Match Protocols

M4 Winter League – Match Protocols

Fixtures:
1. Member clubs should attempt to schedule matches between the middle of September and the middle of March the following year with, ideally, a majority of matches to be played by December (in order to avoid what tends to be the worst of the winter weather early in the New Year).
2. Fixture dates should be agreed between the 2 clubs’ contact parties and, once agreed, advised to the League’s Match Secretary no later than the end of July.
3. In order to try to establish as level a playing field as possible it is hoped that clubs will try to reverse fixtures in year 2 (after a divisional reorganisation) so that weather & course conditions, etc. are equally mirrored.

Players:
1. Clubs must only field club registered players.
2. .Captains should be able to check on the EGU app for the club members that are in the proposed team, their handicap indexes, before the match commences. This will avoid any confusion as to legibility of players.
3. In the event that a club is subsequently found to have fielded an ineligible player the minimum penalty to be applied will be the award of a 4 ball game win, with the overall match score being adjusted accordingly as necessary. A table of examples illustrating these adjustments is attached as an Addendum. Additionally, and subject to individual circumstances and, where necessary, further investigation by the Committee, the Committee may award the overall match to the non-offending club.

Pre-match procedure:-
1. The home club should send their completed team sheet to the away club’s contact at least 7 calendar days ahead of the scheduled match date. Details must include player names, pairings, course slope index value, individual handicap index values and playing handicap (as calculated against the slope index).
2. The away club should send their team details (as above) to the home club contact to arrive no later than 3 days prior to the scheduled match date.
3. Once exchanged in accordance with ‘a’ and ‘b’ above the fixture should only be re-scheduled due to the course being closed for play on the scheduled date (players should be prepared to carry in the event of bad weather preventing the use of trolleys unless the home club permits the use of trolleys when supported by evidence of formal medical exemption). In the event that, exceptionally, both clubs agree to the match being rearranged despite the course being open for play, this should only be done once. If not played on the subsequent occasion the team not being willing/able to play will forfeit the fixture.
4. Teams can be changed as necessary to accommodate withdrawals through illness, etc. as long as all changes are notified between the clubs.

Incomplete teams:
1. On the day of the fixture (as determined under 3 above) if a club is unable to field the full 8 players the match should still proceed as long as 4 games can be played, even if all are “2 against 1”.
2. The ‘short’ club has the option of either forfeiting an individual game to maintain pairs or fielding a single player. If the latter option is taken that club may also re-configure their remaining pairings to try to limit adverse impact.
Course Conditions:
1. Any local rules in place on the day of a fixture must be adhered to.
2. The League’s Constitution stipulates that matches must be played on a measured 18 hole course off yellow tees (or equivalent where applicable). In recognition of the fact that course conditions may necessitate either the use of temporary greens and/or repetition of holes i.e. the course is open but one or more individual holes are closed, matches should proceed to be played where the relevant CONGU handicap guidance (given below) can be followed:-

“In this context CONGU® directs that scores are acceptable for handicapping purposes if:

No more than two temporary greens are in play for an 18-hole round; or
Only one temporary green is in play for a 9-hole round.

Additionally it is acceptable to play one or more holes again to make 18 holes in total, as long as this is clear to all players and any adjusted stroke indexes are agreed between team captains.”

Handicaps:
1. Although one of the prime aims of the WHS is to try to make the game more inclusive we will initially retain the current maximum handicap limit of 25. This will be applied to the player’s Handicap Index before calculating their Course Handicap, and then be subject to the 90% adjustment applicable to better ball match play rules in order to determine the actual number of shots received off the lowest Course Handicap player, so: Handicap Index (say) 24.1 with a slope value of 121 gives a Course Handicap of 27, 90% of which = 24 so off a lowest handicap of 10 the player would receive 14 shots.
2. The Committee will monitor match results and consider adjusting the maximum handicap as necessary/appropriate.

Results:
1. The home team is responsible for sending the result sheet to the league secretary within 24 hours with a copy to the away club organiser.

Addendum re Item 2(e) above.

Unregistered Player Penalty Adjustments

Original Match Result	Club In Error	Amended Match Result
Home Win 4 : 0	Home	Home Win 3 : 1
Home Win 4 : 0	Away	No Change

Home Win 3.5 : 0.5	Home	Home Win 2.5 : 1.5
Home Win 3.5 : 0.5	Away	Home Win 4 : 0

Home Win 3 : 1	Home	Halved
Home Win 3 : 1	Away	Home Win 4 : 0

Home Win 2.5 : 1.5	Home	Away Win 2.5 : 1.5
Home Win 2.5 : 1.5	Away	Home Win 3.5 : 0.5

Match Halved	Home	Away win 3 : 1
Match Halved	Away	Home win 3 : 1

Away Win 4 : 0	Home	No Change
Away Win 4 : 0	Away	Away Win 3 : 1

Away Win 3.5 : 0.5	Home	Away Win 4 : 0
Away Win 3.5 : 0.5	Away	Away Win 2.5 : 1.5

Away Win 3 : 1	Home	Away Win 4 : 0
Away Win 3 : 1	Away	Halved

Away Win 2.5 : 1.5	Home	Away Win 3.5 : 0.5
Away Win 2.5 : 1.5	Away	Home Win 2.5 : 1.5

Updates 18/7/23 WHG.