Singles Merits

Competition Structure:
- Singles merits and singles plate competitions are drawn on neutral tables where possible.
- Preliminary rounds continue until 64 players remain; thereafter, a Wellington system is used.
Scheduling and Deadlines:
- Matches must be completed on or before the specified dates unless both parties and the committee agree to changes.
Venue and Punctuality:
- Players must play at the venues as drawn and are required to arrive before 8:15 pm on the designated day.
- If a late arrival isn’t properly justified by 8:30 pm, the player will be removed from the competition and fined £10.
- The league advises having an independent witness in case a late arrival dispute arises.
Match Formats:
- Regular matches: best of 5 frames.
- Semi-finals: best of 7 frames.
- Finals: best of 9 frames

- Players who arrange matches using a number of frames different from the prescribed format will be expelled from that season's competition.
Break Procedure:
- The break for the match is decided by lagging only in frame one.
- For all subsequent frames, players will take alternate breaks.
- No second lag is allowed before a deciding frame.