opponents, and in the event of no mutual agreement the existing rule apply – i.e. the game be forfeited by the cancelling team.”
20 GAMES AND METHOD OF SCORING All league games will be played on a home and away basis. In each game there will be six lanes. The team that throws first will only throw their first lane. Their opponents will then throw down the order of play in their first lane and then throw up in reverse order. This will be the same in all cases after the first lane. Points will be given as follows: In league games: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and no points for losing a game. The league table will read as follows: Team Played Won Drawn Lost Skittles Points

21 TIES
If at the end of the season there are two or more clubs tied for winners, runners-up or relegation, play-offs on neutral alleys will be decided by the Organising Committee. A tie is only where teams finish level on points – not on skittles scored.

22 PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
The first two teams in all divisions, except the first, will be promoted to the next higher division. The bottom two teams in all divisions, except the last, will be relegated to the next lower division.
This procedure may be modified by the Organising Committee if thought by them to be necessary to facilitate withdrawals or new entries.

23 REPORTING RESULTS
It is the duty of all clubs when their teams are playing at HOME to make sure that the results of these games are sent to the Games Secretary of the Association and delivered within 72 hours of the game.

24 FAILURE OF CLUBS
In the event of any club failing to turn up for a league match already dated on the fixture list, their opponents will automatically claim the 2 points for the game, and the offending team will be fined.

25 INDIVIDUAL AND 9 BALL COMPETITIONS
The draw for the order of play in these competitions will be decided by the Organising Committee.

26 ABSENCE OF PLAYERS
If in any game a team turns up with players short, the game must be played but if the player(s) turns up before the team’s second lane is finished they will be allowed to play.
Ladies may play in a men’s team if that club have no ladies team registered. Men cannot play in a ladies team.
In the Darts leagues ladies may play in a men’s team, if they are not registered for a ladies team, but must be registered for the men’s team in question. However such ladies may not play skittles for that team if that club has a ladies team registered.
In the Individual and 9 ball competitions if a player fails to turn up by the time it is their turn to throw he will be awarded a score of one point below the lowest score of the other players in that round.

27 DISBANDMENT

In the event of any club or team of either league having to disband or withdraw during the season, all fixtures appertaining to that club or team will become void for that season, and the offending team will be fined £25.


28 STICKERS-UP

It is the responsibility of the HOME team to provide and pay for the stickers-up.


29 PENALTIES

Any breach of the above rules shall be discussed by the Organising Committee. If proven a fine will be imposed on the club or clubs concerned – to be decided by the Organising Committee and put on the Agenda for the next Management Committee meeting.

March 2000