1 Match scheduling
1.1 Coordination
a) All matches in the summer league are held on Wednesday evenings.
b) Venues for matches to be advised by the league and can be found here
c) 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) A match may be claimed by the opposing captain if a team fails to provide at least two players at the venue by 7:30pm.
d) If an individual player is not at the venue at the time their frame is due to start, the opposing captain can claim the frame.
2.2 Team size
a) A team must field a minimum of 3 players in a match, and a maximum of 5.
b) In the event that a team fields fewer than 3 players, that match will be forfeited.
2.3 Team selection
a) Before the start of the match, the captains will select their players for the first set of 3 frames. No player may play more than 1 frame in each set
b) Players for subsequent sets can be selected once the match has started.
c) In Sets 2 and 3 players or substitutes may be selected in any position,
f) Both participating team captains must sign the scoresheet (app) on completion of the match.
2.4 Match play
a) Matches are 9 frames of singles.
b) All frames are played to International Rules. [NB including shot clocks and extensions]
c) Teams will alternate responsibility for timing and refereeing frames
d) A lag is carried out at the start of every frame to determine which player will break.
e) Frames are played in order, as specified on the team sheet.
f) In the Group Phase, all 9 frames will be played.
g) In the Knockout Phase, the match ends once they have won 5 frames.
2.5 Result scoring
a) In calculating the final score, each frame is worth one, resulting in the match being best of nine.
b) 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.
3 League placements
3.1 Player rankings
a) Player rankings will be based on total singles frames won in all phases.
b) 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) The Summer League will consist of a Group phase followed by a Knockout phase.
b) In the Group Phase positions are determined by:
- Total number of league points
- Frame difference
- Head to Head result
c) The top 4 teams from each group will enter the Championshp 8 team Knockout Phase, competing for the title of Summer League Champions
d) The next 4 teams from each group will enter the consolation Plate Knockout Phase
3.3 Trophies
a) Trophies will be awarded to the team that is champion of the Summer League
b) A trophy will be awarded to the player that finishes top of the ‘Player rankings’.
c) 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. There is no cap on the number of players a team may have registered.
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) A player may only play for one team in the league each season.
c) Rule 4.3 (b) 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.