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Competition Administration

WP Bowls Competitions – The Basics

This a summary of the main things that every member of the Club Executive Committee should know about all WP Bowls Competitions. This information is especially important for the Club Secretary.

Please also see details of information specific to League play and other WP Competitions elsewhere on this page.

The Fixture List of WP Competitions is confirmed every year at the WP Bowls Annual General Meeting.  Once this has been finalised a Competition Entry Book in Excel format will be e-mailed to Clubs and made available on our website.

The Competition Entry Book contains the dates of all WP Competitions, including dates for all rounds, the entry forms and the costs.

Upon receipt of the Competition Entry Book, it should be printed and placed on the Club Notice Board. The only exceptions to this are the Flag, Muter and Trips Leagues and the Champion of Champions competition. The Club will complete these entries.

Care should be taken to draw attention to the Closing Dates for each Competition as these are strictly adhered to.

The Club Secretary should submit the entry form for each competition before midday on the Closing Date.

The Full Names and the BSA Numbers are essential and if they are not entered, entries may not be accepted.

Please double check them before submitting the entry form.

As soon as the draws are done for a Competition they will be e-mailed to all Clubs and placed on our website.

The Club Secretary should ensure that all Players concerned are advised when and where they are playing.

Players or teams withdrawing from a Competition after the draw has been published will be required to furnish valid reasons in writing.
Examples are a Doctor’s certificate for illness or a letter from their company if work related.
Failing to do so may result in disciplinary action and players or clubs can be disqualified from entering in following seasons.

A player or team wishing to withdraw from a Competition prior to commencement of play in the first round, should:

  1. Inform the opposing skip or the Secretary of the Club of which the opposing skip is a member;
  2. Inform the Secretary of the Club at which the match is to be played;
  3. Confirm to the Competition Secretary by e-mail that both of the above have been properly dealt with; and
  4. Inform their own Club Secretary that all of the above have been complied with.

Failure to arrive for a match where no prior notification has been given and where no acceptable excuse is forthcoming may result in suspension.

In the event of a player or players failing to turn up for a match, please note on the relative draw sheet whether or not your Club and/or the opponent/s had been notified beforehand.

Endorse the scorecard accordingly and have it signed by the opponent/s.

Failure to arrive for games without an acceptable reason is viewed seriously and disciplinary action may be taken against offenders.

Scorecards for matches played at your Club should be prepared well in advance. Sponsors’ cards must always be used where these are available.

Please ensure that Skips complete and sign scorecards correctly.
This includes filling in the Initials and Surname of all the Players, as well as the Club name.

It is the Club’s responsibility to ensure that competition results are submitted either to the WP Office or to the WP Competition Secretary.

Other Bowlers (and supporters) throughout the Province want to know results and any delays in the process affects everyone.

All competition results should be sent as soon as the competitions are finished. If they cannot be e-mailed, they can be sent by WhatsApp to the WP Competition Secretary.

Flag and Muter

The procedure for the submission of results is set out in the WP Bowls Conditions of Play for Competitions. Please familiarise yourself with them.

 

Knock-Out Competitions

The WP Competition Secretary must be advised of the results of Knock-Out Competitions matches which are played on Sundays as soon as possible but not later than the following Monday morning.

It is essential for your Club to ensure that Umpires are appointed for Flag and Muter games and for the early rounds of competitions played on your greens.

Ideally, Umpires should be readily available to carry out their duties even if this means sacrificing play during their time on duty.

Flag, Muter and Trips League

These are extra things that every member of the Club Executive should know about Flag, Muter and Trips League Competitions.

When your Club is hosting a Flag, Muter or Trips League game, a Club Tournament Official (CTO) must be appointed for the game.

The CTO should prepare the week’s Scorecards and the Declaration Sheet by inserting as much detail as possible beforehand.  On the Scorecard, the details of the competition, which round it is, and the names of the Home Club and the Visiting Club can be completed. On the Declaration Sheet, the same information can be completed in advance.

Once your Club’s sides have been selected, your team names can also be filled in..

When the Captain of the visiting side arrives, the CTO will be handed a copy of the Declaration Form for their side.

The draw for opponents and rinks is then done. After it is complete, enter the name of the visiting Skip and the number of the rink on which they will play on the appropriate Scorecard, record this information on the Declaration Sheet and hand the scorecards to the captains.

Captains must toss a coin to determine which side shall play first.

When you Club is playing away in a Flag, Muter or Trips League game, the Team Captain needs to take a Declaration Sheet to the opposition Club.

Many of the details on the form can be completed in advance, including the details of the competition, which round it is, and the names of the Home Club and the Visiting Club.

Once your Club’s sides have been selected, your team names can also be completed.

As per all other WP Competitions, results should either be e-mailed to the WP Office, e-mailed to the WP Competition Secretary, or sent by WhatsApp to the WP Competition Secretary as soon as the games are finished.

Your Club must keep the Scorecards and the Declaration Form in a safe place until the entire competition is completed.

All other WP Bowls Competitions

When hosting a WP Bowls Competition, your Club has responsibilities towards the Members who are participating. Every member of the Club Executive should know these responsibilities.

When your Club is hosting a WP Competition, a Club Tournament Official (CTO) must be appointed for the game.

The CTO should prepare the Scorecards for the Competition in advance. They should be drawn up from the Competition Draw sheet and the Sponsors cards should be used.

When the players report for play:

  1. Ask the Skips to enter their team details on the Scorecard;
  2. Ask the Skip for the relevant green fee for their team;
  3. Get the skips to draw a rink (do not allocate rinks).

When the CTO is ready to start play, all players should be called together and any necessary announcements made.

Key points to remember are:

  • Thank the Sponsor.
  • Acknowledge the Umpires, Green staff, Bar and Kitchen personnel, etc.
  • Cover the basic format of the day.

Check that both Skips and the Umpire have signed the Scorecard, and noted the time that the game ended.

The Umpire should not have signed the card until the results on the Scoreboard have been compared to the Scorecard and certified.

The results should then be entered onto the Competition Draw Sheet.

When all the results are in, the next step will depend on the Competition format, whether there are additional rounds, and when those rounds will be played.

If the next round is at your Club on the same Day
Make out the Scorecards for the next round.

If the next round is at your Club on a different Day
Make out the Scorecards for the next round.
Send the results either by e-mail to the WP Office, by e-mail to the WP Competition Secretary, or by WhatsApp to the WP Competition Secretary.
Keep the Scorecards and Draw Sheet in a safe place.

If the next round is at a different Club       
Send the results either by e-mail to the WP Office, by e-mail to the WP Competition Secretary, or by WhatsApp to the WP Competition Secretary.
Keep the Scorecards and draw sheet in a safe place.

If the next round is the next day
Give a copy of the completed Draw sheet to one of the Winners to take to the next Club.
Send the results either by e-mail to the WP Office, by e-mail to the WP Competition Secretary, or by WhatsApp to the WP Competition Secretary.
Keep the Scorecards in a safe place.

Hosting your own Club Competitions

There is not a whole lot to say about this. Just a few short notes from us at WP Bowls.

Most definitely!

Whether a Sponsored day, a Club Classic, a Ladies' Day, a Midweek tournament, or any other event, please let the WP Bowls office know as soon as you have set a date.

The details will be added to the Calendar, which helps all Clubs in the Province to try and not compete for entrants with each other.

If you also send your Poster with more details, it will be added to the WP Bowls website as well.

Please avoid holding sponsored days on dates when early WP Bowls Competition rounds are scheduled to be played, especially Singles and Pairs.

You may also want to check the Calendar for any other Club competitions already being held on that day.

Please do not do this! It costs our Sponsors money and Bowls cannot survive as a sport without them.

If you need assistance with drawing up a scorecard that you can print for your Competitions please contact Taz Bright.