Charnwood Indoor Bowls Club

Rules for Men’s, Ladies & Mixed Competitions

General:

1. Competitions shall be controlled by the elected Competition Secretary.
2. All entrants must be paid-up members.
3. Each player shall have paid the required entrance fee.
4. Dress Code will be a white top and grey bottom.
5. Members playing in competitions at any other indoor club shall not be eligible to enter competitions at CIBC. 
6. The first named player shall be the Challenger and the second named player the Opponent.
7. The Challenger will provide a marker for the singles competitions.
8. If one party is not ready to play within 15 minutes after the arranged start time, the other party will be declared the winner.
9. Rinks booked provisionally must be confirmed within 5 days from the date of entry, otherwise the booking will be cancelled. Only Stewards may make booking entries.
10. Irrespective of how long a session has been booked, payment of the same MUST be made BEFORE THE GAME is commenced. 
11. No refund will be made if games are completed before the end of the booked session.

Offering dates:

12. All competitors must adhere strictly to the ‘Play by’ date for all rounds.
13. Competitors are encouraged to arrange their fixtures well in time; fixtures may be played in advance of the previous round’s ‘Play by’ date, providing both teams are ready.
14. Competitors are encouraged to negotiate a suitable fixture date, accommodating all the players of both teams. Failing this: 
15. The Challenger shall offer the Opponent, no later than 10 days prior to the ‘Play by’ date, three dates for playing the match. At least one date must be during a weekday evening and another on the weekend. Dates must spread over two calendar weeks, and at least 7 days between the first and last date.
16. Dates must be offered directly in person or by telephone call. If unanswered, a message must be left and followed up by text message if possible.

Match arrangement failure:

17. If the Challenger fails to offer dates 10 days prior to the ‘Play by’ date the Opponent shall be deemed the winner. The Opponent must contact the Challenger and the Competition Secretary within two days to report this failure and claim the game.
18. If the Opponent fails to respond to the offered dates by the expiration of the last offered date, the Challenger shall be deemed the winner.
19. The Challenger must advise the Opponent and the Competition Secretary within two days after the ‘Play by’ date of the failure and claim the game.
20. Should the Opponent not accept the offered dates, and a suitable date can’t be negotiated, the game must be played on the closing date (‘Play by’ date) of the round.
21. The Challenger and Opponent may both be disqualified if they neglect to contact the Competition Secretary in a timely manner as described above.

Extension of the ‘Play by’ date: 

22. An extension of the ‘Play by’ date may be granted by the Competition Secretary.
23. The reason for postponement must be valid, and due to unavoidable circumstances. Being on holiday is not a sufficient reason to postpone a fixture beyond allowable limits.
24. After careful consideration the Competition Secretary’s decision will be final.
25. A Challenger or Opponent, agreeing between them, may request from the Competition Secretary for the ‘Play by’ date to be postponed for a maximum of seven (7) days.
26. The request to the Competition Secretary must be made prior to the ‘Play by’ date. An agreed future fixture date must be provided at the time the extension is requested.
27. The Competition Secretary will consider the effect of the postponed date on the competitors in the next round, and may seek their reasonable agreement or objection to the postponed date.

Substitutes:

28. One substitute, and only one, may be made in any round of the Pairs, Triples and Fours competitions.
29. The substitute must not have played in the same competition in another team.
30. A substitute brought in between rounds can play in any position other than the Skip’s position; with the exception of Mixed Pairs.

Duration of games:

31. Singles: First to 21 shots. (Not applicable to under 18s and 25s - see ‘Sets play’ below).
32. All other competitions: 18 ends, time limited to Three and a Half hours.

Playing the game:

33. Score cards must contain: full Competition title, Phase 1 or Phase 2, player names, rink, dated, signed by both skips, and shall be deposited in the appropriate box immediately after the game. 
34. Trial ends in all games are optional.
35. The jack and mat must be SET before the warning bell has sounded.
36. If delivering the jack out of bounds the setting of that end shall revert to the Opponents; the jack will be placed on the T-spot and the mat may be placed at any spot along the centre line between the maximum and minimum legal length.
37. If the jack is pushed out of bounds by a bowl during play it will be placed on the re-spot position on the side where the jack ended out of bounds.
38. In all rounds no one may visit the head until the fourth bowl has been delivered.
39. At a Final round the Competition Secretary will draw the rink of play.
40. The result may be updated in pen on the draw sheet if desired.
    
    

Sets play: (Only for Under 18s and Under 25s) - rules from EIBA 

41. The Under 18 Singles and Under 25 Singles Championships will be played in sets. Each match will consist of two sets, each set being played over 9 ends. A set will be decided if at any point it becomes impossible for one player to draw, or win, the set given the number of ends remaining.
42. If the game is tied after 2 sets, by either player having won 1 set or both sets being drawn, a best of a three end “tie breaker” will be played to determine the winner. If the game is still drawn after three tied ends have been played, then one extra end will be played. The match tie breaker is decided by the winner of each end, and not by the total number of shots won in the three ends.
43. The winner of the toss prior to the start of the match shall have the option to either take the mat or give it to his opponent on the first end only. The loser of the toss shall have the option of taking the mat or giving it away on the first end only of the second set.
44. After the first end of any set, the player who wins an end will start the next end in the set.
45. In a match tie breaker, the player winning the toss shall have the choice of starting or giving away the jack on the first and third ends. The loser of the toss shall have the choice of starting the second end or giving away the jack on this end only.

Drawn games:

46. In the event of a drawn game, an extra end will be played to determine a clear winner. 

Disputes:

47. All disputes which cannot be settled before, during, or immediately after the game shall be submitted to the Competition Secretary in writing.  
48. The dispute shall be investigated by the Competition Committee, whose decision shall be final. 
49. The Competition Committee shall comprise of the two Competition Secretaries and the Chairman.

Disqualification:

50. Any contravention of these rules could lead to disqualification.

Amended January 2023