EAST LEAGUE RULES: SUMMARY OF DEADLINES AND PENALTIES
This note summarises some
of the Rules. It is recommended that you
read the Rules in full.
The Season
·
Pay league fees and outstanding fines by start of
league season or lose all matches 0-3 until paid.
·
EHL clubs nominate10 starred players by start of
season or lose matches 0-3 until players nominated.
·
EML Prem A and EWL Prem teams to register all players
before season. Only two overseas players
allowed in season.
·
Submit Captains’ details before first league Saturday
to all League Managers responsible for a division in which your club plays – or
£20 fine for each team.
·
Send fixture cards to the East League Secretary by 31
Oct - or £20 fine.
·
Player transfers in only before first East League
Saturday in Jan. - for using ineligible player, lose 0-3
·
Last season’s divisional cup winners return trophies
by 30th March - or £50 fine.
· Division winners attend
Presentation Day – or £100 fine
Matches
·
Telephone results for EML Prem A and B and Div 1 to
Results Co-ordinator within 15 min of match end. Telephone results for all other Men’s
Divisions to League Manager By 6 p.m. on match day. Add EWL results to East website by 8pm on day
of match (Prem) or by noon the following
day (all other divisions)
·
Home team to send Teamsheets to League Manager by 1st
class post to arrive by Wednesday after match.
·
For failing any telephone or postal results deadline:
£10 fine in EWL and point deduction in EML
·
Start match within 15 min of agreed time or when pitch
becomes free – lose 0-3 if not ready by then.
·
Fail to honour a fixture: Lose 0-3. May have to pay opposition costs. May be removed from league.
·
Agree within 2 weeks on a new date for postponed
matches – or £20 fines for both clubs
Umpires
·
Clubs with teams in EML Prem A, Prem B, 1, 2N, 2S and
EWL Prem, 1N and 1S must provide umpires to East and/or County Pools weekly
from the start of season. Failure may
lead to loss of matches 0-3.
·
Clubs in these divisions must put details of match
venues and times on the East Hockey website by start of the season for all
games up to Christmas, and by Nov 30th for all other games. Failure to do so
may lead to withdrawal of pool umpires and consequent awarding of matches 0-3
to opponents.
·
A clubs must send a list of all its Level 1 and
probationer Level 1 umpires to its County Pool Secretary before start of the
season, including contact details. Club umpires must be L1 (probationer L1 in
specified lower divisions) and must be CHUA members. Use an unlisted or
unqualified umpire - lose match 0 – 3.
GENERAL GUIDANCE TO CLUBS
These Guidelines are not Rules, but Clubs are advised
to follow them– and should also read Rule 7.2.
All Clubs:
·
are responsible for the actions of their players, officials,
members and supporters, and must ensure that all players and officials are
fully conversant with the League Rules by the start of the season.
·
must comply with League rules and abide by the
intended spirit of how the game should be played
·
must observe EHA guidelines and procedures for player
discipline and pitch-side conduct
·
must ensure that all players, officials and spectators
treat umpires with respect at all times, before, during and after matches. The Leagues will apply severe penalties in
cases of umpire abuse.
Home Clubs:
·
must ensure that pitch, pitch markings, goals, lights,
etc are adequate. Umpires may cancel the
game if this is not the case and the home club will be fined £20.
·
must ensure that visiting clubs are given two clear
weeks notice of the venue, push back time and any relevant details relating to
the match including confirmation of club colours.
·
must consider the distance the away side has to travel
when setting start times for matches, and must ensure that an adequate warm up
period on the playing surface is available to the visiting side.
·
must always provide acceptable post-match hospitality
to visiting teams, officials and umpires
Away Clubs:
·
should if necessary be proactive in contacting home
clubs for match details
Umpires
·
Match umpires must not adjudicate on league rules
(unless they are also East League officials). Any dispute as to the
interpretation of league rules should be referred to the relevant League
Secretary.
·
The Leagues will not adjudicate on match decisions
made by umpires
Fixture Cards
A fixture card is a paper or electronic
document intended for use by club members and including details of all
fixtures, club officers, and home venues.
Clubs that play in the East Leagues should ensure that:
·
East League fixtures are
clearly identified as such, using a title such as “East Men’s Hockey League
Division …”, preceded by the name of the ERHA sponsor (if any) with the
sponsor’s logo displayed prominently
·
the address of the East
Hockey website is included in the card under the heading “East Region HA and
East Leagues information, including contacts and results, can be found at: www.east-hockey.co.uk”
·
An electronic card should
be an rtf or pdf file or a single section of a club
website downloadable in such a format.
As cards are a
valid means of promoting the interests of the East Region HA, The East Leagues,
and any East sponsor, the Leagues will treat the complete absence of a card due
to club policy as a failure to supply under rule 8.5.
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1. CONSTITUTION AND MANAGEMENT OF
THE EAST LEAGUES
1.1
Name
The Leagues shall be known as the East
Men’s League (EML), the East Men’s Veteran’s League (EMVL), and
the East Women’s League (EWL) preceded by the name of the East Region Hockey
Association’s current main sponsor if applicable, and shall be named as such in
all publicity material issued by the Leagues or their constituent clubs.
However, in the event that the East Leagues become part of any England Hockey
League structure, grouping, or federation, the England league title shall be
adopted by the East Leagues.
1.2 Management
Committees and Officers
The Leagues
shall be managed by an East League Management Committee consisting of the
Officers of the two Leagues and a Representative of the East Region Hockey
Umpires Association. The Officers shall be a Chairman, a
Budgets Officer, and a Secretary and the League Managers and Results
Coordinators of the Leagues,
and all shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting. Their periods of office
shall commence at the end of the AGM and run until the end of the next
AGM. All Officers shall be eligible for re‑election annually.
Nominations
for Officer appointments may be made by the League Committee, or by a Club
participating in the League. Nominations shall be submitted in writing to the
Leagues no later than 30 April and must include the written consent of the
nominee. Nominations by a participating Club must be seconded by another
participating Club. Officers may only be nominated/seconded by a Club of
the gender corresponding to that of the Officer’s post. No nominations
will be accepted after 30 April, nor accepted at the meeting.
League
Managers elected by an AGM must be of the same gender as the League in which
they operate, and only clubs playing in the EWL may vote on League Manager and
Results Coordinator nominations for the EWL, and likewise only clubs playing in
the EML for the EML Managers and Coordinator, and in the EMVL for the EMVL
League Manager..
The Committee shall meet at least four times in each year, and a quorum
shall be four members at least one of whom shall be the Chairman or Secretary
of the Committee. Proposals shall be passed by a majority of those present and voting, with the
Chairman having a casting vote. In the absence of the Chairman, the Committee
shall elect a Chairman for the meeting from the members present.
The Committee shall fill any
vacancies arising within its membership, by vote if necessary.
1.3 Annual
General Meeting
1.3.1
Organisation of the meeting
The
Annual General Meeting shall be held in each year by 30 June on a date and at a
venue to be decided by the League Committees. Notice of the Annual General
Meeting, a list of nominations for Officers, a copy of the agenda, the annual
accounts and minutes of the previous AGM shall be sent to each participating
club at least 14 days before the date of such meeting.
Business
to be transacted:
Those entitled to attend a General Meeting and to vote:
A
Quorum shall be a total of 25 votes present (as defined in 1.3.5)
The chair shall be taken
jointly throughout the meeting by the Chairman of the League Committee.
In the absence of this Officers, the meeting shall elect a member of a League
Committee to the chair.
Proposals from Clubs to make amendments to
League Rules can be submitted at any time during the season to League Chairmen,
East League Secretaries, or League Managers, but in any case no later than
31 March. All proposals will be reviewed at the April meeting of the
League Management Committees along with rule changes proposed by the
Committees, and a composite draft Rules Proposal will be prepared and posted
for comment on the East website as much in advance of the AGM as possible,
amended as necessary, and a final version circulated with the AGM papers.
Agreed rule changes will usually be implemented in the season following, but
with the agreement of the AGM major changes may be implemented in the season
after that.
Other motions may be submitted to
the Annual General Meeting by a League Committee or by a Club participating in
the League. Such proposals must be received by the East League
Secretary nominated to oversee the organisation of
the AGM no later than 30 April and shall be accompanied by the names of the
proposing and seconding Clubs. Proposals from a League Committee shall not
require a seconder. No Proposals will be
accepted after 30 April, nor accepted at the meeting. Proposals will be
posted on the East website as much in advance of the AGM as possible, and
circulated with the AGM papers.
To
maintain the validity of postal votes no amendments to proposals will be
allowed. However, the meeting may agree minor changes to wording that do
not substantially change the intent of the proposal and do not invalidate the
basis on which postal votes were cast. The Chairman of the meeting shall be the
sole arbiter of what constitutes such acceptable changes.
Original proposals may also include
alternatives, on each of which postal votes may be cast.
To
be passed, proposals require a simple majority of those voting, except for
proposals for changes in Rule 1, which require a majority of 75% of those
voting.
Votes
may be cast at the meeting or by post. Postal voting papers will be
circulated with the Notice of the AGM, and must be completed, duly authorised
and returned in time to be received by the East League Secretary nominated to
oversee the organisation of the AGM at least 3 days before the date of the
meeting.
Voting will be organised so that clubs not
playing in a particular League do not vote on matters affecting only that
league.
1.4 Special General
Meetings
A
Special General Meeting may be called at any time by order of a League
Committee, or upon receipt of a requisition signed by the Chairmen of no fewer
than 25 participating clubs (Men’s, Women’s and Joint Clubs being counted
each as one club), such requisition clearly stating the reasons for calling the
meeting.
An SGM shall be held as soon as possible,
and in any event within 1 month of the receipt of a Clubs’ requisition or
Committee order. At least 14 days notice of a Special General Meeting,
and of all resolutions to be proposed, shall he given to all those entitled to
vote. No other business shall be conducted at the meeting. All the
requirements of an AGM specified in Section 1.3 shall apply to an SGM.
1.5 Financial Policies
The
financial policies of the Leagues shall be:
·
money from fines not to be treated as income for budget purposes,
but to be used in the following season as directed by the AGM.
1.6 Management of the
Leagues
1.6.1
League Management Committees
At its
regular meetings the Committee shall review League performance, resolve
problems, and adjudicate on any unresolved matters arising from the
implementation of the League Rules, and will also adjudicate on any matter not
covered by the Rules. The Committee will endeavour to operate by consensus, but
in the event of a vote Men’s League Managers and the Men’s Results Coordinator
will not vote on Women’s League business, and vice versa, but all will vote on
joint business. The Chairman, Secretary
and Budgets Officer may vote on any business.
.
The
Committees may revise the structure of the EML or EWL from time to time in the
interest of all clubs and for the benefit of hockey in the East, consulting
with clubs and submitting any league structure revision to a League AGM or
SGM. The Committees shall also organise the AGM, any SGM, and the annual
joint Presentation Day for the awarding of League trophies.
A League Management Committee
is solely responsible for making decisions and imposing penalties under the
following rules: discretion on deadlines
(Rule 3.5), pool umpires (5.1),
promotions and relegations (6), and discipline and penalties (7).
1.6.2
League Managers
Each
Division of the League shall be administered by its League Manager, whose
duties will include the monitoring and keeping of accurate records of all
results and disciplinary cards, advising Clubs on matters that arise during the
season, ensuring that Clubs observe the Rules of the League, applying penalties
as appropriate, making other rulings and decisions as are required to ensure
the smooth running of the League, and attending League Management Committee
Meetings.
EML and EWL League Managers are solely
responsible for making decisions and imposing penalties under the following
rules: player eligibility (rules 3.1 –
3.3), matches (4.1 – 4.6), club umpires (5.2 – 5.5), press reports (8.4), and
team information (8.5). The EMVL
League Manager is solely responsible for making decisions and imposing
penalties under Rule 12 except club affiliation.
1.6.3
East League Secretaries
Each
League shall be administered in its entirety by its East League Secretary
(ELS), whose duties include ensuring that all Divisions are efficiently
administered in accordance with the East League rules, administering League
Club affiliations, producing the League section of the ERHA Handbook, ensuring
that League results and tables are passed to the media and the East Hockey
website, liaising with the East sponsors through the ERHA Public Relations and
Sponsorship Officer, calling meetings of the League Management Committee on a
regular basis with a minimum of four per year and circulating the minutes, and
publishing Newsletters and/or submitting relevant news and information to the
East Hockey website to ensure that Clubs are kept informed of relevant matters
and are prompted to provide opinions on East League issues.
East
League Secretaries are solely responsible for making decisions and imposing
penalties under the following rules:
club eligibility (rules 2 and 12) and club administration (8.1 -
8.6, except 8.4).
1.6.4
Relationship to the East Region Hockey Association
The
Chairman of each League Management Committee is a member of the ERHA Management
Committee and submits reports on League matters to all meetings of that
Committee and to the ERHA AGM.
1.6.5 Layout of the East League Rules
Rules
2 - 11 apply solely to the East Men’s League and East Women’s League.
Rule 12 applies solely to the East Veterans League
2. CLUB ELIGIBILITY
Men’s or joint clubs from Bedfordshire,
Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk are
eligible to play in the EML, with no limitation on numbers of teams. Women’s or
joint clubs from Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk,
Suffolk, or Kent are eligible to play in the EWL, but with no more than one
team in a Division. Other clubs of an
appropriate location may be invited to join an East League at the discretion of
the League Management Committee.
A club shall not be eligible to play in a
League unless its league fees to the EML and/or EWL, as appropriate, have been
paid before the start of the league season. Clubs with overdue financial
payments of any sort outstanding to an East League, the ERHA, or the ERHUA at
the start of, or arising during, the league season shall not be eligible to
play or continue playing in the League if the payment is not made within a week
of the Club being notified of the overdue payment. (See also Rule 7). Any
league matches due to be played on the dates when a club is not eligible to
participate in a League shall be irrevocably awarded to the intended opposition
3-0.
3. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY All players must
be bone fide, fully paid-up members of their clubs, and must be male to
participate in the EML and female in the EWL.
3.1 East EHL Clubs A club having a
squad in the English Hockey League (EHL) must nominate before the first
Saturday of the East League season ten of their EHL players who will not be
eligible to play in subsequent East League matches. Clubs may change the lists
of nominated players twice in a season if they wish to do so, in November and
January, and revised lists must be sent to the League Managers before the end
of those months.
Nominated players must be regular 1st Team
players An EHL nominated player will be allowed to return after injury to play
2nd team East League hockey provided the injury prevented participation in the
three immediately preceding EHL games. The Club must provide the appropriate
League Manager with copies of the three EHL teamsheets covering the injury
period, and the player may not participate in the East League game until the
League Secretary has confirmed acceptance to the Club.
Once named again on an EHL teamsheet, the
player is no longer eligible for East League matches.
3.2 Premier Division registration and
eligibility
A team playing in EML Premier A or EWL Premier must register all its
players with the appropriate East League Manager before the start of the
season, using the official Registration Form published by the Leagues. There is
no limit to the number of players, and additions can be made throughout the
season providing there is compliance with the transfer rule (rule 3.4) and
providing no more than two players are registered in a season who would not
comply with the current England Hockey League regulations on eligible overseas
players.
(These regulations currently define an eligible player as holding a
European Union Passport; or holding or being able to apply for and obtain a
United Kingdom Passport; or having a right of abode as defined by Sections 1
and 2 of the Immigration Act 1971; or holding a current work permit as defined
by the Immigration Act 1971 as a hockey player or player coach in the United
Kingdom as well as holding a passport for a country with whom the European
Union has an agreement containing provisions prohibiting discrimination in
employment. Players from the Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Gibraltar
together with those holding dual passport eligibility where one such
eligibility is that of a European Union member state are eligible players. A
player who does not hold any passport must be eligible to hold a passport of a
European Union State).
3.3 Team Selection
3.3.1 All teams must be selected on
playing strength so that the strongest available side is put out at each level
commencing with the highest team. If a team has a lack of available regular
players, it shall use players from lower teams to make up the deficiency, and
so on down the Club. Clubs must not strengthen lower sides to gain an unfair
advantage at any time or to affect promotion or relegation issues. This will be
closely monitored by the League Committees. If any of a Club’s teams are not
involved in a match, the Club shall select its East League teams as if all
teams were in fact playing, and shall not unfairly strengthen lower sides by
including the members of the team without a match.
3.3.2
A regular bench player in Division 2 or above may play for a lower team
on the same day. This is only to allow
the player necessary match practice.
3.3.3
A team in Division 3 or below
with less than 11 players may add players as follows:
(a) a goalkeeper
may play any number of games in a day playing as a goalkeeper.
(b) a team short of a field player may include one
player from one other team playing on the same day, but the providing team must
not be more than two teams higher in club ranking, e.g. a 2nd team player can
double up in the 4th but not the 5th team.
(c) the bottom team of a club may include up to four
players from other teams to make up 11 players provided it and the other teams
are not more than two teams apart in club ranking, and providing approval is
obtained from the relevant Divisional League Manager not later than 8 pm on the
Friday prior to the match.
The arrangements in Rule 3.2.4 are only
intended to enable lower sides to fulfill fixtures when a team would otherwise
have less than 11 players. Doubling up of field players in this way must
not result in the team having more than 11 players including a goalkeeper, i.e.
no substitutes are allowed. The League
will monitor the application of this Rule very closely to ensure that there is
no unfair strengthening. Clubs are
advised to consult the League Manager in advance if in any doubt
whatsoever. In all circumstances the
Captain of the team using a player from another team must advise the opposing
Captain of this before the match.
In the event of a dispute, the onus is on the club to prove that its
doubling up was due to a genuine shortage of players and was not planned in
advance to achieve an unfair advantage.
3.4 Movement of Players between Clubs. This Rule does not
apply to players changing clubs between seasons. A player may only play for one East League
club at a time. Players joining an East Club during the season must give seven
days notice to the East League Secretary in the EML or to the appropriate
League Manager(s) in the EWL on an official League Transfer Form before playing
East League hockey for the new club if they are:
· moving from
another East League club or
·
moving from a club in the UK for which they have
played outdoor league hockey in the current season or
· last played league
hockey for a club outside the UK
A player may not play East League hockey again for a previous club
during the season, and no player may play East League hockey for more than two
clubs in one season. No transfers will
be accepted on or after the first East League Saturday in January (but note
rule 3.6).
An incoming player that has been registered to play in the English
Hockey League (EHL) in the current season by a non-East League club must be
deregistered by the EHL before participating in the East League.
3.5 Penalties If a team or squad
includes a player ineligible under any part of Rule 3, the minimum penalty will
be the award of the match to the opposition, either 3-0 or the actual score to
nil, whichever is the greater. If a Club cancels a league match for lack of
players but still fields lower teams, this penalty will also be applied to each
lower East League team. The League Management Committee may also apply
additional penalties according to circumstances.
3.6. Extension of deadlines The League
Management Committees will consider approaches from Clubs with regard to new
players, transfers and registrations and have the power to extend the deadlines
specified in Rule 3, judging each request on the facts provided.
4. MATCHES
4.1 Rules All matches shall
be played in accordance with the current rules of hockey as published by the
Hockey Rules Board for the FIH.
4.2 Dates, Start times, and Playing Surfaces.
Dates
At least 4
weeks before the start of the season, the home club must input to the league
website details of the venues and start times of all its matches in EML Prem A,
Prem B, 1, 2S and 2N and in EWL Prem, 1N and 1S to be played up to the
mid-season break. The same information must be provided by the end of November
for all matches after the break. Changes
during the season must be input as soon as known and opposition clubs and
umpiring pool organisers notified directly and immediately. Failure to comply may result in a pool refusing an
umpire to a club as described in Rule 5.1.1.
Matches must be played on the dates and slip dates specified by the League
Management Committees. However, University and College sides may, with the
agreement of their opposition (not to be unreasonably withheld) and League
Manager, rearrange matches from the start of the season that are scheduled
outside of term time to a Sunday within term time, provided: such
rearrangements are finalised at least two weeks
before the originally scheduled date; a higher team may not rearrange a fixture
if a lower team plays on the originally scheduled date; the rearranged date must be before Christmas.
Times
Unless otherwise agreed by the League Manager, matches in EML Prem A, Prem B,
1, 2N, and 2S and all matches in EWL must have a starting time between 11 am
and 4 pm in Sept, Oct, Feb, Mar, and Apr and between 11 am and 3 pm in Nov,
Dec, and Jan.
For all other Divisions starting times must be between 10.30 a.m. and
5.00 p.m.
If a team is not ready to play the match because of lack of players or lack of
goalkeeping equipment 15 minutes after the official start time or by the time
the pitch is free for use, whichever is the later, the match shall be awarded
to the opposition 3-0. The umpires shall inform the home team Captain when 15
minutes after the official start time is reached. The Home Captain shall be
responsible for informing the League Manager of the forfeit of the game (see
Rule 4.1)
Pitches
All matches in all divisions must be played on astro.
The home team must ensure that pitch
facilities, including marking, goals, nets, and condition of floodlighting, are
adequate. If in the opinion of the Umpires pitch facilities are inadequate,
they may direct that the match be postponed.
The home Club shall then incur a fine of £20.
4.3 Playing Colours
and Numbers. Teams shall normally wear their club colours
as notified to the League at the start of the season. The away team must take
alternative colour shirts and socks to a match and,
if required by either umpire to do so, shall wear them. Players participating
in a game shall wear on the back of their shirt, clearly visible, the shirt
number allocated on their team sheet. Goalkeepers shall wear a colour contrasting with those worn by both teams and shall
wear their number on their back. All shirt numbers shall be no less than 8” (20
cm) in height and shall contrast with the colour of
the shirt. Captains must wear a contrasting armband.
4.4 Teamsheets and Results Notifications A team shall be
entitled to nominate up to 16 players in its squad for each match. An official
Teamsheet must be completed with all player details, signed by the Captain or
nominated team official to confirm that each player listed is eligible to play,
and be handed to the umpires before the start of the match. After the match the
remaining details must be added to the Teamsheets (including scores, scorers,
and details of red and yellow cards) which shall then be signed by the umpires.
Both completed Teamsheets shall then be sent by the Home Club to the League
Manager to arrive by the Wednesday following the match. .
The home club in
the EWL must input the match result to the East website as follows: Premier
Division, no later than 8 pm on the day of the match; all other Divisions no
later than 12 noon on the day after the match.
The home club in
the EML in Premier A, Premier B, and Division 1 must telephone the match result
to the Results Coordinator within 15 minutes of the end of the match. In all
other EML Divisions the home club must telephone the result to the League
Manager by 6 p.m. on the day of the match or within 15 minutes of the end of
the match if it finishes after 5.45 p.m
If a match in
either League is postponed or abandoned on the day of the match, details shall
be input to the website for EWL or telephoned to the appropriate person for EML
by the same deadlines.
An EWL team failing to input a match
result, abandonment, or postponement to the website on time, or an EML team
failing likewise by telephone, or a team in either league failing to send in a
teamsheet on time or failing to fully complete a teamsheet shall be given a
warning by the League Manager and for each failure thereafter shall be fined
£10 if in the EWL or shall be deducted 1 point if in the EML.
4.5 Postponements and Abandonments.
Planned postponements are allowed in
advance of the match at the discretion of the League Manager responsible for
the Division in which the team plays.
Application for a postponement should be made as far in advance as
possible. Short notice will usually lead
to the postponement being denied.
Abandonments just before or
during the match are allowed for such events as the pitch being deemed
unplayable by the Home Club because of weather conditions at any time during
the day before the match and on the day of the match up until the start of the
game, an umpire failing to arrive and no replacement being found (see Rule
5.3), the majority of the visiting team failing to arrive because of major
travel problems outside its control, or the umpires deciding that the game
cannot start or continue because of weather conditions, loss of light, or injury to a player, etc.
When matches are abandoned, postponed, or
not honoured the League Manager is the sole judge of
whether the match should be rearranged, awarded 0-3 or voided. If a team fails to honour
a fixture in Division 2 or higher, the match will be awarded 0-3 to the
opposition and the defaulting team will additionally suffer a 3 point
deduction.
In the event of a match being postponed,
the two teams must within two weeks of the League Manger agreeing the
postponement agree a revised date and venue.
If the match is not rearranged within those two weeks, both clubs will
be fined £20.
Matches rearranged from the first half of
the season must if at all possible be
rearranged and played before the start of the second half of the league
season. All rearranged matches must be
played by the League cut-off date.
Clubs intending to participate in national
or regional indoor competitions in mid-winter may postpone a first-team league
match that clashes in date. The
postponement must be requested as soon as the indoor dates are known and the
league match must be rearranged to a playing date before the restart of
the League after Christmas.
4.6 Failure to Honour
a Fixture. A team that forfeits four matches in the EML or a team that forfeits two
matches in the EWL will be automatically withdrawn from the League and all
previous results will be rendered void. Participation of that team in the
league in the following season will be at League Management Committee
discretion.
The Home Club is entitled to charge the
cost of pitch hire to the a visiting side that has failed to honour the fixture and has notified the Home Club of this
less than 48 hours before the scheduled start time.
5. UMPIRES
5.1 Pool
appointed umpires.
5.1.1 Mandatory
Divisions: East Region
Hockey Umpires Association (ERHUA) and County Hockey Umpires Associations
(CHUA) will appoint to all matches in these divisions:
Divisions covered by Pools 2006-7
|
EWL Prem |
ERHUA |
|
EWL 1N, 1S |
CHUA |
|
EML Prem A, Prem B |
ERHUA |
|
EML 1, 2N, 2S |
CHUA |
For each team playing in EWL Premier and in EML Prem A and
Prem B, a club must provide either a level 2 umpire to the ERHUA pool or
an appropriately qualified umpire to its CHUA pool.
For each team playing in EWL Div
1N and Div 1S and EML Div 1, 2N, and 2S a club must provide an
appropriately qualified umpire to its CHUA pool on a weekly basis.
Notes:
(1) The umpire provided must be named to the pool organiser in
time for inclusion in published pool sheets, but need not be the same umpire
each week (late changes to umpires are acceptable when club or personal
circumstances change);
(2) An umpire promoted to regular appointments in the National
League will count towards these requirements only in the season of promotion;
(3) If a club is contributing more umpires to the ERHUA pool than
is required by this rule, any requirement it may have to also contribute
umpires to a county pool will be reduced by one;
(4) To minimize travel, the home CHUA may appoint both umpires;
(5) Umpires will not normally be appointed to their own
clubs.
A pool may refuse umpires to a club that regularly fails to
provide umpires to the pool, or that fails to provide start and venue
information as required under Rule 4.2. If an umpire is not provided for such a
disciplinary reason to a match in a division listed in the Table above, whether
or not actually played using another umpire, the league will review the
circumstances and may award the result of the match against the offending
club. Persistently offending clubs may
incur further penalties at the discretion of League Management.
(6)
If there is no County Pool in a county, any requirement in these rules
for a club to provide umpires to a pool are waived.
5.1.2 Other Divisions: CHUA pools with sufficient resources may wish
to cover additional lower divisions. If a division spans more than one county,
it will be acceptable for it to be pool umpired in one county whilst being club
umpired or mixed pool/club umpired in another county (probably on a two-home
umpire basis). Local arrangements must take precedence. Clubs
should accept that umpiring arrangements may differ between counties, and
should support their local CHUA pools as fully as possible.
The League Management Committee will
work together with CHUA’s to agree additional
coverage arrangements before a season starts
5.1.3 Umpiring Liaison Officers: Clubs must appoint an Umpiring Liaison
Officer (ULO) with whom ERHUA and CHUA Pool Secretaries will communicate on the
provision of umpires for matches. Details of the Club ULO must be included in
the club’s annual application to join the League. The ULO must operate
according to the ULO job definition document as published by the ERHUA, and
must always have a current email address.
5.2 Club appointed umpires. When the ERHUA and
CHUA are unable to appoint to a match, the opposing clubs must provide suitably
qualified umpires. Before the start of the season, all clubs must provide a
complete list of their Level 1 and Probationer Level 1 umpires to their CHUA,
plus contact details (email address wherever possible). This list must be kept up to date during the
season. All such umpires must be paid-up
members of their CHUA. Using a club umpire that has not been listed or is not a
CHUA member will result in the match being awarded to the opposing side.
Note 1:
From the 2006/7 season: (1) All club umpires officiating in East League
matches must be full Level 1 for matches in divisions 3NE, 4NW, 6SE, and 4SW
and above. In other divisions the umpire may be either Level 1 or Probationer
Level 1 (having passed the Level 1 examination but not yet been assessed and
graded); (2) Clubs must confirm before the start of the season that they have
at least two Level 1 umpires per East League team, of which up to half may be
L1 Probationers.
5.3 Umpire Replacements. When an umpire
unexpectedly fails to fulfill an appointment, the captains of both sides shall endeavour to find an appropriate replacement and thus
fulfill the fixture. If a Level One umpire is required and only an unqualified
umpire is available but is acceptable to both teams, the match may proceed. If
both captains cannot reach an agreement regarding a replacement umpire prior to
the start of the game, the League fixture must be rearranged. If a replacement
umpire is used, a written explanation of the circumstances must be sent by the
home team and received by their League Manager within seven days of the date of
the match. If the problem arose from a genuine late withdrawal by an appointed
umpire, the League Committee subsequently may consider to apply no penalty.
5.4 Umpires and League Rules. In no
circumstances should umpires be asked to adjudicate on League rules.
5.5 Changing Umpires during a Match Except in the case
of incapacity, umpires may not be changed during any match in the EWL nor in
any match in the EML in Divisions 4NE, 4NW, 5SE, and 5SW and above. Any change
of umpire during a game in a lower EML division can only take place with the
agreement of both captains made prior to the start of the game, the umpires
cannot be rotated with rolling substitutes, and there can only be one such
change during a match.
6. LEAGUE STRUCTURE, PROMOTIONS,
RELEGATIONS
(Rewritten to aid clarity. The only material changes are in 6.3 and 6.4)
6.1 League positions
League positions
will be determined by the award of 3 points for a Win, 1 for a Draw and 0 for a
Loss. For divisions where not all teams play equal numbers of matches,
percentages may be substituted for points.
Where teams are
equal on points or percentages, their relative positions will be determined first
by goal difference, then by goals for, then by the aggregate result of matches
between the two clubs with away goals counting double. If the team are still
equal, they will share the position, except in the case of a championship,
promotion or relegation issue, when a play-off will be arranged by the League
Management Committee on a neutral ground on the first available date. If in any
play-off match the scores are level at full time, no extra time shall be
played, but a penalty stroke competition shall be used to determine the
winner. In the event of more than two
teams being involved in a play-off: for 3 teams there shall be a draw with 1
team receiving a bye, and this team shall play a deciding match with the winner
of the play-off between the other two teams; for 4 teams, there shall be a draw
for 2 “semi-finals” play-off matches with a deciding match between the winners
of these 2 matches; and for 5 teams there shall be a draw for one “quarter
final” play-off match and then 2 “semi-finals” and a “final”.
6.2 Promotions and Relegations
Teams eligible for
promotion to a higher division, including teams eligible for promotion from
county leagues into the East League, shall normally be those finishing the
season in the top places in their divisions. However in the event of a
team being unable or unwilling to accept promotion, the next highest placed
eligible team(s) may be offered promotion at the discretion of the League
Management Committee. In determining this the Committee will have regard only
to the playing strength of proposed alternative promotion candidates based on
their performance in the season just finished. If a sufficiently strong
candidate is not available a promotion will not be made, and the
Committee may decide to reduce the number of relegations from the higher
division or may take other actions to adjust divisional sizes.
Only East League
Club 1st teams and EHL Club 2nd teams can join EWL Premier or EML Premier
A. At the end of the season the champions of those divisions (or the highest
placed 1st team if EHL Club 2nd teams occupy one or more top positions) will be
promoted to the EHL and one or more East clubs in the EHL may be relegated back
to the East League. If this results in a net gain of clubs to either of
these divisions, there will be a corresponding number of additional relegations
from these and appropriate lower Divisions to maintain as many as possible at
their normal size (usually 12 teams). If there is a net loss of clubs,
there will be a corresponding number of additional promotions from these and
other Divisions maintain as many as possible at 12 teams at their normal
size.
If it is necessary to choose between teams
in equivalent Divisions to take relegation or promotion places, selection will
be based on points totals or percentages, as appropriate. If these are equal,
selection will be determined as described in 6.1.
6.3 East Women’s League
The East Women’s League is structured as shown below, including end of
season promotions and relegations. In
2006/7 divisions 2C, and 2N will consist of 10 teams and 2S of 12 teams, but
from 2007/8 all divisions will normally consist of 12 teams.
|
Division |
Promotion |
Relegation |
|
Premier |
1 |
3 |
|
Division 1N and 1S |
2 |
2 |
|
Division 2C, 2N,
and 2S |
5 in total: 3
champions plus 2 best runners-up |
1 |
The champion team
from each East County Women’s League and from the Five Counties League will be
promoted into the East Women’s League. If a champion team is ineligible or is
unwilling to accept promotion, a lower team may be promoted by applying the
procedures given in the first paragraph of 6.2.
Following
promotions and relegations from and into Divisions 2N, 2S, and 2C the clubs
will be arranged between the divisions to minimise travel.
This may mean a club being switched from one division to another.
6.4 East Men's league
The East Men’s League is structured as
shown below, including end of season promotions and relegations. Divisions will
normally consist of 12 teams, although any of the three lowest divisions in
each quadrant may consist of 7-14 teams with fixtures organised to give each
club as many matches as season as possible.
Where divisions have less than 12 teams, promotion and relegation
numbers will be reduced by one for divisions with 9 or 10 teams, and by two for
divisions with 7 or 8 teams.
|
Division |
Promotion |
|
Relegation |
|
Premier A |
1 |
|
2 |
|
Premier B |
3 |
|
2 |
|
Division 1 |
2 |
|
4 |
|
Divisions 2N |
2 |
|
4 |
|
Divisions 3NE –5NE |
2 |
|
2 |
|
Divisions 3NW –6NW |
2 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Division 2S |
2 |
|
4 |
|
Divisions 3SE - 4SE |
2 |
|
2 |
|
Division 5SE |
2 |
|
3 |
|
Divisions 6SE down |
3 |
|
3 |
|
Divisions 3SW - 4SW |
2 |
|
2 |
|
Division 5SW |
2 |
|
3 |
|
Divisions 6SW down |
3 |
|
3 |
|
The bottom division in each quadrant
will have no relegations unless a new lower division is formed for the
following season. |
|||
Following promotions and relegations from and into Divisions 2N and 2S, the 24 Clubs will be arranged between 2N and 2S to minimise travelling. This may mean a club being switched from one Division to the other. All the teams from one club playing below divisions 2N/2S will be placed in the same quadrant, i.e. NE, NW, SE, or SW. Teams relegated from 2N and 2S will be placed in their club Division 3 quadrant. If three or more clubs are relegated into the same Division 3, there will be additional relegations to lower Divisions to maintain as many as possible at 12 teams. If there is one or no relegation into a Division 3, there will be additional promotions from lower Divisions to maintain as many as possible at 12 teams.
A new club joining the East Men's League shall be placed in the appropriate division(s) as determined by the LMC. To accommodate new teams, additional promotions or relegations may be made as appropriate by the LMC to maintain the correct number of teams in each division or to provide the correct balance of clubs in the bottom two divisions of any quadrant. An additional team of an existing club in the East League shall be placed in the lowest division of that club's quadrant. Clubs that merge or transfer teams one to the other may at the discretion of the LMC maintain their divisional positions.
6.5 Withdrawals
If a
club wishes to withdraw a team during the season or has a team removed for
forfeiting more than the permitted number of games, that team will be its
lowest playing in the league. No
exceptions will be made to this rule.
7. DISCIPLINE, AND PENALTIES
7.1 General penalties. If a Rule does not
specify penalties, failures to comply will result in warnings and point
deductions. For a first offence: a warning to the team with a written
confirmation. For a subsequent offence irrespective of the rule broken: a
one-point deduction.
7.2 Additional penalties. The League
Management Committee also reserves the right to take whatever action is deemed
appropriate against any club, team, or player having a poor disciplinary
record, persistently breaking the Rules of the East League, disregarding ERHA
or EHA regulations, bringing the East League or hockey into disrepute, treating
umpires with disrespect, or behaving in any way contrary to the interests of
the East League, the ERHA or hockey generally. Penalties applied in the
circumstances may include the deduction of points, the reversal of results, the
suspension of players from East League hockey, fines, the relegation of one or
more teams, or the expulsion of teams or clubs from the East League.
7.3 Conduct The Disciplinary
Code of the EHA shall be applied at all League matches. All teams are expected
to study, and comply with, the “Guidance Notes for Pitch side Conduct”, which
are also printed in this handbook.
A player who receives three yellow cards in one season in league matches
shall be automatically suspended by his club for the next league day, and for the next
league day following a fourth
yellow card. A player receiving a fifth or subsequent yellow card shall be
automatically suspended for the next two League days. If the third or subsequent yellow card
is received in the last league match of the season, the League Management
Committee may determine that the penalty be carried forward to the following
season. (A league day is a Saturday included in
the League Fixture List or a day on which the club is playing a slip. If the team for which the player normally
plays has no fixture on the next league day, the penalty shall move forward).
7.4 Appeals.
7.4 Appeals.
7.4.1 If
a club wishes to appeal against a League Manager’s or an East League
Secretary’s decision or penalty, an appeal must be made in writing, by recorded
delivery and accompanied by a cheque for £100, to the appropriate East League
Secretary, with a copy to the League Manager concerned, all within two weeks of
the original decision or penalty being notified to the club. The appeal will be determined by the League
Management Committee through a specially appointed sub-committee comprising
three committee members including the appropriate League Chairman and/or
Secretary.
7.4.2 If
a club wishes to appeal against a League Management Committee’s decision or
penalty, an appeal must be made in writing, by recorded delivery and
accompanied by a cheque for £100, to the Hon Secretary of the ERHA within two
weeks of the original decision or penalty being notified to the club. NB: The only role of the ERHA Secretary is to
receive appeals and to decide that they are in order, i.e. that the appeal is
correctly submitted by recorded delivery with the correct deposit and within
the timescale allowable.
7.4.3
Clubs
raising or considering raising an appeal must not contact or enter into
correspondence with any member of the Committee to hear the appeal except at
the instigation of the latter. The
suspension of any penalty pending appeal is at the discretion of the Committee
hearing the appeal. If an appeal is
successful the £100 deposit will be returned, but in the event of an
unsuccessful appeal, the Committee hearing the appeal will decide whether the
deposit is to be forfeited in full or in part.
8. CLUB ADMINISTRATION
8.1 League Registration. By the 30th June
Clubs must submit a completed League Registration form and appoint a League
Liaison Officer for the EML and/or the EWL, as appropriate. Failure to submit
the League Registration form by the due date will result in the charge per team
being increased by 50%. (See also Rule 2).
8.2 League Liaison Officers, Fixtures
Secretaries A LLO will be the primary point of contact between a League and a Club,
must be readily available to the League Secretary and League Managers at all
times, and must keep the league fully informed of any relevant changes in the
Club. The Club Fixtures Secretary shall be the usual club-to-club contact for
details of league matches.
8.3 League Meetings. Each Club in an
East League shall send a representative (preferably their LLO) to any all clubs
meeting called by that East League.
8.4 Press Reports. In seasons when the East Region
Hockey Association has an official sponsor,all clubs must provide their highest Men’s
team’s League Manager and highest Women’s team League Manager with copies of
all match reports, league tables and any other hockey matters which appear in
their local press. Such copies must include the name of the paper and the date
of issue. (It is suggested that the whole page is sent). If however, reports
are not printed, the clubs must provide evidence that the necessary copy has
been submitted to the local press. These match reports should be sent to the
League Manager in two batches: for the first half of the season by the end of
December and for the second half by the end of March. Failure to provide copies
of match reports by a due date will lead to an automatic fine of £20.
All copy sent to the press must
incorporate the name of the East League sponsor.
8.5 Fixture Cards
Clubs with paper fixture cards must send a copy by post to the East
League Secretary to arrive by October 31st. Clubs using electronic cards must
email an rtf or pdf file by the same date. Failure to
provide a fixture card of either sort by the due date will lead to an automatic
fine of £20 for each League in which the club plays. To qualify as a fixture card under this rule,
the card must comply with the Guideline in the preamble to the League Rules.
In addition, Clubs must email contact details of all their Captains and Vice-Captains to all of their East League Managers before the first Saturday of the season. Contact details must include telephone numbers, as well as email addresses where available. Failure to do so will lead to an automatic fine of £20 for each team for which full details are not provided by the due date.
8.6 Presentation Day. All Divisional
winners are required to send a representative to the end of season Presentation
Day to collect their trophy. Failure to attend Presentation Day will result in
a fine of £100 being imposed. Clubs failing to attend Presentation Day must
arrange for any trophy to be subsequently collected.
Clubs
presented with trophies in the previous season must return those trophies to
the League by the end of March, on penalty of a £50 fine.
9. EMERGENCY DECISIONS When issues arise
during the season that require prompt resolution, such as issues affecting an
imminent match, clubs must contact their League Manager. If escalation of the
issue is necessary, that will be done by the League Manager.
In the continuing unavailability of a
League Manager, a club may however contact the appropriate East League
Secretary.
10. CHANGE OF RULES No amendment
either to these rules or to the structure of the East Leagues may be made after
September 1st of the season in which either the rules or the structure apply,
except that changes arising from decisions of the national body shall be
implemented without delay, and changes already indicated in the wording of a
rule (such as the outcome of an ongoing review) may be implemented without
delay.
11. BINDING FORCE OF RULES Each club by its
entry into the East Leagues shall be deemed to have given its consent to the
League Rules and any amendments which may from time to time be adopted.
12. East
Men’s Veterans League
12.1 League management
The EMVL will be managed on a day
to day basis by a League Manager appointed by the East Leagues AGM, and will be
subject to the overall control of the East Leagues Management Committee, of
which the EMVL League Manager will be a member.
Full details of these arrangements can be found in East Leagues Rule 1.
Club eligibility to play in the EMVL and
the collection of fees will be managed by the East Leagues Secretary.
12.2.
Club eligibility and administration
All men’s clubs within the East Region are
eligible to play in the EVL. Other clubs
of an appropriate location may be invited to join at the discretion of the
League Management Committee, providing the travel time to their home ground is
normally not more than 90 minutes from those of existing EVL clubs.
A Club must submit a completed EMVL
Registration form to the East Leagues Secretary by the 31st July including
details of a Veterans League Liaison Officer. Failure to submit a fully
completed League Registration form by the due date will result in the league
fee being increased by 50%.
The League Liaison Officer will be the
primary point of contact between the League and the Club, must be readily
available to the League at all times, and must keep the League fully informed
of any relevant changes in the Club, including keeping the club details up to
date on the East website.
Clubs must pay their league fee before
playing in the league. Clubs paying by
30th September will be eligible for a discount of £5 per team.
12.3.
Player eligibility
All players must be bone fide, fully
paid-up members of their clubs and must be male. A team (including substitutes) must comprise no more than two players aged
35-39, with all other players aged 40 or over. These ages are as at the start of
the season (October 1st). However, Captains may mutually agree the inclusion of underage
players, providing this is done prior to commencement of the game.
Note:
The League Management Committee may allow “shadow teams” to participate in the League
in the 2006/7 season.
12.4. Player Registration The names, and dates of birth of all players
must be registered with the League Manager by the 30th of September
each season.
Only registered players may participate in EMVL matches. However, players may be added to the list
during the season provided this is done in writing (including email) before
participation in matches.
12.5. Matches
All matches shall be played in accordance
with the current rules of hockey as published by the Hockey Rules Board for the
FIH.
The League will issue all fixtures before
the start of the season, and will endeavour to avoid
matches in school half terms and bank holiday periods. Clubs may fill in any gaps in their fixture
lists providing they allow for slip dates for rearranged league matches.
All home teams must confirm their
fixtures, giving start times and details of pitches, at least 2 weeks prior to
the match. Matches must start between
12.00 am. and 4.00p.m. unless another start time has been mutually agreed by
the two clubs.
Matches must be played on astro. Home teams must give a minimum of 24 hour
notice of cancellation of a match (other than for unexpected problems occurring
on the day of match). Away teams must
give at least 24 hours notice on an inability to fulfil
a fixture - failure to comply will give
the home side the option to charge the away club for the cost of the
pitch. Clubs must notify the League
Manager promptly of any cancelled or postponed matches and subsequently of
details for rearranged games. Rearranged
matches may be played on Sundays by mutual agreement.
The home team is responsible for loading
the results of the match on the East Hockey website (www.east‑hockey.co.uk)
within 24 hours of playing. Each team
must send its completed Result Sheet to the League Manager to arrive by the Wednesday
following the match.
12.6
League positions.
Teams will gain 3 points for a win, 2 for a
score draw and 1 for a goalless draw. If teams have played differing numbers of
matches by the end of the season, the league table may be recalculated on a
percentage basis.
The winner of each division will be awarded a
trophy at the East Leagues Presentation Day.
Clubs presented with trophies in the previous season must return those
trophies to the League by the end of March.
12.7. Umpiring and Discipline
Each team will usually provide an umpire, but by
mutual agreement both umpires may be provided by one club. Umpires must if at all possible have at least
Level 1 qualification
All red, yellow and green cards must be recorded
on Result Sheets. For red cards the umpires must follow the EH disciplinary
code, and the League will monitor this.