League Rules

Last updated: August 2008

1. The league is to be called Salisbury & District Licensed Houses Cribbage League, and is open to teams from public houses within the Salisbury & District Licensing Authority area. Exceptionally, teams may be admitted to the league from outside that area at the discretion of the Committee. The Committee comprising 4 to 9 members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting and to be conducted by the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Match Secretary and Treasurer who will be known as the officers. Additional members may be co-opted to the committee at any time to serve until the next Annual General Meeting.
2. An account is to be maintained at the Abbey National plc and all moneys are to be held therein with the exception of a small amount in petty cash. All payments from the building society account are to be authorised by the Committee and withdrawals to be signed by two signatories from the Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer. Cheques submitted to the league should be made payable to “Salisbury & District Licensed Houses Cribbage League”.
3. Committee meetings will be held throughout the year.
4. Four members of the Committee presided over by the Chairman or other Officer shall be considered a quorum.
5. Any member of the committee who is absent from 3 consecutive meetings shall be required to furnish reasons in writing and if these are not considered satisfactory, he shall be removed from office and, if necessary, a replacement co-opted by the committee.
6. The composition of the league divisions and a system of promotion and relegation to be left to the committee’s discretion.
7. The Captain of any team not playing their fixtures on the assigned date must inform the Match Secretary or any other Committee member.
8. All games that are not played as per the fixture list must be played within 14 days thereafter. Games not played within 14 days will be played on a date decided by the Committee.
9. All games must be played; on no account will points be awarded to either team if fixtures are not completed. Failure to honour fixtures may result in expulsion from the league. Abandoned/Aborted matches will be restarted at the cut-off point of completed games and recorded on the result card. At restart, play will resume with the same partners if possible.
10. If a team is not complete on one table by the start time of 8.30 PM the game must proceed with two tables, unless the two captains have agreed a delayed start. The defaulting team will forfeit 5 points from the third table. Rules governing play are overleaf.
11. Entrance fees to be decided annually by the Committee but they may not be increased by more than 10% without reference to the AGM.
12. A registered player can play for any team attached to his/her public house in league matches, but can only play for one team in the Knockout Cup competition.
13. The winner of each division shall be the team obtaining the most points. In the event of a tie, the team with the highest games aggregate shall be the winner.
14. Each house will be provided with results cards which must be completed after each match and posted by Wednesday following the date of the match, the winning captain being responsible for posting. The Match Secretary must receive all results cards within 14 days.
15. All entrance fees must be paid to the committee by the designated closing date for entries. Points gained for winning games will be forfeited if fees are not paid by the date of the game.
16. The winners of each division and the Knockout Cup shall play off annually for the Challenge Cup. The bottom team from each division and the runners up of the Knockout Cup shall play off annually for the Tug Wilson Memorial Cup.
17. All protests must be made in writing to the Committee whose decision must be accepted as final. Members may be asked to appear before the Committee to state their case.
18. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is to be held prior to the commencement of each new season. Any items for the AGM agenda to be submitted in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days before the meeting.
19. The committee will decide additional fees for competitions, where necessary.
20. Any perpetual cups won by a team remain the property of the Salisbury and District Licensed Houses Cribbage League, however, while in the possession of the team, the well being of the cups are the responsibility of the team. Winners will be required to ‘sign’ for any perpetual cups taken into their possession.
21. Changes to these rules or the introduction of new rules can only be made at an AGM, except that the Committee may introduce temporary changes to facilitate the smooth running of the league until the next AGM, which may then make the changes permanent.
22. By submitting the first result card of a new season, a team are confirming that these rules have been read and agreed with.

Rules for Play

1. These rules assume that all players are familiar with the general methods of playing Cribbage, and are only intended to clarify points that have caused problems in the past and they may be added to in the future.
2. In league and team knockout cup matches, teams shall consist of six players playing in three pairs. The composition of pairs and tables at which to play are to be decided by drawing names immediately before commencement of play. Each table to play 5 games scoring one point per game, i.e. 5 points per table, 15 points per match.
3. In all team games, play is to be double cribbage - 5 cards each player and twice round the board. With each new game cut for deal, each throws one card into the box then the player to the left of the dealer cuts the pack for the dealer to turn up the top card of the remaining portion of the pack, this is the start of play and if the dealer turns up a Jack, he at once pegs 2 points (for his heels). This means that when a player needs two points to go out, the game can be won by scoring 2 points for his heels.
4. When claiming points for hands or box the turned up card counts as part of each hand or box. However, players may only claim points for a flush in the box if it includes the turned up card. In the hands the turned up card does not have to be of the same suit as the rest of the hand to claim a flush, but if it is, it scores with the rest of the flush. When a player has a Jack in his hand or box, which is of the same suit as the turned up card, he may claim 1 point (for his head, or knob) when counting his hand or box.
5. In all games, individual hands are to be checked during the run of play, before pegs are moved and all cards are to be left on the table until all hands have been agreed to the satisfaction of all players. Hands are to be taken consecutively commencing with the player to the left of the dealer and finishing with the dealer taking the box.
6. Any style of cribbage board is acceptable, as long as it has a minimum of 2 lanes of 120 or 4 lanes of 60 holes and a finish hole. This includes “novelty” boards.

Rules For Play - Competitions

1. These rules assume that all players are familiar with the general methods of playing Cribbage, and are only intended to clarify points that have caused problems in the past and they may be added to in the future.
2. Players entering any competition must be available to play on Finals Night. Players unable to attend Finals Night will be expelled from the competition. Exceptions due to extenuating circumstances are at the discretion of the committee.
3. Players must be at the relevant venue and registered by 7:50pm to enable the draw to take place and play to commence at 8pm.
4. In individual competitions, doubles play is to be double cribbage - 5 cards each player and twice round the board, best of 3 games to decide the winners. With each new game cut for deal, each throws one card into the box then the player to the left of the dealer cuts the pack for the dealer to turn up the top card of the remaining portion of the pack, this is the start of play and if the dealer turns up a Jack, he at once pegs 2 points (for his heels). This means that when a player needs two points to go out, the game can be won by scoring 2 points for his heels.
5. When claiming points for hands or box the turned up card counts as part of each hand or box. However, players may only claim points for a flush in the box if it includes the turned up card. In the hands the turned up card does not have to be of the same suit as the rest of the hand to claim a flush, but if it is, it scores with the rest of the flush. When a player has a Jack in his hand or box that is of the same suit as the turned up card, he may claim 1 point (for his head, or knob) when counting his hand or box.
6. In all games, individual hands are to be checked during the run of play, before pegs are moved and all cards are to be left on the table until all hands have been agreed to the satisfaction of all players. Hands are to be taken consecutively commencing with the player to the left of the dealer and finishing with the dealer taking the box.
7. In singles play, 5 cards to be dealt to each player who discard 2 in the box thus playing the hand with 3 cards, only once round the board and player losing cut for deal to claim 3 points for non crib. Players to cut for deal with each game. The winner to be decided from the best of 3 games.
8. In singles and doubles competitions only registered players are eligible for entry, with the exception of the mixed doubles competition where only one of the pair need be registered.