West Midlands Basketball League

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE RULES

All Club Secretaries and Officials should familiarise themselves with the General Administrative Rules (“ the Rules”) if fines and other penalties are to be avoided.

Ignorance of the Rules will not be accepted as a reason for any default.

Participation in the WMBL signifies acceptance of the Rules and agreement to abide by them.

Rule 1 Competition System

a) All games shall be played according to the Rules laid down by the EB unless otherwise decided at the AGM.

b) The WMBL competition shall begin not earlier than the second Sunday in September and end not later than the Saturday of the playing week in which falls 30 April of the following year. Failure to complete fixtures within the specified dates if the clubs concerned are deemed to be at fault will result in the forfeit of all points from these games and also result in the imposition of fines. Teams will not be allowed to concede fixtures to their opponents.

c) The WMBL shall comprise;

i) A Premier Division— membership by invitation of the Committee.

ii) Other divisions the format of which proposed by the Committee shall be presented for approval at the AGM.

d) Match points shall be as follows: Win 3, Loss 1, Forfeit 0.

e) Divisional Champions shall be the Team securing the largest number of points on the completion of that competition. In the event of two or more teams being equal on points total a play off game will be organised as soon as possible.

f) The two teams with the highest number of points in each division except the First shall be promoted to the next higher division and the two teams with the lowest number of points in the higher division except the Premier shall be relegated unless otherwise decided at the AGM. In the event of equality of points for placing except for divisional championships only those results of the matches between the teams concerned shall be considered. In the event of further equality the basket difference between the teams concerned shall be considered to decide the placing.

g) In the event of a team’s withdrawal or expulsion from the WMBL with less than 75% of its fixtures complete the record of that team shall be deleted from the Division. If 75% of the fixtures have been completed all remaining fixtures shall be awarded 20-0 to the opposition.

h) The WMBL will attempt annually to organise a handicap knockout competition (The Babe Clay Rosebowl Championship). All teams in the WMBL will be deemed entered in the competition unless written contrary indications are received by the Fixtures Secretary by 31 August prior to the start of the season.

Rule 2 Club Player and Referee Registrations

a) Registration. Club Affiliation and Player Registration forms supplied by or on behalf of the EB must be completed and returned to the Area Registrar by the 14 September. Universities and Colleges must apply for dispensation at the previous AGM.

ai) No person can play,coach or referee inthe West Midlands Basketball League without a valid registration number.

bi) Registration with a Team. All players must be registered for the team with which they play. Their names and registration numbers must be recorded on the Team Registration Sheets which must be in the possession of the Results Secretary before end of September for all clubs except Universities. University registration numbers must be with the Results Secretary by the 14 October.

bii) Later Registration of Player(s). Any player joining a team after initial registrations have been completed must register in the approved manner (See bi above) and notification of the registration must be with the Results Secretary not later than the score-sheet of the first match on which the player’s name appears.

biii) Player not registered with Results Secretary. Any team playing a player not registered with the Results Secretary but registered with the EB will be fined £5 and the result of the game will stand (See 6ci).

biv) Player not registered with EB. Any team playing a player not registered with EB will be fined £20 and will lose the game by forfeit (See 6cii).

bv) Additional Registrations. No additional registrations are permitted after the last day of February in any season without the permission of the Committee.

bvi) Referee Registration All referees appointed by the WMBL must be appropriately qualified and hold a current EB registration indicating recognition of the level of award.

bvii) All referees must be registered before and notification of the registration must be with the Referee Secretary before the end of September.

c) Player Eligibility
The following definitions apply:
National: A person eligible to play for Great Britain (holding a British passport).

EU: A person from the European Union (holding an EU passport).

Non National (Foreign): A citizen of any other country (holding a non British or EU passport).

ci) Overseas Players No ‘Non National’ (Foreign) or EU person holding a Senior National League License may play in the West Midlands Basketball League.

cii) National League Registered Players. No club may play more than 2 Senior National League Registered Players in any game other than players who have played the last 2 seasons with their current WMBL club.

ciii) National League Player Commitment. Senior National League Registered Players (cii above) must have played 3 WMBL or Rosebowl games before Christmas otherwise their WMBL registrations will be cancelled.

d) Clubs with more than 1 team. Each team with 2 or more teams playing in the WMBL must nominate at least 7 players with each of the higher ranked teams.

ei) Inter Club Transfers. Any bona fide player of a club shall be eligible to play unless he has willingly registered and played for another WMBL club in the same season. If he has registered and played for another club permission for transfer must first be obtained from that club and the player must reregister with the Results Secretary. All disputes shall be referred to the Committee for arbitration. No inter-club transfers are permitted after 1 February of the current season.

eii) Inter Team Transfers. Transfers of senior players within a club with 2 or more teams will only be permitted from a lower placed team to a higher one. After 5 games with the higher team any such player may not reregister for a lower team without the prior approval of the Committee. This restriction does not apply to cadet or junior players provided they do not hold a National League License. Players over the age of 40 will be allowed to play for any team within a club. club must notify the league before playing such players. Once permission has been granted players only need to reapply if they change clubs.

fi) The League Fee. The League Fee shall be payable on submission of the teams application to the WMBL for the following season. The fee shall be reviewed on 1 April each year and shall be applicable as from that date for the following season. These fees are to be decided by the Committee but to be no higher than 10% above those levied in the previous season. The League Fee for a club’s team(s) other than its first team shall be set at 50% of that applied to its first team.

fii) Upon entry to the WMBL each club shall pay a guarantee fee of £20 which shall be held in trust and will be refunded on request at the time of the club's withdrawal from the WMBL subject to the deduction(s) of any outstanding fines etc.. Any team incurring fines of £50 or more in any one season shall be required to pay a further guarantee fee of £20 as a guarantee of its conduct in the following season. Should any such team incur further fines in excess of £50 in that following season the further guarantee fee shall be forfeit and the team shall be required to furnish a further £20 guarantee fee for the following season which is similarly subject to this Rule.

fiii) The League entry form and relevant League Fees must be sent to the General Secretary by 31st May prior to the start of the season. (See Rule 6a). Guarantee Fees must be paid by or at the AGM.

fiv) Any team admitted to the WMBL after the AGM will incur a LATE ADMISSION FEE which should be paid on submission of the League Entry Form. (See Rule 6lii and 6liii).

RULE 3 Club and Team Responsibilities

Colours and Playing Kit

ai) All player numbers shall be as the EB Rules.

aii) Teams must play in their first named colours unless there is a colour clash in which case the home team must play in its second named colours.

aiii) In all games in the WMBL playing kit i.e. shirts and shorts must be matching and shirts correctly numbered. Undershirts and under-shorts which match the principal colours of the team’s shirts and shorts respectively may be worn.

Table Officials and Equipment

bi) It shall be the duty of the home team to provide adequate table equipment i.e. bell or horn at least one stop-watch or clock (At least one of which must be clearly visible from all parts of the court) a second time-piece foul indicators numbered “1” to “5” and a “maximum foul” marker. The running score must be clearly visible from the playing area.

bii) In no circumstances may anyone officiate as Referee or Table Official and also participate as a player or coach in any part of that game.

biii) For all games organised by the WMBL the home team must provide 2 NATO qualified table officials or officials currently obtaining qualification having attended a registered NATO course.

Payment of Officials

ci) All game officials shall be reimbursed their travelling expenses and shall receive a fee according to the following scale:

Grade 1 (Level 5/4) £17.00, Grade 2 (Level 3) £16.00, Grade 3 (Level 2/1) £15.00.Expenses are bus fare or a car allowance of 15 pence per mile. However should an official be required to referee alone he/she shall be entitled to the above plus a further 50% of the original match fee.

cii) The home team must pay both officials in cash before the game. The home team must then submit a claim for one half of the amount to the visiting team before the visiting team leaves the premises. Should the visiting team fail to pay the amount due a claim plus any postage incurred should be submitted to the Secretary of the visiting team and a copy forwarded to the WMBL General Secretary.

ciii) If the Officials expenses are considered excessive they must still be paid and a report submitted to the General Secretary.

civ) It is considered appropriate that NATO Officials are paid according to the appropriate scale by the home team: NATO 1 £7.50; NATO 2 £5.00 and in both cases plus travelling expenses at the appropriate WMBL rate.

Score-sheets and Officials’ Assessment Forms

di) After every game organised by the WMBL the home team should hand a copy of the score-sheet to the visiting team and forward the Organiser’s Copy to the Results Secretary to arrive within 5 days of the game. (Rule 6b).

dii) After all games played in the WMBL both teams are required to complete and sign an Officials’ Assessment Form. The home team will be responsible for providing the appropriate form and returning it properly completed together with the score-sheet to the Results Secretary.

diii) It is the responsibility of the Team Coach/Captain to ensure that a details on the score-sheet regarding his team are correct in all matters i.e. names and numbers

etc. Each player’s registration number must be recorded on every score-sheet on which the player’s name is entered before the start of the game (Rule 6p applies).

Fixture Obligations

ei) All matches will be played according to the latest list circulated by the Fixtures Secretary and incorporated in the current minutes

eii) Normally a fixture postponement may only be granted if the Fixtures Secretary receives a WRITTEN request prior to the monthly WMBL Meeting at which the fixture would be formalised:

e.g. August Meeting for September Fixtures: September Meeting for October Fixtures.

eiii) All other requests will be regarded as “Emergency Postponements” and must be made to the Fixtures Secretary. They will then be submitted for consideration at the following meeting of the Committee which may i) Approve the postponement and rearrange the game subject to a rearrangement fee not exceeding £10 or ii) Award the game to the opponents and impose a fine not exceeding £20.

It is the responsibility of the postponing club to inform:

a) Opponents b) Match Officials c) Results Secretary e) Referees Secretary and to confirm the application for postponement within 3 days and in Writing to the Fixtures Secretary.

eiv) If a game is late in starting for any reason the Match Officials should report the reason to the Results Secretary. The game should be played and if necessary the result will be decided by the Committee.

ev) Teams that are late but within 15 minutes of the tip-off time will be fined as follows:

1st offence: A warning: 2nd offence Minimum £5 fine Subsequent offences will be decided by the Committee.

evii) Teams delaying the start of a game beyond 15 minutes will be fined at the rate of 20 pence per minute from the stated tip-off time and the result of the game will be considered by the Committee.

eviii) If a club changes it's home court, playing day or tip-off time after the handbook has been produce they must not only inform the League but all clubs they are due to play after the change informatiom date

Club Details for Submission at the AGM.

All teams must notify the General Secretary before or at the AGM of

fi) Withdrawal from the WMBL for the ensuing season (See Rule 6a).

fii) Any alteration of club details such as change of secretary court or home fixture arrangements etc. (See Rule 6m).

fiii) Teams from Universities and Colleges must inform the General Secretary before or at the AGM of the summer vacation address of the secretary.

fiv) Any important dates that are to be avoided if possible when fixtures are being arranged (e.g. vacation dates other tournaments etc.).

Committee Correspondence

g) Correspondence from or on behalf of the Committee such as fines or enquiries must be acknowledged within 7 days of receipt (See Rule 6k).

Minutes

h) Team secretaries must inform the General Secretary if they have not received the monthly Committee minutes by the 22nd day of that particular month.

Trophies

Ii) All clubs or individaul, who receive a trophy shall be responsible for it's safe keeping. A declaration must be signed on receipt of any such trophy to refund the West Midlands Basketball League the amount of it's uninsured valve if it is lost, or the cost of it's uninsured repair if it is returned damaged.

Iii) all tropies must be returned to a serving committee member by 1st March each year. Failure to do so will result in a fine of £15 - Rule 6K.

Court Details

ji) Constituent teams must submit details of their home court as requested by the Committee.

jii) Minimum court dimensions of the WMBL shall be:

Premier Division: - full size (minimum 24m x 13m) unless otherwise approved by the Committee

Other Divisions: - 20m x 11m. All courts must give reasonable shooting clearance within 7.5m from the basket.

jiii) Any team wishing to change its home court must obtain prior approval from the Committee.

jiv) No team may designate a tip-off time prior to 19:45 for a midweek game or after 20:30 for either mid-week or week-end games.

jv) The court must be available for warming up for a minimum of 10 minutes prior to the published tip-off time.

jvi) All teams whose home court is not in the current West Midlands A-Z must provide court directions which are to be included in the handbook. Those teams whose home court is in the A-Z must provide a reference to be included in the handbook.

RULE 4 Protests and Misconduct

a) All questions of player eligibility shall be forwarded to the Results Secretary.

b) All questions of interpretation of the Constitution or WMBL Rules shall be forwarded to the Chairman.

Disputes

ci) All protests or objections shall be referred to the Appeals Secretary within 7 days of the game. All appeals must be accompanied with a £10.00 surety fee.

cii) No objection to the court or other equipment shall be permitted unless a protest is lodged with one of the game officials before the start of the game The score-sheet should be signed “Under Protest” and a written objection countersigned by the referee sent with it.

ciii) If during a match a team considers that its interests have been harmed by an Official’s decision or by an accident it should adopt the following procedure -- At the moment the incident takes place if the ball is dead and the clock stopped or the next time the ball is dead the coach/captain of the team shall make his observations to the referee in a calm and courteous manner. If at the end of the match the team is considered to have been harmed as a result of what has happened the protesting captain shall sign the score-sheet “Under Protest”.

civ) In the event of (ii) or (iii) details of the circumstances must be forwarded to the Appeals Secretary by the protesting team within 7 days of the game and the protest will be dealt with by the Appeals Committee at their next meeting. Any appeal as in (ii) or (iii) above must be accompanied by a surety fee of £10.00. If the appellant team or individual is considered by the Appeals Committee to have made a genuine appeal the surety fee will normally be returned.

cv) If the score-sheet is signed “Under Protest” and (iv) above is not complied with a fine equal to the surety fee will be levied.

Disqualifications

If a player coach or team follower is disqualified during a game both match officials must submit a report in duplicate within 3 days to the WMBL Chairman. Copies of the Officials’ reports will then be circulated to the relevant teams.

di) The team must inform the WMBL Chairman within 7 days if it wishes to appeal against the disqualification.

dii) If no appeal is forthcoming the person(s) concerned will receive an automatic suspension of 3 games plus a £10 fine for a first offence. For further or more severe offences a longer suspension and/or greater fine may be imposed at the discretion of the Committee. Any fines levied against a player which are not paid within 28 days become the responsibility of the club. For clubs with more than one team in the League, the number of games suspension shall relate to the team the player was playing for, or representing, when disqualified. The player cannot play for any other teams in the Club during this suspension period.

diii) If an appeal is forthcoming the team and/or player must submit a written report to the Appeals Secretary with the relevant surety fee. The conditions of civ) above apply.

div) If a player coach or team follower wishes to appeal against a suspension then the person concerned may appear in person before the Appeals Committee. Otherwise the appeal will be heard in the person’s absence. If an appeal relates to a club matter then a club representative may appear on its behalf. The Appeals Secretary must inform the Team Secretary or player concerned of the date of the Appeals Committee’s meeting. The Appeals Committee may increase the penalty if the appeal is deemed frivolous.

RULE 5 Appointment of Game Officials

ai) When possible the Referees Secretary will appoint a referee and an umpire. Otherwise club(s) will be designated to provide one or both match officials. (Rule 6h).

aii) Officials and table officials are required to be present and equipped to perform their duties a minimum of 10 minutes before the published tip-off time.

aiii) When indicated on the list of appointments officials must travel together and should normally claim only a single travelling expense.

aiv) When a club is nominated to provide both officials they must travel together and claim a single travelling expense. If the designated club arranges one or more replacements for its commitments then the club must ensure that the replacement(s) charge no more than the designated club official(s). It is the designated club’s responsibility to ensure that the replacements arrive normally.

av) Officials should charge travelling expenses based on a mileage not greater than the distance from their home to the venue.

avi) If (iii) and (iv) above are not possible then prior approval not to comply must be obtained from the Referees Secretary.

bi) If only one official is present the game must still be played. The presence of only one official is not in itself a valid ground for protest. A second official may be appointed by mutual agreement and the result stands unless a protest registered before the tip-off is subsequently upheld at appeal. If a game begins with one replacement official then the replacement should be paid as Rule 3ci and should the appointed official arrive after the game has started he/she should neither officiate nor be paid match fee nor expenses.

bii) If neither appointed official arrives then if possible the game should be played. If both teams wish to play the game at least one official should be appointed and the game should then be played. If one team does not wish to play but the other team is willing to provide one or both officials then the game must be played with the unwilling team signing “Under Protest”. This protest will be resolved by the Committee. If for any reason the game is not played both teams must submit a written explanation to the Committee for consideration (Rule 8b).

COMMENTARY ON RULES 5bi and 5bii

If at tip-off time only one floor official is present all efforts should be made to find a replacement. However any such official MUST be appropriately qualified ( Level 2 or above) and hold a current EB registration indicating recognition of the level of award. The holding of a current registration carries with it an essential insurance component. If a claim were to arise as a result of actions occurring during a game officiated by one or more unqualified officials one or both of the officials may be found liable and insurance cover negated.

ci) All club commitments must be undertaken by qualified officials.

cii) All clubs in the WMBL will nominate annually 1 qualified referee who is a bona fide club member and who will be available to referee at least 2 games per month. Non-compliance will result in a charge of £15 for the first season. This will increase by £10.00 per season to £25.00 in the second season, £35.00 in the third season and £45.00 in the fourth season to a maximum of £50.00.

ciii) All new clubs to the WMBL will be given 12 months grace in order to comply with Rule 5cii.

civ) In any year a club which cannot nominate a referee as per Rule 5cii must send at least one candidate to a referees course which the WMBL will run during the course of that season.

d) All match officials are expected to wear regulation uniform as approved by the EB.

e) Any official who fails to arrive for a game must submit a written explanation to the Referees Secretary within 3 days. The Committee shall have power to fine/suspend or remove from the List of Officials any it deems necessary.

f) All individual officials must confirm their appointments with the Referees Secretary within 7 days of receiving them either in writing or by a personal telephone call.

g) All referees must be in possession of a current EB licence number.

RULE 6 Fines and Administrative Charges

a) Non-payment of WMBL Fees by 31 May will normally mean a club’s non entry to the WMBL for the following season (Rule 6liii).

b) Official score-sheet:

i) Score sheet to the results secretary within 5 days of the game no charge.

ii) Score sheet late up to 7 further days — fine £5.00

iii) Score sheet late up to 21 days after the game — fine £25.00

iv) Score sheet late after 28 days after the game — fine £25.00 and default of game.

ci) Player registered with EB but not with the Results Secretary - fine £5 and match result stands.

cii) Player not registered with EB - fine £20 and loss of game by forfeit.

Ciii) Playing an ineligible player will result in forfeit of the game and any other penalty at the discretion of the Management Committee.

d) Failure to cancel with appointed officials or designated club - payment of expenses incurred.

e) Any fixture amendment and/or postponement requested and agreed after the Committee August Meeting may at the discretion of the Committee be subject to an administrative charge not exceeding £10. This is NOT to be considered a fine.

f) Failure to arrive for game - 1st offence fine up to a maximum of £25: 2nd offence fine up to a maximum of £50 and compulsory attendance at the following Committee meeting: 3rd offence fine up to a maximum of £100 and immediate expulsion from the WMBL

g) Non-standard or inadequate game or table equipment - fine £5.

h) Failure to comply with refereeing obligations - fine for 1st offence £10 per official £17 per official for second offence and £52 per official for the 3rd and each subsequent offence in any one season.

i) Failure to complete fixtures by the stipulated date - fine £10 maximum (Rule 1b).

j) Non-payment of fines (team or player) within 14 days of notification - fine increased by 50%.

k) Failure to comply with a Committee ruling or failure to reply to correspondence from the Committee - fine £15.

li) Absence from any General Meeting - fine £15.

lii) Late entry to WMBL for new clubs - fine £5.

liii) Late entry to WMBL for existing clubs - fine £15.

mi) Failure to complete and present relevant forms to the General Secretary at or prior to the AGM - fine £5.

mii) Any team or club withdrawing from the WMBL after acceptance at the AGM forfeits that season’s WMBL and Guarantee fee(s). Any team and/or club withdrawing in these circumstances and reapplying at a later date may be subject to a guarantee fee not greater than double the value of the forfeited guarantee fee.

n) Failure correctly to complete and/or submit an official “Referees and Table Officials” form to the Results Secretary - fine £5.

o) Failure of protesting team satisfactorily to follow up a score-sheet “Under Protest” will result in the imposition of a fine equal to the value of the surety fee (Rule 4civ).

p) Failure to indicate numbers on a score-sheet - fine £5. See Rule

q) When a club or individual fines reach £100.00 they MUST send a representative to the next Executive Committee meeting

N.B. All fines and expenses even from one club to another MUST be paid via the WMBL Treasurer.

RULE 7 Annual General Meeting and Special General Meetings

a) All clubs must send at least 1 representative to all General Meetings (Rule 6li).

b) The AGM shall be held in June of the current season.

c) All outstanding fines must be paid by the Committee’s meeting immediately prior to the AGM.

di) No addition or alteration to the Constitution may be affected unless at an AGM or SGM convened for that purpose.

dii) Any changes affected must have an absolute majority of the voting members present in favour.

diii) All proposals involving alterations shall be submitted in writing to the General Secretary at least 21 days prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered.

div) All changes that are approved shall become effective immediately.

e) The Committee may convene an SGM if it deems it necessary. The General Secretary shall give written notice not less than 14 days prior to any such SGM.

f) An SGM of the WMBL may also be convened by a minimum of 5 registered clubs or 10% of the registered members as defined in the Constitution. Notice of intention to convene any such meeting must be given to the General Secretary in writing.

RULE 8 Role of the Committee

The Committee shall have power to:

a) Make additions or changes to the General Administrative Rules which shall be effective 7 days after distribution to the teams and shall remain in force until the next AGM when any such change must be submitted for approval.

b) Deal with all matters not specifically covered by the Constitution and/or General Administrative Rules.

c) Maintain discipline and ensure that the correct spirit of the game is upheld.

d) Penalise or disqualify any club team or individual whose conduct is considered unsuitable.

----- Extract from Code of Conduct for basketball ---

Players
Treat everyone equally and sensitively regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, cultural background, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or political affiliation;
Do not use foul, sexist or racist language at any time.

Match officials
Must treat everyone equally and sensitively, regardless of their disability, gender, ethnic origin, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion, age or political affiliation;
Not tolerate foul, sexist or racist language from players and/or officials.

Club officials
Must treat everyone equally and sensitively regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, cultural background, sexual orientation, religious belief or political affiliation;
Do not use foul, sexist or racist language;
Use your official position to take action against spectators who harass, abuse or use foul, sexist or racist language towards players, match officials or coaches.