LEAGUE RULES:
We would like to remind everyone that incidents of verbal and physical abuse will not be tolerated in the league. Individuals and even
whole teams face the possibility of a ban from the league. The same applies to any individual or team found guilty of cheating. We would
like to kindly remind you that this is a friendly league.
General League Rules
Disciplinary and rules Panel: ( to be refered to as 'The panel' )
The Panel will make a ruling on all disciplinary and league rule matters. The panel is made up of 4 current players ( Including the league
Chairman who will have a deciding vote if opinion is equally split ) Their decision is final. Any issues that players / teams feel need to be
looked at, need to be reported to the league no later than 7 days after the event. Written statements and / or evidence must be provided (
including social media messages / posts or phone text messages and emails ) Any issues that are for some reason not covered by these
league rules, will be refered to the panel for a ruling.
Entering a team to play in the league:
Current teams playing in the league are 'invited' to play in the next season. No team has an automatic right to play in the league. The
league reserves the right to not invite a team to play in the league without reason. Current teams are given preference if they want to
submit an additional team.
Rules old and new....
Teams may sign up new players on the night as long as they are not currently registered for any other team. Please add the player
registration information to the Fromt of the Match Result Sheet
A team may consist of as few as three players, 4 bye's must be recorded on the results sheet, players must not play more than their 2
games and doubles if picked. (a team of 3 could still win 8-4 !) ( This rule does not apply to World Rule Divisions )
If you need to rearrange or cancel your match the Team Captain or Vice Captain must contact the opposing Captain or Vice Captain (not
the venue) by no later than 6:30pm on the date of the match. The Captain cancelling the match must then also text the League Number to
advise of this. The league highly advises that Venue's are informed so that no food that may be provided is wasted / spoilt.
All league matches must be played and result sent into the league by the end of the season. Any outstanding matches will be deemed as a
0-0 score line unless there are exceptional circumstances, which have been agreed with the League.
If the match cannot be played on the designated evening please text the Match results number to advise.
If the match cannot be rearranged then the cancelling team will lose 8-0. ( 10-0 for World Rules teams ) If any of the above occur please
advise the league via a text to (07917 697566) stating the reason. Or email: [email protected]
Major change for the league since the Summer 2009 season, Frame 11 (Doubles) will now count as 2 points, so there are 12 points up for
grabs per match. For Team KO matches, the doubles match remains as 1 point. ( Not applicable to World rules matches )
Points:
A point is awarded per frame won. A 2 point bonus will be awarded to the winning team. ( No bonus points will awarded for a draw,
Applies to Old EPA rules only )
REMEMBER there are 12 points up for grabs per Match, ( Old EPA rules ) 15 points for World Rules. So be careful with your Match Result
texts and sheets. ( No doubles match in World Rules )
Players playing order:
NO player should play the same person twice. This is why the playing order for the away team is different. If you want to replace a player in
the second half of a match with a different player that didnt play in the first half of the match, this is allowed. HOWEVER...the person being
replaced CANNOT then play in a different playing order in the second half of the match. ( except in the doubles ) Example...Player A plays in
position 1 in the first half, but is dropped for the second half of the match for a player that didn’t play in the first half. Player A can no
longer participate in the second half of the match...i.e...play in position 2. This is not permitted. If the team involved refuse to adhere to
this rule, then this will be amended by the league and the frame awarded to the opposing team. In the Summer season, when only 4
players are required, this rule must still be considered, but an exception will be made if it is unavoidable. Also with only 4 players, team
captains can allow a player to play an extra game. Player position number 5 ONLY is to be used as an extra game. So 4 players in a team
should play as players 1-4, and the extra game to be assigned as player position 5. Teams that play players out of number order will be
subject to having these frames awarded to the oposing team ( if they were won ) if they were lost by that player, then a points
deduction for each out of turn player can be issued. In all cases, these issues will be refered to the panel. )
Behaviour:
Teams have a responsibility to act in an acceptable manner during matches. The league reserves the right to Ban any player from the
league whose behaviour is seen as unacceptable. The league Also reserves the right to Ban teams due to bad behaviour of team members,
or those who may accompany said team to matches, and also for non payment of team fee's. Also remember that Landlords of the venues
being visited also reserve the right to ban players / teams. All incidents reported will be referred to the panel. The league will not tolorate
theft or drugs abuse. Anyone found to be taking drugs or found guilty of theft will face an immediate league ban. Any player banned by the
league will be subject to also being reported to the Surrey County Pool Association, and possibly the EPA ( English Pool Association ) and
may have their EPA card revoked as a result ( if they hold one )
Match result sheets: Filling out results sheets:
All result sheets must be sent into the league's offical method. Any one found sending sheets to anyone or any other organisation will face
disciplinary action from the league and may face being banned.
BOTH teams must fill out a match sheet, ( Home team responsible for submitting their sheet to the league ) IT IS AT THE DISCRETION OF
BOTH CAPTAINS, if they allow the opposing team to view their team line up before filling out their own sheet.....From a league perspective,
the fairest way of doing this, is for each captain to fill out their team sheet, with their playing order, and THEN hand their team sheet to the
other captain so the opposing team names can be filled in. This eliminates 'hand picking' players to play against....
ALL sheets must be handed to the league ( to the address given on the sheet ) no later than 7 days after the match date. Failure to do so
will result in a 1 point penalty deduction, for EACH late sheet, from that teams respective points total. 3 points will be deducted if a team
fail to submit a match sheet at all. Sheets should be emailed to [email protected] ( prefered method ) DO NOT SEND VIA MMS
MESSAGE OR WHATS'APP! These will not be accepted.
All results must be text off to the text result number no later than the Wednesday after the match date...Failure to do so will mean a 1
point deduction will be made to the home teams, Away teams are welcome to text results off, but the home team MUST do the same...The
same applies to games that have been cancelled..you must inform the league.
Trophies
Any trophy that is returnable at the end of the season ( Division winners, Runners up, Singles winner and runner up, and team KO winners
and runner up, known as perpetual cups ) MUST be returned in the same condition that it was in when awarded to that team. the winning
team / Landlord of the winning team, MUST accept liability for any damage caused whilst in their care. Teams / Landlords that accept these
trophies on presentation evening, do so knowing that they are liable for their care and cost of repair / replacement if damaged.
Teams who win trophies must also immediately return them if they pull out of the league ( for any reason ) as these are the property of
the league. This only applies to perpetual cups, and not individual player trophies. Any team not turning up on Presentation evening will
NOT be awarded any trophies won.
The league will award 6 individual trophies per team. Any team requiring more than this, can request any additional amount but must pay
for these at their own expence.
Players that are barred from Venues / Pubs / Clubs:
If any player in the league is barred from a venue that participates in the League, then this is an issue they must accept. The league has NO
control over people being barred from venues. REMEMBER......a team can play with 4, or even 3 players ( summer season only ) and still
win a match ( 3 players Not applicable to World Rules Teams ) Its highly advisable that teams have extra / spare players in order to cover
any such situation. If the whole team decides not to turn up as a result of any player being barred, then this will be seen as a no show, and
an 8-0 default win will be awarded to the opposite team. (10-0 in world rules ) Default win points will also be awarded.
Break Off Rule: Alternate Breaks ( all rule sets )
Teams will toss a coin to see who breaks first..( Word rule divisions will ‘Lag’ for the break. ) whoever wins, will have to break..there will no
longer be a choice of breaking or letting your opponent break ) the winner of the coin toss will break in the first frame of the
match...Breaks will then be alternate between the teams...example: Home team wins the coin toss and breaks...they will then break on the
3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th frames of the match. Away team will break in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th frames. Doubles match ( if applicable ) will be
determined by a toss of a coin.
Playing equipment: ( All rules sets )
ALL Venues must supply a rest, a spider and set of playing balls that are in good condition. ( Red and yellow balls, standard UK size ). Pool
tables must be no smaller than 6ft long, and no bigger than 7ft long. Playing surface of the table must also be in an acceptable playing
condition and all efforts must be made to ensure that the table is level. If a team/s decide that a table is not fit for play, then they have the
right to cancel the match until a further date. The venue must correct any issues before the match can be rearranged. The league MUST be
informed of this on the same evening the match is cancelled. Failure to correct any issues by the end of the season will see a default win
awarded to the away team. Venue’s will also be expected to correct any issues before their next scheduled match. An inspection will be
made by the league to make sure issues are corrected.
New: The use of Pro Cup balls are permitted. The home team has Priority choice over standard, or Pro Cup Balls to be used.
Player Numbers: ( All rules sets )
Summer season: A minimum of 4 players are required. Teams can play with less players, but will lose a frame for each player they are
short. ( Example: 3 frames per player short in World rules, or 2 frames per player in Old EPA rules ) Old EPA rule teams can play with a
minimum of 3 players in the summer only, but will still lose a frame for every player they are short of the 4 player requirement.
Winter Season: Winter season requirement is a minimum of 5 players. This is a requirement of the league's affiliation to The Surrey County
Pool Association and is our 'Qualifying' season. If you have less than the required 5 players, then the same rule applies to frames lost as the
summer season. However! No team can play with less than 4 players!
Double Headers:
Double header matches, Meaning one match being played and points doubled ( to be played as a last resort ) are allowed, but both team
captains and the league must approve this first. Win points WILL NOT BE DOUBLED in double headers...only 2 points for the win will be
awarded... this is to encourage teams to play ALL league matches, avoiding the need for double headers. Any team not fulfilling their
fixtures will be refered to the Panel to decide what to award. ( If two matches against the same team are played on the same night across
two tables, then win points will be awarded for both matches )
Player Stats: ( All rule sets )
Players stats will be updated during the course of the season. Stats are based on amount of frames won, minus frames lost...The player
with the highest points total at the end of the season will win the player stats trophy for their respective Division. If any players are tied on
points, then a play off for the trophy will determine the winner. This will be arranged by the league. Player stats are totally dependant on
result sheets being received. No official match result sheet received, no stats entered! In the event that a team is short of players and give
away default frames, then the player from the oposing team that should of played the missing player will be awarded a default win towards
their player stats.
Signing new players: ( All rule Sets )
New players can be signed on, on the evening of a match. They must not be registered with another team that plays in the league. If they
are registered with another team, then a player transfer form must be filled in and submitted to the league BEFORE the start of a match.
The league operates a policy of nobody under the age of 14 are permitted to play in the league. Anyone under the age of 18 MUST seek
permission of the landlord / manager of the venue they are playing in / from. The league has no control if they are not allowed into a
licenced premises.
League table and points Structure:
Matches consist of 15 Singles frames in World rules or 10 single frames and one doubles match in Old EPA rules. A point will be awarded
for each frame won. ( 2 points awarded for winning the doubles in Old EPA rules ) A 2 point win bonus will also be awarded to the winning
team. League table positions will be based on the total amount of points won. In the event of teams being on the same points, then
matches won will take priority. In the event that teams are still tied, Matches lost, then head to head record will then determine league
position. League tables will show points deducted for late or missing match result sheets, and also no text result received. Late texts and
result sheets are subject to a 1 point deduction for each occurance. Missing result sheets incure a 3 point deduction form the respective
teams total league points. The home team are responsible for sending off the match sheet and text result.
Competitions:
Team knockout:
All teams will be entered into their respective rule set team ko unless otherwise asked not to do so. There is no financial charge for
entering the team ko. Due to the random nature of the draw, At times it may be necessary to avoid more than one team playing at the
same venue with only one table.
Singles Knockout:
Each rule set will have their own Singles knockout competition. The format of the competition will be determined by the number of players
entered, However a player number cap will be in place for each rule set. ( Typicaly 64 for world rules and 32 for Old EPA rules ) Each round
will be drawn randomly. It may be the case that the later rounds ( Quarter finals onwards ) will need to be played by arrangement of those
players drawn against each other at a venue and date / time mutually agreed. This is because of the potential lack of spare weeks to hold
the competition. The Semi final matches of each rule set MUST be played no later than 1 week before the Singles final that is held on
Presentation evening ( Presentation evening date will be set before the first round of the singles ko but may be subject to change for
reasons beyond the control of the league ). The amount of frames per match will be set by the league on a 'per round' basis. ALL players
must be able to play in the final on presentation evening. If they cannot, then they will be eliminated from the competition and their
opponent will be given a bye. The panel will be consulted on any issues that arise that may not be covered by league rules. There is also no
charge for players to enter the Singles ko.
Refereeing matches:
All frames should have a referee. If no referee is appointed during a frame / match then the league cannot get involved if a discrepancy
arrises.
New World Rules Divisions introduced for Summer 2014 season:
World rules teams must adhere to the following: ( in addition to existing league rules where applicable )
Updated October 14th 2016:
Each team must display a copy of World Rules for all players in case guidance is needed.
World rules teams MUST have a minimum of 5 players to play in the winter season ( 4 in the Summer season ) ... Any team that does not
have 5 players on the night must mark the result sheet as a win for the other team for each frame not being played. This WILL count
towards the player stats as a win for the opposite team player. Teams are not permitted to play with less than 4 players reagrdless of
summer or winter season.
Teams must fill in their first 5 players on the match sheet before play starts. Then again at the beginning of each set of 5. Any changes must
be agreed by both team captains.
Matches will consist of 15 single frames. These will be played in 3 sets of 5 frames. No player can play more than 1 game in any set. No
player can play any more than 3 frames in total. ( except in the summer season )
2 POINTS will be awarded for a match win as well as the frames won. Example: a team winning 10-5, will have a total score of 12-5 with the
win bonus included.
Teams will ‘Lag’ to determine who breaks first. The winner of the lag will break. Breaks will be alternate between teams thereafter.
A 1 minute Shot duration will be in force. The timer will give a clear ’30 seconds’ warning when 30 seconds has elapsed, and ‘Time foul’ if a
player has not taken their shot within the 1 minute duration. Stop watches are ideal, however stop watch ‘Apps’ on smart phones are
acceptable .
Home teams will time keep, Away teams will referee.
League table and points Structure: As per normal league rules.
LEGAL STATEMENT: The league ( including its officials ) is in no way, in part or full, responsible or liable for any bad behaviour, violence, or damage that may happen as a result of bad
behaviour / violence by any individual or team playing in, or attending a match organised by the Blackwater Pool League.