League Competition Rules

League Competition Rules 

The Management of the Leagues shall be in the hands of the Committee of Association

 2.QUALIFICATIONS

The Leagues shall be open to all clubs affiliated to the Association

 3. ENTRY

Clubs wishing to a team or teams in the Leagues for the ensuing season shall submit their entry or entries to the League Secretary on the form provided by the Committee by the 1st. of September

 4 FORMATION

The Committee shall divide the teams entered into Divisions. Except for the top division,divisions may be divided into two or four sections of equal standing and so far as possible equal numbers.

No division shall comprise more than twice  as many sections as the division immediately below or above it except that the bottom division need not be divided into sections. No division or section thereof shall comprise less than four teams

5. PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

When dividing the teams entered into divisions the Committee shall observe the following conditions

(a) Where the league structure for the ensuing season is to be the same or substantially similar to the League structure in the previous season then :

• Teams  that finished first  in Division 1 or 2 or a section thereof, and the teams which finished first or second in Division 3 or lower divisions or a section thereof in the previous season shall be promoted to the division immediately above.
  
• Teams that finished last in the Premier division and the teams that finished last and last but one in Division 1 and lower divisions or sections (other than the bottom division) shall be relegated to the division immediately below.
• In addition to the teams promoted under the foregoing conditions, a team or teams shall be promoted from the division immediately below to equalize the number of teams in both or all sections of any division and may at the discretion of the Committee  be promoted from a lower division immediately below either to fill a vacancy or vacancies in a division not divided into sections caused directly or indirectly by a withdrawal of a team or teams from the League or to increase the number of teams in a division. The team or teams to be promoted from a lower division under these conditions shall be at the discretion of the Committee but they shall have due regard to the league records of the teams and the relative strength of the sections in the lower division during the previous season and the Committee may require a deciding match or matches to be played on a neutral court or courts to determine the team or teams to be promoted. 
• New teams entering the League shall be placed in the bottom division except where the number of entries make it necessary or expedient to place one or more of the new teams in the next to bottom division in which case the team or teams to be placed in the next to bottom division shall be determined by ballot subject only to new teams entered from clubs affiliated to the Association in the previous season having precedence over new teams entered by new clubs.
• Where a division consists of two or more sections the teams comprising each section shall be determined by ballot but each section of any such division shall contain so far as possible the same number of teams relegated from the division immediately above , the same number of  teams promoted from the division immediately below and the same number of teams from the same club(where applicable) and in any event the number of relegated teams,promoted teams or teams from the same club in any section shall differ by not more than one from any other section of the same division.

(b) Where the structure of the league for the ensuing season is to differ from the league structure in the previous season by an increase or decrease of the number of divisions and/or the number of sections in any division(other than the bottom) due regard shall be made to the division and (if applicable) the section thereof in which each team would have been placed under the foregoing conditions if the league structure for the ensuing season were to be the same or substantially similar to the league structure for the previous season.

6.ALTERNATIVE LEAGUE STRUCTURES
The Committee may at their discretion submit one or more alternative League structures in full detail to the Association at the Annual General Meeting in which case the league structure to be adopted for the ensuing season shall be that receiving a majority of votes

7.MATCHES
Each team shall play all the other teams in the same division or section as the case may be Twice, once on a court or courts nominated by such teams own club when they shall be at Home and once on a court or courts nominated by the opposing club when they shall be Away. The home club shall bear all the expenses of playing a match except for the traveling expenses of the away team.

8.COMPLETION OF MATCHES
All matches shall be completed by APRIL the 30th.but all matches home and away between teams from the same club shall be played first before any other matches are played. For each uncompleted match on the 30th.of April a maximum of 3 points will be deducted from the offending team.

9.FIXTURES
Fixtures for all league matches for the ensuing season shall be made at the Annual Fixture Meeting held immediately after the Annual General Meeting. It is Mandatory for every Club to be represented at the Annual General Meeting in order to complete the fixtures. NO EXCEPTIONS will be allowed. Penalty for non attendance will be a deduction of 2 points.

10 FIXTURE LISTS.
Clubs shall submit fixture lists of all league matches of each of their teams to the League Secretary prior to the first league match of the relevant team either by hand,post or Email.

11.ALTERATION OF FIXTURES.
Fixtures shall not be altered except when

(a) The court or courts on which the match was to have been played shall not be available for any reason beyond the control of the home club.
(b) Due to severe weather conditions making traveling dangerous.
(c) With the consent of Both Clubs(Either the Secretary,League Secretary or Captain of both Clubs)

The League Secretary of the Association should be informed of the reason why the original fixture was altered and of the date of the revised fixture.

12.CONFIRMATION OF FIXTURES
The home club shall not less than 4 days or more than 10 days before the date of each match confirm with the Secretary of the away club details of the fixture including the court or courts on which the match is to be played, the type and make of shuttles to be used(in the case of synthetic shuttles they must be corked based) the starting time and an indication of at least two pairings(but not the names of the players) who will be ready to play at the starting time.

13 EVENTS
(A) MIXED LEAGUE  Each match shall consist of 9 events viz.3 Mixed doubles,3 Ladies doubles and 3 Gentlemen’s doubles.
(B) FOURSOMES LEAGUE Each match shall consist of 6 events viz.4 Mixed doubles,1 Ladies doubles and 1 Gentleman’s doubles
Each event shall consist of the best of 3 games of 21 points(with the option of setting when appropriate in accordance with the laws of badminton)

14.TEAMS
(A) MIXED LEAGUE Each team in a match shall comprise 3 ladies and 3 gentlemen and each team member shall play in one mixed doubles event and two ladies or two gentlemen’s doubles events as the case may be
(B) FOURSOMES LEAGUE Each team in a match shall comprise 2 ladies and 2 gentlemen and each team member shall play in two mixed doubles event(each lady will play with each gentleman) and one ladies or gentleman’s doubles.

15.REGISTRATION
Each club shall register all its bona fide playing members by completing the registration form provided by the Committee and delivering,posting or E mailing the same to the League Secretary before the club’s first match.In the case of a person/persons joining a club after the submission of the registration form or a person/persons who have been omitted in error from the registration form then they can be registered by letter signed by the secretary or other duly authorised official of the club concerned and delivered,posted or E mailed to the League Secretary. Registration shall be effective from the date of the postmark or E mail.

16.NOMINATIONS.
Each club entering more than one team in either the Mixed or Foursomes League shall submit to the League Secretary on the nomination form provided by the Committee a list of Six persons(Four for the Foursomes league) selected by the club as members of each team other than the bottom team entered by the club.

17 ELIGIBILITY.
No person may play in a match for any team unless such person has been registered with the club represented under Rule 15. No person may play for more than one club in any one season even though such person may be registered with more than one club under Rule 15.
No person nominated as a member of a team under Rule 16 shall play for a lower team without the consent of the Committee to the dropping of such person to a lower team in exceptional circumstances.No person whether nominated as a member of a team under Rule 16 may play in a team after such person has  played in more than two matches for a higher team or teams.It is the Club/Players responsibility to adhere to this

18 EXCHANGE OF TEAM LISTS
Before the commencement of each match,team captains shall exchange simultaneously team lists giving details of players pairing.Once team lists have been exchanged no pairings may be altered.If it shall transpire after team lists have been exchanged that a player previously understood to be available is in fact unfit or unavailable for any reason, then provided such player has not commenced play in either of his or her events he or she may be substituted by a player of inferior strength.The replacement shall play in the events in which the unfit or unavailable player would have played in accordance with the team lists.

If any player fails to arrive at a match by the time all players (except those due to play in the missing player’s first event) have completed their first event,or within such extension of this time limit as may be granted by the opposing team Captain ,the missing player shall immediately substituted or his or her events forfeited to the opposing team.
Once play has commenced in any event then if a player is for any reason unable to finish that event, then the event is forfeited to the opposing team and if such player is unable to commence or finish his or her event then that event also is forfeited to the opposing team.

19.ORDER OF EVENTS
The order in which the events are played shall be determined by the home team having due regard to any reasonable request by the away team,but unless both team captains agree no player shall be entitled or required to play his or her second event before all players have commenced play in their first event

20.PLAY
All events shall be played in accordance with the current Laws of Badminton as adopted by Badminton England subject to Rules 13 and 21

21 SCORERS
Scorers shall be provided in league matches if one of the participating captains so desires.

22.LOCAL RULE
If in play the shuttle is struck so that it hits the roof or ceiling this shall be a fault by the striker unless the shuttle  strikes part of the roof or ceiling on the opposite side of the net within the confines of the court in which case it shall be a let.If the shuttle strikes any obstruction on either side of the net within the confines of the court this shall be a let.

23 UNCOMPLETED MATCHES
When it is not possible to complete a match on the date on which it is commenced and neither team is in default or the team not in default is agreeable arrangements shall be made at the close of play or as soon as possible thereafter  to complete the match on a mutually acceptable date on a court or courts nominated by the home club and the League Secretary shall be informed accordingly by both clubs.

Where the non-completion of a match on the date on which it is commenced is solely or mainly attributed to one of the teams or one of the players, the opposing team may claim any uncompleted event against the defaulting team which may concede such event by agreement.

24.DISPUTES
Any disputes shall be submitted in writing to the League Secretary by both clubs and shall be delivered,posted or E mailed within three days of close of play so as to be determined by the Committee.

25.RESULTS
The result of each match in full detail shall be inserted on an official match card provided by the Committee,or a facsimile thereof, signed by the captains or other duly authorised officials of each team and one duly completed match card  shall be delivered or posted on behalf of each team to the League Secretary within 3 days of completion of the march marked with a note stating on behalf of which team the same has been delivered or posted.In the event of a dispute being submitted to the League Secretary under Rules 23 and 24 both match cards shall be similarly completed and delivered or posted with the score of any undecided or disputed events which have been started inserted and the cards marked “Dispute being submitted to the Secretary”

26 LEAGUE POINTS
Each team shall be awarded 1 point for each event won in a match of 9 events(Mixed League) or 6 events(Foursomes League) see rule 13.

27 LEAGUE POSITIONS
Final positions in each division or section thereof as the case may be shall be determined by the number of league points won by each team and in the event of two or more teams having the same number of league points then by the difference between the number of events won and lost by each team and in the event of two or more teams having the same number of league points and the same difference between events won and lost then by the difference between the number of games won and lost.

28 CHAMPIONS AND WINNERS
The team finishing top in the Top(Premier) shall be the League Champions and the teams finishing first in the other divisions  or sections thereof  as the case may be shall be the relevant Division or Section Winners. There shall be no Division winner where a Division is divided into Sections.

The League Champions and all Division and Section Winners and Runners up in each Division or Section of the Mixed League shall be entitled to take part in the Champion Leagues Tournament (see Champions League Tournament Rule 2

The League Champions and all Division and Section Winners shall hold any relevant shield or cup from the Annual General Meeting following the end of the season until the next following Annual General Meeting and shall be responsible for the safe custody thereof

29 DECIDING MATCHES
In the event of teams being equal in a division or section and such teams are either entitled to promotion or relegation then such teams shall play in a  deciding match or matches on a neutral court or courts.

30 WITHDRAWALS
In the event of a team being withdrawn from the League prior to completion of that teams league programme that team shall be deemed not to have entered in the league and the results of all matches played by such team prior to such withdrawal during the current season shall be deemed to be null and void for the purposes of these rules.

31 COMMITTEE PROCEDURE
Disputes,queries and other matters referred to the Committee shall be dealt with in such a manner as the Committee shall consider appropriate.

                                                                                           
 JULY 2007

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Contact: Ann Edmeades, ann_sdba@edmeades.me.uk
Last Updated: 26 August 2007