1 Match scheduling
1.1 Coordination
a) All matches in the summer league are held on Wednesday evenings, at Hurricane Room Kings Cross.
b) The league secretary or director is responsible for ensuring tables are booked for all matches of the league. There is no requirement for team captains to schedule matches.
1.2 Postponements
a) In the summer league, there are no grounds for postponing individual matches. All matches must be played on the designated night, when tables are booked. For this reason, teams are encouraged to have sufficient members of their squad to allow rotation when players are unavailable.
b) In extreme circumstances, the league secretary/director may postpone an entire evening of play, at their discretion. Reasons for this may include (but are not limited to) venue not being able to host matches, transport strikes, etc. In this event, the league calendar may be amended to accommodate rearranged match days.
1.3 Communications
a) As a condition of entry, all team captains will provide a mobile number and email to the league for coordination purposes.
b) It is the responsibility of each team captain to have means of contacting all of their team members, and to ensure that they are available and attend match days.
c) The league secretary/director will update all captains using these means on any important scheduling matters, as well as league standings and results.
2 Match rules
2.1 Match start
a) Matches will begin at 7:30pm. Tables are provided to teams in advance of this for practice, where possible.
b) In order for a team to begin a match they must have two players at the venue for 7:30pm. A final player may arrive late, but will need to be ready to play as soon as their frame is due to start.
c) Failure for a team to provide two players at the venue by 7:30pm will result in a forfeit match.
d) If an individual player is not at the venue at the time their frame is due to start, they will forfeit that frame.
2.2 Team size
a) A team must field a minimum of 2 players in a match, and a maximum of 4. The summer league is designed to be played by teams of 3, however one substitute is allowed so long as no one plays any opponent more than once.
b) In the event that a team fields only 2 players, they will forfeit all three of the frames that would have been played by the omitted player. They also forfeit the ability to claim bonus points for winning the match.
2.3 Team sheets
a) Before the start of the match, the home team captain will write down their players to play in all frames first, followed by the away captain.
b) Player 1 will always play in position 1, player 2 in position 2, etc.
c) Substitutes are placed as the captain desires, except they may not be placed such that a person plays the same opponent more than once.
d) If a team only has two players, they will name their third player in position 3 as ‘Forfeit’
e) Scores will only be accepted on the officially provided scoresheets and full names must be provided at least once so it is clear to the Division Directors which team members are participating.
f) Both participating team captains must sign the scoresheet on completion of the match.
2.4 Match play
a) All frames are played to International Rules. [NB including shot clocks and extensions]
b) Teams will alternate responsibility for timing and refereeing frames
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.
2.5 Result scoring
a) In calculating the final score, each frame is worth one, resulting in the match being best of nine.
b) Completed scoresheets should be photographed and sent to the league director and secretary.
c) League points are allocated to teams based on the following:
- One point per frame
- Two points for winning a match
- Defaults – 6-0 win awarded to the non-defaulting team.
- Where both teams are responsible for defaulting, it will be a 0-0 result.
- Any team playing with 2 players will not be able to claim a two point win bonus.
3 League placements
3.1 Player rankings
a) To qualify for the league averages trophy, a player must have participated in at least 75% of the matches played.
b) Player rankings will be based on total singles frames won in league play.
c) Ties for player rankings will be broken firstly by percentage of frames won. If still a tie, then the tied players will compete in a playoff, format at the discretion of the league director.
3.2 Team rankings
a) League positions are determined by:
- Total number of league points
- Total number of frames won
- Three frame play-off match, held on the final night of the league
3.3 Trophies
a) Trophies will be awarded to the team that wins the league
b) When 8 or more teams compete in the league, trophies will also be awarded to the runner-up team.
c) A trophy will be awarded to the player that finishes top of the ‘Player rankings’.
d) Team trophies will consist of one trophy per squad player, up to a maximum of 6.
4 Registration
4.1 Teams
a) Teams must register their interest to take part in a season prior to the start of that season. The league secretary/director is responsible for publicising the means to register.
b) A teams registration is only considered complete once the fees for that season have been paid. The league secretary/director will confirm receipt and admittance to the league to the team captain.
4.2 Players
a) Teams must register all their players prior to them playing in the league.
b) To be admitted to the league, a team must register a minimum of three players.
c) A team may register additional players at any time up to a maximum of six players.
d) For a player to be registered; the players full name and email address should be provided to the league secretary/director.
e) If any unregistered player plays in a match, their frames will be forfeit.
4.2 Team 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) All results of matches played by the withdrawing team will be erased.
4.3 Player Withdrawal
a) A player may only be unregistered if they have not played any matches in a season.
b) As soon as a player plays in one match, they will contribute to the team’s quota of six players for that season.
c) A player may only play for one team in the league each season.
d) Rule 4.3 (c) may be ignored if a player wishes to register for a new team, when their original team has withdrawn from the league, and all results have been erased.
5 Committee Rulings
5.1 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.