(a) No person who is, or becomes, a Member or Official of, or plays for, any outside Darts Body, shall be eligible to act as an Official in any match, tournament, or any other event, or to be a County Councillor, or Director, or to play in any match, tournament, or any other event organised by the BDO, including any match, tournament, or any other event organised by the BDO on behalf of any other Darts Body.

(b) For the purpose of this Rule an outside Darts Body is any Darts Body other than one of the recognised Darts Bodies listed below, or any team not selected by one of the recognised Darts Bodies, which plays in any formal match, tournament, or other event.

Recognised Darts Bodies

1. World Darts Federation and its Members.
2. British Darts Organisation and its Members.
3. England Darts Organisation and its Members.
4. Northern Ireland Darts Organisation and its Members.
5. Irish National Darts Organisation and its Members.
6. Scottish Darts Association and its Members.
7. Welsh Darts Organisation and its Members.
8. Any league, team, or club, or association which is affiliated to, or a Member of one of the foregoing.
9. International Darts Players Association,
10. World Professional Darts Players Association.

The word “Member” shall include the terms “Affiliate”, “Affiliated to”, “Associate” and “Associated to”.

(c) The Board of Directors shall have the power to declare any match, tournament, or other event as an “Open” event to which the Rule on “Eligibility” will not apply. This power shall be exercisable notwithstanding that the match, tournament, or other event has already taken place. Moreover, the Board of Directors shall have the power to permit a person to play in any match, tournament, or other event notwithstanding that the person is “Ineligible” under this Rule.

(d) Any dispute concerning the “Eligibility” of any person under this Rule may be referred in writing at the instance of any County Councillor, Director or by the person concerned to the General Secretary for inclusion on the Agenda of a Board Meeting at any time.

IE: Such item shall NOT be subject to the normal ‘14’ days notice.

Prior notice of such Meeting and the subject matter thereof shall be given to the person concerned and all the Members of the Board of Directors. At any such Meeting the person concerned shall give reasonable opportunity of being heard. The decision of such a Meeting that a person is “Ineligible” shall be found by unanimous agreement of the Board of Directors.

At any such Meeting any written report received by the General Secretary that the person concerned is, or has been, a Member or Official, or has played for an outside Darts Body, and that person fails to attend and refute the allegation therein, the Meeting may infer therefrom, that the allegation is well founded, provided always that the person concerned has been given written Notice of the allegation and when it is to be heard.

(e) Any person who is, or becomes “Ineligible” under this Rule shall remain ineligible for a period of ‘18’ months. This period shall commence from the date when the person was last a Member or Official, or played for an outside Darts Body. The Board of Directors may reduce the time period if they consider it is in the interests of the BDO so to do.

(f) If circumstances arise where a decision is required concerning the “Eligibility” of any person under this Rule pending reference to a Board Meeting, the Chairman or nominated Director shall, upon making such enquiries as he shall deem fit, including, where reasonably practicable, of the person concerned, have the power to decide the matter pending a decision of the Board Meeting.

(g) This Rule was established and came into effect on 2nd October 1977.

(h) Amendments to Clause (b) came into effect on 10th August 1997. These amendments were resolved by a majority vote in the BDO Annual General Meeting Part 1 held on Sunday 10th August 1997

NOTES OF GUIDANCE FOR MEMBERS

The terms and conditions of the “RULE” are specifically for implementation by the British Darts Organisation Limited, or its subsidiaries. However, Member Darts Bodies may adopt the “Eligibility Rule” by substituting the name of their Darts Body for the name of the BDO, and by substituting ‘Executive Council’ for the words ‘Board of Directors’, and by substituting ‘Executive Council Meeting’ for the words ‘Board Meeting’. Such rewording, and the consequent adoption by a Member Darts Body may only be implemented after a vote of approval obtained in a General Meeting called for thatpurpose has been given unanimous support. An “Eligibility Rule” which has been adopted by a Members Darts Body must be included in that Member Darts Body’s own Constitution.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

In the BDO Annual General Meeting held on Sunday 10th August 2003 an additional interpretation of the term ‘Eligibility’ was introduced – this interpretation defines the means by which a player can become ‘Eligible’ to participate in BDO Members-Only darts events.

The additional ‘Eligibility’ clauses are now included in the new players Registration Forms for the 2003/2004 Playing Season – at Member County Super League level and at Member County Team level.

Quote from the Member County Super League player’s registration form –

‘I undertake to make a commitment to play regularly, or be available to play, in the Member County Super league that I am registered to play for and thereby establish my eligibility as a Playing Member of the BDO to enter all other BDO Members-Only darts events subject to complying with the relevant qualifying and entry conditions.

I agree that my failure, without satisfactory explanation, to honour this commitment made in the above clause, will entitle the BDO to declare that I am not eligible to enter into BDO Members-Only events during that respective Season’.

In contractual terms this represents, ‘A declaration of a player’s commitment to support the BDO System’

Quote from the British Inter-County player’s registration form –

‘I undertake to make a commitment to play regularly, or be available to play, in the British Inter-County System that I am registered to play for and thereby establish my eligibility as a Playing Member of the BDO to enter all other BDO Member-Only darts events subject to complying with the relevant qualifying and entry conditions.

I agree that my failure, without satisfactory explanation, to honour this commitment made in the above clause, will entitle the BDO to declare that I am not eligible to enter into BDO Members-Only events during that respective Season’.

In contractual terms this represents, ‘A declaration of a player’s commitment to support the BDO System’

If a player meets the commitment to support the BDO System through either or both of these means then that player’s ‘Eligibility’ to participate in BDO Members-Only darts events has been established.

The BDO Members-Only darts events include the following;

A Member County Super League team
A Member County Team
A British International Team
A BDO Champions Cup team
A British Inter-County Knockout Cup team
A Singles / Pairs entry into the BDO Gold Cup
An invitation into the Winmau World Masters – at Senior and at Youth levels
An invitation into the BDO World Professional Darts Championships – for the International

Play-Offs and the First Round Proper.

NOTE – Before a player can accept an invitation to enter into the Winmau World Masters Darts Championships a player must be able to declare that he / she is ‘Eligible’ to participate in the BDO World Professional Darts Championships.