Use of 4 player rule

[bigtj]

29th September 2022

Stags Head A - Martin Smith
Blue Anchor - Chris Lucas

13th October 2022

The Vine - Paul Barnett
Tarring Club - Dave Collins

17th November 2022

Tarring Club - Bepo

15th December 2022

Tarring Club - Matt Jones

12th January 2023

Tarring Club - Mike Formoy

19th January 2023

Tarring Club - Tony Collins
Alexandra A - James Whittle

9th February 2023

The Vine - Ros Appleby

16th February 2023

The Vine - Tony Burgess

9th March 2023

The Vine - Neil Higgins

23rd March 2023

Tarring Club - Matt Jones

30th March

The Vine - Trevor Rees

20th April 2023

Henty - Terry Molloy

[littletd]

There is nothing in the rules that covers both teams having a missing player! Rule states that using this rule obliges user to forfeit the break. Both teams are in default, how do you select break player? Suggest that this game should be voided and teams awarded 1/2 point each. Sorry to nit-pick 

[pastglories]

Technically correct literal translation, have to agree. Hopefully unwritten common sense rule prevails and break would go to lower division team or where teams are same division, decided by toss of coin.

[bigtj]

Will be discussing this at committee meeting on Monday but I like Gary would like to think common sense should prevail but Terry has a fair point as rules are written. Will update after the meeting.

[NigelS]

Dont see why the game should be voided, you can use a player from 4 to make up 5 players and both teams did that.

Given the player who was against the break won anyway seems overly harsh to penalise anyone.

I would suggest that if this happens the team that would have had the break normally keeps it.

[BB Warrior]

Sept 30, 2022 10:12:08 GMT littletd said:

There is nothing in the rules that covers both teams having a missing player! Rule states that using this rule obliges user to forfeit the break. Both teams are in default, how do you select break player? Suggest that this game should be voided and teams awarded 1/2 point each. Sorry to nit-pick 

Although I agree that the wording of the rules do not cover what happens with the break if both teams are using the 4 player rule, we simply used the logical conclusion that the break should be given to the player that would normally have had the break in that game. That way, neither team can gain an advantage that they would not normally have.

Moving forward, I would suggest that this should be added to the rules to ensure that there is no confusion should the situation arise in the future. It would probably have to be voted on at the next AGM however, or maybe an EGM to include it for the remainder of this season, unless perhaps the committee could approve this to cover the situation until the next AGM?

I certainly do not feel that either team broke the rules or that any default took place during the match and the solution we used was both simple and logical.

[bigtj]

This was discussed at the meeting last night and I will be contacting all captains to convey the committees' thoughts and to get feedback. But can say we think the teams involved took the most common-sense decision. I apologise for the oversight that missed the possibility of both teams having 4 players, but once the captains are made aware of our decision hopefully common-sense will prevail for the rest of this season and we can amend the rule fully at the next AGM without the need for an EGM.

[bigtj]

After discussion and feed-back it has been to issue guidance for when both teams have 4 players as there is nothing in the rule stating that the rule cannot be applied when both teams only have 4 players in attendance, but an oversight has been made by not clarifying the procedure to follow when this does occur, with a view to having the rule amended at next year's AGM.

"In the event of both teams having 4 players when a team from the premier division plays a team from the 1st division the team from the 1st division shall have the break. When two teams from the same division both have 4 players then the player from the away team shall have the break."

Hopefully this will not happen many times during the season and I realise that all will not agree but we believe this is within the spirit of the game and will lead to all teams being able to fulfil their fixtures without the need to give legs away. Please remember the 4-player rule only applies to league games. 

[bigtj]

Updated