See the regulations for all AC leagues
Scheduling
All league matches must be scheduled for completion by August 31st but clubs must be prepared to play any outstanding matches up until September 15th.
Fixtures are to be scheduled at the start of the season and not later than the 30th April and the AC leagues manager informed of the date and venue.
Fixtures may only be rescheduled if both teams wish to do so and a new date and venue is agreed or if the courts are unplayable. In the latter case the new date and venue should be agreed as soon as possible. In both cases the AC leagues manager should be informed.
A lack of eligible players prepared to play in the scheduled fixture is not an acceptable
reason for postponement. If a team is unable to field a full complement of players the
opponents must be informed as soon as possible in advance and the match will take
place with a reduced team. Any games of a match not contested under the above will be awarded to the side which is available to play, or otherwise recorded as a draw.
Problems caused by a club failing to respond quickly to requests related to match scheduling should be reported to the leagues manager within seven days.
Handicap cards
At each match all players must produce their current handicap card, properly signed off. Players holding both an AC and a Short Croquet handicap card must take both to matches to allow adequate checking.
Handicaps should be taken from a player’s Short handicap card. Players not having one may produce an AC handicap card at their first match of the Short league to derive a Short Croquet handicap using the table on the CA’s Short Croquet Handicapping page. The result must be recorded on a Short Croquet Handicap Card.
If it turns out that someone played off an incorrectly high handicap then each game will be recorded as 14-0 against that player and the result should be crossed off from the handicap card.
Match format and time limits
A team shall consist of four members
A match shall be 16 Short singles games where each player in one team plays against each player in the opposing team or if desired by both teams and if both teams have fielded four players then teams may play three rounds with a doubles match as follows:
- In the first session each captain chooses one of the three pairings (1&2, 1&3 or 2&4 to play doubles. The names can be written down but concealed until both captains have chosen. The other players play singles – such that nobody plays their opposite number.
- In the second session, all four players play singles against their opposite numbers.
- In the third session, player 1 from each team plays against player 4 from the other team, and player 2 from each team plays against player 3 from the other team.
Time limits shall be at the discretion of the competing team captains – but if a time limit is imposed it shall be no less than 75 minutes.
Abandonments mid-match and unplayed games
In the event that the fixture has to be abandoned, it should be completed at a later date using the same players and replaying any games not completed.
If it is not possible to complete the match later with the same players, the entire match should be replayed.
If neither is possible, the result shall stand based on the completed games in the abandoned match (and all other games in that match shall be recorded as draws for half a point each). Captains may agree to leave games unplayed (recorded as drawn) if circumstances prevent completion of the match.
If a player is unable to complete a game or games for any reason (eg through injury or illness) the opponent will be awarded the game(s) by default.
End of Season
For any unplayed match at the end of September 15th where one team is at fault then that team will be eliminated from the league otherwise both teams will be eliminated.
Determination of the winner of a league or division of a league
The result for a division of the league shall be decided as follows:
- Match points: 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss
- If there is a tie: game wins against all opponents
- If two teams are tied: the match result between them (‘who beat whom’).
- If there is still a tie: the winner is the team that scored the greatest hoop difference in the matches between the tied teams.
- If there is still a tie: then the winner is the team that scores the greatest hoop difference in all matches played.