Contents

3. The League Structure

The Association will play under as many divisions as necessary to accommodate the number of teams entered. At the end of each season, positions 9 &10 of each division will be relegated to the next division and positions 1 & 2 promoted in their place. In the event of a tie (where points and bonus points are equal), a play off between the two teams that tied will take place before Presentation Night for that season. This will then form the final order of merit. A maximum of ten teams and ideally no less than nine teams will form each division. The teams are then placed into each division according to the order of merit. All teams will be graded on the team's previous performance and on the individual players.

In order to be classified as the same team from the previous season, there must be at least four players that played previously, signing on for the forthcoming season.

4. The Players

Each player must be registered with a team that is registered with the Andover Pool Association. All players must be over 16 years of age. All players will honour the rules of the Association, act in a sporting manner at all times and respect the rules and guidelines of any playing venue they may be attending.

5. The Captains

One player will be designated on the Registration form as the Captain for that team. The Captain will take full responsibility for the team and its actions on playing nights, for the duration of the season. Each captain will ensure they are in receipt of the current rules and will have them available on each playing night. It is the Captain's responsibility to try and sort out with the opposing Captain, any problems that may occur on the night and to inform an Officer of the committee when such situations can not be resolved. The Captain or the team may designate a player to act as Captain for the duration of a match.

6. Registration

Each team will pay a registration fee of £35 per team per season. An additional £10 deposit is applicable to all new teams or teams which have not paid this deposit. The registration forms will be delivered to each known playing venue before the last game of the previous season. All forms must be completed and delivered with the appropriate registration fee, to the appointed place by the due date as defined on the form. As the Association can not be responsible for the actions of any Landlord, Club Steward or venue representative, it is the responsibility of all players to ensure they have the appropriate registration form and for the appointed Captain to ensure that the form is safely delivered.

7. Transfers / New Signings

Each team is entitled to sign as many non-registered players as they see fit with a maximum after the initial registration, of four additional players being signed on for the season and no more than two on any one night.

A player wishing to transfer to another team may do so providing a transfer fee of £2.50 has been paid within seven days of the transfer. No player will be allowed to transfer after the first half of the season.

8. De-registering of players

The de-registering of players is allowed but cannot be done without consultation with the League Secretary. The player must be physically unable to play pool before they will be considered for de-registration.  Once a player has been successfully de-registered, this will enable that team to sign on another player if they have already used their quota of four for the season.

This is not a step to be taken lightly, as the de-registered player will be unable to play pool for the rest of the season for any team. Any team playing a de-registered player will be considered to have brought the Game or the Association into disrepute and will be dealt with most severely.

9. Pool Tables

All Pool tables will be kept clean, level and in a condition acceptable to the Association. The home team is responsible for the condition of the table on match nights. It is the responsibility of both Captains to ensure that the table is in a playable condition, before the start of the match.

It is advised that both Captains, before the start of the first game, check the playable condition of the table by use of the cue ball. If the table is not in an acceptable condition and cannot be rectified on the night, the League Secretary must be informed and the game will be rearranged. Except in exceptional circumstances, complaints in regard to the table condition will not be considered after the first game has been completed.

The Association reserves the right to withdraw any team from the competition if the table at the home venue does not meet the requirements of the Association.

10. Match Night

Thursday night is the Association player night.  The scheduled start time for the match is 8pm. It is recommended that away teams arrive at the playing venue before 8pm so that the match can start on time. A minimum of four players signed on per team is required to commence a match and no match may commence after 8.30pm. All players must be at the appointed venue by 9pm.   No player arriving after this time will be entitled to play, unless in mitigating circumstances, each Captain has agreed to the late arrival of a player. All matches should be finished by 11pm and can only be continued with the permission of the Landlord, Steward, etc.

11. The Match

All matches will be played within the rules as defined herein. Each team will consist of a minimum of four and up to a maximum of twelve registered players. Each match will consist of a maximum of six single games and three games of doubles. Each player can play in the singles and the double games, but no player will play more than one game of singles or more than one game of doubles. In the event of a team only having four or five players, the players will be listed respectively 1 - 4 or 1 -5 on the scorecard. If an additional player arrives within the stated time limit, that player must be added on to the end of the scorecard. All players will be registered, be registering or transferring within the rules stated.

Teams who leave a venue owing to a dispute or disagreement before the match is completed, without contacting the League Secretary (or other Officer) will forfeit the remaining games unplayed. If they leave at 3-2 down then they would lose 7-2 etc. If they had won 5 frames and left the venue, then they would forfeit the match by 5-4.

If a team fails to turn up on Match Night for three matches in a season without notice, they will have deemed to have resigned themselves from the League.

12. Points

One point is awarded per game won. Four points are awarded per match won. No match can be played for double points.

13. Referees

The Home team will appoint a referee for each game. The Referee is charged with ensuring that the game is played within the rules and to administer the rules in a fair and unbiased manner. The Captain will ensure that each person designated for the task of refereeing will have sufficient basic knowledge of the rules and in the case of the doubles games, have an adequate timepiece to hand. In the event of the referee being unable to make an acceptable ruling or the referees ruling is disputed by either Captain, the League Secretary or other Officer, should be contacted immediately. To increase the competency of referees and to train new referees, a Captain, with the permission of the opposing Captain, may designate a player to stand as final adjudicator with a referee who may not be too sure of the rules. This person's function is purely to override the referee when an obvious mistake is made.

14. Unfinished Matches

Matches not completed on the night, must be played at the original venue within 21 days and by the players as listed on the card.

15. Cancellation

• A match will only be cancelled with a minimum of 24 hours notice - 8.00pm on the day prior to a match and the League Secretary informed.
• If a team cancels a match without prior notice or fails to field 4 players by 8.30pm, then they forfeit the match and score minus thirteen points. The match will not be rearranged. The opposition will be awarded the points equivalent of a 9 - 0 win.
• All cancelled and rearranged matches must be played within 21 days of the original date set at the original home venue. No match will be played after the last Match Night of the season. In the event of a rearranged match not being played within the 21 days, or in the case of a dispute, the League Secretary will set a date for this match to be played.
• Failure to inform the League Secretary of a cancellation by the Sunday following the cancelled match, will earn both teams a fine of one point each.

16. Score Cards

All players will print and sign their names on the scorecard. On completion of a match, the Captains or acting Captains will both sign the scorecard, ensuring that all details requested on the card are filled in and are correct. In the case of persistent or major failure of the Captains to have the cards filled in correctly, the League Secretary may impose a fine of two points for each team, for each occasion.

The Captain of the winning team is responsible for delivering the completed card to the address given, by 10.30pm of the Sunday following the match. Four points being deducted for the first day of lateness and then one point for every day thereafter, up to a maximum of seven points.

17. Teams withdrawing from the competition

If a team withdraws from the league competition, all results against the team are cancelled. The fixture against the team is to be considered a 'BYE' for the whole season.

18. Rules

The rules of the game will be available to each Captain at the start of the season, with the following changes / amendments (These rules take precedence over any rules on display at any venue): -

• Rule 1 - If a Captain feels that a decision taken by a referee was not in accordance with either the rules or the spirit of the game, the Captain can ask the referee to reconsider his/her decision by quoting the relevant rule. If the Captain is not satisfied with the final decision by the referee, the game should be allowed to continue. If the Captain wants to take the matter further, he/she must inform the opposing Captain that a complaint will be lodged with the committee and immediately inform the League Secretary or another Officer of the committee of the situation. The League Secretary must receive this complaint within one week of that game. The committee will call all concerned parties to its next meeting where it will judge the matter accordingly.

19. Knockout Competitions

All registered players are entitled to enter the Knockout Competitions at the start of the season and can continue to play in those competitions in accordance with the following rules: -

• All players are deemed to be representing the team they are registered with.
• With the exception of the Team Knockout competition, which is played under normal match conditions, all First Round games are played as the best of three games, except for further rounds including the Quarter-final, Semi-final and Finals games, which are decided by the Competition Secretary and will be advertised on the competition sheets.
• Singles Competition - A player can continue in the competition if they change venues providing they are legally transferred.
• Doubles Competition - Both players can continue in the competition if they change venues providing they are both legally transferred to the same team.
• In Doubles matches of three frames or above, team mates must alternate breaks when it is their turn to do so.
• Captains' Competition - The designated Captain of a team, can only play as a representative of the team they were originally registered with.
• Landlords' Competition - Only the Landlord, Manager or Club Steward may enter this competition and only one representative may enter from each venue.
• Team Competition - Only those players legally registered with the team may play in this competition.
• If any player or team withdraws from the Knockout competition, the results stand for games that have been played.
• The Competition Secretary reserves the right to cancel any competition before the commencement of the competition, if insufficient numbers have entered.
• It is each player's responsibility to ensure that they receive each round of the competition, to play by the given date and to ensure the results are handed in correctly.

20. Anti-Social Behaviour

Any player or team can expect to be dealt with most severely by the Committee if they: -

• Wilfully break or flaunt the Association Rules.
• Offer violence, threats of violence, or harassment to the referee or other players.
• Bring the Game or the Association into disrepute.

Players should always be mindful of the common-sense rules of good behaviour.  Goodwill and good conduct = Good behaviour.

Upon receipt of these rules, they must be signed by the team Captain and be on display on match nights.

21. Complaints

All complaints should be made in writing (letter or email) to the Secretary. However, complaints can be made in person to the committee, providing that they advise the league secretary by telephone, prior to attending the meeting in person to voice their complaint. In the event of a complaint or other disputatious matter, the committee will have the final decision.