LINCOLN NETBALL LEAGUE

RULES

1. A fee is payable per season to enter a team into the Lincoln Netball League. This will be set by the league and is dependent upon the number of teams entering.
2. Registration forms must include players’ names and England Netball numbers.
3. (Removed)
4. Attendance at both the AGM and Presentation Evening is mandatory for all teams. There is no cost for the AGM as this will be virtual and the cost of the Presentation Evening is £25.00 per team regardless of the number of team players present. Non-attendance results in a £25.00 fine for the AGM and a £40.00 fine for the presentation evening.
5. Failure to give 24 hours’ notice of match cancellations results in a £20.00 fine payable to the Fixtures and Tournaments Secretary. The opposing team shall receive 5 points, 20 goals and £10 of the fine amount. This ruling also applies to matches which are forfeited because a team has insufficient numbers to take the court. Under these circumstances the offending team will receive a £20 fine and will have to pay for the opposition umpires, scorers and duty, if applicable.

6. Failure to complete Duty Team responsibilities results in a £20.00 fine for the first offence and subsequent offences incur the £10.00 fine plus 5 points deduction.
7. League prizes are awarded each season with Division Winners receiving £50.00 and the Runners Up £30.00
8. The duration of each match will be four quarters of twelve minutes with one minute between quarters and two minutes at half time. There will be five minutes between matches. Each umpire should have a stopwatch so that if an injury occurs the lost time can be added on – 30 seconds per quarter shall be the maximum amount allowed for the first injury per team, subsequent injuries in the same quarter per team shall be 30 seconds. After this time the injured player must leave the court unless it would be unsafe to do so. If an injured player should not be removed from the court then the result at the point the game stopped stands if more than two quarters of the game had been played and if less than a quarter has been played then the match should be replayed. Both teams have the right to make substitutions when play is stopped for an injury or illness. However, the ill or injured player must be involved in these changes (ie moved positions or taken off). Other players can change positions if this occurs.
9. All teams should be on court promptly. However, if when the bell signals the start of the game only one team is on court ready to play and the opposition does not arrive within five minutes then that quarter will not be played and the team causing the delay shall concede ten goals. If they do arrive the game will start in quarter 2.  If the team does not arrive by the start of quarter 2 the game is void, with 5 points awarded to the team present and a score of 20:0. The team not present will lose 20:0 and have to pay the late cancellation fine as per rule 5. 
10. Time keeping shall be centrally controlled. A bell will signal the start, quarter time, half time, three quarter time and full time.
11. All jewellery, except wedding rings and medical bracelets (which must be securely taped,) must be removed before players go on court. Medical inner ear piercings are only allowed providing the player gets a supporting letter from a doctor and wears a headband covering her piercing. Taping is not sufficient and the headband would offer an additional level of safety to the wearer and other players. Smooth hats and headbands are allowed, but no peaks, straps etc. These should be made from a material which is soft with no embellishments or flowing/flapping edges. The wearing of gloves, woollen or leather, is not permitted except in medical circumstances when a medical certificate must be produced (see England Netball Domestic Rules Guidance August 2013.) The gloves worn must be plain, soft leather or micro fibre without seams or adornments. No scarf or neckwear may be worn when playing. Hooded tops may be asked to be removed at the discretion of the umpire for safety purposes. Hair should be appropriately tied back and any hair accessory that is used should not pose any risk to any individual. Chewing gum is not permitted whilst on court as it poses a choking risk. Fitbits are other similar devices may not be worn.
12. Umpires will check fingernails before each game starts. Players with long nails will be instructed to cut them (not tape them up) and be rechecked before being allowed on court.
13. Players may only play for the team with which they are registered except when a club exists when the following rules apply:- A player from the ‘B’ team may play in the ‘A’ team twice and on the third occasion that player will be deemed an ‘A’ team player and will no longer be able to represent the ‘B’ team. The first time an ‘A’ team player plays down for the ‘B’ team they are deemed to be a ‘B’ team player. These players have to stay in that team for the remainder of the season. These principles apply when there are at least two teams in a club with any player from a lower team being able to play for any higher team from the club on a maximum of two occasions. Players can keep moving further up or down a club if at least two teams exist each season. Once you have been transferred up within your club you cannot transfer back down that season.

14. At the end of each season clubs must renumber their teams within their club according to their finishing positions.
15. Matches will be played on a league basis where teams will play each other twice in the Winter League and twice in the Summer League. In the event of teams finishing with equal points the winner shall be the team with the greater goal difference.
16. The number of teams to be promoted and relegated at the end of each season is at the discretion of the Fixtures and Tournaments Secretary and dependant on the numbers of teams leaving and joining the Lincoln Netball League.
17. Should there be any weeks remaining at the end of the Summer season then ‘Friendlies’ will be arranged for those teams wishing to do so.
18. Scoring will be as follows:- Win: 5 points, Draw: 3 points, Lose: 1 point if you get 50% or more of the winning team’s score.

19. Teams must take to the court for matches when they do not have a full team if they have 6 players. Matches cannot take place with 5 or less players on a team, unless under exceptional circumstances and only by agreement from at least 3 members of the committee present.
20. In order to safeguard all players within our league, the committee have decided, in alignment with their duty of care towards pregnant players, that players cannot play beyond week twelve of pregnancy and must cease umpiring from week twenty. Anyone who plays/umpires whilst pregnant up to these dates does so at their own risk. Please note that this does deviate from EN guidance on this matter.
21. Teams will nominate a best player for the opposition’s team at the end of the match and it is the umpires’ responsibility to note it on the score card, which is handed in at the white box at the gate on your way out. A trophy will be provided by the League for each team’s overall best player and presented at the AGM.
22. Registration - Teams may register a player on the night/day of play. If the player is unknown to the League and you are unsure of their compatibility to your team then that player may take part without registering on that one evening, after which a decision must be made regarding registration. New players must affiliate to England Netball and fully complete an Additional Player form. This should be handed to the Treasurer and Registration secretary. Any team found playing unregistered or under-age players will forfeit that game. They will lose 20:0 and incur a £20 fine. Also the opposing team will win 20:0 and receive 5 points. If the player is registered for another team then the individual player shall receive a £20 fine, the player’s original team will receive a £10 fine and the receiving team will receive a £10 fine. Subsequent games played by this person up to receiving a letter will be unaffected. Teams then have 7 days to get the player registered and affiliated. Failure to do this will result in a first disciplinary issue conduct warning. Any subsequent games played by this player will incur your team a £40 fine and a conduct warning for each game played by this unregistered player. Substitutes on a match card are counted as having played.
23. Match cards - must be fully completed with your team name, the date and players’ full names written clearly. At the end of each quarter the umpires should check that there are no discrepancies between the scores. The scorer should write their name on the front of the card (where the score is) and add the name of the umpire to the back of the card (where the players’ names are.) At the end of the game photos of fully completed match cards (both sides) must be sent to the Press/Publicity Officer via email or sent to the WhatsApp scorecard group within 7 days of the match. The team that submits an incomplete card or fails to hand in the score card within 7 days will forfeit the game - the other team will be deemed to have won by 20 goals to nil, and will get 5 points – unless this score-line puts the winning team at a disadvantage, then the original result will stand.
24. Photography or filming of netball matches – permission must first be granted from Yarborough Sports Centre, then please inform any committee member prior to using any photography equipment and permission is required from any individuals (playing, umpiring or spectating) that could be included in the film or photographs. If any minors are involved then permission would need to be obtained from parents/carers prior to filming or the taking of photographs.
25. Inclement weather or any other circumstances that may put players in danger – the Committee members present will make the decision as to whether games should continue or be stopped. If Committee members are playing or umpiring they have the right to halt the game in order to gather all the present members together so discussions can take place. At this point all games will be stopped. If necessary, players should gather in an appropriately safe location. The Committee will make an informed decision as to resuming the games on the night. Resumed games will all begin at the same time and will only continue up to the time games should have finished. If the Committee decide to abandon games the following will apply –

• If less than half the game had been played then the game will be rescheduled and play shall start from that point it was stopped.
• If more than half the game had been played then the result stands as at the point it was stopped.

Umpires and team captains also have the right to stop their game if they feel that it is unsafe to continue.

26. If a trophy is damaged whilst in your care then your team are responsible for the cost of any repairs.

27. Cancellations - Sometimes the League is forced to cancel matches due to circumstances out of their control. If a team cancels their match before the League, even if on the same day, then they shall still forfeit the match. The opposing team as in rule 5 will receive the 5 points and 20 goals. Relevant fines will need to be paid.

28. Safeguarding – We have a Duty of Care towards all of our players, especially the younger members of our League. Inappropriate language and/or behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Failure to comply with this rule will result in disciplinary action being taken against offending teams in accordance with Constitution point 11. Team captains are respectfully reminded that they are deemed to be responsible for the behaviour / conduct of their players together with all spectators too.

29. Kit – Players are encouraged to wear kit, whilst playing, that reflect their own team colours where possible and opposing teams should wear bibs of differing colours. However, in order to encourage increased participation in Netball in this local league while also being sensitive to religious practices, cultural differences, health and well-being issues (e.g. climatic weather conditions,) players will not be excluded from playing in non-matching uniforms/clothing so long as the umpires are satisfied that players are distinguishable from their opposition. Umpires should therefore use common sense when applying the rules regarding clothing and any decisions made regarding clothing are at the umpire’s discretion.

30. Accident recording - Teams are responsible for recording any accidents that occur to their own players that require medical attention, using the most up-to-date England Netball Accident Form (which all teams must download from England Netball.) This form must be completed by a responsible adult and a copy should then be emailed to the League secretary within 7 days of the accident, who will then forward it onto the appropriate venue, in accordance with GDPR guidelines. The Lincoln Netball League is not responsible for the recording of accidents

31. Fixtures – All fixtures are subject to change at the committee’s discretion (this includes rescheduled games.) The committee will endeavour to keep any alterations to a minimum and provide details of any changes at least 7 days prior to the new fixtures being played but occasionally changes may be issued at short notice (within 7 days.)

32. Umpiring – No umpire shall umpire a team that they are signed to for that season. This is in the interest of fairness and to reduce any suggestion of bias. In very exceptional circumstances there may be no other option than for this to happen but it may only occur if both playing teams are in agreement prior to the game.