By Law 6 – Emergencies Updated
a) Emergencies may be registered during the season as per 5b.
b) When Emergencies play for the first time in a team, the lowest eligible section must be entered
on the scoresheet in the emergency details section. If the lowest eligible section is not entered,
then the section being played by the emergency on that day will default as the lowest eligible
section. If the emergency plays in a section lower than the eligible section entered, or the default
section if no lowest eligible section is entered, then the games and sets won by the emergency will
be defaulted.
c) Emergencies must be approved by the Executive to become an eligible team member.
d) Emergencies will be ineligible to play in a lower section or grade after having played four (4)
matches in a higher section or grade, without prior approval of the Executive.
e) No Emergency may play in any final series match unless prior approval has been given by the
Executive.
f) Emergencies must not strengthen a team if the team thereby becomes too strong for the section
concerned or if the playing of the emergency gives an unreasonable advantage or disadvantage to
another team in that section. The background, metrics and criteria regarding emergency eligibility
are as follows.
An Emergency is defined as – ‘a registered player who is not listed on the official team entry form
and who has played three(3) or less matches’ (see By Law 7d, for determination of when a player is
deemed to have played a match) in any one team or remains as an emergency at the discretion of
the Executive if they have played four(4) or more matches in any one team.
Teams are graded at the team entry stage. Teams are graded based on the team list provided by
clubs. Emergencies will be reviewed throughout the season based on the criteria below. The
integrity of teams that have had their teams graded will not be penalised because a team plays an
emergency that is too strong. 6 or 7 teams should not be penalised because a Club/Convenor wants
to have an emergency play that is too strong for that section. The grading process will be a waste of
time if clubs play players that strengthen their teams.
Under the definition of an emergency, an emergency will not be an eligible team player until
approved by the Executive. Emergencies will be reviewed and approved regarding their eligibility
based on the following criteria.
i) If it can be proven that the player, they have replaced has equal or a greater winning
percentage than the emergency replacing them.
ii) The player is an emergency for Section 1 of the particular format.
iii) Where the format is aged based and not standard based. E.g. JDC, JOD.
The following Emergency Metrics and Ineligibility criteria is used when determining if an emergency
is strengthening the team.
• If an emergency player obtains a winning percentage greater than 150% after 3 or more
completed matches as an emergency. An emergency player will be reviewed once they
obtain a winning percentage greater than 150%. Note that the 150% threshold can be
reached after 6 or 7 completed matches. The emergency will be reviewed on the same
basis as if they reach 150% winning percentage after 3 completed matches. A player is
deemed to be an emergency until eligibility approval has been provided by the
Executive.
• An emergency can be reviewed and deemed ineligible after 3 completed matches if the
emergency beats the best players in the section.
• It is likely an emergency player will be deemed ineligible after 3 or more completed
matches if they have a winning percentage over 150% and have no player to compare
their percentage against. Part of the review will determine if they have a winning
percentage over 40% higher than the rest of the team’s winning percentage where their
own winning percentage is greater than 150%.
• A player added to a team after grading will remain as an emergency and will be
reviewed under the same criteria regarding their eligibility.
g) The following is required when adding an emergency for a team on the scorecard.
i) The emergency registration MUST be completed on the scorecard by the Home team
Convenor and Supervising Away team parent (Juniors)/Away team Supervisor (Seniors) on the
Emergency Registration section of the scorecard. Failure to do so means the card has not been
completed correctly. Fines for incorrect scorecard completion are in place for either team not
completing this section correctly.
ii) The details of any emergency registration MUST be noted by the Home Convenor in the
comments section when entering results online. This ensures the correct information is received and
the Record Secretaries do not have to follow up information. This attracts a fine for non-completion
of the scorecard (See Appendix J
