Clubs can now use more subs in the Peterborough Bowls League

The system has been operating only in the Tuesday afternoon Club 55 League for the past two seasons on a trial basis, but club delegates voted at the annual meeting in favour of also introducing substitutes into the midweek and the weekend leagues from next year.

It means that clubs will be permitted to use substitutes if they are from a team in the same division or lower, however they must not play in any divisional team of the same league for the following six days.

Explaining the rationale behind the introduction of substitutes, league secretary Andy Cox said: “The substitute rule has generally been working well in the Club 55 League, allowing clubs the opportunity for greater flexibility and the chance to field full teams on more occasions. It works because the vast majority of Club 55 games are played on the same day.

“However, with the midweek league divisions playing on different evenings, to use the exact same rule as the Club 55 could lead to abuse of the system, allowing the same player(s) to be used in different divisions in the same week.”

It is hoped that by only allowing a player to be used as a substitute only once in the space of six days in the same league will provide a barrier to any possible abuse of the system.

The other significant change to the rules will enable players to change positions during matches in both the Club 55 and weekend leagues, a rule already operating in the midweek competition.

The new league president is Bretton’s Angela Turner, who received the chain of office from outgoing president Martin Garfield (Conservative).

All the main officers were re-elected en bloc, while Ray Keating (Peterborough & District) and Brian Davis (Crowland) are new faces on the committee.

Officers: chairman, Melvyn Beck; secretary & treasurer, Andy Cox; fixture secretary, Tony Coe; Committee: Martin Tibbles, Terry Stratton, Ray Keating, Brian Davis.