Snooker Rules

Reading & District Billiards & Snooker League -

Administrator - Lyndon Paxford | lyndonpaxford@gmail.com |

League

Cups

THE READING & DISTRICT SNOOKER LEAGUE RULES

CONSTITUTION

1. The league shall be composed of affiliated clubs in the Reading & district and shall be called “The Reading & District Billiards & Snooker League”

2. The Officers shall consist of:-

President – To be elected at the AGM – period of office to be life unless agreed otherwise. Will have voting powers.

Vice President – To be elected at the AGM. Will have voting powers.

Chairman – To be elected at the AGM. To have voting powers and a casting vote.

Secretary – To be elected at the AGM for a period of 5 years with voting powers.

Treasurer - To be elected at the AGM for a period of 5 years with voting powers.

3. The League shall be governed by a committee comprising of elected officers plus one (1) representative from each registered club. Meetings will be presided over by the Chairman or in his absence, the president or Vice president. A quorum shall require the presence of two (2) of the elected officers plus a minimum of 15% of club representatives.

4. Where appropriate, appeals, complaints or objections shall be considered by a panel appointed by the committee. It shall comprise of the elected officers and six members of the committee. The decision of the panel will be final.

5. The rules of all members’ clubs must be honoured.

GENERAL RULES

6. A meeting shall be held annually on a date determined by the committee and shall be called the “Annual General Meeting” (AGM). A special general meeting may be called at any time during the current season upon the request of the committee or league members.

7. All clubs shall be elected to the League at the AGM.

8. Applications for new clubs to join the League must be made in person at the AGM.

9. No club shall be allowed to enter more than four (4) teams.

10. All players wishing to participate in the league and competitions must be a member of, and register through an affiliated club.

11. The committee reserves the right to refuse entry, suspend of disqualify any team of player from any competition.

12. No player shall be allowed to play for more than one team during the season. However, where a team has an excess of registered players and another team within the same club has insufficient players, a player may transfer to that team, even though the player may have already played for the former team. Such transfers will be allowed during the first half of the season only. The Secretary must be notified before any such transfer takes place. Any team knowingly using a player who is in contravention of this rule will forfeit the full match points and the players registration will be withdrawn for the duration of the season. Any other forms of transfer will be at the discretion of the committee.

13. All matches shall be played in accordance with the fixture lists as published. All fixtures falling on a Bank Holiday to be played on the following day, i.e Monday to play Tuesday, Tuesday to play Wednesday. Matches must be completed on the same table(s) on the same night.

14. Any team unable to fulfil any arranged fixture must notify their opponents and the League secretary at least forty eight (48) hours before the match date. Such fixtures must be rearranged by the team captains and played within 21 days of postponement. All matches must be played by the end of the league season or by a date instructed by the league secretary. Failure to comply may result in the loss of match points, which will be at the discretion of the committee.

15. The secretary to be notified by the home team of the result of any league match within forty eight (48) hours and confirmed by an email confirmation so the website can be updated within four (4) days of the match date. Failure to comply will result in two (2) points being deducted from the home teams total points.

16. In all competitions the home player/team has the choice of tables and responsibility for contacting opponents within ten (10) days of the date of the notice as published for each round offering two (2) dates for the games to be played within the expiry date for that round. Failure to comply will result in away players/teams having choice of venue.

17. The secretary to be notified by the winners of the results of all competitions by the expiry date of each round. Failure to comply will result in the winners being disqualified from that competition. Discretion rests with the secretary.

18. In the case of any dispute between teams or contestants or any appeals raising from any other matters the secretary and/or the management committee may require written confirmation of the dispute or appeal.

19. Semi finals and finals in all knockout competitions to be played on neutral tables as arranged by the committee.

20. The league championship shall be awarded to the team scoring the highest number of points in each division. In the event of a tie the team with the most matches won will be declared the winner. If there is still a tie, then the head to head result will come into play. If that is still a tie then a play off to be arranged by the management committee. In the event of team in relegation positions having equal points, play offs where necessary to be arranged by the management committee.

21. All competitions trophies to be competed for annually and cannot be won outright.

22. The snooker and billiards balls shall be of an approved composition and shall be of a standard size. A ball or set of balls may be changed by agreement between the players or on a decision by the referee.

23. All games to be played in accordance with the rules of the W.P.B.S.A with the following exceptions: a) The Miss Rule. The Miss rule will only be applied in the premier division with the agreement of both team captains on the evening to conduct the match utilising the miss rule. If the miss rule is applied, then it is applied in its entirety as per W.P.B.S.A Rules.

24. The appropriate entry fees shall be determined by the general committee and ratified by the AGM.

25. All club and competition entries should be paid before the start of the season. Where despite best endeavours that requirement is not met, the secretary has the discretion to decide how to proceed. All players shall be registered and the registration fee paid to the secretary before any player plays for a team.

26. All new teams to enter in the lowest division. In exceptional circumstances, whereby teams have withdrawn from the league, a team can enter in a different division, after a vote from all team captains at the AGM.

27. In the event that an existing team leaves its sponsoring club, transfers to another club and plays under the new club’s name, that team can retain its league division status, provided it is represented by the same cadre of players in the next season.

28. If a team withdraws from the league during the season or fails to fulfil all the fixtures then the team is deemed to have withdrawn from the league and all points gained by the opponents of a withdrawn team will be deducted. The question of re-entry in the following season will be for determination by the committee.

29. Each team shall consist of at least Four (4) or five (5) players. There is no limit to the number of players that can be registered for a team. If five (5) players are in attendance during a league match, then all five (5) players must be utilised.

SNOOKER RULES

30. The league matches shall be conducted on a scratch system.

31. A team shall consist of four (4) or five (5) players per side. In the event that a team is unable to field 4 or 5 players and has not rearranged the match in accordance with rule 14, that team must play that match provided it has two (2) or more players available on the night. A three (3) point deduction will be enforced to teams persistently rearranging fixtures, at the discretion of the committee.

32. A League Fixture consists of Ten (10) frames with a point being awarded for each frame. Each player shall play two (2) frames. One (1) point shall be awarded for each frame won. Teams with 4 players will randomly draw a player to compete in a 2nd Two (2) frame match. Again One (1) point shall be awarded per frame.

33. On the night of the match the home captain and the away captain will draw the names for each game at random. The home captain has the right of decision over the order of play, inclusive of all matches.

34. Where a four (4) man team is utilised, a random draw will take place at the beginning of the match of all matches, including the match which incorporates an individual playing two (2) matches on the night.

35. All matches should commence not later than 7.30 pm and play must be continuous. Any team not ready to play by 7.30 pm will forfeit the first game two (2) nil. Any team not ready to start by 8.00 pm may lose further points at the discretion of the committee.

36. Promotion and relegation across all divisions will be applied as follows:

• Premier Division – One (1) Team relegated to Division 1.
• Division 1 – One (1) Team promoted to Premier Division. One (1) team relegated to Division 2
• Division 2 – One (1) team promoted to division 1. One (1) team relegated to Division 3
• Division 3 – One (1) Team promoted to division 2.
Teams occupying the top spaces in the league table at the conclusion of the season will gain promotion. Teams occupying the bottom spaces in the league table will be relegated. In the event of 2 teams being tied on points Rule 20 will be applied.

37. ONE TABLE CLUBS – In one (1) table clubs four players from each side will play one frame each for two (2) points, while the remaining two (2) players will play two (2) consecutive frames for one (1) point each. The two frame match will be played by the third pair drawn by the team captains. If a Four man team is utilised then rule 34 is applied.

38. A league fixture must be fulfilled if a minimum of two (2) players are available. In line with Rule 34, one player can play twice on the night, but any other missing players will be treated as a walkover match and the frames/points will be awarded to the team with the full complement of players as defined in Rule 29.

THE EACOTT CUP

39. The Eacott cup shall be conducted on a handicap system. All teams shall be entered into The Eacott Cup.

40. A team shall consist of four (4) or five (5) players per side as per Rule 29. Where a four (4) man team is fielded, Rule 34 will take effect.

41. At a one (1) table club the match will be contested as per rule 37

42. All matches should commence not later than 7.30 pm and play must be continuous. Any team not ready to play by 7.30 pm will forfeit the first game two (2) nil. Any team not ready to start at 8.00 pm will lose the tie.

43. On the night of the match the two (2) captains shall draw the names for each game at random. The home captain decides the order of play except that in the semi finals and final the order of play will be as drawn.

44. In the event of a drawn match (5-5) or (3-3) each team Captain will draw at random one (1) player from his team to play a deciding frame. The players drawn must have played previously in the tie and all players must be entered into the random draw. The winner of the deciding frame will win the tie for his/her team.

SNOOKER COMPETITION RULES

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

45. The Championship will be open to all registered players.

46. All Players to start from scratch and games to be best of five (5) frames within all group phases and knockout rounds, and best of seven (7) frames in the final.

47. Home player to meet the cost of the table.

48. All draws for the Group Phase and the knockout phase will be completed by the secretary and the management committee.

49. Semi finals and finals to be played on neutral tables, the venue and referees to be decided by the management committee.

50. Any player who tails to turn up without informing his opponent before the match starts will be disqualified.

51. Any player failing to complete fixtures within the determined time frame can be removed from the tournament at the discretion of the committee.

THE HANDICAP SINGLES

52. The Handicap will be open to all registered players.

53. All Players will be handicapped and games to be best of five (5) frames within all knockout rounds.

54. Rules 3 to 7 as per the Championship.

THE HANDICAP DOUBLES

55. The Pairs competition will be open to all registered players.

56. All Players will be handicapped and games to be best of five (5) frames within all knockout rounds..

57. Rules 3 to 7 as per the Handicap

In all sections general rules apply.