Competitions

Boccia Ireland Challenge Series 2024

The Challenge Series is a simple way to play competitive and fun boccia. Follow the steps below to get challenging. Full rules and regulations can be found below but remember anyone can play boccia and anyone who competes in a set number of matches can get a national ranking. Below are documents which detail how you can get started.

Challenge Series Overview

Challenge Series Scoresheet

Challenge Series: Referees

National Championships 2023

The 2023 Boccia Ireland National Championships were held on the 3rd December in the IWA Sports Centre, Clontard. It was a day of tough competition and congratulations to all those who competed.

The 2023 finalists were:

BC1 Gabriel Shelly – 1st Padraic Moran, 2nd Niamh Dunphy, 3rd Darryl Pye

BC2 Tom Leahy Cup – 1st Dylan Nelson, 2nd Scott Cromie, 3rd Jason Kearney

BC3 John Cronin Cup– 1st Michaela Hollywood, 2nd Daniel Elliot, 3rd Patrick Flanagan

BC4 Aaron Asan Cup- 1st Jayne Milligan, 2nd William Auld

Open- 1st Caoimhe Scally, 2nd James Carolan, 3rd Joe McVeigh

The 2017 competitors were as follows:

BC1
Niamh Dunphy
William Graham

BC2
Scott Cromie
Padhraic Dormer
Jason Kearney
Padraic Moran
Dylan Nelson
Claire Taggart
Stuart Wiley

BC3
Erika Boucher
Alan Carrigan
Connor Corroon
Aisling Daly
Jenny Garde
Patrick Kelly
Robert McCune
Lucy Riordan
Hannah Uprichard

National Challenge League – Rules & Regulations

Any member of Boccia Ireland can take part in a Challenge League match. Once a player competes in the required number of League matches it will count towards the Boccia Ireland National Rankings and National Championship seeding. The required number of matches is detailed below under the National Ranking System.

Athletes and clubs can arrange their own matches whenever they like, but for a match to be approved, it must be played under a set of conditions to ensure there is consistency in all matches.

A general overview of these conditions are;

Players must both be members of Boccia Ireland
Referee must be from a pre-approved list published by Boccia Ireland
Match must be played under official BISFED rules
A match report form must be signed and sent to Boccia Ireland

Detailed playing conditions and expectations.

Match Venue
- A match can take place in any agreed venue as long as all participating players and the referee agree the court is fit for purpose and meets playing regulations. For clarity a court should be full size where possible, but it does not need to be full size if players and referee agree it is suitable and any non-regulation court sizes are agreed in advance.
- No player will be deemed to have ‘home advantage’ in any match regardless of venue. All matches will be treated as neutral.
- Boccia Ireland is not responsible for the upkeep, organisation or costs involved with venues for matches.

Classifications
- Participating players are responsible for ensuring that their classification is up to date with Boccia Ireland.
- Matches will only count towards a particular classification ranking if both players are officially classified with Boccia Ireland prior to the start of the match.
- All matches between players of different classifications or players without an official ranking will count towards the ‘Open’ rankings. This means that any Boccia Ireland member can compete and take part in a Challenge League match and gain a national ranking.
- The official classification list held by Boccia Ireland takes precedence in all matters relating to classification in Challenge League matches. Players must ensure that any change in classification is up to date on this list before participating in a match.
- Any player or referee wishing to clarify any classifications ahead of a match can do so with Boccia Ireland; with at least two working days notice needed to respond to any queries. This is to ensure all involved are aware of official classifications and is not an appropriate avenue to challenge a particular classification.
- All matches will be one of the following seven categories; BC1, BC2, BC3, BC4, BC5, BC6 or Open.

Players
- All participating players must be a current member of Boccia Ireland at the time of the match.
- Any member can participate in a Challenge League match, with no requirement for an official classification.
- Players must ensure they make clear arrangements with the match referee well in advance and keep them updated on any changes of plan as soon as possible.
- Players must sign, or be witness to someone signing on their behalf, the match report form prior to the start of the match, showing they agree to the match as a Challenge League match and the classification which the match is being played under.
- Players must sign, or be witness to someone signing on their behalf, the completed match report form showing the scoring and final result from the match.
- Players should ensure that all match report forms are sent to Boccia Ireland as soon as possible after the completion of the match.
- It is the responsibility of all players to ensure they and any assistants adhere to the rules of Boccia and to ensure both their own conduct and the conduct of any assistant is appropriate and within the spirit of the game at all times.
- Participating players must ensure that the match is overseen by a Boccia Ireland approved referee.

Match Officials
- All referees must be listed on the Boccia Ireland Officials List, will have completed a recognised boccia-specific referee course and be a current member of Boccia Ireland.
- The referee will be responsible for keeping score during the match and for completing the scoring section on the match report form.
- The referee must sign the match report form both before and after the match in order for the match to be deemed an approved match.
- All decisions of the referee during the match in regards to the implementing of the rules are final.
- Players must agree on the referee in advance; there is no restriction on who referees a match as long as they are on the Boccia Ireland Officials List.

Match Report Forms
- A match will not be considered an approved Challenge League match unless the match report form has been received by Boccia Ireland.
- All players and the match referee need to sign the match report prior to the start of the match to confirm all agree to and are aware of the playing conditions.
- The referee will complete the scoring and result section of the match report form.
- Players and the match referee must sign the completed form showing the result at the completion of the match to ratify the result.
- Report forms must clearly show the date, name of players competing, name of referee, date, end by end scores and final score. Any forms which are not legible or unclear may result in a match not being approved for ranking points.
- Classification category of the match should be clearly stated on the form and agreed before the start of the match.
- Completed forms can be sent via email, post or messaging to Boccia Ireland, as long as the details and signatures on the form are clear and readable.

Disciplinary
- Any conflict or disagreement during or around a match should be reported to Boccia Ireland through the Player Representative, Boccia Development Manager or a member of the committee.
- Any action or behaviour that results in an intervention from the match referee should be reported, even if a satisfactory resolution is reached during the game. This will be at the discretion of the referee.
- Any conflict or disciplinary issues, including refusal to sign forms, may result in disciplinary action by Boccia Ireland, which could range from a written reprimand to suspension from participation depending on seriousness.
- The match referee may report the actions of any player or assistant to Boccia Ireland should they feel their behaviour or actions fell outside the rules of Boccia or outside the spirit of the game.
- Players may make reports of any behaviours or actions they feel are inappropriate through the Player Representative.
- In the event of a disciplinary case, Boccia Ireland may ask players to provide a written explanation of their actions / their version of events in the first instance, with the possibility of a hearing in serious cases.
- Any sanction or charge made against a player or assistant will be made in writing to the relevant person, who will then have a period of seven (7) days to respond. This will take the format of a formal charge and a proposed sanction. A player can accept or appeal the charge and / or sanction.
- The Boccia Ireland committee will have final say on disciplinary hearings and sanctions.

National Ranking System & National Championships

How will it work?

The National Rankings will ensure each player who competes in the minimum required number of Challenge League matches or other National events with Boccia Ireland will be part of the National Rankings for Irish boccia players.

The minimum number of Challenge League matches in order to achieve a national ranking and seed for the National Championships, differ depending on player classification, and are as follows:

BC1 – 4 matches minimum
BC2 – 4 matches minimum
BC3 – 4 matches minimum
BC4 – 4 matches minimum

Open class 4 matches minimum

The winner of each match will be awarded 3 points

Players who reach the minimum number of matches and have a national ranking will receive an automatic seed for the National Championships.

In certain circumstances if a player has not achieved a national ranking they may be awarded a seeding based on their league results.

Players who do not complete the minimum number of matches will not appear on the national rankings.

Winners from the previous National Championships are automatically entered the following year, but we still encourage the minimum number of Challenge League matches to be achieved.

* = Wheelchair user – please discuss requirements with the individual

As Boccia Ireland grows and develops we aim to be able to facilitate a variety of events including:

Regional Championships

Regional Open Days

Junior Boccia Competitions

BisFed Anti-Doping.

For more information please see – BISFed Competition Rules – English.