A. It shall be the responsibility of each of the teams drawn together to arrange the fixture. The team drawn first shall be the home team who shall offer their opponents at least two dates for the fixture, except where a week is set aside, when only one date need be given, within seven days of the draw being notified. The onus shall rest with the away team to make contact with the home team if no date(s) have been offered on expiry of the specified period. The Fixture Secretary is to be notified, by the Home team, of the date agreed. In the event of the teams being unable to agree a date the matter is to be reported to the League Honorary Secretary for consultation with the Committee whose decision in respect of the fixture is final. Teams are reminded that Cup matches can be played on a neutral alley and as a last resort matches may take place on a Saturday or Sunday. Teams that lose in the qualifying or the first round proper (not the preliminary round, if held) shall automatically be entered into the Plate competition.

B. Matches are to be played to a conclusion with, in the event of a tie, extra hands being played until a result has been obtained. In the event that an extra hand or hands are required to obtain a result any player(s) who are not available to throw their extra hand(s) shall be awarded 4 pins for each additional hand required. The result card shall be sent by the winning team to the Fixture Secretary in accordance with the arrangements specified for league matches. If a result card is not submitted by the appointed time for a knockout fixture the Committee shall be entitled to EXPEL BOTH TEAMS FROM THE COMPETITION and to award a bye in the next round.

C. Any team failing to fulfil a cup or plate match, other than in circumstances that are deemed by the League /Fixture Secretary as an exceptional event, shall incur a £20 fine which shall be paid to the Hon. Treasurer within 14 days of the date specified for the completion of fixtures for that round. Should the fine not be paid within the timeframe then 2 points will be deducted from the team’s league points total for each week that the fine remains unpaid. Should the breach occur in the qualifying or first round of the cup then the team will also be excluded from the plate competition.

D. The qualification of players shall be as for the Dorchester and District Skittles League. Any side winning a Cup Match and including in its side an unregistered player shall forfeit the match to its opponents. A transferred player may only take part in the Cup and/or the Plate provided they have not already played in either competition for their former team during the current season. No team shall be able to register new players after the quarter finals.

E. Semi-finals and finals to be played on neutral alleys. Alleys and dates for these matches, which must be adhered to, will be arranged by the Committee.