Following several enquiries about eligibility for teams in the Earnshaw Cup, whose first team are not entered in the Oddfellows Cup, the following interpretation of the rules will be observed:

League Cup rule on Player Eligibility page 69 should also state that the Earnshaw Cup is subject to both Sykes Cup and subserviently the Paddock Shield rules on eligibility. However; the timing of the competition requires a more appropriate interpretation of Paddock Shield rule S3. Furthermore, any first team not entered in the Oddfellows Cup should be treated as though they had previously been eliminated.

Therefore without reference to Sykes Cup/Paddock Shield rules the rule for player eligibility for League Cup shall be as follows:

LC3 PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
a) All players who are registered by midnight on the Friday prior to the start of the season shall be eligible to play in the Competition during that season without restriction, with the exception of a Test cricketer playing at First Class level or a contracted County cricketer who has played in the County Championship during the current season, who shall be subject to the provisions of Rule LC3b)

b) A player registered after the start of a season, or a Test or County player as defined in Rule LC3a) above whenever registered, shall also be eligible provided that, during the season, he has played for his club in the qualifying of League and/or Sykes Cup/Paddock Shield matches specified below (or appeared on a TMRF for an abandoned match in accordance with League Rule L8p) prior to the scheduled date of the round in which he plays:

1. 1. In preliminary or first round - one prior League match played
2. 2. In second round - two prior League or Cup/Shield matches played
3. 3. By the date of the first option for the semi-finals - four prior League or Cup/Shield matches played
4. 4. By the final - must have qualified under either a) or b 1) - 3) above.
   

c) No player shall play for both his club’s teams in the same or corresponding rounds of the Oddfellows Cup and Earnshaw Cup competitions, nor shall any player play for more than one club during the same season

d) Any team playing an ineligible player shall forfeit the tie and be fined £20

e) If the First Eleven has previously been eliminated from, or were never entered in, the Oddfellows Cup competition no player shall be eligible to play in the preliminary or first round of the Competition if he has played in more than TWO, in the second round if he has played in more than THREE, or in any subsequent round if he has played in more than SEVEN, First Eleven League or Sykes Cup games (or appeared on a TMRF for an abandoned match) during the season to date.