SURREY OPEN HOCKEY LEAGUE RULES SEASON 2011/2012
1 DEFINITIONS
a) "The League Committee" means the elected committee of the Surrey Open Hockey League.
b} "The League Secretary" shall mean the Secretary elected to administer the League.
c) "The Fixture Secretary" shall mean the Secretary responsible for obtaining Fixtures and publishing league tables.
2 MEMBERSHIP
a) Membership of the League is by application and acceptance by the League AGM. Teams may apply for seeding to a higher division.
b) Each team, by its entry, is deemed to have consented to and be bound by the rules of this League.
3 CONTROL AND ALTERATIONS OF RULES
a) Any amendment to the rules is subject to member clubs at the AGM or EGM.
b) The League Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Treasurer, League Secretary, Fixture Secretary, plus any other Associate Committee members as confirmed at an AGM.
c) The League Committee shall meet as required but at least twice a season,
d) All decisions by the Fixture Secretary shall be binding by all clubs within the League but shall be subject to appeal as hereinafter provided to the League Committee who may delegate their right to hear appeals to a committee of three persons.
4 MATCHES AND CONDITIONS OF PLAY
a) All matches shall be played in accordance with "The Rules of Hockey".
b) The home team shall be responsible for the provision of an adequate supply of hockey balls for each game.
c) All league teams shall wear shirts in their club colours. In the event of a potential clash of colour of shirts, unless otherwise agreed, the away team shall change. Numbered shirts are recommended.
d) A match may be started at any time between 10.00am and 4.00pm, provided that no team is required to leave its home clubhouse before 9.00am or arrive back after 7.00pm after adding 30 minutes to allow for changing and warming up/down.
e) Games shall be for a duration of 35 minutes in each half. If, for good reason, time is restricted, team captains may agree a shortened playing time period for the game.
f) The minimum number of players from both teams to start a match shall be eight. Players who have played some part in the game and are then injured, suspended or permanently suspended shall be counted as part of that number.
g) Teams must abide by any local rules or requirements relating to pitches, particularly in the use of correct footwear
5 NOTIFICATIONS
a) Each team shall advise the Fixture Secretary of a designated contact for that team. In the absence of any other notification, the Fixture Secretary of that team’s club will be assumed to be the contact.
b) Home teams shall post time and venue of matches on Fixtures Live at least 10 days before the start of the season. In the event of those details being changed, the home team shall notify the opposing team contact person at least 10 days before the match. Failure to notify in time will allow the opposing team to reject the new time and venue.
c) The result of each match shall be notified by the home team via phone text to Fixtures Live no later than 12.00 midnight on the day of the match. Failure to do so will result in a one point deduction.
d) Notification of the League Fixture and up-to-date league positions shall be by publication on the league website.
6 FIXTURES
a) The Fixture Secretary shall arrange the league fixtures.
b) League fixtures shall be played on such dates determined by the Fixture Secretary.
Clarification: Club Fixtures Secretaries can swap home and away fixtures between sides if required for pitch availability. Clubs must notify the SOHL Fixture Secretary at least 10 days prior to the game.The home side on Fixtures Live is responsible for texting-in the result. Note that this may not necessarily be the home team on the day.
c) All league fixtures are to be completed by Easter of each season.
7 CANCELLATION, POSTPONEMENT AND ABANDONMENT
a) All cancellations, postponements and abandonments shall be advised to the Fixture Secretary as soon as possible.
b) A league fixture may be postponed due to adverse weather or ground conditions, the captain, or in his absence, an official of the home team having the sole right to determine whether the ground or weather conditions make play impossible and shall give notice of such postponement immediately to the opposing team and to the Fixture Secretary.
c) Any league game postponed or abandoned shall be played on a subsequent date agreed by both teams, or on a date determined by the Fixture Secretary in the event of no agreement subject to rule 7(g). A match postponed or abandoned prior to Christmas must, save in exceptional circumstances, be played before the subsequent re-commencement of league matches.
d) The Fixture Secretary may in all circumstances direct a date on which a postponed match must be played.
e) A match may only be abandoned once it has commenced by the unanimous decision of both umpires. The captains of both teams shall be deemed to have transferred their powers in this respect to the umpires jointly.
f) Teams failing to fulfil three or more fixtures in the same season shall, save in exceptional circumstances, have their results deleted and shall be treated as relegated teams. They shall only be re-admitted in the next or subsequent seasons if satisfactory assurances are given as to their ability to fulfil future fixtures.
g) Where a side cancels a fixture and receives acknowledgement from the opposition before 10.00pm on the Tuesday before the fixture:
- The fixture shall be replayed at a mutually agreed date and time. There will be no penalties applied to the cancelling side.
- Alternatively, if both sides are in agreement and that agreement is communicated to the Fixture Secretary before the day of the fixture, a 5-0 walkover will be awarded to the non-cancelled team. No replay will be necessary.
Clarification: It is accepted that teams find it necessary to cancel fixtures. The intention of this rule is to encourage teams to make an early decision. Past experience is that some cancelled teams prefer a walkover.
h) Where a side cancels a fixture after 10.00pm on the Tuesday before the fixture:
- The fixture shall be replayed at a mutually agreed date and time.
- Alternatively, if both sides are in agreement and that agreement is communicated to the Fixture Secretary before the day of the fixture, a 5-0 walkover will be awarded to the non-cancelled and the fixture shall be replayed at a mutually agreed time between the two teams.
In either case, there will be a three points deduction from the cancelling team and
Where a team cancels an away game on astro-turf after 10.00pm on the Tuesday before the fixture, the cancelling team shall pay the home team a £75 contribution towards pitch hire within 28 days of the date of the fixture. Rule 16(a) will apply in the event of failure to pay the contribution by the due date. The home team can decline the contribution, in which case rule 16(a) will not apply.
Clarification: The intention of this rule is to dissuade teams from cancelling late in the week, thereby preventing oppositions from obtaining an alternative fixture and losing pitch fees.
j) A match must start no later than 15 minutes after the designated start time. If a team is unable to start no later than 15 minutes, for any reason other than the over-running of the previous fixture on that pitch, a 5-0 walkover will be awarded to their opposition.
If a fixture is unable to be completed due to over-running of the previous fixture, the game shall be deemed to have been abandoned.
8 UMPIRES
a) If umpires are appointed by any association it is the home team's responsibility to confirm with those umpires the venue and start time at least one week in advance.
b) If umpires are not appointed, each team must provide an umpire competent to umpire hockey.
c) Umpires should not be changed during the game except in the case of illness or injury to said umpire. Any exception to this must be agreed by both teams prior to the start of the match, and if so agreed, must be limited to one change of umpire only.
Clarification: Umpires provided by sides must be competent to umpire. Sides can swap umpires at half-time, but only with the prior agreement of the opposition captain.
9 PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
a) At the end of each season there shall be:
i) Two teams to be promoted from each division, except from the top division which will be determined by the happenings of the South Hockey League
ii) Two teams to be relegated from each division, except from the bottom division from which there will be no relegation.
b) Any team withdrawing or being expelled from the league shall have their membership of the league cancelled, and any results up to such point expunged.
c) Any team may refuse promotion, provided that it gives notice to the League Secretary not later than the 1st May of the relevant season. In such an event an alternative promotion or one less relegation from the division above shall be at the discretion of the League Committee
d) No more than two teams from the same club may play in the same division. If potentially caused by relegation from the division above, the team in the receiving division shall be relegated. If potentially caused by a promotion from below, the otherwise promoted team shall not be promoted.
e) Notwithstanding the above, the League Committee may vary the teams in any division prior to the commencement of any season.
10 POSITION IN THE LEAGUE
a) The League position of each team shall be determined on a points basis with teams scoring three points for each league match won and one point for each match drawn.
b) In the event of two or more teams having the same number of points, their respective position shall be determined by placing higher the team with a more favourable goal difference and, if this be equal, the team scoring the higher amount of goals, and if this be equal there shall be a play off if promotion or relegation places are at stake.
11 APPLICATION TO JOIN AND WITHDRAW FROM THE LEAGUE
a) Qualifying teams wishing to withdraw from the League shall give notice of such intention to the League Secretary by 1st May in any year. This shall have effect from the next season.
b) Qualifying teams wishing to join the league shall give notice of their intention to apply to the League Secretary by 1st May in any year so that their application may be put before the AGM of that year. Such teams applying must then be present at the AGM to give a resume regarding their application and suitability, unless exceptional circumstances prevent them from doing so.
c) The League membership shall have the sole right to admit or refuse new applications. This shall be determined by a simple majority with the Chairman having the casting vote.
d) Teams admitted to the League may put forward a case for seeding to a higher division. In the event of no agreement being reached then the League Committee shall determine the position.
e) Notwithstanding the rules herein set out, the League Committee may in its sole discretion before the commencement of any season vary the teams in any division.
12 ELIGIBILITY OF TEAMS & PLAYERS
a) Clubs must be affiliated to the Southern Counties Hockey Association and one of its constituent counties, but not necessarily be within its geographical area.
b) Players shall be bona fide club members (male).
c) Players shall not play in league matches for more than one club in any season unless the player has left one club and subsequently become a bona fide member of another.
Clarification: The intention of this rule is to prevent players from doubling-up for different clubs during a season.
d) Players selected to play for a higher side, on any said day, shall not then play for a lower side, on that day if their game is postponed or abandoned.
Clarification: Higher XI players cannot play for a lower XI if their game is postponed, cancelled or abandoned
e) No player may play in the same weekend in more than one outdoor men’s league match in any league at any level, unless it be for the same team playing twice or as a goalkeeper under rule 12 (f) applies.
f) Goalkeepers may play in more than one Surrey Open Hockey League game in a day.
Note that South rules do not permit goalkeepers to double up. If a goalie plays in a South game (e.g. Surrey 1st XI Div 1) and an SOHL game on the same day, he is breaking South rules and the South side could be penalised.
The intention of this rule is to prevent sides having to cancel a fixture due to the injury or non-availability of a goalkeeper. It is not intended to allow goalies to regularly play two or more games on a Saturday where clubs are consistently short of a goalkeeper.
g) No team shall play a League match whilst its club on the same day cancels or does not play a scheduled league match of a higher selected club team. In the event of the lower team playing the League match, the match will be awarded to the opponent by a score of 5 – 0 or the match score, whichever is the higher.
Clarification: A cancelled or non-playing higher XI cannot fulfil a lower XI SOHL fixture. In the event that one of a number of club fixtures needs to be cancelled, that club should fulfil the higher fixture(s) by cancelling the lower fixture(s).
h) Teams fielding ineligible players shall be dealt with under Rule 16.
13 PROTESTS AND APPEALS
a) All questions of interpretation of these rules shall be referred to the Fixture Secretary.
b) Protests to the Fixture Secretary must be lodged within seven days of the relevant match or occurrence or of the time the relevant circumstances became known to the complainant. No objection or protest shall be withdrawn except by leave of the League Committee.
c) A club may appeal through the League Secretary to the League Committee against the decision of the Fixture Secretary within 14 days of notification of such decision. The right of appeal shall be dependent on the appellant depositing with the League £30 in the form of a cheque made payable to the Surrey Open Hockey League. The Committee may at its discretion return all or part of the amount to appellants.
d) A decision from a full League Committee shall be final and binding.
e) A Committee member having a conflict of interest shall not be involved in any decision made.
14 FINANCE
All teams belonging to the League shall pay a subscription of such amount as the League Committee shall each season determine such subscription to be paid to the Treasurer by 31st October of that season. Cheques should be made payable to the Surrey Open Hockey League. Any subscription not paid by that date shall be doubled.
Any team not paying by 31st December shall be dealt with under Rule 16 and a fine will be imposed.
15 CORRESPONDENCE - PRESS STATEMENTS
a) All communications must be addressed to the League Secretary who shall conduct the relevant correspondence to the League.
b) Statements to the Press concerning the League should only be made by the League Secretary.
16 BREACH OF RULES
a) The League Committee may at any time impose a fine of up to £50 and / or order a particular game to have been won 5-0 by one team and lost 0-5 by its opposition and / or order any match to be played at an alternative venue and / or relegate any team to a lower division and / or expel any teams from the League for the breach of any Rule hereof. They may additionally or alternatively impose such other penalty as shall be deemed appropriate.
b) A mandatory deduction of three points and a loss by 0–5, or by the higher score if the match was played and a higher goal difference resulted with the opposing side deemed to have won the match by the same score together with any other penalties if deemed necessary shall be imposed on a team which:
i) fails to provide a competent umpire
ii) plays an ineligible player
Clarification: Where a club Is found to have doubled-up a player, the later fixture(s) played will attract the penalty. Where a player is alleged to have doubled-up from another League, that other League will informed by SOHL.
iii) plays a person at the time suspended by any relevant authority
iv) refuses to commence a match that has not been properly postponed or refuses to continue a match that has not been properly abandoned
17 BINDING FORCE OF RULES
Each club by its entry into the League shall be deemed to have given its consent to the Rules of the League and to any amendments which may from time to time be adopted in proper form and shall be deemed to have agreed to abide by the decisions of the League Committee subject to right of appeal.
The League shall indemnify its committee members and any person appointed by and acting on behalf of the League against any claim which may arise from any action taken with the authority of the League
18 AGM
The League Secretary shall give at least twenty-one days notice of the AGM and ensure the accounts are prepared by the Treasurer.