Rules 2012/2013

Stoke Central Darts League
Rules

Amended September 2012

Constitution Rules for Meetings and General Rules

1. The League shall be called “The Stoke Central Darts League”.
2. A Secretary, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer shall be elected at the AGM.
3. A Secretary, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Committee Members shall govern the League.
4. The Committee shall consist of one delegate from each of the teams that form the league.

5. This rule has been removed from the internet for security reasons.
6. The Treasurer will produce written accounts to the committee for the previous season, no later than the 2nd meeting of the new season.
7. All financial transactions will be by cheque and with a minimum of two signatures.
8. Meetings will be held at a venue in Stoke Town Centre that are playing in the league, if there is no side from Stoke the next nearest venue with adequate parking will be used.
9. Meetings will be held 4 weekly on Monday nights and shall commence at 20.00hrs prompt.
10. The Chair and Secretary shall prepare Order of Business agenda.
11. Minutes of Previous Meeting shall be read after confirmation, the Minutes shall be signed as a true record by the chairman and members shall be at liberty to ask questions in regard to matters arising out of them.
12. Voting, all delegates to the committee plus the Secretary, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer shall be entitled to a vote.  The Chairman will have the casting vote should there be a tie.   The vote shall be taken by show of hands.
13. The Annual General Meeting will be held Immediately after the last meeting of the season, the Acceptance meeting will be held a fortnight after the AGM.
14. Any member of the League may attend the AGM and speak but only the delegates to the committee can vote. New teams attending the AGM have NO rights to speak or vote.
15. Proposals for New Rules or Amendments to existing Rules can only be made at an AGM or EGM and have to be seconded.
16. Minute Rules may arise for time to time where the committee has had to make a ruling because a situation has occurred during the Season.  This rule must be ratified at the next AGM.
17. A delegate can call Extraordinary Annual General Meeting by contacting the Secretary and submitting in writing the reason(s) for calling an EGM.

18. Misconduct if any member misconduct’s their self during a meeting they will be named by the Chair.  He/she shall thereupon be expelled from the room and shall not be allowed to re-enter until an apology satisfactory to the meeting is given.
19. Where a venue has more than one side in the league e.g. an A and B-side, they require 2 delegates.  One delegate may represent both sides at committee meetings only for the purpose of paying dues, cards etc and representation on issues, but only have one vote for there own side, should a vote be taken.  To be eligible to play in the Delegates merits both delegates must have attended the relevant number of meetings
20. League fees are £30 per team including £10 for the Sammy Tunstall & John Caddick Cups, all other cups and Delegates merits are league funded.
21. Registration fee per player £1
22. A player or team who have registered with Stoke Central Darts League cannot play for any other team or League on the same night, or visa-versa.
23. Any player caught breaking this rule 22 will be sine die from the league; the Secretary will inform the other League in writing of the Stoke Central Darts League committee’s decision.  Any team found to be in breach of rule 22 will be fined £10.00 or more and points deducted as the committee sees fit.
24. All players must be registered with the league. Teams may sign a player on the night of a league match, only if they have no other players sitting out, by filling in a registration forms and signed by both captains. Registration form and monies to be submitted in at the next meeting. A player cannot be signed by any team eight weeks prior to the end of season.
25. All transfers must be conducted at a league meeting, and a fee of £1 is to be paid.
26. A player who has not played a game at all may have a transfer at anytime during the season.
27. A player may transfer once providing that they have not played more than one game during their first 5 matches of the season.
28. After the registrations deadline additional players can only sign if you have less than 8 players at a cost of £1.50 each.  If more than 8 registered players then you will have to de-register players until you have less than 8 register players.
29. Cup matches under no circumstances can a player be signed on or play on the night.
30. Licensees must be registered to play, where a pub/club has more than 1 team in the league the Licensee may float between the 2 sides if either team were short of players. The licensee must not be a county player and stay with one side in all cup competitions.
31. Teams will play either home or away as indicated on the fixture list.
32. When a team withdraws from the league after playing over half way stage through the season, the score will be 27/0and 6/0 reserve a result card must be handed in at the next meeting.
33. Divisions, if the number of teams in the league dropped below 22 then there will be one division.
34. Two divisions, if there are an uneven number of teams then division one will have the even amount of teams, where the number of teams is even then both divisions will have an equal number of teams. Any new teams will first take up the bye in division one.
35. New teams joining the league will automatically join the 2nd Division, if 2 divisions are in operation.
36. Promotion and relegation, if 2 divisions are in operation.  The bottom 2 teams of Division 1 will be relegated. The top 2 teams of Division 2 will be promoted.
37. All players are to abide by the rules laid down.  The committee hope that the season will be played in a sporting and enjoyable manner; any indiscretions will be dealt with by the committee.
38. All match results must be rang, texted or emailed to the Secretary on Tuesday or Wednesday evening between 7.30pm and 9.00pm on home phone. Example text home side 1st Staff of Life 15/0 Victoria 12/6.  Text No 07804504820, home number 01782-260829 email through website go to Google type stoke central darts and is top of the list www.spanglefish.com/stokecentraldarts/ or contact us or direct to john_omo@hotmail.com.

Rules for Games

39. Matches will be played on Tuesday Nights, draw completed and matches to commence at 8.30pm. The home side must vacate the board by 8.15pm to give the visiting team time to practice.
40. Games cancelled or postponed must be played before the next meeting.  A score of 27 / 0 and 6 / 0 will be awarded against the team who cancelled the game
41. Each team should consist of 4 players and 1 reserve.
42. All clubs should keep a score sheet or book.
43. The height of the board is to be 5ft 8in (1,727mm) from the floor to the centre of the bull. The oche is to be 7ft 9 1/4(2,368mm) along the floor from the board face, 9ft 7 ½. (2,934mm) diagonally from the bull to the floor.
44. All dartboards should have recognised numbers 1 to 20 with doubles and trebles, 25 and bull.
45. A raised oche must be used, secured to the floor either by tape or screws etc.
46. The oche should measure 36ins and be in line with the centre of the bull. It should be kept clear whilst players are throwing.
47. Players must have ample room to throw; opponents must stand behind the thrower during their throw.
48. Captains must establish any disputes of any kind before the match commences, should no settlement be agreed upon then the offended team must state that they are playing under protest. Any such protest should be in the possession of the secretary or any other committee member within 48hrs, together with a fee of 50p, which will be reimbursed should the protest uphold.
49. If any unsporting behaviour occurs then it will be subject to protest to the league and will dealt with by the committee.
50. The method of scoring is subtraction, and should be clearly marked for players to see.
51. We do accept single electronic scoreboards, but a chalkboard/marking board must be available (as well). Any team wishing to use an electronic board must ask the opposing captains’ consent, and use a competent marker. The Captain can say NO should they wish to do so, and if this is the case, a chalkboard/marking board must be used with no objections.  
52. The home team should provide score announcer/marker.  Visiting team captains should check the scoreboard.
53. During the game and only the team captains can instruct their players.
54. NO darts should be thrown before the last score has been entered on the board and checked. 
55. If a mistake is made, noticed and mentioned before the finish of that game the board can be altered at any time.
56. Games are on a No Arrows basis, 1st to hit double wins.
57. Format 4 singles consisting of 3 games of 501, 2 points per game.
58. Team game to be played at the end: consisting of 1 game of 701, 3 points for game.
59. Total 27 points available to play for.
60. Home player throws 1st first game; away player throws 1st second game, bull up for 1st throw final game.
61. Team game players drawn out 1st in singles to bull up.
62. Reserve game played exactly as a singles game, where a team has a reserve and the opponents don’t then the team with the reserve has the points. One of the other players will play the reserve giving equal chance as the other players to make any claims.
63. The point of the dart must be touching the board for the score to count.
64. Any team playing with only 3 or 2 players will forfeit 1 or 2 games i.e. lose 6 or 12 points off their team result before they start. Team game it would be 4 players against 3 or 2 i.e. 12 darts against 9 or 6.
65. Results cards must be checked and signed by both team captains. Claims must be entered on the back of card and signed by both captains. Claims for 15 darts or under scores must be written down.

CUPS AND MERITS

66. Irrespective if the league is one or two divisions all cup and merits competitions are played together.
67. All cup games will be drawn at league meetings.
68. Home side 1st team drawn out.
69. Teams must name a reserve player whilst making the draw for cup games in case a player is taken ill.
70. Semi-finals and Finals, teams will be drawn at a neutral venues.
71. Single and doubles merits will be £1.50p per person.
72. All merits shall be played at venue and board drawn.  Failure to do so will result in both players been disqualified.
73. Singles merits, the players are on their own.  The individual may ask the scorer how many he/she has hit and what is left, no other person is allowed to help the individual by telling them their finishes. This is to be made clear to all players and failure to comply will result in a fine and or suspension or banning from the league.
74. Doubles merits, the player can be helped by his/her partner.  The player may ask the scorer how many he/she has hit and what is left, only partner is allowed to help the individual by telling them their finishes. This is to be made clear to all players and failure to comply will result in a fine and or suspension or banning from the league.
75. The draws for any merits will be made on the night at your venue and redrawn for each round, with the exception of finals night where the preliminary (if required to bring the numbers to an equal figure) and first round will be drawn, then it will follow a set decreasing format.
76. First player drawn out throws 1st first game; 2nd player throws 1st second game, bull up for 1st throw final game.
77. Merits registration from 8.00pm, deadline 8.15pm sharp. The draw will take place as soon as the registration has been finalised. No leniency with this rule, although if all players are present and in agreement then the games can commence earlier.
78. Losing players must mark the next game this shows good sportsmanship.  Non-compliance will result in a fine of £2.00 to be paid by offending player/players or club.  Genuine players who cannot mark may find a replacement marker.
79. First round of merits only if a player cannot play they may be replaced by another member of their team, providing they are not already entered in this event.
80. Delegate’s merits a delegate must have attended at least 2/3 of the meetings prior to the merits been played. Date to be played will be given in advance. Please note that the acceptance meeting does not count.
81. John Caddick doubles the same pair of players who have entered the doubles merits together cannot enter in the John Caddick Doubles.
82.  Merit sheets must be available at every named venue with all the players’ names on.
83. Also any claims hit during a merits match must have it signed by 2 players at that venue and scores written down for any 15dts or under.
84. Winners of rounds of merits must ensure that all the losers’ names are deleted and the winners are clearly marked on the sheet.

FINES

85. Teams failing to send a delegate to a meeting will be fined £5.00, plus £1.50 for every card missing.
86. Delegate may send apologies result cards and money to the committee ASAP. This alternative is not to be abused.
87. Any team, which fails to turn out a full side, will be fined by the league £1.50 for each player missing.
88. Result cards are to be returned at the next league meeting, a fine of £1.50 per result card not returned.
89. A fine of £1.50 for any incorrect result cards.
90. All merits sheets must be returned at the next meeting or a fine of £1.50 will be charged.
91. Failing to ring or text a result will result in a fine of £1.50 for a 1st offence £2.50 for a 2nd offence and so on.
92. A team that do not ring in, text, etc. their result and the card for that game is missing at the next meeting then a 1 point will be deducted from the offending teams league points.
93. Anyone continually re-offending rule 92 will be dealt with separately, at the committee’s discretion.
94. Unregistered players, any team found playing an unsigned player will have their game points deducted and awarded to the opponents.  The team will be classed as playing with players short and be fined the normal fee of £1.50 also a £1.50 fine for an incorrect scorecard. If the unsigned player has played in the actual team, then the offending team will automatically be deducted 6 points, and the team 3 points will be deducted totalling 9 points off. If the unregistered player has played the reserve then the team will forfeit all the 6 points available for the reserve game (award the opponents 27/0 and 6/0).  Any team re-offending this rule will be dealt with separately, and with the committee discretion.  Rule 22 and 23.
95. All trophies must be returned in a clean condition and on time. Failure to do so will result in a £2.50 fine per unclean trophy. Any damages to any league trophies are to be paid by the offending team.