The Ballarat Cricket Association is poised to introduce its new player points system in time for the 2020-21 season.
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Following a model used in local football during recent years, the BCA ran a trial throughout last season where clubs were asked to follow the system without fear of penalty.
BCA president Rob Florence said a full roll-out was expected next season.
"That's very much the intention, unless it got voted out when we do the rule changes," Florence told The Courier.
"It doesn't stop clubs paying players and that's what a lot of people initially thought it would do. But it encourages the clubs to promote from within and not go out and get the 10-point (player).
"There's a lot of clubs that have got a hell of a lot of juniors that have generated through the club and they can afford a 10 pointer..."
Next season, all BCA first grade teams will be forced to follow the system, which gives cricketers a rating based on their playing history. Under the initial guidelines released for 2019-20, someone that played first class cricket during the previous two seasons would carry a maximum rating, while one who had not played first grade with another BCA club or was a junior product of that club would be a minimum two-point player. A range of point ratings fall in between based on prior cricket history.
It follows in the footsteps of a system used in the Geelong Cricket Association in recent years.
"We had a meeting the Geelong Cricket Association (a few years ago) and they'd brought the points in. They recognised straight off that it didn't stop the big payments, but it did make clubs think about where they were going to generate their new players from.
"We see it as a positive."
In an email sent to clubs prior to the start of last season, it stated the aim of the system was to "create a fairer and level playing field for all clubs to succeed and prosper".