22 - Determining Championship

(A) In Competitions where points are awarded, Team rankings within the Competition will be decided by points with three points to be awarded for a win and one point for a drawn Competition Match. The Teams gaining the highest number of points in their respective divisions at the end of the Playing Season shall be adjudged the winners. Competition Matches must not be played for double points.

In the event of two or more Teams being equal on points at the end of the Playing Season, rankings may be determined by a deciding match or matches played under conditions determined by the Management Committee, or the position shared.

(B) Automatic promotion shall be applied for the first [2] Teams and automatic relegation shall be applied for the last [2] Teams in each division except as provided for hereunder, subject to the provisions of Rule 2(L).

                                                                                                                               
(i) Should one or more Teams withdraw from any one division after the Playing Season has commenced an equal number of Teams to those withdrawing in that division shall not be automatically relegated.

(ii) Vacancies occurring after the conclusion of the Playing Season may be filled in any of the following ways:

(a) retention of otherwise relegated Team(s); or
(b) additional promotion of the next ranked Team(s) from the division below; or
(c) election

(iii) The last [1] Teams in the lowest division shall retire, but be eligible for re-election except as below, and be subject to the conditions of Rule 22 (B)(i) above.

                                                                                                                                       
(iv) Should either or both of the leading Teams in any of the divisions have a Team in the next higher division, promotion shall fall, at the discretion of the General Meeting, to the next highest Team or Teams in the division concerned.

(v) Should either or both of the relegated Teams in any of the divisions have a Team in the next lower division, relegation shall fall, at the discretion of the General Meeting, to the next lowest Team or Teams in the division concerned.

(C) In addition to the Team(s) automatically promoted under Rule 22(B), a maximum of one further Team shall be promoted by virtue of being the winner of a play-off match or series of matches (the “Play-Offs). The eligibility criteria and format of the Play-Offs will be decided by the league management committee.      

                                                                                                                                 
(D) In the event of a Team withdrawing from the Competition before completing 75% of its fixtures for the Playing Season all points obtained by or recorded against such defaulting Team shall be expunged from the Competition table. For the purposes of this Rule 22.

(E) a completed fixture shall include any Competition Match(es) which has been awarded by the Management Committee.