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East League Rules:  New for 2008 - 2009 season

1.2  Composition of League Management Committee:   we have removed the outdated requirement that a League Manager must be of the same gender as that of the League managed.

2  Club eligibility:  we have removed the outdated requirement that a Club may have only one team in any one division in the EWL.

3.1  EHL Clubs:  after surveying a number of Clubs last season, we found that the starred player rule (a list of players that may not play in East League matches during the season) was almost universally being broken, so the rule has been modified to make it more robust, and also easier to manage for both Clubs and League. 
The rule no longer requires a list of starred players.  Instead, EHL Clubs may not select 12 of their named 1st team EHL match squad (including all the starting 11 players) to play in the East League in the same weekend, and this will be monitored by EHL Clubs sending a copy of their official 1st team EHL teamsheet to the East League Manager responsible for the Division in which the 2nd team plays.  This is essentially a starred player list that changes week by week in line with changes in team selections.
If the EHL game in a particular weekend happens to be on a Sunday, the Saturday East League selection must anticipate the Sunday EHL teamsheet. 
If there is no EHL game in a particular weekend, the most recent EHL teamsheet will be used.  However in the Dec - Jan break in the EHL, this restriction is extended such that none of the starting players in the last two EHL matches played in Nov may play in the East League during that period.  If the EWL begins its season before the EHL, team selection for the EWL before the first EHL weekend must exclude likely 1st team squad members (as evidenced by selections for the first few EHL matches).
N.B. Players that are not barred from the East League under this rule may only play in East League matches for the reasons set out in Rule 3.2, i.e. for essential match practice. 
Any attempt to try to circumnavigate these rules by putting strong 1st team players briefly on the bench at the start of an EHL match, just so that they can be chosen for an East League match, will be dealt with severely.

3.3.2 Bench players:  Minor wording changes have been made to clarify the intent of the rule, particularly in relation to the changes in Rule 3.1. 
This rule allows players, such as goalkeepers, who remain on the bench largely throughout a higher team match, to also play for a lower team. It is only applicable in Division 2 and higher, and only applies to players whose bench commitments would otherwise leave them short of match practice.

4.4. Teamsheets:  the rule now additionally requires EHL Clubs to send their 1st team EHL teamsheet to the East League Manager responsible for the Division in which their 2nd team plays, in support of the changes in Rule 3.1.

4.5 Postponements: the final paragraph on postponements for East and EH Indoor Hockey competitions has been substantially amended, in response to the problems caused last season by Clubs playing in these competitions not making proper arrangements for postponements of East League matches clashing in date.   Teams that will be playing in these competitions are now required to notify the need for postponements before the start of the league season, on penalty of a point deduction, and the actual slip dates that must be used are defined in the new wording. 
NB These teams know in summer that they will be playing in these indoor competitions.
The rules regarding postponements when qualifying for a later round of competition are also tightened, and the possibilty of obtaining a 2nd team postponent to play in a junior indoor final is now written into the rule.

5.2 Club Umpires:  as the League cannot police membership of a County HUA, the requirement that club umpires must be CHUA members is amended to should be members.

6.3 and 6.4  Men's and Women's Leagues:  The structure of the EWL now includes the new divisions 2NE, 2NW, 2SE, and 2SW and the consequent changes in promotion and relegation numbers.  Promotions and relegations in the top divisions of both leagues are now based on the assumption that there will be a relagation from the EHL to East every season now that the EHL is smaller and therefore more competitive.
An addition to the rule specifies that teams from Clubs playing in the London League may be admitted to the East League at League Committee discretion, but other than 1st teams may not play higher than Division 3.  This is to avoid problems arising from the different rules of the two leagues at higher levels - for example team selections cannot be compared as the London League does not use teamsheets.