THE Craven League’s executive committee want to get tougher next season on clubs who fail to complete scorecards on time for the Play Cricket system.

They propose that home clubs will lose five league points if they fail to complete scoreboards and return a Fair Play Team Match Report before 6pm on Sunday for a Saturday match or midnight on Sunday for a Sunday match.

Similarly the away team will be docked five league points if they do not confirm the scoreboards and complete a Fair Play Team Match Report by midnight on Sunday for a Saturday match or 6pm on Monday for a Sunday match.

Similar timescales will be brought in for Manorlands Plate ties regarding scoreboards and Fair Play Team Match Reports as no deadlines existed before.

Another proposed rule change from the executive committee that will go forward to the annual meeting at Cross Hills Social Club on Monday, December 12 is that a club will lose all points gained in a match if they field an ineligible player, with the opposition being awarded the full 20 points.

The club at fault will also be fined £10.

Another proposal is that loan players will not be allowed in any cup matches or for a league match on a Sunday if they have played the day before.

Clubs must also decide if they still want teas to be part of the cricketing day.

Proposals from clubs include bringing forward start times to 1pm from April to August and 12:30pm in September, scrapping the loan system for a season or only allowing under-18s to be loaned, and barring players who have played five or more matches for a first or second team from playing for a third XI.

Another proposed rule change from clubs is to increase the points for an abandoned match from three points to five points and likewise for a match that starts but is later abandoned (plus any bonus points accrued).

Meanwhile, there is a proposal to deduct 15 points from a club that forfeits a match, while an alternative proposal is to deduct only 10 points.

A proposed rule change regarding eligibility is that a player having played more than half of the scheduled league matches from week six of the season onwards with their senior XI will not be allowed to play for their junior team unless he or she receives dispensation from the executive committee.

Meanwhile, there is a proposal that all clubs must have some kind of pitch covering - be they sheets or roll-on covers.

The Craven & District Umpires’ Association want a rule brought in that clubs must be bowling the last of their 45 overs (in Divisions One to Three) within three hours of the start of their innings.

Five penalty runs (if they are deemed to be innocent) will go to the batting side for every complete over bowled after the cut-off time.

The time limit for matches in Division Four is 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Umpires can apply discretion for things such as lost balls but not for drinks breaks.