District Striking Competitions

The Ely District Striking Competitions are usually held at one of the ringing meetings in the year. See the current District Ringing Programme for details.

TEMPORARY RULES for the ELY DISTRICT STRIKING COMPETITION (2023, 2024, 2025)

• 1. Teams shall be ringers from towers in the Ely District of the Ely Diocesan Association. Teams eligible to win a trophy must comprise regular Sunday Service ringers at an Ely District tower except that one ringer may be borrowed for the occasion in the case of ill health of a member, or the team having arrived short.  Ad hoc teams ('scratch bands') may be organised to accommodate individual District ringers. Such teams shall be judged on the same basis as the Sunday Service teams, but they shall not be eligible to win the trophy. A tower may enter more than one team and up to three members may enter both competitions. We ask that a team capable of ringing methods should play fairly and not enter the Call changes competition!

  2. There shall be one or more judges who shall not be resident members of the Ely District. The District Ringing Masters shall appoint the judges.

  3. The teams shall draw lots for the order of performance.

  4. The test piece shall be 120 rows. 

For the 'Method Competition' the test piece shall be rung on six bells or on five bells with a tenor cover.

For the 'Call Changes Competition' the test piece shall be at least 60 and up to 120 rows, including one or more of the following named changes: 135246 (Queens), 531246 (Kings), 142536 (Tittums). Teams may ring rounds only if they desire, but should signal the judges as per point 7 below so that they know which rows to judge. 

Teams entering the Call Change Competition shall contain a minimum of two members who have not yet rung a quarter peal on a working bell. Bands ringing fewer than 120 half-pulls will have their faults factored up to give a fair comparison with bands who do achieve 120.

• 5. The whole of the test piece shall be judged, but rounds at the start and end shall be excluded from the judging, unless the team is ringing rounds only. See 7 below.

  6. Each team shall be allowed up to five minutes’ practice immediately before ringing its test piece. Exceeding this time may incur faults at the discretion of the judges.

  7. The start of the test piece shall be signalled by two whole pulls on the treble. If the team is ringing rounds only then the signal to the judges will be two whole pulls rung on treble and 2nd (ie 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2)

  8. The decision of the judges shall be final. 

  9. Trophies shall be awarded to the highest ranked band of ringers from one tower (ie not a scratch band). The Ely District Shield will be awarded to the winners of the method competition, and the Don Murfet Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the winners of the call changes competition. Trophies will be held until the next Ely District Striking Competition.

ORIGINAL  RULES (Pre-2023)

METHOD SECTION RULES for the ELY DISTRICT STRIKING COMPETITION

1. Teams shall be from towers in the Ely District of the Ely Diocesan Association.

2. Members of teams entering must be regular Sunday Service ringers at that tower except that one ringer may be borrowed for the occasion in the case of ill health of a member, or the team having arrived short.

3. If time allows the District Secretary may organize one or more ‘ad hoc’ teams to accommodate individual District members. Such teams shall be judged on the same basis as the Sunday Service teams, but they shall not be eligible to win the trophy.

4. No one may ring for more than one Sunday Service team.

5. Each year the venue shall be selected by the District Committee.

6. There shall be one or more judges who shall not be resident members of the Ely District. The District Ringing Masters shall appoint the judges.

7. The teams shall draw lots for the order of performance.

8. The test piece shall be 120 half-pull changes. The test piece shall be rung on six bells or on five bells with a tenor cover, except that teams from five-bell towers may compete with five bells.

9. The whole of the test piece shall be judged, but rounds at the start and end shall be excluded from the judging.

10. Each team shall be allowed up to five minutes’ practice immediately before ringing its test piece. Exceeding this time may incur faults at the discretion of the judges.

11. The start of the test piece shall be signalled by a whole pull on the treble.

12. The decision of the judges shall be final.

13. The winning team shall be awarded the Ely District Shield, which they shall hold until the next Ely District Striking Competition.

CALL CHANGE SECTION RULES for the ELY DISTRICT STRIKING COMPETITION

• 1. Teams shall be from towers in the Ely District of the Ely Diocesan Association.

  2. Members of teams entering must be regular Sunday Service ringers at that tower except that one ringer may be borrowed for the occasion in the case of ill health of a member, or the team having arrived short.

  3. A tower may enter more than one team.

  4. Each team shall contain a minimum of three members who have not yet rung a quarter peal of Surprise on a working bell.

  5. The venue and judges will be as for the method competition.

  6. Members will be allowed to ring in both competitions.

  7. The teams shall draw lots for the order of performance.

  8. The test piece shall be at least 60 and up to 120 half-pulls, including at least ten different call changes of which 135246 (Queens), 531246 (Kings) and 142536 (Tittums) shall be three, starting and finishing in rounds.

  9. The whole of the test piece shall be judged, but rounds at the start and end shall be excluded from the judging.

  10. Omission of the three compulsory changes or ringing fewer than ten different changes will attract one fault for each omitted change.

  11. Bands ringing fewer than 120 half-pulls will have their faults factored up to give a fair comparison with bands who do achieve 120.

  12. Each team shall be allowed up to five minutes’ practice immediately before ringing its test piece. Exceeding this time may incur faults at the discretion of the judges.

  13. The start of the test piece shall be signalled by a whole pull on the treble.

  14. The decision of the judges shall be final.

  15. The winning team shall be awarded the Don Murfet Memorial Trophy, which they shall hold until the next Ely District Striking Competition.

Results

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