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 1968.
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 matched 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.
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’
The Anglian League - Rules and 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 least once in the year.
Officers
The Chairman shall be elected for a period of two years’ the office shall rotate around the six Counties.
The Secretary/Treasurer shall be elected for a period of five years and may also act as the Match Secretary
Local Rules
The England Golf Hard Card must be used for all matches; these replace the local rules on the host clubs scorecard. Players must be advised of this before play commences.
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 programme of matches shall be agreed at a business meeting and shall continue as long as practical.
Advice
Each team may appoint one person to give advice to a team member, except pointing out a line for a putt, the person appointed shall be named on the match/team sheet and identified to all teams before play commences.
Teeing Times:
Counties that agree, foursomes may start between 08:30 and 10:00 hours, singles between 13:30 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
Players shall only use those included on the Royal & Ancient Golf Clubs approved lists.
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 0.5 for a half, there are 12 points in a match.
2 points are awarded for a league match win and 1 point for a half.
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 2.5 points of if the singles are played is 6.5 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 officials 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 of substitute may only be played in exceptional circumstances, such as illness or injury , and then, only by mutual consent between team captains. 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.
Distance Measuring Devices (DMD’s)
Players will be permitted to use DMD’s that calculate distance. Those DMD’s that provide information such as wind speed, temperature or elevation will not be permitted.
If during a match a player uses a DMD that is designed to measure other conditions that might affect his play, the player is in breach of Rule 14.3, for which the penalty is disqualification – loss of game at the point of infringement. If players from both teams in a game are similarly in breach of Rule 14.3, their game is void and neither County will score points in the match. Where Motorcaddy S3 or similar equipment is used by a player, and additional facilities must be disabled or covered with tape. The penalty of disqualification applies if a player does not tape-up or switch off any additional features even if they are not used.
Mobile Phones
All players’ mobile phones must be switched off whilst on the golf course, and may only be used in the case of medical emergency. For a breach of the Rules a player will be disqualified from his game and his opponent will be awarded the point.
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.
Junior Championship
Name
Anglian League Junior Team championship
Meetings
County Junior delegates of the ‘Group’ shall meet as and when required, with the minutes of the meetings sent to the Anglian League Secretary.
Officers
Officers 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 permitted caddies.
Qualifying Matches
The qualifying matches will take the form of four 3 ball 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 Host Club and Anglian League Officials.
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 receive 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.
Kevin Whitfield-Green Hon. Secretary Anglian League
18th May 2018
