BLACKBURN & DISTRICT BADMINTON ASSOCIATION RULES

1. Name

The league shall be called the “BLACKBURN & DISTRICT BADMINTON ASSOCIATION”.

2. Objectives

To create and maintain an interest in the game of amateur Badminton in the district.
To take any action to further the interest of Badminton.
To ensure that affiliated members observe:

- The “Laws of Badminton” as published in the handbook of “Badminton England”.
- The regulations of the “International Federation” and of “Badminton England”.
- The regulations of the “Lancashire County Badminton Association”.

3. Constitution

The Association shall be affiliated to the Lancashire County Badminton Association. It is the responsibility of each club to pay LCBA fees directly to them.

4. Administration

A. Management

1. The management of the Association shall be vested in a “Management Committee” consisting of:
  1. the officers of the league;
  2. up to a minimum of two other members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting;
2. Three members from at least two clubs, either officials or elected members, shall form a quorum at any Management Committee Meeting.
3. All retiring members of the “Management Committee” shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting.
4. The Chairman of any official meeting of the Management Committee, shall have a casting vote.

B. Officers

The officers of the league shall consist of: – President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Fixtures Secretary, Hon. Junior League Secretary, Hon. Inter Town Secretary, Hon. Tournament Secretary, and Hon. Social Secretary.
The officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
All retiring officers shall be eligible for re-election.

C. Life Members

The Association may elect Hon. Life Members at the Annual General Meeting.
All retiring Hon. Life Members shall be eligible for re-election.
Hon. Life members shall not be part of the Management Committee, but may be elected to an official position.

D. Management Committee

The Management Committee shall have full power to transact the general business of the Association.
The Management Committee shall have power to:-
1. fill any vacancy on the Committee, at its own discretion
2. elect at any time a member for a particular task. The position to be held for such a period as the Management Committee may determine. Such appointed person shall have no other power on the Committee, unless they already hold another position
3. take any steps, which they consider necessary for the purpose of enforcing payment of subscriptions or fines payable or imposed under any rules for the time being of the Association
4. admit individual clubs or members to the Association
5. appoint and delegate powers to sub-committees, and such sub-committees may co-opt members onto the Committee from outside the Management Committee, provided that the number of co-opted members is always less than the number of members from the Management Committee. The sub-committee shall offer a report at each regular meeting of the Management Committee
The Management Committee shall meet as often as required, and as agreed with the Committee. Dates for the meetings shall be confirmed at the end of each meeting of the Committee. Further meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chairman.

E. Cups & Trophies

All cups and trophies shall remain the property of the Association and shall not be won out-right, nor become the property of any club or individual. The Management Committee shall inform, in writing, to all clubs concerned, a list of cups and trophies for which they are responsible.
It is the responsibility of any club to ensure the safe custody of any cup or trophy awarded to its team or to any individual player(s). In the event of a cup or trophy being shared between two or more clubs, each club will have equal responsibility. Clubs being deemed responsible, being those at the end of the season in which and individual was registered. In the event of an individual player transferring clubs, the new club is held responsible.
All cups and trophies must be returned to the Hon. Fixtures Secretary by the 28th February each year. Any club failing to return cups and trophies by the official closing date, will, for each individual cup or trophy for which they are responsible, have two league points deducted from each team for each week or part thereof. Clubs should ensure that all cups and trophies are returned to the Hon. Fixtures Secretary in the condition in which they were presented. Otherwise, three league points will be deducted from each team for each individual item. The Management Committee may also further impose a fine at its discretion.

5. General Meetings

A. AGMs

The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held at the end of the season, on a day and place and time appointed by the Management Committee.
Any items from clubs that need to be placed on the Agenda of the Annual General Meeting, including rule changes, clearly stating any alterations, shall be sent in writing to the Hon. Secretary when notified of the date of the Annual General Meeting. Clubs must submit items 14 days prior to the AGM.

B. EGMs

An extra-ordinary General Meeting shall be convened upon a resolution of the Management Committee or at the written request of at least three member clubs. Such requests shall state the purpose for which the meeting is required and no other business shall be transacted. The meeting shall be held within one month of such requisition being received by the Hon. Secretary, and the notice and agenda shall be circulated.

C. Voting

Voting at Annual and Extra-ordinary General Meetings shall be as follows:

All clubs will be allowed two representatives, each entitled to one vote. This includes club representatives who sit on the Committee.
No person shall have more than one vote, except the Chairman of the meeting who shall have a casting vote.
voting shall be show of hands unless six persons present and entitled to vote, demand a ballot, or at the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting.
no member may vote by proxy.
1. all clubs shall attend General or Extra-Ordinary Meetings, including adjourned or postponed meetings
2. members of the Management Committee are NOT eligible to represent their club at such meetings
any club failing to be represented at any meeting shall be fined £20.00.

D. Meeting Notice

Not less than fourteen days notice of any Annual General or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting shall be given. Written notification shall be sent to all members of the Management Committee, and to all club secretaries. Such notice shall include the Agenda for the meeting. This shall

be deemed as sufficient of any meeting. Accidental omission to give required notice to all club secretaries or members of the Management Committee shall not invalidate the proceedings of any such meeting.

E. Representatives

Representatives attending General or Extra-ordinary General Meetings shall have power to vote on any such amendments to any published motion, and the Committee shall act upon such amendments so carried, as though due notice had been given.

6. Finance

A. Financial Year End

The financial year of the Association shall end on 31st May.

B. Final Accounts

A copy of the final accounts for the year shall be produced at the Annual General Meeting, and should be suitably endorsed if not audited.

C. Debts & Fines

All outstanding debts/fines due to the Association must be paid prior to the Annual General Meeting.

D. Fees

Registration fees, other fees and fines, as determined in other rules of the Association shall be paid direct to the Association;

E. Late Payment of Fines

Any Association or Management Committee fines (excluding fines in 5C), not paid within seven days will be doubled, and if after 14 days the fine is still outstanding two league points will be deducted from the club/team concerned for each further week that the fine remains unpaid.

7. Registrations

A. Clubs

The League Annual Subscriptions shall be £25.00 per team.
The subscription shall be payable on returning the Club Registration Forms to the Hon. Fixtures Secretary by the 15th July each year.
If club registration forms, together with full subscriptions, are not received by the Hon. Fixtures Secretary by the 15th July each year, then it will be assumed that the club no longer wishes to enter a team or teams, and has resigned from the Association.

B. Players

Prior to the start of the season, all players must be registered on the Official Forms, which should arrive with the Hon. Fixtures Secretary at least seven days before the first match. Clubs wanting to register additional players must contact the Hon. Fixtures Secretary at least 24 hours prior to the match being played. The registration fee must be received by the Hon. Fixtures Secretary within 48 hours, otherwise all his or her games shall be forfeit.
No player shall be allowed to be registered for more than one club at the same time.
Once registered a player remains a registered player of that club until the end of the season unless an official transfer form has been completed.
The closing date for registering a player shall be 14th February each year.
A registration fee of £4.00 per person, or £2.00 per person for those under 18 on the 1st September each year, shall be paid when a player is registered.
No transfer of a player will be effective unless the Hon. Fixtures Secretary has received a transfer request by e-mail

8. The League

A. Teams & Clubs

Any club having more than one team in the League shall, at least seven days before the clubs’ first fixture, submit to the Hon. Fixtures Secretary the names of the starred and nominated players in order of merit. A starred player is a player who is ineligible to play in a lower team. A nominated player is a player who may play in their own team and the next lower team, but not in the same week. Each team shall consist of two starred men and two starred ladies, and one nominated man and one nominated lady.
A nominated player may drop down to the next lower team when the higher team has no published or re-arranged fixture. If any club has two or more teams playing on the same date, then any nominated player of the teams involved is not eligible to play in a lower team;
Any member of a lower team may play in a higher team without restriction.
No player may play for more than one team or more than one league on the same date.
any registered member of a club not regularly available to play for a team, but of sufficiently high standard, shall be starred by their clubs to the required standard, such players to be referred to as additionally starred players.
Clubs failing to play starred and nominated players on a regular basis shall have the respective registrations cancelled unless the Hon. League Secretary receives an appeal in writing within seven days of such notification. The Management Committee will then hear their appeal at a time agreed by them. The club will also be liable to any penalty at the absolute discretion of the Management Committee.
Applications to change starred and nominated players may be made to Hon. Fixtures Secretary and granted only with the full approval of the Management Committee at the scheduled meeting following the application. If approved, the change will take effect from the Monday following the meeting. The Management Committee reserve the right to change a club’s starred or nominated players during the season as they see fit.
Whilst clubs are permitted to select their teams in accordance with rules 8A(i) and 8A(ii) it is not expected dual selection of players on a regular basis will take place and it should be borne in mind distinct teams should be maintained. Should the Management Committee decide a club is not maintaining distinct teams then the club will be disciplined under rule 8L whereby dual selected player or players would be classed as ineligible.

B. Accommodation & Shuttles

Each club should provide suitable accommodation and lighting facilities for matches.
Courts shall be of standard size, but when the structure of the building will not permit full-size courts, existing courts must be approved by the Management Committee.
1. The home team shall provide new feather shuttles of a good match standard.
2. Should any home team play with substandard feather shuttlecocks, the away team may raise a dispute with the Committee in accordance with rule 12.

D. Mobile Phones

In the interest of all players and spectators, it is requested that club members and visitors switch off their mobile phones in the vicinity of the court:

E. Sports Clothing

Players must wear recognised sports clothing in any event arranged by the Association.
In applying these rules, the decision of the Management Committee shall be final.

F. Faults & Lets

The features that shall cause a let/fault to be called, must be pointed out to the visiting team before the start of the match.

G. Laws of Badminton

All league and cup matches shall be played under the rule of the “Laws of Badminton” as published by Badminton England.

H. Matches

1. The official start time for matches is 8:00 PM.
2. Clubs must apply to the Management Committee for an approved alternative start time.
3. It is expected that all players will be in attendance prior to the start of the match and thereby ensure that the start time is strictly observed.
Any player arriving more than 15 minutes late, i.e. more than fifteen minutes after the official start time or approved alternative start time, shall forfeit one event. Players continue to forfeit further events at the rate of one event for each additional 15 minutes of lateness. Any player arriving more than 60 minutes late shall forfeit all their events.
Irrespective of the start time or events, any player arriving after 8.45pm shall forfeit all events.
Events classed as forfeit, in accordance with the above shall be deemed as lost starting from the top of the official score sheet, and continuing down the official score sheet until the required number of event lost, be declared;
A reserve called upon to play before the match commences shall be reqired to play throughout the match.
In the event of injury to a player, subject to approval of the opposing captain, a substitute may be allowed in the remaining events (an event being two games).

I. Rearranged Fixtures

A fixture may only be rearranged in the event of a court not being available, or if an Association Club has players entered individually for a County Badminton Tournament on that date or a Tournament organised by the Association. A fixture may also be rearranged in adverse weather conditions, where both teams agree. In these cases, the Hon. Fixtures Secretary must be notified immediately.
Any team struggling to raise a full team for a fixture not covered by 8I(i) may, on one occasion only during the season, ask for the match to be rearranged, with the consent of the opposing team and with the approval of the Hon. Fixtures Secretary.
An absent player being one not available to play in a match due to non-attendance, late arrival or ineligibility.

J. Administration

Should a team rearrange a fixture without the knowledge and approval of the Hon. Fixtures Secretary, or fail to fulfil a fixture, then the offending club shall be fined £40, which must be paid within seven days. The match should be treated as postponed and played in accordance with rules 8I (iii) and (iv). The defaulting club will not be able to claim ace bonus points in the rearranged league match and can only claim game points (maximum 20 points). Any defaulting club which is unable to fulfil a fixture shall be liable for any claim from their opponents, made in writing to the Hon. Fixtures Secretary, to cover costs incurred; e.g. hire of courts, travel expenses etc., to a maximum of £30. In a Cup competition, any club who cannot field a team will be eliminated from the competition and all their matches will be null and void. The score for the defaulting club will be at the discretion of the Management Committee.
The minimum number of players required to fulfil a fixture is 4 players (i.e. 2 Ladies and 2 Gents).
An absent player is one who is not available to play in a match due to non-attendance, late arrival or ineligibility.
To re-arrange a new date for postponed league matches, the home club shall offer the choice of two reasonable dates to the opposing Club Secretary. The visiting club shall indicate which date is acceptable within two weeks. Ordinarily seven days notice of the first date shall be given, unless mutually agreed. This agreed date becomes the official date of the match. Failure of the home club to give immediate notice to the Hon. Fixtures Secretary of the new date will result in action being taken by the Management Committee.

K. Multiple Teams on Same Match Night

Any club having two or more teams playing on the same night and not able to field two or more teams may not play any player from a higher team in a lower team, but will not be compelled to play a regular lower team player in the higher team.

L. Ineligible Players

Any club playing ineligible players shall lose all games in which the ineligible player or players take part, and the aces awarded to their opponents. The club shall be fined in accordance with the rules.

9. League Matches

A. Format

In all league matches, all teams shall play home and away matches with each other in their division. Where this format is insufficient for a “full” season other combinations of fixtures will be considered by the Management Committee and relevant Clubs/Teams notified of the fixture format prior to the start of the season.

B. Score Sheet

Prior to the commencement of each league match the official score sheet shall be completed by the home team and presented to the away team for completion. No ranking may be altered after both teams have been declared.
Score sheets submitted to the Hon Fixtures Sec must be legible and completed with full names of players. Aces and points columns must also be correctly filled in. Any score sheet submitted which does not comply with the above will be subject to a points deduction. One point for incomplete names and one point for incorrectly filled in aces and points columns.

C. Mode Of Play & Bonus Points

In all league matches teams shall consist of six players, three ladies and three gents, who shall play eighteen games of twenty one aces, using the Rally Points scoring system. If the score become 20-all, the side which gains a two point lead first shall win that game. If the score becomes 29-all, the side scoring the 30th point shall win the game. Five Mixed Doubles, Two Ladies Doubles, and Two Gents Doubles, each event is of two games. It shall be the responsibility of each captain or his/her deputy to rank his or her couples in order of merit;
The mode of play shall be:
- - Mixed doubles Gents doubles Ladies doubles
  - G1:L1 v G1:L1 G3:G1 v G3:G1 L3:L1 v L3:L1
  - G2:L2 v G2:L2 G3:G2 v G3:G2 L3:L2 v L3:L2
  - G3:L3 v G3:L3
  - G2:L2 v G1:L1
  - G1:L1 v G2:L2
The games need not necessarily be played in this order.
1. The match shall be played to a finish and teams awarded one point in the league championship for each game won by them. In addition bonus points will be awarded as follows: –
  - for scoring 100 to 174 aces–1 bonus point
  - for scoring 175 to 249 aces–2 bonus points
  - for scoring 250 to 299 aces–3 bonus points
  - for scoring 300 to 349 aces–4 bonus points
  - for scoring 350 to 377 aces–5 bonus points
  - for scoring 378 aces or more- 6 bonus points
2. If at the end of a match the total points and bonus points gained by each team be equal, then the team winning the greater number of games will be awarded one additional point. Should both teams score equal number of games then the team scoring the greater number of aces will receive one additional point. Should both teams score equal number of games and aces then no additional points will be awarded and the match declared a draw.

D. Ties

In the event of a tie for any league position; the club having the greater aces difference shall be placed higher. Should the difference be equal the teams involved may be required to play a deciding match on a neutral court.

E. Promotion & Relegation

At the end of the season the bottom team in each division shall be relegated, other than in the lowest division, and the top team in each division, except in the first division, shall be promoted.
If for any reason there are vacancies in the higher division, they shall be made up by the relegated club, which shall retain its position, and from the lower division in order of merit as shown by the league tables at the end of the previous season.
The Management Committee shall have power at its absolute discretion, to vary this, if in their opinion, it is desirable to adjust the number of teams in a division, and to create more or less divisions.
The Management Committee shall have power, at its absolute discretion, to enter new teams to the league into the division deemed most appropriate to their ability, if desirable to do so.

10. Cup Matches

A. Eligible Players

Handicap Cup Competitions shall be run each season, with no player being allowed to compete unless they are registered prior to the relevant cup round.

B. Format

The competition shall be governed by the Association rules. In a straight knockout competition a draw shall be made for each round, and the first named club shall be the home team;
It shall be the responsibility of each captain or his/her deputy to complete the official score sheet. Prior to the commencement of each match the official score sheet should be completed by the home team. The away team should complete a second score sheet and present this to the home team who will transfer the details onto the official score sheet in the presence of both captains or his/her deputies. No score sheet may be altered after both teams have been declared;
The mode of play shall be determined by the Management Committee:
The match shall be played to a finish and the winning team go through to the next round of the competition:
The home team will provide the shuttlecocks. The two teams will share the costs of both the court and the shuttlecocks used during the fixture.
The final of each competition will be of one match and the venue will be decided by the Management Committee. The league will provide the shuttlecocks and will bear the cost of the final of each cup.
There will be automatic entry of all clubs to the cup competition, with an option to opt out on the initial team registration form. By the Friday prior to the week of the cup fixture, all clubs should forward to the Fixtures’ Secretary their team list (or, for those clubs wishing to enter more than one team, team lists) of 6 players, on which they will be handicapped. Failure to submit this list by the due dates will result in the club being handicapped on their full squad of players.
Should a team list need to be altered after handicapping has taken place, then the team captain should inform either the Fixtures Secretary or the designated Cup Secretary by telephone before 6pm of the match night so that, if necessary, a new handicap can be given. Failure to do so will mean that any player not on the original team list will be deemed ineligible and any games he or she plays will be null and void.

11. General

A. Umpires

The use of umpires for each game in all league and cup matches is mandatory, if requested by either team captain; and the umpire’s decision is final.
The umpires for each game must be agreed mutually and the umpiring should be generally undertaken alternately by a person appointed by the visiting and home club.
In the event of any dispute as to who should umpire, the visiting team must have the choice.
The captains must have the option of choosing the order of play alternatively.

B. Score Sheet

The Secretary of the home team must forward by electronic means a photograph of the Official Score Sheet duly completed (in accordance with Rule 9 B ii) to the Hon. Fixture Secretary within 36 hours. The Official Score Sheet must be countersigned by the visiting captain. Any home club failing to submit the score sheet in time will be subject to one point deduction.

C. End Of Season Date

The season shall be deemed as closed at the end of the week in which the last Cup Final is played. Postponed and re-arranged fixtures must be completed by this date.

D. Tournaments

Tournaments may be arranged at the discretion of the Management Committee. Only players registered within the Blackburn & District Badminton Association seven days prior to the closing date for entries will be eligible to participate, except the John Culshaw Trophy. Any rules and fees for such tournaments will be decided by the Management Committee.

E. Representative Matches

Representative matches shall be arranged at the discretion of the Management Committee and players selected shall contribute towards the expenses.

12. Disputes

Protests or complaints of any kind, shall be e-mailed to the Hon. Secretary within seven days of the alleged offence. The Hon. Secretary shall investigate the matter accordingly and at the next scheduled meeting of the Management Committee the protest or complaint will be dealt with. Both parties will be informed of the outcome. The decision of the Management Committee taken at the meeting shall be final.

13. Rules

In the event of any questions arising not provided in the foregoing rules, such questions shall be referred to the Management Committee whose decision shall be final.