At the beginning of a season, a player is a recognised member of a team if they played 5 or more matches for that team in the previous season. They may have played all their matches for one team, or played up 5 times, and so become a member of the higher team.
Such a player cannot play for a lower team in the new season, UNLESS they are moving to a lower team, in which case they must play the majority of their matches for that team.
If a player played five or more matches for a combination of more than 2 teams in the previous season, but not 5 matches for any one team, they must review their rating based on the teams they played for. They must calculate their highest set of 5 matches and ensure they do not play for a lower team.
For example: a player might have played 4 x 3rd team matches, then 4 x 2nd team matches and 1 x 1st team match – a total of 9 matches in the previous season. They are a recognised player of the 2nd team for the following season, because they have played a combination of 5 matches for the 1st and 2nd teams.
This rating applies to the next season UNLESS they are moving to a lower team, in which case they must play the majority of their matches for that team.
A player who played for a combination of teams in a season but did not play 5 matches, remains able to play for any team in the next season. However, in the spirit of the game we expect a player to play in a team which is most suited to their ability.
If you are in any doubt about a player’s eligibility to play for a particular team please contact the relevant NECLTL League Match Secretary, BEFORE they play in a match.
Please see ‘How to check a player’s record from the previous season’
