The BCGBA AGM and Rules Revision Meeting was held yesterday, at Winnington Park, Cheshire, with the key outcomes being summarised below:

• The National Development Strategy was approved with an overwhelming majority. This will see the introduction of a £1 per player, per Club ‘Annual Development Fee’ being introduced. This money, which will be ringfenced, will go directly to expenditure highlighted within the BCGBA National Development Strategy, to support grassroots Clubs to grow and develop. The ‘Annual Development Fee’ will be for a minimum of 3 years, and will be reported on annually.

• Clarification within the Laws of the Sport that any bowl travelling over a footer must be returned.

• Introduction of a maximum weight of a bowl. This has been set at 3lb.

• Clarification within the Laws of the Sport that a disturbed bowl should be treated the same as a disturbed jack (as per existing law).

• Nicotine inhalers have been added to the list of devices that cannot be used on the green during play (unless there is a medical exemption).

• Clarification that players will not be allowed to play in bare or stocking feet.

• A proposal to add practice for Ladies County matches was not carried.

• The 18-23 Open Championship has been amended to 18-25.

• Changes to the structure of the World Club Team Championship were approved. This amends the group structure to round-robin matches for the qualifying rounds. As part of this, the competition name has been changed to the BCGBA Club Team Championship.

Full details will be circulated, in due course, to all Association Secretaries.