Leicester District Pool League

Match Rules

1) Frame 1 should start at around 8:10pm (or earlier if both teams are ready). At 8:20pm, Frame 1 may be claimed if a team is not present, and 1 frame every 10 minutes thereafter until 9:00, at which point the match is declared a 6-0.

2) The home team should referee all odd number frames and the away team the even frames.

3) Frame 1 break off will be decided by a coin toss, thereafter the break shall alternate.

4) Table costs are the responsibility of the home team / home venue.

No rearrangements to be played after the prearranged match date

1)   As of 28th October 2022, the league will not allow the changing of a fixture to after the prearranged match date. Matches are now allowed to be rearranged to go ahead prior to the prearranged match date.  “Double headers” will be still not be allowed.

2)  If a venue cannot hold a fixture on a certain day but the home team is available to play, the home team is responsible for finding an alternative venue to host the match. Failing this they will concede the match 6-0.

3)  If the team themselves cannot attend a fixture they will have to cancel (concede the match 6-0).  

Game

The game shall be known as 8 Ball Pool and is referred to in these rules as ‘The Game’. It is intended that players and teams should play 8 Ball Pool in the true spirit of the Game and in a sportsmanlike manner. It should be clearly understood that the referee is the sole judge of what is fair and unfair play. The referee will take whatever action is necessary to ensure that these rules are observed.  The referee sole purpose is to ensure observance of the rules (such as where a player needs to nominate from the break off shot (see Rule 2(h) below) and not strictly to penalise for failure to follow the rules. 

 
Requirements of the Game

The Game is played with two "groups" of 7 balls, one "8 ball" and one "cue ball". The cue ball must be white and may be plain or spotted.

The colour / style of the groups and the 8 ball does not matter so long as the two groups, the 8 and the cue ball are all clearly distinguishable from one another.

The league strongly encourages the use of coloured balls in line with the EPA standards - this is 7 reds, 7 yellows, a white / dotted cue ball and a solid black or striped black 8 ball.

Object of the Game

The player or team pocketing all their group of object balls in any order, and then legally pocketing the 8 ball, wins the game.

The Game

1) Order of play

a) Order of play is decided by the flip of a coin for frame 1. The home team referee is advised to flip the coin and offer the away player the choice. The winner of the flip (the Opening Player) has the option of breaking, or requesting their opponent to break, frames will be broken alternately thereafter.

2) The break

a) The balls are racked in a triangle with the 8 ball (black) on the 8 ball spot, which is at the intersection of the centre and corner pockets.

b) The opening player plays towards the triangle from any position on or behind the baulk line. The definition of “on” the line will be the centre of the cue ball aligning with the centre of the baulk line.

c) An object ball must be potted, or at least 4 different object balls (not the cue ball) hit any cushion. Failure to do 1 of these is a foul break and will result in the balls being re-racked or played from where they land with two shots to the opponent.

d) If the black is potted on the break, the balls will be re-racked and the game will be restarted by the same player. No penalty will be incurred. This applies whatever else happens.

e) If the white is potted on the break, it is a foul.

f) If one colour is potted from the break the player must still nominate.  If they nominate the colour they potted, they are then immediately in play with that colour (they retain that colour whether they pot or not).  They may elect to go for the colour they did not pot, if doing this, they must pot the ball to take control of that colour / if they miss, the oncoming player has a “free table”. FAILURE TO NOMINATE IS A FOUL, 2 SHOTS AND THE ONCOMING PLAYER HAS A FREE TABLE (CHOICE OF COLOUR).

g) If both colours are potted from the break (without any foul occurring) then the player must clearly nominate which colour they intend to play to the referee.  They are then immediately in play with that colour (they retain that colour whether they pot or not).  FAILURE TO NOMINATE IS A FOUL, 2 SHOTS AND THE ONCOMING PLAYER HAS A FREE TABLE (CHOICE OF COLOUR)

h) The referee should be helping players to remember this – after a ball is potted from the break we advise the referee to clearly say “balls potted, please nominate.”  The responsibility for nominating is the players, not the referee’s.

i) If a player pots one colour from the break and elects to nominate the other colour and then fouls (whether he pots or not) – the oncoming player has 2 shots and the choice of colour (with no obligation to nominate).  He will be whatever colour he legally pockets (if one of each is pocketed in the same shot the player simply calls which colour he will retain).

j) The option to pot one colour and then nominate the other colour is only applicable from the initial break off shot (i.e. the shot that commences the frame).

k) If no object ball (red/yellow) is pocketed from a legal break, then the players continue to alternate and play at either group (red/yellow)[open table] until such time as the first legal pot is made, which decides the player’s group.  The players do not need to nominate when playing an open table.

l) If no balls are potted on the break off shot and then the oncoming player pots one or more of each colour group (red & yellow), the player MUST then nominate a colour group before play continues.  The nomination must be made before the shot is played and clearly acknowledged by the referee.

m) The choice of colour can never be decided on a foul shot.

3) Snookers

a) Snookers are allowed but only if at least one ball (any ball, before or after contact) has reached a cushion during that shot, otherwise it is a foul.

b) Balls already touching a cushion do not count, these will be classed as “dead balls”. If you are unsure whether it is a dead ball, please ask the referee to check before playing the shot.

c) An accidental or unintentional snooker can still be a foul (known as a foul snooker, if for example you do not hit a cushion).  See 3(d) below.

d) A “snooker” is now defined as a player not being able to see any part of one of their own object balls.  (This is relevant mainly after a player has not hit a cushion during the previous shot and there is potential that the oncoming player is “foul snookered”).

e) If you can see even the thinnest edge of your own ball then you are not snookered.  If you can see centre to centre of an object ball you are not snookered

f) A player’s own ball cannot be claimed as an obstruction contributing to a snooker, pretend it is not there.

g) The cushions cannot be claimed as an obstruction, pretend they are not there.

h) You cannot be snookered if you are touching one of your own balls.

i) Please see the images below to assist your understanding of the information set out above relating to snookers.

4)  Touching ball

a) Cue ball must be played away from any touching ball[s]. If touching ball moves as a result of the white moving away it is not a foul. If the touching ball moves as a result of the white being hit into it at any angle, this will be deemed to be a foul.

b) If a player is touching their own ball, the player does not need to touch another ball of their own (and can, if he opts, hit an opponent ball, the black ball, or nothing at all).

5) Ball drops in by itself

a) If a ball drops in after having come to a stop for more than a few moments, it will be replaced as it was, this applies to any ball, pretend it never happened whether or not the opponent has control of the table or has touched the table to take their shot.

6) Doubles

a) All doubles matches are to be played as “Scotch Doubles”

b) Scotch Doubles is played by a doubles partnership (“Doubles Team”) taking alternate shots, every shot regardless of whether a ball is potted.

c) Discussion between the Doubles Team is permitted immediately after the break shot and before the start of the Doubles Team’s visit to the table, but not during the Doubles Team’s shot if they pot balls.

d) Players may touch the table whilst conferring (as above) so long as only the oncoming player touches or addresses the table when ready to take the shot.

7) Foul Shots

a)  Normal pub rules apply, potting cue ball or opponents ball, hitting the wrong colour, not hitting your own ball, touching any ball with hand or clothing, playing out of turn, both feet off the floor, playing before balls have stopped, are all fouls (with the exception of following a foul and has ball in hand), so are the following:

b) Jump shot – defined as when the cue ball jumps over any part of any ball before contacting player’s ball

c) Any ball leaving the table and coming to rest anywhere other than the bed of the table. Object Ball to be returned to the black spot or as near as possible to that spot without touching any other ball, on the centre line of the table. If the white ball, then the white ball to be played from on or behind the baulk line.

d) Touching with the cue - It will be a foul if any ball other than the cue ball is hit with any part of any player’s cue.  Additionally, only the cue tip may be used to touch, or strike a cue ball.

e) Push shot – defined as where the cue tip remains in contact with the cue ball for more than the immediate moment needed to play a shot.

f) Cue touches the cue ball twice. Plus any other foul described elsewhere in these rules.

g) The penalty for any of these fouls is 2 visits to the opposing player starting from where the cue ball lies or moving the ball behind the line. Also, a ‘free ball’, for the first shot only, any ball can be hit, any ball can be potted, black can only be legally potted if player is ‘on’ the black.

h) Following any foul
1. Following any foul the offending player loses their next visit to the table, giving their opponent two consecutive visits to the table.

2. If the cue ball has come to rest on the playing surface, then the player having two visits may proceed to play from where the cue ball lies, or the cue ball may be played from any position on or behind the baulk line. Moving the cue ball in this manner does not count as a shot or visit (players are advised to ask the referee to hand them the cue ball but this is not compulsory).

3. On the first shot only of the first visit, the oncoming player may without nomination play the cue ball onto any ball without penalty, including any opponent's ball(s) or 8 ball (black). If any object ball(s) is pocketed directly or by combination, the player is deemed to have pocketed a legal ball(s), and continues with the first visit. However, the player must not prematurely pot the 8 ball (black) which would mean loss of game, (it is ok if the player is already on the 8 ball (black) then the game would be won). When the player fails to pot a ball on the first or subsequent shot of the first visit, play then continues with the second visit.

8) ‘Loss of frame’ fouls

a) Potting the black while still having your own colour balls on the table.

b) Potting any other ball at the same time as the black (apart from when the player is on the black and has a free ball. Only at this time may he pot the black and opponents ball[s]).

c) Deliberate fouls are an immediate loss of frame.

9) Stalemate

a) Stalemate is where a legal shot is physically impossible. Any gap wide enough to pass the cue ball through will not count as impossible, however improbable or unlikely it is. The game shall be restarted immediately by the same players. The player who broke originally will do so again. This stalemate situation can be produced deliberately or by accident.

10) No progress

a) If no ball is potted for over 5 minutes, the referee should start a 10 minute timer and inform both players of this. If no ball is potted in this time, the frame will be stopped and immediately replayed, same player breaking.

b) After a ball is potted, the timer will be reset, resetting with every pot. Players are not expected to take more than 60 seconds per shot, the referee may choose to enforce a strict 60 seconds time limit if this expectation is abused.

11) Coaching

a) Persons not playing in the frame may not make suggestions to the players [however disguised] as this will be regarded as coaching. One warning will be given by the referee, the next will result in a foul being given against the team involved. If it continues then the next one will be the loss of the frame.

 

After The Match

1) You are advised specifically that the League Republic App used by the Leicester & District Pool League will be withdrawn by the App developers within a matter of months.  As such we strongly suggest that you read the details about how to use the Web based score inputting which can be found here (https://www.leicesterdistrictpool.com/page/how_to_log_scores.html).  

a) The result should be reported immediately as the final frame has finished by inputting the data on the Leicester & District Pool League website (“the Website”)

b) In a League WhatsApp Group you can also add the score details (this does not extinguish the necessity to comply by both captains (or team representatives) from inputting the result and match details into the Website).

c) The result must be input into the Website by midday on the next day following the match.

2) Failure to submit the score and game details may result in action against both teams. This is the responsibility of the captain and is an expectation of BOTH TEAMS (the league expects to receive the information to be input by both captains or the vice captains, or a team member in the absence of both).

 

Refereeing & Player Conduct

1) The primary role of the referee is to help players to avoid penalties, not to punish them.

2) No tactical or shot selection advice should be given to a player

3) Referees are reminded that their role in a frame is as a league representative and they should remain fair and impartial throughout.

4) Referees are encouraged to use common sense where appropriate and ensure calls are made clearly (such as “2 shots” or “please nominate”).

5) All players are reminded that the main purpose of the league is an enjoyable night out for everybody involved. Unacceptable behaviour / violence / intimidation or unsportsmanlike behaviour will not be tolerated. 

Snookers explained by images

Sometimes it's hard to visualise how the "written" rules should be interpreted. So here you will find some images, courtesy of EPA, which explains how Snookers are defined within our rules.

Images rights belong to EPA

Yellow ball is not snookered in this example as you can see the centre of the yellow ball - rule 3) e)

Yellow ball is not snookered in this example as you can see the thinnest edge of the ball - rule 3) e)

Yellow ball is not snookered in this example as you can see the thinnest edge of the ball and the cushions don't count as an obstruction (pretend they are not there) - rule 3) e) & g)

This example is a foul snooker (providing there has been no balls touch a cushion) - as there is no clear path to any part of the yellow ball - Rule 3) a) & d)