DEVON COLTS MERIT TABLE REGULATIONS 2011-12
Administrator; Paul Harris, 15, Blagdon Closae, Crediton, EX17 1EL
Tel; 07545 994498 - Email; paul@blagdon15.eclipse.co.uk
The first phase of regionalised Merit Tables will be completed on or by 19th November.
The second phase of Merit Tables will commence on 3rd December.
In the second phase, Merit Table 1 will comprise the clubs that finished 1st & 2nd in each of the phase 1 Merit Tables and will compete for the Devon Colts Cup. The winners and runners-up will compete in the final.
Merit Table 2 will comprise the teams that finished 3rd and 4th in the phase 1 Merit Tables and will compete for the Devon Colts Shield. The winners and runners up competing in the final.
Merit Table 3 will comprise the teams that finished 5th and 6th in the phase 1 Merit Tables and will compete for the Devon Colts Plate.
There will be no semi-finals.
It is anticipated that the finals will take place on the weekend 28th/29th April
1.1 The competition will be known as the Devon Colts Merit Table, and shall
be subject to the direction and control of the Devon RFU acting through its
Competitions Sub-Committee.
1.2 The competition will be administered by an appointed person, who is
responsible for the day-to-day running of the league on behalf of the Devon
RFU.
1.3 The administrator will adjudicate on matters relating to the competition. His
decisions are binding on teams entered into the league. Teams are able to
appeal on matters of administration of the league to the Devon RFU
Competitions Sub-Committee.
1.4 The Devon RFU Competitions Sub-Committee has full powers of
adjudicating on all matters relating to the competition and their decisions
shall be final.
1.5 By entering the competition, Clubs agree to abide by the regulations as laid
out.
1.6 The Devon Colts Merit Table will be based on four leagues of six teams
basedin the North, South, East and West of the County. The teams will play
each other on a home and away basis and the fixtures to be completed by the
end of November.On completion of the fixtures, the clubs will then be seeded
with the creation of three more Merit Tables as follows;
The top two teams in each regionalized Merit Table will form a new Merit
Table known as the Devon Colts Cup Merit Table, The teams finishing in
third and fourth places will form the Devon Colts Shield Merit Table and the
teams finishing in fifth and sixth places will form the Devon Colts Plate
Merit Table. In the seeded Merit Tables, each team will play the others on a
home and away basis and the top two teams in each Merit Table shall contest
the finals.
2. ENTRY TO COMPETITIONS
2 The Devon Colts Merit Table competition is open to any Rugby Football
Club currently affiliated to the Devon RFU.
3. QUALIFICATIONS FOR PLAYERS
3.1 To play in the Devon Merit Table, a player must be under EIGHTEEN years
of age on the 1 September of the year in which the season commences.
3.2 The England RFU Youth regulations permit a player to play UP one age
grade (under 17’s and under 18’s are treated as one combined age grade for
this rule) provided they have written permission from their parent or guardian
to do so. In addition, the coach must assess that they are physically able to
play up one age grade, and have the skills and abilities to play at the higher
age grade. Players are NOT able to play down any age grade whatsoever.
3.3 Players must be current members of the RFC they are playing for and must
be registered on the RFU Youth Database for that Club.
3.4 Players who transfer clubs within Devon after the 1st December in that
season are NOT eligible to play for their new team in the Devon Colts Merit
Table competition.
3.5 Any player who is registered with an RFU Academy or an Academy affiliated
to a Premiership or Championship Club will not be eligible to play in the
competition.
3.6 In order to be eligible to compete in the Finals, players must have played in a
minimum of 50% of the Merit Table games. If a club can prove that a player
has missed a significant part of the season through injury, a case may be made
for that player to play if he has not reached the minimum requirement.
4. MATCHES
4.1 Fixtures in the Devon Colts Merit Table shall be arranged by Club Fixture
secretaries and notified to the Administrator by the 2nd week in July at the
latest in order that they can appear in the Devon RFU Handbook.
4.2 Matches will 35 minutes each way duration:
4.3 No youth player is permitted to play any additional time in a match.
4.4 All matches will be played in accordance with the U19 Law Variations of the
iRB and any RFU ELV’s in force. Laws and regulations. There may
however be certain exceptions relating to local circumstances and which will
be covered in these regulations. It is recommended that all coaches and
players visit the RFU Website and acquaint themselves with the U19
variations. These are also available in the RFU Handbook.
4.5 If the points differential reaches sixty, the referee will consult with the coaches
about continuing the match. It is recommended the match continues with the
team in the lead making substitutions to allow new or less experienced
players to play, or the players are swapped between teams to even out the
play. In any case, the maximum points differential that will be awarded to any
team is sixty.
4.6 Rolling substitutions are permitted, that is, a player who comes off the field
of play can return when allowed, provided he is not serving a temporary
suspension from playing (under a ‘Yellow Card’) or has been dismissed from
the field of play.
4.7 Match day squads for Devon Colts Merit Table can comprise up to 22
players.
4.8 In all Devon Colts Merit Table, both teams will have the same number of
players on the field of play at any one time, unless a player is temporarily
suspended (‘Yellow Card’) or dismissed by the referee (‘Red Card’).
4.9 Where teams do not have fifteen players available, both teams will reduce the
players on the field of play at any one time down to a minimum of twelve.
This will be down in the following manner:
Fourteen-a-side = no Number 8s
Thirteen-a-side = no flankers (6 and 7)
Twelve-a-side = no flankers and one centre only.
4.10 The composition of the teams is to be agreed by both coaches prior to kick
off, and the referee advised of the resultant decision.
4.11 Each team in the Devon Colts Merit Table competition should endeavor to
have suitably trained and experienced front-row players and replacements. In
a squad of twenty-two players, at least one player must be able to play at
Loose Head and Tight Head Prop, and one player must be able to play at
Hooker. If, for reasons beyond a team’s control there are no front row replacements
available during a match, the referee will order non-contested scrums.
4.12 If a team does not have a suitably trained and experienced front row for an
arranged match, the match will be treated as an unplayed match and regulation 8.6 shall
apply. The match may continue as a friendly match with uncontested scrums if both coaches
agree to this course of action.
5. AWARDING OF POINTS
5.1 In the three Devon RFU league competitions, points will be awarded on the
following basis:
Win = 4 points - Draw = 2 points
One bonus point will be gained on scoring four tries in a game
One bonus point will be gained by the losing side if the defeat is by a margin
of 15 points or less.
5.2 In determining the positions in the Merit Table, total points difference will
take effect when two or more sides have an equal number of match points.
However, only Merit Table games between those sides will be counted.
5.3 Winner of the final stages of the Devon Colts Merit Table will be decided in
the following manner:
a) Team which has scored the most points in the match;
b) Team which has scored the most tries in the match;
c) Team which has scored the most converted tries in the match;
If all are equal, the Trophy shall be shared.
6. REFEREES
6.1 Matches played in the Devon Colts Merit Table will be officiated by suitably
qualified referee appointed by the Devon Rugby Referees Society or
Plymouth Rugby Referees Society.
6.2 If the Devon Rugby Referees Society or Plymouth Rugby Referees Society
notifies a home club that no society referee is available, the club can make
application to the competition organiser for a referee to be appointed the
following order:
6.3 Each team should provide one competent person to act as touch judge acting
under the jurisdiction of the referee. Unless they are appointed as Assistant
Referees, touch judges cannot signal offences or foul play, but may be
consulted by the referee is appropriate circumstances.
7 ADMINISTRATION OF COMPETITIONS
7.1 It is the responsibility of the Coach/manager for each team entered into the
Devon Colts Merit Table to comply with the administrative arrangements
stipulated by the competition administrator.
7.2 It is the responsibility of the home team to provide the match result card for
both teams and which must be completed and handed to the referee no later
than 30 minutes prior to the kick off. This will contain the names and RFU
registration numbers of the players in the squad for that match. The first
names and surnames used must be those under which the player is registered
with the RFU.
7.3 Each coach or team manager must ensure they have RFU registration cards,
containing a recent picture of the player, for each player shown on the team
sheet. These registration cards must be made available to the opposition to
verify the eligibility of players.
7.4 Once the two coaches or team managers are both satisfied as to the eligibility of
all the players, the team sheets will be handed to the referee. .
7.5 At the conclusion of the match, or as soon as possible afterwards, the referee
will enter the final score and sign the match result card. It is the
responsibility of the home side to post the card to the Administrator to
arrive no later that the Wednesday after the game.
7.6 It is also the responsibility of the home side to either text or email the result
of the match to the administrator at the latest by the Sunday evening
following the game.
8. UNPLAYED MATCHES
8.1 Coaches must endeavour to play the fixtures on the dates shown in the
Devon RFU Official Handbook.
8.2 If a match has to be cancelled due to weather and pitch conditions, the
visiting team will be notified as soon as that decision is made. The
competition administrator will be notified by phone, text or email by the
home team within 24 hours of the decision to cancel the match.
8.3 The administrator will inform both clubs on the date for which the game
will be rescheduled – which will be the first available weekend when neither
side has a merit table or cup match.
8.4 Merit table fixtures take precedence over friendly matches.
8.5 Double-header matches will not be permitted.
8.6 Matches will not be postponed due to county commitments, the
unavailability of a front row, or other issues to do with squad availability. If
a team fails to fulfill an obligation to play a match, the competition
administrator must be notified by phone or email within forty-eight hours of
the event. The team that is deemed to be responsible for the match being
unplayed will lose the game 7– 0 and will be DEDUCTED FOUR points.
The non-offending side will receive 4 points. Withdrawing from a Merit
Table fixture in order to compete in the National U19 knock out cup fixture
will be regarded as a failure to fulfill a fixture obligation and will be treated
as such. It is the responsibility of Club Fixture Secretaries to ensure that
they do not arrange merit table fixtures on designated knock out cup days.
8.7 Any club which fails to fulfill 25% of its scheduled fixtures at any stage
during the season will be removed from the competition and all records
expunged.
9. OTHER ISSUES
9.1 Any team which is proved to have fielded an ineligible player, whether by
reason of being over or under the correct age, or because they are not
registered, will be deducted four league points for each player involved.
9.2 Coaches are responsible for their own behaviour, and that of the parents,
guardians and supporters of their team. The standard of behaviour expected
is that laid out in the RFU Codes of Conduct. Where the conduct of an
individual or group of people falls below that standard, that individual or
group may be liable for sanctions to be imposed by the Devon RFU.
10. APPEALS
10.1 A team may appeal regarding the decision of the league administrator in
relation to the administration of that league.
10.2 An appeal must be made in writing, by the Chairman or Secretary of the
RFC to the Secretary of the Devon RFU Competitions Sub-Committee.
10.3 Appeals will not be accepted by the Devon RFU Competitions Sub-
Committee from coaches, parents or guardians of players.
10.4 An appeal must be made within seventy-two hours of the event about which the
appeal is being made.
10.5 The Secretary of the Devon RFU Competitions Sub-Committee will arrange
for the appeal to be heard in accordance with the procedures of the sub-
committee. Members of the Devon RFU who have a conflict of interest
for any reason will declare such and not be involved in the appeal hearing.
10.6 The parties will be informed in writing by the Secretary of the Devon RFU
Competitions Sub-Committee once the hearing has been completed.
11. INTERPRETATION OF RULES
Where not covered separately the rules of the Devon Senior Cup will apply,
including financial arrangements.
12. ALTERATIONS TO THE RULES
The Devon RFU Sub-Committee will review these rules annually.
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