Open league proposal

Secretary IOMCCGBA

Re: Association AGM proposals

Douglas Bowling Club would like to submit a proposal for an Open League.

Reasons for an open league:

To allow more players to play bowls, enabling new bowlers to enter the game at a level appropriate to their standard, but also allowing aging bowlers to continue bowling for as long as possible.

Our proposal isn’t to undermine the current success of bowls, it’s to build on this success to create a more open and accessible bowling environment for all players, regardless of their gender or ability.

We propose an open league with no specification of how many players of either sex play in a team – this will be down to individual team captains and, we would hope, based on ability rather than gender.

Issues getting ladies into the game

Currently, in the women’s game, most clubs are restricted to one team per club due to the number of players.

Beginner players coming into the ladies’ game may struggle to get a game at some clubs due to the high standard of their players, and those who can get a game often come up against top bowlers and receive hammerings that could put them off playing. While a few clubs have two ladies’ teams, it’s quite difficult for a club to find an additional nine players plus reserves to accommodate new players. Even if a club is able to create a new team, those new players are still potentially going to face the strongest lady bowlers regularly.

An open league would enable newer bowlers to start playing at a level appropriate to their standard, finding their feet, gaining confidence and progressing to a team in a higher division should their standards improve.

More green availability for matches

Having one open league could provide more nights for bowls and space for more teams. Due to green availability, only Nobles has more than four men’s night teams.

A club with four men’s night teams and one ladies’ team needs three nights a week for their matches, based on one match per week. With an open league using just those three nights a club could have six teams.

If weekly matches took place over three days, this could free up two nights for clubs to submit additional teams – enabling more people to take up the sport. Or these nights could be utilised for other competitions or club events. 

Playing bowls for longer

An open league will also provide a future for older players who are no longer able to maintain their standards. As players age and their standards drop, they may find themselves dropped in favour of younger, fitter, stronger bowlers. With a restricted league for ladies, there is nowhere to go, and players may find themselves unable to get a game. With an open league structure, there should be a team in a lower division where players can play and pass on their experience to the lower teams as they move down, allowing a lower player to progress to a higher division.

This movement of players is more likely to happen in the current men’s league.

An open league will provide equal opportunities for all bowlers from their novice days into their older age.

A positive future for bowls

It’s about providing the best possible experience and playing opportunities for all bowlers irrespective of gender, experience or age. Improving the game of all bowlers and, hopefully, the standard of bowlers and teams representing the Isle of Man in the UK.

Open league structure proposal

A single open league to replace the current men’s and ladies’ leagues.

• Each team to consist of 10 players, and each player must be a registered member of his/her club. No player can play for more than one Club in one season. (Except when under special circumstances the Executive Committee may permit a transfer).

• Each team to play each team HOME & AWAY, the FIRST team named on the fixture list being the Home team. All games 21 up off scratch. Standard Jacks to be used in all matches. Visitors to have the first cast of the Jack.
• League points awarded: 1 point for each game won plus 2 points for the highest aggregate chalks score or, in the event of this being equal, 1 point each.

Structure of the league and divisions

The competition committee to decide on the number of divisions and teams within those leagues based on where teams finished in their respective leagues in the 2024 season.

Based on the number of teams in the 2024 leagues (men’s and ladies’), we envisage 32 teams of 10 players split into 4 leagues 2 x 11, 2 x 10. This gives ample space to accommodate more teams in the future therefore enabling many more players to take up competitive bowls.