Constitution and Rules of The Benson Fours Darts League

Constitution

1. The league will be known as the Benson Fours Darts League (BFDL) (summer and winter).
2. The officers and committee, to be elected at each AGM, will run the league.
3. The committee will consist of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and up to eight additional committee members who should include, where possible, one representative from each competitive section of the league.
4. Each competing team should send a representative to the AGM.
5. Each Team present at the AGM will have One vote.
6. League rules may only be amended at an AGM.
7. League fees will be decided at the AGM (both Summer and Winter).

Format

8. Registration fee is £20.00 per team. A team must consist of 6 players with no upper limit to ensure that fixtures are not cancelled unnecessarily.
9. All players are to be at least 14 years of age. Any player under the age of 18 must be identified to the Secretary on the registration form. Ages will then be displayed against names on registration lists as issued by the Secretary for the benefit of teams and licensees alike.
10. The Secretary will be responsible for the distribution of fixtures to each team prior to the start of each season and for the distribution of league tables and any other information as and when applicable. In addition the BFDL also runs a Web site (WWW.BENSON4S.CO.UK) where up to date results, league tables and news will be posted. Teams are requested to try to look at the site on a regular basis to keep up to date with any general administration matters.
11. The league match night is Thursday. The draw will take place at 20:15 and the match to start at 20:30. The draw will be strictly adhered to.
12. Each match to consist of Four singles and Two pairs games.
13. Singles games will be the best of Five legs (in all sections) and the pairs the best of Three.
14. All legs will start on 501 and will be played in the format – Straight in, Double out, No bust (in both Summer and Winter Leagues).
15. To determine which team will throw first in each game a coin will be tossed at the start of the match. The team winning the toss will throw first in the 1^st and 3^rd singles games and the 1^st pairs game. The looser of the toss will throw first in the 2^nd and 4^th singles games and the 2^nd pairs game. Within each game the throw will alternate from leg to leg.
16. All players competing in the singles must be present for the draw.
17. The draw for the singles games will be conducted as follows. Each captain will shuffle and deal out his opposite numbers cards, face down, onto the table, then, turn them over one at a time to determine the order of play. This is to be a ‘blind draw’ and no pre-selection of playing order is allowed. The players name or initials and their membership number should then be entered onto the scorecard in the order that they were drawn. The draw for the pair’s games may be conducted at the same time or, if preferred, after the singles games have been concluded and will take the same format. A team may change any of all of their players for the pairs draw. This will be another ‘blind draw’ and no pre-selection of pair’s partners or playing order is allowed. Pairs will throw in the order that they are entered onto the scorecard.
18. The home team is responsible for providing the chalker. Both the number scored and the total remaining must be clearly displayed. Any queries with the scores must be made promptly and with respect to both/all players.
19. Digital scoreboards may be used only if both teams agree. (Landlords/Stewards are reminded that they should be prepared to provide an alternative if requested).
20. The throwing distance will not be less than seven feet, nine and a quarter inches for everyone. All venues are to have an oche.
21. The height of the board will be five feet eight inches from the floor to the centre of the bull and should allow for any uneven floor conditions, unless restricted by ceiling height.
22. The league will operate a two up, two down promotion and relegation system, in each section, at the end of each season, for both the summer and winter leagues. However, if new teams enter the league the committee will consider the individual and comparative team strengths when formulating sections. This may mean that depending on the numbers of entrants, the exact section compositions may need to be adjusted. This may also be the case when teams withdraw for the following season.

Discipline

23. Any registered player barred from a participant pub/club for violent or abusive behaviour will be banned from the league with immediate effect for a period to be determined by the committee.
24. Any team reported to the league for unruly behaviour will be required to improve that behaviour or be disciplined by the committee.

Registrations

25. Only registered players may be used. Registration cards will be provided by the Secretary. Teams playing unregistered players will forfeit all match points.
26. A player may only register and play for one team. Players may only transfer if they have not played for their original team. However if for any reason a team withdraws from the league within four weeks those players may sign on for another team in either the same section or a higher section, which is left to the committee’s discretion.
27. A team may register additional players up to one month after the start of the season. The committee have discretion to waive this rule should they feel it is necessary to maintain the competitiveness of a section and/or to avoid a team pulling out of the league mid season.
28. Landlords/Landladies and Stewards/Stewardesses of pubs/clubs with two or more teams entered in the league may play in any of their teams at any time during the playing season, but may play for one team only on any given match night. They must also be registered (see rule 25).

Match Cancellations

29. No match should be cancelled during the season. In exceptional circumstances the committee will rule if required. This rule will be strictly enforced and offending teams will be withdrawn from the league.
30. If a team is withdrawn from the league by the committee for a breach of rule 29 the league points for that division will be adjusted accordingly.
31. If a match has been cancelled, by what the Committee have deemed to be exceptional circumstances, a sound and valid reason must be given at the time of cancellation. The unavailability of one or more key players will not be accepted as a reason as there is no limit to the number of players that a team may register for a season (see rule 8). Teams are expected to play even if only 1 or 2 players are available.
32. Any team not satisfied with the reasons given by their opponents for a cancellation should approach the secretary or committee for a ruling.
33. The secretary must be notified of any cancellations and subsequent re-arrangement that the secretary or committee have agreed too.
34. Failure to comply with rules 29 – 33 above will result in all match points being made void. Teams have the right to appeal should they feel that they have forfeited points or been ejected for reasons beyond their control.
35. Should a dispute arise the secretary will have the right to intervene in order to obtain an amicable solution.

Results

36. All league fixtures must be fulfilled by every team. The only exception being matches previously cancelled by agreement with the secretary or committee.
37. All result cards must reach the secretary or their nominee by the Wednesday following any match. Failure to comply will result in the loss of all match points. Cards must be signed by both captains.
38. The winning team, or the home team in the case of a draw, is responsible for sending in the result card.
39. League points will be awarded as follows: - One point for each Game won in a match. Please insure that result cards are filled in correctly, notes on the expected format are available from the secretary.

Tie-Breakers

40. In the event of two or more teams having equal points at the end of a season the following list of ‘Tie-Breakers’ will be applied to separate teams. a) Legs ‘For’ and ‘Against’ will be counted and the team with the better ‘Leg Difference’ deemed to be placed higher. b) If still equal the team with the greater number of ‘Wins’ deemed to be placed higher. c) If still equal, deciding match(es) of four-a-side, best of three, 801 will be played.

Trophies

41. League prizes will be awarded as follows: - Six trophies each for section winners and runners up. Additional trophies may be ordered from the secretary. Please notify the secretary as early as possible as the league will put the trophy order in early to ensure all prizes are available on finals night.
42. Perpetual trophies will remain the property of BFDL. Teams winning trophies (winners and runner up) will be responsible for keeping those trophies in good order at the pub or club that they represent. It is not permitted for trophies to be removed under any circumstances unless it is by a BFDL committee member acting on behalf of the league.
43. The committee have the right to withhold trophies should they feel that rule 42 is not being adhered to.

Competitions

44. Competition entrants must be registered with the league with the exception of being the unregistered playing partner in the mixed pairs, or, with the committee’s approval, a member of a team in one of the memorial competitions.
45. Each player/team may play in any competition only once per season, i.e. if a player loses at venue ‘A’ they cannot go to venue ‘B’ and compete. No player/team may enter a competition at a different venue than at the one that has been previously allocated by the draw. If a player/team feels that they have legitimate reasons for a change of venue they should contact the secretary or committee.
46. The interchange of players on competition nights will only be allowed with prior permission of the secretary or committee.
47. If any player(s) or team fails to turn up by the time specified the MC will be within their rights to eliminate those persons/teams from the competition.
48. One MC will be appointed by the committee for each venue and should ensure that the competition runs smoothly. If the MC is unable to, or dose not, attend, there will be a spare copy of the draw at the venue and another player may take on the MC’s role. The players present should agree on this new nominee.
49. Any action made by an MC (or person acting in lieu of an MC) is final
50. Player(s) or teams may appeal to the committee should they feel that they have been unjustly disqualified. All players are reminded that to arrive for a competition at 20:32 is not 2 minutes late but seventeen (17) minutes late (20:15 being the appointed time). Sympathetic hearings will not be given to people disqualified purely for late arrival.
51. In all competitions the loser always chalks the next game on the board or provides a substitute (with the MC’s agreement). NO EXCEPTIONS!
52. It is the responsibility of the winner (not the MC) to notify the secretary of the competition result by the date specified.
53. Failure to comply with rule 52 will result in the entire venue being made void thus disqualifying the winner from any further part in the competition.

Finals Night

54. Teams and players will only qualify for finals night having won the right to do so in previous rounds of competitions. Runners up will not be accepted.
55. The venue of finals night will be decided and arranged by the committee.
56. Competitors should arrive in plenty of time on finals night to register with the MC (20:15 as in all other BFDL matches and competitions). Failure to comply could result in players or teams being eliminated from any or all competitions qualified for (see rule 47).