PENN 2020 RULES

A new season with £10,000 in prizes starts on January 1, so check out the big event’s rules

All you need to know for new season.

Are you registered to compete for a share in the annual £10,000 worth of prizes in the 2020 Penn Sea League? Shore match fishing’s most popular event runs from January 1 to December 31, and if you have not registered before, now’s the chance to qualify for prizes. In addition, there is a monthly prize of a Penn reel for the angler scoring the most points for matches covered in each issue.

Annual Penn tackle voucher prizes remain at £4,500 for each division, along with £1,000 for the winner of the annual Penn Final.

In each division, the annual tackle voucher prizes will continue to be divided as follows: 1st £1,500, 2nd £1,000,

3rd £700, 4th £500, 5th £350, 6th £200, 7th £150 and 8th £100.

At the conclusion of every year, the top anglers are invited to fish the prestigious Penn Final. Qualifiers for the 2020 final to be held in 2021 will be the top 39 in the Premier Division and winner of Division 1.

For the 2020 open match season, the maximum score for any event remains at 30 points. The bigger the match the more points for more anglers.

One-day and multi-day matches featuring 110 to 399 anglers will be awarded points down to fifth place, and those with 400 or more anglers will be awarded points down to 10th place. One match each month will be designated as Penn Plus, where the chosen event gets points down to 10th place.

In matches with more than five zones each day, the zone points will be halved and rounded up.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW...

1 Only matches fished at weekends or official bank holidays can qualify for Penn points, but no other weekdays. 2 Multi-day events (maximum five days) will be accepted (subject to at least one day complying with rule 1), but with points awarded for the overall result

ONLY and up to a maximum of 20pts for the winner, except for matches with in excess of 700 entrants that will receive a maximum 30 points for the winner. Zone points from each day will be based only on the daily entry, not the overall entry. 3 Multi-day species festivals will only attract points for total entry, not multiplied by the number of days. 4 League events and other major national shore competitions will be awarded Penn Sea League points at the editor's discretion.

5 All events must be open. League, pairs and team competitions are allowed only if they include a separate individual event.

6 Sea Angler will not be held liable to any loss or injury before, during or after a Penn Sea League event.

7 Penn points will only be awarded to a maximum of 12 matches held by any one club or organiser per year.

8 All PSL nominated matches, date and details must be sent to Sea Angler magazine, by email only (not Facebook), two months in advance so they can appear in the fixture list. 9 Points will be awarded from January 1 to December 31. All monthly and annual prizes are awarded at the discretion of Sea Angler magazine. 10 The Premier Division is maintained at 250 anglers, with relegation and promotion based on that figure.

11 The top 39 in the Premier Division and the winner in Division One qualify for the Penn final. Total points awarded for the final will be at the discretion of Sea Angler magazine. 12 The angler receiving the most points for matches covered in each issue will be awarded a Penn prize (only one prize per angler per year), and that angler must be registered with the PSL. In the event of a tie, the angler with the most scores will win. If a tie still remains, the editor will choose a winner. 13 Shore competitions of all types are eligible – heaviest/longest fish, bag weight/length and specimen fish, roving, pegged and zoned. Biggest fish events must be nominated at time of entry, or will be deemed aggregate weight. 14 Penn status is awarded at the discretion of Sea Angler magazine. Matches can include a maximum of five sections per day (any more than five then zone points will halved and rounded up). Only the actual zone winners can win zone points. If an angler in the top three wins a zone that zone is void, same with heaviest fish.

15 All results must include the number of competitors, weights/score, and names and home town of winners. Queries about points must be submitted within two months of the event. Please contact the match organiser first.

Sea Angler magazine’s decision is final in all disputes.

16 The PSL is based on a points system, the bigger the entry the more points scored. Minimum entry number is 10 anglers (not number of pegs) and will receive one point for the winner only. Maximum points awarded for 200-299 anglers will be 20; and for 300 or more will be 30. The maximum points that can be scored at one event is 30 points, regardless of total entry. 17 Any one-day or multi-day event featuring 110 to 399 anglers will be awarded points down to fifth place, while events with 400 or more anglers will be awarded points down to tenth.

18 Extra points to 10th place overall will also be awarded for designated Penn Plus events, chosen by Sea Angler magazine (maximum one Penn Plus event per month) and indicated in advance on the fixture list. Normally, Penn Plus status will not be awarded to events lasting more than two days.

19 Fraudulent entry numbers will lead to the disqualification of clubs and all competitors involved.

20 Sea Angler reserves the right to exclude any club/organiser from future Penn points for failure to supply results in the specified time frame. 21 Only an angler’s top 12 points scores count for their points total. 22 Points for biggest fish can be awarded in bag weight events, and points for bag weight can be awarded in specimen and biggest fish events, only if included in results. 23 To register or send fixtures and results, email: SeaAngler@bauermedia.co.uk

Alternatively, post to: Sea Angler magazine, Media House, Lynchwood Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA.