The Worthing Monday Pool League (WMPL) is a volunteer run Grassroots Blackball pool league run for the pubs and clubs in Worthing and local surrounding area. The League runs Summer and Winter Leagues on a Monday night; it is an ideal additional resource of income for venues.
LEAGUE RULES
LEAGUE OVERVIEW
1. The league will be known and run as ‘Worthing Monday Pool League’ or WMPL.
2. The ‘Blackball’ rule set is used for all games & competitions in this League.
3. It is intended and expected that players and teams should play in the true grassroots spirit of the game and in a sportsmanlike manner.
4. The league is run by a group of volunteers in their own time. Please respect the fact they have a home life and work full time too. They will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible but due to other commitments this may not be for a day or two. The best contact method is email, WhatsApp or Facebook.
REGISTRATION
5. Registration to the league / competitions is managed by the league management software “RackEmApp” and performed online (fees apply).
VENUES
6. A Blackball Rules poster should be displayed at each registered venue.
7. All venues are requested to ensure their table(s) is of good working condition with the maximum available space around it.
8. Venues are required to have adequate lighting over the table.
9. It is advised that both Captains/Players check the playable condition of the table prior to the start of the match.
10. Should you come across a table you believe to be sub-standard and affecting your match, in the first instance please bring it up with the venue on the night and ask if they are willing to investigate it, then let the league know you have done so. Should we receive further complaints we will contact the venue and encourage them to have another look to ensure the table is in the best possible playing condition.
FIXTURES
11. All fixtures and results are accessible via WMPL RackEmApp.
12. Team captains must make every effort to attend fixtures with five players. If five are not available, the fixture should still be played even with as few as three players.
13. It is not acceptable to not arrive for a fixture (penalties apply) Should this occur twice in a season the team responsible may be suspended from the League and will forfeit any fees paid. If there is a need to postpone a fixture, 24hrs notice must be given to the league and the opponents. The league will decide if the postponement is acceptable. Re-arranged matches must be played within a month of the original fixture. A set date must be arranged prior to cancellation with both captains agreeing the date and the league committee informed. No matches can be played after the final fixture date.
14. It is up to the venue to decide who may or may not enter their premises. All venues are considered over 18’s only and it is at the discretion of the venue if they allow under 18’s entry. Teams must take responsibility for any under 18 players themselves and if in doubt about entry to a venue, call them on the number listed on the Venues page. Exceptions will not be made by the WMPL Committee. Should a player be turned away due their age/dress/inebriation/ aggression etc. the team must either: attempt to play the fixture with the remaining players or forfeit the fixture 5-0.
15. At the end of the Season, should the League be tied; League winners will be decided on frame difference. If frame difference is equal, head-to-head results will decide. If head-to-head is tied, it will be decided by a team play-off at a neutral venue.
TEAMS
16. All participating players must be registered for the team for which they are playing. Any team playing unregistered players will lose the match 5-0. New players must be registered to the team at least 24 hours prior to playing. No transfers or new players can be registered after the halfway part of the season. Players wishing to transfer teams must let the league know by way of email or message from both team captains agreeing to the transfer, a player can only transfer teams twice in a season.
ELECTRONIC SCORE CARDS
17. All league / competition scoring is performed in RackEmApp.
18. Both captains are responsible for ensuring the playing order, lag, and score is maintained correctly via the game approval system.
19. The first set of players should be entered by both teams by 8pm.
20. All results should be submitted and approved by both captains in RackEmApp within 24 hours of match completion.
MATCH PLAY
21. Each match comprises of five games, each game is consisting of the best of three frames.
22. 1 point awarded per game won, plus 1 bonus point awarded to winning team (max 6 pts)
23. The break off for each game is decided by a lag.
24. Play is to commence at 8pm. If the opposition has not arrived by 8.15pm the team who are present may claim the first frame of the first game. Thereafter, as each 15 minutes elapses another frame may be claimed, until such time as the opposition arrives. (This Rule is to be sensibly and sportingly observed, with consideration given to distance travelled and weather conditions).
25. Play must be continuous, as soon as one game finishes the next must begin. If a team has insufficient players present to enable the match to be continuously played, they must forfeit any game(s) remaining at the time when play comes to a halt.
26. All matches are to be completed by 23.20 hrs, if a match has not been completed by this time, it can only continue if both captains and the Landlord/ Manager agree that it may do so. If one of the three parties mentioned does not agree to the match continuing, then the match will terminate at 23.20 hrs. The match score at time of termination will become the match result with no bonus point awarded if the score is 2 - 2.
REFEREES & RULES
27. The referee is charged with ensuring that the game is played within the rules and to administer the rules in a fair and unbiased manner.
28. Away teams must provide referees, and if required a timekeeper.
29. All referees must be conversant with the rules. This applies to all players. It is the responsibility of the captains to ensure that this is the case.
30. To increase the competency of referees and to train new referees a Captain, with the permission of the opposing Captain may designate a player to stand as final adjudicator to assist a referee who may not be too sure of the rules. This person’s function is purely to override the referee when an obvious mistake is made.
31. A referee may advise players on the rules of the game if specifically requested.
32. The referee may issue a warning if a player continuously takes longer than one minute per shot, (shot clock to be used) subsequent violations in the same game may result in a foul being called.
COACHING
33. Coaching is not permitted in any form, any verbal or physical communication intended to advise the player on strategy, shot selection, or rules, especially from someone not playing in that frame, is considered coaching.
34. The referee can deal with coaching by issuing a “first and final warning”. If the coaching persists, a foul can be called.
35. Courtesy must be always shown to away players. Unnecessary noise and excessive movement, especially within a player’s line of sight during a shot, is unacceptable.
COMPETITIONS
36. Knockout Cup / Plate, and any other competitions run will be played to normal league rules.
37. The League may run singles and scotch doubles competitions throughout the season, to which all league registered players will be eligible to enter (fees apply) via the WMPL RackEmApp.
38. Singles / scotch doubles competitions will be given a ‘To Be Played by Date’ for each round. The home drawn player will be responsible for contacting the away drawn player and must offer three non-consecutive dates/days for the match to be played, the away drawn player must accept one of the offered dates, unless a mutual agreement is reached, should the home player not make contact with the away player or not in a reasonable timescale, the away player will be awarded the result.
39. The break off will be decided by a lag.
40. All matches to start at 8pm unless otherwise arranged, if an opponent/s fails to turn up after an hour of the agreed time the match may be claimed by the player(s)/ team present, and the League notified.
SCOTCH DOUBLES
41. Break to be alternated between players in each pairing.
42. Talking between shots once a visit has commenced (players hand or cue has touched the table) is not allowed, but players can briefly discuss their strategy for a maximum of 1 minute before each visit. The only exception is that immediately following the break you can briefly discuss which colours to go for, again only maximum 1 minute.
43. Playing out of turn, penalty is standard foul to opponents.
44. Maximum conferring time is 1 minute.
TEAMS / PLAYERS WITHDRAWING MID SEASON
45. Teams withdrawing or being removed from the league mid-season If a team leaves before all teams have had the opportunity to play each other once, results are removed and points reset. If a team leaves after all teams have had the opportunity to play each other once, all results stand. All future fixtures become a 5-0. If a team is removed or withdraw, next seasons entry will be at the Committee’s discretion.
46. Any team withdrawing from the competitions for any reason will become a bye, and any fees paid by the venue / themselves will be non-returnable and the responsibility of the team.
47. Any player/s withdrawing from the competitions will become a bye, and any fees paid non-returnable.
PENALTIES
48. Failing to turn up for a match without giving opposition 24hrs notice: -5pts from offending team. Score will be recorded as 5-0 to the aggrieved team, should this occur twice in a season the offending team may face removal from the league and any fees paid by the venue / themselves will be non-returnable and the responsibility of the team (Committee decision after looking into the incident)
49. Playing a non-registered or barred player 5-0 loss.
TEAMS CHANGING VENUE
50. Should a current team wish to move venue and keep their league position; the committee will contact their venue to confirm whether they are happy for them to do so. Should the venue wish to retain their league position, the moving team will start their next season in the bottom division. Should a team split up and some of the players move to a new venue, they will only be entitled to retain their previous league position if their previous venue does not wish to retain it and the new team consists of over half of the original regular team. i.e. 1 or 2 players leaving a team does not entitle them to retain their league position at a new venue.
GENERAL LEAGUE ISSUES
51. Any problems or disputes that occur during the season are to be put in writing and sent to
worthingmondaypoolleague@gmail.com
And will be resolved by the Committee at the next available meeting. The Committee’s decision is final.
The Committee members –
Steve Blackmore
Steve McDonald
Steve Moulding