Contents1.FORMAT
1.1 Tigers
1.2 Bullivant Bowl
1.3 Sabres
2. ELIGIBLE TEAMS
3. ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
4. DETERMINING WINNERS
4.1 Group Stages
4.2 Knockout Matches
5. FEMALE PLAYERS
6. ARRANGING MATCHES
6.1 Group Stage Matches
6.2 Knockout Matches
6.2.1 Tigers League
6.2.2 Bullivant Bowl and Sabres League
6.3 Play by dates
6.3.1 Tigers
6.3.2 Bullivant Bowl
6.3.3 Sabres
7. CONDUCT OF MATCHES
8. RESULTS
9. DISPUTES
1.FORMAT1.1 TigersThe general format of the competition will comprise inter-club 8-aside scratch match-play matches over 18 holes in fourballs. There will be an initial group stage to determine which clubs participate in the second stage which will run on a knockout basis. Clubs may play 6-aside matches in the group stages only, with the 2 unplayed matches being recorded as halves. This must be agreed when the fixture is arranged, and the league secretary must be informed. The winners of the knockout stage will receive the Leslie Flack Cup to hold for one year.
For the initial round robin stage, clubs will be drawn into 4 groups (Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4) and will play each other team in their group on a home and away basis. Points will be awarded as per the match score, for example if a team wins the match 6-2 then the winning team will be awarded 6 points and the losing team 2 points. The winners and runners up of each group will go forward to the knockout stage.
The knockout stages will be arranged as follows:
Quarter finals (single match);
Match 1; Group 1 Winner v Group 4 Runner Up
Match 2; Group 2 Winner v Group 3 Runner Up
Match 3; Group 3 Winner v Group 2 Runner Up
Match 4; Group 4 Winner v Group 1 Runner Up
Semifinals (One match on a neutral venue);
Match 5; Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2
Match 6; Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4
Final (neutral venue)
Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6
1.2 Bullivant BowlThe bowl format will be a knockout competition based on a standard bracketed draw. Matches will comprise 3 games played on a fourball better ball match play basis off scratch. All ties except the final will involve a home match and an away match. The winners of the tie will be the team that has scored the greatest number of points in the two matches. The final will be played over 18 holes on a neutral course to be determined by the Executive Committee.
1.3 SabresThe Sabres Leagues are split geographically into East and West. The format is a round robin group stage followed by a knockout stage. Groups will be drawn into a maximum number of 6 teams per group, with each club in the group playing every other club on a home and away basis. Points will be awarded as per the match score, for example if a team wins the match 3-1 then the winning team will be awarded 3 points and the losing team 1 point.
The format will be a team of 8, comprising of 4 fourball better ball matches played off scratch.
For Sabres West there are generally three groups designated Pool A, Pool B and Pool C and the winners of each Pool will advance into a three team league where they will play each other home and away to decide the winners of the Sabres West.
For Sabres East there is generally one group of 6 teams, with the top 4 teams advancing to a one-leg semi-final knockout stage. The team placed 1st will play the team place 4th, with home advantage awarded to the team finishing 1st. The team placed 2nd will play the team placed 3rd, with home advantage awarded to the team finishing 2nd.
The winners of Sabres West will play the winners of Sabres East in a Grand Final to be played on Finals Day, if possible, where precedence will be given to the Bullivant Bowl if a team qualifies for both the Bullivant Bowl Final and the Sabres Grand Final.
2. ELIGIBLE TEAMSAny member club of the Middlesex Tigers League is eligible to play in the competition provided that they do not owe the league money including outstanding subscriptions or unpaid fines. A club may enter more than one team into a competition, but players may not play for more than one team in a season.
Teams with monies outstanding from any stage of the competition unpaid by the closing date of the next stage of the competition will be disqualified. If they have played and won a match in the knockout stage, that match will be awarded to the other team.
3. ELIGIBLE PLAYERSEach member of an eligible team:-
a) must be a bona fide member of the club
b) must not have represented any other eligible club or team in the competition in the same year.
c) In the Tigers League, players must have a WHI of 2.0 or higher, there is no upper handicap limit.
d) In the Sabres League and Bullivant Bowl, players must have a WHI of 5.5 or higher, there is no upper handicap limit.
Clubs are reminded however, that the original concept of the league was to create competitive inter club competition for players in the playing handicap range between 8 and 12.
4. DETERMINING WINNERS4.1 Group StagesThe final order of teams in each group shall be decided by the number of points gained. In this calculation, results in matches involving one or more teams who have awarded their opponents a walkover in three or more matches during the season shall not be considered.
If two or more teams have the same number of points, the order will be decided by the results between the two teams as follows:
the head-to-head record of the two tied teams,
the total number of ‘holes up’ in the head-to-head ties, and if still tied.
the total number of games won in all of the league fixtures
For these purposes, all games for which the result is not known (e.g. result not reported or a walkover given) or the game was not completed (e.g. a player retires) will be treated as a win ‘1 up’.
Any remaining ties will be decided by drawing lots.
4.2 Knockout MatchesEach game is played over 18 holes and results in a win (1pt), half (½pt) or loss (0pt). If, after all games have been played (i.e. the completion of the 2nd leg if a two legged match), each team has the same number of points, each captain must nominate a player (Tigers League) or pair (Bullivant Bowl) to take part in a sudden death playoff starting from the 1st tee or, if local starting times do not permit this, the tee specified in the local starting times.
5. FEMALE PLAYERSWhen a team fields female players, these players will play off the tees that are closest in women’s course rating to the men’s white tee course rating, with equalisation shots applied accordingly.
For example at course A - where the white tees CR for men is 72.1 and CR for women red tees is 72.9 and CR for women yellow tees is 74.9, the female players will play off the red tees and would receive 1 equalisation shot.
For example at course B - where white tees CR for men is 72.1 and CR for women red tees is 69.4 and CR for women yellow tees is 71.2 the female players will play off the yellows tees and the men will receive 1 equalisation shot.
Where equalisation shots are to be applied, the hole indices used will be from the card that receives the shots e.g. if the man is giving 2 shots to the woman then the red card stroke indices 1 and 2 will be the holes used.
6. ARRANGING MATCHES6.1 Group Stage MatchesThese will be arranged by the Team Representatives and all dates and times forwarded in writing to the secretary by 31st March, although matches may be played before this date. Any subsequent arrangement to change dates or times must similarly be forwarded to the secretary at least 1 week prior to the agreed date.
Failure to notify the league secretary of the agreed date for matches by 31st March will attract a fine of £5.00. Teams making reasonable attempts to arrange matches but failing will be exempt from this penalty provided the League Secretary is notified on or before this date.
In this context, a “reasonable attempt” has been made if the fixture is played or:-
a) by the home team, if it has offered the away team 2 separate dates with a minimum of one week's notice before the earliest date; and
b) by the away team if it has accepted one of the dates.
If the home team is unable to accommodate the match on its own course within these guidelines, it forfeits the home advantage and must play away from home.
The agreed date is the date lodged with the league secretary. Fixtures will be published on the Middlesex Tigers website at
www.middlesextigers.chessck.co.uk. Where inconsistencies exist, it is the responsibility of the clubs to agree a common date and time and notify the secretary. If no common date is lodged, the date and time lodged with the secretary by the home team will take precedence over that lodged by the away team in determining the agreed date for the purposes of resolving any disputes.
Teams are not expected to start a match before 8:30 am, unless explicitly agreed between both parties when the fixture is arranged.
Unless both teams agree an alternative date with the League Secretary, a team cancelling a match less than 2 weeks before the agreed date will award a walkover to the opposing team. In case of dispute, the date on which the secretary was notified of the need to cancel the match will be the deciding date. Teams awarded a walkover for these reasons will be awarded the following points for those matches:
Tigers - 6 Points
Sabres West – 3 Points
Sabres East – 4 Points
Bullivant Bowl – 2 Points
No points will be awarded to the team that has cancelled the match.
Where a fixture has been cancelled, both teams must make reasonable attempts to rearrange the fixture. Failure so to do may attract a penalty of one point.
Unless a later date has previously been agreed with the league secretary, matches not played by the closing date will be declared a draw and the points shared. Teams regularly failing to play fixtures may, at the discretion of the committee, not be invited to compete in the following year.
6.2 Knockout MatchesDates for the knockout section of competitions must be notified to the secretary at least 2 weeks (for one-leg matches), or 3 weeks (for two-legged matches) before the closing date of the round.
6.2.1 Tigers LeagueOnce knockout match has been arranged and the date set, the match cannot be cancelled. The team cancelling the match in this case will be disqualified.
6.2.2 Bullivant Bowl and Sabres LeagueTeams cancelling matches with less than 2 weeks' notice will be disqualified unless there are exceptional circumstances. In case of dispute, the date on which the secretary was notified of the need to cancel will be the deciding date.
In the event of the first named team on the draw sheet not contacting the other team with the offer of two dates at least three weeks before the closing date, the other team will go through
Where exceptional circumstances (such as unforeseen course closure) exist, the committee may waive any penalty and, in the case of a knockout match, grant an extension of up to one week. Further extensions may be granted at the discretion of the committee only if the courses of both clubs involved remain closed.
6.3 Play by dates6.3.1 TigersGroup matches to be played by 9th July
Quarter Finals to be played by 6th August
Semi Finals to be played by 3rd Sept
Final to be played on Sat 16th or Sun 17th Sept
6.3.2 Bullivant Bowl1st round to be played by 28th May
2nd round to be played by 24th June
Quarter Finals to be played by 30th July
Semi Finals to be played by 3rd Sept
Final to be played on Sat 16th or Sun 17th Sept
6.3.3 SabresAt the discretion of the organising committees, except that fixtures should be arranged to allow an East v West grand final on Saturday 16th or Sunday 17th September 2023.
7. CONDUCT OF MATCHESGeneral: Each Team Captain must list his players in order prior to the match and exchange lists with the opposing Captain at the beginning of the match. The players must be paired as listed but pairs may play in any order.
All games must commence play from the starting tee within one hour (Tigers League) or half an hour (Bullivant Bowl, Sabres Leagues) of the time of the agreed match. If the failure to start on time is due to:-
- one player/pair being late on the tee, the opponent may claim the game;
- the tee not being available, the home team may forfeit all games that have not started within the one hour limit.
In pairs matches, A match may start with only one player from either or both sides and the second player as listed on the team sheet may join the match at any time providing the match starts within the stipulated time limit.
The starting time of the match will be the last such time notified to the League Secretary at least 7 days before the fixture. Where teams have notified different times or dates, the information provided by the home team will be the official starting time. All games forfeited under this rule will give a score of 3/2 for the purposes of settling tie breaks.
If, for any reason, a team claims more than two games in a particular match, the Committee may declare the match null and void and treated it as if the defaulting team had cancelled the fixture at short notice.
Course unplayable: Play may be suspended by the Committee. If no Committee Member is available, the decision can be made:
- by agreement between the match Captains; and, if they do not agree
- by any official of the home club duly authorised to make such decisions under the normal practice of the home club or, if such an official is not available;
- by the home club professional.
Where play is suspended during the course of a match, every effort must be made to complete the match on the same day. However, where the Committee (or otherwise as set out above) decides that the last game of the match is unlikely to be completed within 5 hours of the start the match, play may be abandoned for the day.
If play is abandoned for the day then the match will be resumed at a date and time to be agreed according to the normal rules for arranging fixtures.
Players are reminded that, under the rules of golf:-
play must be resumed from the point at which it was discontinued. To facilitate this, players should make every effort to ensure that, should they elect to discontinue play, they do so immediately after the completion of a hole.
leaving the course before play has been officially abandoned may result in disqualification.
Decisions Required during a Match Where, under the rules of golf, a decision is required from a member of the Committee and no member of the Tigers Committee is available, any decision that is required can be made by agreement between the match Captains (except as provided for elsewhere within the competition rules). If the match Captains cannot agree, a claim must be submitted to the Tigers Committee under rule 2-5.
8. RESULTSThe home team Captain shall record the players and the result and forward them to the email address on the scorecards provided as soon as possible after the match is played. The minimum information required for each game in the match is:-
a) the name of each player;
b) the result and score (holes up/down) in each game;
c) the match result (games won/lost).
Failure to provide results of matches to the league secretary within 7 days of the match being played will render the offending Team liable to a fine not to exceed £5.00 for each match not so reported.
9. DISPUTESWhere the result of a game or match is disputed, the league secretary will endeavour to determine the correct result. Where this is either not possible or impractical, the first reported result shall stand.
In the case of a dispute, the decision of the Executive Committee shall be final.