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RULES & GUIDELINES

 
General
1.       The League shall be called City of Brighton & Hove Darts League.
2.       The headquarters of the League will be at the Secretaries residence.
3.       The League shall be governed by the Committee of seven or more which are voted in at the AGM and shall stand for three years.  They shall meet on a regular basis or when necessary.
4.       A list of these rules should be displayed in every pub for reference on match nights..
5.       Each member, player and official is responsible and accountable for their own conduct in connection with City of Brighton & Hove Dart League (BHDL).  They must conduct themselves at all times in accordance with the highest standards of discipline and sporting behaviour.  Any conduct that falls below these standards and that harms or undermines the BHDL in any way shall constitute a Disciplinary Offence under this Rule.
It is not possible to draw up a definitive and exhaustive list of types of conduct, behaviour, statements or practices that may amount to a Disciplinary Offence under this Rule.  For purposes of illustration only, and not by way of limitation, each of the following types of behaviour may constitute a Disciplinary Offence under this Rule:
            Acts/statements that breach the BHDL Playing Rules.
Acts or statements that are, or conduct that is, discriminatory by reason of gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability;
Any conduct, behaviour, statements or practices, whether at a match venue or on Social Media which are offensive, indecent, violent and/or insulting and/or that brings or may bring into disrepute the sport of darts and/or BHDL. Disciplinary action could range from a verbal warning to lifetime ban from BHDL. The Committee’s decision is final.
6.       The League Committee will decide how many divisions there will be according to the number of entries and desired length of season.  The Committee also reserve the right to place newly registered teams in a division of the Committee’s choosing.
7.       Any Complaint for whatever reason should be in writing and sent to the League Secretary within 7 days.  This will then go forward to the Committee, whose decision shall be final.
8.       Registration:  All teams will pay a registration fee of £100 per team, Plus a £5 registration fee per player, for Summer & Winter Leagues, (September to August of the following year) these fees to be paid before the first match of the Winter season, or the right to play shall be forfeited.  Any team leaving the league for whatever reason after paying the entry fee shall forfeit that fee. The Committee has the right to refuse the entrance of any team or venue.
9.       All pubs must register their teams with the League Secretary as required by the Committee, complete with registration fee.
10.   A copy of registration forms will be available from the website.   All new player registrations must be by Email or a letter sent by post (NO phone registrations will be accepted) with their £5 registration fee paid and are subject to the committee approval, whose decision is final.   This will take 3 days.  Full names must be used.
11.   A player may transfer to another team with the agreement of the Committee. No player may join a team after 50% of League matches have been played.
12.   Teams can register as many SENIOR County Players as they wish BUT they can only play up to TWO SENIOR COUNTY PLAYERS on any one night. Players will be identify as COUNTY Players if they played for the County in the previous year (September-August). A player can ask (the Committee) to be exempt from the County Player rule if they have progressed though this league to become a County Player. The Committee decision is final.
13.   An ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING shall be called at the end of the financial year, as directed by the Committee. All members can attend but only two votes per team, per proposal. At this meeting officers of the League shall be elected from the registered members of the previous season (every three years).
14.   The final interpretation of these rules remain the right of the Committee.  Rules only to be altered at the AGM, or at an EGM, at which no other business shall be discussed other that the reason the EGM was called for.  All proposals put forward should be in writing and with the League Secretary at least 7 days before the commencement of the Meeting.  Alternatively, a postal ballot may be needed.
  Game night
15.   The Licensee reserves the right to refuse admission to his public house of any member of another pub’s team. The League has no minimum age limit, but if your team has any under 18 players it is the responsibility of the team Captain to contact the Licensee of any venue to confirm the pub rules on under 18’s. Failure to do so may result in the team forfeiting the game to 0.
16.   All League matches shall take place on Tuesday nights and shall commence by 8:45pm.  Teams should arrive at the match venue around 8:30pm to toe the oche by 8:45pm. All games shall be on a standard black dart board in good condition, otherwise the Home team will forfeit the match.  It must be 5ft 8ins from the floor to the centre.  Plumbing to the toe line should be permanently marked preferably by a raised oche at 7ft 9¼ins from the front of the board.  On match nights the matchboard must be of good quality and well lit with either a halo light or LED lights and made available to away teams for practice no later than 8.30pm.
17.   Both Captains (or players in competitions) shall agree that the board and conditions of play are satisfactory and according to the rules.  NO protest appertaining to this rule will be entertained after the match has commenced.
18.   The Captains shall exchange teams by listing out their team and matching up with the opposing team’s Captain. Full names must be used. All Teams must keep a book as a written record of games played with players full names listed for each such game, which must be made available to the Committee if so requested.
19.     Winter League/ Summer League and all Cup Games:  The Away Captain gets the choice if a singles or doubles (trebles) is played in the odd number games i.e.1,3,5,7,9,(11). The Home captain gets to call the games in the even games i.e. 2,4,6,8,10. Home team to chalk on all games.  Chalking must show player’s score and balance, either manually or computerised.
20.   The Away team throws first in the odd numbered games, Home team in the even numbered games.  If a game goes to one leg all, whoever threw first in leg one will throw first in the third leg
21.   Teams can list one substitute who will play if the opposing Captain calls a player who is not present in the pub at the time.  If the substitute is used the player he replaces cannot play for the team that night.  If no substitute is named before the match commences, or a second player is not present when called, the team will lose that game.
22.   Any discrepancy in the scoring must be challenged BEFORE throwing any further darts.  Mistakes CANNOT be challenged after further darts have been thrown.
23.   It is the responsibility of the WINNING TEAM or home team in the case of a draw to phone or E-Mail (brightondarts@aol.com) or text in the result to the League Secretary by Friday following the match, Constant faulty in giving results could end up with the team losing points or even ejection for the league   The League Secretary should also be informed of any finish of 100 and over & 180’s scored.
24.   The winning team will be awarded two points in both Summer and Winter Leagues.  In the Winter League, Teams who draw will receive one point each.  The Team with the most points at the end of the season shall be adjudged the winner of the division.  In the event of a tie, games difference will decide.  In the event of a tie on games difference, a play-off on a neutral board will be arranged to determine the winner.  Relegation and promotion shall be decided by the Committee prior to the commence of the season.
26.   Forfeited games (where a team fails to inform their opponents or the League Secretary of their inability to comply with the fixture) will be awarded to the opponents to NIL. If a team fails to fulfil 3 fixtures in the Winter Season or 2 fixtures in the Summer Season, the Committee have the right to remove the team from the League and their results being scratched. The Committee also has the right to refuse that team from entering the following season. Any team failing to honour fixtures may forfeit their chance of hosting a finals night at the end of the season..
27.   If any team withdraws from the League, all points and games involving this team will be cancelled. 
28.   If a team withdraws from the League, players may transfer to another team with the approval of the Committee.
29.   Any team found to have played an unregistered player will forfeit the match to NIL.  No player may compete for more than one team on one night, or play in another League on match nights.
30.   A Trophy will be awarded to the player with the highest finishing score in each division during the Winter League.
TEAM GAME FORMATS
31.   Summer Cup – Format. 2 x trebles (801 up), straight start, double finish, one game;   3 x doubles (601up), straight start, double finish, one game;  6 x singles (401up), Straight start, double finish, best of three games. The Committee will decide the amount of Division. Team will drawn from the hat in their respective cups.
Winter League – 3 x doubles, (501up), Straight start, double finish, best of 3 Legs; 7 singles, (501 up) , Straight start, double finish, best of 3 Legs.
Ben Truman Cup/plate – 2 doubles (601 up), Straight start, double finish best of 3 legs, 7 singles (401 up), Straight start, double finish, best of 3 legs, losing teams in the first round go into a Plate competition**.
 **If a team fails to turn up for the first round game they forfeit the right to take part in the Ben Truman Plate.
President Trophy/ Emtect Electrical Cup – Committee to decide the split between the cups - Presidents Trophy / Emtect Cup will be split into two, the top two division playing for one and the bottom two division for the other. 3 x doubles (501up), Double start, double finish, best of 3 legs;  6 singles (401 up) Double start, double finish, best of 3 legs.
COMPETITIONS
32.   The league will run singles (one for just the lower two divisions to enter) (£2), men’s doubles (£4), mixed doubles (£4), Captains (Free), Captain & Vice Captains (Free), and 301 cut-throat competition
      In Men’s doubles both players must be registered with the same team they are representing.
A replacement player may take the place of a competitor in the pairs first game of the Men’s doubles or Mixed doubles only (they can only play if they did not enter the competition originally). The original competitor may not return to the competition. No replacement can be made after the pair’s first game. All Play-off night will take place on a Tuesday night incorporated within the fixtures, (if there is adequate time in the League fixture), all will commence at 8:45p.m. unless otherwise advised by the League Secretary.
In doubles competitions, if one player is absent, the remaining player will have one throw to the opponents two.
Before the start a ‘nearest the bull throw’ to decide who throws first in the opening leg. If the match goes one leg all, whoever throws first in the first leg throws first in the final leg.
Formats
Mens Singles, (best of 5 leg all rounds) 501 up Premier Division 1 & 401 up Division 2 & 3,
Men’s Pairs, (best of 5 legs all rounds) 501 up Straight Start, Doubles Finish.
Mixed Pairs, (best of 3 legs) 601 up Straight Start, Doubles Finish
Cut-throat Cup, (301 Double start, Doubles Finish, 1 leg only
Captain & Vice Captains Singles, (best of 3 legs) 401 up Straight Start, Doubles Finish
Captain and Vice Captains Pairs, (best of 3 legs) 601 up Straight start, Double Finish (except the final is best of 5 legs).
Winners to advise the league secretary of the result within five days.
Finals nights (last 8 or 16) will be held at the best venues in the League (also semis & finals), even though this may mean more pubs do not get a finals night. A volunteer chalker for the first game then the loser chalks next game and so.