The British Speedway Promoters Association (BSPA) actually runs the British Elite League, the British Premier League, the British Amateur League and the various FIM meetings staged in Britain. The daily running of these competitions is undertaken by the Management Committee, but the promoters from all the tracks meet periodically in the General Council to discuss matters of importance.

What are British Elite and Premier Leagues?

British Elite League

    Team                     Nickname             Race night
    ----                     --------             ----------
    Belle Vue (Manchester)   Aces                 Friday
    Bradford                 Dukes                Saturday
    Coventry                 Bees                 Saturday
    Eastbourne               Eagles               Saturday
    Ipswich                  Witches              Thursday
    King's Lynn              Knights              Wednesday
    Peterborough             Panthers             Friday
    Poole                    Pirates              Wednesday
    Swindon                  Robins               Saturday
    Wolverhampton            Wolves               Monday

At the end of the season, the team accumulating the most number of league points is declared the winner. Where two or more teams are tied on league points, the team with the greater excess of race points scored over race points conceded is placed higher.

Speedway Star Cup

In the Semi-Finals, the winner of the Northern Group meets the runner-up of the Southern Group, whilst the winner of the Southern Group meets the runner-up of the Northern Group. The winners of the Semi-Finals progress to the Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result. In the event of the aggregate score being level, the teams again race home and away against each other.

Northern Group: Belle Vue, Bradford, Coventry, Swindon, Wolverhampton
Southern Group: Eastbourne, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Peterborough, Poole

Craven Shield

The Quarter-Finals are arranged as follows: highest placed team meets 8th placed team, 2nd placed team meets 7th placed team, 3rd highest team meets 6th placed team, 4th placed team meets 5th place team. The winners of the Quarter-Finals progress to the Semi-Finals, with the winners of these progressing to Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result.

NPI Premiership

Four Team Tournament

The Final is held together with the BPL Four Team Tournament Final as a single event. It is run over twelve heats with the team scoring the greater number of race points being declared the winner. Where two or more teams are tied for first place in the Final, each team nominates a rider for a runoff to determine the winner.

Riders' Championship

See What are the rules for Individual Meetings? for further details on how this meeting is run.

Golden Gauntlet

The holder of the Golden Gauntlet must defend their title at each League, Speedway Star Cup and Craven Shield fixture against a challenger from the opposing team. The only exception is at the start of the season, or when the holder has just gained the title. In this case, the first defence is made at the next home fixture of their team.

The title is decided by a single match race held after the conclusion of the team event. The challenger is the rider scoring the highest number of points, including bonus points, from their programmed and nominated rides only. In order to gain the title, the challenger must defeat the holder outright.

If the holder is unable to defend their title due to injury sustained during the meeting, or is absent from three consecutive meetings for any reason, the title is forfeited to the challenger. If the qualified challenger is unable to ride, the second highest scorer from the opposing team becomes the challenger instead. The holder does not defend their title when riding as guest rider and guest riders are ignored when selecting a challenger.

Billy Hamill, the current World Champion, has been nominated as the initial holder of the Golden Gauntlet.

British Premier League

    Team                     Nickname             Race night
    ----                     --------             ----------
    Arena-Essex (Purfleet)   Hammers              Friday
    Berwick                  Bandits              Saturday
    Edinburgh (Armadale)     Monarchs             Friday
    Exeter                   Falcons              Monday
    Glasgow                  Tigers               Sunday
    Hull                     Vikings              Wednesday
    Long Eaton               Invaders             Wednesday
    Newcastle                Diamonds             Sunday
    Newport                  Wasps                Sunday
    Oxford                   Cheetahs             Friday
    Reading                  Racers               Monday
    Skegness                 Braves               Sunday
    Sheffield                Tigers               Thursday
    Stoke                    Potters              Saturday

At the end of the season, the team accumulating the most number of league points is declared the winner. Where two or more teams are tied on league points, the team with the greater excess of race points scored over race points conceded is placed higher.

Speedway Star Cup

In the Semi-Finals, the winner of the Northern Group meets the runner-up of the Southern Group, whilst the winner of the Southern Group meets the runner-up of the Northern Group. The winners of the Semi-Finals progress to the Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result. In the event of the aggregate score being level, the teams again race home and away against each other.

Northern Group: Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Newcastle, Sheffield, Stoke
Southern Group: Arena-Essex, Exeter, Long Eaton, Oxford, Reading, Skegness

Young Shield

The Quarter-Finals are arranged as follows: highest placed team meets 8th placed team, 2nd placed team meets 7th placed team, 3rd highest team meets 6th placed team, 4th placed team meets 5th place team. The winners of the Quarter-Finals progress to the Semi-Finals, with the winners of these progressing to Final. All ties are held over home and away matches with the aggregate score deciding the result.

Four Team Tournament

The Final is held together with the BEL Four Team Tournament Final as a single event. It is run over twelve heats with the team scoring the greater number of race points being declared the winner.

Where two or more teams have scored an equal number of race points in the Qualifying Groups, the team winning the greater number of heats is placed higher. If the teams are still tied, the team with the greater number of second places is placed higher. Where two or more teams are tied for first place in the Final, each team nominates a rider for a runoff to determine the winner.

Best Pairs Championship

Riders' Championship

See What are the rules for Individual Meetings? for further details on how this meeting is run.

Premier Silver Helmet

The title is decided by a single match race held after the conclusion of the team event. The challenger is the rider scoring the highest number of points, including bonus points, from their programmed and nominated rides only. In order to gain the title, the challenger must defeat the holder outright.

If the holder is unable to defend their title due to injury sustained during the meeting, or is absent from three consecutive meetings for any reason, the title is forfeited to the challenger. If the qualified challenger is unable to ride, the second highest scorer from the opposing team becomes the challenger instead. The holder does not defend their title when riding as guest rider and guest riders are ignored when selecting a challenger.

What is the history of the BEL and BPL?

In 1966, a competition known as the British League (BL) was formed by an amalgamation of the National League and the previously non-SCB affiliated Provincial League. This proved very popular with spectators and in the early-seventies, the BL was able to add a second division. Unfortunately, the promoters of the Division Two tracks very soon became dissatisfied with the way they were being run by the BSPA, and in 1976 they decided to form their own league known as the New National League (NNL) which subsequently became the National League (NL) in 1977.

The membership of both leagues reached a peak in the late-seventies and early-eighties but in 1985, falling attendances and spiralling costs forced five tracks to withdraw from the BL. An eleven-team BL was run for the 1985 and 1986 seasons until Hackney moved up from the NL in 1987. This proved to be a disasterous move and they withdrew after only one season. The BL was once again run with eleven teams in 1988 but during the winter of 1988, Sheffield were forced to close and Ipswich decided to drop down into the NL.

For the 1989 and 1990 seasons, the BL operated with only nine teams. The quality of teams during this period was very high due to the surplus of riders that such a small league created, but costs increased even further as teams often found themselves tracking former heat-leaders at reserve. The league also became very monotonous as teams had to ride against each other several times in order to create enough fixtures. This effectively discouraged any NL teams who might have wished to join the BL.

In 1991 therefore, Mervyn Stewkesbury (Promoter of the Poole team who had won the NL two years in succession) proposed the BL and NL should be amalgamated. Four NL teams joined the nine BL teams to form Division One, whilst the remaining NL teams formed Division Two. A system of promotion and relegation was also introduced between the two divisions for the first time.

This amalgamation was not as successful as initially hoped. Promotion and relegation proved unworkable with the restrictions on team building and was eventually abandoned in 1993. Division Two tracks also found themselves living beyond their means as they started to employ former-D1 and overseas riders whose use had previously been restricted in the NL. This resulted in five D2 tracks closing between 1991 and 1994. During this period two D1 tracks also voluntarily dropped into D2.

By the winter of 1994 the majority of tracks were running at a loss. Faced with the possibility that a further five teams would withdraw from D1, it was clear that the two division format of the BL was no longer viable. The BSPA therefore, voted to merge the two divisions into one large league for the 1995 season and renamed as the British Premier League.

This format lasted for two years and was moderately successful although two more tracks closed at the end of 1995 season. Unfortunately, a few promoters were unhappy with the restrictions on team building that were supposed to ensure competitive matches. It was certainly the case that many tracks still had uncompetitive teams and this was not helped by a lack of new riders coming through the ranks.

The newly-establised Academy/Conference League was attracting new riders, but many found the step-up to the BPL was too great. In addition, some tracks in the Academy/Conference League wished to operate at a higher level, but were deterred by the expenditure necessary in the BPL. In early-1996, several promoters considered reviving the National League as an intermediate competition although this proposal did not eventually succeed.

At the end of the 1996 season, the prospect of television coverage by Sky Sports arose that also coincided with an influx of new tracks. This encouraged the BSPA to form a new top division of eleven teams known as the British Elite League (BEL), with the BPL operating as a second division of fourteen teams. Sadly Cradley Heath withdrew from the BEL before the start of the 1997 season due to stadium problems.

It remains to be seen whether a return to two-tier league structure will be successful. The BEL teams have committed to increased costs hoping the improved quality of the teams will attract television coverage and ultimately the public. The BPL teams on the other hand, are now operating at a lower level and are hoping this remains attractive to existing fans.

What is the British Amateur League?

    Team                        Home Track
    ----                        ----------
    Belle Vue Colts             Belle Vue
    Border Raiders              Berwick
    Buxton High Edge Hitmen     Buxton
    East Anglian Angels         Ipswich & King's Lynn
    Lathallan Lightning         Linlithgow
    M4 Raven Sprockets          Reading & Swindon
    Mildenhall Fen Tigers       Mildenhall
    Oxford Cubs                 Oxford
    Planet Thundercats          Peterborough & Skegness
    Shuttle Cubs                Long Eaton & Wolverhampton
    St Austell Gulls            St Austell
    Western Warriors            Exeter & Newport
    Wight Wizards               Ryde

Knockout Cup

Riders' Championship

See What are the rules for Individual Meetings? for further details on how this meeting is run.

What other competitions are held in Britain?

10 riders are seeded directly to the Final. These are the defending British Champion, riders participating in the Grand Prix Series and the highest placed riders in the previous season's Green Sheet Averages. The next 16 riders in the Green Sheet Averages qualify for the Semi-Final.

The Semi-Final is staged over two meetings at different tracks with aggregate race points determining the final positions. The top six riders qualify for the British Final, with the 7th and 8th placed riders becoming the reserves. A runoff is held if two or more riders are tied on race points for first, second or third place. In addition, a runoff is held if there is a tie for the final qualifying or reserve position.

The Final is held as a single meeting with the winner being declared British Champion. In addition, the top six non-GP finishers qualify for the current season's Overseas Final .

See What are the rules for Individual Meetings? for further details on how each round is run.

British Junior Championship

The structure of the competition is shown below, along with the number of qualifiers from each round:

Semi-Final (5Q+1R) \
                    -> Final
Semi-Final (5Q+1R) /

The winner of the Final is declared British Junior Champion and the top eight finishers all qualify for the current season's World Junior Speedway Championship.

See What are the rules for Individual Meetings? for further details on how each round is run.

What are the rules for BEL and BPL matches?

               HOME TEAM                   AWAY TEAM
Heat       Red           Blue         White          Y/B
 1:         1   (A-B)     2   (C-D)     7   (B-A)     8   (D-C)
 2:         3   (B-A)     4   (D-C)     9   (A-B)    10   (C-D)
 3:         5   (A-B)     6   (C-D)    11   (B-A)    12   (D-C)
 4:         1   (C-D)     2   (A-B)     9   (D-C)    10   (B-A)
 5:         3   (C-D)     4   (A-B)    11   (D-C)    12   (B-A)
 6:         5   (B-A)     6   (D-C)     7   (A-B)     8   (C-D)
 7:         1   (B-A)     2   (D-C)    11   (A-B)    12   (C-D)
 8:         3   (A-B)     4   (C-D)     7   (D-C)     8   (B-A)
 9:         5   (C-D)     6   (A-B)     9   (B-A)    10   (D-C)
10:         1   (D-C)     4   (B-A)    11   (C-D)     8   (A-B)
11:         3   (D-C)     6   (B-A)     7   (C-D)    10   (A-B)
12:         5   (D-C)     2   (B-A)     9   (C-D)    12   (A-B)
13:        Nom  (A-B)    Nom  (C-D)    Nom  (B-A)    Nom  (D-C)
14:        Nom  (B-A)    Nom  (D-C)    Nom  (A-B)    Nom  (C-D)
15:        Top    *      Top    *      Top    *      Top    *

Nom = Nominated Riders
Top = Top Scorers

All riders have four programmed rides but may take a maximum of seven rides. This includes one Tactical Substitute, one Rider Replacement and one Heat 13/14/15 ride.

A Reserve may have a maximum of six rides prior to Heat 13, and a maximum of seven rides in total. These rides can be taken at any time. A Supplementary Reserve may also have a maximum of six rides prior to Heat 13, but may only be used as a replacement (unless it is a replacement under the Tactical Substitute or Rider Replacement rules) in heats where the Reserve is also riding, or when the Reserve no longer has any spare rides available after taking into account their remaining programmed rides. In addition, a Supplementary Reserve may not replace a Reserve excluded for a starting infringement or exceeding the two minute time allowance. All exclusions for starting infringements or exceeding the two minute time allowance count as rides once a Reserve or Supplementary Reserve has completed three races.

All riders must have at least three rides prior to Heat 13 unless declared injured by the track medical officer. If a rider is unable to take the minimum number of rides, their place in a heat may not be taken by any other rider until this requirement is met (i.e. a team may only field one rider in some heats). Exclusions for starting infringements or exceeding the two minute time allowance do not count as rides for the purposes of this regulation.

Each team must nominate two riders for Heat 13, and two riders for Heat 14. These riders may not be those participating in Heat 15, and no rider other than the Reserve may be nominated for both Heats 13 and 14 (except when Rider Replacement is being used).

The two highest scoring riders from each team may only ride in Heat 15. The scores from programmed rides only are counted and bonus points are included. A rider in this heat may only be replaced by the Reserve except when declared injured by the track medical officer. In this event, the scores of the rider are not considered when deciding the heat lineup.

The team in the lead after Heat 12, or the home team if the scores are level, must declare their riders for Heats 13 to 15 first.

After Heat 3, a team that is behind by eight or more points may substitute a rider in the next heat with another rider from the team. Each rider however, may only be used as a tactical substitute once and no tactical substitutions may be made in Heats 13 to 15. A substitute rider takes the helmet colour and starting gate position of the replaced rider. Both riders in a heat may be substituted in the context of this rule so long as the Referee is clearly notified which substitute replaces which rider.

In the BEL Speedway Star Cup competition only, one Golden Tactical Substitution may be used per meeting instead of a normal tactical substitution. The Golden Tactical Substitute starts fifteen metres behind the starting line, but any points scored by that rider are doubled (i.e. winning the race would yield six points). The starting positions are also amended so the substitute rider starts from Gate D, with their partner starting from Gate B. Any starting infringements result in a further handicap of ten metres. A rider may not become a Golden Tactical Substitute in a heat they are already programmed to ride in.

The team scoring the greater number of points over fifteen heats is declared the winner. When teams score an equal number of points, the match is declared a draw.

In the event of weather forcing a match to be abandoned, the result will stand if at least twelve heats have been completed.

What are the rules for the BEL and BPL Four Team Tournaments?

Each team must nominate their top four riders, as determined by the currently applicable Green Sheet Averages, but any other rider may be nominated as the reserve. Replacement facilities are not available in this competition.

Qualifying Rounds are held over sixteen heats using the standard four team tournament format, whilst the heat format for the Finals is determined as follows:

Heat     Gate A   Gate B   Gate C   Gate D
 1:         1        6       11       16
 2:        12       13        2        7
 3:         8        3       14        9
 4:        15       10        5        4
 5:         5        9        1       13
 6:        14        4       12        6
 7:        11        7       15        3
 8:         2       16        8       10
 9:         R        W        Y        B        4th highest scorers
10:         B        R        W        Y        3rd highest scorers
11:         W        Y        B        R        2nd highest scorers
12:         Y        B        R        W        Highest scorers

Reserves may have a maximum of five rides in a Qualifying Round and four rides in the Finals that can be taken at any time. All exclusions for starting infringements or exceeding the two minute time allowance count as rides.

Rider Nos.1 to 16 must have at least two rides in a Qualifying Round unless declared injured by the track medical officer. If a rider is unable to take the minimum number of rides, their place in a heat may not be taken by any other rider until this requirement is met (i.e. a team may not field a rider in some heats). Exclusions for starting infringements or exceeding the two minute time allowance do not count as rides for the purposes of this regulation. There is no minimum ride requirement in the Finals.

In Heats 9 to 12 of the Finals, each team is represented by their 4th highest, 3rd highest, 2nd highest and highest scorers respectively. Team members scoring an equal number of points may be nominated in any order.

In the event of weather forcing a Qualifying Round to be abandoned, the result will stand if at least twelve heats have been completed.

What are the rules for BAL matches?

            HOME TEAM         AWAY TEAM
Heat       Red     Blue     White     Y/B
 1:         1        2        7        8
 2:         3        4        9       10
 3:         5        6       11       12
 4:         1        2        9       10
 5:         3        4       11       12
 6:         5        6        7        8
 7:         1        2       11       12
 8:         3        4        7        8
 9:         5        6        9       10
10:         1        4       11        8
11:         3        6        7       10
12:         5        2        9       12
13:        Nom      Nom      Nom      Nom

Riders have four programmed rides but may take a maximum of six rides. This includes one Tactical Substitute and one Heat 13 ride.

The reserves may have a maximum of six rides that can be taken at any time. All exclusions for starting infringements or exceeding the two minute time allowance count as rides.

No rider is required to take a minimum number of rides.

Each team may nominate any two riders for Heat 13. The team in the lead, or the home team if the scores are level, must nominate their riders first.

After Heat 3, a team that is behind by six or more points may substitute a rider in the next heat with another rider from the team. Each rider however, may only be used as a tactical substitute once and no tactical substitutions may be made in Heat 13. A substitute rider takes the helmet colour of the replaced rider. Both riders in a heat may be substituted in the context of this rule so long as the Referee is clearly notified which substitute replaces which rider.

The team scoring the greater number of points over thirteen heats is declared the winner. When teams score an equal number of points, the match is declared a draw.

Each rider is entitled to a one minute practice session before the start of the match. For safety reasons, only two riders are allowed on the track at any one time.

What are the Green Sheet Averages?

The Green Sheet Averages are issued monthly by the BSPA and are used to govern team selection in the BEL and BPL. They are known as the Green Sheets because they are printed on green paper.

A CMA (Calculated Match Average) is worked out for each rider, and these are listed team-by-team in ranking order. The riders with the lowest and second-lowest averages of a declared 1 to 6 are designated as the Reserve and Supplementary Reserve respectively. The three riders with the highest averages are known as heat-leaders and must be programmed at Nos 1, 3 and 5 when riding at home, and Nos 7, 9 and 11 when riding away (although this may be in any order). The team status of any particular rider can also be determined for the purpose of rider replacement and use of guests.

At the start of a season, a rider retains their average from the previous season until they have competed in three home and three away league meetings. A new CMA is then issued which comes into effect seven days later. These averages are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month, starting from May, and come into effect on the 1st of the next month.

The CMA of a rider is calculated as follows:

Total points (including bonus points) / Total Rides x 4

When a rider moves from the BEL to BPL, their CMA is multiplied by 1.5. When a rider moves from the BPL to the BEL, their CMA is divided by 1.5. If a rider has established a CMA in more than one league, the BSPA must decide which is applicable. Note however, BPL averages established prior to 1997 are equivalent to BEL averages.

Riders who have never established a CMA are given an assessed average as follows:

British Elite League
Foreign riders who have appeared in a World Final or GP = 7.50
Other foreign riders = 6.00
British riders = 4.00

British Premier League
Foreign riders = 9.00
BAL riders with an average of 9.00 or higher = 4.00
Other British riders = 3.00

Finally, a rider missing at least one season through injury may apply to have their last established CMA reduced by 8% for each complete season they were absent. A rider missing at least one season for other reasons may have their last established CMA reduced at the discretion of the BSPA.

What is the Points Limit and how does it work?

The object of the points limit is to prevent BEL and BPL teams becoming too powerful, and to create a situation where riders become available to teams that need to be strengthened. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each promoter to maintain a team of adequate scoring power.

Each BEL and BPL team must declare six riders prior to the start of the season. These riders must be notified to, and receive approval from, the BSPA. The combined averages of the declared riders must not exceed 48 points in the BEL, and 38 points in the BPL. In addition, a BEL team may only include one rider with an average of 4.00, whilst a BPL team may not include any rider with an average higher than 7.00 (except for a new rider with an assessed average) and only one rider with an average higher than 6.00. A BPL team however, may include two riders with an average higher than 6.00 if both riders competed for the team during the previous season.

A team may permanently or temporarily change its declared line-up, provided the combined averages do not exceed the maximum points limit, OR the average of any introduced rider is not higher than the average of the rider they replaced. A team may not change its declared line-up if this would result in the combined averages falling below 36 points.

The riders of a declared team must all be under contract to the promoter of that team. The promoter is also required to have at least four additional riders under contract. There is no restriction on the number of foreign riders.

In the event of a declared rider being absent with no replacement facility available, they must be replaced by a rider not currently in any declared line-up in the same league, and who has a average of 4.00 or less. The average of this rider may exceed the average of the absent rider if the replacement is only temporary. Non- contracted riders may be used for this purpose provided that they do not ride for the same team on more than six occasions. A replacement rider must line-up in the team in accordance with the average of the replaced rider.

It should be noted that when a work permit rider is replaced in a declared line-up, that rider may not be re-introduced to the team for the remainder of the season without the permission of the BSPA Management Committee.

BAL teams must declare seven riders prior to the start of the season. As with the BEL and BPL, these riders must be notified to, and receive approval from, the BSPA. There is no maximum or minimum points limit but the following restrictions apply:

• Foreign riders are not permitted.
• Riders declared in a BEL team are not permitted.
• Riders declared in a BPL team that are over the age of 25 (as of 1st January that year), or who have an average in excess of 4.00 are not permitted.
• Riders that have participated in more than one hundred BEL, BPL, BL or NL matches are not permitted.

The riders in a BAL team must all be under contract to the promoter of that team. In the event of a declared rider being absent with no replacement facility available, they must be replaced by another of the Promoter's contracted riders who is not currently within the declared team.

How does the Guest System and Rider Replacement work?

A BEL and BPL team is permitted a replacement facility if one or more of its declared riders are absent for any of the following reasons:

• Injured while speedway racing.
• Sickness or non-racing injury supported by a medical certificate, in which case the rider may not resume within 7 days of the certificate date without permission of the BSPA Management Committee.
• Suspended following a hearing by the SCB.
• In dispute with the club, provided that the circumstances have been accepted by the BSPA Management Committe.
• Riding elsewhere on FIM World Speedway Championship duty.
• Riding elsewhere on compulsory international or national competition duty.
• Riding in a Trophy Round of the World Longtrack and Grasstrack Championship (a facility is only available for the day of the meeting and not for practice days or other rounds of the competition).

• One rider absent - Guest or Rider Replacement.
• Two or more riders absent - Guests for all riders, or Rider Replacement for one rider and Guests for the others.

The intention to use a replacement facility must be notified to the opposing promoter at the earliest opportunity. In the event of a dispute over eligibility or late notification, the team seeking to use the replacement facility must provide evidence to satisfy the Referee before the match. The Referee will not permit a replacement facility to be utilised unless evidence to support its use is provided.

Guest Riders

1. The rider directly above the absent rider in the current Green Sheet Averages may take one ride.
2. All riders below the absent rider in the current Green Sheet Averages may take one ride each. This does not apply to the Reserve (or Supplementary Reserve when eligible) who may replace the absent rider any number of times provided they do not take more than their maximum permitted rides.
3. An eligible rider may be nominated for either Heat 13 or 14 instead of the absent rider. This is in addition to their own Heat 13/14/15 ride.

Where can I get a copy of the SCB Regulations?

What heat formats have been used in the BPL, BL and NL?

The classic thirteen-heat format introduced in 1969 was used for many years by both the BL, and subsequently the NL. This format was also used by the BL Division 3 in 1994. The heats were made-up as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
 2:      6 & 7    v    6 & 7
 3:      5 & 4    v    5 & 4
 4:      3 & 6    v    3 & 7
 5:      5 & 4    v    1 & 2
 6:      1 & 2    v    3 & 6
 7:      3 & 6    v    5 & 4
 8:      2 & 7    v    2 & 7
 9:      5 & 4    v    3 & 6
10:      1 & 2    v    5 & 4
11:      3 & 7    v    1 & 2
12:      1 & 4    v    3 & 5
13:      3 & 5    v    1 & 4

The NL, always more innovative than the BL, decided to introduce a sixteen-heat format and scrap the traditional second-half, simply having a further four novice races instead. The thirteen-heat format was extended as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
14:      2 & 6    v    2 & 6
15:      3 & 5    v    3 & 5
16:      1 & 4    v    1 & 4

Prior to 1988, there were no fixed gate positions. The team captain winning the toss had choice of gate positions for the first heat (i.e. 1 & 3 or 2 & 4) and they alternated in subsequent races (except that a team six points in arrears could choose their gate positions). Team members had to decide between themselves which gate they would take and inevitably, the heat leaders took the best positions. For 1988 however, fixed gate positions were introduced in both the BL and NL that forced riders to start from every gate over the course of the meeting. This proved so successful that it has been used ever since.

One of the problems with the fifteen-heat format was Heat 14. Reserves were often injured during a meeting which meant that a team could only field one rider in this heat. When the BL and NL merged in 1991 therefore, the heat format was slightly modified as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 9:      5 & 6    v    3 & 6
10:      1 & 2    v    4 & 7
14:      4 & 7    v    5 & 6

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
 1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
 2:      3 & 4    v    3 & 4
 3:      5 & 6    v    5 & 6
 4:      7 & 8    v    7 & 8
 5:      1 & 2    v    3 & 4
 6:      5 & 6    v    1 & 2
 7:      3 & 4    v    5 & 6
 8:      2 & 7    v    2 & 7
 9:      5 & 6    v    3 & 4
10:      1 & 2    v    5 & 6
11:      3 & 4    v    1 & 2
12:      6 & 8    v    6 & 8
13:      3 & 5    v    3 & 5
14:      1 & 4    v    1 & 4
15:      7 & 8    v    7 & 8
16:   5th & 6th highest scorers
17:   3rd & 4th highest scorers
18:   1st & 2nd highest scorers

The match format introduced for the 1994 season was once again based on seven-rider teams, but featured sixteen heats. In fact, it was very similar to the pre-1993 format, but it brought the top riders together more often and avoided having more than one reserve race. The heats were arranged as follows:

Heat   Home Team     Away Team
1:      1 & 2    v    1 & 2
2:      6 & 7    v    6 & 7
3:      3 & 4    v    3 & 4
4:      5 & 7    v    5 & 7
5:      3 & 4    v    1 & 2
6:      1 & 2    v    5 & 6
7:      5 & 6    v    3 & 4
8:      2 & 7    v    2 & 7
9:      3 & 4    v    5 & 6
10:     1 & 2    v    3 & 4
11:     5 & 6    v    1 & 2
12:     3 & 7    v    3 & 6
13:     1 & 5    v    1 & 5
14:     4 & 6    v    4 & 7
15:       Nominated Riders
16:         Top Scorers

The introduction of the British Elite League however, has prompted the BSPA to change the match format yet again. The move to six-rider teams has been deemed necessary to improve the quality of the lineups, and to help alleviate a shortage of suitable riders. See What are the rules for BEL and BPL matches? for more information on the present format.