Last Update Updated Dec 2025

MHA PALACE SHIELD CRICKET COMPETITION

The objects of the Competition are to promote a greater interest in the game of cricket, foster and develop amateur talent, and arrange an Annual Competition.

RULES

1. The Competition shall be called "MHA Palace Shield Cricket Competition."

2. The Competition is part of the Northern Pyramid Cricket Competition (NPCC). Should a constitutional conflict arise between that of this Constitution and the NPCC constitution, the NPCC constitution shall prevail.

Administration of the Competition

3.  Governance. The Competition shall be governed by a Management Committee of not less than one representative from each Club, a quorum of which shall be not less than 18 Clubs, two representatives of the Competition Umpires' Association and by an Executive, consisting of a President, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Fixtures Secretary, Registration Secretary, Results Secretary, Rules Secretary, and Equality and Diversity Officer, who shall have the authority to co-opt from time to time such other persons as may be appropriate.

4.  Executive Committee & Management Meetings.  Meetings of the Committee shall be convened at such times and in such places as the Committee shall decide, or when called by the Chairman and Secretary who will provide Club Secretaries, at least seven days' notice of the details of the Agenda for all Management Meetings.

4a. The League Executive shall have full powers over the application of the Competition rules. Decisions taken will be reported to the clubs by regular distribution of notes detailing any issues discussed and decisions taken. Once a decision is made and passed onto a club, any further disagreement from any party shall take the form of an appeal, which must reach the competition secretary in writing within 7 days and must be accompanied by a deposit of £25.00.  Appeals will be dealt with in accordance with Paragraph 18 of the NPCC Constitution.

4b At all Management Committee meetings, the Chairman shall preside, or in their absence the Vice-Chairman, and voting shall be on the basis of one vote for each Club in respect of each team in the Senior Competition, with a maximum of two votes on all issues and two votes for the Umpires' Association. However, clubs that do not have a 1st XI in the competition shall be limited to one vote on all matters. The members of the Executive shall each be entitled to cast one vote on all issues, irrespective of whether they are current members of a club within the Competition. A motion or proposal shall be carried by a simple majority. When voting is equal, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. In all voting instances, abstentions shall be regarded as void.

4c.  Clubs shall notify to the Secretary the names of their League Representatives, who shall be the representative for their Clubs. Where a nominated representative(s) cannot attend, Clubs must send a substitute, who must be a member of that Club, and who must declare themselves at the Roll Call. No person may represent more than one Club at any meeting. Clubs shall ensure that the officials page on their club Play Cricket site is up to date and reviewed annually.

4d.  Items from any Club for inclusion in the agenda must be submitted to the Secretary in writing to be received not less than 14 days before a Management Meeting, although should any matter prove to be one of special importance or urgency, the Secretary, in consultation with the Chairman, may accept a less period of notice.

 4e. The Committee may appoint or approve the appointment of such officers other than those mentioned in Rule 3 as it thinks appropriate to the proper running of the Competition.

5.  Annual General Meeting.  An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year not later than the 31st of December, a President and Officers elected, and such other business transacted as may be appropriate to an Annual General Meeting.

5a. Notices of Motion In writing other than proposals for amendments to rules, or for the introduction or deletion of rules for the conduct of the Competition, for inclusion in the agenda, must reach the Secretary not later than 15th October, and Clubs shall be given not less than 14 days' notice of the Annual General Meeting and the Agenda. 

5b. At Annual General Meetings, the President shall preside over the election of officers, but in their absence or his decision to the contrary, the Chairman shall preside following their election.

5c.  Proposals for amendments to all existing rules, or for the introduction or deletion of rules for the conduct of the Competition must reach the Secretary, in writing, not later than 31st August. Proposals must include Rule Number (unless a new rule), suggested wording and rationale for the change. These proposals will be circulated to Clubs and discussed at the October meeting of the Management Committee. The Rules Sub-Committee will consider the proposals and report its recommendations to the October Management Committee Meeting. Only those proposals, which are proposed and seconded by clubs or the Umpires' Association at this meeting, will go forward to the Annual General Meeting.

5d.  AGM: Conduct of business shall be as laid down for Committee Meetings, except as specifically varied in the Rules of the Competition. The voting rights of any Club at the Annual General Meeting shall be conditional upon its having discharged its obligations and paid its annual subscriptions to the Competitions as set out in the NPCC Constitution.

5e.  No new rule or amendment to an existing rule concerned with the playing of the game shall become effective other than by a simple majority of those who vote.  However, any proposed playing rule changes relating to a specific division/s or a specific cup competition/s shall be voted on only by those teams competing in those respective division/s and/or cup competition/s in the following season on a basis of one vote per team (this applies to Rules 16-26 inclusive and 29). Where the administration only of the Competition is involved, (all other rules), a clear majority of at least ten votes shall be required. In all AGM voting instances, abstentions shall be regarded as void.

6.  Special General Meetings. The Committee shall convene Special General Meetings at such times and places as they shall appoint or following receipt by the Secretary of a request in writing from any Club, stating the objects of such Meeting, and signed by ten Clubs of the Competition. Such a meeting shall not be held within 14 days of receipt of the request. As per the NPCC Constitution rule 2.9(f) An SGM may not be called by a club on a proposal or a substantially similar proposal where a vote has previously been taken at an AGM or SGM until a minimum of 2 years has elapsed since the previous vote.

7.  Vice-Presidents. Those who have given distinguished service to the Competition may be invited by the Committee to serve as Honorary Life Vice-Presidents but shall not be allowed to vote at any meetings unless qualified to do so under the entirety of Rules 3 & 4.

8. Fixtures.  In both league and cup games any club failing to fulfil its engagement by not fielding a team at the time of commencement of a fixture approved by the Competition shall forfeit up to £50.00 to the Competition funds and up to £50.00 to the opposing Club. In league games the Committee may also: 

(a) award maximum points for a win, including bonus points, to the opposing club.

(b) make a deduction up to the maximum win points from the offending club.

(c) for cup matches, elimination from the knockout competition.

(d) Any club found guilty of playing an Individual under a false name will be required to submit photo evidence to support all their PlayCricket registrations. This needs to be completed within 14 days.

8a.  All Premier Division fixtures shall be played as laid down in the fixture list, only in exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the host club, not associated with weather, player availability or other such matters, the Executive Committee may grant exceptions in order to guarantee the integrity of the competition. No team may play more than one Sunday League fixture on the same day. 

8b.  Fixtures in Divisions 6 & below (when there are 10 teams or less in the division) and the Sunday competition, may be postponed during the season (by either team) where grounds become unavailable, clubs are unable to raise a team (1 request per club each season in Divisions 6 & below) or where a fixture clash occurs, as long as sufficient notice is given. This notice must be at least 7 days (3 days for Divisions 6 & below) before the due date of the fixture or within 24 hours (ground availability only) of the reason for postponement becoming apparent. The Fixtures Secretary must be informed of the change, with the club requesting the postponement responsible for notification of the change and the original home club responsible for notice of the rearranged date. Failure to comply may incur penalties as per Rule 8.

Any matches not played will be regarded as abandoned at the end of the season, with points awarded accordingly.

9.  Protests. Any Club protesting against another Club shall within fourteen days of the alleged offence becoming known, lodge the protest and a £10.00 deposit with the Secretary, who shall immediately forward a copy of the protest to the Club protested against. Unless the deposit is made, the protest will not be entertained. The Club failing to sustain its protest shall forfeit its deposit to the Competition Funds unless the Committee decide otherwise.

10. Club Constitutions. The Competition shall consist of properly constituted Clubs, having a suitable ground, appropriately equipped, (see Appendix A), and available for cricket in accordance with the published list of fixtures.

Structure of the Competition

11.  Competition Structure. The Competition shall be set up with a Championship Division which will be known as ‘Palace Shield Amateur Championship’ plus an appropriate number of divisions organised numerically except where regional variations apply.

Clubs having a third team in the Saturday competition may enter extra teams. Admission will be subject to the structure and numbers of teams competing.

The competition will also run a Sunday Competition; knock out competitions for the Meyler, Loxham and Crabtree Cups and T20 competitions. The formats for these to get agreed prior to the season.

The main competition and Sunday competition will be played in white clothing as per ECB regulations. For the cup competitions and T20, the teams may wear white or coloured clothing (as per ECB regulations) providing all members of the team are wearing the same colour.

Clubs having a third team in the Saturday competition may enter a fourth team.  Clubs having a 4th XI may apply for the admission of an additional team to the Saturday Competition. Admission will be subject to the structure and numbers of teams competing.

The Sunday League will be organised in two divisions, but the second division will be split into further groups according to location. 

The proper dress for cricket is white or cream shirt and long trousers and socks. Sweaters or sleeveless pullovers must be white or cream, with coloured stripes only around neck, cuffs and waist. Partly coloured shirts should be strongly discouraged by Clubs. For Cup Competitions, coloured clothing will be allowed providing all members of the team are wearing the same colour.

12.  Promotion & Relegation. In each Division the Club scoring the most points in the season shall be considered the Champions for that year. In the event of two or more Clubs tying at the head of any Division, or for any position affecting promotion, relegation or re-election, the number of games won shall decide or, in the event of a similar record of wins, the net run rate per wicket of each team and its opponents throughout the season shall decide the issue.

12a Automatic relegation of the bottom two teams of each division shall normally take place as shall promotion of the top two teams in each division, subject to the following conditions: 

- The highest division that any 3rd XI is eligible to play in shall be Division 2.

- no club may have more than one team in any division except the bottom division,

- if a team is relegated to a lower division in which a team from that club already plays, then the club’s lower team will also be relegated to the next lower division, instead of the higher of the two teams liable to relegation. Should two teams be in this position then they will take the places of both teams liable to relegation,

- if a team, eligible for promotion, has a team from that club already playing in, or due to be relegated to, the next higher division, then it will not be promoted

- promotion and admission to the various divisions will be subject to each club   achieving and maintaining the agreed levels on the ‘Club and Ground Check List’   and having the essential agreed facilities. These will be agreed annually between   representatives of the club and the grounds sub-committee. Should there be failure   to agree between the club and sub-committee on the overall points score, the matter will be referred to the Executive for a final decision.

- Using the criteria above, should either, or both, of the top two teams in any division not be eligible for promotion, the highest placed eligible team(s) finishing in the top 4 places shall be promoted.

12b. The bottom two teams in Sunday Division 1 will be eligible for relegation and the top placed team in each group in Sunday Division 2 will be eligible for promotion.

12c. If the Westmorland League champions meet the ground criteria, that team will be offered the option to come up to the Palace Shield Cricket Competition. Any decision would be needed by 30th September. Relegation from the Palace Shield for any such promoted club will be to the Westmorland League.

Registration and Eligibility of Players

13. Registrations. Players may not play for any Club unless registered for that Club, with their consent, by noon on the day of the game. This is done by placing the registration, including Photo, onto the online registration system. If by the following weekend the registration has not been confirmed by the Registration Secretary, the player will not be deemed eligible to play, until such time as the Registration Secretary is satisfied with the registration. The onus is on the club to ensure that the player is indeed eligible to play and that the signing is not a transfer from another Palace Shield club prior to playing. However, players will be free to move between clubs at the end of each season unless they have outstanding commitments to the previous club but must be registered individually by their new club.

13a. Transfers. No player shall play for more than one Club in the Competition in one season, except with the consent of the Committee of the Club he has previously played for. Any player wishing to transfer during a season shall follow the transfer process onto the Palace Shield online registration system. The Registration Secretary will then seek approval of the transfer from the player's previous club. Once approval is received, subject to the registration cut off time (i.e. as, long as the transfer can be approved by midnight of the Wednesday prior) the player will become eligible to play for the new club from the following weekend. Any infringement of this rule shall bring penalties in line with Rule 8b.

The transfer of players from other clubs including clubs outside the Competition will not be accepted after August 14th in each year unless sanctioned by the Committee or registration Secretary. However, the registration of players not attached to any club will continue to be permitted. Any infringement of this rule shall bring penalties in line with Rule 8b.

13b. Residency. It is the club’s responsibility when registering a player in play cricket to ensure that the correct player category is used. If a player has not been resident in the United Kingdom for a period of 210 days in the year April 1st to March 31st prior to the commencement of the League Season further checks are required. Clubs may apply to register multiple Category 3 players, if approved the player will be recognised as an overseas amateur. Only ONE Category 3 player will be eligible to play in any fixture. Any application for further relaxation of this rule must be made in writing to the Secretary, copied to the Registration Secretary, giving details of the player’s previous residence and playing record.

13c. Professionals & Payments. Amateurs only shall be allowed to participate. No player who has had a professional appointment in the previous season shall be allowed to play in the following season, although the Executive Committee may allow exceptions to this rule on a case-by-case basis. No cash bonuses or payments shall be made to any player for playing.

13d. Registrations – Pre-season housekeeping. At least 7 days prior to the beginning of the season all clubs must check their own online registration lists and inform the Registration Secretary of any amendments that are required. If no amendments are required, the club still needs to inform the Registration Secretary of such. The AGM or the Management Committee shall order a complete re-registration of all players where this is deemed necessary.

13e. Duplicate Registrations. No player will be permitted to be registered for more than one club. However, it will be allowed with permission from the executive committee if it is to facilitate a junior player playing junior cricket if their parent club does not have a junior section or suitable age group team.

14. Senior Leagues. A Senior League (excluding the Northern League) is any league in which clubs are allowed to include a professional cricketer on their playing staff and is defined as such by the Competition. The First XIs of such clubs are senior to all teams in the Competition.   

15. Player Eligibility. Any player who has played in twelve or more Senior League games for the First XI in the current season shall not play in this Competition, without the Executive’s consent. Any application for relaxation of this rule must be made in writing to reach the Secretary of the Competition not later than mid-day, Thursday prior to the Saturday upon which it is desired to play the player in question.

15a. Any player who has played in 12 league games, or more, in a higher-level team, shall not play in a lower-level team. If a player has played in more than 50% of available league games in a higher-level team in the current calendar year season, they shall not be eligible to play in any game for a lower level team when the higher level team does not have a scheduled game. Where a game does not start, the fixture does not count in respect of any calculations under this rule .In the Sunday League these restrictions will apply to players in a Senior League, the Premier Division & Division 1, but not to any player under the age of 21 (18 in Sunday Div 2), or over 40 (as at the commencement of the season). However, no more than 3 such players (any combination of U18/21 & Over- 40) may play in any Sunday team.

15b. Any player who has played men’s senior representative cricket (e.g. Minor Counties or County 2nd XI) in either the current or previous season may not play in Division 2 or below without the consent of the Executive.

15c. Eligibility Relaxation. Any application for relaxation of any element of rule 15, 15a or 15b, must be made in writing to reach the Secretary of the Competition not later than mid-day, Thursday prior to the Saturday upon which it is desired to play the player in question, and must give full details of the player's batting and bowling record in all matches together with details of the Division of the Competition in which they have played, (with emphasis on the last six performances) the reasons for wishing to select the player in the game concerned, and the name of the Club against whom the first match is to be played. In all cases the Secretary may only give consent following consultation with members of the Executive and shall report such action to the next meeting of the Committee. Failure by the Clubs to comply with any of these requirements will invalidate an application. Any infringement of this rule shall bring penalties in line with Rule 8b.

Playing Conditions

16. Match Format. Matches will be played on a Win/Lose basis, with the team scoring most runs being declared the winner in a completed game. A game will be a tie if both teams score the same number of runs. Points will be awarded as per the table in Appendix A. 

16a. Start Times. All matches shall be played under the revised M.C.C. Laws of Cricket (2022 Code) with such exceptions as may be found in the Competition Rules, and shall commence at 1.00 p.m., except for matches in September which will start at 12:30pm. Teams failing to start at the appointed time, by not having a minimum of  seven players present, or not being ready to recommence at the end of the 30 minutes interval, may have 1 point deducted every 15 minutes late at the discretion of the Management Committee. Umpires must report all late starts and the offending Club to the Umpires Secretary. No practice will be allowed on any ground within 10 minutes of the start of play.

16b. Number of Overs. In the Premier Division and Divisions 1-5 only, the game shall be of 90 overs, (80 overs in Division 6 & below), each of 6 balls duration, with the side batting first being limited to a maximum of 45 overs (40 overs in Division 6 & below and in the Sunday League). In the first innings, a team may not declare their innings closed until a minimum of 75% (rounded up to the next complete over) of their allotted overs have been bowled. (An over started will count as a complete over.). In Division 6 and below and the Sunday competition only, if significant rain is forecast and having consulted with the umpires and ONLY if both captains agree, then the match can be reduced to 20 overs per side with a 15-minute tea interval. In such games DLS will not apply and the amount of lost time will be limited to 30 mins. This decision needs to be taken before the 1pm start time and if not, the normal rules involving weather interruptions and the use of DLS will apply.

16c. Fielding Restrictions. In the Premier Division and Divisions 1-5 only, at the instant of delivery, a minimum of four fielders (plus the bowler and the wicketkeeper) must be within an area bounded by two semicircles centred on each middle stump (each with a radius of 30 yards) and joined by a parallel line each side of the wicket. In the event of an infringement, the square leg umpire shall call and signal No Ball. The fielding circle should be marked by plastic/rubber (not metal) discs at maximum fifteen-yard intervals, measuring at least six inches in diameter.

16d. Wides.  Any Offside or Leg Side delivery which in the opinion of the Umpire does not give the batter a reasonable opportunity to score, shall be called a “wide.” Two lines shall be marked at each end of the pitch running parallel to the return crease, 17 inches from the return crease. (This is to assist umpires when judging wide deliveries on the Offside of the wicket). In the Premier Division and Division 1 only, for guidance purposes, any ball which passes leg side of the striker and leg side of the wicket, shall be called a wide. Any ball passing on the legside of the batter outside of the 17” line should be classed as a wide in division 2 and below. If the striker plays a switch hit or reverse sweep or gets into position to play such a shot, they shall be deemed to bring the ball equally within his reach on the leg side as on the off side. Consequently, in these situations the 17-inch line will be used on both sides of the wicket to judge a wide ball.

16e. Bowling Restrictions.  In the Premier Division and Divisions 1-5 only, one bowler may bowl a maximum of 15 overs, and all other bowlers will be limited to a maximum of 12 overs each. In Divisions 6 & below bowlers may bowl a maximum of 10 overs. 

Where the number of overs are reduced at the start of or during the game so are the maximum number of overs that each bowler may bowl. This is 1/3rd of the total for one bowler and 1/4 for all the others (1/4 max for Divisions 6 & below).    

In the Sunday League, no bowler may bowl more than 8 overs, reduced on a pro-rata basis in a reduced overs match.

Weather Conditions, Interruptions & Other Match Timings

17. In accordance with the provisions of Law 2, para. 2.7 of the revised M.C.C. Laws of Cricket (2022 code), the umpires shall be the judges of the ground, weather and light for play, both before the commencement of a match and once play has started. Any discussions will take place between Captains and Umpires only. After the interruption of a match once started, due to weather or other conditions, the umpires shall, when it is judged by them that play may re-commence, notify each captain of their decision and the time when play shall re-start. If the start of the match is delayed or an interruption occurs during the first innings due to adverse weather or other circumstances, overs will be deducted from the total overs as per the table below. Where overs are deducted, the side batting second shall have a maximum of half of the revised number of overs.

8 minutes = 2 overs

15 minutes = 4 overs

The minimum overs allowed shall be a total of 40 overs, unless either Captain decides to make an election under Appendix C (vi). No game shall commence later than 4.38pm, tea having been taken. Any interruption during the first innings of a minimum 40 overs game will result in it being abandoned as an uncompleted game. 

17a. Tea. There shall be an interval of 30 minutes between innings. If tea has been taken earlier during a break owing to adverse weather or injury to a player, the interval between the innings shall be reduced to 10 minutes. During a break in play due to adverse weather, tea may be taken early in an attempt to save playing time. The 20 minutes saved shall be used in calculating the remaining overs. The umpires shall consider the wishes of both captains but shall be the final judges of when the tea interval should be taken. Teas will be provided at nil cost to the teams and umpires. Clubs by advance notice will be free to opt out of teas in all divisions but panel umpires must be catered for. If clubs do opt out, teas will not be provided for their away fixtures.

17b. The target time for the finish shall be 7.30pm and this time should be used to calculate the remaining overs after a break in play in the second innings. overs remaining are calculated using the table below.

 4 minutes = 1 over

8 minutes = 2 overs

15 minutes = 4 overs

30 minutes = 8 overs

60 minutes = 16 overs

17c. Use of Duckworth Lewis (Standard) System. Where weather intervenes after play has commenced in either the 1st or 2nd innings, Duckworth Lewis on (Standard) G200  Play Cricket  (DL) will be used to calculate revised scores. The detail of the procedure and responsibilities is laid out in Appendix C.

18. Incomplete Game.  Where inclement weather has either prevented the start of a game or so interfered with the play as to prevent a result, the game shall be counted as abandoned or incomplete.

18. Early Abandonments. A decision to abandon a match shall not normally be taken before 2.30pm on the appointed day with both teams and umpires present. In extreme weather conditions, when there is no prospect of play, the match can be called off after 10am on the morning of the game subject to all the following conditions, as appropriate, being met:

a) Initially, the Captains of both teams will verbally agree, which must then be followed up by a written (e-mail or text) confirmation b) The weather forecast and conditions and state of the ground mean that there would be no chance of play by the latest possible start time using normal drying methods.

b) In the case of games in the Premier Division and Division 1, the ground must be inspected by a panel umpire as designated by the umpires committee. This umpire will be entitled to expenses for the abandoned game.

18a. In the event of all viable games in a particular division being cancelled due to the weather, no team in that division shall be able to claim 12 points due to a forfeited fixture.

18b. In Division 2 of the Sunday competition only, where a game has not started, the fixture may be rearranged if both clubs agree.

Other Playing Conditions

19. Over-Rates. All sides are expected to be in position to complete their overs at rate of 16 overs per hour (2 hours 49 minutes if the full 45 overs are bowled). In the event of them failing to do so, 5 penalty runs will be awarded to the opposition for each full over not competed at the relevant cut off time. All penalties in this regard will be imposed immediately the ball first becomes dead after the scheduled or re-scheduled cessation time for the innings. The full quota of overs will be completed. If the innings is terminated before the scheduled or re-scheduled cut off time, no over rate penalty shall apply. If the innings is interrupted, the over-rate penalty will apply based on the re-scheduled cessation time for that innings. The Umpire shall inform the fielding team Captain when taking the field for the first time and on every subsequent occasion, if play is interrupted, the scheduled cessation time for that innings. The Umpire at the bowler’s end will inform the fielding Captain, the batter and their fellow Umpire of any time allowances as and when they arise. (This matter will not be subject to retrospective negotiation). This is the only penalty for a slow over-rate.

20. ECB Directives. The ECB Fast Bowling Directive, the Fielding Regulations, the Guidance on Helmets for Young Players and the Guidance for Junior Players playing in Senior open age cricket and the ECB Disparity Regulations will operate in all matches in the Competition.

21. Penalty Runs. The Provisions of the revised M.C.C. Laws of Cricket provide for the award of penalty runs to the batting or fielding side for various transgressions.  These will now be observed in full unless otherwise stated in these rules. 

22. Scorers & Scoreboard. Each team shall have a competent scorer, (who shall be paid a recommended minimum of £20) and failure to so provide shall incur a fine or points deduction as decided by the Management Committee. If a team fails to provide a scorer, the team that does not have a scorer should pay £15 per innings to the person who is scoring on their own.

Scorebooks (either handwritten or electronic) shall be approved by the Umpires officiating and shall indicate the number of overs to be bowled in each innings, and details shall cease to be entered in the scorebook when the winning run has been made.

The scoreboard must clearly indicate the score ball by ball and shall display the number of overs completed. The scoreboard shall also display the total number of overs to be bowled in that innings.

For additional requirements please refer to Section 10 of the NPCC Constitution

23. Late Arrivals. If a player arrives late, but before the completion of the first innings, provided their arrival on the ground has been reported to the Umpires and the opposing Captain, he shall be allowed to participate in the remainder of the game, as laid down in Law 24 of the 2022 MCC Code. 

24. Artificial Pitches. These may not be used in the Premier Division, Divisions 1,2 and 3, the Meyler Cup or the Loxham Cup. However, they may be used in Divisions 4 and below, the Sunday League, the Crabtree Cup and the 20-20 Competition.

25. Sight Screens & Covers. All grounds shall have adequate sight screens and no match in the competition may take place without them. Clubs playing in Division 3 and above must have adequate covering for the pitch and will be subject to reports by the umpires on its effectiveness and deployment, both prior to and during the match.    In the Premier and Division 1 clubs must also have adequate covering for the bowlers run ups.

26. Match-balls. In all matches, each team shall provide its own ball. The ball used shall be the standard ball marked 'P.S.' or ‘N.L.’ and shall be approved by the Umpires, together with suitable replacements, before the commencement of the relevant innings. “League Special” balls may only be used in Division 5 and below and the Sunday League. From the Premier to Division 5 each team should begin the innings with a new ball.

Notification of Results

27. Entering Results. The Home Club in all Divisions must post the result of its match and notable performances on the Competition website, using the prescribed procedure detailed at Appendix D. Failure to complete any of the match information required will result in a fine for either home or away club as detailed in Appendix D.

27a. Website Scorecards. Scorecards entered must contain the full details of the entire team, even if some members of the team ‘Did Not Bat.’ Where a match is abandoned without a ball being bowled, scorecards should not be entered on the website.

27b. Points & Scorecard Queries. All clubs are responsible for providing any information regarding matches played, which the Secretary may require at any time, for the purpose of maintaining records and resolving complaints. In particular, clubs must notify the Results Secretary in writing (by e-mail), within ten days of any discrepancies arising in the weekly publication of results and league tables throughout the season. Failure to do so may result in loss of points and/or players not being credited with performances.

Umpires

28. Club Umpires. For matches in Divisions 3 & below, each Club shall provide a competent umpire for both home and away fixtures. Under 18’s must have received the relevant training and been approved by the Umpire Secretary. Such Umpires shall be known as Club Umpires. Clubs, which fail to provide an umpire, may be liable to a fine or points deduction as decided by the Management Committee. The registered Club Umpires will be entitled to membership of the Umpires’ Association.

Trophies and Awards

29. The award of trophies in each Saturday Division to the Winners & Runners Up.

The Winners of Sunday Div 1 and Sunday Div 2 will receive trophies.

Separate awards will be made to the Panel and Club Umpire considered to have the best assessments for the season, having stood in at least 12 matches.

All Clubs will take part in the award of 'The Fair Play Trophy' to be judged annually by the Umpires for the Premier and Division 1 and awarded to the Club considered by the Umpires to have, to the greatest extent, fulfilled the aims and spirit of the game as set out in the Preamble and Disciplinary Code of the Competition.

29a. The Committee shall insure the Shield and other League Trophies for a figure provided by independent professional valuation (such a valuation to be obtained at a maximum every five years).

29b. All Trophies must be returned to the Secretary by the end of September. Trophies for the Knockout Competitions shall be returned, by the previous year's winners, to the Secretary in clean and polished condition not later than one month prior to the final of each competition.

29c. Averages. The end of season averages will be taken from the main competition website, from information that is present and correct as of 30 September each year. Minimum qualifications eligible for awards, best average from those playing half the games and scoring over 300 runs (Batting) / taking 30 wickets (Bowling). Should no-one reach the qualification, the Exec may reduce the levels so that we get a winner. Where there is a significant change in the number of teams, or matches, in a division, these qualifications may be adjusted to take account of this.

30. Application of Rules. The Palace Shield Cricket Competition Executive shall have full powers over the application of these rules, or to take decisions over such matters as are not provided for therein, in the best interests of the Competition. 

Appendix A - Points

Results

Win   9 points plus any bowling points
Loss  0 points plus any batting or bowling points
Tie    5 points each plus bowling points
Incomplete Game 2 points each plus batting and bowling points provided that the team batting first has received at least 20 overs, or has previously completed its innings. An uncompleted game where the scores are level will be regarded as a tie.

Batting Points - First innings

1 point for scoring two runs per over throughout the whole innings
2 points for scoring three runs per over
3 points for scoring four runs per over

An over started counts as a completed over for this calculation.
If an innings is completed inside the allocated overs, the run rate shall be calculated using the final number of overs available in the innings

Batting Points – Second Innings

1 point for scoring 70% of the total of the side batting first
2 points for scoring 80% of the total of the side batting first
3 points for scoring 90% of the total of the side batting first

In games where DLS applies, this shall be the adjusted target.

Bowling Points

1 point for 5 wickets
2 points for 7 wickets
3 points for bowling the opposition out irrespective of the number of batsmen available.

In Division 6 and on Sundays points may be awarded by either of the above methods. This will depend on which is most advantageous to the side batting second.

APPENDIX B – Results Information & Instructions

Scorecard Chasing

When a Scorecard has to be chased to become complete, a warning will be raised, any subsequent chases will be fined as follows.

 Appendix C - Use of Duckworth Lewis System.

(i)  In all divisions and in the Cup Competitions, as stated in Cup Rule 7b, where weather intervenes after play has commenced in either the 1st or 2nd innings, Duckworth Lewis (Standard) G200 on Play Cricket (DL) will be used to calculate revised scores.

 (ii) The home team will be responsible for ensuring that the Play Cricket APP is available for the purpose of calculating DL revised scores. The home team will also be responsible, at the end of each over, for displaying the par score at the end of the forthcoming over and for adjusting this if a wicket should fall.

 (iii) Calculations of revised scores will be the responsibility of the scorers with support from Captains and Umpires.

 (iv) Where a game ends abruptly in the second innings, at least 20 overs having been completed, DL will provide a “par score” after every ball bowled in the second innings. This will be a whole number and is intended to reflect where a team should be, given the number of overs used and number of wickets lost. The actual score and the par score at that point are compared to determine the result.

 (v) Batting Bonus Points will be calculated based on ”revised scores” as calculated by DLS

 (vi) It should be noted, that unless 20 overs in the 2nd innings have been completed the game will be abandoned as an uncompleted game, unless a team opts to chase the target or bowl out the opposition in less than 20 overs. If the available overs is less than 20 the side batting second and electing to chase the 20 over target as calculated by the DLS method in fewer than 20 overs will lose the match if it is bowled out for less than the said target score or otherwise fails to achieve that score but will be entitled to bonus points as per appendix C.

The side bowling second electing to attempt to bowl out their opponents if fewer than 20 overs are available will lose the match if their opponents achieve the said target score or if it fails to bowl out their opponents but will be entitled to bonus points as per appendix C. 

In either of the above circumstances, should there be a further suspension of play during this stage of the game it will end as an uncompleted game and 2 points will be awarded to each team along with any bonus points earned.

(vii) If a DLS target is reached in less than 20 overs there is no requirement to continue to play till 20 overs.

(viii) In games where Duckworth Lewis is to apply, if there is a delay or an interruption occurs during the second innings of the game, the available overs shall be calculated as a count back from 7.30 pm, using 4 minutes = 1 over, 15 minutes = 4 overs. If the available overs are less that the expected total for the innings, a revised target should be calculated using Duckworth Lewis.

Appendix D        

Loans

Players will be allowed to transfer temporarily to another club for a match, as allocated by the League Executive. This facility is available to clubs in Divisions 5 and below and for 1 team clubs in a higher division. Any relaxation of this rule is at the discretion of the League Executive Committee.

1. A loans committee will be appointed from within the League Executive Committee.
2. Each week, any club short of players for games on the coming weekend should register their requirements via the competition website by Thursday at 6pm.
3. Each week, any player who is available for a temporary transfer should register their interest via the competition website by Thursday at 6pm.
4. Clubs may include a preference for the type of player required and players may express a preference for their role in the game and location.
5. The Loans Committee will allocate players to clubs by midnight on the Thursday taking into account the preferences expressed but allocating the places primarily on a needs basis
6. Both club and player should accept the offer by 6pm on the Friday.
7. Once this is agreed, the acceptance shall be binding with neither club nor player allowed to alter their decision. Any failure to comply with this will be taken into account when considering future temporary transfers.
8. The player will be transferred to the club concerned onthe day of the game and transferred back to their original club immediately following the game.
9. The player is expected to pay match fees and cost of teas as any other player. If there is an element of annual subscription in the match fees, this should be excluded from the amount charged.
10. If requests from players or clubs are received after the given deadlines, the loans committee will attempt to find a suitable match, but all parties should appreciate that this may not be possible.

The Loan Request Form can be found here

CODE OF PRACTICE

This Code of Practice and preceding rules represent those principles and condition with which all Clubs, Players and Officials, including Umpires, will be required to comply, IN SPIRIT, just as much as in word.

(a)        Each Club will be responsible for the preparation of its ground and pitch to the standard required by the Competition, and for the facilities of each Club to meet the requirements of the Competition as laid down through its Ground Sub-Committee.  These facilities will, where possible, include separate changing accommodation for Umpires, where they may also consult in private if and when play is suspended or delayed.

(b)        No practising, or the playing of games of any sort, by adults or children, shall be allowed in the vicinity of the playing area, the score box or of the pavilion, during the course of the match. However, this does not include the team fielding second warming-up prior to the commencement of the 2^nd Innings, but this may only take place during the break between innings.

(c)        The covering of the pitch and the run-up thereto at each end is in order during preparation of the ground prior to the commencement of the match, and such covering will also be permitted during any break due to weather conditions, from any rain, which may be failing.  No work on the pitch or outfield will be permitted, except with the permission of the Umpires once the toss has taken place. The home club has an obligation to make every effort to bring the pitch and ground to a condition fit for play at the earliest opportunity, where inclement weather has delayed the start or interrupted play.

(d)        The proper dress for cricket is white or cream for shirt, long trousers and socks, and white or cream cricket boots or shoes, with spikes or special patterned moulded studded soles. However, should they wish to do so, any W&G players may choose to wear coloured trousers instead of the usual white or cream. Sweaters or sleeveless pullovers must be white or cream, with coloured stripes only around neck, cuffs and waist.  Parti-coloured shirts or footwear should be strongly discouraged by Clubs.  Any logos of club sponsors should be of discrete size and placement and subject to the approval of the Executive.

(f)         It is essential that adequate and easily accessible First Aid materials are available on all grounds.

(g)        ECB Safe Hands -Cricket's Policy for Safeguarding Children - The Competition expects all clubs to adhere to the ECB policy and practices for safeguarding children.

(h)        Clubs will be required (where requested to do so) to display advertising boards relating to the Competitions main sponsor

LANCASHIRE CRICKET FOUNDATION

The Competition and its clubs are affiliated to the Lancashire Cricket Board and these rules, codes and procedures are drawn up to meet the requirements of the Foundation in matters such as discipline and the transfer of players and clubs. Leading clubs in the Competition compete annually in the Lancashire Knock Out Cup. Lancashire Cricket Foundation handbooks are provided for clubs each season.