It is important to realise that league positions are not the only determining factor determining the league sturcture for 2014. For clarity OCC has decided to put a statement on the website explaining exactly what happens. The relevant regulation is item 9.2 of the General Playing regulations, the relevant paragraph of which is as follows:
“For all divisions, the two teams finishing at the top of a league table will normally be promoted one league for the following season and the two teams finishing at the bottom of a league will normally be relegated one league for the following season. However the Open Competitions Committee may rule against a particular promotion for such reasons as the unsuitability of a ground for a particular league or the undesirability of having two teams from a club in the same league. Also the Committee may decide to promote or relegate team(s) other than those in the top or bottom two places and/or may promote or relegate more or less than two teams should they feel such action merited and/or in the interest of maintaining balanced league structures. Similarly the Committee may promote or relegate a team more than one league up or down respectively should they deem it appropriate.”
In this context OCC may also take into account other factors such as the following
- size of leagues
- any comments received from clubs with regard to their number of teams and/or their positioning
- gaps between a club’s teams
Decisions on promotion/relegation are made by OCC in October when final tables for all leagues are known and clubs have had the opportunity to see them and provide such comments/information as they may wish to have considered.
It should be realised therefore that any information posted with league table or elsewhere on the website before this process happens is merely to indicate what may occur. It is therefore provisional only and cannot be taken as definitive.