BCGBA votes for annual £1 per bowler levy

Bowling News

In mid-December I wrote about the proposed BCGBA rule change which would result in clubs being charged an annual £1 levy for each registered bowler, This would initially be in place for three years to raise the £110,000 first-year costs that the BCGBA need to support their National Development Strategy. The strategy does not identify a total spend in any year after year 1.

The Rules Revision Meeting last Saturday supported this proposal and the initial three-year commitment to fund a 5-year strategy. After many years resisting the introduction of an annual members-related levy, Yorkshire voted in favour of the proposal at the meeting and in fact seconded the motion.

Below is the announcement about the result of all the rule changes proposed although it doesn't include any details about how this levy is to be calculated and collected. The only reference being that the first annual total sums must be collected by 31 May 2025.

**BCGBA AGM and Rules Revision Meeting Update***

The BCGBA AGM and Rules Revision Meeting was held yesterday, at Winnington Park, with the key outcomes being summarised below.

• The National Development Strategy was approved with an overwhelming majority. This will see the introduction of a £1 per player, per Club 'Annual Development Fee' being introduced. This money, which will be ringfenced, will go directly to expenditure highlighted within the BCGBA National Development Strategy, to support grassroots Clubs to grow and develop. The 'Annual Development Fee' will be for a minimum of 3 years, and will be reported on annually.

• Clarification within the Laws of the Sport that any bowl travelling over a footer must be returned.

• Introduction of a maximum weight of a bowl. This has been set at 3lb.

• Clarification within the Laws of the Sport that a disturbed bowl should be treated the same as a disturbed jack (as per existing law).

• Nicotine inhalers have been added to the list of devices that cannot be used on the green during play (unless there is a medical exemption).

• Clarification that players will not be allowed to play in bare or stocking feet.

• A proposal to add practice for Ladies County matches was not carried.

• The 18-23 Open Championship has been amended to 18-25.

• Changes to the structure of the World Club Team Championship were approved. This amends the group structure to round-robin matches for the qualifying rounds. As part of this, the competition name has been changed to the BCGBA Club Team Championship.

Full details will be circulated, in due course, to all Association Secretaries.