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• County Championships
• Championship Rules
• Northern Counties
• BE Championships

Competition Secretary: J. Cleverley

Single-hand (Four Bowls), Pairs, Triples, Fours. Under 18, Under 25, Champion of Champions (Four Bowl) and Two-Wood Singles Competitions will be held annually with the finalists of the Singles (Four Bowl), Pairs, Triples, Fours and Under 25 will represent the County in the National Championships. The winners of the Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours, Under 25 and Two-Wood Singles representing the County in the Northern Counties B. A. Championships.

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP CONDITIONS

1. 1. The Competitions shall be played under the rules of the Bowls England, and shall be under the management of the General Purposes Committee of the Association.
   2. Ties shall be played only upon greens at least 34 metres long and with banks and ditches and a good surface. In the event of the Home Player's green not complying with this condition, it is his duty to report to his opponent and play on his opponent's green, or on a neutral green if that can be mutually agreed upon.
2. 1. The Competitions are open to male members of affiliated Clubs who have paid their subscriptions for the current year. Both players in the Pairs and all players in the Triples and Fours must come from the same Club. No restriction shall be placed on any member playing in more than one competition, but no player shall play for more than one Club in any of the competitions in the same year.
   2. Any number of Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours can enter from the same Club.
3. Entries must be made through Club Secretaries and forwarded to the Competition Secretary together with the appropriate fees by 31st October in the year preceding the Championships.
4. When a player changes or leaves his Club after the draw has been made:
   1. In the Pairs, Triples and Fours competitions, the entry will stay with the remaining member(s) (if known), otherwise the Club. Club Secretaries to notify the Competition Secretary of any change of names before the lst May in the year of the competition.
      If, however the named entrant and the rest of the team ALL move to another club, then the entry can remain with the players and transferred to the new club. In this case the Competition Secretary and their opponents are to be advised of the change no later than the lst May in the year of the competition.
   2. In all Singles Competitions, the entry shall remain with the player. but he will be responsible for informing the Competition Secretary and his opponents of the change of club.
   3. lt is the responsibility of the "home' player to provide a suitable marker in all Singles Competitions, except in the Semi-Finals and Finals when the Competition Secretary will appoint an independent suitable marker.
5. The draws for the Under 18 and Under 25 Singles Competitions will be made on the morning of the first round ties and will include those who have arrived by l0am at the appointed venue. The draws for all other competitions will be made in November by the Championship Sub-committee appointed by the G.P.C. The sub-committee will determine the times and dates on or by which all rounds must be played.
6. 1. All players shall be included in the draw for the first round, the first player drawn at home subject to Condition l (b).
   2. The method of the draw will firstly be to determine the number of byes for the first rounds and allocate these to Tie Numbers shown in a "Competition Chart" form, i.e. listing of all ties with the byes interspersed. Subsequent rounds will be determined by the winner playing the winner s appearing on the list after the successful previous round winners are known.
   3. The Semi-Finals and Finals shall be played on selected greens to be nominated by the Championship Sub-Committee, but the dates for play shall be fixed when the draw is made. In the event of a player (or players) not being prepared to play on a green or a rink selected, or at a time nominated for the tie, then the player(s) will forfeit the tie.
7. In the event of wet weather preventing play on the evenings fixed, the next evening shall be utilized, and so on unless other heats are scheduled for the same evening, when the following evening shall be fixed.
8. The time of commencement of each heat up to and including the Quarter-Finals shall be 6.45pm and any player not arriving by 7pm shall be disqualified. Semi-Finals and Finals commence at 6.15pm when these are played on Monday to Friday inclusive. When they are played on Saturdays / Sundays play will commence at 10.30am if duplication is involved, otherwise the start time will be 2.15pm.
   1. If any player is unable to play on the day fixed he shall have the option of arranging to play the heat on any earlier day which he cart mutually agree with his opponent, but if the opponent is unable to make other arrangement, the draw shall stand. and the player unable to play shall be scratched.
   2. Any player unable to keep an appointment by reason of a representative game, including the President's Tour, shall have the like option of re-arranging the time of play, and in the event of difficulty in agreeing with his opponent, the Competition Secretary shall adjudicate and determine the date and time of the heat.
   3. When players from Allen Valley, Haltwhistle or Hexham are drawn against players from Seahouses or Wooler, the tie will be played at Morpeth unless otherwise mutually agreed.
9. SUBSTITUTES. In the Pairs, Triples and Fours Competitions, the players taking part in the first game shall constitute the pair/triple/four and shall normally play together throughout the competition. One additional - and the same player - may be used as a substitute in further rounds provided he has not already played in the competition. However, a named player who entered the competition before the closing date of 3lst October in the year prior to the competition but, for whatever reason, is unable to play for his team in any of the rounds cannot substitute in any other team in the appropriate competition until his entered team has been eliminated from the competition. Also, a named player who entered a competition but conceded a tie to opponents without playing will not be eligible to act as a substitute in that competition.
10. The General Purposes Committee of the association shall determine all questions and disputes that may arise and which do not come within the scope of the Umpire's duties. In cases of emergency a sub-committee comprising the President, Secretary and Competitions Secretary shall have responsibility to deal with matters of urgency.
    Appeals against decisions taken by the sub-committee will be heard by at least seven other members of the G.P.C. whose decision will be final. The decision of the General Purposes Committee shall be final and binding.
11. Appeals shall be made within 24 hours of the playing of the tie if re-instatement of a defeated appellant is desired. A clear statement, in writing, of the points at issue shall be in the hands of the Competition Secretary within 48 hours of the scheduled commencement of the tie.
12. Results of all ties must be reported to the Competition Secretary WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE COMMENCEMENT of the tie and NO LATER than l0p.m. on the evening of the tie and NOT BEFORE 9a.m. on the morning following the tie.
13. DRESS. White or Registered Club Coloured shirt above the waist, grey trousers and regulation footwear should be worn in all rounds of competition up to and including the Semi-Finals. ("Jeans", tracksuits bottoms and trainers will not be permissible.) Regulation dress should be worn in all Finals except the Under 18 Singles when the foregoing will apply. Club Coloured shirts must be collared and must have been registered with the County Association and Bowls England prior to the start of the season,. If Club coloured shirts are to be worn then the same shirts must be worn by all members of the team or side, or not worn by any members. Waterproofs if worn will be white unless with Club Coloured shirts when they may be in the same design as the shirts.