With effect from 1 September 2025
These rules apply to the CENA League and CENA Junior League and operate in conjunction with CENA’s Constitution. The CENA Junior League has additional rules, some of which override sections of these rules.
For Netball Scotland Competitions, please refer to their website.
The rules are reviewed annually by the CENA Board with any changes communicated to member clubs and, where appropriate, may be voted on at the AGM / EGM. The CENA Board may make changes to the rules during the season should they deem it necessary – these changes will be communicated to all clubs at the earliest opportunity.
Contents
1. CENA League Structure and Promotion / Demotion.
8. Cancellations and Re-scheduling.
9. Standards, Behaviour and Conduct
CENA Contacts:
- CENA President – Gail Chisholm – Cenapresident1@gmail.com
- CENA Vice President – Vacant
- CENA Secretary – Lindsay Hart – cenasecretary1@gmail.com
- CENA Treasurer – Carol Ramsey – cenatreasurer1@gmail.com
- CENA Match Secretary – Abby Reade – cenamatchsecretary1@gmail.com
- CENA Junior President – Onyema Ibe / Katie Sloan – cenajuniors1@gmail.com
- CENA Communications – Louise Murray – cenacomms@gmail.com
- CENA Umpire Lead – Sam Bealing – cenaumpirelead1@gmail.com
- CENA Child & Wellbeing Protection Officer – Natalie Mead – cenawcpo@gmail.com
1. CENA League Structure and Promotion / Demotion
1.1. All Clubs that enter CENA must have a valid and up-to-date Netball Scotland Club Licence, which includes holding the relevant Thistlemark.
Exception: Senior only clubs shall be permitted to be working towards achieving their Thistlemark provided it is attained by August 2026.
Penalty: A club failing to hold the appropriate licence will be given an opportunity to rectify the situation and all teams within the club will accrue zero points from all games until the licence is in place. The CENA Board reserves the right to also remove the club from the CENA League.
1.2 The CENA League for 2025/26 will initially consist of 50 teams split into divisions and will be played across two half seasons.
1.2.1. Clubs must re-apply each year to take up their space(s) and for CENA membership.
1.2.2. For any vacancies in the CENA Divisions, the CENA Board has discretion on how to fill the vacancy, ensuring that any decisions are in line with the purpose of CENA (as set out in the constitution).
1.2.3. Teams may enter if they have outstanding fines or late payments from the prior season with the consent of the CENA Board. However, no points will be accrued until payment has been made or arrangements agreed with the CENA Treasurer. Scores will stand.
1.3. For the 2025/26 season, the following will apply:
1.3.1. Teams shall initially be split into 5 divisions, each consisting of 10 teams.
1.3.2. In each division, each team shall play each other once in the first half of the season.
1.3.3. At the halfway point, the teams in each division will be ranked from 1 to 10 based on their results from the first half (see Rule 3 for how ties are broken). Those finishing in first place will be awarded the relevant prize or trophy.
1.3.4. For the second half of the season, new divisions will be formed as follows:
| Division | Teams & Division (Ranks) |
| 1 | Division 1 (1 to 5) |
| 2 | Division 1 (6 to 10) and Division 2 (1 to 5) |
| 3 | Division 2 (6 to 10) and Division 3 (1 to 5) |
| 4 | Division 3 (6 to 10) and Division 4 (1 to 5) |
| 5 | Division 4 (6 to 10) and Division 5 (1 to 5) |
| 6 | Division 5 (6 to 10) |
1.3.5. In Division 1 and 6, each team will play each other twice. In all other divisions, each team will play each other once.
1.3.6. Points shall be reset after the first half of the season.
1.3.7. At the end of the second half of the season, all teams will be ranked within their respective divisions (see Rule 3 for how ties are broken) and these will be combined producing a ranking 1 to 50.
1.3.8. Promotion and demotion will be determined by the ranking at the end of the season. For the following season, the divisions will be reset and determined using the team’s placing in the prior season:
| Division for Following Season | Final Ranking |
| 1 | 1 to 10 |
| 2 | 11 to 20 |
| 3 | 21 to 30 |
| 4 | 31 to 40 |
| 5 | 41 to 50 |
1.4. Where a team withdraws, the CENA Board has the discretion to determine how promotion or demotion will operate and will inform CENA members.
Note: The new league structure is being trialled for the 2025/26 season. The CENA Board will take feedback during the season and a decision will be made at the AGM in 2026 whether to continue with the new structure.
2. Matches
2.1. Matches will consist of four (4) 15 minute quarters.
2.2. Intervals will be 1 minute at each quarter time and 2 minutes at half time.
2.3. Matches will be played according to World Netball rules. A club wishing to seek clarification on a matter not covered by these rules should write to the CENA Board via a club representative.
2.4. The first named team on the fixture list is considered the home team.
2.5. The home team is responsible for providing the match ball.
2.6. The away team is responsible for providing a second match ball in case it is required during the game.
2.7. Both balls must be provided to the umpires before the start of play for them to check.
3. Points
3.1. Teams are given 3 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and 1 point for the losing team if they score at least half the goals of the winner.
3.2. Where there is a tie on points between two or more teams, the following tiebreaker criteria shall be applied in order:
3.2.1. The team with the higher goal difference (goals for minus goals against) shall rank higher.
3.2.2. For any teams remaining tied, the aggregate scores shall be taken from any matches between the teams concerned in the relevant half of the season. The team with the higher score will rank higher.
3.3. If the teams are still tied after applying Rule 3.2, the following shall apply:
3.3.1. If the positions concerned do not affect division winner or divisional placings for the subsequent season or half of the season, the positions shall be tied.
3.3.2. Otherwise, a play-off shall be arranged between these teams to determine final placings (with extra time of 5 minutes halves with a 1 minute interval played if required and a winner determined as described in World Netball rules).
3.3.3. Where the tie is between three or more teams, the CENA Board shall determine an appropriate approach for breaking the tie.
4. Timing and Scoring
4.1. Teams must be ready to play at the allocated time. As per World Netball rules, the umpires will indicate when there are 30 and 10 seconds remaining before the start of each quarter and the players must take the court at the 10 second whistle.
4.2. The home team is responsible for informing the umpires when 30 seconds and 10 seconds remain before the start of each quarter and when the quarter is due to start.
4.3. A team must take the court if there are 5 players present. If there are not 5 players present, the umpires will wait up to 30 seconds.
Penalty: A team failing to take the court within 30 seconds of the start of any period of play will forfeit the game and the umpires will award the win to the opposing team. The ‘winning team’ will be awarded 20 goals for and the ‘losing team’ will be awarded 20 goals against. This situation must be noted on the match sheet.
4.4. Each team must provide a timer and a scorer (who must be different people). The timers and scorers must sit together at the end of the home team bench away from other players, coaches and spectators
4.4.1. Each timer must have two stopwatches to facilitate the timing of stoppages, intervals and suspensions as well as the timing of the match.
4.4.2. The home team timer has ultimate responsibility for timing each quarter and should move to be positioned close to the bench-side umpire when there is 10 seconds to go. They should provide the umpire with a 5 second countdown unless the umpire has requested differently before the start of the match.
4.4.3. The scorers should consult with each other after each goal is scored to ensure they have the same score. Any score discrepancies should be raised immediately with the umpires so they can be resolved.
4.4.4. The scorers should be familiar with ‘odds and evens’ for tracking centre passes so they can notify the umpires of the centre pass direction in the event of a request.
4.5. In the event of an injury, the game will be stopped in accordance with the World Netball rules. The umpires also have discretion to extend the stoppage in the event of a serious injury or issues with the court. Where possible, the timings of the game should be adjusted to complete on time – this should be with the agreement of both teams and the umpires. The home team must inform the CENA Match Secretary if any adjustments were made to the timing of the match or if the game was not completed, in which case they should note the score and time elapsed at the point the game was abandoned.
4.5.1. The CENA Board shall have discretion to determine whether the game shall be replayed or if the result at the time of the stoppage will stand.
5. Teams
5.1. A ‘club’ is determined by a single league entry form and for the purposes of these rules, comprises of the teams listed on the individual league entry form.
5.2. A maximum of 12 players may be in the squad for any particular fixture.
5.3. The on-court captain must wear identification and this must be exchanged if the on court captain changes. An option may be a velcro strip or band provided it is distinct from the playing kit.
5.4. All players must hold an active Level 4 Netball Scotland membership prior to taking the court at any time in the season (a ‘social’ membership is not acceptable).
5.5. The CENA League is a female-only league. Please consult NS Transgender policy if required.
Penalty: The team committing the infringement shall have any points awarded from the game(s) deducted. The score line will stand. This penalty will continue for each subsequent game until the situation is rectified.
5.6. All teams must submit a team sheet prior to the commencement of the league to the CENA Match Secretary and must keep this up-to-date throughout the season.
5.6.1. A player may only be named as a player in one CENA team at any given time during the season.
5.6.2. Teams can register a maximum of 15 players – unless a club has only 1 team, in which case the team may register up to 20 players.
5.6.3. Subject to the above limit, teams are permitted to add a new player at any time provided they are not currently registered for another CENA team.
5.6.4. Movement of players within CENA teams in the same CENA Club is only permitted in the change window which runs from the 12th January 2026 to the 24th January 2026 inclusive.
5.6.5. Any requests for exceptions to this rule must be made in writing to the CENA Match Secretary who will determine, consulting the CENA Board, if such a request should be granted.
5.6.6. Only those players listed on the online Team Sheet may take the court for any match, unless Rule 5.7 applies. Retrospective updates to Team Sheets do not void any applicable penalties.
Penalty: The team committing the infringement shall have 1 point deducted.
5.7. Any player named in a National League squad must play in teams that start the season in Division 1 (they may continue to play in these teams for the remainder of the season should they end up in Division 2 after the mid-season split).
5.7.1. The CENA Board will permit player changes outside of the change window in order to facilitate compliance with this rule. If such a change is required, an application should be submitted in writing to the CENA Match Secretary.
5.8. Teams may only ‘borrow’ players from lower ranked teams within the same club. This ranking is based on the finishing positions at the end of the previous season.
5.8.1. Teams new to the league shall be ranked below all existing teams. In the event a club enters multiple new teams, the club must inform the CENA Match Secretary before the start of the season of how they wish the new teams to be ranked. Otherwise, they will be ranked randomly and the club will be informed of the ranking.
5.8.2. An individual player may only be ‘borrowed’ once during a season.
5.8.3. If a team is borrowing players for a game, they may only include a maximum of 8 players in their matchday squad. Subject to this, they may borrow an unlimited number of players.
5.8.4. Any instances of borrowing players from other teams must be recorded on the match sheet including the names and teams of the players borrowed.
5.8.5. Any requests for exceptions to this rule must be made in writing to the CENA Match Secretary with at least 48 hours’ notice of the match who will determine, consulting the CENA Board, if such a request should be granted. If a team does not receive written confirmation that an exception is granted, they shall consider the request denied.
Penalty: Failure to comply with these requirements will result in the team committing the infringement having any points awarded from the game deducted. The score line will stand.
5.9. Players must be at least 16 years old (on the date the match takes place) to play in the CENA league and (in the reasonable opinion of their coach) sufficiently mature to play in an adult league.
5.9.1. Clubs may seek permission for a player less than 16 years old to play in the league by writing to the CENA Match Secretary outlining the rationale for the exception. Any exceptions will be reviewed and approved or declined by the CENA Board. Requests must be made up at least 48 hours prior to the game. If a team does not receive written confirmation that an exception is granted, they shall consider the request denied.
5.9.2. CENA teams are permitted to have up to six players under 16 in their team, each of whom must be approved by CENA.
6. Administration
6.1. A Match Results Sheet must be completed for each game by both teams. This will include the following information:
6.1.1. The names of the players who were in the squad that night (a maximum of 12);
6.1.2. The final score;
6.1.3. The fairest player for both teams;
6.1.4. Any players who have played up from a lower ranked team in accordance with Rule 5.7;
6.1.5. Names of the umpires;
6.1.6. Details of any suspensions or ordering offs during the matching including the player concerned and the reason the game management action was applied (umpires should be asked to confirm this at the end of the match).
6.2. The match sheet must be completed online within 48 hours of the match and can be submitted by any team or club member – preferably this is done immediately after the match.
Penalty: The team committing the infringement shall have 1 point deducted. Points and score line from the game will stand.
Note: The match sheet can be found here:
The league table will be updated if both scores match. If you spot any errors or need to amend your match sheet, please email the CENA Match Secretary.
6.3. Players who are suspended or ordered off in matches shall accrue Penalty Points as set out in the table below. These points shall accrue throughout the season and shall only be reset at the start of a new season.
| Game Management Action | Penalty Points |
| Suspension – Dangerous Play | 2 |
| Suspension – Non-Dangerous Play | 1 |
| Ordering Off after Suspension – Dangerous Play | 2 |
| Ordering Off after Suspension – Non-Dangerous Play | 1 |
| Direct Ordering Off – Serious Dangerous Play | 4 |
6.3.1. These penalty points are cumulative. For example, if a player is first suspended for dangerous play and later ordered off for another act of dangerous play, they would receive 4 penalty points in total.
6.3.2. Teams, clubs, and / or umpires may submit formal complaints to the CENA Board via the CENA Match Secretary, any CENA Board member, or the CENA Umpire Governance and Oversight Committee. This is appropriate in situations involving abusive behaviour, repeated dissent, or other serious misconduct. The CENA Board may determine it appropriate to apply sanctions it deems appropriate or to convene the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee who may apply its own sanctions.
6.3.3. Penalty points awarded will be monitored by the CENA Board and it may choose to apply sanctions or to convene the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee who may apply its own sanctions.
6.3.4. A player accumulating penalty points over the course of a season will face automatic suspensions as follows:
a. 4 points – 1 match ban
b. 8 points – 1 match ban
c. 10 points – 1 match ban
d. 12 points – 1 match ban
6.3.5. If a player crosses multiple thresholds in a single match (e.g. going from 8 to 12 points), all applicable bans will apply cumulatively.
6.3.6. Where bans extend beyond the end of the season, the suspension will carry forward to the start of the following season.
6.3.7. Any player exceeding 12 penalty points will be referred to the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee for review and potential further action.
6.4. In the event of a team wishing to claim the points for a match (e.g. other team does not turn up) the representative of the team must inform the CENA Match Secretary, in writing, stating the basis on which the points are claimed. A copy of the email/letter must also be sent to the contact for the team from whom the points are to be claimed. This information should be sent as soon as possible and must be received within seven days of the match. The CENA Match Secretary will decide on the request. If required, it may be escalated to the CENA Board for a decision.
6.5. All clubs must provide one individual to join the CENA Board, a CENA Committee or a CENA sub-committee. The name of the club’s representative must be provided to CENA prior to the first game of the season.
Penalty: Clubs will earn no points for any games until a person has been nominated for each team in the club. Score lines will stand. This penalty will also apply if the nominated person does not attend meetings or take up a role.
6.6. All clubs are required to send at least one representative to all CENA meetings, including the Annual General Meeting and any Extraordinary General Meeting.
Penalty: Clubs will be penalised £20 for each meeting missed.
7. Umpires
7.1. All umpires who intend to umpire at CENA or who are nominated on a club registration form must provide their details to CENA for that purpose.
7.2. Umpires must be at least 16 years of age before umpiring at CENA unless there is prior agreement from the CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee. Age is determined on the date the match takes place so an umpire may become eligible partway through the season when they turn 16.
7.3. Umpires will be asked to provide details of all connections to clubs in CENA. A connection is defined as playing or coaching for a team in that club or being involved in club governance or other volunteering. If unsure, umpires should seek clarification from the CENA Match Secretary and/or CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee.
7.4. Umpires must have a minimum of a Level 3 Netball Scotland membership (a ‘social’ membership is not acceptable). This will be verified with Netball Scotland upon an umpire’s registration with CENA along with any umpire qualifications and pending re-endorsements.
7.5. Umpires may not umpire games involving a team in a ‘connected’ club (see Rule 7.3). Any exceptions to this must be agreed in advance with the CENA Match Secretary.
7.6. The minimum standards of umpire required for each division are as follows:
| Division | Pre-Split Requirement | Post-Split Requirement |
| 1 | Approved1 B/A Umpire | |
| 2 | Qualified B/A or Working towards B2 or approved C | Qualified B/A or approved1 Working towards B2 |
| 3 – 6 | Qualified C or above | |
All umpires must have completed any reendorsements required by Netball Scotland.
1Approved means as agreed by the CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee and determined to be suitably experienced to officiate these games.
2 Working towards B means an umpire who has attended the B umpiring course in the previous 2 seasons.
Exception: For the first half of the 2025/26 season, the pre-split requirements shall be:
| Division | Pre-Split Requirement |
| 1 | Qualified B/A |
| 2 | Qualified B/A or Working towards B or C with a minimum of 2 full seasons of experience |
| 3 to 5 | Qualified C or above |
Any further exceptions to this rule must be approved by the CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee in at least 48 hours in advance of the match day. Requests must be made in writing to CENA Umpire Lead (cenaumpirelead1@gmail.com). If a team does not receive written confirmation that an exception is granted, they shall consider the request denied.
7.7. Payments for umpires are as follows:
7.7.1. For the first half of the season, Division 1 umpires shall receive £20 with umpires in all other divisions receiving £15.
7.7.2. In the second half of the season, Division 1 and 2 umpires shall receive £20 with umpires in all other divisions receiving £15.
7.7.3. Teams should each pay one umpire in cash before the start of the match unless the umpire agrees to other means of payment.
7.8. It is the responsibility of the umpire to ensure compliance with any required HMRC declarations as a result of umpire payments.
7.9. These rules apply to all CENA matches including those played outside of the usual CENA schedule.
7.10. Each club is required to name one umpire per team entered on their CENA Registration who must be qualified for the division where that teams starts the season. For example, a club with 3 teams must provide a minimum of 3 umpires.
7.10.1. Whilst clubs are able to source any umpire to cover their allocated matches, to ensure there are sufficient umpires in CENA, clubs are expected to be able to umpire the proportionate number of games so the names provided must be able to commit to umpiring.
7.10.2. Umpires who are also CENA players may only be named for one club.
7.10.3. Umpires who are not CENA players may be named for up to two clubs.
Penalty: For each named umpire a club is short, a penalty of £75 shall apply.
7.11. The CENA Match Secretary will create a central umpire rota (on Google Sheets) noting which team must provide an umpire for each game. The link shall be provided in advance of the season starting. The following rules shall apply:
7.11.1. Each club/team will have access to the document and they must populate their allocated games with the name of the umpire who will officiate that game. Teams may name any umpire (ensuring the umpire has agreed to do it) in their slot whether they are on their registration form or not, provided Rules 7.2 and 7.3 are adhered to.
7.11.2. It is the responsibility of the named team to ensure the slot is filled and that the umpire attends the game.
7.11.3. Teams are encouraged to populate the Umpire Rota as far in advance as possible. Umpires must, however, be named by the Monday prior to the Sunday fixtures. Failure to do so will result in a fine.
7.11.4. Where a slot has not been filled and the CENA Match Secretary has to source an umpire, a further fee will apply.
7.11.5. No changes may be made to the Umpire Rota after the Monday deadline by clubs or umpires – all requests for amendments must be emailed to the CENA Match Secretary.
7.11.6. The CENA Match Secretary and/or the CENA Umpire Lead may swap umpires or use games for umpire mentoring. Any central changes will be communicated to clubs/teams/umpires concerned.
7.11.7. Umpires may umpire and / or play a maximum of 2 CENA games of netball in any one day. This rule does not apply to the CENA Junior League. Any exceptions to this must be approved by the CENA Match Secretary. Any umpire found to have broken this rule shall be referred to the CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee who will take action(s) they deem appropriate.
Penalties:
- £20 Late Umpire Rota Completion Fee (per instance, per team) – Rule 7.11.3
- £20 Umpire Sourcing Fee (per instance, per team) – Rule 7.11.4
- £20 Incorrect Umpire Allocation Fee (per instance) – Rules 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6
7.12. Umpires must be at the venue on time and ready to start the games to schedule.
7.12.1. If one or both umpires are not present when the game is due to start, both teams may agree to for another umpire to umpire the match provided they meet Rules 7.2 and 7.3. If no alternative or umpire is available or if either team do not want to proceed with an alternative umpire, the match shall be cancelled. The home team must inform the CENA Match Secretary of the cancellation and any alterations to the umpires should be recorded on the Match Sheet.
Penalty: £20 absent umpire fee to the club named on the Umpire Rota as responsible for providing the umpire. This penalty applies even if a replacement umpire is found.
7.12.2. In exceptional circumstances and with agreement from both teams, the CENA Match Secretary or CENA Umpire Lead may allow an umpire who does not meet Rules 7.2 and 7.3 to umpire a game.
7.12.3. Once a replacement umpire starts umpiring a game, they must finishing umpiring that game even if the original umpire arrives.
7.13. The same procedures outlined in Rule 7.12 shall apply if an umpire is injured during a game and unable to continue. If a suitable replacement umpire cannot be found or if one or if either team do not want to proceed with an alternative umpire, the game shall be abandoned. The home team must inform the CENA Match Secretary of the abandonment, including the time elapsed and score at the point the game was abandoned, and any alterations to the umpires should be recorded on the Match Sheet.
7.14. Umpires are responsible for ensuring the scorers and timers are set up as in Rule 4.3 and that the game is played in accordance with World Netball rules.
7.15. Umpires must wear either white top and white bottoms or black top and black bottoms (or a combination of the two) and at no time wear CENA team logos regardless of what teams they are umpiring. Shorts or skort or skirt or dress are preferred to leggings to maintain professional umpire appearances.
7.16. Umpires must attend a pre-season umpiring workshop, as organised by the CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee. Failure to attend will result in the individual being unable to umpire for the season, unless otherwise agreed with the CENA Umpire Oversight and Development Committee. These workshops are open to non-umpires or people considering becoming an umpire.
7.17. Umpires must follow the CENA Umpire Code of Conduct. The CENA Board, upon recommendations from the Umpire Oversight and Development Committee, has discretion to restrict or ban an umpire from officiating games in the CENA League where standards have failed to be met and maintained. Umpires will be informed in advance of this and given the opportunity to improve unless there is serious misconduct.
8. Cancellations and Re-scheduling
Due to the tight schedule, all teams are encouraged to play their matches as per the Match Fixtures List and not seek to rearrange matches.
8.1. If a team fails to appear for a match then, unless it has been agreed in accordance with these rules that the match will be rescheduled, 3 points are awarded to the opposition. The ‘winning team’ will also be awarded 20 goals for whilst the ‘losing team’ will be awarded 20 goals against for that match.
8.2. Games may be rescheduled where a request has been made with at least two weeks’ notice. If a team wishes to reschedule a league game, they must contact the CENA Match Secretary and their opposition. The CENA Match Secretary will inform the umpires. The opposition has discretion to decline the request to reschedule and the requesting team will forfeit the game if they cannot play at the originally rescheduled time.
8.3. For any games rescheduled by CENA Teams:
8.3.1. The team requesting the re-schedule must arrange/book an alternative venue and cover any court hire costs incurred. Clubs must also inform the CENA Match Secretary of the revised date & time of the match.
8.3.2. Each team is responsible for arranging one umpire for the rescheduled match, ensuring they comply with the requirements in Rule 7.
8.3.3. A match sheet for the rescheduled match must be submitted in accordance with Rules 6.1 and 6.2.
8.3.4. All rescheduled matches must take place on or before the last scheduled fixture date for the relevant half of the season where the game was originally scheduled to take place.
8.3.5. If the game is between two teams from the same club, the game must take place at least 4 weeks before the last scheduled fixture date for the relevant half of the season where the game was originally scheduled to take place.
8.3.6. Games scheduled by the CENA Match Secretary are exempt from this rule
8.3.7. Any requests for exceptions to this rule must be made in writing to the CENA Match Secretary and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
8.3.8. Reschedules that do not meet this rule (8.3) shall be treated as cancellations and the relevant penalties will apply.
8.4. If a team wishes to reschedule a league game because four or more players are to be involved in a competition which has been organised by a national sporting body (e.g. Netball Scotland, Scottish Student Sport, BUCS or District), then a representative of the team must inform the CENA Match Secretary in writing, stating the basis for rescheduling the game, at least two weeks prior to the game. No requests will be considered after the two-week period prior to the game.
8.4.1. The CENA Match Secretary will approve or reject the request and it will be up to the team asking for the match reschedule to contact the opposition and umpires to rearrange the match. Any costs incurred must be covered by the team requesting the re-schedule.
8.4.2. If a team wishes to appeal the decision of the CENA Match Secretary, they can contact the CENA Board in writing for a decision.
Penalty: In the event the rescheduling request is rejected or is made with less than two weeks’ notice, a £20 late cancellation fee will apply if the team is not able to fulfil the original fixture.
8.5. If a match that is cancelled and is not rescheduled, it shall be treated as though the team who cancelled and requested to reschedule has forfeited the match, i.e. 3 points are awarded to the opposition. The ‘winning team’ will also be awarded 20 goals for, whilst the ‘losing team’ will be awarded 20 goals against for that match.
Penalty: Failure to make contact with the CENA Match Secretary in accordance with these rules will result in the forfeit of 1 point from the infringing team. This is in addition to any penalty applied due to the cancellation or forfeiture of a match.
9. Standards, Behaviour and conduct
Everyone involved in CENA netball is expected to adhere to CENA Policies and Standards and the Netball Scotland Code of Ethics and Behaviour which can be found either on the CENA website ( https://netballedinburgh.co.uk/ ) or the Netball Scotland website ( https://www.netballscotland.com/)
Where CENA does not have a specific policy in place, the relevant Netball Scotland policy will apply.
9.1. All clubs will be held responsible for their players, coaches, and spectators.
9.2. All teams must carry a first aid kit and have this available at matches.
9.3. All teams with players under the age of 18 on the date of the match, must be accompanied by a responsible adult (over 18 on the date of the match) who will take responsibility for these players.
9.4. All teams should ensure that players are netball ready and should remove all jewellery, including all piercings (except for exceptions provided in the World Netball rules). Nails must be short and smooth. Players not meeting these requirements will not be allowed on court.
9.5. Anyone wishing to take photographs must request permission from both teams and umpires before a game commences and record this on the match sheet.
9.5.1. It may be necessary to ensure that any athlete declared to be at risk is not photographed. It is the responsibility of coaches or team captain to monitor anyone taking photographs during their matches.
9.5.2. Any person breaking this rule and found to be photographing may be asked to leave the vicinity. Please advise any parents and supporters to avoid any embarrassment to them and the officials.
9.6. CENA may photograph and/or film matches for publicity and marketing purposes. Rule 9.5 will be followed, and permission sought from relevant teams to protect players who may be at risk, or identify players (and/or where appropriate their parent/carer) who have not provided filming and photography consent to their clubs.
9.7. All players, coaches and spectators should:
9.7.1. Respect coaches, umpires and players – both your own team and the opposition;
9.7.2. Not use offensive language, remarks or behaviour;
9.7.3. Adhere to the venue’s policies;
9.7.4. Remove litter and lost property, including water bottles at the end of their match.
10. Discipline and Disputes
The CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee membersshall consist of the CENA Board and be chaired by the CENA President. The Committee shall meet as and when required and may invite additional people as required.
10.1. Any disputes which cannot be dealt with by the umpires during a match must be lodged in writing by the club(s) or umpire(s) concerned to the CENA Match Secretary within 7 days of the match for resolution. If the CENA Match Secretary (in conjunction with the CENA League Management Committee or CENA Umpire Oversight & Governance Committee) is unable to resolve the dispute, it shall be referred to the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee.
10.2. Any complaints regarding league issues, umpires, players, side-line issues etc. must be lodged in writing by the club(s) or official(s) concerned to the CENA Match Secretary. If the CENA Match Secretary (in conjunction with the CENA League Management Committee or CENA Umpire Oversight & Governance Committee) is unable to resolve the complaint, it shall be referred to the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee.
10.3. Any infringement of the rules during a match of a serious nature should be reported to the CENA Match Secretary and CENA President by the umpire(s) for consideration, who may invoke the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee for action. This must be submitted in writing no later than 1 week after the infringement has occurred.
10.4. The CENA Board may convene the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee to consider appropriate actions for suspensions, ordering off and other items noted on Match Sheets (e.g. spectator conduct, umpiring standards etc.).
10.5. Upon receipt of any disputes/complaints the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee may ask for a report from umpires and from any team/player/coach/umpire concerned on their conduct. The individuals shall have 7 days to respond to this request.
10.6. The Committee may also ask for a report from other parties involved if it is deemed necessary.
10.7. The Committee will review all reports and, within 3 weeks of receiving the complaint, issue a resolution – including any match bans or penalties. The Committee will notify the complainant and the club(s) representative along with any other affected parties.
10.8. The CENA Board and the CENA Complaints & Disciplinary Committee may take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to applying match bans to individual players and/or penalise teams or umpires or coaches or volunteers or spectators.
10.9. Any ruling on disputes or discipline made by the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee will be binding and will not be subject to appeal.
10.10. If any team feels aggrieved by the application of the league rules, it may appeal to the CENA Complaints and Disciplinary Committee, outlining the reasons why it doesn’t think the rules should be applied in its particular case.
10.10.1. The said Committee shall be entitled to invite and consider the views of any other team who would be affected by the application or non-application of the rule(s) in question and the decision of the said Committee will be binding and not subject to appeal.
10.10.2. Any such appeal shall be made as quickly as possible after the application of the rule(s) in question and must be made by the end of December in relation to rules applied during the first half of the season and before the end of the week following the last game of the league in relation to rules applied for games falling in the second half of the season.
11. Fees and Payments
11.1. CENA Fees must be paid annually in October unless otherwise agreed with the CENA Treasurer.
11.2. Financial penalties will be invoiced to clubs and must be paid within 2 weeks of receipt of invoice.
Penalty: Where fines are unpaid, and unless otherwise agreed with the CENA Board, all teams within the club will not earn any points from games until the fine is paid. Lost points will not be reinstated upon payment of the invoice.
11.3. Failure to pay fees or penalties will be referred to the CENA Board and may result in a team or club being removed from CENA.
11.4. Income raised from fines will be used to develop netball in Edinburgh, including umpiring, coaching, playing and volunteering. The CENA Board will inform members how funds have been spent.
12. League Trophies
12.1. All league and tournament trophies must be returned to CENA within 4 weeks of being requested to do so.
Penalty: Failure to do this will result in a £20 fine.
12.2. The costs of engraving shall be met by the CENA.
12.3. If any trophy is damaged upon its return to the CENA committee, the team responsible for incurring the damage shall be invoiced for the repairs, or replacement, if appropriate.