Our Constitution
Castleford & District Badminton League – Constitution 2025
1.1 Castleford & District Badminton League (C&DBL), herein after known as the League, is formed from those clubs affiliated to the League, for the purpose of managing competitive badminton between the clubs and their members.
1. A Committee, consisting of representatives from each club (wherever possible) and the Officers of the League, shall manage the affairs of the League within the rules contained within this constitution, wherever possible. The General Committee and the Officers of the League shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Officers of the League shall include a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Match Results Secretary, Handicap Secretary and Tournament Secretary. Nominations for any of the foregoing posts are required prior the AGM. The Committee shall have the power to suspend, relegate or fine clubs of the League; a quorum shall consist of a minimum of members, including 1 Officer of the League.
1. An Executive Committee, formed by the Officers of the League shall deal with the day to day running of the League and shall be empowered to deal with any emergency business.
1. The League shall hold an Annual General Meeting in July of each year. Twenty- One days’ notice shall be given to all clubs of the AGM, or any Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Only the Committee has the power to call an EGM.
1. Rule changes can only be adopted by agreement of a simple majority at an AGM, or EGM of the League. Rule changes can be proposed by any club within the League or by the Committee. Clubs shall submit any proposed rule change(s) in writing to the League Secretary, at least 1 days prior to the AGM or any EGM, for circulation to all clubs within the League. Clubs voting, on rule changes etc., are entitled to one vote for each team registered with the League during the previous season. A club representative must be present to cast each vote i.e. three teams, three representatives. The League Chairperson shall have the casting vote if necessary.
1. All clubs must send a minimum of one representative to the League
AGM (preferably one representative per team), any EGM. Any clubs not represented at these meetings will be liable to a fine of £ per meeting.
1. Clubs shall pay an annual affiliation charge to the League plus a fee per person registered to play within the League. Changes to the annual affiliation and registration charges shall be agreed at the AGM. The Treasurer will invoice all clubs for the affiliation and registration charges after the 1st January. Payment of these charges must be made by 1st March; failure to do so shall attract a 10 surcharge.
1. The League shall maintain examined accounts, which shall be presented to the AGM. The accounts will be prepared by the Treasurer and examined by another member of the League, nominated by the League at the AGM.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
1. The Castleford & District Badminton League will not accept any responsibility for injury or loss / damage of personal possessions whilst any member is playing in, or travelling to, any league competitions etc.
. League
.1 Registration of Players
Clubs are required to register the name of everyone playing in league matches on Sportsganiser. Clubs entering more than one team must nominate six players for each of the higher teams (i.e. 'A' & 'B' teams for a club entering three teams). Nominated players details shall be emailed to the Match Results Secretary, stating the player's full name and their nominated team Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of any points won until the rule is observed. Additional club members may also be registered, on Sportsganiser, to play in league matches throughout the season. Such registrations must be completed prior to playing in a league match. Should the committee become aware of unsportsmanlike behaviour it has the right to sanction the club concerned.
No player can be registered for more than one club in the League.
Any player nominated for a specific team is tied to that team. A player may play three times for a higher team without been tied to that team. If, however, they play a fourth time for a higher team, they are automatically tied to the immediate higher team and must not play in a lower team without first being transferred down to the lower team.
Once transferred down to a lower team the player can no longer play for a higher team during the remainder of the season. Application for transfer must be made in writing to the Match Results Secretary. Handicap matches do not count towards the three-match League rule.
The Executive Committee shall have discretion in applying the rules relating to the registration of players.
. Transfers Between Clubs
Any player who wishes to transfer from one club to another during the course of the season shall notify the League Secretary and their current club secretary in writing. Subject to the two secretaries’ agreement that there being no outstanding debts owing to the losing club, the transfer will take immediately effect. In the case of a dispute the transfer shall be referred to the General Committee.
. League Matches (Badminton England rules apply in all cases except where modified by the League)
..1 A fixture plan, dividing the season into two halves, will be set by the Executive Committee and published on Sportsganiser.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
Where possible the match dates should fall within the week scheduled on Sportsganiser. Alternative dates, however, may be fixed subject to the agreement of both clubs and providing that fixtures between teams from the same club are played at the beginning of each half of the season. Where possible, matches should be played within the designated half of the season specified on Sportsganiser. Matches scheduled to be played in the first half of the season can only be moved to the second half of the season at the discretion of the Match Results Secretary. Matches may be played before the start of a period by mutual consent.
.. A date when all fixtures must be completed shall be set by the Committee at the start of the season
.. Clubs are expected to adhere to the published fixtures, loss of hall or inclement weather being the exceptions. All other re-arrangements must be by mutual consent. Any requests to re-arrange matches must be agreed by email and the new date agreed between both clubs within days. If no dates are offered by the home team within days, then the away team has the option to claim the match by default, at the discretion of the League Committee.
.. Each team shall consist of three ladies and three men. Match play shall be nine rubbers per match consisting of three mixed doubles, three ladies’ doubles and three men's doubles. All couples shall play in order of merit, however the order of merit in the men's, ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles need not be the same. Any unregistered / ineligible player(s) must play as third person in all rubbers.
.. All matches shall start and finish at the times indicated on Sportsganiser for that club, unless otherwise agreed between the two clubs. Any team not having a couple available to play within ten minutes of the agreed start time, shall forfeit a rubber in the event of the match not been completed within the time allocated. Similarly, further rubber(s) shall be forfeited if a second couple is not on court within twenty minutes of the start time, or a couple is not available following completion of a rubber. Teams shall be declared, by simultaneous completion of a score sheet or match report on Sportsganiser prior the match commencing.
.. Clubs who field a short team or who play an unregistered player will forfeit the rubbers not played, or those played by the unregistered player. They will also be fined £ for each person who does not turn up, or any unregistered player not declared, to the opposing team, prior to the start of the match (the maximum fine is £1).
.. Clubs whose team(s) concede, do not turn up to play or, the opinion of the Committee to have defaulted (see para ..), a match will forfeit the match. In the event of a match not being played, the opposing team will receive either the average number of rubbers they have won throughout the entire season, or the average number of rubbers lost by the defaulting team, whichever is the greater, plus bonus points. The defaulting team will be deducted 11 points and fined £1 (only applies to those teams not turning up to play). If any team defaults on more than
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
one occasion in a season, they may be relegated at the discretion of the League Committee
.. In the event of both teams being incomplete any rubbers not played shall not count.
.. The home team shall record the match result on Sportsganiser within days of the fixture. The away team shall ratify or query the match result within days of it being recorded and any issues which cannot be resolved between the two clubs shall be referred to the Match Results Secretary.
..10 All fines must be paid in the fixture half incurred, if not they will not be allowed to continue playing in the League until payment is made.
. Match Conditions and Scoring
Each match will consist of nine rubbers (three mixed, three ladies’ and three men's). Each player shall play in the mixed rubbers and two of the ladies’ / men's rubbers (with alternate partners). The couple winning the best of three games shall win the rubber. Games shall be played to 1 points by the Rally Points System. If the score is tied at 0:0, the game shall continue until either one side gains a -point advantage or one side reaches 0. This applies to all three games of the rubber.
Couples who win the 'spin' shall choose between serving first or court position. Serving first in the second and third games is awarded to the couple winning the previous game. Games shall be played from alternate sides of the court. Couples shall also change sides at 11 points in the third game of any rubber.
A point will be awarded for each rubber won, together with bonus points for the team winning most rubbers. In the event of a tie one bonus point shall be awarded to each team. Should two or more teams tie on points at the end of the season, league position will be decided on firstly, games won (bonus points), secondly rubbers won and finally points scored. If this is not decisive, a play-off between the teams concerned shall be required.
. Match Times
The time available for matches to be played is shown against the home club on Sportsganiser. To facilitate matches being completed, any rubber(s) not started within 0 minutes of the declared finish time or 11.1pm, whichever is the earlier, must be changed to one game, the number of points to be agreed by both teams, with no setting prior to the rubber being started. Should the match still not be completed any incomplete rubbers will not count, unless any team is deemed by the Committee to have unduly delayed or slowed-down play in order to gain an advantage. If this is deemed to be the case, the Committee, at its discretion, can choose to award incomplete rubbers to the non-defaulting team.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
. Shuttles
The home team shall provide shuttles. The shuttles used shall be tournament grade feathers only
. Complaints
All complaints shall be made to the League Secretary in writing and shall be dealt with by the Committee.
. Scorer
The home team shall provide the scorer for all rubbers if requested by the Away Team and a scorer is available.
. Nets
If posts are not on the sidelines, then tapes must be placed over the nets in alignment with the sidelines.
.11 Substitute
In the case of a player(s) being either injured or taken ill during the course of
a match, he / she may be substituted by a reserve(s), providing that they are available to play within 0 minutes of the stoppage, subject to normal playing times. The match should resume from the point of the stoppage and the reserve must be from a lower team for their results to count. If a reserve is not available, that game and all remaining games of the injured player shall be forfeited,
recorded as 1-0 and conceded written on the score sheet. If the reserve is from a higher team any rubbers won will be conceded, including that game. When a substitute has been used the injured player(s) can take no further part in the match. Playing, as a substitute for a higher team does not count as one of the three matches allowed for tied players.
.1 Changes to Clubs and Teams
New clubs shall be allocated to a division at the discretion of the Committee.
.1 Promotion and Relegation
At the end of each season, the two teams with the highest number of points will be promoted to the next higher division and, the two teams with the lowest number of points, will be relegated to the next lower division. Exceptionally changes to this arrangement may however be necessary to accommodate new clubs / teams and / or adjustment to the number of divisions. In such cases the Committee shall have the authority to make any adjustments after consultation with all clubs affected by the decisions. The decision of the Committee shall be final.
.1 League Trophy for most Consistent Player
The Mark Brown Trophy will be awarded at the end of each season to the player ranked highest on the Sportsganiser “Statsfinder” table and who has played in at least of the matches in the season for their team.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
For Divisions where there are matches in the season, this will be matches For Divisions where there are 10 matches in the season, this will be matches For Divisions where there are 1 matches in the season, this will be matches For Divisions where there are 1 matches in the season, this will be 11 matches
. League Tournament
The League Tournament will be run annually, towards the end of each season. It will be open to all eligible members of clubs within the League and any affiliated junior clubs. The aim of the Tournaments is to provide everyone in the League, irrespective of standard or age, the opportunity to play in a competitive tournament. Junior clubs can affiliate to the League by paying a £ registration fee. The Tournament Secretary, in consultation with the Coach, has the discretion to place juniors in a higher or lower competition if thought appropriate
Eligibility will be based upon the Division in which a player has played during the preceding season and / or a player's age during the tournament year. Players will be required to enter the league-based tournament, which corresponds, to the Division in which they have played during the preceding season. Players who have not represented their club more than three times during the proceeding season will be placed in the tournament which best suites their ability, as deemed appropriate by the Committee. Players will be required to enter age-based tournaments on their age at the end of year in which the tournament is being played.
. Handicap Competition
The rules governing play in the handicap competition are identical to those governing play in the League Competition except that: -
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
deemed ineligible.
1.1 Castleford & District Badminton League (C&DBL), herein after known as the League, is formed from those clubs affiliated to the League, for the purpose of managing competitive badminton between the clubs and their members.
1. A Committee, consisting of representatives from each club (wherever possible) and the Officers of the League, shall manage the affairs of the League within the rules contained within this constitution, wherever possible. The General Committee and the Officers of the League shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Officers of the League shall include a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Match Results Secretary, Handicap Secretary and Tournament Secretary. Nominations for any of the foregoing posts are required prior the AGM. The Committee shall have the power to suspend, relegate or fine clubs of the League; a quorum shall consist of a minimum of members, including 1 Officer of the League.
1. An Executive Committee, formed by the Officers of the League shall deal with the day to day running of the League and shall be empowered to deal with any emergency business.
1. The League shall hold an Annual General Meeting in July of each year. Twenty- One days’ notice shall be given to all clubs of the AGM, or any Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Only the Committee has the power to call an EGM.
1. Rule changes can only be adopted by agreement of a simple majority at an AGM, or EGM of the League. Rule changes can be proposed by any club within the League or by the Committee. Clubs shall submit any proposed rule change(s) in writing to the League Secretary, at least 1 days prior to the AGM or any EGM, for circulation to all clubs within the League. Clubs voting, on rule changes etc., are entitled to one vote for each team registered with the League during the previous season. A club representative must be present to cast each vote i.e. three teams, three representatives. The League Chairperson shall have the casting vote if necessary.
1. All clubs must send a minimum of one representative to the League
AGM (preferably one representative per team), any EGM. Any clubs not represented at these meetings will be liable to a fine of £ per meeting.
1. Clubs shall pay an annual affiliation charge to the League plus a fee per person registered to play within the League. Changes to the annual affiliation and registration charges shall be agreed at the AGM. The Treasurer will invoice all clubs for the affiliation and registration charges after the 1st January. Payment of these charges must be made by 1st March; failure to do so shall attract a 10 surcharge.
1. The League shall maintain examined accounts, which shall be presented to the AGM. The accounts will be prepared by the Treasurer and examined by another member of the League, nominated by the League at the AGM.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
1. The Castleford & District Badminton League will not accept any responsibility for injury or loss / damage of personal possessions whilst any member is playing in, or travelling to, any league competitions etc.
. League
.1 Registration of Players
Clubs are required to register the name of everyone playing in league matches on Sportsganiser. Clubs entering more than one team must nominate six players for each of the higher teams (i.e. 'A' & 'B' teams for a club entering three teams). Nominated players details shall be emailed to the Match Results Secretary, stating the player's full name and their nominated team Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of any points won until the rule is observed. Additional club members may also be registered, on Sportsganiser, to play in league matches throughout the season. Such registrations must be completed prior to playing in a league match. Should the committee become aware of unsportsmanlike behaviour it has the right to sanction the club concerned.
No player can be registered for more than one club in the League.
Any player nominated for a specific team is tied to that team. A player may play three times for a higher team without been tied to that team. If, however, they play a fourth time for a higher team, they are automatically tied to the immediate higher team and must not play in a lower team without first being transferred down to the lower team.
Once transferred down to a lower team the player can no longer play for a higher team during the remainder of the season. Application for transfer must be made in writing to the Match Results Secretary. Handicap matches do not count towards the three-match League rule.
The Executive Committee shall have discretion in applying the rules relating to the registration of players.
. Transfers Between Clubs
Any player who wishes to transfer from one club to another during the course of the season shall notify the League Secretary and their current club secretary in writing. Subject to the two secretaries’ agreement that there being no outstanding debts owing to the losing club, the transfer will take immediately effect. In the case of a dispute the transfer shall be referred to the General Committee.
. League Matches (Badminton England rules apply in all cases except where modified by the League)
..1 A fixture plan, dividing the season into two halves, will be set by the Executive Committee and published on Sportsganiser.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
Where possible the match dates should fall within the week scheduled on Sportsganiser. Alternative dates, however, may be fixed subject to the agreement of both clubs and providing that fixtures between teams from the same club are played at the beginning of each half of the season. Where possible, matches should be played within the designated half of the season specified on Sportsganiser. Matches scheduled to be played in the first half of the season can only be moved to the second half of the season at the discretion of the Match Results Secretary. Matches may be played before the start of a period by mutual consent.
.. A date when all fixtures must be completed shall be set by the Committee at the start of the season
.. Clubs are expected to adhere to the published fixtures, loss of hall or inclement weather being the exceptions. All other re-arrangements must be by mutual consent. Any requests to re-arrange matches must be agreed by email and the new date agreed between both clubs within days. If no dates are offered by the home team within days, then the away team has the option to claim the match by default, at the discretion of the League Committee.
.. Each team shall consist of three ladies and three men. Match play shall be nine rubbers per match consisting of three mixed doubles, three ladies’ doubles and three men's doubles. All couples shall play in order of merit, however the order of merit in the men's, ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles need not be the same. Any unregistered / ineligible player(s) must play as third person in all rubbers.
.. All matches shall start and finish at the times indicated on Sportsganiser for that club, unless otherwise agreed between the two clubs. Any team not having a couple available to play within ten minutes of the agreed start time, shall forfeit a rubber in the event of the match not been completed within the time allocated. Similarly, further rubber(s) shall be forfeited if a second couple is not on court within twenty minutes of the start time, or a couple is not available following completion of a rubber. Teams shall be declared, by simultaneous completion of a score sheet or match report on Sportsganiser prior the match commencing.
.. Clubs who field a short team or who play an unregistered player will forfeit the rubbers not played, or those played by the unregistered player. They will also be fined £ for each person who does not turn up, or any unregistered player not declared, to the opposing team, prior to the start of the match (the maximum fine is £1).
.. Clubs whose team(s) concede, do not turn up to play or, the opinion of the Committee to have defaulted (see para ..), a match will forfeit the match. In the event of a match not being played, the opposing team will receive either the average number of rubbers they have won throughout the entire season, or the average number of rubbers lost by the defaulting team, whichever is the greater, plus bonus points. The defaulting team will be deducted 11 points and fined £1 (only applies to those teams not turning up to play). If any team defaults on more than
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
one occasion in a season, they may be relegated at the discretion of the League Committee
.. In the event of both teams being incomplete any rubbers not played shall not count.
.. The home team shall record the match result on Sportsganiser within days of the fixture. The away team shall ratify or query the match result within days of it being recorded and any issues which cannot be resolved between the two clubs shall be referred to the Match Results Secretary.
..10 All fines must be paid in the fixture half incurred, if not they will not be allowed to continue playing in the League until payment is made.
. Match Conditions and Scoring
Each match will consist of nine rubbers (three mixed, three ladies’ and three men's). Each player shall play in the mixed rubbers and two of the ladies’ / men's rubbers (with alternate partners). The couple winning the best of three games shall win the rubber. Games shall be played to 1 points by the Rally Points System. If the score is tied at 0:0, the game shall continue until either one side gains a -point advantage or one side reaches 0. This applies to all three games of the rubber.
Couples who win the 'spin' shall choose between serving first or court position. Serving first in the second and third games is awarded to the couple winning the previous game. Games shall be played from alternate sides of the court. Couples shall also change sides at 11 points in the third game of any rubber.
A point will be awarded for each rubber won, together with bonus points for the team winning most rubbers. In the event of a tie one bonus point shall be awarded to each team. Should two or more teams tie on points at the end of the season, league position will be decided on firstly, games won (bonus points), secondly rubbers won and finally points scored. If this is not decisive, a play-off between the teams concerned shall be required.
. Match Times
The time available for matches to be played is shown against the home club on Sportsganiser. To facilitate matches being completed, any rubber(s) not started within 0 minutes of the declared finish time or 11.1pm, whichever is the earlier, must be changed to one game, the number of points to be agreed by both teams, with no setting prior to the rubber being started. Should the match still not be completed any incomplete rubbers will not count, unless any team is deemed by the Committee to have unduly delayed or slowed-down play in order to gain an advantage. If this is deemed to be the case, the Committee, at its discretion, can choose to award incomplete rubbers to the non-defaulting team.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
. Shuttles
The home team shall provide shuttles. The shuttles used shall be tournament grade feathers only
. Complaints
All complaints shall be made to the League Secretary in writing and shall be dealt with by the Committee.
. Scorer
The home team shall provide the scorer for all rubbers if requested by the Away Team and a scorer is available.
. Nets
If posts are not on the sidelines, then tapes must be placed over the nets in alignment with the sidelines.
.11 Substitute
In the case of a player(s) being either injured or taken ill during the course of
a match, he / she may be substituted by a reserve(s), providing that they are available to play within 0 minutes of the stoppage, subject to normal playing times. The match should resume from the point of the stoppage and the reserve must be from a lower team for their results to count. If a reserve is not available, that game and all remaining games of the injured player shall be forfeited,
recorded as 1-0 and conceded written on the score sheet. If the reserve is from a higher team any rubbers won will be conceded, including that game. When a substitute has been used the injured player(s) can take no further part in the match. Playing, as a substitute for a higher team does not count as one of the three matches allowed for tied players.
.1 Changes to Clubs and Teams
New clubs shall be allocated to a division at the discretion of the Committee.
.1 Promotion and Relegation
At the end of each season, the two teams with the highest number of points will be promoted to the next higher division and, the two teams with the lowest number of points, will be relegated to the next lower division. Exceptionally changes to this arrangement may however be necessary to accommodate new clubs / teams and / or adjustment to the number of divisions. In such cases the Committee shall have the authority to make any adjustments after consultation with all clubs affected by the decisions. The decision of the Committee shall be final.
.1 League Trophy for most Consistent Player
The Mark Brown Trophy will be awarded at the end of each season to the player ranked highest on the Sportsganiser “Statsfinder” table and who has played in at least of the matches in the season for their team.
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
For Divisions where there are matches in the season, this will be matches For Divisions where there are 10 matches in the season, this will be matches For Divisions where there are 1 matches in the season, this will be matches For Divisions where there are 1 matches in the season, this will be 11 matches
. League Tournament
The League Tournament will be run annually, towards the end of each season. It will be open to all eligible members of clubs within the League and any affiliated junior clubs. The aim of the Tournaments is to provide everyone in the League, irrespective of standard or age, the opportunity to play in a competitive tournament. Junior clubs can affiliate to the League by paying a £ registration fee. The Tournament Secretary, in consultation with the Coach, has the discretion to place juniors in a higher or lower competition if thought appropriate
Eligibility will be based upon the Division in which a player has played during the preceding season and / or a player's age during the tournament year. Players will be required to enter the league-based tournament, which corresponds, to the Division in which they have played during the preceding season. Players who have not represented their club more than three times during the proceeding season will be placed in the tournament which best suites their ability, as deemed appropriate by the Committee. Players will be required to enter age-based tournaments on their age at the end of year in which the tournament is being played.
. Handicap Competition
The rules governing play in the handicap competition are identical to those governing play in the League Competition except that: -
- The matches shall be decided upon points won.
- A rubber shall consist of two games only of 1 points, without setting.
- A scorer should be provided by the Home team for all rubbers if there is one
available - In order to be eligible to play in this competition a player must be registered for the
team concerned on Sportsganiser no later than the day before the Handicap Committee meeting for that round. Players not registered by this time will only be allowed to play by exception at the discretion of the Committee. Requests to play non-registered players must be sent to the Handicap Secretary at the earliest opportunity to allow the Committee to consider the request. - The Handicap Secretary shall be advised of the team members playing prior to the date of the handicap meeting. Failure to do so will result in the team being handicapped based on their strongest eligible players.
- Once a handicap has been set it shall only be altered at the discretion of the Handicap Secretary.
- Any subsequent changes to the declared team must be notified to the Handicap Secretary prior to the commencement of the match. Undeclared players may be
Proposal for 2024/2 AGM
deemed ineligible.
- Any points scored by ineligible players shall be forfeited and the opposing team
shall count 1 points for each rubber affected. - The handicaps shall not be opened until the match is completed and the scores
agreed. - The results shall be sent to the Handicap Secretary, by the winning team, within
hours of the match. - In the event of a club drawn at home in any round being unable to play at home on
the allotted date, they must play on the opponent's court or forfeit the match. - The Handicap Secretary will circulate the draw at the beginning of the season
- Matches should be played in the scheduled week as per the published fixture plan,
unless an alternative date is mutually agreed by both teams and approved by the Handicap Secretary. Failure to fulfill the fixture will result in the defaulting team being knocked out of the competition - In the event of there being a dispute the Committee will decide which team defaulted. The decision of the Committee is final
- The finals will be played at a neutral venue at a date and time set at the beginning of the season. This date cannot be altered.
- Court and feather costs for the finals will be the responsibility of the League
- Teams playing in the finals shall provide two scorers.
