League Rules

1. At the Annual General Meeting each year, teams will present a written and signed application for Team membership of the league. Unless automatic renewal has been refused as a disciplinary measure, teams who held membership during the previous season will gain renewal automatically. New teams will be admitted to Team Membership of the league by a majority vote.
2. Each team will appoint a captain who will recruit sufficient Individual Members to fulfill the teams’ fixture commitments. The team captain will collect the prescribed Individual Membership fee from each of their members and will hand that over to the League Treasurer either no later than the November meeting of the League or, if the member has been signed latter than the November meeting, then at the next meeting of the league. All Individual Members must sign the team sheet which is held by the team captain.
3. Individual Members may transfer between teams during a season only with the consent of the League Management Committee.
4. Life members of the League must sign for the team that they wish to play for but are not required to pay the Individual Membership fee.
5. Each team will appoint a delegate to act as their spokesperson, and to vote on their behalf, at meetings of the league. Teams may send a delegate to any meeting of the League Management Committee.
6. In each season the Management Committee will arrange League(s) and various knockout competitions as determined by the General Meetings. The Fixture Secretary will prepare a schedule of matches for each competition. The schedule will be submitted for approval to the League Management Committee following which a copy will be distributed to each member team.
7. Each league match score will be the total of games won by each side. Two points towards the league will be awarded to the team that wins the match, with one point being awarded to each team if the final score is level. A separate competition will take place within each match involving table one. 
8. At the end of the season the team which has accrued the most points in the league will be declared the league winner. In event of a tie then the winner will be determined by the number of games won. A runner-up will be determined on the same basis. Knockout competitions will be won by the entrant which remains undefeated.
9. At the end of the season trophies will be presented to winners and runners-up as determined by the league management committee. The Open Pairs knockout competition will carry a cash prize based on the pool of money paid by the entrants.
10. Only members who have paid their Individual Membership fee and have signed the team registration sheet are entitled to play in League and Knockout matches. The only exception is the Open Pairs Knockout competition where the players must have paid the entrance fee.
11. All fixtures will be played in accordance with the fixture list issued by the League prior to the start of each season. Where a team is unable to fulfill a fixture on the scheduled date then it may be rearranged with the mutual consent of both team captains. Any team wishing to rearrange a fixture must reach agreement a minimum of 48 hours prior to the scheduled match date.
12. Rearranged matches will be reviewed at each league meeting. Where there is no progress towards playing the match the League Meeting will nominate a binding date.
13. Any fixtures which are not completed seven days after the date of the last match week in that season will be forfeited.
14. League matches will be contested by teams of eight players, playing as four pairs, with pairs being drawn for. Other team knockouts will be contested by teams of six players, playing as pairs, with the pairs being drawn for. The league pairs knockout will be contested by one pair from each team, the pair being nominated by the team captain. The Open Pairs knockout will be contested by pairs of players whom have chosen their own partner. The captains knockout will be contested by the team captains.
15. When a team plays with less than the required number of players then any tables not played will be forfeited with a table score of 3-0.
16. When a player in a pairs or captains match is unable to fulfill a fixture then a substitute will be allowed in any round of the competition. The substitute must not have played in the same competition in that season. In subsequent rounds of the competition either the original player or the substitute may play.
17. The match night draw will take place at 8:30pm prompt with play commencing by 8:45pm. This may be varied by mutual consent of the team captains should unusual circumstances arise.
18. The team captains will be jointly responsible for ensuring that the match is played in accordance with league rules. Disputes will be resolved by the League Management Committee, and must be notified to the League Secretary in writing within seven days of the dispute taking place.
19. The home team will provide sufficient sets of cards and pegboards for the number of tables being played. If any irregularities are discovered with the cards during play then all games played with the affected cards will be void and play must be restarted with a replacement pack of cards.
20. Unless the rules for a particular competition state otherwise, all tables will play the best of three games.
21. The home team captain is responsible for notifying the League Fixture Secretary of the result of league matches by the Tuesday of the week following the match. For knockout matches the responsibility rests with the captain of the winning team or pair to submit the result card by the published closing date.
22. The draw for all rounds of knockout matches will take place either at League Meetings or in the case of some knockout matches, in the room prior to the match.
23. It is expected that comfort breaks will be taken between games so as not to disrupt the flow.
24. A game of Cribbage will consist of one or more hands. All games will be scored on a 61 hole pegboard with each game going twice round the board. The team which reaches, or passes, the 121^st hole first wins that game. Each pair will nominate one of its players to keep the score. Each scorer will use two pegs. The front peg will show the teams current score. When adding points the rearmost peg will be moved past the front peg by the same number of holes that points have been scored. This peg will now become the front peg.
25. At the start of each game the cards will be shuffled face down and will then be cut by one players from each team. The player cutting the lowest card will become the dealer for the first hand. The dealer will have the crib. In the event that both players cut a card of equal face value then the cards will be re-cut. During the cut Aces will count low and all face cards will count ten points.
26. The cards are shuffled face down by the dealer and are then offered to the player to the right of the dealer and the pack is cut. The dealer then deals a card to each player going round the table in a clockwise direction. This is repeated until each player has five cards. The remaining cards are placed face down on the table. For subsequent hands the deal moves to the next player clockwise around the table.
27. Each player discards one card of their choice face down into the crib. When this has been completed the player to the dealers left cuts the remaining cards and the card below the cut is turned face up and is placed on top of the pack. If the card on top of the pack is a Jack then the dealer scores two holes.
28. Whilst chatter is permitted, once the cards have been dealt, until that hand is completed, no conversation or action must take place, including talking in code, which can be construed as signaling to a partner the contents of a hand or which card could be played.
29. It is the responsibility of players to place or hold their cards in such a manner that they cannot be seen by the other players.
30. The player to the left of the dealer places a card of their choice face up on the table. This continues clockwise around the table. If a player does not have a card which keeps the total of face up cards to 31 or less, or if they have played all four of their cards, they must pass. The round of play finishes when the total of face up cards is equal to 31 or when all players have passed. The face up cards are turned face down and play continues in the same manner until all players have played all of their cards, at which point the hand is completed.
31. During play all cards that are face up on the table must be placed in such a manner that their face value is visible to all players.
32. Holes are awarded during play on the following basis:
• If the total of all face up cards is 15 then two points are scored.
• If the total of all face up cards is 31 then two points are scored.
• If the total of all face up cards is less than 31 and all players have passed then one point is scored.
• If two consecutive cards within the same round have the same face value two points are scored.
• If three consecutive cards within the same round have the same face value six points are scored.
• If four consecutive cards within the same round have the same face value then twelve points are scored.
• If the last three or more cards played form a run of consecutive values, in any order, then holes are scored equal to the number of cards in the run.
• When calculating the total, face cards count ten points, when calculating pairs or runs then face cards retain their own value.
• If holes are scored under two categories, for example if a pair of cards makes the total score 15, then the holes pegged are the total in both categories (in this case four holes).]

All holes scored must be declared and must be agreed by all players before the next card is played otherwise they are forfeited.

33. At the end of each hand players are awarded holes for the cards in their hands. All players are able to include the value of the face up card in their calculations. Counting starts with the player to the right of the dealer and moves clockwise around the table. If at any point when holes are added to the pegboard the front peg passes the 121^st hole then the game is over and no more scores are added.
34. Holes for cards in players hands are calculated on the following basis:
• 2 holes for each combination of cards which add up to 15. Cards may be counted in more than one combination provided one of the cards in that combination is unique.
• 2 holes for each pair of cards. Cards may be counted in more than one pair provided one of the cards in that pair is unique.
• One hole for each card in a run of consecutive cards.  Cards may be counted in more than one run provided one of the cards in that run is unique.
• Four holes if all four cards in the players hand are of the same suit, five holes if the face up card is also of that same suit.
• One hole if the players hand contains the Jack of the suit of the face up card.

The total of holes pegged will be the total of holes scored under all appropriate categories.

35. Players must not stack their cards after declaring their total until all other players at that table have had the chance to count the total for themselves and to challenge the declared score if necessary. Once agreed, the holes are added to the pegboard and no further challenges are permitted.
36. After all players have added the total of holes scored in their hand the dealer picks up the crib and calculates the hole total in a similar manner. The total of holes scored in the crib are added to the dealers score. Holes for cards of the same suit are only scored in the crib if all five cards are of the same suit.
37. If any player packs their cards part way through a game, or if the pegs are pulled before any game is completed then the team performing that action is deemed to have conceded that game and it is won by the opposing players.
38. Should any dispute arise it must be dealt with amicably by the two team captains. If the dispute cannot be resolved in this manner then the circumstances must be noted and a written report must be made by both captains to the League Management Committee within seven days of the dispute. The matter will then be resolved by the League Management Committee.
39. The following will be deemed to be misconduct:
• A team failing to pay league fees in full by the November league meeting.
• A team Captain failing to collect and pay to the Treasurer the Individual Member Fees of their players as detailed in Rule 2.
• Failure of a team to complete its scheduled fixtures in any season.
• Failure of a team to turn up on a scheduled match night unless postponement of the fixture has been agreed with the opposing team captain.
• Failure to submit a match result card by the closing date.
• Signing or playing an Individual Member who has already played for another team during the current season without the consent of the League Management Committee.
• Signing or playing an Individual Member who is the subject of a ban imposed by the League Management Committee.
• Failure to pay a fine which has been imposed by the League Management Committee by the meeting following the imposition of the fine.
• During play, deliberately passing when able to play in order to create or deny a scoring opportunity.
• Deliberately playing an incorrect card in order to create or deny a scoring opportunity.
• Whilst scoring, deliberately moving the pegs in the pegboard an incorrect number of holes.
• Any deliberate attempt to see an opponents’ un-played cards.
• Holding any conversation or performing any action which is intended to signal the presence or absence of particular card, or which is intended to guide a partner to play a particular card.
• Interference from any third party, particularly if it reveals the contents of a hand or otherwise affects play.
• Seeking to gain an unfair advantage over another team or players by any other means.
40. All cases of misconduct will be dealt with by the League Management Committee whose decision will be final. Allegations of misconduct must be made to the League Secretary in writing within seven days of the alleged offence. When alleging misconduct members should bear in mind that the misconduct must be deliberate, and that as human beings we are all prone to genuine mistakes. 

Peter Samuel

(Secretary)

• Includes all amendments passed up to, and including, the 2009 A.G.M.