IBA Challenge Cups 2020 (All cancelled due to Covid 19)
The competitions are from May to August 2020
Competition Secretary - Henry McFarland
Mobile - 07703 107579
Email -
Website - Irish Bowling Association
DRAW
There is a random draw for each round with the matches and byes in each round allocated a number on the IBA Website. The standard draw layout on BowlsChat uses the following match/bye sequence from Round 2 to get the correct output:
Senior Cup - 7 v 15 or 2 v 14 against 10 v 9 or 4 v 13 and 11 v 12 or 6 v 8 against 16 v 5 or 3 or 1
Intermediate Cup - 7 v 15 or 9 v 2 against 12 v 14 or 3 v 10 and 13 v 16 or 4 v 1 against 6 v 8 or 5 v 11
Junior Cup - 2 v 10 or 7 v 14 against 13 v 15 or 1 v 12 and 8 v 5 or 6 v 11 against 16 v 4 or 9 v 3
IBA Rules for all Cup Competitions
General Competition Rules
1. All competitions under the direct control of the IBA or one of its Associations of Clubs shall be governed by the Laws of the Game as laid down by the World Bowls Board and as amended by the IBA for use in domestic competitions. The Council shall determine all questions or disputes that may arise (other than those which come within the scope of an umpire’s duties as defined in 6, below, and elsewhere) and its decision shall be final and binding. The Council may delegate its duties in this respect to a sub- committee whose decisions shall be equally final and binding. IBA competitions shall be open to all male players of member clubs and a player may represent only one club in any one season.
2. For purposes of the competitions other than the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Challenge Cups the country shall be divided into the areas which are within the jurisdiction of the member Associations of Clubs.
3. In the event of a Senior Team unable to field a team in a Senior Cup Competition Match, the fixture must be fulfilled by the team drawing on remaining qualified members, even at the expense of their Junior Cup Team having to withdraw from the Junior Cup Competition
4. With the exception of the Senior and Junior Inter-Association Championships all rounds shall be drawn by ballot.
5. The time set for commencing each match or tie must be adhered to within a limit of 15 minutes, otherwise the match or tie may be claimed by the competitor(s) ready to commence play.
6. Before a match or tie, the rinks to be played on shall be drawn, at the green, by the visiting skips or their representative(s).
7. If considered necessary, the Joint Competitions Committee may appoint qualified Umpires and Markers for matches or ties. It shall be their duty to settle disputes that may arise between the competitors and, in the case of inclement weather, to decide whether the green (at the time) is in a fit condition for play. Their decisions on the fitness of the green shall be final.
8. The trophies for the various competitions shall be presented to the winners (and, if relevant, the runners-up) on a date (or dates) to be fixed by the Council. The recipients shall, on receipt of the trophies, give the Honorary Secretary a written guarantee, signed by the Honorary Secretary of the appropriate club (or Association of Clubs), for their safe custody and return no later than 1 June of the following year.
9. In all games or ties competing players trousers or tailored shorts must be white or cream or of a design which has been approved by Council.
10. All shirts must have a collar and must be white, or coloured shirts of the participating Club or Association, the colour and design of which have been approved by Council, provided that players in a team or side shall wear shirts of the same colour and design. Pullovers, cardigans, jackets, rainwear and headgear, if worn, must be white or cream or of the same colour and design as approved shirts. Footwear must conform to Appendix A2 of the Laws of the Sport of Bowls.
11. All competitions under the direct control of the IBA shall be played on flat outdoor greens.
IBA Senior Challenge Cup Rules
1.The cup shall be called The Irish Bowling Association Senior Challenge Cup and, if relevant, a sponsor’s name may be associated in any season. The Runners-up shall be awarded The Eustace Shott Cup. In addition to these Rules the IBA’s General Competition Rules shall apply.
2.Each member club may enter one side in this competition, though a club with two greens may enter a second side. Applications for entry for the following season shall be made to the Honorary Secretary by 1 December of each year. The entrance fee shall be £7.50 Sterling per side. To ensure participation in matches in the competition, the current season’s subscriptions and the entrance fee must be paid by 1 January. A side playing a player who has previously played for another side in the same season shall be disqualified and dismissed from the competition. The tie shall be awarded to the opponents, provided another round has not been completed before the offence is detected.
3.(a) The Council or its Joint Competitions Committee shall fix a final date for each round to be played but, except for the semi-finals and final, an earlier date may be arranged by the sides concerned but each side must notify the Honorary Secretary at least three days before the new date of the tie. (b) The first side drawn in each tie in the various rounds shall have choice of green, except that the semi-finals and final shall be played on neutral green determined by the Joint competitions Committee. The final shall be played on the last Saturday in August or, at the request of both finalists, the following day, unless an alternative date is approved by the Council prior to the commencement of the competition. The semi-finals shall be played on the Saturday two weeks prior to the final. (c) When two or more sides secure home draws on the same green, then the ties for other than the first drawn ‘home’ side shall be played on dates and times fixed by the Joint competitions Committee, unless otherwise mutually arranged by the sides concerned. Where two ties are to be played at the venue and same green on the same date then the first of these shall commence not later 1.00pm (d) A side unable to fulfil a tie must notify its opponents in writing, to be received at least 48 hours prior to the time fixed for the game. Failure to comply with this requirement may involve the defaulting side in payment of expenses incurred.
4.When a tie involves one side from the BLI and one from another Association of Clubs the starting time shall be 1pm. Otherwise, apart form the circumstances covered in Rule 3(c), ties shall start at 2pm if played on a Saturday and no later than 6.30pm if played on other weekdays.
5.Upon application by a side at least five days before any tie, or for other good reason, the Management Committee shall inspect any green. If the green is found to be unfit for play, they shall decide on another green within three days of the tie with consideration give to the wishes of the home side.
6.Each tie shall consist of four rinks playing 21 ends, though in exceptional circumstances and provided both sides agree before the game begins (or before an interrupted game resumes) fewer ends, subject to a minimum of 18, shall constitute a completed game. In the case of a tied result an extra end on each rink shall be played, and should the result still be tied another end shall be played and so on until a result is achieved.
7.In all ties bowls must have identification discs attached. Where the discs of the visiting team are in conflict with those of the home side, so as to cause confusion in the identification of bowls by spectators, players or officials, the home side shall be required to change to discs of another colour or to remove the discs completely. One set of discs only may be applied to a bowl at any one time.
8.If a tie is stopped on account of darkness, weather conditions, or any other valid reason, it shall be resumed with the scores as they were when it was stopped, and either skip may require that not more than one trial end each way shall be played. In these circumstances, or when the tie cannot be started for similar reasons, the resumption/re-arranged date shall be within 7 days unless otherwise arranged with the Honorary Secretary of the IBA. The home side shall submit to their opponents (in person, by telephone or by first class post) on the day on which the match was due to be played, or was interrupted, two alternative dates (not consecutive) one of which must be accepted. When the tie involves one side from the BLI and one from another Association of Clubs, at least one of the offered dates shall be a Saturday.
9.Within three days of a tie being completed both sides shall forward the scoring card(s) to the Honorary Secretary so that an official record of the results and players involved can be kept.
10.Badges shall be awarded for each of the thirty-two players involved in the final. A further four badges for each side may be purchased from the Honorary Treasurer.
IBA Intermediate Challenge Cup Rules
1.The cup shall be called the Irish Bowling Association Intermediate Challenge Cup and if relevant, a sponsor’s name may be associated in any season. In addition to these Rules the IBA’s General Competition Rules and Rules 2-10 of the Senior Challenge Cup shall apply.
2.Each member club may enter one side in this competition provided that side is not scheduled to play in the highest division of the relevant Association’s League competition and provided they have not entered the Senior Challenge Cup. Second Sides of Club are not permitted to enter this competition.
3.A player who has taken part in any IBA Senior Challenge Cup game in the same season is not eligible to play in the IBA Intermediate Challenge Cup.
IBA Junior Challenge Cup Rules
1.The cup shall be called The Irish Bowling Association Junior Challenge Cup (Thornton Trophy) and, if relevant, a sponsor’s name may be associated in any season. The Runners-up shall be awarded The Ross Cup. In addition to these Rules the IBA’s General Competition Rules and Rules 2-10 of the Senior Challenge Cup shall apply.
1(a). This competition is only open to:
Second sides of Clubs which have a first side entered in the IBA Senior or IBA Intermediate Challenge Cups in the same season (clubs with two greens and more than two sides may enter another side in this competition); and
First sides of Clubs not entered in the IBA Senior or IBA Intermediate Challenge Cups and not playing in any of the following leagues:
- NIBA – Divisions 1 – 4
- NIPGBL – Divisions 1 – 4
- NIPBA Senior Leagues 1 - 2
- BLI Divisions 1 - 2
2. A player who in the current or previous season has taken part in a Senior International or Senior Inter-association game; or, a player who in the same season has taken part in the IBA Senior or IBA Intermediate Challenge Cups is not eligible to play an IBA Junior Challenge Cup tie.
3. When a club has sides engaged in a round of the Senior/Intermediate and Junior Cup competitions on the same day the Senior/Intermediate match shall have precedence over the Junior match, except in accordance with Senior Challenge Cup Rule 4.
4. A player who has played in a round of the Junior Challenge Cup is not eligible to play in the corresponding round of the Senior/Intermediate Challenge Cup.
