FAQ's & Rules

Frequently Asked Questions

What commitment am I making by joining the League?

Each season is nine weeks long. You'll have up to nine other people in your Division and you play each of them once in a season. A match takes up to an hour. So if you can manage nine hours of badminton over nine weeks then you'll be fine.

If you don't have that much time then you can still join the League but be in the Superleague only. This way, there is no expectation that you will play a certain number of matches. The Superleague is explained further below.

You must contact other players to arrange matches. "No one ever contacts me" is not a valid reason for not playing! Please join the league only if you have time to send some messages.

Who can join the League?

Anyone!  The League is split into numerous divisions so there is a Division suitable to all standards of player with potential to rise through the Divisions as skill levels and exprience increase (hopefully)!  The League is not gender specific so you will participate against both men and women.  If you are aged under 18, we ask that a parent accompanies you to matches to conform with Badminton England and Freedom Leisure guidelines.

How much does it cost to be a member of Worcester Badminton League?

Nothing! There is no fee for being a member of the league; just pay your share of the court fee for each match that you participate in.

How do I book a court?

Matches can be played at any of the Worcester Freedom Leisure Centres; Perdiswell, St Johns or Nunnery Wood.  Each player is responsible for paying their half of the court fee.  

Without membership, courts can only be booked on the day of play and must be paid in full upon booking.  

Full membership of an individual Freedom Leisure Centre allows bookings to be made up to 10 days in advance at the relevant centre. No court fees apply for the member; the opponent is responsible for paying their half of the court fee.

A "Worcestershire Connected" membership covers the three sports centres in Worcester (Nunnery Wood, St John's and Perdiswell) as well as multiple other centres throughout Worcestershire.  This allows bookings to be made up to 10 days in advance at any of the relevant centres.  No court fees apply for the member; the opponent is responsible for paying their half of the court fee.

A "Booking Card" membership costs a nominal annual fee and allows bookings to be made up to seven days in advance at any relevant centre.  Payment for the court is made as you play; the opponent is responsible for paying their half of the court fee.  There is no court discount with the booking card.

Each participant MUST report to the reception of the Leisure Centre upon arrival and prior to playing regardless of membership status.

Full membership at Nunnery Wood, St John's and Perdiswell includes free gym and free fitness classes.

How should I contact other players?

When joining the league, you will be added to the Signal group chat.  Through the group chat, you can message any other member to make arrangements. To do so, open up the Signal group chat, then touch the top of the screen where it says 'Worcester Badminton League'.  This opens the group's details; scroll down for the members' list from where you can privately and securely message any participant.

When contacting opponents, it is good practice to suggest several times that suit you to play over the forthcoming few weeks; check availability of courts in advance.

What is the Superleague?

The Superleague is a competition separate from the normal divisions. You will like it if:

- You want to play a match but no player in your Division is available.

- You're in the bottom Division and there aren't enough people to play.

- You have played everyone in your Division and want more matches.

Everyone is in the Superleague. It has no Divisions. Your results in your matches against players in your Division count towards your points in the Superleague. Additionally, you can play anyone in any other Division and the result will count towards your points in the Superleague.

It's absolutely fine to ignore the Superleague. The normal divisions are unaffected by it. The Superleague just means that if you want to play against a player in another division then the result will count somewhere.

All the rules about matches for the Superleague are the same as for the normal league.

Find the Superleague table by going to the latest singles season and clicking Superleague.

What happens when I'm only in the Superleague?

A player that is only in the Superleague is not in a normal Division. They can play matches against anyone in the League according to the rules of the Superleague, which are described above.

A player only in the Superleague can ask to be added to a normal Division at any time.

Anyone may ask to be only in the Superleague, whether a new player joining the League or an existing player not wishing to continue in a normal Division.

How many matches do I play against each opponent?

One. You don't play any opponent more than once per season.

A match against a player in your Division counts for the Division and for the Superleague. (You don't play them once for the Division and again for the Superleague.)

A match against a player not in your division counts for the Superleague.

How do promotion and relegation work?

At the end of the season the bottom four players in each Division may be relegated to the division below. Whether each such player is actually relegated depends on their results, activity and ability and the movement of other players.

Any player who does not play a match may be relegated several Divisions at once or removed from the normal Divisions altogether. If someone has not won a match then they may be relegated regardless of their position.

A player may be promoted if they finish in the top two in their Division and have won at least one match.  Promotion depends on individual results, player activity and ability and the movement of other players.

Additional players may be promoted if it is decided that their results, activity or ability justifies it and if there are available places.

If you think you should be in a higher Division then you can demonstrate this by playing Superleague matches against people in higher Divisions. A player may be promoted several Divisions dependent upon Divisional and Superleague results.

What about people who don't play matches?

When joining a Division, there is an expectation that a player should be able & willing to play the required 8 or 9 matches in the 9 week season.  It is not essential to play all of your matches within your Division but it is frustrating for everyone in a Division if a player is unwilling or unable to play. 

At the end of the season, any player who has not played a match in their Division during the season may suffer consequences.  They may be relegated multiple Divisions or be removed from the normal Divisions and left in the Superleague only so that they can still play matches but their inactivity will not adversely affect other players.

Any player wishing to leave the League should inform the League Manager, whereupon the website will be updated to show that they have left. Anyone leaving is encouraged to rejoin when they are able to play again.

What if no one in my Division replies to my messages?

If you want to play a match and no one in your Division is available, then play a Superleague match against a player from another Division. 

What can I do after I've played everyone in my Division?

Play Superleague matches against players from other Divisions.

What if someone won't play me at all?

Tell the League Manager if:

- You have messaged an opponent repeatedly and they don't respond.

- It seems impossible to agree a date with an opponent.

- You cannot arrange a match with an opponent for any other reason.

At the discretion of the League Manager, you may be awarded a 3-0 (walk-over) win against the opponent. In this case the winning player will earn 4 league points and the losing player none.

This applies to normal Divisional matches but not to Superleague matches.

If persistant offending of the above violations are made known to the League Manager, or other transgressions such as rudeness or obstinance are conveyed, a one-time warning may be issued or the player may be removed from the League.

What if my opponent doesn't turn up or cancels at short notice?

If you have arranged to play a player and they fail to arrive or cancel within 24 hours of the start time then you can claim a 3-0 (walk-over) win. (This applies to normal Divisional matches and to Superleague matches.) Please make clear what happened when submitting such a result. The winning player will earn 4 league points and the losing player none.

If a match is arranged within the final 2 weeks of a season and is cancelled by the opponent, a player can claim a 3-0 (walk-over) win.  However, every attempt should be made to reorganise the match if a suitable time and venue can be agreed between the players.

Any walk-over wins are claimed at the discretion of the players involved; the League Manager requests that matches are re-scheduled whenever possible.

I want to join but I think I'm too good to start in the bottom division

Prove it!  Join the League and win Superleague matches against players in higher Divisions. Your performance will be noticed and you may be promoted several Divisions at once.

Everyone joins in the bottom Division so usually it has players of a variety of standards.

What happened in the first season of the singles league?

The first season ran from 26/10/2015 to 20/12/2015. The results remain unpublished and are a mystery.