Date: Wednesday 25th June 2025 at 7pm
Venue: Richard Huish College

Actions (Person Responsible)

• Add amended rules onto the SB website (PY)
• Circulate link to rules with clubs via WhatsApp (MN)
• Draft a budget based on league entries (MN & FS)
• Draft a lead referees report (MN & IS)
• Draft a programme for L2 Refs and TO (GC, IS & EA)
• Draft fixtures to share with the committee (FS, MG & MN)

Welcome and apologies

Attendees: Matt Nolan (MN), Francis Scarborough (FS), Emily Adams (EA), Paul Yabsley (PY), Ian Spearman (IS), Richard Anderson (RA), Gary Carter (GC).

Apologies: Toby Veale (TV), Mason Galloway (MG).

League rules review

Proposed league rules had been circulated previously and reviewed by all members of the committee.

Discussions raised around the following:

6.7.

• If a player receives a disqualifying the club must ensure that the player does not participate in the next scheduled league or cup game.
• Where a player receives two technical fouls in a game this will be reviewed by the committee following the submission of the lead referees report. If any further sanctions are agreed, the club will be informed. Sanctions could include fines and/or game bans.
• Suspensions may be extended depending on the circumstances and are subject to the appeals process.

11.1 Team and Individual Penalties

• Failure to Fulfil a Fixture
  If a team fails to fulfil a scheduled fixture and does not provide at least 48 hours’ notice, it will be fined £80. The committee will consider when this is due to unforeseen or circumstances out of the clubs control.
• Disqualification
  Any player or coach who is disqualified from a game will receive the following:
  • Be fined £20 (club fine)
  • Receive an automatic one-game suspension
• Accumulation of Technical Fouls
  Any player or coach who accumulates five or more technical fouls in a season will:
  • Be fined an additional £20 (club fine)
  • Receive an automatic one-game suspension
• Late Payment of League Fees
  Any team that fails to pay its league fees on time will be barred from competition until the outstanding amount is paid in full.

All rules to be stored on the Somerset Basketball website and circulated to clubs

Player and coach code of conduct

Reviewed by the committee and agreed to be adopted for 2025-26.

Code of conduct on the Somerset Basketball website.

All clubs have agreed to share with players as part of the league entry form.

League finance

Briefly discussed the league finances from the season 2024/25. Last year saw the league finish with an operating loss of £776.91.

League has a contingency budget of £3,136.64.

Agreement that the league cannot continue to make an annual loss and the figures for next year should be more reflective of the actual costs.

Proposed new payments to referees:

• Referees' fees per game to raise from £18 to £20
• Lead referees to be paid £23 per game with additional responsibilities
• Mileage to remain at 45p a mile

Agreed in principle by the committee. Club fees to be confirmed once MN and FS have produced a more accurate draft budget based on the team entries.

League entries

League entries have now been completed.

8 teams have shown an interest in being part of the league next season:

• Bridgwater Bucs 1
• Bridgwater Bucs 2
• Bridgwater Blackhawks 1
• Bridgwater Blackhawks 2
• Chard Flight
• Huish Tigers
• Taunton Dragons
• Taunton Tornados

Referee’s availability

Referees survey has now been completed, and the league has 8 referees who are willing to be involved in games next season.

It was discussed that we will need to schedule referee’s carefully due to the majority playing for a team in the league.

3 referees identified as lead referees for the season who will be responsible for completing a game report. Lead referee to support the development of co-officials.

It was agreed that it would be of benefit to get all referees together before the start of the season to discuss new rules, league rules and working together. Date to be circulated in early September.

Lead referee game report form

Agreed that this is needed for information sharing and addressing issues. Expectations are that lead referees will complete these within 48 hours of a game finishing.

Agreed that MN and IS would draft a report that can be shared with lead referees that captures the data the league require.

Cup competition

The idea of a cup competition was discussed. It was felt that with 8 teams in the league and the number of games would make it extremely difficult to fit it all in.

Discussion was had about having a top 4 and bottom 4 playoff if extra games were required. This will be reviewed later but at present the league will run with the top 4 making the playoffs.

Calendar development and courses for TO and Ref’s

Level 2 Courses to be booked for the following dates:

• Week 18th August Referees
• Week 27th August Table Officials
• February dates TBC

Courses to be booked and promoted by mid-July to clubs and the wider community.

It was discussed that this needs to be more than just a course, the offer needs to include mentoring and all the other aspects to get people qualified to do these roles on both junior and senior basketball. A draft programme will be developed and shared with the committee to look at funding places for identified people.

Any other business

League Fixtures

Club entries have been received, and we draft fixtures can be generated. FS mentioned that the new BE Play HQ can generate an initial fixture list.

It was acknowledged that MG completed the fixtures last season, and he would be a good person to be involved in generating these.

Club Communication

Discussed how best to communicate with the wider clubs about the changes to the league. It was agreed that putting information on the website and sharing links via league WhatsApp group.

Agreed a league meeting would be required prior to the season, date set 3rd September 7.30pm at Richard Huish.

Referee’s survey

• 10 completed the survey.
• 9 available to referee includes one person is only available when back from University.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
George A *Igors Brad Matt N *Dave H Paul Y *Ian	George A *Igors Brad *Dave H Paul Y *Ian	George A *Igors Paul Y *Ian S	George A *Igors (not chard) Bamboo (Taunton) *Dave H Paul Y *Ian	George *Igors Brad Bamboo (Taunton) *Matt N Paul Y *Ian
Harry Q