COMPETITION RULES
The Association will hold annually the following competitions for male members:-
A Club League Competition, A one Rink Veterans League Competition, A mixed league competition, Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours, Under 18 Singles, Under 25 Singles, U25 Pairs, Senior Singles, Senior Pairs, Senior Triples, Senior Rink Competitions, A double rink competition.
Club League and Carruthers Shield
- All affiliated clubs must play in this competition unless for a specific reason they are given permission not to participate by the Management Committee. Any such permission must be applied for in writing, to the Secretary, before 31st December prior to the season in question.
- Clubs will play all other clubs twice during the season. They will be given a fixture list by the County Secretary and all fixtures shall be arranged to be played during that one week window ending on a Sunday. The home club to offer 2 dates for that week, if clubs cannot agree a date, the match will be played on the last Sunday starting at a time to be agreed. Any club can bring a fixture forward with the agreement of their opponents, but the club requesting the change of fixture must give a reason to the County Secretary in writing before the season starts.
- All matches should commence by the latest at 6.30 p.m.
18 ends will be played unless otherwise agreed due to inclement weather. If inclement weather curtails a match then if an overall 60 ends have been played the result at that stage will stand [four rink match], for a six rink match the number of overall ends will be 90. - A Mid-Wales league fixture should never be cancelled, a fixture can only be postponed due to inclement weather and unplayable greens, Carruthers Shield commitments or bereavement within the club. Clubs who postpone a fixture for any reason other than those mentioned will be deducted 6 points immediately from their points total. This rule to also apply if a club brings a game forward without permission from the management committee.
If a fixture is postponed for any of the reasons mentioned above, a new date for that fixture must be agreed to within fourteen days of the postponement (not necessary to be played within those fourteen days) and a club must give two days notice to their opponents of the circumstances necessitating the postponement, except for inclement weather. - Clubs failing to fulfil a fixture in the competition shall be eliminated from the competition and all their match scores involving other clubs shall be expunged.
- If after 10 minutes of the scheduled start time, one player is absent from one or more teams in a side game, the game shall continue, but the number of bowls played by each defaulting team must be made up by the lead and second both playing three bowls each. A quarter of the shots scored (including decimal places) by each defaulting team must be deducted from their score after the game has finished. This rule to include the veterans league, who may play with 3 players if one team is short. If the end is declared dead the jack will be re-spotted on the "T".
- A win shall count for 6 points and a draw for 3 points. Each winning rink will count as 2 points and drawing rink 1 point. At the end of the season the team with the most points will be declared League Champions. In the event of a tie the team with the highest shot difference will be taken into consideration. At the termination of each match, responsible officers of both clubs shall sign a declaration of the result and forward it to the results co-ordinator within 48 hours of the match finishing, or both club secretaries can email or text the result to the results co-ordinator.
Veterans League
Clubs may enter teams in the League consisting of four players and all matches to be played on the date shown on the fixture list. Any club with more than one team in the league must give a list of players playing for each team to the County Secretary before the season starts. These lists may be added to during the season and the County Secretary informed, but there will be no moving between teams once the season starts. Any matches postponed due to inclement weather will be arranged by the Management Committee. If a club cannot play on the date specified the fixture must be re-arranged before the start of the season and the County Secretary informed. If the matches are postponed without going through the specified procedure the offending team will lose 2 points to their opposition who will also be awarded an average shot difference for and against for the match.
Play will be 18 ends and 1 shot on the first two ends. If the end is declared dead the jack will be re-spotted on the "T". A win will be 2 points and draw 1 point. All the score cards will be sent by the host club to the results co-ordinator within 48 hours of the completion of the match. Matches will be played according to the "Laws of the Game". There will be no green fee and dress code will be grey or club trousers or shorts and white or club shirt.
Any dispute on any matter e.g. postponed fixtures etc. shall be decided by a committee comprising of one member from each club (excluding club/s involved in the dispute) and the President will chair the meeting.
Mixed League
All matches shall be arranged to be played week ending on a Sunday as per the fixture
list or on an agreed day during that week. Arrangements MUST be finalised before the
commencement of the season. All games will start at an agreed time between the two
clubs. From 5th August all midweek matches will commence at 6.00pm unless otherwise
agreed. All clubs to play matches on agreed dates in the designated week. If clubs cannot
agree on a suitable date the match will be played on the Sunday starting at 2.00pm. The
County secretary MUST be informed in writing before the season starts of any changes to
the fixture list. If any match is cancelled, the offending club will be deducted 6 points and
the game rearranged and played within two weeks. If the end is declared dead the jack
will be re-spotted on the “T”, If inclement weather stops the game, the result at 8 ends
will stand. The format is one rink of three bowl pairs (18 ends) Two rinks of three bowl
triples (18 ends) and one rink of two bowl fours (16 ends). No trial ends but one shot on
the first two ends. 6 points for an overall shot win and 3 points for a drawn game.
2 points for all winning disciplines and 1 point for any drawn.
No age restriction and no dress code. It is the request of the Management committee that
only one experienced player, plays in each discipline, this rule is not to be abused.
Please send all the results to Robert Wall (Results Coordinator) within 48 hours of the match finishing, both teams to do this.
Any dispute on any matters arising from any of the leagues or competitions (i.e. postponed
fixtures) shall be decided by a committee comprising of one member from each club
(excluding the clubs involved in the dispute) and the President shall chair the meeting.
Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours and Double Rink
- A Singles Competition is open to all affiliated club members, and will be first to 21 shots..
- Open Pairs, Triples and Fours Competitions are open to a combination of competitors from the same club. Pairs, Triples and Rinks shall be 18 ends. Senior Pairs, Senior Triples and Senior Rinks shall all be 18 ends.
- Competitions shall be run as open competitions throughout the County.
- Entries for all competitions with the appropriate fees must be in the hands of the Competition Secretary on the appropriate form by a date already specified. Entries and fees not received by the stipulated date will not be included in the competition draw. A player cannot play in a competition without having first paid his entry fees.
- Play must be conducted in accordance with the draw and a player or players drawing a home game must offer their opponent/s at least three dates on which the tie can be played, but they should not be consecutive or only on weekends. If any of the three dates are not acceptable the match will be played on the final date for the round as indicated on the draw sheet.
- Any player who refuses to play on one of the three dates offered by the home player or fails to appear on the date specified on the draw sheet will be disqualified from the competition.
- The Competition Secretary must be notified by the winners of the results of the game within 48 hours of it having been played. The scorecard of all matches should be sent to the Competition Secretary, giving the names of all the players plus the name of the reserve, if used.
- Finals of all competitions shall be played on a specified date and venue and all players must wear regulation dress for all finals (white or club trousers or tailored white shorts and white or club shirt) For early rounds grey or club trousers or tailored grey shorts and white or club shirt).
- A player can only enter once in a competition.
- A player on International duty may have dispensation to play his final round as soon as possible on returning from duty. This only applies to a singles competition and if the player is in a team competition then a reserve must be used in his absence.
- A Double Rink competition will be held at the end of each season at Llandrindod Wells BC involving all 8 clubs. A draw will be made on the morning putting the clubs into two
sections. They will play 3 games of 11 ends each or 1 ½ hours each, no dead ends, respot the jack on the “T”. Two trial ends before the first game only. Skips only allowed one visit to the head in each end. Switch players around after each game but not during a game. Dress code club colours. Play under the Crystal Mark fourth edition rules. Winner of each section to play off in the final and the runners up in each section to play off for 3rd place. - All County Matches and County Finals will be played at Llandrindod Wells if the greens are available.
- Any incidents not covered by these rules should be referred to the WLB competition rules or to the Laws of the Sport of Bowls Crystal Mark Fourth Edition.
- No mobile phones shall be carried onto the green during any Mid Wales league match or any of our County competitions. No smoking, vaping or alcohol consumption shall take place on the greens.
Please note:-
The cut off dates for the, 060 Singles, Pairs, and Triples competitions, 055 Rink, 060 County
Senior team, U18 Singles and U25 Singles and Pairs and the Veterans league is the 1 st April of the year in which the competition is played.
WLB and Mid-Wales matches and competitions take precedence over all other tournaments and competitions.
Competitors who reach the County finals must be prepared to play the finals on the date and time specified on the finals draw sheet.
County Finals must be completed by the Saturday before entries have to be sent in for the Welsh National Finals. All dates arranged for completion of the rounds and finals must be complied with and if they are not then competitors will be eliminated.
Players involved in County Matches should all wear regulation dress on the green i.e. county shirts, trousers or shorts, white or coloured shoes and in the event of wet weather white waterproofs.
All players arriving for County Matches should wear blazers, white shirts, county ties and grey trousers and also wear the same dress for the meal after the game.
When a player makes himself available for county selection he should be prepared to play in the position for which he has been selected.
Last updated January 2025