Printable version: Social Bowlers and Pennant Selection (PDF)
The change in the method in which BTS calculates and levies annual affiliation fees has created new opportunities for clubs to maximise the use of their social and barefoot bowlers as temporary replacement players in their pennant sides to ensure that full sides are fielded.
The new affiliation fee model has eliminated the need for clubs to pay an individual registration fee for each new bowler they wish to “upgrade” and select in their pennant sides during the season. The affiliation fee paid to BTS in October each year fulfills each club’s financial obligation in regard to the registration of their playing members in that playing season. Any financial arrangement when a club introduces a new bowler to pennant competition during the season now becomes a matter between the new player and the club.
To make a social or barefoot bowler available for selection in a club’s pennant sides all that is required is to ensure that the name of the player has been entered into the BowlsLink database and the player has been given playing rights. This will make the player available to the club’s selectors to be allocated to a position in a pennant team. Each social or barefoot bowler can be selected for a maximum of five separate pennant matches during the season without this having any effect on a club’s total playing membership.
Once a social bowler has played five pennant games in a season the player can have playing rights removed, and archived, which will deem the player ineligible for further selection. If, however, a social bowler is selected for and plays in six (or more) pennant games for the season the player can no longer be archived and must remain as an active player with playing rights in the BowlsLink database, and will count as a full member of the club at the time of the Annual Census.
A further aim of this initiative is to provide clubs with a way to introduce keen social bowlers to formal pennant competition as a “try and see if you like it” opportunity without the imposition of a significant financial obligation for the social bowler. It is the fervent hope of the BTS Board that:
- more people will be introduced to the positive benefits of pennant bowls,
- the social benefits of membership of their local bowls club will be enhanced, and
- through this initiative clubs will increase their membership base to assist in their long-term viability.
If you require further information or have a query not covered by the information provided above email the BTS Secretary at bowls.south@bigpond.com for advice and assistance. The attachment (Important questions and their answers) is provided as a summary for club selectors.
It is a sincere hope of the BTS Board that most, if not all, clubs will take advantage of the opportunity to involve social/ barefoot bowlers in their pennant sides during the 2022-23 BTS Pennant season with the prospect of growing their full playing membership base.
P. KIRBY
President
Bowls Tasmania South
15 August 2022
Important questions and their answers
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
| 1. Can social or barefoot bowlers be selected in pennant sides? | Yes |
| 2. How does a club make social or barefoot bowlers available for selection in its pennant sides? | Enter the player’s name in BowlsLink (if not already done) with playing rights. |
| 3. Is the social bowler required to wear the official pennant uniform of the club? | Yes – or as close as possible, with the approval of the BTS Match Committee. |
| 4. Will BTS charge a fee for a social bowler selected to play pennant? | No. Any fee or charge is an arrangement between the club and the social bowler. |
| 5. How many pennant games can a social bowler play in a season without this having an impact on the club? | Up to FIVE pennant games. |
| 6. What should the club do once the social bowler has played in five pennant games? | Make the player inactive in BowlsLink by removing playing rights, and archive the player. |
| 7. What happens if a social bowler plays six or more pennant games in a season? | The player must remain active in BowlsLink, with playing rights, and will be counted in the club’s total membership at Annual Census. |
| 8. What happens if the club fails to remove playing rights and archive the social bowler? | The social bowler will be included in the count of the club’s members at Annual Census. (The club’s membership may be adjusted on appeal.) |
| 9. What should the club do if the social bowler expresses a desire to continue playing pennant bowls beyond the current season? | Nothing. The social bowler will be treated as a full playing member by BTS at Annual Census, and included in the total membership of the club. (The club has gained a new member and can charge the player a full membership fee at the beginning of the next season.) |
| 10. What happens if the club archives a social bowler who has played 6 or more pennant games. | The BTS Statistician will check for such occurrences and count those social bowlers as full playing members at Annual Census. |