Procedural Rules

The purpose of the league is to provide an enjoyable and competitive evening for all participants. 
Our goal is to provide a recreational league, not a professional league. One that is mutually
beneficial for players, owners, staff and customers.  We try to be both a “Fun” league for
those that simply enjoy a good night out and a “Competitive“ league for those that take
their pool more seriously.  We expect all games to be played in a sportsmanlike manner. 
The following rules should be treated as a general guideline, but every effort should be
made to abide by them.  It is also expected that the team captains should be able
to amicably deal with any disputes that might arise.  If a dispute arises that cannot be
worked out between the 2 team captains, the league committee will settle the matter
based on their interpretation of the rules.

A governing committee has been selected from within a core group of long-time league
participants to deal with all league matters.  The league is non-profit, and all are unpaid
volunteers.  All monies received via registration fees, sponsorship, etc, will be funneled
back to those who play in the league.  All comments, questions, problems and suggestions
can and should be brought up to any of the committee members.  Mark will supervise the
day-to-day operation of the league, and remain the primary contact for the team captains,
players, and participating establishments, but all major decisions will be made by a vote
of the committee.  The committee is purposefully international, consisting of people from
8 different countries.

The league expects to provide continuous seasons of 8-ball and 9-ball, with each season
consisting of approximately 15 weeks.  The format will be decided upon before the end
of the season.  Each season will end with an open singles tournament for players who
have competed during the season.  At this tournament, trophies will be awarded to
the winners of each division, and to the divisional champions.  The number of divisions
and the length of any season  will be determined by the committee based on the
number of participating teams.

1...............TEAMS AND MATCH FORMAT      

A.....  All teams must provide a team captain who will be responsible for all matters
relating to his/her team.  He must be aware of the playing rules and be willing to
accept the responsibility of ensuring that his team shows up for their scheduled
matches.  He will be the contact for his team in all correspondence and notices,
and must supply a phone number that he or she can be contacted at.  Team
Captains have a great deal of leeway, and 2 team captains, by agreement in
any given match, are allowed to vary the rules.

B...... There is a seasonal registration fee of 1,500 Baht per team.  The fee is
to cover all operational costs, must be paid before the start of the season, and
is non-refundable.  There is also an additional deposit of 1,000 Baht.  This
deposit will be refunded in full at the end of the season(or carried over as the
deposit for the next season) to all teams that complete the season.  It is non-refundable
if a team drops out mid-season or commits a serious infraction that results in
league expulsion.

C.....  All teams are required to maintain an acceptable game venue with a 6, 7, 8, 
or 9 foot indoor table.  The tables should be well maintained.  Torn or seriously
damaged cloth, chipped balls, etc must be replaced.  All effort should be made to
have all necessary equipment available for playing a pool match, such as pool cues,
bridges, chalk, etc.  If a table has an idiosyncrasy that is known to the home team,
such as a "dead" pocket or slight bias, it must be made known to the visiting team.

D.....  The match format for 8-ball and will be 8 singles matches.  Each match will
be best 2 of 3.  The match format for 9-Ball will be a team race to 21.  Each leg
will produce a point for the winning side, and play will continue until one side reaches 21.

E.....  All teams must have a minimum of 4 players for each match.  There is no
team maximum in 9-Ball, but a maximum of 8 will be able to play at any
8-Ball match. 

F.....  If a team does not have a minimum of 4 players available for any given match,
that match will be forfeited unless an alternate playing date has been arranged by the
respective team captains prior to the scheduled match. 

G.....  Each player can play twice during any given 8- Ball match, but cannot play twice
against the same opponent.  The order of play will be determined by the captains, and
a player playing 2 consecutive games is permitted. 

H.....  There are no restrictions on who may be allowed to play on any given team, nor
are there any limits on the number of players a team can play over the course of
the season.  Once a player plays for any given team, however, he is not allowed to
play for any other team in the league without the approval of the governing committee.

I......  All matches will be played under the rules supplied by the league committee. 
These rules are based on the World Pool Association rules, but have been amended
by the governing committee to allow for local conditions.  A copy of these rules will
be supplied to all team captains, who will be responsible for knowing them.  A copy
of these rules should always be on hand for referral during a match. 

J.....There are no set rules governing free drinks, light snacks, a subsequent
game of killer, or any other matters that do not pertain directly to play.  This
remains solely at the discretion of the home bar.  Most bars do offer something to
the visiting team, and it is certainly encouraged in the name of sportsmanship. 
Some bars also offer money for their team to buy a round of drinks while representing
their bar at another establishment.    

.2...............MATCH ARRANGEMENTS                                                                                             

A.....All matches will be scheduled on a home and away basis so each team will have
an equal number of home and away matches over the course of a season.  All
matches will take place weekly on Monday nights (8-Ball) and Wednesday nights (9-Ball)
unless otherwise specified.  Full season schedules will be supplied to all team captains. 
If a schedule is lost, call Mark for a replacement copy or check on the website at
www.bangkokpool.com.

B.....  The starting time for all matches will be 8:00.  All matches should be ready to
start at or before that time.  We expect that at least one member of the visiting team
be there and ready to play.  Players can play 2 consecutive games while waiting for other
team members to show up.  All team members need not be there for either the start
or end of a match.  If, for any reason, a team has a problem showing up on time, it is
their responsibility to notify the opposing team captain beforehand.

C.....  In 8-Ball, each team will separately select their players for the first 4 games and
then compare forms.  At the conclusion of the first 4 games, the players for the 2nd 4
games will be nominated and then compared.  If a player is nominated to play against
the same opponent twice, the process must be redone.  No one can play against the
same player twice in the same match.

D.....  A match may be postponed to an alternate date and/or time if it is mutually
agreed to by both team captains.  A postponement should be the exception, but is
permitted.  Within reason, a team must accept a request for postponement if that
request is done at least a day prior to play.  If it is less than a day, the acceptance
of a postponement request is solely at the discretion of the opposing team captain.

E.....  All postponed matches must be made up within a reasonable period of time. 
It will be the responsibility of the home team to notify Mark, so that he can document
the results.

F.....  If requested, it is the responsibility of the home team to offer the visiting team some
free practice on the table before the start of play.

G.....  If, for any reason, a match cannot be completed within the scheduled session,
it is the responsibility of the two team captains to arrange for the match to be completed,
unless a winner has already been determined.

H.....  If any team fails to show up for any given match without prior notification to the
opposing team, they will lose 500 Baht of their deposit.  That money will be spent at
the opposing team as compensation, to buy a round of drinks at their next scheduled
match.  Two "No Shows" in any given season will result in league disqualification.

3..........OFFICIATING AND RULES ENFORCEMENT

A.....  A referee should be provided for each game from within the attending players or a
mutually acceptable 3rd party.  This person should be familiar with the rules, but his
primary purpose is to deal with any "judgment" calls that need to be made. 

B.....  The home team must insure that a copy of the rules is available at all matches. 
In the event of a dispute, the referee shall consult the playing rules before making
any ruling.  If a dispute still exists after consulting the rules, the 2 team captains
should consult to determine a fair and mutually acceptable resolution of the matter. 
If this cannot be done, the referee's original decision shall stand.  The game should
continue, and both teams should report the event to the governing committee for review.

C.....  If a player disputes a "judgment" call by the referee(double hit, failure to hit a
rail, etc.) there is no grounds for complaint.  The referee's ruling shall stand.

D.....  A dispute in any individual game is not reason for the failure of a match to be
completed.  A team refusing to complete a match because of a dispute will forfeit that
match, and it will be treated as a "no show."  Any game can be continued "under protest,"

and the issue can be resolved later by the committee.

E.....  We ask that any and all problems be brought to the attention of the governing
committee.  Our goal is to keep the league as free of confrontation as possible.  To
do this properly, we need to know of any problems that may arise to avoid the problem
repeating.  It is strongly encouraged that the 2 team captains make every attempt to
resolve any issues that may come up  in a sportsmanlike manner.

4......SCORE-SHEETS, SCORING, AND REPORTING RESULTS

A.....  Score-sheets will be supplied to all team captains by Mark.  If more are needed,
either make additional copies or contact Mark.

B.....   The scoring is as follows:

Each team match consists of 8 games.  The winner of each game will receive a game
point, with the winners of the match determined by these 8 game points.

2 match points are awarded to the team that is the clear winner of a
match(8-0, 7-1, 6-2, or 5-3) and 0 points are awarded to the loser.

In the case of a 4-4 tie in game points, 1 match point will be awarded to each team.
Legs are recorded, but do not count.

C.....  Each team must fill out a score-sheet.  After a match is completed, please
arrange to have the score-sheet forwarded to Mark so that the results can be
compiled and tabulated.  Please to this as quickly as possible so that the website
can be updated in a timely manner.  They can be dropped off to a collection point,
scanned and E-mailed in, faxed in, or even phoned in.  All teams will be notified of
the collection point.

D.....  Please keep in mind when filling out the forms that the information will be
recorded.  If a team has players with the same name, please distinguish between
them.  An initial or nickname will suffice.  Print any unusual names legibly, and
make sure that an individual player is always listed under the same name.

E.....   Mark will compile all results on a weekly basis for both teams and individual
players.  These will be furnished to www.bkkpool.com, where they can be viewed
online by anyone interested in seeing them.

F.....  Team standings will be determined by points accrued by winning matches.
Individual rankings will be determined by the following point system:

2 points will be awarded to a player for each separate win during competition, and
1 point will be awarded simply for playing.  This 1 point will be awarded whether
a player plays once or twice during a match, and is intended to reward people
who show up to play on a regular basis.

5..........SINGLES TOURNAMENT

A.....  A singles tournament will be held at the end of the season for all who have
qualified by playing in the BANGKOK POOL LEAGUE.

B.....  All team and individual trophies won over the course of the season will be
awarded at the singles tournament, as well as trophies for the winners of the singles
tournament.

C.....  The tournament draw will be intended to include as many players as possible. 
All who show up on time will have a place in the draw.

D.....  Player participation is free.  Prizes and food will be provided for the event
by the league, payable from available league funds. 

E.....  The venue or venues for the singles tournament will be selected by a meeting
of the league governing committee.