Anglian League Rules - last amended 18th May 2018
The Anglian League
The Anglian League was formed at Thetford Golf Club on 27th October 1968 when representatives of the Counties of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire and Suffolk met and agreed rules and conditions for an annual programme of league matches to commence in 1969.
Second Team League
The Anglian League formed a second team league in 1977; the matches are played on the same day as the first team matches, one at home and one away.
Junior Championship
The Anglian League formed a Junior Championship for boys under 18 that commenced in 1980. The format is two qualifying matches between Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in the East and Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire in the West. The final is between the winners of the qualifiers. The venue of the qualifiers rotates every three years and the final every six years.
Rules of Golf
The League shall be played in accordance with the Rules of Golf as defined by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
Local Rules
The England Golf Hard Card must be used for all matches, together with any additional rules of the day. These replace the local rules on the host clubs scorecard. Players must be advised of this before play commences. Replace references to EG on Hard Card with Anglian League.
Transportation Policy and Code of Conduct
The England Golf Transportation Policy and Code of Conduct must be used for all matches. As per EG Hard Card, references to EG replace with Anglian League.
Dress Code
Players must adhere to host club dress code on and off the course.
Players are allowed to wear shorts in all Anglian League Matches, providing they meet the following criteria.
a. They must be county issue
b. The shorts and socks must comply with the host clubs dress code.
It is strongly recommended that all players make themselves aware of the host clubs dress code before travelling to the match.
Note – Caddies must conform to the host Clubs ‘Dress Regulations’
Constitution and Name
The six Counties shall constitute the “Group”
The name shall be “THE ANGLIAN LEAGUE”
Meetings
The business meetings of representatives of the “Group” shall meet at the AGM in May at EICF and in October at Brampton Park GC.
Officers
The Chairman shall be elected for a term of two years, the office shall rotate around the six Counties.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected for a term of five years.
Health & Safety
The Host Club or League Official shall produce a course and clubhouse risk assessment document. All team members must be made aware of the contents of the documents before play commences. Access points for emergency vehicle must be carefully noted.
Matches
The fixtures shall be agreed at the AGM .
A match is a team event between two or three Counties. Each team shall consist of 8 players. Each match between Counties comprises 4 Foursomes games in the morning and 8 Singles in the afternoon. The games are played over 18 holes and may end in a tie. For the purpose of the rules the individual games are matches, subsequently referred to as games.
1st - 2nd Team & Junior Boys Final
Foursomes shall be played in groups of 4 players 2 players per side. except the Junior Qualifying Matches using three-balls, involving groups of 6 players two per side.
Singles shall be played in groups of 2 players 1 player per side, except the Junior Qualifying Matches using three-balls, involving groups of 3 players 1 per side.
Advice
Each team may appoint one person to give advice to team members. They must not point out the line of play or walk on the putting green when the ball of a team player lies on the putting green. The person appointed shall be named on the match/team sheet and identified to all teams before play commences.
Rules of Golf 24.4a & 24.4b apply.
Putting Green Reading Material
The use of putting green reading material whether printed or in an electronic format, prior to making a stroke with a putter on the putting green or any stroke with a putter intending to go on a putting green is not allowed and constitutes a breach of Rule 4.3. This rule does not affect or alter a player’s right to use hand written notes or the restrictions surrounding such notes.
Tee Times:
The Foursomes should start between 08:30 and 10:00 hours, the Singles between 12:30 and 14:00 hours and not before.
Practice Rounds
The host club must allow the visiting team a practice round on the Saturday afternoon, this should be between 14.00 and 16.00 the visiting county is responsible for booking the practice round with the host club.
Players Qualifications
Players must be amateur golfers as defined by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.
A player must be a member of a Club affiliated to the Anglian League County that he is representing and may not have played for another Anglian League County or competed in any other County Championship in the same year.
Golf Balls and Clubs
The 1st and 2nd Team Players must only use clubs with conforming Groove & Punch Mark Specifications. They must also use Conforming Driver Heads and Balls, the list can be found at RandA.org.
Model Local Rules G-1, G-2 & G-3 apply.
Caddies
Players, including juniors are allowed caddies in 1st and 2nd Team matches.
Scoring
Every First team, Second team and Junior final shall consist of eight players, playing four games of Foursomes in the morning and eight Singles in the afternoon. 1 point is awarded for each game won and ½ for a half, there are 12 points in a match.
Two points are awarded for a league match win and one point for a half.
Result is final when recorded on match sheets by both Team Captains.
Adverse Weather
In the event of adverse weather conditions resulting in the suspension of or subsequent abandonment of play, if a team has established a winning margin, then the score shall stand, with incomplete games declared as halves. A winning margin in the event of just foursomes being played is 2 ½ points or if the singles are played 6 ½ points.
A match must start before 15:00 hours, Foursomes must be played before Singles.
If a winning margin has not been established by 20:00 hours, and the Singles are incomplete, all the Singles matches shall be declared as halves, and the match shall be declared by the Foursomes result.
All County, team and Anglian League Officers shall make every effort to complete the match.
Host Club officials shall determine whether the course is fit to play.
For the First and Second Team matches, if it is not possible to obtain a result, the match shall be declared a 6-6 draw.
A new date will be arranged for the Junior Final.
Reserves or Substitutes
A reserve or substitute may only be played in exceptional circumstances, such as illness or injury, and then, only by mutual consent between team captains. This must be before a game commences and not once it’s started. In the event of a team having no reserve or substitute, the game or games shall be recorded as a 10 and 8 loss.
Disputes
In the event of a dispute arising which cannot be satisfactorily resolved within these rules, the County shall submit a report to the Anglian League Secretary, who shall call a meeting of the ‘Group’ to adjudicate. The decision of that meeting shall be final.
Mobile Phone, Smart Watch
All players’ mobile phone and smart watch must be switched off whilst on the golf course and may only be used in the case of a medical emergency or to request a ruling from an official. For a breach of the Rules a player will be disqualified from his game and his opponent will be awarded the point.
"The use of mobile phones or other smart devices for social use, browsing, music or messaging during the round will be considered a serious breach of the Code of Conduct." Appendix 1
Altering Terms of Competition Only in Exceptional Circumstances
The Group shall only alter the terms of competition in exceptional circumstances. This does not affect the rules to determine the result in an individual fixture. Rather it allows the Group to explore alternative solutions to complete competitions following the principles:
Most equitable.
A result is preferred to abandonment.
The nature of exceptional circumstance is not specific but includes any national or regional situation affecting all or part of the Group and the playing of these tournaments. Such as, but not limited to, lockdowns, accommodation restrictions etc.
Trophies
The Anglian League champions receive the ‘Telegraph Anglian League Trophy’ presented by the Daily Telegraph in 1970.
The second team league champions receive the East Anglian Counties’ B Team’ Shield presented by P J Barton, Cambridgeshire Captain 1975-76.
The Anglian league trophies will be presented to the League winners by the Chairman or the Secretary or someone nominated by the Chairman.
Once these have been presented, it is the responsibility of a nominated officer/official of that county to ensure that they kept safe and their location is made known to the League Secretary.
The Trophies must be returned to the League Secretary who if they have not already been engraved will have them engraved. This must be two months before they are due to be presented again.
Juniors
Junior Championship
Name
Anglian League Junior Team Championship
Officers
The Chairman and Secretary shall be the Officers of the Anglian League.
Age Limit
All players shall be under 18 on 1st January of the current year.
The Honour
In the qualifiers, the home County will tee off last, the other two Counties will alternate.
In the final the toss of a coin by the team Captains will decide.
Caddies
Junior players are not allowed caddies in Anglian League Junior Tournaments or Matches. Rules of Golf 10.3a is modified using Model Local Rule H-1.1
Qualifying Matches
The qualifying matches will take the form of four 3 ball Foursomes matches in the morning with 12 points available. There will be eight 3 ball Singles in the afternoon with 24 points available. The winning team will have totalled the most points.
In the event of adverse weather conditions preventing the match result, arrangements must be made to replay the match before the date of the final.
Tied Matches
In the event of a tied match, the result will be determined by sudden death play-off on specific holes nominated by the Anglian League Officers.
A nominated player from each of the two or three teams will decide the result by singles match play.
If the match is to be decided by the foursomes result owing to adverse weather, sudden death will be played with each team nominating a pair from the team sheet.
The Final
Will be played on the third Monday in August.
Trophies
The winner of the Eastern Area receives the ‘Eastern Counties Junior Golfers Perpetual Challenge Trophy’
The winners of the Western Area receive the ‘West Counties Junior Team Challenge Salver’.
The County winning the final will be presented with the ‘Anglian League Junior Golf Team Championship Trophy’ presented by Granville Haskell, Suffolk.
Appendix 1 Code of Conduct
https://www.englandgolf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Code-of-Conduct-2021-1.pdf
Kevin Whitfield-Green Hon. Secretary Anglian League Updated 14th May 2021
