Southport Badminton League

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This Web site is all about the Badminton League in Southport, Merseyside, England. It tells you about the clubs, gives you the league tables from previous seasons, and news of the current/forthcoming season.

In 2000/2001 the Southport Badminton League had 9 divisions playing at 6 levels of ability. This was catered for by having divisions 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6. Divisions lettered with 'A's and 'B's played as parallel divisions, i.e. the standard is the same. This accounted for the 6 levels of play.

In 2001/2002 the League reverted to its original format of "straight through" divisions, starting out with 9 divisions (meaning there were 9 levels of play).  Then due to number of teams the 2006/2007 season had 8 divisions and still does today.

Each division has 10 teams (hopefully), each of which plays the other twice in a season, home and away. This means that a team plays 18 league games in a season, running from September through to April.

A team has to contain 4 men and 4 ladies.  In the League each player plays level doubles and mixed doubles.  Each doubles (both mixed and levels) is played to 2 games of 15, with obvious outcomes of 2-0, 1-1 or 0-2.  Thus a match, with 2 men's doubles, 2 ladies and 4 mixed, all of 2 games each, has 16 games.  The team recording the most games wins the match: winners take 3 league points, losers none.  If a match is drawn at 8-8 the team with the most points (aces) scored records a winning draw (2 league points) and the other team records a losing draw (1 point).  A tie, with games and points level, is worth 1 point to each team. 

Also there are three other competitions that are played during the season besides the league. These are

red pinCup - This is where each team plays matches in a knockout format against the other teams at its own level. This is played in the first half of the season. But this season the league have decided to swap the cups and shield matches around to back where it was before. In the 2009/2010 season, with the introduction to the new scoring system games will now be played to 21 using the rally system. If a match goes to 20-20 you must win by 2 points, if if gets to 29-29 then the side scoring their 30th point wins the game.

red pinShield - Shield matches used to be play as handicapped matches in a knockout format against the other teams at its own level. This is played in the second half in the season. In the 2009/2010, with the introduction to the new scoring system games will now be played to 30 with no extended play i.e. you can win a shield match 30-29.

red pinWatkinson Trophy - This is where every team in the League plays handicapped matches in a knockout format against teams from the rest of the League. The matches are played during the whole season when the final is the final match of the season - the FA Cup of Southport badminton! In the 2009/2010 season, with the introduction to the new scoring system, a game will be the first to 25 points with no extended play i.e. you can win a Watkinson Trophy match 25-24.

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