HPH YORK VALE CRICKET LEAGUE RULES
Constitution
1. That the amalgamation of Clubs shall be called the HPH York Vale Cricket League.
2. That the Management Committee shall comprise President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Media Officer, and at least four members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The position of Grounds Advisor to be ex-officio with no voting rights. A quorum shall comprise 4 members.
2.1 All questions of eligibility, qualification for competitions, interpretation of rules and all matches in dispute between competing clubs shall be referred to the Management Committee, which shall have full authority to make judgment on any issue involving clubs or players as it considers appropriate. See League Rule 36
2.2 All disciplinary matters in any way connected with the League or the conduct of matches or tournaments played under the auspices of the League shall be dealt with in accordance with the English Cricket Board’s Disciplinary Model Rules.
2.2.1 The Management Committee shall be authorised to establish a Standing Disciplinary Sub-Committee to deal with all matters under the provisions of the ECB Disciplinary Model Rules.
2.2.2 An Appeals Committee shall be established to hear any appeal which may arise from the decision of the Standing Disciplinary Sub-Committee.
2.2.3 If the Disciplinary Sub-Committee find the offence proved it shall have the power to impose one or more of the following penalties:
In the case of a player:
- Expulsion from the League
- Suspension for a period of time
- A fine not exceeding £50
- Reprimand
In the case of a Club:
- Expulsion from a Cup competition
- Deduction of League points
- A fine not exceeding £50
2.3 A Grounds Sub-Committee appointed by the Management Committee shall periodically inspect each club’s ground and facilities to ensure that they are compatible with standards set by the League.
2.3.1 The Development Officer shall inform the club concerned of any recommendations for improvement to its facilities. A report shall be received from the club concerned within one month as to the carrying out of such recommendations.
2.3.2 Any club whose ground (playing area) does not meet the required standards shall have its ground banned and shall make alternative arrangements to play home fixtures until such time that the recommendations of the Sub-Committee have been carried out. An alternative home pitch must be approved by the Grounds Sub-Committee.
2.3.3 Failure to carry out the recommendations shall be referred to the AGM.
3. An Annual General Meeting shall be held before the end of November each year.
3.1 Applications for membership from new teams shall be submitted in writing by 1st April in the year prior to the season in which they intend to play in the League and where applicable adhere to YCB club transfer rules. The grounds and facilities of applicants will be subject to an inspection by the Grounds Sub-Committee to ensure that they are of a standard approved by the League. Election will be at the discretion of the Annual General Meeting following the application.
The Management Committee shall allocate new teams to an appropriate division as follows:
If the appropriate division has a vacancy following the end of season promotion and relegation adjustments, then the new team will be allocated to that division. If the appropriate division has no vacancy then fast-tracking of a new applicant will only be undertaken after member clubs have been given 12 months’ notice that promotion from lower divisions will be restricted. If after the AGM the withdrawal of a team(s) causes an imbalance, the Management Committee shall be mandated to remedy the situation by adjusting the League structure.
3.2 All clubs must be represented at the Annual General Meeting. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £5. Voting at the AGM shall be on the basis of one vote per club. No club shall have any voting rights at the AGM at which it is admitted, but shall be entitled to vote at an Extraordinary General Meeting preceding the following year’s AGM.
3.2.1 If in the opinion of the Management Committee a matter is deemed too urgent to await resolution at the next Annual General Meeting an Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened. The League Secretary will give 21 days’ notice of the meeting in writing to all Member clubs which will include date, time, location and the reason for calling the meeting. Rules governing Annual General Meetings shall also apply to Extraordinary General Meetings.
3.3 The League Management Committee shall have the authority to recommend to the AGM relegation to a lower division or expulsion from the League in respect of teams who fail to fulfil a fixture on more than one occasion in a season. Furthermore, this authority shall apply in respect of teams who persistently fail to field eleven players or fail to meet the required standard of ground and/or facilities.
3.3.1 Any team conceding more than two fixtures in one season shall be required to seek re-election at the next Annual General Meeting. This shall be decided on a two thirds majority vote of those member clubs present.
3.4 No Club shall be expelled from the League unless a two-thirds majority vote is carried at an AGM or an EGM
3.5 Clubs wishing to resign or negotiate membership with another League must give notice in writing to the League Secretary before 30th April in the year previous to the season in which they intend to play in the other League. Such clubs shall forfeit the right to retain trophies awarded during the same season.
3.6 Suggestions or proposals from member clubs for consideration by the AGM shall be submitted in writing to the League Secretary by 30th September.
3.7 All amendments to Rules must be passed by a majority of clubs present at the AGM.
4. At the end of each season the two top clubs in Division 2, 3, 4, and 5 shall be promoted to Division 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively, the bottom two clubs in Division 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be relegated to Division 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively.
4.1 In the event of two or more teams completing the League programme with an equal points total, the final placings shall be determined by the following differentials between the two teams, in priority order:
a) The team with the most wins shall be higher.
b) The team with the most away wins shall be higher.
c) The team with the better average, calculated by comparing runs scored against wickets conceded, shall be higher.
4.2 Two teams from the same Club shall not play in the same Division, although this may be waived for the lowest Division.
Fixtures
5. League fixtures shall be played on Saturday, except in certain circumstances. Subject to the mutual consent of both teams, the Management Committee may permit the use of Bank Holidays or Sundays. At the end of the season all League fixtures shall finish on the same day.
5.1 Once the fixture list has been published, League fixtures scheduled for a Sunday may be changed to the corresponding Saturday providing the League Secretary is informed. No other fixture changes may be made after the fixture list has been published.
6. All games shall have priority over any other competition not concerned with the League.
7. The results of League matches shall be tabulated as follows:
Win 20 points
Lose 0 points
Tied Games 10 points (each)
Cancelled/Abandoned 10 points (each)
In addition, Bonus points shall be awarded as follows:
Batting (max 5 points per innings)
On Scoring 75 runs 1 point
100 runs 2 points
125 runs 3 points
150 runs 4 points
175 runs 5 points
Bowling (max 5 points per innings)
On taking 2 wickets 1 point
4 wickets 2 points
6 wickets 3 points
8 wickets 4 points
10 wickets 5 points
See 7.3 for additional bonus points.
7.1 If a team has fewer than 11 players and has lost all available wickets within the 40 overs (fewer if Captains have agreed – see Rule 9) and providing there is sufficient number of balls remaining for the bowling side to have been able to take those remaining wickets, it shall be deemed that the batting side shall have lost those wickets, or as many as the number of balls remaining.
7.2 If a side batting first declares its innings closed before its allotted overs, the bowling side shall be awarded maximum bowling points providing there are a sufficient number of balls remaining for the bowling side to have been able to take those remaining wickets.
7.3 Any team winning the game within 30 overs will receive 2 additional bonus points to a maximum of 30 points.
8. Fixtures shall be played on a ‘home’ and ‘away’ basis unless by the mutual agreement of both Clubs.
8.1 Clubs who play their home fixtures on an opponent’s ground shall pay the host Club a minimum of £40.
8.2 The price charged for visitors’ teas shall not exceed £30. All eleven visitors’ teas must be paid for even if through shortage of players or personal choice every tea is not consumed.
8.3 The visiting team will be charged the full fee for teas if they attend a scheduled fixture and it is cancelled or abandoned before tea is taken.
9. All games shall be on an overs basis, each team to have 40 overs except when the captains mutually agree to fewer, subject to a minimum of 20 overs each.
10. All matches shall commence at 2pm except for games in September which shall start at 1.30pm. Both teams may agree to a different start time. See Rule 10.2 for weather affected games.
10.1 Teams not ready to commence by 2pm shall forfeit the right to the choice of innings.
10.2 Matches which have not commenced by 4pm because of weather conditions shall be deemed to be abandoned, each club receiving 10 points. A result form showing the reason for cancellation must be submitted to the Results Officer.
11. Both captains shall decide as to the fitness of the ground before and during the game and take responsibility for the safety of their players especially when a decision has been taken to play on during or after rain. This obligation does not apply where neutral umpires have been appointed by the League, whose decisions shall be final. Where clubs have covers, they should be used in inclement weather.
12. No Club shall cancel a fixture due to inclement weather or an unfit pitch before 4pm on a match day without the mutual consent of their opponents. Any Club, however, that does not prepare its own ground and is advised by the landlord that the pitch is unfit on the day before the fixture shall offer to switch the game to the opponent’s venue. If that ground is unavailable or unfit, the fixture shall be deemed to be cancelled.
12.1 Any team failing to fulfil fixtures without a reasonable excuse or explanation in the opinion of the Management Committee, whose decision shall be final and binding, will be fined a minimum of £30 for each offence, payable to the opposing club. Additionally, the team conceding the fixture will automatically be deducted 10 points.
12.2 No Club shall cancel a first team fixture through non-availability of players without first cancelling its second team fixture.
12.3 In the event of any cancellation irregularity, 27 points (20 win points + 7 bonus points) shall be awarded to the opposing Club.
13. No Club shall award points to an opponent for non-fulfilment of fixtures, which shall be at the discretion of the Management Committee.
14. Providing both captains agree and where the boundary is clearly lined, sixes may be allowed.
15. Clubs shall provide their own ball home or away, which must be the League’s approved ball in good condition.
16. Clubs must provide a first aid kit, scoreboard and boundary lines/markers at home games and all first division clubs must have sightscreens.
17. Scorers must agree details of the first innings prior to the commencement of the second innings, and agree details at the end of the match.
18. No bowler is allowed to bowl more than 12 overs per innings.
19. Any player arriving after the start of play will not be allowed to bowl or bat until he/she has been present for at least the length of playing time (measured by overs bowled) for which he/she was absent. However, if his/her team is batting first, they may bat last even though the required time may not have passed.
Young Fast Bowlers
20. Captains are required to declare the names of young fast bowlers before the start of the match with a view to applying the appropriate bowling limitations. Any Club deemed guilty of disregarding the ECB junior player bowling directive shall forfeit 5 points per match for each infringement.
Submission of Results
21. Results of matches shall be notified as follows:
All home teams must communicate the results of all League and Cup matches played on Saturdays to the League Results Officer by 11pm of the day of the game. Results of any matches played on Sundays or Bank Holidays must be communicated immediately after the match.
Results can only be accepted by e-mail to results@yorkvale.co.uk or text message to 07596 842384.
21.1 Any club which does not submit a result or a fully completed result form by the appropriate deadlines shall be fined £5 for each offence on the following scale:
1st offence: £5
2nd offence: £5
3rd offence: £10
4th offence: 5 points
5th offence: 5 points
6th offence and above: 10 points
Results are required to be received by 11pm of the day of the game to enable the Results Officer to submit results to the local press at the earliest opportunity.
Both teams are required to complete result forms for all league and cup fixtures. Result forms will only be accepted by email to results@yorkvale.co.uk to arrive no later than 6pm on the Monday following the match. There is no facility to fax results. The details provided on the forms enable the Media Officer to write a weekly report for the league’s website www.yorkvale.co.uk and local newspapers.
Please ensure that the forms are completed in full, showing the names of all players that participate in the match. Visiting teams are required to award ground marks.
A template of the result form can be obtained from results@yorkvale.co.uk.
League Fees, Registration and Eligibility of Players
22. A fee of £75 per team, together with the prevailing YCB subscription, shall be payable prior to the start of each season, covering League entrance fees and the provision of 20 fixture books per team.
23. Prior to the start of the season, clubs must submit a list of ‘registered’ players to the Results Officer which may be added to at any time subject to Rule 23 being observed. Clubs may register a player up to one week after the player has played their first game for the club. Failure to register a player may result in the reallocation of league points or disqualification from cups. Players in the U16 age group or below are required to be registered but may play for more than one team in the Vale League, in the same season, subject to parent or guardian consent and club permission which shall not be unreasonably withheld. These junior players may only be registered to one club, regardless of the league and can only play for other clubs in league games.
24. No Club shall be allowed to play any professionals.
24.1 Clubs may not normally register Overseas Players. Registrations may be accepted at the discretion of the League Committee where a player has moved into the area because of non-cricket reasons. Failure to seek permission to play an Overseas Player will result in the reallocation of league points or disqualification from cups and a fine not exceeding £50. The 20 points for a win will be awarded to the opposing team.
24.2 Any team punished by points deduction shall not be awarded any points earned in the relevant game. The opposing team shall be awarded 20 points and any bonus points they earned in the relevant game.
24.3 No person who was under 12 on the 31st August of the year preceding the season can play in the League or Cup competitions. Therefore in season 2011 no 12 year old can play unless their 12th birthday was before 31/8/10. Any player in the U13 age group and younger must have explicit written consent from a parent or guardian before participating in adult matches.
25. No Club shall be allowed to play anyone who has played for another Club during the same season unless officially transferred.
25.1 Any team deemed guilty of gaining unfair advantage through the inclusion of players who normally play in a higher division or another League, albeit with their own Club, shall be liable to forfeiture of match points and a fine not exceeding £50. The 20 points for a win will be awarded to the opposing team.
25.2 Any team the League extends the privilege of playing its home league fixtures on Sundays or Bank Holidays, may not play any player who has played for another team in the same club in the corresponding Saturday fixture.
25.3 No player shall take part in more than one afternoon match on the same day regardless of the League.
Transfer of Players
26. No Affiliated League Club, either through its officials or any person or society interested in the Club, shall approach or negotiate with any player of any other Club similarly affiliated to the English Cricket Board for the purpose of securing his services without asking the player’s Club, in writing, for permission to do so.
26.1 No player shall be transferred to any other Club under the auspices of the ECB without obtaining written permission from his present Club. Such written permission must be submitted to the League Secretary before the player appears for his new Club. This ECB requirement applies to the movement of players during both the playing and close season. Permission cannot be withheld unless the player has failed to discharge his financial obligations to his Club. If a player has not played for a Club for one complete season and has no outstanding financial obligation to that Club, then a formal transfer is not required.
26.2 The final date for transfers shall be that which allows a transferred player to play in 6 remaining League fixtures with his new Club.
Objections/Fines
27. Every objection shall be made in writing, by email or post signed by the Secretary or the Chairman of the Club lodging the same, and submitted to reach the League Secretary by the Wednesday following the match to which it relates.
27.1 All objections shall be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit of £5.
27.2 Clubs wishing to withdraw an objection shall forfeit the deposit.
28. All fines must be paid to the League Treasurer within 14 days of notification. In the event of failure to pay within 14 days of the issue of notice, the fine will automatically double.
Umpires
29. Each Club shall provide an umpire at no extra cost to the League, except in the case of Cup Finals when neutral umpires will be appointed.
29.1 Prior to the start of the season, each Club shall nominate a person who may be called upon to act as a neutral umpire in Cup Semi Finals and Finals.
30. Any ungentlemanly conduct towards umpires shall be reported to the League Secretary by the Wednesday following the match concerned.
Awards
31. Subject to funds being available which may take the form of sponsorship, mementos shall be awarded to the players and umpires involved in Cup competition finals.
32. At the end of each season an award will be made to the player with the best batting and bowling average in each division. This is subject to Clubs submitting details of their average winners to the Media Officer within 10 days of the final fixture.
32.1 To qualify for the batting award a player must have batted in a minimum of 12 innings in the respective division.
32.2 To qualify for the bowling award a player must have bowled a minimum of 100 overs in the respective division.
32.3 Only League matches to be included in the average calculations.
32.4 The batting/bowling qualification threshold may be relaxed at the discretion of the Management Committee to compensate for a reduction in matches.
33. At the end of each season the ‘Harry Smith Memorial Trophy’ will be awarded to the wicketkeeper who has achieved the highest number of dismissals.
34. Clubs are responsible for the safe keeping of cups. Clubs that do not return them to the League by 31st July and/or fail to return them in a clean condition and appropriately engraved shall be fined £10.
MCC Laws of the Game
35. All games to be played in accordance with the MCC Laws of Cricket, unless amended by the York Vale League regulations.
Rule Interpretation
36. Any team wishing to have an interpretation of a league rule should send an email to secretary@yorkvale.co.uk explaining the interpretation required. The Regulatory Committee will respond within 7 days. If a Club wishes to challenge the decision of the sub-committee, the Management Committee will hear the appeal at their next scheduled meeting and their decision will be final. A deposit of £25 is required for each appeal, payable to the League’s treasurer in advance of the appeal meeting. If the original decision is upheld, the fee will not be returned.
Match Balls
37. All teams must use the League’s approved ball (Hunt’s County League Special Grade ‘A’, stamped with HPH logo) for all league and cup games.
Insurance
38. All teams must have third party liability insurance.
CUP RULES
1. The following Cup competitions shall be arranged on a knock out basis on fixed dates as predetermined by the League Management Committee.
HPH Cup. Entry to the competition shall be restricted to those teams finishing the previous season in the top sixteen positions of the York Vale League.
Guy Mitchell Cup. Entry to the competition shall be restricted to those teams eliminated from the Preliminary or First round of the HPH Cup competition. Teams who concede in the preliminary or first round of the HPH Cup shall not be eligible to enter the competition.
Scothern Construction Cup. Entry to the competition shall be restricted to those teams finishing the previous season in positions 17 to 32 of the York Vale League. The committee can add teams to this competition if the number of teams in the league exceeds 48.
Prendergast Memorial Trophy. Entry to the competition shall be restricted to those teams eliminated from the Preliminary or First round of the Scothern Construction Cup competition. Teams who concede in the preliminary or first round of the Scothern Construction Cup shall not be eligible to enter the competition.
Graham Headley Memorial Trophy. Entry to the competition shall be restricted to those teams who have not been placed in the HPH or Scothern Construction Cups.
2. The following rules shall apply to each competition:
2.1 Any player who has played previously during the present season in any league fixture on Saturdays outside the York Vale League other than with his own Club, shall not be eligible to compete in any of the five cup competitions associated with the League. Junior players in the U16 age group and below may only play for the Club with which they are registered.
2.2 Ties not started or completed on the scheduled date, shall be replayed commencing as a new game. The game will be played on the following Sunday after the Cup weekend, unless there is a scheduled league game for either side on that day, when the Cup game will be played on the first available Sunday. If the home team is unable to provide a venue on the first available Sunday, the game will be played at the away team’s ground. If there is not a Sunday available before the next round of the Cup, the game will be played as an evening game by the Wednesday in the week before the next round of the Cup. If that is not possible due to weather conditions, a bowl-off will take place, at the home team’s ground.
2.3 All ties shall be played on a 40 overs basis and, in the case of agreement to play re-arranged matches on an evening, 20-25 overs shall apply. Captains may, subject to mutual agreement, reduce the numbers of overs to suit the circumstances, providing the decision is taken prior to the start of the game.
2.4 Bowlers shall be limited to a maximum of ten overs each (five overs each in respect of evening matches).
2.5 The scheduled date for Cup matches shall be strictly adhered to unless either team has a scheduled league fixture. The Cup match will then be played on the first available Sunday after the scheduled league fixture date. The only exceptions to this rule are Cup semi-finals and cup finals.
2.6 It is the responsibility of the home drawn Club to approach the visiting club to arrange a suitable date in the event of a postponement on the original date due to inclement weather.
2.7 In the event of scores being tied at the end of the allotted overs the winner shall be the team who has conceded fewer wickets. If both sides have lost the same number of wickets, the game shall be replayed.
2.8 Teams drawn at home in Cup Semi Finals will be required to have recorded a mid-season average pitch mark of 6.0 or above. If such a mark has not been attained, home advantage will pass to the opposing side subject to their having a superior pitch mark and the ground being available on the appointed Semi Final date.
2.9 Neutral venues will be selected for all Cup Finals.
2.9.1 Both teams must provide a non-playing scorer at a Cup Final. Failure to provide a scorer will result in a fine of £25.
2.10 Neutral umpires will be appointed for each Final.
2.11 All matches shall commence at 2pm except for games in September which shall start at 1.30pm. Both teams may agree to a different start time. Matches which have not commenced by 4pm as a result of weather conditions shall be abandoned and replayed. Tea intervals shall not exceed 20 minutes.
2.12 At Cup Finals Umpires’ fees will be met by the League.
2.13 Results forms must reach the Results Officer by the Tuesday following the game.
2.14 In the event of Cup competitions overlapping, the following order of priority/seniority shall apply: HPH Cup, Scothern Construction Cup, Graham Headley Memorial Trophy, Guy Mitchell Cup, Prendergast Memorial Trophy.
If two teams from the same club or otherwise share a ground are drawn at home on the same day, the ‘home’ team without a ground must offer to play the game on the same day at their opponents’ ground, or find another venue. If the opponents’ ground is not available then the game should be played on the Sunday of the Cup weekend. If neither ground is available on the Sunday, then the game will be played on a mutually agreed date.
2.15 Winners of the League trophies are responsible for their safe keeping (see League Rule 31).
2.16 Unless otherwise specified above, York Vale League rules shall apply.
3. The following Rules of Player Eligibility shall apply to each specified Cup competition:
3.1 HPH Cup
3.1.1 Any player who has played an equal number or more games in a higher team or in a different league within the same club shall not be eligible to compete in the competition.
3.1.2 No player shall be allowed to play for more than one individual club in the HPH Cup during the same season.
3.1.3 Where Clubs have more than one team competing, players who have played in a club’s second team will be eligible to play for the first team in the same competition after the second team has been eliminated.
3.2 Guy Mitchell Cup
3.2.1 Any player who has played an equal number or more games in a higher team or in a different league within the same Club shall not be eligible to play in the competition.
3.2.2 No player shall be allowed to play for more than one individual Club in the Mitchell Cup during the same season.
3.2.3 Where Clubs have more than one team competing, players who have played in a club’s second team will be eligible to play for the first team in the competition after the second team has been eliminated.
3.2.4 Any player who has played in the HPH Cup competition beyond the first round shall not be eligible to compete in the Mitchell Cup.
3.3 Scothern Construction Cup
3.3.1 Any player who has played an equal number or more games in a higher team or in a different league within the same Club shall not be eligible to play in the competition.
3.3.2 No player shall be eligible to play for more than one individual Club in the Scothern Construction Cup during the same season.
3.3.3 Where Clubs have more than one team competing, players who have played in the Club’s second team will be eligible to play for the first team in the same competition after the second team has been eliminated.
3.4 Prendergast Memorial Trophy
3.4.1 Any player who has played an equal number or more games in a higher team or in a different league within the same Club shall not be eligible to play in the competition.
3.4.2 No player shall be allowed to play for more than one individual Club in the Prendergast Memorial Trophy during the same season.
3.4.3 Where Clubs have more than one team competing, players who have played in a Club’s second team will be eligible to play for the first team in the same competition after the second team has been eliminated.
3.5 Graham Headley Memorial Trophy
3.5.1 Any player who has played an equal number or more games in a higher team or in a different league within the same Club shall not be eligible to play in the competition.
3.5.2 No player shall be allowed to play for more than one individual Club in the Graham Headley Memorial Trophy during the same season.
3.5.3 Where Clubs have more than one team competing, players who have played in a Club’s second team will be eligible to play for the first team in the same competition after the second team has been eliminated.
DIRECTIVES RELATING TO JUNIOR PLAYERS
The following ECB directives shall be applied to all games played under the auspices of the York Vale Cricket League.
All Clubs MUST
· Not place a young player in a position that involves an unreasonable risk to that young player, taking account of the circumstances of the match and the relative skills of the player.
· Not create a situation that places members of the opposing side in a position whereby they cannot play cricket as they would normally do against adult players.
Any player who was 12 but under 13 years of age at the 31st August of the year preceding the season MUST have explicit written consent from a parent or guardian before participating in any League or Cup match.
Helmets (Batting and Wicketkeeping)
All players under the age of 18 years MUST wear an approved helmet, fitted with a protective grill when batting or standing up to the stumps when wicketkeeping, or when acting as a runner even if the player they are ‘running’ for is not wearing a helmet. Face protectors can also be worn and should be treated in the same way as a helmet when applying the Laws of Cricket.
Fielding restrictions
· Under 13 years – may not field closer than 11 yards from the middle stump except behind the wicket on the offside.
· 13 and under 15 years – may not field closer than 8 yards from the middle stump except behind the wicket on the offside.
· 15 and under 18 years – should wear a helmet, and for boys an abdominal protector, when fielding within 6 yards of the bat except behind the wicket on the offside.
Fast Bowling Restrictions
For the purpose of this directive a fast bowler shall be defined as one to whom a wicketkeeper in the same age group would normally stand back to take the ball.
Age max overs per spell max overs per match
Up to 13 5 10
U/14 and U/15 6 12
U/16 and U/17 7 18*
U/19 7 18*
*This is an ECB directive and does not affect League Rule 18.
For these purposes a fast bowler should be defined as a bowler to whom a wicketkeeper in the same age group would in normal circumstances stand back to take the ball. A bowler shall have a minimum rest period between spells of at least the same number of overs bowled from the same end as the bowler’s immediately concluded spell.
Captains and club umpires must take responsibility for enforcing these directives.
CODE OF CONDUCT
The HPH York Vale Cricket League is committed to maintaining the highest standards of behaviour and conduct in its matches. We expect member clubs and players to respect the following ECB Code of Conduct, which has been adapted to the League’s needs, and to take full responsibility for their actions.
1. Team Captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the Spirit of Cricket as well as within the Laws of the game.
2. Players and Team Officials must at all times accept the Umpire’s decision. Players must not show dissent to the umpire’s decision nor react in a provocative or disapproving manner towards an umpire at any time.
3. Players and Team Officials shall not intimidate, verbally abuse or use threatening behaviour towards an umpire, another player or a spectator.
4. Players and Team Officials shall not use crude and/or abusive language (known as sledging) nor make offensive gestures or hand signals nor deliberately distract an opponent.
5. Players and Team Officials shall not make racially abusive comments nor indulge in racially abusive actions against fellow players, officials and supporters.
6. Players shall not consume alcohol while actively involved in a York Vale League game.
FAIR PLAY
York Vale Cricket League requires compliance to its ‘Code of Conduct’, the YCB’s Anti-Racism and Race Equality Statement and the Spirit of Cricket, which forms the preamble to the Laws of Cricket.
Minor infringements of these statements should be reported on the ‘result form’ for the game.
Any major incident that contravenes these statements or the League’s rules must be reported to the League Secretary within seven days of the incident. Any incident reported after seven days will only be considered at the discretion of the League Secretary and Chairman of the League’s Disciplinary Committee.
The League Secretary will acknowledge receipt of notification of the incident and notify the offending club’s secretary, giving full details, within seven days.
The offending club will then be required to respond in writing, to the League Secretary, within seven days of receipt of notification giving a detailed explanation for the alleged incident.
If it is considered that there is a case to answer, the League will then convene a Disciplinary Hearing in accordance with the ECB Disciplinary Model Rules, which will be held within a fortnight of the club’s response.
The League reserves the right to initiate disciplinary procedure if repeated minor infringements of the above statements occur or if the League discovers unreported serious infringements of the statements or the League Rules.
DISCIPLINARY HEARING
Any player involved in an incident will be required to attend the Disciplinary Hearing together with the playing captain on the day of the incident and the club’s chairman or representative. If the incident involves the captain, one other representative who witnessed the incident may attend.
The League must be informed immediately if a player involved in an incident is unable to attend the Hearing. The League will then decide whether to reschedule the date of the Disciplinary Hearing. If the League is not satisfied with the reason for non-attendance, the Hearing will go ahead without the player, who will have no right of appeal against the decision of the Disciplinary Panel.
If the hearing involves a breach of League rules, the playing captain and an additional suitable representative will be required to attend the Disciplinary Hearing.
The Disciplinary Hearing Panel will consist of the Disciplinary Chairman, League Secretary and at least two other members of the Management Committee. The Disciplinary panel may, at their discretion, ask for additional representatives from either club involved in the incident to be present at the hearing. Any penalty imposed by the panel will be notified by e-mail to the club secretary within seven days.
RIGHT OF APPEAL
Any player may appeal against a decision of the Disciplinary Hearing unless they were not present at the hearing and the League was not satisfied with the reason for non-attendance.
Any appeal must be made within seven days of notification of the penalty imposed by the Hearing.
A deposit of £25 is required for each appeal, payable to the League’s treasurer, in advance of the Appeal meeting. If the original decision is upheld, the fee will not be returned.
The Appeal committee will consist of the League Secretary (who will act only as secretary), and a panel of three people not involved in the original hearing and not necessarily Management committee members. Their decision will be final and binding.