HAMPSHIRE WOMEN'S PLAYER ELIGIBILITY RULES

All Teams should remain conscious throughout their time in The Slam that the below rules are fundamental to the success of The Slam, and as such, a significant level of the health of the recreational game in the county. Therefore willful action against these rules will be viewed in an appropriately dim light and may result ultimately in expulsion from The Slam.

• HP-MPE.1a - All rules in relation to Player Eligibility are relevant to ANY club that a player plays for on a weekend, not just the club that they represent in The Slam. ​​     

• HP-WPE.1b - All players must be aged 12 or above on 1st September 2024, unless they are within an Under 12 County Age Group squad for the current year, evidenced by a letter of consent from the coach and parents. This letter should be scanned and submitted to The Slam via the club's designated contact prior to participation in their first match of this year's competition.​​

2. MULTIPLE TEAMS

• HP-WPE.2a - No player shall represent more than ONE team in any ONE version (Women's Cup or Women's Shield) of this competition in any single year. ​

• HP-WPE.2b - One exception to HP-WPE.2a is where a club enters a team into both the Women's Cup & the Women's Shield. In such an instance a player IS able to play for more than one team for that club ONLY in any single year so long as they meet the eligibility criteria for the version they are playing in at the given time as per rules HP-WPE.3 and HP-WPE.4.​ ​​

• HP-WPE.2c - The only other exception to HP-WPE.2a is where a player has formally transferred from one to club to another via the official process employed by the weekend league(s) in which that club participates. Upon submitting written evidence of that transfer, and receiving written confirmation of acceptance from The Slam,  that player will be permitted to  participate for the remainder of The Slam season for their new club's team(s) ONLY, they are not permitted to continue playing for the team(s) entered by their old club regardless of whether they participate in a different level of competition or not. The ongoing eligibility of the player will be judged based on their performance in that season AS A WHOLE and not just whilst playing for their new club. The deadline for transfers will be in line with those of the associated weekend league(s).

​

3. INELIGIBLE PLAYERS

• HP-WPE.3 - The following exclusions shall be in effect for the whole of the competition in any given year.

​​

• HP-WPE.3a - Any player who has EVER played any Senior Elite Pathway Cricket (e.g. Southern Vipers) is INELIGIBLE to play in either the Cup nor the Shield.

​

• HP-WPE.3b - Any player selected for a Senior Regional Centre of Excellence in the current season is INELIGIBLE to play in either the Cup nor the Shield.

​

• HP-WPE.3c - Any player selected for Senior County Cricket since 2016 is INELIGIBLE to play in either the Cup nor the Shield.

​ ​

• HP-WPE.3d - Any player who participates in any division of the Women's Cricket Southern League in the current season is INELIGIBLE to play in either the Cup nor the Shield.  ​

​

• HP-WPE.3e - Any player who participates in Division 1 of the Hampshire Women's Cricket League in the current season is INELIGIBLE to play in the Shield.  

 

• HP-WPE.3f - Teams may submit to the Competition Manager a request for players to be exempt from any rule within HP-WPE.3 whereby a player may have only played a very limited number of matches at the level of competition that would normally exclude them from participating. This should be submitted via the designated online form ONLY and any exemption is only confirmed once it has been confirmed by email or text to the requesting team.

  ​ ​​​ ​ ​  ​ ​

• HP-WPE.3g - Participation in The Hampshire Women's Slam does NOT prohibit any participation in any other Slam competition, although their eligibility to do shall be based upon that other competition's own eligibility rules and not those above. ​ ​​

 

• HP-WPE.3h - Any breach of HP-WPE.3 in ANY fixture, regardless of the impact that player(s) have on the fixture in question, shall see the opposing team awarded a victory regardless of the stage the competition is at.

4. RESTRICTED PLAYERS

• HP-WPE.4 - The following restrictions shall be in effect for the whole of the competition in any given year.

​​ ​ ​ ​

• HP-WPE.4a - Any player who has been selected for U18-level County Cricket in the current season may not bat any higher than 5 and may not bowl earlier than the 7th OVER in the Cup and is INELIGIBLE to play in the Shield.

​​ ​   ​

• HP-WPE.4b - Any player who participates in Division 2 of the Hampshire Women's Cricket League in the current season and plays in The Slam may not bat higher than 4 and may not bowl any earlier than the 7th OVER in the Shield.

​

• HP-WPE.4c - Teams may submit to the Competition Manager a request for players to be exempt from rules HP-WPE.4a or HP-WPE.4b as a whole whereby a player may have only played a very limited number of matches at the level of competition that would normally restrict them from participating. This should be submitted via the designated online form ONLY and any exemption is only confirmed once it has been confirmed by email or text to the requesting team.

​

• HP-WPE.4d - Teams may submit to the Competition Manager a request for players to be exempt from either the batting or bowling part of rules HP-WPE.4a or HP-WPE.4b whereby the player may be a bowler of a the restricted standard, but their batting would not be considered as such (or vice versa). This should be submitted via the designated online form ONLY and any exemption is only confirmed once it is has been confirmed by email or text to the requesting team. 

​

• HP-WPE.4e - Any breach of HP-WPE.4 in ANY fixture, regardless of the impact that player(s) have on the fixture in question, shall see the opposing team awarded a victory regardless of the stage the competition is at.

​​​ ​ 

5. MANAGEMENT OF PLAYERS WITH EXEMPTIONS

• HP-WPE.5 - Teams should declare to their opponents (or the Competition Manager at Finals' Day) ALL players with valid exemptions prior to the toss being conducted of any match. ​

6. DISPUTE OF A PLAYER'S ELIGIBILITY

• HP-WPE.6 - Any dispute regarding players who have played for a team in this competition is to be referred, in writing, to the Competition Manager only by the designated Competition Contact for that team.​

​The above is implemented in good faith as players might not be well known to the opponent given the possibility that the two sides may regularly compete in different leagues. It is in the best interests of the competition itself that clubs compete in a fair manner given this competition’s intention to promote participation & inclusion within the game of cricket.