Back to Leagues Page Back to Rules page
NE14HOCKEY EAST LEAGUE RULES: 2007 - 2008
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. Disparaging remarks about leagues or
opponents in press reports or on club websites will not be tolerated.
·
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
·
must always inform the Home Club at least two days in advance of the
match if full teas are not required; failure
to do say may result in a charge being levied by the Home Club.
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 Manager
·
the Leagues will not
adjudicate on match decisions made by umpires
NE14HOCKEY EAST LEAGUE RULES:
Amendments since 2006-7: in italics.
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 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:
- the presentation of reports from the Chairman of
each League
- the election of Officers
- the presentation and approval of Accounts
- the setting of league fees
- amendments to the League rules
- any other proposals
Those entitled to attend a General Meeting and to vote:
- all Clubs participating in the Leagues at the end
of the previously completed season
- a representative of the Management Committee of
the ERHUA
- a representative of the Management Committee of
the ERHA.
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.
1.3.2 League Rule Changes
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.
1.3.3 Other Proposals
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 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 seconding. 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.
1.3.4 Amendments to Proposals
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.
1.3.5 Voting
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.
- For each of the three Leagues in which a club is
playing: 1 vote.
- The ERHA Representative and the ERHUA
Representative: 1 vote each
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, authorised and returned in time to be
received by the East League Secretary 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 Club 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:
- to break even
- participating clubs to pay a league fee per team
- clubs not submitting league application forms by
the due date to pay league fees plus 50%
·
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.
The 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
Secretary
Each League shall be
administered in its entirety by the East League Secretary, 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.
The East League Secretary is
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 the 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 East League fees and
other payments due to the East Leagues have been paid before the start of the
league season. Clubs with
overdue financial payments of any sort outstanding to an East League 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). Clubs disaffiliated by a County, Region or
England are not eligible to play League hockey. 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.
A 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 Manager 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 3.3) and
providing no more than one player in total is 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
League using the East Hockey website Player Transfer system 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 after February 1st.
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 Committee 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 East League matches 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 if
applicable notified directly and immediately. Clubs failing to comply may be subject to penalties under rule 7.2.
Matches must be played on the dates and slip dates specified by the League
Management Committees. However, League Managers may on request allow teams to
switch a match to a League Saturday that is blank if the Division has less than
12 teams
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.
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, injury
to a player, etc.
When matches are
abandoned or postponed the League Manager is the sole judge of whether the
match should be rearranged, awarded 0-3 or voided.
In the event of a
match being postponed, the two teams must within two weeks of the League
Manager 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.
When matches are
not honoured the League Manager is the sole judge of
whether the match should be rearranged, awarded 0-3, voided, or forfeited. If a team forfeits 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.
A team that
forfeits four matches 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 a visiting side that has failed to
honour a 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
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.
(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.
(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.
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.
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. All club umpires officiating in East League matches must be
full Level 1 for matches in divisions 3NE, 4NW, 6SE, and 4SW and above, and 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).
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 Probationers. Before the start of the season, all clubs must provide a complete
list of their Level 1 and Probationer Level 1 umpires to the Leagues
using a system on the East Hockey website, including Level 1 registration numbers and 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.
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, or of a temporary umpire being used whilst the appointed
umpire arrives,
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.
No more than two teams from one club may play in the same
division. If the relegation of a team
causes there to be more than two teams in a division, the lowest ranking of
those teams will be relegated irrespective of finishing position. If the promotion of a team causes there to be
more than two teams in a division, the promotion will not be allowed. (It is
noted that the bottom division of a quadrant may not always be compliant).
6.3 East Women’s League
The East Women’s League is structured as shown below, including end of
season promotions and relegations.
Divisions will normally consist of 12 teams.