RULE 1. VOTING AND AMENDING RULES

1. State Team will be affiliated with the USWGA, but will be governed by an Executive Board consisting of the State Team Captain and the Team Captains from each participating course. (Fall 1996)
2. Team rules come under the USWGA standing rules and are amended by a simple majority vote.
3. Each club shall have only one vote in deciding team rules.
   
4. All individual and team rule infractions, not specifically covered by the State Team Rules, will be voted upon by the Executive Board. (Fall 1996)

RULE 2. TEAM QUALIFICATIONS

1. A club may have more than one team, but a player must choose which team she wants to be on and remain on that team for the entire season. (Fall 2007)
2. Teams will be 8 or 10 women. The number of players must be designated at the beginning of the season and that number must be played throughout the season, including any play-off matches or in any matches for the State Team Championship. (Spring 2002)
3. Divisions will be made up of at least 5 teams.
4. Each division will have a champion. (Fall 1989)
5. Mergers will be handled on a club to club and year to year basis. (Fall 1987)
6. Team fees will be $40.00 per team per year to cover expenses of the State Team Captain, trophies, and related team expenses. Fees must be paid to the State Team Captain before the first match of the current season is played. (Fall 1996) Penalty for breach of rule 2F. State Team Captain will notify the team captain of non-payment of fees. After notification, the team will have one week to pay their team fees or be suspended from play for the year. (Fall 1996)
7. If a player has multiple memberships to two or more ladies associations and they wish to participate in team play, they must designate which club they will play for at the beginning of the year and play for that team throughout the season.
8. A team can compete with 2 people less than a full team, without forfeiture of the match and the season. (Spring 2003)

RULE 3. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

1. Each team may invoke their own rules for team eligibility. (Fall 1980)
   
2. All team members must be current members of the USWGA. State dues must be paid and in the hands of the team captain prior to team play.
   
3. Team members must belong to a ladies day association and carry an 18 hole Handicap. (Spring 1977)
   
4. Three out of four ladies days must be competitive events. (Spring 1977)
   
5. In order to be eligible to play in a play-off between divisions, a member must have played in at least one team match during the regular season. If alternates are not eligible, the team must play with fewer players. (Fall 1994) Penalty for breach of Rule 3E. The player will be disqualified for the remainder of the current year. The points won by the ineligible player will be cancelled and the points will be automatically won by the opposing team. (Fall 2001)

RULE 4. HANDICAPS

1. A player must have a current UGA handicap card.
   
2. A player holding multiple handicap cards and club memberships shall be allowed to play in different divisions of team play. Namely, a northern division player or country club player may play State Team, as well as, her other division. A player may not play on more than one state team. This will be in effect only if the ladies association by-laws permit. (Fall 1991) Penalty for breach of Rule 4b. The player will have her points ruled out and wins or losses will be re-figured.
3. Teams will consist of players with handicaps from 0-36 maximum. Higher handicaps must drop to 36 to compete.
4. Placement on the team shall be determined by the differential as shown on the handicap sheet. Exceptions will not be made to put walkers with walkers. (Fall 1991) Penalty for breach of Rule 4D. The team with members playing out of their position will forfeit the match. The forfeiting team will not lose all their points, only the number necessary to show a loss by one point. The state team captain will make the point adjustment necessary. (Fall 1991)

RULE 5. RULES OF PLAY

1. All team play will be covered by USWGA stroke play rules.
2. Honors on the tee. The team with the lowest handicap will tee off #1, thereafter the best net team score has the honors.
3. If players are late for team play, they will be allowed a maximum of 15 minutes to show up for their foursome. However, the other foursome following theirs in the line-up shall begin play. Exception, in case of extreme emergency. Both team captains must agree.
4. All matches will be played as scheduled. Any postponements, except for weather, or when the course becomes unavailable; must be approved by the state team captain. A match that must be rescheduled after the master schedule is set must be rescheduled within 30 days of the original date. (Fall 1991) Penalty for breach of Rule 5D. All wins during that year are returned. The team will be disqualified from team play for the remainder of the year. (Fall 1996)
5. Slow Play. The play through rule will be in effect. If there is a hole open in front of you, you must wave through the group behind you. Penalty for breach of Rule 5E. Since all players failed to allow the following group to play through, each player will not be eligible to play the next team match.
6. Team play will be scheduled on any day to accommodate club requests and tournament dates. The State Team Captain has the final decisions on days. Team will be played during the months of May, June, July and August. Team Captains will be responsible to get the days scheduled with their course pro.
   
7. A team will play each team in their division at home and at the course of each opponent. (Fall1996)
   
8. Team matches will have tee times starting at 9:00 a.m. Team captains can get together and make time changes if necessary. (Fall 2002

RULE 6. SCORING

1. Two points possible per hole: 1 point for the lowest net score against the lowest net score of the opponent, and the next lowest net score against the next lowest next score. In case of a tie between either opponents, a half point shall be awarded each team. (Fall 1989)
2. Strokes will be taken from the handicap person in the foursome.
3. Total points for the match will vary depending on 8 or 10 woman teams. 8 woman teams 144 points and 10 woman teams 180 points total. The team with the most points at the end of 18holes will receive 1 win point. If a tie were to occur, the 1 point will be split ½ point per team. All match points will be converted to 8-women match scores by reducing all 10-women team point totals by 20% to account for the mix between 8- and 10-women teams. The team with the highest total points (as adjusted to 8-women team scores) will then receive the bye in the first round of the play offs. (Fall 2005)
   
4. A team member may quit play only in case of illness or extreme emergency. She may keep her points up to the time she quits. (Fall 1987) Penalty for breach of Rule 6D. Forfeiture of all points accumulated to the time she quits.
5. Each player is responsible to total and adjust her score card correctly. The team captain will verify all adjusted score cards to post them accurately on the team reporting sheet for her team. (Fall 1996) Penalty for breach of Rule 6E. If an infraction occurs twice by the same player, she will be notified by the state team captain of the infraction and the proposed penalty, if the infractions continue, the Executive Board will have the option to post a scratch score (72) against the player to adjust her state handicap. (Fall 1996)

RULE 7. CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF

1. Each division will have a winner based on wins and losses at the end of the season. (Total match points are not used to determine winners of each division.) If a tie occurs, there will be a play-off within the division. (Fall 1996) If a three way tie occurs, a percentage of total points will determine who gets a bye. (Fall 1999)
   
2. All championship and or division play-offs will be on neutral courses.
   
3. Division winners will play-off for the State Team Championship. If there are three divisions, the team with the most wins will have the bye in the semi-final match. If each of the three divisions has the same points, a percentage of total points will be used to determine who gets the bye. (Fall 1999) The winner of the semi-final match will advance to the Championship Finals Play-off. (Fall 1996)
   
4. Should a tie occur in the Semi-Finals or the Championship play-off, there will be a Sudden Death Playoff between the 2 lowest players of each team, with starting to be determined by the Golf Club. Order of play to be by a draw. (Fall 2003)
   
5. All semi-final and championship play-offs must be complete rounds of all team members. If cancellation occurs during a match, it must be rescheduled and started over. Cancellation can only come from the course Professional. (Due to weather of any threatening factor.) (Fall 1999)

RULE 8. TEAM TOURNAMENT

1. The Team Social was changed to the Team Tournament. ( Fall 1992)
   A team tournament, at which food will be served, will be played on a day designated by the state team captain any time after the State Amateur Tournament.
2. It is not mandatory for a team to play in this tournament. (Fall 1992)
3. Team members may play in the Team Tournament even if they have not played a team match during the season.
4. Teams will be limited to an 8 woman team during the team tournament.
5. Team match ups will be drawn by the state team captain.
6. Payoff to the tournament will be 1/3 of the field. (Fall 1990)
7. Team awards will be presented at the Team Tournament. (Fall 1989)
8. All teams will have their line up and entry fees paid to the state team captain no later than one week prior to the team tournament or they will not be eligible to participate in the tournament. (Fall 1996)
9. If a player gets sick or an emergency happens there will be a blind draw. (Fall 2005)

RULE 9. DIVISIONS AND SCHEDULE

1. The number of divisions will be determined each year by the number of teams participating in State Team Play. (Fall 1996)

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