NORTHERN PREMIER CRICKET LEAGUE RULES 1 Title and Constitution 1. The League shall be called The Northern Premier Cricket League (NPCL) 2. The NPCL will be the first teams of member clubs. 3. Subscription to the League shall be 100 per club, with an additional 100 per club for the two adverts each club has to supply for the Handbook. The total of 200 per club shall be paid before 1st of April each year. 2 The Northern League Management Committee (NLMC) The NLMC shall consist of one representative from each club. Eight representatives are required for a meeting to be quorate. There will be a minimum of a pre-season meeting in April, two meetings held in June and August, a pre-agm (Annual General Meeting) meeting, and an AGM. Dates and venues of the NLMC meetings are fixed after the previous year s AGM and will be published in the Handbook. An agenda and minutes of the previous meeting are sent to each club representative 7 days beforehand. Any club which is not represented at an NLMC meeting shall be liable to have 3 points deducted for missing the first meeting in any calendar year and 5 points for missing any subsequent meetings in that year. Non-attendance at the AGM shall result in a deduction of 5 points from the following season s points. All matters other than alteration to League rules and rules governing playing conditions shall be decided by a simple majority vote. The Chairman of the NLMC or his delegate will have a casting vote in the event of a tie.
The NLMC shall have the right to elect suitable persons as Honorary Life Members including Life Vice-Presidents in recognition of their services to the League 3 The Northern League Executive Committee (NLEC) The NLEC shall consist of the following officials who are elected at the AGM: President; Chairman; Vice-Chairman; Treasurer; Secretary; Assistant Secretary(Fixtures/Registrations); Solicitor/ Legal Advisor; Welfare Officer; Youth Development Officer; Umpires Representative; Webmaster, and Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee. The elected officials form the NLEC and will be responsible to the NLMC for the running of the NPCL. Executive members can not act as representatives for clubs and vote at the NLMC meetings. The NLEC can form sub-committees to deal with specific areas of League business such as Disciplinary matters, playing conditions etc. Sub-committee meetings will be chaired by a member of the NLEC, and members of the NPCL with special expertise may be co-opted to the Sub-committee. 4 Accounts The financial year ends on the 31st October and the AGM will be held as soon as practicable after that date. A Statement of Accounts duly audited for the previous financial shall be presented by the Treasurer at the AGM. 5 Annual General Meeting (AGM) Notices of motion/s from clubs and the Executive for consideration at the AGM must reach the Secretary 14 days prior to the date of the AGM. Proposals of clubs MUST be seconded. Notice of the AGM shall be sent to clubs at least 7 days before the date of the meeting together with: an Agenda; the previous year s AGM minutes; Statement of Accounts for the previous year; motion/s from the Executive; and, motion/s that have been proposed and seconded from clubs. Any alteration to the League rules and the rules governing playing conditions considered by the AGM may only be carried by a two thirds majority of the clubs participating in the NPCL. 6 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) An EGM to consider rule changes, playing conditions or other important matters can be called by the NLEC or on the petition of at least half of the clubs in the NPCL. Clubs must be given at least 7 days notice of an EGM and provided with a notice of the business to be considered. 7 Child Protection Clubs are responsible for complying with the laws governing Child Protection and abiding by any regulations issued by the ECB or LCB. 8 Websites Club websites are the responsibility of each club committee and they shall be responsible for the content of the site. Clubs must supply the Secretary of the NPCL with the name and contact details of the designated webmaster, the website address and associated e-mail address.
10 Trophies The Trustees have authority to act on behalf of the NPCL in all matters concerning the trophies. The League trophies shall be entrusted to two Trustees from the NLEC whose duties shall be to collect any guarantees duly signed and to take whatever steps they deem necessary for the safe custody and return to them of the trophies. The Officials of the winning clubs shall, before taking possession of the trophies, give a guarantee of their return in good condition. All trophies must be returned to the Trustees of the NLEC clean and engraved by the August NLMC meeting. The NLMC shall decide on an allowance for the purchase of souvenirs for the winning clubs. 11 Disputes The NLEC shall have the power to adjudicate in all disputed matters and the decision shall be final whether provided for in these rules or not. A fee of 10 shall be levied for any protest which is payable within 14 days of raising the protest. The fee of 10 can be forfeited if the protest is considered trivial by the NLEC. 12 Applications and Withdrawals No club in the membership of the NPCL shall negotiate with any other league for participation therein without first obtaining written permission from the NLEC. Any club wishing to negotiate with another league shall make a written application to the NLEC. Permission shall not be withheld unless the club has not discharged all its obligations to the NPCL and other clubs. Permission to negotiate shall not be regarded as either resignation or dismissal. Any club wishing to resign from the NPCL must submit a letter of resignation to be received by the Secretary of the NPCL no later than 5 pm on 30th June in respect of the following season. A club resigning from the NPCL shall forfeit any claim to the assets of the NPCL. Attention must be directed to the procedure on the recruitment of clubs by a league as approved by the LCB whose procedure must be followed by both any club wishing to depart and the NPCL. Sanctions may be applied to clubs or leagues who breach the procedure approved by the LCB. 13 Club Membership Clubs must operate an active open door policy whilst respecting player qualification regulations regardless of ethnicity. Clubs must also operate an open door membership policy regardless of ethnicity and gender. 14 Registration of Amateur Players All players must be registered with the NPCL using www.play-cricket.com Prior to the start of the season the Registration Secretary must have a list of all players previously registered on a form supplied for this purpose. NEW PLAYERS to a club MUST be registered 48 hours before any match they intend to play in. The NCPL will not accept registration of a player who is transferring from another club either within the league or from another league without confirmation in writing from the releasing club or league that the player has no financial or disciplinary matters outstanding. This confirmation is required for transfers occurring at any time of the year. No player may play for the NPCL first team in a league or cup game after the second Saturday in July who has not already played in the current season for that club in any team including juniors
in any league or cup fixture. This rule does not apply to any player who has been registered by the club prior to the commencement of the season who is in full-time or higher education, Registration will not be granted to any player who has not been resident in the UK for 12 months prior to commencement of the league season. This rule does not apply to ex-patriates of the UK or to UK/EU passport holders and those registered by clubs as overseas players. The NLEC shall have the power to refuse to register any player. If this power is exercised the player shall be advised of the reason for the registration being refused. Any player refused registration shall have the right to appeal, to attend a hearing and provide written submissions in support of their case. Representative/s of the club of which the player is a member/potential member have the right to attend the hearing and speak in support of the player. The Appeals Committee considering registration shall be constituted in accordance with the disciplinary rules. No former or current first class cricketer can play as an amateur in the NPCL except for the club where he played as an amateur before attaining first class status unless his sole/main residence is within 20 miles in the NPCL. This rule does not apply to former first class cricketers who have retired from first class cricket and who have not played first class cricket for the four years immediately proceeding the commencement of the season. No amateur player registered with the NPCL can play for a club in a different league in the same season unless he transfers to that club. Any player registered as an amateur found to be receiving payments other than that approved by the NLEC will be banned from the NPCL. The NLEC shall have the authority to examine club accounts with regard to this matter. All players including professionals amateurs and overseas players must agree to be bound by the rules of the NPCL at the time of their registration and agree to be subject to the disciplinary rules of the NPCL. 15 Professionals and Overseas Players Clubs do not have to employ a professional but they can if they so wish. Where a club employs a professional they may also register one overseas player at the time of registration of players prior to the commencement of the season. Clubs who do not employ a professional may register up to two overseas players at the time of registration of players prior to the commencement of the season. Clubs who register two overseas players may if they so wish nominate one of them as their marquee overseas player at the time of registration of players prior to the commencement of the season. In the event of a professional or marquee overseas player being unable to play in a match or unable to complete his contract through injury, illness, compassionate grounds or recall by his county, state or national organisation, then a sub-pro or sub-overseas player who has not played at a higher level than the professional or marquee overseas player can be appointed. In these circumstances the Club does not have to appoint a sub-professional or sub-overseas player. No appointment of a substitute shall be made without the permission of the Chairman or Secretary of the NPCL. Permission must be obtained prior to the match being played. Substitution of a professional or marquee player without permission shall result in a deduction of 15 points for a league game, and forfeit of a cup match. Out of courtesy any club using a substitute must advise the opposition in advance of arrival for play and ideally before midnight prior to the game. The NPCL will support a club with legitimate grievances should a professional break his contract by banning him from future engagements in the NPCL. They will also report him to his county or national authority. A professional is defined as a player who has received payment from his own or another club, country or county for playing cricket during the year commencing 1st April prior to the commencement of the season. No registered professional or registered overseas player can play for more than one NPCL club during the course of a season.
An ex-professional shall not be reinstated as an amateur in the same season in which he has been registered and playing as a professional. No NPCL professional can be approached by another club with a view to engagement for the following season before 1st August, without the consent of his present club. A copy of the professional s contract MUST be forwarded to the NLEC at least two weeks prior to the start of the season. 16 Umpires The Umpires shall have their own organisation with elected officials. The Umpires will elect one of their body to represent the interests of the Umpires on the NLEC who shall attend NLEC and NLMC meetings. The North West Association of Cricket Officials (NWACO) will be responsible for: 1. The recruitment of Umpires 2. The training and maintenance of the standard of Umpires including gaining appropriate qualifications 3. Taking action on reports on Umpires from Captains, clubs or the NLEC 4. Allocating Umpires to games played under the NPCL s jurisdiction 5. Nominating Umpires for representative games 6. Any other matters concerning Umpires in full consultation with the NLEC under the jurisdiction of the NPCL 7. Umpires must jointly complete a Match Report Form and send it to Jim Briscoe within 3 days of the game The contents of the Match Report Form will be agreed by the NLEC in conjunction with the NWACO and will include marking of the teams for the Fair Play Award In the event of a selected Umpire failing to attend the match the two Captains shall select a substitute. If the Captains fail to agree then the Umpire present must select a substitute. If the original Umpire officiates at both ends he will receive increased expenses which will be twice the match fee plus travel expenses. If both Umpires fail to turn up the Captains MUST agree two substitute Umpires and the match must be played. Umpires will receive out of pocket expenses as agreed by the NLEC and NWACO. Captains of both the home and away teams must complete the Umpires Assessment Form for each league and cup match (not T20) and e-mail it to Jim Briscoe at <jim_briscoe@hotmail.com> within two days of the game who will forward it to the Umpires Assessment Panel. Failure to complete the form satisfactorily or send the form within two days shall result in a deduction of 2 points for the first offence, 4 points for the second and 6 points for subsequent offences. 17 Scorers Clubs shall appoint their own scorers who should be at a level of competence for the game being played. Clubs without a scorer for a league or cup match shall be liable to a points deduction of 3 points for the first offence and 5 points for any subsequent offences. 18 Distribution of Results In order to maintain accurate League Tables it is essential that the home team enters the summary of results and scorecard on www.play-cricket.com by midnight on the day of the game even if the match is abandoned. Failure to comply will result in a deduction of 5 points. 19 Promotion/Relegation
Promotion A Club that is promoted is deemed to have acceded to full membership of the NPLC on the 1st of December in the year of their promotion. Relegation A Club that is relegated is deemed to have ceased full membership of the NPLC on the 30th November in the year of their relegation.