League Constitution Rules
1. Name:
The League shall be called ‘The Silver Homes Eastbourne and
District Squash League’
2. Objectives:
a) To encourage and
promote the game of squash in every possible way in the Eastbourne area
b) To promote
competitive team squash at all levels for men, ladies and juniors
c) To conduct an
Annual League Competition; and to arrange other Tournaments as necessary
3. Sponsorship:
Sponsorship of divisions and competitions within the League
shall be encouraged, the name of the sponsor being incorporated in the title of
each division and cup
4. Affiliation:
a) The League and
all club teams competing in the Premier Division shall be encouraged to be
affiliated to the Squash Rackets Association and the Sussex Squash Rackets
Association
b) The League shall
encourage its member clubs to affiliate to the Squash Rackets Association and
the Sussex Squash Rackets Association
5. Membership:
a) Membership
shall be open to teams from established squash clubs; organisations; offices;
works; pubs, etc. that are primarily located within 30 miles of the Eastbourne
Borough Boundary. Any applications from
clubs outside this defined limit shall be decided according to the individual
merits of each particular case.
b) The League shall
be open to clubs who have their own courts or have access to private courts or
sports centres
c) Clubs shall be
duly elected to the League at the
discretion of the Organising Committee.
Teams will not be admitted after 1st July, unless exceptional circumstances
occur.
d) Clubs may enter
further teams in the League in accordance with Rule 5(c)
e) Application
Procedure shall be as follows:
i) Application shall be made to the League
Chairman by completing the standard Membership
Form [A minimum of six players must be registered per team in accordance
with Rule 21(a)(iii)]
ii) Applications should normally be made by 1st May, prior to the start of the season
iii) A
Membership fee shall be paid in accordance with Rule 25(a), this will be
refunded in the event of the application being unsuccessful
iv) The Organising Committee/AGM
will consider the application and the applicant will be notified of the
decision
f) New clubs shall
normally start in the lowest division unless they make a successful application
to the Organising Committee for commencement in a higher division
g) By 30th April at
the latest, the Membership Form must
be completed by ALL CLUBS and submitted to the League Chairman with the
appropriate membership fee.
h) The Organising
Committee shall have the power to suspend or cancel membership for failure to
comply with Rule 5(g) and infringement of other League Rules
i) Any club may
resign membership by giving notice to the Organising Committee to that
effect. If such clubs have not fulfilled
all their fixtures their results to date shall be annulled
6. Organising Committee:
a) The affairs of the
League shall be managed by an Organising Committee consisting of a Chairman,
Treasurer, Minute Secretary and
ordinary members representing Clubs by
area.
b) The Officers of the
Committee shall be elected at the AGM and shall serve for a period of one year
before seeking re-election
c) A simple majority
will decide any issue and the Chairman appointed shall have the casting vote in
the case of equal votes
d) Three members of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum, one of whom must be the Chairman
e) POWERS: The Committee shall have full power to:
i) Act in all matters relating to the League and
to employ the funds in such a manner as it shall deem to be in the best
interest of the League
ii) Decide on all day to day problems of the
League including major policy changes or alterations to the Rules to be
confirmed at the AGM
iii) Fill any vacancy in their number and to
co-opt others, subject to confirmation at the next AGM
iv) Delegate any of its duties or powers to
appropriate Officers
f) Nominations for
positions on the Committee must be received by the League Chairman at least
fourteen days prior to the AGM and shall be accompanied by a statement signed
by the nominee that he is willing to serve on the Committee. In the event of no nomination being received
for the position of any office the Committee shall fill any such vacancy later
and advise the membership accordingly
7. General Meetings
Annual General
Meeting:
a) The AGM shall be
held in July each year at a time and place fixed by the Organising Committee.
b) The purpose of
the AGM shall be:
i) To confirm the Minutes of the previous AGM
ii) To receive and approve an audited statement
of the League’s accounts from the Treasurer
iii) To receive the Annual Report of the League
from the Chairman
iv) To consider alterations to the League
Constitution and Rules
v) To appoint such number of Vice-Presidents as
may be thought necessary
vi) To elect Officers of the League
vii) To fix any fees due for membership to the
League
vii) To consider any other business
c) Notice of the
AGM shall be sent in writing to all member clubs at least three weeks in
advance, together with an Agenda containing proposals the Organising Committee
may consider appropriate
d) Items not on
the Agenda sent out to clubs before the AGM may be taken at the discretion of
the Chairman but may not include any proposals for altering the Constitution
and Rules
e) Each club
must be represented by a spokesman at the AGM.
Each club shall be entitled to one vote per team playing in the
League. As no person may have two or
more votes, each team should also be represented individually.
f) Every issue
shall be decided by a show of hands unless a ballot is requested by the
Chairman. A simple majority of members
present will decide any issue and the Chairman appointed shall have the casting
vote in the case of equal votes
g) The quorum at
the AGM shall be representatives of one-third of the member clubs
h) Any club not
represented at the AGM will be fined £5.00 at the discretion of the Organising
Committee
Special General
Meetings
i) A Special
General Meeting may be convened at any other time by the Organising Committee
at the request of ten or more member clubs.
j) Notice of
the Special General Meeting shall be sent in writing three weeks in
advance of the meeting to all member clubs together with an Agenda of the
business to be covered
k) Other
arrangements for the Special General Meeting shall be the same as those laid
down for the AGM [see Rules 7(d), (e), (f), (g), and (h)]
8. Rules and
Administration
a) The
Constitution and Rules of the League shall be decided at the AGM and may be
changed by the Committee, to be ratified at the next AGM or at a Special
General Meeting, convened for that purpose
b) Alterations,
additions and deletions to the Constitution and Rules may be proposed by any
member club, but must be sent in writing to the League Chairman by 1st
June
c) Administration
and interpretation of the Constitution and Rules shall be by the Organising
Committee. The Committee shall have
complete discretion to deal with any points arising out of, or not covered by
the Constitution and Rules
d) An appointed
member of the Committee shall be responsible for organising the League (in
accordance with the Rules contained herein) in the absence of the League
Chairman
9. Competitions
The Organising Committee shall manage the following
competitions:
a) LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP d) KNOCK-OUT CUP COMPETITIONS g) SUMMER TENNIS LEAGUE
b) LADIES
CHAMPIONSHIP e) INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIONS h) SUMMER GOLF LEAGUE
c) JUNIOR
CHAMPIONSHIP f) SUMMER SQUASH LEAGUE
Note: The Organising Committee will be responsible
for formulating suitable Regulations for (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), and (h)
10. Presentations
a) The League
Trophies and mementoes will be presented to the winning teams and individual
winners at the Presentation Evening
b) All
Championships, Divisional and Tournament trophies must be returned to the
Chairman by 31st March
11. League Structure
a) Divisions
i) The League will consist of senior and junior
divisions with a maximum of eight teams in each division (these may be varied
by the Organising Committee if the situation demands), each team playing home
and away with each other team in that division
b) League
Championship and Divisional Winners
i) At the end of the season the team in the
Premier Division with the greatest number of League points shall be the winner
of the League Championship.
ii) Teams
with the greatest number of League points in other divisions shall be the
Divisional Winners
iii) Ladies
Championship shall consist of a final between the highest placed ladies only
team in the most senior two divisions containing Ladies teams that season
c. Promotion and Relegation
i) The first two teams in each division, with
the exception of the highest division, will automatically be promoted. The last
two teams in each division will automatically be relegated. [subject to Rule 11
(c)(ii)].
ii) Necessary measures will be taken to keep the League at eight teams or
less. Should any division(s) start the
season with more or less than eight teams, promotion or relegation of teams
will be altered to suit
iii) In
exceptional circumstances teams may be promoted more than one division at the
absolute discretion of the Organising Committee
d) Further Teams
i) Provided that promotion gained under
Rule 11(c)(i) are not disturbed, the Organising Committee shall fill vacancies
and add further divisions
12. Season
a) The season will
be between 1st September and 30th April - extended either way at the discretion
of the Organising Committee
13. Rules of Play
a) The rules of play
shall be those approved by the International Squash Rackets Federation
b) An England Squash
approved black non-marking DOUBLE YELLOW DOT squash ball must be used in all
matches. A single yellow dot squash ball can be used if agreed by both teams
14. Matches
a) Each team shall
play home and away, except when numbers are too large in the division. The Organising Committee will decide
b) Matches will
consist of five ties, each best of five games
c) Adequate court
sessions shall be booked to play the match
15. Match Points
a) Points will be
awarded on the basis of ONE POINT for each
game won in each individual tie with FIVE BONUS POINTS for winning the
overall match, i.e. a maximum of 20 points (minimum 14 points) obtainable per
match for the winning team and a maximum of 12 points (minimum 0 points)
obtainable per match for the losing team
b) In the event
of the match being conceded by default the bonus will still be allowed
16. Equal League Points
In the event of two or more teams at the end of the season
having the same number of points, the teams having won most matches shall be
placed higher. If the teams have won
the same number of matches the order of precedence shall be decided by the
total number of ties won. If the order
is still undecided superior games difference will decide. If this still results in equality, superior
individual points difference will determine the order
17. Fixtures
a) Matches should be
played within the scheduled periods allocated by the Organising Committee, to
avoid fixture congestion
b) A Fixture Meeting will be held in July
each year at a place and time decided by the Organising Committee. Any Club not represented at the Fixture
Meeting will be fined £5.00 at the
discretion of the Organising Committee.
It is accepted that clubs may need to rearrange fixtures at a later
date, but this should be kept to a minimum
c) In the event of two teams being unable to agree on a
suitable date the League Chairman shall fix the scheduled match date.
d) Ties may be
arranged on alternative dates if both clubs mutually agree
e) A team may
relinquish home advantage if the opposing team is agreeable to the venue being
changed
f) No team may
restrict their home games to Saturday and Sunday without agreement from their
opponents
g) It is the
responsibility of the home team to
ensure that courts are booked for adequate court time [in accordance with Rule
14 (d)] on the scheduled match
date. This will normally entail booking
two weeks in advance if public courts are to be used. The away team should
help the home team book courts if difficulties arise.
h) The home team shall notify the away team
that the courts have been booked, confirming the date and starting time, and
shall give directions if necessary. In
the event of any misunderstanding in match dates, the home team will be responsible.
i) Court fees shall
be shared between home and away teams
j) Where match
dates have previously been agreed, for example at the Fixture Meeting, both
teams must confirm the fixture 2 to 3 weeks prior to the scheduled match date
(with the ultimate responsibility lying with the home team)
k) Hospitality
is to be strongly encouraged. Captains
should decide beforehand whether refreshment costs should be shared or
reciprocated at the return fixture
18. Postponements and
Withdrawals
a) Matches may be postponed or rearranged by mutual agreement if
courts have yet to be booked
b) If the opposition
do not agree to a postponement the League Chairman/Co mmittee may be approached to settle the matter. Clubs will normally be expected to play the
fixture on the scheduled match date or concede the fixture but special consideration shall always be
given to those clubs whose players are engaged in emergency services or are subject to shift work
c) A team
withdrawing from a match after courts have already been booked (for the
scheduled match date) shall forfeit the match and refund out of pocket court fees incurred by their opponents
d) Any team failing
to appear on the night of scheduled match will forfeit the match and refund ALL
out of pocket expenses incurred by
their opponents.
e) Match cards
should be returned to the Chairman within three
days of the fixture
f) Once a team has
postponed a match 2-3 weeks prior to
the date fixed for the match, the opposition will then choose the next dates to
be offered to reorganise the fixture
19. Match Walk-Overs
a) A match walk-over
is defined as a fixture in which one side fails to raise more than two players
on the scheduled match date.
b) Walk-overs will
be awarded at the discretion of the Organising Committee, the winning team
being awarded 20 points and the defaulting team nil points
c) Clubs claiming a
walk-over must put their case in writing to the League Chairman/Committee
within three days (per postmark) of
the scheduled match date
20. Teams
a) Order of Merit
i) Clubs are required to select and play
their teams in strict order of
merit. The Organising Committee shall
penalise clubs for breaking this Rule
ii) Captains should arrive at fixtures (home
or away) with their playing order written down to exchange with the opposition
captain prior to the commencement of the match, and all players being aware of
their playing position.
iii) The
Organising Committee (or delegated officer on behalf of the Committee) reserves
the right to intervene in any case where a team’s playing order is open to
doubt and if necessary may take appropriate action to amend that order
b) No player may
play more than once in the same match
c) Incomplete Teams
i) If a team is known to have a missing
player(s) before a match starts, or if a person does not turn up, the remaining
players should move up in position in the playing order and walk-overs shall be
awarded in the lowest position [subject to Rule 20(c)(iii)]
ii) Should any player not arrive without
prior warning, that tie and all ties below his position shall be conceded. [Subject to rule 20(c)(iii)]
iii) A
special dispensation shall be made for any player who is called away to perform
emergency services (i.e. doctors, Police).
Teams will be expected to rearrange such a tie(s) without delay.
d) Late Arrivals
i) If a member of a team is not ready to play
within 30 minutes of the scheduled start of the match (or such mutually agreed
extension of that period), the opposing team can claim the tie
ii) If no member of a team is ready to play
within 30 minutes of the scheduled start, the opposing team can claim the match
e) All players are
expected to arrive punctually at the
time arranged for the match
f) In the event of a
team playing an ineligible player,
that team will forfeit the player’s tie and those of all players below that
player
g) Insufficient Time
i) In the event of there being insufficient
time to complete a match because of the late arrival of one of the teams or its
players, the defaulting team shall concede the outstanding ties/games
ii) If insufficient court time has been booked
to complete the match, the home team shall normally concede the outstanding
ties/games. However, the away team may
agree to the remaining tie(s) being played on a mutually acceptable date,
without delay
iii) There
shall be no time-wasting
21 Eligibility
a) Registration
i) Every player competing in the League
must be registered with the League Chairman.
A player not so registered will be ineligible
ii) Each club must register their players by
completing the individual Registration Form.
The player’s name, telephone number, playing standard and position in
the club’s general playing order must be entered on the form. The player must certify that the information
is correct by signing the form. The
club secretary must, in turn, counter-sign the form. All players must provide their date of birth
iii) A minimum of six players must by registered
per team
iv) Men shall
not be eligible to play in ladies teams
v) No registration will be accepted after 31st
January except in extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the Organising
Committee
b) Clubs With More
Than One Team
i) Clubs with more than one team must enter
their top five players per team from Premier to Division 4 inclusive, and the
top three in teams from division 5 and below, on the nomination form, prior to
the first match of any of their teams.
These players may not play in a lower ranking team for the duration of
the season [subject to Rule 21(b)(v)].
All matches of all teams of such clubs will be forfeit until the
nominations are made. It is unnecessary
to nominate three players from the lowest ranking team
ii) No player may play for a lower team if
he/she has previously played three or more times in total for a higher
team/s. This rule shall apply
throughout the League including the overlap between the Senior and Junior
Divisions and League and Cup matches
iii) Where
two or more teams from the same club play in the same division, no player may
play in both teams in the current season
iv) Where
a player has played up in different teams, eg
c, b and a, they will be tied to the last team they played for, ie
a. If a player has played up twice for
one team and once for another he/she
will be tied to the team he/she has played most times for.
v) In exceptional circumstances (e.g. a new
player joining a club or significant changes in playing standard) specific
players may be allowed to move in opposite direction to adjacent team
pools. Written applications must be
made to the Organising Committee for their approval)
c) Ineligible
Players
i) A club playing an ineligible player will
forfeit League points in accordance with Rule 20(f)
ii)
A
player playing under an assumed name shall be liable to a suspension. The club for whom he/she played shall be
liable to forfeit the match and may have further disciplinary action taken
against them at the discretion of the Organising Committee
iii)
A
player whose performance on court, from
the start of the knock-up, is sufficiently impaired by illness, injury or
excessive alcohol that the normal ranked position in the team cannot be justified
d) Misconduct
i)
A player who, as a result of his/her conduct on the court, has a tie
awarded against him/her will be ineligible for the team which he/she was
representing for the next League match played by that team
ii)
Any player abandoning a tie without the agreement of both captains will
be deemed an ineligible player
e) Transfers
Transfers during the season will only be allowed in
exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Organising Committee. The player concerned must make a written application
(with justification) to the League Chairman
22. Notification of Results
a) The winning side
must send full details of the match result on the Official Results Card to the League Chairman within three days (per postmark) of the match. The card must be duly signed by the match
captains (or club secretaries) from both teams
23. Marking and Refereeing
All matches must be marked.
The HOME team is responsible for supplying markers for three of the ties
and the AWAY team for two ties.
Whenever possible teams should designate referees
24. Appeals
a) All appeals,
disputes or queries shall be notified in writing to the League Chairman, within
seven days, for consideration by the
Organising Committee whose decision thereon shall be final
b) The decision of the
Organising Committee in all matters not covered by the Rules shall be final
c) The onus shall
always be on the appellant or clubs in dispute to furnish evidence to support
their case
25. Subscriptions
and Fees
a) The Membership
Fee will be a variable membership fee as approved by the AGM payable by 30th
April at the latest (payable on League application in the case of new
clubs). If the fee is not submitted by
the aforementioned date, membership may be suspended or cancelled at the
discretion of the Organising Committee.
The rate of Junior teams will be decided accordingly by the Organising
Committee
b) Fees for other
Tournaments and Competitions shall be decided by the Organising Committee
26 Interference
a) No club or player
shall interfere with or obstruct the League Chairman and other Officers of the
League in the performance of their duties
b) Only the League
Chairman shall forward the League tables to the Eastbourne Gazette and
Herald. All teams are encouraged to
send match reports to their respective local newspapers
27. Club Records
It is the duty of all club secretaries to keep accurate
records of all their teams’ results during the current season and to furnish
any of these upon request to the League Chairman.
28. Newsletter
A newsletter containing results and tables will be
circulated at monthly intervals by the League Chairman to all member clubs.
29. Disrepute
Any player, official, team or club that brings the League
into disrepute may be banned and/or fined at the discretion of the Organising
Committee
Final Note: Although there may
appear to be a proliferation of rules, even these may not cover every situation
that will arise throughout the season.
It is hoped therefore that clubs will comply with the ‘spirit of the
rules’ where any loopholes may exist