Category: Rules

Membership Update – July 2021

Summer has finally arrived, and we can begin to enjoy those outdoor activities that we have missed so much, one of which is boule. Many of our clubs are endeavouring to host open competitions. I encourage as many members to support these competitions as they help to provide valuable funds to their existence.

As you know, as of Saturday 17th July, Wales moved from Level 1 to Level 0 for organised outdoor activities; this move has resulted in a change in the clubs’ requirements.

The principle change is regarding social distancing, which is no longer a separate law enforcing the 2m gap between individuals. However, social distancing is still essential and must be included in each clubs risk assessment, which by statute every club organising outdoor activities for their members should have.

Every day we see that the infection levels are increasing. However, we are encouraging clubs and members to play; we all have to be sensible to ensure that we can play in the knowledge that all precautions are being taken. To help, the Executive is currently reviewing our current guidance notes to Clubs and Players, and these will be updated to the website soon.

Towards the end of 2020, the world governing body for our sport (FIPJP) amended the rules; some keener members have read them and endeavoured to show off their newfound knowledge to everyone they play. So, to enable you to check that they are correct, we have produced an A5 booklet to be issued to each member. These will be sent to your club for distribution to you.

We are not expecting you to read them immediately and become experts, but if you are unsure of a rule, you can have a look yourself without the fuss of tracking down a copy. Some of the rules may not apply if you play ‘local’ rules set by your club, no problem, as long as you enjoy the sport.

Finally, due to the cancellation of the major European Championships because of the continued concerns from Covid-19, we have a surplus of 2021 pins. Therefore, the Executive have decided to give all our members a 2021 pin to go with the 2020 pin you all received last year.

Tony Smith
President

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 09/04/2021

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

COVID-19

UPDATE – 09/04/2021

The Welsh Government has issued a written statement late on 8th April that due to the improving Covid-19 situation in Wales, the return for organised outdoor activities/sports has been brought forward to Monday 26th April. This is excellent news for all sports in Wales, and we can now see the possibility of a full return to play.

You can read the Welsh Government’s full press release here.

As of Monday 26th April, organised outdoor activities for up to 30 people can restart, allowing us to begin to get back to play within our clubs and begin to think about organising club open competitions.

The Welsh Governments advice regarding Alert Level 4 can be found here, and there are links to our updated Guidelines for Clubs and Players on our COVID-19 page.

As and when the First Minister makes further announcements, we will issue updates as soon as we become aware of them.

However, in the meantime, we are preparing to get the WPA League underway, starting May, so if you have not entered yet, then now is your opportunity.

 

Tony Smith
National President.

Remember:
KEEP WALES SAFE

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 01/04/2021

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

COVID-19

UPDATE – 01/04/2021

The Welsh Government has issued a roadmap out of lockdown late on 31st March to avoid being suspected as an April Fool’s joke. Unfortunately, for organised outdoor activities/sports, they are now scheduled to restart on 3rd May; this is very disappointing, especially after all the hard work that all the NGBs in Wales has undertaken to ensure that their sport is Covid-19 safe.

The Welsh Government’s full press release can be read here.

The Welsh Sports Association (WSA) has issued a statement today, reflecting how the news has been received, a copy of which can be read here.

This still means that your club’s organised events are not permitted as we have not formally entered Alert Level 3. 

However, limited play can occur between a maximum of 6 people from two households.  Therefore, your club may allow singles to play between two people from the same household or two different households.  Also, doubles and triples play may occur from the same or two different households according to your club’s Covid-19 Guidelines. 

The Welsh Governments advice regarding Alert Level 4 can be found here, and there are links to our updated Guidelines for Clubs and Players on our COVID-19 page.

Further announcements by the First Minister are still expected to be made later this month. However, we will issue a further update as soon as we become aware of them.

Tony Smith
National President.

Remember:
KEEP WALES SAFE

 

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 26/03/2021

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

UPDATE – 26/03/2021

The Welsh Government has announced some relaxation of the current rules (click here to read the article). The ‘Stay Local’ rule in Wales is to end from Saturday 27/03/2021; this will allow unrestricted travel within its borders.

Currently, this still means that organised events at your club are not permitted as we have not entered Alert Level 3. Only organised outdoor activities and sports for under-18s can resume. These restrictions will be in place until 22/04/21 when it is hoped we shall move into Alert Level 3; however, it is up to each one of us to do our part and follow the Welsh Governments Covid-19 guidelines.

However, limited play can occur between a maximum of 6 people from two households.  Therefore your club may allow singles play to occur between two people from the same household or from two different households.  Also, doubles and triples play may occur from the same or two different households according to your club’s Covid-19 Guidelines. 

The Welsh Governments advice regarding Alert Level 4 can be found here, and there are links to our updated Guidelines for Clubs and Players on our COVID-19 page.

The Welsh Government’s Coronavirus Control Plan: Revised Alert Level in Wales (March 2021) has been updated and can be accessed on our COVID-19 page. The image below explains how the varying alert levels affect organised outdoor sports. 

Coming out of Lockdown
Welsh Government (2021)

Further announcements by the First Minister will be made on 12/04/21. However, we will issue a further update as soon as we become aware of them.

Tony Smith
National President.

Remember:
KEEP WALES SAFE

 

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 16/03/2021

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

UPDATE – 16/03/2021

I hope you are all well and beginning to enjoy your new-found freedoms, well as much as we can.

No doubt, by now you would be aware that we have come out of “Lockdown” and entered “Alert Level 4” restrictions covering the whole of Wales from Saturday 13th March.

This means that that organised events at your club are not permitted while we remain at Alert Level 4.  However, limited play can occur between a maximum of 4 people from two households, therefore your club may allow singles play to take place between two people from the same household or from two different households.  Also, doubles play may take place from the same or two different households according to your club’s Covid-19 Guidelines. These restrictions will be in place until the end of March when it is hoped we shall move from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3; however, that is up to each one of us to do our part and follow the Welsh Governments Covid-19 guidelines.

The Welsh Governments advice regarding Alert Level 4 can be found here, and there are links to our updated Guidelines for Clubs and Players on our COVID-19 page.

We will issue a further update as soon as we become aware of them.

Tony Smith
National President.

Remember:
#STAYLOCAL

 

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 12/03/2021

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

UPDATE – 12/03/2021

I hope you and you families are continuing to stay safe and well.

As you may already be aware, today the First Minister of Wales has begun the careful journey out of lockdown.

You may have listened carefully to his statement and wondered how what he has announced today affects us getting back to play. Therefore, this message from the Executive, I hope, will begin to answer some but not all the questions you may have.

Today’s announcement states that from Saturday 13th March all activities are to ‘stay local’, which means that within a 5-mile radius of our homes and that “A maximum of 2 households can take part in using local sports facilities.”

This will mean that singles and limited doubles play, where each doubles team are from the same household will be able to take place. However, the Executive will review its guidance notes to Clubs and Players as a matter of urgency and publish them on the Association’s website after attending a meeting of the Outdoor Sports Recovery Group on Monday afternoon and final approval from the Executive.

We sincerely hope this will be the beginning of our sport’s recovery and the socialising with friends again.

The EC will continue to monitor the Welsh Government and Sport Wales advice and will provide an update as soon as we are able.

In the meantime, we appreciate your ongoing patience, and hope you and your families stay healthy.

 

REMEMBER:

#STAYLOCAL

#PROTECT THE NHS

#KEEP WALES SAFE

 

Best wishes

Tony Smith

National President.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 16/12/2020

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

UPDATE – 16/12/2020

I hope you and you families are continuing to stay safe and well.

You will, no doubt, have seen the Welsh Government’s (WG) announcement today of the introduction of the “Alert Level 4” restrictions covering the whole of Wales from Monday 28th December.

The Government’s Coronavirus Control Plan: Alert Levels in Wales, shows how the different Levels affect Outdoor Activities and Sport. Level 4 means that organised outdoor activities and sports are NOT permitted.

This means that all Clubs MUST NOT meet for organised play while we remain at Alert Level 4.

Organised Activities and Sports

 

The WG advice can be found here (and there is a link to this on our COVID-19 page.

We will issue a further update as soon as we have it.

 

REMEMBER:

#KEEP WALES SAFE

Robert Pugh

National President.

WPA PLAYING CALENDAR – WE’RE BACK!

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Playing Calendar Updated

03/11/2020

I hope you and you families are continuing to stay safe and well.

You may have seen in yesterday’s announcement from the First Minister that outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people will be allowed again from Monday 9th November.

Coupled with the lifting of travel restrictions WITHIN Wales, this means we have decided to commence competitive play, as we’d previously said we would do if possible.

The WPA Playing Calendar has now been updated with the addition of 2 National events – the National Mixed Doubles has been scheduled for 15 November, and the National Precision Shooting (Men and Ladies) for the weekend after, 22nd.

Please note – the Venues for all these events are still under review and will be confirmed as soon as possible.

In addition, we are intending to run the first 2 Assessment events, as we’ve done in previous years, to find Teams to compete in the 2021 World and European Championships. Initially, this will be for the Men’s teams, with the Ladies teams to follow (this is because the Men’s competitions are earlier in the 2021 Calendar than the Ladies – so there’s a little more “breathing space” for them). It is still our intention to run these as early as possible in order to give the qualifying teams as much chance as possible to play together in 2021.

The updated Playing Calendar can be found here.

The WPA 2021 Playing Calendar is currently being drafted and we hope to have that published in the coming days.

Entries to the National competitions are welcomed using the appropriate online form here.

Entries to the Men’s Assessment Qualifying Series are welcomed using the appropriate online form here.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ENTRIES MUST NOW BE PAID EITHER BY BANK TRANSFER OR CHEQUE IN ADVANCE OR BY CONTACTLESS/CARD PAYMENT ON THE DAY. CASH PAYMENT WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED. 

In the meantime, we appreciate your ongoing patience, and hope you and your families stay healthy.

 

REMEMBER:

#KEEP WALES SAFE

 

Robert Pugh

National President.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 21/10/2020

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

UPDATE – 21/10/2020

I hope you and you families are continuing to stay safe and well.

You will, no doubt, have now seen the Welsh Government’s (WG) announcement of a “firebreak” lockdown covering the whole of Wales from 6pm on Friday 23rd October until Monday 9th November 2020.

We have been advised by Sport Wales (SW) that during this period, all organised sport and facilities will be paused. This means that ALL our affiliated Clubs MUST remain closed.

In addition, the WG advice is very clear that, although exercise is permitted, and even encouraged, it MUST be local – starting and ending at home, and there must be NO gatherings between households. This means that, even if you live within walking-distance of a nearby playing area, you MUST NOT meet with anyone from outside your household.

The WG advice states:

  • People must stay at home, except for very limited purposes, such as for exercise.

  • People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with either indoors and outdoors

  • No gatherings will be allowed outdoors, such as Halloween or fireworks/Bonfire night or other organised activities

The full WG announcement can be found here.

The SW advice states:

The First Minister has announced a firebreak lockdown to take place between Friday 23rd October (from 6pm) and Monday 9th November.

The rules which impact sport: 

You should exercise locally 

  • Exercise should be undertaken locally – from home or as close as possible to the home. In general this should not involve people driving to a location away from home for this purpose.

Pause on organised sport and facilities

  • All organised sport and facilities will be paused during the Welsh circuit breaker, including golf and tennis clubs.

No limits to frequency or length of exercise

  • You can leave home as often as you like to exercise as long as you do so from home and alone or with members of your household (and/or a carer).

The WG FAQ page relating to the “firebreak” can be found here.

The EC will continue to monitor the WG and SW advice and will provide an update as soon as we are able.

In the meantime, we appreciate your ongoing patience, and hope you and your families stay healthy.

 

REMEMBER:

#KEEP WALES SAFE

 

Robert Pugh

National President.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – UPDATE 24/09/2020

WPA ANNOUNCEMENT

Novel Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

UPDATE – 24/09/2020

I hope you and you families are continuing to stay safe and well.

You may have seen in today’s news that the UK Government has now launched it’s long-awaited NHS COVID-19 track and trace app for England & Wales for mobile phones.

Amongst other features, this allows the user to scan a QR code at any premises/venue/event they may be attending.

The UK Government has also released details of downloading, printing and using QR codes. These can be downloaded by Clubs or event organisers to allow people to scan using the NHS app.

The WPA Exec would encourage all its members who are able to download and use the mobile phone app.

In addition, we would encourage all Clubs and event organisers to download and use a QR Code for players to scan when they arrive at the venue/event.

When WPA-organised competitions return, we intend to make use of this facility and will produce a new QR code for each event (this will leave host Clubs free to use their own QR code for their own members.

Our Guidelines for Clubs and Players have been updated to reflect this, and can be found on our COVID-19 Webpage. The link to the UK Government website to obtain a QR code is in the Guidance for Clubs and on the COVID-19 webpage.

In the meantime, we appreciate your ongoing patience, and hope you and your families stay healthy.

 

 

REMEMBER:

#KEEP WALES SAFE

 

Robert Pugh

National President.

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