Rule 15a.

[paul]

I've put this one to the committee and the rule as it stands allows players of a club to play for any side within that club at anytime, regardless of the number of sides they field. So, a player can turn out for the 1st XI one week and the 2nd XI the next. As far as the league are concerned you are a "Club" member and not a "Team" member.

[paul]

I played rugby for years under a similar promotion relegation / system. It was quite frankly awful. The balance from division to division was constantly being upset and the level of opposition was never the same from one season to the next. I much prefer to let things level out on there own. If the one's and two's end up in the same division so be it. I know at our place there would be no slacking in the resulting matches, and isn't every match a beer match?. :-D

[Roasty]

We had a problem a couple of years ago when both our 1st and 2nd XI's were in division 3 (Theydon Bois). Obviously we chose sides on merit. Only one side (High Beach) complained. The match was delayed for 1/2 an hour until a member of the committee could be found. Bob adudicated that we could choose who ever we want. I think the rule should be reviewed.

[Roasty]

I think that is a very sensible suggestion Andrew. When our 1s played the 2s it was a total farce. It was more a beer match. Mind you it was great for the bar takings!!! Andrew (I think your from S. Loughton), this may possibly happen to you guys this year. Both your sides are doing well, but if your 1s slip up you could have both teams in the 4th div.

Roasty

[andrewshields]

We've been in a similar position to the one Roasty mentions and also suffered a complaint from one opponent (though the situation didn't go as far as in Theydon Bois's case). I absolutely agree that 'teams' are part of a 'club' and that players should be free to move between XIs on merit; indeed, it would be a negative step to make any amendment to the rule that might prevent this, as the league should be encouraging clubs to try and field more than one XI.

It does, I must admit, become trickier if a club has two XIs in the same division – although, now that the divisions are sorting themselves out, this situation is looking less likely to happen. Perhaps that's a rule that should be created: that a club's 2nd XI can't be promoted into the division in which its 1st XI is playing, and that a club's 1st XI can't be relegated into the same division as its 2nd XI? Other leagues operating a similar 'open' structure whereby clubs' various XIs find their level have such a rule.

[andrewshields]

Yes, Roasty, we're well aware of that possibility... but have every intention of not letting it happen!

edited by: andrewshields, Jun 25, 2004 - 05:41 PM

[andrewshields]

There's a post somewhere on the site that offers a sensible solution to this but I can't for the life of me find it! I think it goes like this: if a club's 1st XI is relegated into the division in which its 2nd XI is playing, the 2nd XI is relegated also. This is like those leagues where 1st and 2nd XIs play in parallel divisions rather than, as in ours, being allowed to find their own level, so the status of the 2nd XI is dependent on the performance of the 1st XI. If this were applied in our league, the potential impact on other clubs would only be positive, ie an extra promotion place. Conversely, a 2nd XI could not be promoted into the division in which a 1st XI was playing, thus allowing the third-placed team to move up.

[Sammy]

Just curious on how rule 15a. applies to clubs with 2 teams in the divisions.

Is the wording of "Club" strictly applied here, thus enabling clubs to pick a First XI and a Second XI, so that players may find themselves playing several games in 2 different divisions for each XI over a single season, potentially alternating each week?

If so, why should this be different for other players who, as I interpret 15a., could not in this way, play for different clubs in two different divisions?

Enabling players to do so, would not infringe on rule 15b.

Thoughts?

[Pudney]

Here's a scenario if you enforce this rule.

Team X A's & Team Y A's are relegated from League 1
Team X B's & Team Y B's finish mid table League 2

Your Team Finish Champions or 2nd in League 2 but are denied promotion because Team X A's & Team Y A's cannot be relegated.

Are you happy to be denied promotion?