1 Match Scheduling

1.1 Arranging Matches

a) Matches are held on Wednesday evenings according to a fixture list released at the start of the season.

b) Postponements of fixtures are not permitted, except in extreme circumstances as determined by the Committee. For example, but not limited to - if train strikes are scheduled meaning teams cannot attend venues. In these situations individual matches, or whole gameweeks, may be reorganised by collaboration between Committee and teams.

c) The home team will cover the full cost of the match, including table hire and refreshments (snacks/sandwiches).

d) The Committee will liaise with venues to ensure that an appropriate number of tables are booked at each location.

1.2 Communications

a) The league requires that all team captains have in place a procedure to ensure they can be contacted regarding league matters, and they are responded to in a timely manner.

1.3 Team Knockouts

a) Arranging team knockouts follows the same rules as organising league matches. The team listed first becomes the Home Team.

b) The KO Director will attempt to book tables at home venues and liaise with the teams.

2 Matchday

2.1 Match start

a) Matches start at 7.00pm. At least 4 team players are expected to arrive at the venue by 6.30pm, 7.00pm at the latest. Failure to do so can result in the opposition claiming the match.

b) If any player is not at the venue prior to their designated frame being called to play, the opposing team may claim that frame.

c) A team should field at least 6 players in a match, but can field more by using substitutions. There is no cap on the number of substututions allowed; a team can use every player in their squad.

d) If unable to field a full team of 6 players, a team may field 5 players for a match. The team has the two following options (and must advise their opposition of their choice prior to the selection of players)

1. The team plays all 15 frames of the match with 5 players. The opposition captain nominates 3 different players to fill in the gaps where the missing 6th player would have played. Therefore, when there are 5 players on the team, 3 players play an extra frame (two play an extra singles frame and one plays an extra doubles frames). If selecting this option the team will incur a 1 point penalty from their league point total. Individual player stats are not recorded for additional frames played.
2. The team plays 5 players in the normal match order, and forfeits the 3 frames the missing 6th player would have played (i.e. 2 singles frames and a doubles frames). They incur no league points penalty.

e)  In the event that a team fields 4 players or fewer, the match will be forfeited.

2.2 Team sheets

a) Each team captain (or acting captain) selects players for the match in the website/application as approved by the league committee.

b) Matches are 15 frames, and played in 3 sets (2 sets of 6 singles frames and 1 set of 3 doubles frames).

c) Prior to the start of a match, each captain selects the 6 players for the first set (these players will be numbered 1-6 in the scoring application) and locks their selection in. Once both captains have locked their selections in, these are revealed to the opposition and the match/set may begin.

d) Before starting the second set, each captain should review and lock in their selections, including any substitutions (there is no limit to the number of substitutions a team may make).

e) In the second set, when there are no substitutions players must stay in their numbered position in the 2nd set (this is so that no player plays the same opponent again). Namely this order is:

• Home team - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
• Away team - 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5

If there are substitutions, players substituted out cannot be moved to a different position.

f) For the final set (the doubles frames), the captains may select any of their players available to them in any order (this includes players substituted out in the second set, or players yet to play a frame).

g) As per rule 2.1.d, if a team has fielded only 5 players for the match and opts to play all 15 frames, the opposition captain nominates which player will play an extra frame in each set.

• This nomination is made at the start of each set, before the captains have locked in their selections. 
• Position 6 must be used for this extra frame in Sets 1 and 2 (the singles frames); there is no such restriction on the position of the player who is playing the extra frame in the final set (the doubles frames).
• Captains will select 'Repeat Player' in the positions where a player is playing extra frames.

h) If the team has fielded only 5 players, but opts to forfeit the 3 frames the missing 6th player would have played, they mark frames in Position 6 as forfeit in both Set 1 and Set 2 and mark the last doubles partnership as forfeit also (the 15th frame). This means one of their 5 players present does not play a doubles frame.

i) At the end of the match, both team captains must confirm all frames and the match score in the website/app.

j) If for any reason the website/app is not available, or captains do not have access on the night, the selections and scores must be recorded by other means. The two captains must then coordinate and enter the scores and player selections into the website/app at the earliest opportunity.

2.3 Match play

a) All frames are played to International Rules.

b) The home team will referee one table and time on the other. The away team will complete the opposite role to the home team on each table..

c) A lag is carried out at the start of every frame to determine which player will break.

d) Frames are played in order, as specified on the team sheet, on the first available table.

e) Where insufficient tables are available at a venue for all matches to be played, teams can play on one table and expand to additional tables as they become available from other matches.

2.4 Doubles

a) Doubles frames are played in an alternate shot (scotch) format.

b) The pair winning the lag may choose which of their players will break, and every shot thereafter must alternate player.

c) If a player plays a shot out of turn, this will result in a standard foul.

d) All shots in a visit are played to the same shot clock format as singles (i.e as per standard International Rules)

e) Discussion is allowed on any shot.

2.5 Result scoring

a) Each frame is worth one when calculating the match score.

b) League points are allocated to teams dependent on the match outcome:

1. Win (13+ frames) – 5 points.
2. Win (10 to 12 frames) – 4 points.
3. Win (8 or 9 frames) – 3 points.
4. Loss by 1 frames (i.e. score of 7-8) – 1 point.
5. Default – 4 points awarded to the non-defaulting team as a 10-0 win, with 2 points deducted from the defaulting team.
6. 1 point deduction for a team playing  all frames in a match with 5 players only.

3 League placements

3.1 Singles rankings

a) To qualify for the singles rankings trophy, a player must have participated in at least 75% of the matches played.

b) Singles rankings will be based on total singles frames won in league play. (Doubles frames in league matches and singles frames in Team KO matches are not included.)

c) Ties for singles rankings will be broken by percentage of frames won.

d) A frame win is awarded to a player who wins a defaulted frame.

3.2 Team rankings

a) League positions are determined by the total number of points won from matches in league play only.

b) In a situation where two or more teams have scored the same number of points at the end of the season, the position where the team will finish will be determined, in order, by:

1. Number of matches won
2. Total number of frames won
3. One off play-off match to league format

3.3 Relegation and promotion

a) At the end of a season with two divisions, the 2 teams with the lowest number of points in the 1st division will be relegated.

b) At the end of a season, the 2 teams with the highest placement in the 2nd division will be promoted.

c) If 1 team withdraws from division 1 during the course of the season, they will be given a zero score (see section 4.2) and count as 1 of the 2 teams to be relegated.

d) Prior to the start of the new season, the Committee has the discretion to promote additional teams from division 2 to prevent imbalance.

3.4 Trophies

a) The Committee shall organise purchase of trophies for winners of competitions in the following configuration:

• League winners (up to 8 trophies; per division)
• Team KO winners (up to 8 trophies)
• Singles KO winners and runners up
• Doubles KO winners and runners up
• Top Player (per division)

4 Registering teams

4.1 Registration

a) Teams must register to take part in a season prior to the start of that season.

b) Invoices for league fees will be sent out following submission of entry to the league season. These must be paid prior to the beginning of the season and release of fixtures. Failure to do so will result in a team not registering for the season.

c) By registering for the winter league, a teams agrees to send representation to the AGM. This requires one person from the team to vote on behalf of their team (this can be done by proxy). Any team that does not have representation at the AGM, was registered in the previous season, and wishes to register for the following season, will have a three point penalty applied for non-representation.

4.2 Withdrawal

a) Where a team withdraws from the league during the season, they should do this by written notice to the League Chair and Division Director.

b) Regarding the results of matches that have been completed by the withdrawing team, the committee will treat the removal of those results on a case-by-case basis to ensure the fairest outcome. As a general rule:

• Where a team has yet to play every other team in the division then all match results involving the withdrawn team will be deleted; and the incomplete fixtures removed from schedules.
• Where a team has managed to play every other team at least once in the division, the results from the first time each team was played will stand. Any results from the teams playing a second time will be deleted, and any incomplete fixtures removed from schedules.

5 Registering players

5.1 Registration

a) Players are registered by the captain registering them on RackemApp.

b) All players a team wishes to play for their team during a season must be registered with the league in advance of the player participating in their first match.

c) If a team plays an unregistered player in a match, any frames that player is involved in (singles and doubles) will be awarded to the opposing team.

d) A player once registered for one team is not allowed to play for another team during that season, except in the case where its team withdraws and its results are disregarded.

e) A team may register a maximum of 14 players for a season. If a team wishes to register a 15th player, they may only do so by ‘releasing’ a registered player who has not played for them this season.

6 Committee Rulings

6.1 Committee Discretion

a) The league rules are designed to provide a clear and comprehensive framework and it is also expected that teams will play to the spirit of the game. Where the Committee consider that this has not been done, or in the event that there is no defined rule on a specific matter raised, the Committee will aim to consider all circumstances and apply consistency and fairness for all.

Ultimately, in order to facilitate matters, such decisions are at the Committee’s discretion and are final.