These rules should be read in conjunction with the county rules & are only applicable to teams playing in the Wisbech Netball League (WNL).

1. AGM/RULES FORUM

1.1 All teams must send two representatives to the WNL & County AGM’s. All teams must send one representative to any WNL start-up meetings.

1.2 Each occasion of non-attendance will be judged individually & will be penalized by loss of points or exclusion from the league.

1.3 The WNL must be represented at all County Committee meetings. If there isn’t a county representative elected, the committee will decide on the team responsible for attending each meeting & let the team captain know.

2. FACILITIES FOR PLAY 

All fixtures will be played at Thomas Clarkson Community College, Wisbech with the home team being the first on the fixtures list responsible for ensuring that the correct facilities are available & providing the match ball.

3. LEAGUE POSITIONS

3.1 Points will be awarded as follows:

6 points for a win
4 points for a draw
3 points if within 5 goals of opponents score
2 points if within 50% of opponents score
1 point if less than 50% of opponents score

4. CANCELLATIONS

4.1 Any team canceling a match will be deducted 2 points & the opposing team will be awarded 6 points. A cancellation fee of £5 must be given to the league organizer before their next match; this fee will be given to the opposing team as compensation. If the match is cancelled within 24 hours then that team will have to pay the relevant umpires fees.

4.2 In the event of a match being cancelled the opposing team will be awarded 30 goals. In the event of a draw at the end of the season, where one team has received 30 goals through a match being conceded, this match will be wiped from the calculations in order that the result will reflect a true picture of a team’s performance.

4.3 If a team continues to cancel then they will be deducted 4 points the second time, 6 points the third time & so on plus the £5 cancellation fee. Games may not be re-arranged except in extenuating circumstances.  

5. APPOINTMENT OF UMPIRES

5.1 The minimum standard for Divisions 1 and 2 is Beginners award. Where possible all C’ award umpires & above will umpire division one.  All teams must have a qualified umpire unless agreed with the league organizer. If a team continues to break this rule they may be fined or excluded from the league.

5.2 All teams without an umpire must have someone actively learning to umpire at the youth league on Sundays. At the discretion of the umpiring secretary new umpires may umpire 2nd Division matches with a qualified umpire shadowing.

5.3 All new adult teams have one year to get a qualified umpire and teams U18 years two years.

5.4 All umpires must be affiliated to AENA, and will be monitored & assessments done in order to try & get consistency & improve the standard of umpiring.

5.5 The decision of an umpire shall be final and given without appeal whilst the match is in place. The team captain may ask the umpires or league organizer to clarify a rule at quarter time or full time. Any complaints or queries please contact the umpiring secretary in writing within 48 hours of the incident.

5.6 All umpires must notify the team captain if they cannot fulfill their commitment. If umpires cancel within 24 hours of the match then they must find a replacement themselves & let the team captain know.

5.7 An umpire may continue to umpire when pregnant as long as they are physically capable and in agreement with the league organizer to a maximum of 30 weeks.

6. RESULTS

6.1 All scorecards must be filled in correctly i.e team name, date and players names in full & signed before the start of each match. It is the team’s responsibility to place the scorecard in the box at the end of each match. In the event that a team forgets then 7 days is allowed to get the card to the fixtures secretary. A deduction of 2 points for breaking the above rules.

6.2 The umpires must sign both cards & decide on the player of the match. The umpires must return the card to the relevant team.

6.3 All players must be registered, please indicate if the player is a guest i.e not affiliated by marking GP at the side of their name & fill out the Guest Player slip & hand in with the card.

7. START TIMES

7.1 All matches will be 4 x 15 minutes & must start promptly at their allotted time; it is the umpire’s responsibility to start all matches on time. If a team is late they have 10 minutes to take to the court, after that the game will be conceded as per rule 4.1. The two teams may play a friendly for the remaining time. If a team arrives late but within the 10-minute allowance they must join in with the central timing, no time will be added on.

7.2 There will be a 3-minute interval between quarters. There will be no time added on in the event of an injury, however a team is allowed 2 minutes to make re-arrangements as per AENA rules. The umpires are responsible for monitoring rules 7.1 & 7.2.

8. SAFETY

8.1 Can all players note that when playing they must not wear sharp hair accessories, gloves, scarves, sunglasses, hats or jewellery (ear rings may not be taped).  Laces must be fastened & belly rings must be taped or covered. Players must not chew gum whilst playing. A wedding ring may be taped as per A.E.N.A rules. 

8.2 All players must wear the regulation playing uniform i.e. skirts, tracksuit, trainers etc.  Jeans and normal shoes are unacceptable.

8.3 No player may participate in the league whilst she is pregnant.

8.4 All matches will be played if raining & will only be cancelled if the courts are unplayable due to snow, ice or flooding. Teams will be notified as early as possible.

8.5 All teams MUST have there own first aid kit.

8.6 Nails must be short & smooth and not protruding over the back of fingers.

9. FEES & AFFILIATION

9.1 All players must be affiliated to play in the WNL, with the exception school teams (who are exempt) or new teams who are allowed one whole season before they must affiliate. The current fees are £27.50 per adult & £15.50 per junior U18 years.

9.2 A player who is not affiliated may play as a guest player only once per season. The name of the player must appear on the results card with “GP” marked next to her name & the slip filled out. If she wishes to play again she must be affiliated before the match. All teams must complete the additional players sheet & hand it in with the card.  NO MORE THAN TWO GUEST PLAYERS MAY BE USED IN A TEAM AT A TIME. Any queries please contact the affiliation secretary.

9.3 Each team must register all players at the start of the season. The maximum amount of players that can be registered is 17no per season. Any team with unregistered players will lose their match by default. Penalty for going over maximum is £10 per person. All guest players will be registered.

9.4 All teams must pay the league entry fee in advance to enter the league & receive their scorecards. This will be set by the committee depending on the number of entries & will cover all match fees.

9.5 The minimum recommended umpires fees are – A award £10; B award £9; C award £8; Beginner £7 any unqualified umpires will receive £5.

10. PLAYERS & MANAGEMENT

10.1 A player may transfer during the season if both teams are agreeable.  The league organizer must be notified prior to the change.

10.2 Where a club has more than one team, it must register seven first team members,
seven second, seven third etc. A named player may play down in the team immediately below once per season but may not return to her former team for the following two league matches. If she plays down more than once, that player will be deemed a member of the lower team and will not be permitted to play up for the remainder of that season.

10.3 If a player plays up for two consecutive league games she will be deemed to
be a named player of that particular team. No player may play for more than one team in the same week.

10.4 Only one named player may play in the team immediately below at a time.

10.5 If a player is U16 & plays in the WNL 1st Division they cannot play in the Fenland Youth League, however a player can play in the WNL 2nd division & FYL at corresponding times.

10.6 The WNL committee will decide on whether to run any tournaments throughout the season.

10.7 No smoking is allowed on or around the netball court area.