Standards and Conduct

Standards & Conduct

Barry Athletic Bowls Club is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all its members, ensuring a positive and enjoyable experience for all.  The club believes that it is important that members and administrators associated with the club should, at all times, show respect and understanding for the safety and welfare of others. Therefore, members are encouraged to be open at all times and to share any concerns or complaints that they may have about any aspect of the club with the Chairman or any other member of the management committee.

All members must take responsibility in ensuring they are up to date with the rules of the Club, understand and adhere to them.

As a member of Barry Athletic Bowls Club, you are expected to abide by the following standards and code of practice –

Conduct & Behaviour 

Conduct or behaviour, including the use of electronic or social media, which brings the club or any member of the club in to disrepute, will be regarded as a breach of our standards of conduct.

Aggressive behaviour of any sort will not be tolerated.

All members must respect the rights, dignity and worth of all participants regardless of age, gender, ability, race, cultural background, religious beliefs or sexual identity.

The club will not tolerate the use of abusive, profane, racist, homophobic or intimidating language and/or behaviour on club premises or the green and surrounds.

Members are not permitted to use illegal drugs on club premises or whilst representing the club.

Members should remember that the club has no paid staff and that all members should play their part in helping to run the club.

All members must respect officials and publicly accept their decisions.

All members should be a positive role model, and treat other players and officials with the same level of respect you would expect to be shown to you.

Team Play and Selection

All members will adhere to the standards of dress as outlined in the club by-laws and agreed by members, both on the green and when representing the club whilst travelling to and from matches.

All players selected for club matches must be at the green 30 minutes before the scheduled match start. Players that do not comply with this requirement may be replaced in the team or face suspension from selection for future matches.

Selection availability sheets will be available for completion at least two weeks before the scheduled date of the fixture. The selection committee will only consider players for selection if their names have been entered on the selection availability sheets. 

Once selected, it is the players responsibility to ensure that they attend the game or contact the Captain or vice captain to explain why they cannot play at least 24 hours before the scheduled date. Whilst it is accepted that unforeseen circumstances can occur on the day of the match, it is expected that the instances will be exceptional. 

Mobile phones are not allowed on the green during matches, except with the express permission of the captain.

Green Etiquette

Dress appropriately and ensure that you know the dress code for each game or match in which you are participating. Do not show disrespect for your opponents by arriving late, ensure that you leave sufficient time to change before the game. If you are representing the club on another bowling green you should remember that you are an ambassador for Barry Athletic Bowling Club, and behave appropriately. 

Enter and leave the bowling green safely. Do not walk across rinks that other people are using. Be aware when other bowlers are about to bowl and don’t walk across the end of a rink when doing so, it can be a distraction.

Introduce yourself and shake hands with your opponents both before play commences and after the game is complete. During the game do not move around the head when your opponent is about to deliver his bowl. Stand well back from the head, keep quiet and do not do anything that would distract your opponent. Wait until the bowl has been delivered before moving. 

If you are at the same end as the player delivering a bowl you must stand behind the mat thus staying out of the player's line of vision. Here is what the rule says about this. "Players of each team not in the act of playing or controlling play shall stand behind the Jack and away from the head or 1m behind the mat. " 

Bear in mind that some people like to see the rink boundary markers and the centre pin while playing so make sure that you are not obscuring them. On sunny days you must also ensure that your shadow does not fall on the jack. 

Spectators who are in the player's line of vision should also keep still while bowls are being delivered and they should not distract players on the green. For example if you need to arrange a tie with another member don't try to do this while he is playing someone else!

At Barry Athletic we are privileged to have one of the best bowling greens in the area. Look after it! Don't drop your bowls onto the green and ensure that your delivery is not causing scuff marks or otherwise damaging the green.

Possession of the Rink

The official ruling on this rule reads as follows:

"Possession of the rink shall belong to the team whose bowl is being played. The players in Possession of the rink for the time being shall not be interfered with, annoyed, or have their attention distracted in any way by their opponents.

As soon as each bowl shall have come to rest, possession of the rink shall be transferred to the other team, time being allowed for marking a 'toucher'. " 

After you have delivered a bowl and before it has come to rest you have two options. If you want to follow your bowl's progress down the green you must be behind the head when it stops. In other words you must beat it to the head without running. If you don't go to the head you must be behind the mat as your bowl stops. This ruling is quite clear but unfortunately many players, including many of those who should know better, show disrespect for their opponents by failing to observe it. 

How many times have you been on the mat, ready to play your bowl, when you have had to wait for your opponent to complete his stroll up the green or back to the mat? If your opponent is guilty of this you should politely ask him to stop. Remember that it is he who is in the wrong.

Disciplinary Measures

The range of sanctions that may be imposed Barry Athletic Bowls Club on an offender who is found to have breached this policy or standards of conduct will depend upon the engagement of the offender. Any person who, after proper investigation, is found to have breached this policy or standards of conduct will face disciplinary action.

Disciplinary measures which may be imposed will depend upon the seriousness of the offence and may include although not limited by:

 

• Verbal warning by the Barry Athletic Bowls Club Management Committee

• Written warning by the Barry Athletic Bowls Club Management Committee

• Private Barry Athletic Bowls Club Disciplinary Hearing

• Restriction on Alcohol consumption and or purchase

• Restriction on use of facilities or part thereof

• Suspension period for use of facilities as deemed.

• Revocation of membership, and/or Indefinite Suspension / Expulsion

If, however, the investigation finds that the complaint cannot be substantiated, both parties will be informed of the reasons, and if the investigation finds that the complaint was deliberately fabricated, the employee or member making the complaint will be formally warned and counselled.

 

The above standards of conduct were approved by the Management Committee of the Club in November 2016