League Rules

General Rules

(Revised November 2007 - any changes shown on yellow)

Definitions
1 The competition will be called the NORFOLK CRICKET LEAGUE [hereafter referred to as the NCL].
2 The NCL shall be governed by a General Committee consisting of a Chairman and two Representatives from each Club, only one of whom shall have the power to vote [i.e. 1 vote per Club].
3 a The General Committee shall elect an Executive Committee (EC) to manage the affairs of the NCL. The EC shall consist of the following specific posts: Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare Officer, 3 Results Secretaries plus up to 4 other members. The EC may appoint a President and Vice President to the EC.
b A club may be represented on the EC by more than one member, but only one may vote.
c The EC shall be a maximum of 12 members, and at least half must be present to form a quorum.
d The EC may form sub-committees to deal with specific tasks as required.
Membership and Fees
4 Clubs may enter more than one team in the NCL, but these may not play in the same division (see Match Rule 16)
5 a The Annual Subscription to the NCL is £25.00 per team.
b Entry fee for new teams is £30.00, which includes a £5.00 affiliation fee.
c Membership Fees are to be paid to the Treasurer by 30th April prior to season start. A fine of £5.00 per week will be imposed if payment is late.
6 a All NCL Clubs must be members of the NORFOLK CRICKET FORUM. Subscription for both organisations must be paid via NCL.
b All member clubs must adopt the ECB 'Safe Hands' policy and subsequent amendments
c Membership is open to all Clubs whose constitution includes the following statement: "membership shall be open to all, irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, creed, colour, social status, sexual orientation".
7 a No Club can be expelled from the NCL without their case first being heard by the General Committee of the NCL [General Rule 2 defines] and a vote of all members being upheld in concert against the said Club, or Clubs. [Representatives of the Club or Clubs concerned shall not be allowed to vote].
b If a team is disqualified from, or withdraws from, the NCL, all matches involving this team will become void.
c If a team withdraws in the period between the AGM and the end of the following League season, it shall be liable to a fine to be decided by the EC.
8 The bottom two teams in the lowest division must apply for re-election by 30 Sep. (See Match Rule 17)
9 New teams may apply for membership of the NCL by writing to the NCL General Secretary by 30 September for the following season. The EC will take into account: the quality of the ground, pitch and facilities when considering whether to recommend applications to the General Committee. Voting on re-election and new membership will take place at the AGM.
Meetings
10 The NCL will hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) after the end of each season, normally in November. The EC will be elected at the AGM.
11 a A Special General Meeting (SGM) may be called by a requisition signed by at least 14 Clubs. The NCL General Secretary must have 21 full days’ notice of the SGM
b The requisition must state fully the object of the SGM, and only this matter may be dealt with at this meeting.
c An SGM may also be called by the EC.
12 a A quorum for either AGM or SGM will consist of half the current member Clubs.
b In the event of voting being equal, the Chairman at the meeting may be allowed a casting vote.
c Attendance at AGM and SGM is compulsory. Non-attendance will result in a fine to be decided by the EC.
13 a The NCL Rules (General Rules, Match Rules, and KO Cup Rules) may only be changed by a majority vote at an AGM
b Any Club that wishes to change the NCL Rules (General, Match or KO Cup Rules) must submit their proposals to the NCL General Secretary by 30th September of that year.
c The EC may also table their own proposed changes.
d Any proposals for rule changes will be sent to all Clubs with the Agenda for the AGM.
14 a Any fines levied by the EC must be paid before or at the AGM. Details of any fines imposed may be read out at the AGM.
b If any Club fails to settle such fines at the AGM., it will be deemed to have withdrawn from the NCL.
Structure
15 The NCL will comprise a number of separate divisions, with each division consisting of up to ten teams playing each other home and away on 18 fixed dates. All matches will be played on Saturdays.
16 At the end of each season, the Champions of NCL Division One will be eligible for promotion to the Norfolk
17 A trophy will be awarded to the Winners and Runners-Up of each Division. Trophy holders shall be responsible for their safe-keeping and must return them to the General Secretary of the NCL by the 15th September of the current season.
18 Promotion and relegation between divisions is defined in Match Rule 16.
Player Eligibility
19 NCL Clubs must register players as detailed in ECB 'Safe Hands'. There is no requirement for players to be registered with the NCL.
20 Any club wishing to play a player in the Under 11 age group in an adult League match must obtain the explicit prior approval of the League or Cup management before the player can play. Approval will only be given to exceptionally talented players, on the recommendation of the County Age Group Coach or other ECB Level 3 coach as appropriate. (Note: A player's cricketing age is determined by their actual age on 31 August in the previous year.)
21 a Once a player has represented a Club (Old) in the NCL, he may not play for a different Club(New) in the same season before an authorised transfer has been completed and confirmed by the General Secretary as in 19c below
b The New club is responsible for producing a transfer form, which must include the name of the player, and be countersigned and dated by representatives of the two Clubs concerned.
c The New club is responsible for ensuring that the transfer has been completed (as above) and for sending the transfer form to the General Secretary, who will confirm the transfer
d No transfers will be granted after 30 June each year
Complaints and Protests
22 a All protests [excluding "bad ground reports"] must be made in writing to arrive with the Complaints Secretary (address below) before the Saturday following the incident.
b Each protest must be accompanied by a fee of £5.00, which shall be forfeited if, in the opinion of the EC, there are no reasonable grounds for protest, but shall be refunded if the objection is sustained.
23 a All protests will be investigated by the EC.
b In cases of proven misconduct by any Club or player, the EC has powers to suspend or otherwise penalise the Club, individual or individuals.
c In cases involving actual or threatened abuse of young players, the EC may impose an immediate penalty of suspension on player(s). In these cases, the penalty will not be suspended, pending the collection of further evidence or on appeal (see 24c)
d In all other cases, the EC will ask for statements from the principals involved in the complaint and will normally request both parties to attend a hearing. Any player accused of misconduct may be accompanied by a team mate or friend. At the end of the hearing, the EC will deliberate and announce their decision.
24 a The player or Club may lodge an appeal against the EC decision. The appeal must be made in writing to reach the NCL General Secretary within seven days of receiving the decision. A subsequent meeting of the EC will consider the appeal.
b All dates for the original hearing and subsequent appeal, if necessary, are to be set by the General Secretary of the NCL. These dates are not subject to appeal.
c Any punishment will be suspended once an appeal has been lodged.
d The EC may arrange for any protest, complaint or other disciplinary matter or any appeal in respect thereof to be heard either by itself or by a subcommittee of the EC or by the Disciplinary Sub Committee of the Norfolk Cricket Board. An EC Complaint Subcommittee must comprise at least 3 persons and may include non-EC members.
25 Any dispute having reference to the Laws of Cricket as set out by the MCC, or to the Rules of the NCL, will be decided by the EC, whose decision will be final.
26 After three bad ground reports the EC will investigate and make recommendations.
Complaints Secretary:

Paul Combstock, 10 Dales Court, Bradwell, Gt Yarmouth, NR31 9UE

Revised November 2007
Match Rules

(Revised November 2007 - any changes shown on yellow)

General
1 a All matches are to be played in accordance with the Laws of Cricket (see note below), except as otherwise stated in these Rules
b All teams and players should note that the interpretation of a 'wide' delivery (as seen in televised one-day cricket matches) are following Special Competition Rules and do not follow Law 25, which requires the Umpire to judge a ball as a Wide only if it passes wide of the striker, both where he is standing, and would also have passed wide of him in his normal guard position. The ball will be considered as passing wide unless it is sufficiently within his reach for him to hit it using a normal cricket stoke.
c Several new laws introduced in the 2000 Code require an umpire to warn and then penalise batting or fielding side. These laws will not be recognised in NCL matches where independent umpires have not been appointed
2 Before the toss is made, both captains must declare any young players and their ages. A young player is someone below the age of 19. (Note: A player's cricketing age is determined by their actual age on 31 August in the previous year.)
3 All matches are to start not later than 2.00pm, except on the last two Saturdays of the season when play must start no later than 1.30pm. Tea must be not longer than 20 minutes and, if possible, should be taken between innings. Any team unwilling to start a match within 15 minutes of the official time shall forfeit the right of choice of innings, irrespective of the result of any toss of the coin made by their Captain or deputy.
Restrictions
4 Each innings shall be limited to 45 [6-ball] overs, unless the batting side is dismissed or declares. If weather conditions delay the start of the match, the two Captains may mutually agree to play a restricted overs match of not less than 50 overs.
5 No bowler may bowl more than 12 overs per innings, or more than 25% of the overs in a reduced overs match. No unused overs shall be carried forward to the second innings. In the event of a player being unable, through injury or disposition, to complete an over, the remainder of the over must be completed by another player. This partial over will count towards that player’s over limit.
6 a A new ball is to used in each innings of ALL matches in Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
b In other divisions, only 1 new ball is to be used in each match, to be provided by the Home side.
c The ball for each match shall be of a type designated for that season and purchased by the NCL on behalf of its member Clubs. [Balls to be obtained via the NCL General Secretary].
7 The competing teams shall each supply an Umpire and Scorer if possible. However in the event of any team requesting Neutral Umpires for a match, or the EC appointing Umpires for a match, then the competing teams shall share all costs. The costs are regulated by the NCUSA and must be paid to the Umpires before commencement of the match. All requests and appointments are subject to availability.
Result
8 a No team may be unreasonably strengthened by the inclusion of players from a higher standard with the intention of affecting results.
b The EC will judge each case on its merits - the number of players, their ability and other circumstances will be considered.
c Any team found in breach of this rule - or the spirit in which it is intended - may be liable to a penalty, which may include deduction of match points.
9 The side scoring the most runs, irrespective of the number of fallen wickets, shall be the winners. In the event of runs scored being equal, the match will be tied.
10 The points to govern the Competition shall be as follows:
a 16 points for a win. If the match is tied, each team will earn 8 points
b In addition to the points for a win/tie, both teams will earn bonus points as follows:
[1] 1 point for every 40 runs, up to a maximum of 5 points
[2] 1 point for every 2 wickets taken
11 The result of the match must be agreed between the two captains. In the event of bad light, adverse weather conditions or the state of the pitch preventing the completion of the match, it will be recorded as 'No Result' and neither team will count the game as having been played.
12 The home team may cancel a match in advance only for reasons of bad weather. In these circumstances, the match will be recorded as 'No Result' and neither team will count the game as having been played.
13 a If a match is cancelled (other than for bad weather) both teams shall count the game as having been played.
  a
[1]		 The non-defaulting team will be awarded 21 points or its current points average, rounded up to the next whole number - whichever is the higher.
a
[2]		 The defaulting team will have 16 points deducted.
  a
[3]		 In these circumstances, the game forfeited must be from the lowest-placed team. [For example: if Anytown CC have two teams, the Anytown A fixture is forfeit and the Anytown first team game must be played.]
b The EC may impose a fine on the defaulting team.
c If the non-defaulting team wishes to claim out-of-pocket expenses, they must write to the NCL General Secretary, within seven days of the scheduled fixture, giving details of any such claim. The EC may add such a claim to the fine imposed on the defaulting team.
d In these circumstances, the match cancellation must be done via the Results Secretary of the Division concerned, or the NCL General Secretary, who will verify the cancellation with the contact of the defaulting team.
e Under no circumstances should messages be left via third parties.
14 a The HOME team is responsible for notifying the appropriate Result Secretary of the result before 10pm on match day
b Teams must still notify the Results Secretary even if the game is rained off (see Rule 9).
c Teams who fail to notify the result will be fined: £5 for the first offence and £10 for each subsequent offence.
d The AWAY team is responsible for notifying the appropriate Result Secretary of the 'Spirit of Cricket' mark for the Home team, before 10pm on match day
e Awarding a mark for 'Spirit of Cricket' constitutes part of the result, and teams who consistently fail to award the mark will be fined by the EC
[Note: The Results Procedure is detailed at the back of the handbook, together with contact details for the Results Secretaries.]
Promotion & Relegation
15 The positions in each division of the NCL will be decided by average points (points gained divided by matches played).
16 If Teams have the same Points Average, promotion or relegation places will be decided by applying the following rules, in this order:
a Most games won.
b Least games lost.
c Total runs scored divided by total wickets lost. If still level then,
d Total runs scored.
e Total wickets taken.
f Play off match [Ground & Date to be decided by EC].
17 At the end of each season, the Champions of NCL Division One will be eligible for promotion to the Norfolk Alliance.
18 Promotion and relegation within the NCL shall be determined at the end of each season as follows:
a The top two teams from Division 2 and below will be promoted to replace the bottom 2 in the next higher division.
b Teams finishing in 9th and 10th places in the lowest division must apply for re-election (See General Rules)
c There will be no promotion or relegation involving any division with fewer than 8 teams
d Teams from the same club cannot play in the same division. If promotion or relegation might break this rule, then the following rules will come into force:
[1] Relegation (Scenario: Anytown finishes bottom of Div 2; Anytown A in Div 3): both teams relegated; ie Anytown relegated to Div 3; Anytown A relegated to Div 4 instead of 9th-placed team.
Relegation (Scenario: Anytown finishes bottom of Div 2; Anytown A in Div 3): both teams relegated; ie Anytown relegated to Div 3; Anytown A relegated to Div 4 instead of 9th-placed team
[2] Promotion (Scenario: Anytown in Div 2; Anytown A 2nd in Div 3): Anytown A not promoted; the highest place valid team will be promoted instead
[3] Relegation takes precedence (Scenario: Anytown finishes bottom of Div 2; Anytown A 2nd in Div 4): Anytown relegated to Div 3; Anytown A not promoted from Div 4; the highest place valid team will be promoted instead
19 a If one or more team(s) withdraws, or is expelled from the NCL, then one or more team(s) fewer will be relegated from that and any lower division. The withdrawal will also affect re-election: i.e. one if team withdraws, only one team needs to re-apply, two teams withdraw no team needs to reapply.
b If a single team is not relegated from Division 3 of the Norfolk Alliance, then the structure of the NCL for the following season will be decided by adjusting the number of teams relegated. For example, if there is no relegation from the NA, then only one team will be relegated from each NCVL division. If two teams are relegated from the NA, then three teams will be relegated within the NCL, and so on.
20 Every team must submit a set of statistics (with at least their top batting and bowling details) to the Gen Sec by 15 Sep each year. Failure to do so may warrant a fine to be decided by the EC.

Revised November 2007