Match cancellation procedure

Matches already arranged should not be postponed or cancelled unless all avenues listed below have been thoroughly exhausted.

Problem relating to match postponement or cancellation	Proposed action	Notes
County not happy with the date of the fixture for any reason.	Fixtures are provisional until 30^th September of current season. After this date the fixture becomes binding. However, fixtures taking place between 1^st September and 16^th October become binding after 16^th July.	If before 30^th September, contact opposition fixture secretary as soon as possible, give your apologies and ask to rearrange the match.
	If after 30^th September, contact the opposition fixtures secretary, giving your reasons for wanting to change the fixture. Consider some of the other options listed below.	After the 30^th September the fixture does not have to be changed. You can make a claim to the League Secretary to claim the match 20-0. If the League Secretary agrees then the rubbers will be awarded. As Shires Badminton is here to provide a forum for children to play badminton, we should make every effort to play a match, rather than claim a result.
Badminton England changed the date of a junior tournament. This change was notified after 30^th September. The new date coincides with an arranged county match. Badminton England have added an extra tournament after 30^th September	Contact the opposition fixtures secretary, giving your reasons for wanting to change the fixture. Consider some of the other options listed below.	Fixtures secretaries should make every effort to re-arrange the match. League Secretary to be contacted if you cannot come to an agreement. A decision will be made by the League Secretary or Committee.
Fixtures Secretary unable to contact opposition to arrange match / unable to come to an agreement on a date.	Keep trying until 30^th September, making a record of how many times you have tried or what dates have been offered and the reasons they have been turned down. Contact League Secretary, with list of possible dates that you can offer.	League secretary will negotiate a fixture if necessary and make a decision. In the event of a dispute the management committee will be notified.
	The Shires League Committee have the authority to impose a date, if all other avenues fail.
Can’t find a venue to hold home match.	Consider playing the match away on the same date. Consider finding an alternative date.	Fixtures secretaries to check that home venues are all available by 30^th September.
Unable to field a full team of 4 boys and 4 girls at the age group concerned.	Try and find a substitute player. Consider playing younger or less experienced players, provided that the persons concerned will not be “out of their depth”	This may happen due to illness or other commitments such as getting through to the next round of a tournament, played the previous day.
	Consider using borrowed player(s) from the opposition to make up the team. In such circumstances, the rubbers will be awarded the team lending the players, irrespective of the result.
	Consider bringing a reduced team and playing only the rubbers relating to the team See chart below, which shows the matches that should be played and the matches that will have to be conceded. Make right any financial losses resulting in bringing a reduced team, eg if courts have been booked and cannot be used.	Opposition must be given warning of this course of action, preferably two weeks prior to event. The oppositions’ team manager should be contacted asap and definitely within 24 hours of knowing that a reduced team is the only course of action left.
Weather warnings – snow, ice, severe flooding etc	Listen to weather reports. Try and get information via internet for example re weather conditions for travelling from county to county. If report advises not to travel, then postpone the match. Re-arrange the match for an alternative date.	If no alternative date can be found for re-arranging the match, this is a “no-blame” cancellation. Rules are already in place for splitting the points for the match. See guideline 29.
Leaking sports hall, faulty electrics etc.	If only one court is out of action, consider playing match on remaining courts. Re-arrange the match for an alternative date.	Do not play the match if the fault poses any danger to players. Spectators etc should not be subject to dangers also. If no alternative date can be found for re-arranging the match, this is a “no-blame” cancellation. Rules are already in place for splitting the points for the match. See guideline 29.
Venue cancels – GCSE examinations being held in sport hall. Venue cancels – new floor being laid	Home team – try and arrange another sports hall. No blame cancellation provided home team has made a reasonable effort to secure a new venue. League Secretary to use his/her discretion to decide, with the committee to verify in event of any dispute. Consider playing the match as an away fixture, if opposition can secure a venue.	Keep records of any attempts to hire alternative venue. As a guide, 14 days notice should be sufficient for all counties to find alternative venues.
Three or more matches cancelled 20-0	Should a team default on three fixtures, at any one age-group, in a season, all their games for that age-group for that season shall be awarded 20-0. Their remaining fixtures are cancelled. Alternatively, the league secretary might remove all their results from the league tables.	That County shall be required to submit, to the Shires League Secretary, a written explanation of the circumstances of each default. That County, after due consideration, by the Shires League Management Committee, of their submission, might be required to re-apply for inclusion in the Shires League, for the following season. The latter to be voted upon at the Shires League AGM, following a brief recommendation on behalf of the Management Committee.
Death or serious injury of a member of the team or family, impacting on other members of the team.	These type of situations need to be dealt with on individual basis. The match should be re-arranged if a request is made. Please ask the League Secretary for advice.

This table shows how the composition of a team will affect the matches to be played.

For example if you are only able to bring 3 boys and 4 girls to a match, then you will play all 20 rubbers except mixed doubles 4(MD4), boys singles 4(BS4) and the second boys doubles and the cross over boys doubles (BD2x2). This means you will play 16 rubbers, so at best you can win the match 16-4.

	4 boys	3 boys	2 boys	1 boy	0 boys
4 girls	Full match Play all 20 rubbers	Concede MD4 BS4 BD2x2 (Play 16, concede 4)	Concede MD4 MD3 BS4 BS3 BD2x2 (Play 14, concede 6)	Concede MD4 MD3 MD2 BS4 BS3 BS2 BD1x2 BD2x2 (Play 10, concede 10)	Play GS1 GS2 GS3 GS4 GD1X2 GD2X2 (Play 8, concede 12)
3 girls	Concede MD4 GS4 GD2x2 (Play 16, concede 4)	Concede MD4 BS4 GS4 BD2X2 GD2X2 (Play 13, concede 7)	Concede MD4 MD3 BS4 BS3 GS4 BD2X2 GD2X2 (Play 11, concede 9)	Concede match	Concede match
2 girls	Concede MD4 MD3 GS4 GS3 GD2x2 (Play 14, concede 6)	Concede MD4 MD3 BS4 GS4 GS3 BD2X2 GD2X2 (Play 11, concede 9)	Concede MD4 MD3 BS4 BS3 GS4 GS3 BD2X2 GD2X2 (Play 10, concede 10)	Concede match	Concede match
1 girl	Concede MD4 MD3 MD2 GS4 GS3 GS2 GD1x2 GD2x2 (Play 10, concede 10)	Concede match	Concede match	Concede match	Concede match
0 girls	Play BS1 BS2 BS3 BS4 BD1X2 BD2X2 (Play 8, concede 12)	Concede match	Concede match	Concede match	Concede match