City of Brighton and Hove Pool League

RULES AND CONSTITUTION

1. The League will be known as the City of Brighton and Hove Pool League.

2. The League will be organised by the pool Administrator, Chairman and committee members in a democratic way.

3. The function of the League is to organise a competitive league and competitions within the Leagues area and to support the sport nationally outside of the Brighton and Hove area.

4. The Playing rules are to be World rules.

5. There will be a minimum of three committee meetings each year. These meetings will be held in private and in strict confidence. Minutes of the committee will be issued to playing teams if requested. The quorum for making decisions will be a minimum of four committee members to include two of the main officers with the chairman having the casting vote if required.

6. The league will run competitive fixtures twice a year, known as summer and winter seasons.

7. The league shall run competitive knockouts of a type, and at dates, to be defined by the committee.

8. Any member of the league or committee found to bring the league in to disrepute can be expelled from the league by the committee and their decision is final and absolute.

9. Members accepting committee positions are expected to serve their full term of office. Should any member absent themselves from three consecutive meetings their position will be declared vacant.

10. An extraordinary general meeting can be called by the committee or by three league teams from different venues. In each case fourteen days notice must be given in writing to the Pool administrator or chairman. Each team will be entitled to one vote.

11. In the event of a dispute involving a team in which a committee member plays, that member will absent themselves from the meeting while the dispute is being discussed unless acting as the spokesperson for the team concerned and they will not be able to vote on the issue.

12. All correspondence should be sent to the Pool administrator except when the administrator’s venue is involved in the dispute. In which case the correspondence should be sent to the chairman.

13. The constitution may be amended by the committee as and when special circumstances arise.

DUTIES OF OFFICE

1. The Administrator or Chairman will preside over all committee meetings and enforce all rules and Regulations and perform any other duties as may pertain to his office. The Administrator will verify the accounts and act as the treasurer for the league. The Administrator will produce up to date accounts in the leagues name and will produce a statement of accounts at each committee meeting. Any withdrawals from the account will require one of two signatures.

2. Members accepting committee positions are expected to serve their full term of office. Should any member absent them selves from three consecutive meetings their position will be declared vacant. They will at all times act in the best interest of the league.

LEAGUE MATCH RULES 

1. League matches are to be played on Monday evenings except when decreed by the committee.

2. The home team is responsible for the payment of the games. Matches should commence at 8pm. Any match not started within fifteen minutes of the specified starting time will result in the offending team being deemed as losing the first game by the maximum score and any match not started within half an hour of the specified time will result in the offending team being deemed as losing the entire match by the maximum game and frame score. Play must continue in any match with no more than a five minute break between a game finishing and the next game starting.

3. No match can be deemed to be able to start unless there are at least three members from their respective teams.

4. The winning team of each match will score two points in the league table. In the event of a tie for positions at the end of the season the team with the best games / frames difference will be deemed the winner. If the teams are still level their will be a play off which will be held at a neutral venue.

5. The home team must provide referee for all odd numbered games and the away team for all even numbered games. The home team will nominate their player first in all odd numbered games and the away team will nominate their player first in all even numbered games.

6. It is the responsibility of the winning team to email or post the winning result to the correct divisional representative.

7. Any dispute from any team must be received in writing by the divisional representative within five days of the game taking place. All disputes must be accompanied by a dispute fee of £5.00 which will be returned if the dispute is upheld. Failure to submit a dispute fee will result in the dispute not being considered. Any decision made by the committee will be absolute and final.

8. In the event of a team found to have played an ineligible player, their opponents will be awarded the maximum possible win plus two points.

9. Any player who is under suspension from the league may not take part in any event under the jurisdiction of the league.  Any players registered with an expelled team will be automatically withdrawn from any completion under the leagues jurisdiction.

10. Any team who feels that that they cannot start or continue a match for whatever reason has the right to stop the game and to contact their divisional representative, chairman or administrator for further advice.

11. Top individual player award in each division (the winter season only.) The player winning the most games is the top individual if the players are equal on games then frames will be taken into account.

COMPETITION RULES

1. All competition entrants must be a registered player within a team that is registered to play within the city of Brighton and hove pool league.

2. Entry to the team knock out cup is free, subject to the team confirming their wish to enter, on registration night.

3. Players who play from different venues may pair up to play in the doubles competition.

4. All matches to be played on the scheduled date and at the venue named, unless the committee (under exceptional circumstances) declares otherwise.

5. All competition matches to start at the named starting time of that competition, failure to appear within thirty minutes will result in automatic disqualification.

6. Copies of competition draws will be sent to player’s home venue at least seven days before the scheduled playing date. If venues have not received the draw sheets by this time please notify the competition secretary immediately.

7. All singles and doubles matches will be best of five frames up to and including the quarter finals. The semi finals will be the best of seven frames. All finals to be the best of nine frames.

8. A committee member or appointed referee will attend quarter, semi and finals of all competitions [IF AND WHEN POSSIBLE].

9. Any dispute must be forwarded in writing with a £5 dispute fee to the competition secretary within five days of the game taking place. Failure to submit a dispute fee will result in any dispute, not being considered.

10. Any decision made by the committee on any dispute will be final and absolute

GENERAL RULES

1. One fee will be payable per team the amount to be fixed by the committee as they see fit. This will include free entries to all competitions.

2. A team can register and play any player on the same night and players have the option of one free transfer up to the half way stage of any one season.

3. If a team withdraws from the league first half of a season their scores will be removed from the division. If they withdraw in the second half of the season, the first half scores will count and only the second half scores will be removed.

4. Any team failing to appear on two consecutive occasions will have been deemed to have withdrawn from the league.

5. The first two teams in each division will be promoted and likewise the last two relegated. However it is at the committee’s discretion if it deemed necessary to relegate or promote fewer to keep a sensible size balance with in the league.

6. Any new teams entering the league for the first time will normally be placed in the lowest division, however it is at the committees discretion to allocate teams to a higher division compatible with the known playing ability of the players in that particular team.

CODE OF CONTACT

It is intended that players and teams should play eight ball pool in the spirit of the game and in a sporting manner. Members of the City of Brighton and Hove Pool League should show due respect of members of the committee and referees at all times.

All members are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner and refrain from making any undue noise while a game is in progress or from distracting any player by word or act, for example standing directly in the line of sight of the opposing payer or tapping the butt end of the cue on the floor.

Gamesmanship is not expected as part of a match and will not be tolerated within the league.

If a player commits an act of violence during any match, the team whose player has done so will lose the match by the maximum score.

Publicans will receive the full backing of the league with regard to any players or persons barred from their premises.

If a player abuses or threatens a committee member of referee that player will be disqualified and all cases will be taken before the committee and further action will be taken.