CLUB COMPETITION RULES

Ladies & Mens Singles competitions. These are knock-out competitions, played under Bowls England rules with a straight jack and four bowls each. The winner is the first to score 21. Players may choose to play two trial ends before starting the match. It is strongly recommended that competitors find someone to mark for them.

Captains Cup.  This is a singles knock-out competition open to all members of the club played over 18 ends with a roving cot under Cambridge & District rules with 4 bowls each. Competitors are given a handicap from 0 to 5 (0 for the most experienced bowlers and 5 for novice bowlers). The scoreboard is set to reflect the competitors handicaps before the match commences. Players may choose to play two trial ends before starting the match. It is strongly recommended that competitors find someone to mark for them.

Club open pairs. This competition is played on two separate dates during the season, teams of two (a pairing) are drawn from the hat on the day.  Depending upon numbers, each pairing will typically play 3 matches of 5 ends against different opponents on different rinks.  The winners on the day are the pairing with the highest aggregate score.  This process is repeated on a second date and everyone apart from the winners of the first session are free to enter again. The winners from day 1 then play the winners of day 2 on finals day.  The final is played over 18 ends.

Club 2-4-2 pairs. This competition is played on a nominated date during the season, teams of two (a pairing) are drawn from the hat on the day. The match is played under Bowls England rules with a straight jack and four bowls each. The roles of the lead and skip alternate, the first player bowls 2 bowls, the second player then bowls their 4, before the first player bowls their last 2 bowls. Depending upon numbers, each pairing will typically play 3 matches of 5 ends against different opponents on different rinks.  The winner on the day is the pairing with the highest aggregate score.

Ladies pairs, Mens pairs and Mixed pairs.  These are round-robin competitions played throughout the season. Members enter as a pairing or individually, in which case a partner will be allocated at random. Matches are played over 18 ends with a straight jack. The top two pairings then play-off on finals days to decide the winners.

Triples trophy.  This competition is played on a nominated date during the season, teams of three (a triple) are drawn from the hat on the day. The match is played under Bowls England rules with a straight jack and three bowls each. Depending upon numbers, each triple will typically play 3 matches of 5 ends against different opponents on different rinks.  The winner on the day is the team with the highest aggregate score.

The Challenge Book.  The purpose of the challenge book is to assist in making our club competitions run more smoothly throughout the season.

How it works:

• The first named player in each competition should contact their opposition to arrange their match and do so within the first week of the tournament details going up on the noticeboards, this will have a knock-on effect and work the same for each round.
• If the first player is unable to contact their opposition or the opposing player has had no contact then the challenge book comes into play.
• Either player can enter 3 challenge dates (these must be different days and times) to allow for the opposition to have the most chance to play the game.
• Whichever player uses the challenge book must message by either phone, email or text to the opposition to inform them that they have put 3 options in the book.
• This does not mean the challenge dates need to be used but the responsibility then falls on the opposition to either accept a date/time or try to set another date/time that is acceptable. Remember we all want to play our games if possible.
• In the event of a player not responding and making every effort to play their game they will forfeit their match once the play by date has passed.
• As above if neither player makes the effort to arrange their game and the play by date has passed they will both forfeit and their next opposition will receive a bye to the next round.

The Challenge Book is kept in the shed where everyone has access to it.