Referee Guidelines

All matches are played to Blackball Rules. Break for the first frame is decided on a lag, after which breaks alternate for every other frame. In league matches, the home team must referee games 1, 3 & 5 and the away team must referee game 2 & 4.

Captains should ensure that the player designated as the referee has a solid grasp of the rules. The full rules as well as guidance for referees can be found on the website. During any match, usually the referee’s decision is final. However if a player feels that the referee has made an incorrect call ONLY due to not knowing the rules, he can request that play is stopped to consult a qualified referee if present, who will decide the ruling. If no qualified referee is present, the Head Ref should be contacted immediately before the next shot is played, if not able to contact the head ref, a different member of the committee should be contacted immediately to decide a ruling.

Head Ref- James Spear 07788253976

PLAY MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY UPON SUCH A REQUEST – ANY PLAYER CONTINUING TO PLAY HIS NEXT SHOT WILL AUTOMATICALLY FORFEIT THE FRAME.

If for any reason a committee member cannot be contacted to provide a ruling on the situaion, team captains should agree the ruling and play should continue. A committee member should be informed after the match. Please note – this only applies to where a player believes that a referee has got a rule incorrect (e.g. – a player pots the white on the break and the referee does not give a free shot, when a free shot should normally be given in the correct ruling). This cannot be used to overturn rulings that require judgment i.e. is it a touching ball? etc.