Wessex Basketball League regulations in Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Wilts, Bucks, Oxon

Wessex Basketball

Basketball for the Berkshire, North Hampshire and West Surrey area

Wessex Basketball League Regulations

Note: All mention of the Executive Committee refers to the Executive Committee of the Wessex Basketball League as defined in Article 6B of the Constitution of the Wessex Basketball Association.

1. Registration
2. Fixtures
3. Officiating
4. Results
5. League Tables
6. Rules
7. Emergency Powers
8. Accident or Loss
9. Facilities
10. Penalties
11. Surety Fee
12. Discipline
13. Right of Appeal
14. Dress Code

RULE 1: REGISTRATION
(a) The registration of clubs and players with the Wessex Basketball Association should be carried out directly with the Registrar (see Admin on the Contact Us page). The appropriate registration form (See Forms for Download page) and fee should be sent to the Registrar of the Wessex Basketball Association prior to the first League Fixture. Cheques should be made payable to 'WESSEX BASKETBALL'.

(b) The registration of additional players may be carried out throughout the season, but no player registered after 28 February may play in any knockout competition or tournament under the jurisdiction of the Wessex Area Basketball Association, unless prior permission is given by the Wessex Area Committee. Any additional registration of players must be notified to the “Wessex Area Registrar” Any additional player registered will not be permitted to play in the Semi Final or Final of the Wessex Cup or plate competition if they have not played in the quarter Final or rounds prior to the Quarter Final.

(c) The registration number (last three digits) of each player must be recorded on the score sheet next to the name of the player. No player may play in any match until they have paid for their registration, and bee provided with a registration number by the Registrar.

(d) The Executive Committee also advise that all referees who do not also participate as a player register with the Wessex Basketball Association and EB. This is to give insurance cover for the referee. The Executive Committee will not accept responsibility for any referee who does not comply with this rule.

(e) The League fee is £60 per team entered, and this should be sent, together with a completed application form (plus any outstanding fines or charges), to the League Secretary, by the date shown on the form. Failure to submit the required fee by the date shown will make the team(s) liable to either a fine or exclusion from the League, at the discretion of the League Committee. Cheques should be made payable to 'WESSEX BASKETBALL'.

(f) Entries for subsequent seasons will not be accepted until outstanding fines have been paid.

(g) A player may not play for more than one League club in one season, unless the written permission of the Executive Committee is obtained.

(h) When a club has more than one team in the League, it shall at registration nominate five players for each team, except its lowest side if the latter is in a lower division than the other teams. The nominated players may only play for the team for which they were nominated, or a team in a higher division. Please also refer to rule 1.k and the Nominated Player Guidelines.

(i) Open Divisions only: where a club has more than one team competing in the same division, no player may play for more than one of the teams.

Women’s Divisions only: Where a club has more than one team competing in the same division, non-nominated players may play for up to two of these teams.

(j) The League comprises both open and women’s' divisions. Male players may not play for a team in a women's division.

(k) No Basketball League Limited (BBL) licensed player may play for any team without prior written approval of the Wessex League Committee. No National League (NBL) licensed player may play in any division other than the 1st division (open or women’s) without the prior written approval of the Wessex League Committee. Players who have been registered at Senior National League level (either for the current or immediately previous season) MUST be listed as a Nominated player. This regulation does not apply to Junior or Cadet National League players who play only in Junior or Cadet National League.

(l) Any club playing an unregistered player under an assumed name will be dealt with under Rule 7 (Emergency Powers).

(m) Any club playing an ineligible player will be liable to forfeiture of any match involving ineligible players and/or may be fined. For the avoidance of doubt an ineligible player is, for the purposes of these provisions, any player whose participation in a game causes a breach of any of paragraphs (g), (h), (i), (j), (k) or (l) above, or who, at the time the game is played, has not been registered and provided with a registration number by the Registrar.

NOMINATED PLAYER GUIDELINES
The Nominated Player rule (see 1. h, 1. i and 1. k) is designed to allow flexibility within clubs, to ensure teams have sufficient players available especially if they are short of players (whether due to numbers, injury, work etc.)

They are not designed to give strong/top players “carte blanche” to play at every level. So to provide some clarity, the following points should be considered.

The nominated player rules are designed:-

(1) to provide flexibility to clubs who are endeavouring to successfully run multiple ladies teams or two Open Division teams with a smaller pool of players

(2) to reduce "ring-fencing" in relationships within a club, by enabling some players to play with the opposite squad from time to time.

(3) to give opportunities to aspiring players to play more basketball by supporting more than one team in the same club, particularly where individuals cannot command a regular team spot, or where a squad is short of core players through absence or injury and needs to call up support from another team within the club.

It is not designed to enable National League standard or other recognised top performers (in the judgment of the League Committee) to play more basketball. This is about enabling other players to play more basketball.

However, whilst these are Guidelines, the Committee will liaise with any club deemed to be contravening the spirit of these guidelines. The club will be asked to re-consider their team selections (specifying the player(s) concerned). Should the club continue to contravene the spirit of these guidelines, then the Committee reserves the right to declare such player(s) “Ineligible” for a particular team, and invoke League Rule 1. m (Ineligible players).

RULE 2: FIXTURES
(a) The League fixture lists must be adhered to as closely as possible, thus allowing both clubs and officials to accept the fixtures as published, without the need for further contact

(b) Any team cancelling a fixture without the prior approval of the fixtures secretary (in conjunction with the committee) will automatically forfeit the fixture with a 20 nil score line to the opposition. The committee may also fine the team who fail to complete the fixture if costs have been incurred by the other team.

(c) If permission is granted for a fixture to be re-arranged the team who requested the postponement will be responsible for notifying the fixtures secretary of the new date, with the agreement of the opposition, within 14 days of the original date of the fixture.

(d) In the event of a fixture being postponed, re-arranged or forfeited the team responsible must notify opponents and officials. The team responsible for the cancellation of the fixture will be liable if any costs are incurred by late notification or failure to do so.

(e) In the event of a fixture being awarded 20 nil the team claiming the game will be responsible for sending a 20 nil scoresheet to the results secretary giving details on the back.

(f) If a team fails to appear on court within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time without contacting the opposition and gaining agreement, the match may be awarded to the opposition 20 nil. The same rule given in 2e applies to the scoresheet, which should be signed by the match officials. The team failing to appear in time will still be liable for part payment of officials and may be subject to a fine.

(g) The committee shall reserve the right to administer fines in the event of games not being played in accordance with the rules outlined in paragraphs 2b to 2g.

(h) The above rules apply to all Wessex League and Cup fixtures.

(i) The Committee shall reserve the right to administer fines in the event of games being conceded where the Committee are not satisfied that there were reasonable grounds for conceding such a game

RULE 3: OFFICIATING
(a) The Executive Committee will publish a list of officials on the area.

(b) The Officials Secretary shall appoint both officials to each match in all divisions from a pool of referees. Each club will be responsible for nominating at least one official per team to the pool of referees. Appointments will be made from the pool on a geographical basis as far as possible.

(c) In the home matches for teams registered outside the Wessex area, the home team is responsible for providing two qualified referees. The away team may take one appointed official, provided that the home club is given 14 days' notice. The travelling expenses for the away team referee will be covered by the away team.

(d) Any club registered in the Wessex Area failing to nominate one referee for each team entered will be required to pay an additional fee of £50.00 for the first team that does not have a nominated referee. This fee will rise to £75.00 for a second team without a nominated referee, £100.00 for a third team without a nominated referee and £25.00 extra for each additional team without a nominated referee. Half of this fee will be refunded in the event that the team nominates a referee to the League list during the season. Clubs in their first year with the League, junior clubs and teams with a representative on Area or League Committees are exempt from this rule.

(e) League recommended fees for the remuneration of match officials, plus travelling expenses, shall be EB recommended rates.

(f) Refereeing costs are to be shared equally by both teams. The home team will be responsible for paying both officials before the game, and will then recover half the total cost from the away team.

(g) In the event of only one match official being available, the official shall receive a double match fee, plus travelling expenses, total costs again being shared between both competing teams.

(h) In the event of referees, without prior notice, travelling to cancelled or postponed games, or when one team fails to appear, then referees' compensation, equal to match fee, shall be paid in addition to travelling expenses. The Committee shall decide how these costs are recovered.

(i) Each team may submit a report to the League Committee on the performance of match officials. The report shall be sent to the Results Secretary.

(j) In the case of a Disqualifying Foul, a brief comment shall be made on the reverse of the scoresheet indicating that report(s) are to follow. Both officials must then send a full report of the incident(s), within 48 hours, to the League Administrator and the Results Secretary.

RULE 4: RESULTS
(a) The home team is responsible for sending a copy of the score sheet to the Results Secretary within seven days (date as postmark) after the date of the match. Where no claims concerning a fixture or notification that the fixture is to be played on another date have been received and where no score sheet is received within the specified time, the match will be considered void until such time as either side contacts the Results Secretary.

(b) If the home team fails to send the scoresheet within 7 days to the results secretary, then that team will be fined £2. Any subsequent failure to submit a scoresheet within the required 7 days will result in an additional fine, double that of the previous fine. This fine scheme will continue up to £8. Thereafter, all fines shall be £10.

(c) When a team forfeits a match, it shall be treated as if the match had been played and the team lost by a score of 0-20.

(d) Failure to complete score sheets correctly may result in the result being ineligible for inclusion in the League tables. In particular, missing match numbers, registration numbers and incorrect vest numbers may result in score sheets being returned to teams for correction. In extreme cases, the Committee may fine the club(s) concerned.

(e) Any team failing to insert registration numbers on the scoresheet (Rule 1c) will be fined. The fine will be £2 per missing reg. no. per team per scoresheet, up to a maximum of £10 per scoresheet.

(f) Any team failing to complete their schedule or failing to inform the Results Secretary of all their games played may be fined at the discretion of the Committee for each un-played/unreported game.

RULE 5: LEAGUE TABLES
(a) The order of teams in the table shall be in descending order of points gained, with two points being awarded for a win, one point for a loss and nil points for a forfeited match.

(b) In the event of a tie in League points at the end of the season, this shall be resolved as follows:

i. A table will be compiled taking account only of the matches played between teams involved in the tie. The teams are then placed in accordance with League points gained in this table.

ii. In the event of further equality, the difference between the actual points scored and points conceded in these matches will be taken into account.

iii. In the event of further equality, the difference between the actual points scored and points conceded in all matches in the division is taken into account.

iv. If any matches concerned in the calculations have been subject to a forfeit, the League may make special arrangements to compensate, if it so decides.

v. If a tie is partially resolved by the application of some or all of these regulations, the regulations are then re-applied from i. on the remaining part of the tie.

(c) The teams at the top of their respective divisions at the end of the season will be presented with the division cups, which they may hold for one year. The players in those teams will receive mementos.

(d) Promotion and relegation from division to division, from season to season, will take place on a two-up and two-down basis, subject to approval by League Committee.

(e) Any team failing to fulfil 50% of its fixtures will have all its results expunged and will automatically forfeit its surety fee.

RULE 6: RULES
All matches shall be played under the rules as specified in the current edition of the EB Rule Handbook.

RULE 7: EMERGENCY POWERS
Subject to the maximum fine stated in Rule 10 (a), the Executive Committee may take such action it considers necessary where the conduct of a club is prejudicial to the efficient running of the League. For the avoidance of doubt such action shall include but not be limited to imposing fines, forfeiting matches, suspending players, suspending clubs, banning players and ejecting teams and/or clubs from the league.

RULE 8: ACCIDENT OR LOSS
The Executive Committee can accept no responsibility for any loss or injury sustained in connection with League matches.

RULE 9: FACILITIES
(a) In all divisions the home team is responsible for providing a scorer, a time keeper, an official EB score pad, the game clock, a time-out watch, a visible running score indicator, two sounding devices, foul markers and two red 'team-foul' markers. The visitors have the right to provide one table official other than the scorer if they so wish.

(b) In all First divisions, teams shall play their home games on courts complying with the dimensional requirements specified in the current EB Rule Handbook.

(c) The League will permit clubs to use venues, which have either small courts (usually using obstructions for out of bounds) or inadequate changing facilities. However, visiting teams will have the right to refuse to play at such facilities, provided 28 days' notice is given to the home team. The away team will be responsible for re-arranging the fixture at either their own or a neutral venue and for bearing the cost of court hire.

RULE 10: PENALTIES
(a) The League Committee are empowered to impose fines up to a maximum of £100 per offence.

(b) In the event of a referee failing to fulfil a commitment, the referee (or club) concerned may be fined. In the event of a referee (or club) defaulting on three occasions in one season, the Committee may take further action, after consultation, which could result in the disqualification of the club or referee and in the club responsible forfeiting its surety fee.

(c) The Committee may at its discretion order that a club responsible for a fineable offence pay up to £20 as compensation to an injured club involved in unavoidable expense as a result of the fineable offence.

(d) A fine of up to £10 may be imposed in respect of failure to provide an effective table at matches. This failure should be notified on the score sheet or by letter to the Results Secretary within 48 hours of the match. The Results Secretary shall be empowered to adjudicate in such a situation.

(e) All complaints or appeals should be sent to the League Administrator for discussion by the Committee.

(f) A copy of any complaint or appeal against a club/team of a non-disciplinary nature shall be sent to the club/team concerned within 7 days of being received by the League Administrator. The club/team shall have 7 days in which to respond to the complaint prior to the matter being discussed by the Wessex League Committee. Complaints of a disciplinary nature shall be dealt with under Rule 12.

RULE 11: SURETY FEE
(a) Each club is required to pay a surety fee of £10 to the League by the closing date for applications.

(b) The surety is returnable at the end of the season, subject to all dues, including fines, having been paid.

(d) Failure to be represented at the AGM will result in a club forfeiting its surety fee.

(e) The League Committee shall have the right to retain all, or part of, the surety.

RULE 12: DISCIPLINE
(a) If a player / coach / assistant coach or team follower is disqualified from a game, there shall be an automatic one match ban. This ban will apply to all games under Wessex Jurisdiction until such time as the ban has been served relating to the team for which the disqualification occurred. The disciplinary Committee may at its discretion impose further penalties in accordance with the guidelines set out below.

(b) Failure to serve the automatic one match ban will be considered to be a disciplinary offence.

(c) The Executive Committee will review all disciplinary reports in line with the disciplinary procedure laid down in the current Wessex League Handbook.

RULE 13: RIGHT OF APPEAL
There shall be the right of appeal to the Wessex Basketball Association on all decisions made by the League Committee.