Eastbourne and District Pool League

Eastbourne District Pool League Constitution
Statement of Purpose
1. Name of Organisation
2. Mission and Objective
3. Committee, Election of Officers, and Committee Meetings
4. EDPL Dissolution and Disbursements
5. Finances and Revenue Generation
6. Annual General Meetings (AGM), Captains’ Meetings (CM) and Emergency General Meetings (EGM)
7. Elections and Voting (AGMs, CMs and EGMs)
8. Constitutional Motions and Amendments
9. Registration Fees for Teams and Players – Player Transfers
10. Captains Meetings
11. Competitions
12a. Winter League Matches
12b Summer League Matches
13. Spring Cup Matches / Knock Out Cup
14. League Cup Matches
15. 99 Cup Matches
16. Single Matches
17. Doubles Matches
18. Trophies and Sponsorship
19. EDPL App and Scoring
20. Promotion, Relegation and Play-Offs
21. Postponement, Rearranging and Cancellation of Fixtures
22. Changes of Venue
23. Withdrawing from League
24. Player Rankings
25. Standards of Conduct and Behaviour
26. Social Media and EDPL Forum
27. Grievances and Complaints Process
28. Disciplinary Process and Appeal Process
29. Guidelines for Refereeing
30. Interpretation of Rules
Statement of Purpose
The Eastbourne District Pool League (EDPL) has operated since its inception under its constitution. Given the changing world in which it now operates, the growth of technology, the advent of social media and the Covid pandemic it is evident that it is no longer fit for purpose and that some revisions are required to enable the EDPL to meet these changing needs. This constitution provides the governance, consistency, point of reference and clarity required on all reasonably foreseeable matters to enable the EDPL to not only run more smoothly, but to also develop and grow and continue to be successful. The committee feel that this document goes some way in providing an infrastructure supporting these objectives by identifying mechanisms supporting the management, transparency and continuous change demanded in modern society. This document also identifies standards of behaviour which promote the spirit in which the game should be played at this level. The re-introduction of Annual General Meetings will provide the forum for open discussion and transparency concerning this constitution and finances as well as the regular election of the EDPL Committee thus promoting a healthy and democratic foundation for the continued success of the EDPL.
EDPL Constitution
1. Name of Organisation
1.1 Eastbourne and District Pool League
2. Mission and Objective
2.1 To promote competitive 8 Ball Pool in Eastbourne, & the surrounding area at all suitable venues within BN20 to BN27 (Eastbourne, Polegate, Hailsham, Pevensey & Westham) postcodes, excluding BN25 (Seaford). 2.2 To facilitate, via an elected committee, the fair and consistent commercial management and administration of the EDPL including all EDPL associated competitions and events. 2.3 To promote “the spirit of the game.”
3. Committee, Election and Committee Meetings
The Committee Chairman - Steve Horner Secretary - Robert Jordan Vice Chairman- Vacant Treasurer - Scott Murrell Member - Ben Saber Member - Phil Ashby Member - Tony Deragon Member - Darren Warman
3.1 to 3.7 Committee & Committee Election 3.1 Committee members must be EDPL registered throughout their tenure. 3.2 Upon resignation committee members will become ineligible for re-election for a period of 24 months. 3.3 No more than two EDPL representatives from the same establishment may be permitted to serve on the committee at any one time. 3.4 The EDPL Secretary must receive nominations to join the committee in writing or by email, at least 7 days prior to the appropriate AGM/GM. 3.5 The committee shall compromise of 4 officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and League Secretary). A remaining maximum of 5 members who may be assigned as seen fit such as Competition Secretary. 3.6 In the eventuality of any resignation from the committee during the season, the committee reserve the right to appoint a suitable replacement. 3.7 The 2022 Committee is established (see appendix 3.7 Special) and will remain in place until 2022 AGM when elections will be held. Election of committee officers will take place every 2 years at the appropriate AGM, in accordance with the protocols set out below, and before the election of committee members: A. The Chairman will retire their position, and the Vice-Chairman or League Secretary will take over proceedings B. Members of the current committee, including the just retired Chairman, will be invited for the post of Chairman. C. A member of the committee must second any member wishing to stand. D. Where more than one candidate is standing the position will be decided by a majority vote. E. The newly elected Chairman will take over proceedings. F. The Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and League Secretary will retire their positions. G. Members of the current committee, including those just retired, will be invited to stand for the posts of Vice Chairman, Treasurer and League Secretary in turn. H. A member of the committee must second any member wishing to stand. I. Where more than one candidate is standing the position will be decided by a majority vote. J. All general committee members will retire their positions. K. All retired general members of the committee will be invited to stand for election. L. Any received committee nominations will be announced. M. Where the number of interested parties exceeds 5, the number of vacant positions each member shall be voted in turn. N. Those 5 candidates receiving the most individual votes will be elected to the committee. O. For any remaining vacant positions, the floor may nominate present and eligible person/persons to fill such vacancies. Each candidate must be elected by way of a majority vote of the floor which must be accepted by the committee. P. In the eventuality that a committee consisting of a minimum of a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer and League Secretary cannot be formed the EDPL will enter the process of dissolution. 3.8 to 3.12 Committee Meetings 3.8 Committee Meetings shall be held a minimum of every three months to discuss general issues. 3.9 Any Committee member can call a meeting after 72 hours’ notice in writing or by email to the League Secretary, explaining the reasons for the meeting. 3.10 The committee shall reserve the right to remove any member who fails to attend half of all committee meeting within any 12-month period by way of majority vote. Extenuating circumstances will be considered. 3.11 Requests by EDPL members for committee meeting minutes must be made in writing or by email to the League Secretary. 3.12 A minimum of 4 committee members must be present at a meeting to form a quorum including 2 officers.
4. EDLP Dissolution and Disbursements
4.1 In accordance with 3.7.P the EDPL will be dissolved if insufficient committee members are elected to form a quorum. 4.2 Any motion of dissolution of the EDPL shall require the support of a 2/3rd majority of the total voting population of the EDPL, that is, voters not in attendance and voters in abstention shall be counted as being against dissolution. 4.3 Upon dissolution of the EDPL all outstanding debts owed by the league shall be paid from the funds and all outstanding debts owed to the EDPL shall be called in. 4.4 The balance of monies shall be disbursed equally amongst all teams registered to the EDPL at such time.
5. Finances and Revenue Generation
5.1 All monies will be handled by the Treasurer. In the absence of the Treasurer an alternative officer of the committee, either Chairman or Secretary, will handle monies. 5.2 The EDPL bank account must have a minimum of three signatories one of whom is the Treasurer and the others who must be officers of the EDPL committee. 5.3 All outgoing cheques must be signed by at least two designated signatories. Electronic transactions conducted by one signatory. 5.4 Signatories must be current Committee members, including the Treasurer. Resigning signatories’ account access will be reviewed. 5.5 The EDPL Website will indicate which committee members are signatories next to their names in the contact section. 5.6 The Treasurer shall present a statement of accounts at any time when requested to do so by the committee and at each AGM/CM.
6. Annual General Meetings (AGM), General Meetings (GM) and Emergency General Meetings (EGM)
6.1 An AGM shall be held each year at the end of the season for the purpose of: A. Team Registration and payment of fees. B. The publication of the EDPL accounts. C. Discussion and ballots regarding motions, amendments, and constitutional changes. D. Election of Committee. E. Any relevant other business.
7 Elections and Voting (AGMs, GMs, and EGMs)
7.1 Each registered team will be restricted to one ballot paper 7.2 Each registered team that are present will be permitted to vote on any motions arising.7.3 Each Committee Member present will be permitted to vote on any motions arising. 7.4 No person may represent the interest of more than one team. 7.5 The Chairman, if required, has the casting vote. 7.6 If deemed necessary a ballot box will be deemed necessary for the committee. 7.7 No voting by proxy will be permitted. 7.8 No person under suspension may stand for office.
8. Constitutional Motions and Amendments
8.1 The League Secretary must receive motions to the constitution for the forthcoming season in writing or by email at least 7 days before the relevant AGM/CM. 8.2 Motions must be seconded by a person from a team other than that of the proposer. 8.3 Motions will be published on the EDPL website not less than one week prior to the date of the AGM/CM/EGM. 8.4 The proposer or seconder must be present at the AGM/CM/EGM for a motion to be debated. The proposer or representative has the right to address the floor regarding their motion prior to debate. 8.5 No new motions will be accepted at the AGM/CM/EGM outside of the 2022 AGM. 8.6 Amendments to motions will be accepted at an AGM/CM/EGM, and a vote held, to determine the result. 8.7 If decided at an AGM/EGM amended motions may be presented to captains at the next CM with votes recorded with the majority vote accepting or rejecting the motion. 8.8 Any motion debated at AGM/CM/EGM cannot be resubmitted for 12 months unless this motion is deferred. Deferred motions will be decided at Committee unless the AGM require an EGM resolution.
9. Registrations, Registration Fees for Teams, and Players – Player Transfers
9.1 At each AGM the Committee will propose registration fees for the following season. 9.2 Registration fees will be based on the previous season’s registration, with due consideration of all known estimated costs. 9.3 In the event of dispute, the matter of registration fees will be put to the floor for discussion and if necessary, ballot by show of hands. 9.4 Registration fees for all competitions must be received by the Treasurer no later than the 14 days immediately prior to the forthcoming season. Teams that fold prior to the start of the league will be refunded. All competitions are defined as all team competitions. Doubles and singles events will attract separate fees for participants in each of the competitions. 9.5 All team applications are subject to approval of the Committee and all venues must be within the locations specified in 2.1. 9.6 Newly formed teams will normally be required to play in the lowest division and progress accordingly. No exception will be made for elite teams or players. However, the EDPL Committee will, where necessary, adjust teams’ divisional status to provide greater consistency of divisional team numbers. 9.7 All teams must consist of a minimum of five eligible players for the Winter League and four for the Summer League. 9.8 Registration fees may only be paid by landlords, captains’, or players of registering teams. 9.9 An EDPL player is considered registered once a competitive league match is played in. 9.10 New players may be registered to a team on the day of any league match but no later than the final Thursday in February in any season. New registrations thereafter may be submitted to the Committee for approval providing proof of residency. 9.11 All players must be 18 years old; however, players 14 years old may be registered and play in all competitions in the presence of a parent, guardian, or responsible adult. 9.12 Individual teams will be treated independently regardless of venue. 9.13 If the committee feels at any stage of the season that it has been misled by any submission of any team registration to such an extent, that had all the facts been available, it would have attempted to allocate the team to a different division, the committee is empowered to take the following measures: A. Expel the team concerned for the remainder of the season. B. Suspend players involved for a period it deems appropriate. C. Dock points from the team concerned. D. Adjust player statistics appropriate to 9.14 Players may only register to one team at any time. 9.15 All venues are restricted to a maximum of four teams in any one division. Player Transfers 9.16 Players wishing to transfer must submit their transfer request to the Committee in writing prior to re-registering for a different team. 9.17 All transfer applications must be agreed by both captains. 9.18 The Committee or EDPL Secretary will authorise or decline the transfer application on an individual basis normally within 1 week. 9.19 Players may only transfer once in any season. 9.20 Transfers are not permitted within four weeks of the last scheduled league fixture of the season. 9.21 Player transfers are not permitted once a player has participated in four league matches.
10. Captains Meetings (CM)
10.1 A CMs will be arranged prior to each Winter League season. 10.2 Any outstanding business from the most recent AGM will be concluded. 10.3 The Committees’ expectation of captains will be outlined, as will any changes or issues since the previous season.
11. Competitions
11.1 The EDPL will organise and run the following competitions each season:  League – Winter and Summer  Spring Cup Division 1 and Knock Out Cup Division 2 & 3  League Cup  99 Cup  Open Singles / Open Plate  Open Scotch Doubles 11.2 All competitions will be played under Back Ball Rules, unless otherwise specified by the Committee (See 29.6). The 99 Cup shall be played in accordance Section 15. 11.3 All competition formats will be decided by the Committee each season. 11.4 Competition dates will be decided by the Committee prior to the start of the Winter League season with all competition dates will be displayed on the EDPL App. 11.5 Home teams will enter the player first on the app prior to each frame. 11.6 A 5 minute maximum time limit is set between each frame 11.5 Home teams will enter the player first on the app prior to each frame. 11.6 5 minute maximum time limit between each frame, captains to challenge if this is breached.
12a. Winter League Matches
12a.1 Black Ball Rules apply to all matches. See 29.6. 12a.2 Format is 10 singles racks and 2 doubles with the double’s frames being rack 3 and 7. 12a.3 Teams consisting of four players forfeit two frames. 12a.4 Player stats will record 1 point for all singles victories and for all walkovers. Doubles wins will not count towards individual performance statistics. 12a.5 Each player can play a maximum of 2 singles frames and 1 doubles frame per match
12b. Summer League Matches
The Summer League Match format is 10 singles, 3 doubles, the match order is SSSDSSDSSSDSS. Teams consist if a minimum of 4 players. Each player may play a maximum of 2 doubles and 2 singles, each doubles pairing may only be played once per match. If a team only has the 4 minimum players the opposing team will choose the 2 players who play a third frame, before frame 12 commences.
13. Spring Cup Matches and Knockout Cup
13.1 Black Ball Rules apply to all matches. See 29.6. 13.2 These events consist of 3, sets 1 and 3 being singles and set 2 being scotch doubles. 13.3 A minimum number of players is 4. Teams consisting of 4 players will concede the fifth doubles frame and the fifth singles frame of sets 1 and 3. 13.4 Each player can play a maximum of 2 doubles frames and 2 singles frames (KO Cup) or 3 singles frames (Spring Cup) in the match. Each player can play a maximum of 1 frame per set in sets 1 & 3 in the KO cup or 2 frames per set in the spring cup. Each doubles pairing can play a maximum of 1 frame per match. 13.5 Spring Cup is restricted to Division 1 teams only with Sets 1&3 being a race to 4 and set 2 a race to 3. 13.6 Knockout Cup is restricted to Division 2 and Division 3 teams only with Sets 1&3 being a race to 3 and set 2 a race to 3.
14. League Cup Matches
14.1 Black Ball Rules apply to all matches. See 29.6. 14.2 This competition is handicapped. Division 1 sides concede 1 point to Division 2 teams and 2 points to Division 3 teams. Division 2 teams concede 1 point start to Division 3 teams. These points are added once the opening three doubles racks are completed. 14.3 Matches are played over 13 racks, with the match complete once one team reaches a score of 7. 14.4 The format is racks 1-3 is 3 doubles, 4-13 is singles. Singles racks are played in a rotation of 5 frames, meaning each player can play 1 frame per 5 frames. 14.5 Teams consisting of 6, 5 or 4 players adhere to the following guide:  6 players play 3 doubles then singles.  5 players play 3 doubles with the repeat doubles player being selected by the opposition then singles.  4 players play 2 doubles conceding doubles rack 1 then 4 singles conceding rack 6, then four singles conceding rack 11.
15. 99 Cup Matches
15.1 Break - Individual racks are played with the break decided by lagging. Balls are racked in accordance with current black ball rules which apply except any rule identified in section 15 of this document. A foul break is committed when any 2 balls do not pass the imaginary middle line, the white ball is potted or the white ball is scratched off the table. Visit 15.7 for foul shots. 15.2 Format - When balls are potted after the break the table remains open for the next shot and any colour ball (or combination) may be potted including the black. Thereafter the player at the table must alternate between red and yellow balls or yellow and red until one colour has been cleared, then alternate colours is not required. The black may be potted at any time during a rack. The next shot is an “open table” visit allowing either colour to be potted. 15.3 Combination Shots - Skill shots are not permitted and constitute a foul, giving the table to the opponent, with the exception as follows: If reds are in play the following are permitted. Black onto red, red onto black or red onto red. If yellows are in play black onto yellow, yellow onto black and yellow onto yellow (When the black is played it is counted as the on colour). A foul is played when either a red is played to pot a yellow ball or vice versa unless the table is “open.” If the table is “open” any combination shot can be played. If both a red and yellow are potted during an “open” visit the player may continue by selecting either colour or the black. If, during an open visit, the black is potted by a combination shot the next shot is to an “open” table (15.2). 15.4 New Visit - Once your opponents’ visit ends all incoming players’ first shot is to an open table every visit allowing any ball may be potted. Any legal ball potted from the break counts as 1 point. 15.5 Scoring - Each ball legally potted is worth 1 point. If the black is potted last, it is worth 5 points. 15.6 Break and Dish - A break and dish wins 20 points when the black is potted during the visit. Any break and dish with the black ball potted last attracts a bonus of ten points attracting 25 points. 15.7 Fouls - A visit ends when a player fails to pot a legal ball or plays a foul shot. All fouls equate to a 5 points deduction. Scores cannot go below 0 during individual racks or 0 for any team during any match, except where a handicap is applied. 15.8 Cue ball in hand - After any foul the incoming player may play the cue ball from where it lies or select the option of cue ball in hand, which allows the player to place the cue ball in any position anywhere on the table, which is open. Incoming players receive only one shot. 15.9 Handicap - 99 Cup matches are handicapped with division 1 teams starting on minus 30 when playing division 3 and minus 15 when plying division 2. Division 2 teams start on minus 15 when playing division 3. If both teams in same division then both start at 0. The Match is completed when the first team reaches a score of 99 points. 15.10 Teams must have a minimum of 4 players. Each player can play a maximum of 1 frame per group of 5 frames (1-5,6-10,11-15) if a team only has 4 players then they concede 15 points every 5th frame. The player on the team who would have played has the right to attempt a break and clear and will receive those points, however if they don’t clear then the frame finishes after the first visit and a score of 10 is recorded for that frame.
16. Single Matches
16.1 All matches to be in accordance with Black Ball Rules. See 29.6. 16.2 Competition format to be published by the EDPL Committee when publishing the draw. 16.3 All matches to be completed in accordance with published competition dates. 16.4 All rearranged matches are subject to Section 21 16.5 Divisional singles for Division 2 and 3 with no plate competition. Open Singles and Plate unchanged.
17. Doubles Matches
17.1 All matches to be in accordance with Black Ball Rules. 17.2 Competition format will be Open Doubles and Doubles Plate. There will be a Division2 & Division 3 combined doubles competition with no Plate Competition. 17.3 All matches to be completed in accordance with published competition dates. 17.4 All rearranged matches are subject to Section 21.
18. Trophies and Sponsorship
18.1 Trophies will be awarded at a presentation night. 18.2 Any trophies not collected on the night will be kept by the committee until such time that the trophy if collected. 18.3 A record will be kept for returnable trophies and accepting teams remain responsible for the safe and undamaged return. In the eventuality that the trophy is lost or damaged the recipients will be suspended until from playing in the EDPL until such time as the trophy, costs of repair or replacement is recovered. 18.4 Players winning their appropriate divisional statistics will receive an award. 18.5 Landlords may sponsor competitions with all appropriate semi-finals and finals being held at the venue represented by the successful sponsor. 18.6 It is recognised that some venues may not be ideal for potential numbers of players and spectators and in view of this the Committee will be required to assess the venue in terms of suitability including location. 18.7 All sponsorship bids will be submitted via silent bids in sealed envelopes on the night of the AGM prior to the forthcoming seasons. 18.8 Successful bids must be paid in full no later than the 14th August prior to the commencement of all competitions. 18.9 Sponsorship is not restricted to playing venues associated with the EDPL and may be sought from alternate sources if deemed commercially viable by the Committee. 18.10 Sponsors must provide referees for all finals. Proposed referees to be submitted to the Committee for approval. The committee reserved the right to veto proposed referees.
19. EDPL App and Scoring
19.1 All captains should ensure that they are familiar with the scoring app which must be used for all matches. 19.2 Any teams not complying with 19.1 may face disciplinary action. 19.3 In the eventuality of exceptional circumstances not permitting the use of the App both captains must contact the Chairman within 24 hours to notify him. Failure to do so may result in loss of points. 19.4 Home teams will commence player order which will alternate each frame thereafter. 19.5 The Competition Secretary and the Committee will remain responsible for the maintenance of the App.
20. Promotion, Relegation and Play-Offs
20.1 The top 2 teams in each division are promoted and the bottom 2 teams relegated excluding Division 3. 20.2 Teams that withdraw from the league during the season shall fill one of two relegation positions. 20.3 Promotion and relegations may be subject to potential league adjustment or re-organisation that may occur. 20.4 League placings will be decided by points awarded, matches won, frames won and head-to-head results. 20.5 Should teams finish level, having exhausted Section 20.4 league placings will be decided via a play-off. 20.6 Any play-offs under Section 20.5 will be held at a neutral venue.
21. Postponement, Rearranging and Cancellation of Fixtures
21.1 Teams must give at least 24 hours’ notice to both the opposing captain and the EDPL Secretary, when postponing a league fixture. Cancelling captains must ensure that they receive acknowledgement of cancellation from opposing captains. The mere sending of an email or text is not sufficient. 21.2 Fixtures may only be cancelled when both teams agree to the postponement and the date of the re-arranged fixture will be supplied to the EDPL Secretary when teams seek to notify the Secretary of the postponement. The re-arranged date must be within 28 days of the postponed fixture and where cup matches are concerned the re-arranged date must be prior to the next round of the cup competition. 21.3 In exceptional circumstances exist as determined by the EDPL Committee, fixture postponements may be permitted. 21.4 Matches postponed under 21.3 exceptional circumstances are subject to the non-offending captain providing three possible dates to replay the fixture. These dates must be sent to the postponing captain and the EDPL Secretary within 7 days of the original fixture date and be within 28 days of the original date. 21.5 If teams cannot agree a date, the EDPL Secretary will arbitrate to arrange a fixture date. 21.6 The final two league fixtures cannot be postponed. 21.7 Cup Matches require exceptional circumstances to be postponed and must be authorised by the Committee. 21.8 Where matches are conceded, the opposing team will be awarded 7 singles frames. 21.9 Any team conceding a match on the final day of the league season will be deducted 5 points. Circumstances such as these are subject to scrutiny by the Committee who may consider some form of action against offending teams. 21.10. The EDPL Secretary may deem that exceptional circumstances may exist and as such the no show was unavoidable due to circumstances beyond their control and the match will be rearranged. 21.11. In the eventuality whereby force majeure leads to abandoned frames, such frames will be deemed void and the frame along with any remaining frames will be concluded should a replay be possible. Any concluded frames involved in fixtures of this nature will stand. 21.12 Cash payments for “no shows” to home landlords in lieu of hospitality catering losses. 21.13 15 minutes from the scheduled start times will be provided for late arrivals for fixtures at which time one frame will be awarded to opposing team. If after 30 minutes “no shows” occur, matches are awarded to present teams in accordance with 21.8.
22. Changes of Venue
22.1 Teams wishing to change venue during the season must submit the request in writing or email to the Committee explaining the reasons. 22.2 Teams wishing to change venues during a season will have pay back the registration fee to the original venue if the venue paid the fee. A £20 administration fee will be applied. The team will still be known by the original name for the remainder of the season. 22.3 Requests to change a venue will be decided by the Committee. 22.4 No fixtures in any competition may be postponed once the Semi Final stages have been reached.
23. Withdrawing from League
23.1 Teams who fail to finish the season (due to folding) regardless of the reason will forfeit all monies paid. 23.2 If a team withdraws from the league during the season all previous results will become null and void with all points deducted accordingly. 23.3 Unless exceptional mitigating circumstances exist, players from withdrawn teams will have all their individual statistics invalidated, be removed from all EDPL competitions (team, doubles or singles) losing all entry fees and will not be permitted to transfer to new team for the remainder of the season.
24. Player Rankings – Winter League – Summer League
24.1 Player statistics will be collated in each division. 24.2 Winter League statistics will be based on frames won with each frame won carrying 1 point followed by percentages. 25.3 Winter League winners will have accrued the most wins within their respective division in singles frames only. 24.4 Should scores be equal percentages will be considered. Should players still be level a one frame shoot out will take place by way of venue decided by the Committee. 24.5 Summer League player statistics to be decided by highest singles percentage providing that individuals have played singles in 75% of matches. Doubles are excluded from Summer League player stats.
25. Standards of Conduct and Behaviour
25.1 Matches must be conducted in a manner promoting the spirit of the game: Any abuse and or threats of physical violence will not be tolerated. 25.2 Players and team members are required act in a mutually respectful manner during matches. 25.3 Vocal support between player visits during matches is acceptable and expected; however, this must stop once players address the table on their visit as a sign of respect to the player in play, who has a right to play the balls without distractions. This right must be respected, and opposition players and supporters must not make excessive noise or harass or abuse the player. Teams are expected to moderate supporter behaviour that may be deemed unacceptable under these guidelines. 25.4 Players and supporters must remain mindful of other matches that may be ongoing at multiple table venues. 25.6 It is recognised that the constitution may not cover all circumstances and that incidents will need to be investigated and reviewed by the committee on an individual basis, to determine whether the conduct of those involved has been such that it brings the game or the EDPL into disrepute.
26. Social Media and the EDPL Forum
26.1 Social media postings containing appropriate comments are welcomed to stimulate interest and growth in the game. 26.2 Posts containing offensive and abusive comments and or threatening content about individuals or teams which bring the EDPL into disrepute in any way are unacceptable and may result in disciplinary action, if after investigation the committee determines that the content of a post is unacceptable action will be taken. 26.3 Members concerned about the content of individual posts should make a formal complaint to the committee.
27. Grievances and Complaints Process
27.1 Grievances must be submitted to the committee in writing or by email within 14 days of any alleged incident. 27.2 Grievances must be submitted in good faith and remain devoid of any malicious intent. 27.3 Any committee member associated with the grievance by way of involvement, personal conduct, player registration or any other reasonable affiliation may not vote on the matter. 27.4 Where it is deemed that any circumstances are not covered by the constitution the committee will decide that, in their opinion, is necessary and in the interest of the EDPL, the aggrieved party/parties and in the spirit of the game, by way of majority vote. 27.5 Such matters, where reasonably practicable, should remain in confidence. 27.6 The committee shall decide if the grievance may be resolved informally via mediation. However, in the eventuality of more serious cases the committee shall deem the complaint formal whereby the following applies: A. The committee will appoint a panel consisting of 3 committee members, one of whom must be an officer of the committee, to chair the panel. B. The panel will set a date for the hearing. C. Complainants and respondents will receive copies of the official complaint no less than 72 hours prior to the meeting. D. All respondents may, should they wish, be accompanied at meetings by a friend who must be a registered player of the EDPL. E. At the hearing all parties will be permitted to submit their case confidentially to the panel. F. Once all cases have been submitted the panel will retire to reach a decision. Once a decision has been reached the panel will inform the parties. G. In EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, an appeal, based on new relevant facts, may be submitted to the EDPL Committee within 7 days of the hearing decision. The original panel will then decide if sufficient grounds to rehear the case. H. Cases reheard will adhere to the above process I. In cases where the panel deem that the complainant has made a malicious disciplinary complaint i.e., a false allegation based on personal dislike, the complainant/s may face disciplinary measures.
28 Disciplinary Process and Appeal Process
28.1 It is recognised that incidents, be they serious or otherwise, may not necessarily be reported to the committee under Section 27. Under such circumstances the committee reserve the right to investigate such matters and apply, where appropriate, disciplinary measures in line with the process detailed in Section 27.6 (Subsections A to J). 28.2 In the eventuality of misconduct the sanctions available to the Committee are: A. Verbal Warning (recorded by the Committee) B. Written Warning C. Player, players, or team/s suspension from all EDPL competitions. Duration decided by Panel. D. Expulsion from the EDPL permanently. 28.3 Incidents involving violence will be considered serious and will as a minimum carry a penalty of suspension as a mandatory measure for instigators and participants until the matter is fully investigated and concluded by the Panel.
29 Guidelines for Refereeing.
29.1 All EDPL matches will be refereed. 29.2 Home sides referee opening racks and thereafter the role of referee alternates each rack. If for any reason 29.3 cannot be actioned in Semi Finals and Finals, the opening rack is refereed by the team that loses the opening leg and thereafter the role of referee alternates each rack. 29.3 All Semi Finals and Finals should be refereed by an official nominated by the event sponsor and approved by the Committee. 29.4 Independent referees should be provided for finals. 29.5 All refereeing decisions are final. However, where appropriate the referee may consult the timekeeper, should there be one. 29.6 All matches are played under Black Ball Rules. However, the 30 second shot clock is relaxed but referees should encourage play to continue at a reasonable pace i.e., 45 seconds each shot.
30 Interpretation of the Rules.
30.1 Interpretation of the rules shall rest with the EDPL Committee, who shall have authority to decide any questions not provided for within the Constitution. 30.2 Any issues raised under 28.1 requiring a constitutional amendment should be submitted as an AGM Motion by the EDPL Secretary in line with Section 8.
Appendix
Committee Election 2023 3.7 Special - It is recognised that officers of the Committee should stagger election/re-election to provide stability and continuity through the process of change. The initial AGM (2022) will decide the election of the existing committee collectively. Two Officers will be re-elected after tenures of 12 months, with one officer re-elected after 24 months to provide a level of experience supporting greater continuity. Remaining Committee members will be elected for 24 months commencing at the 2022 AGM. Chairman and Treasurer stand simultaneously as do the Vice- Chairman and Secretary at different AGMs to maintain continuity.