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RULES |
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GENERAL |
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| 1 |
The organisation
shall be called "THE STAFFORDSHIRE & WEST MIDLANDS BILLIARDS & SNOOKER
ASSOCIATION" and will be referred to as "The Association" throughout these
rules. |
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| 2 |
The objectives
and duty of The Association shall be to promote the well being of the
games of English Billiards and Snooker, and in furtherance thereof shall
promote such competitions as shall be determined from time to time. For
this purpose, it may be arranged into leagues, groups, sections and/or
divisions, as may be deemed necessary. |
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| 3 |
The Association
may be affiliated with the English Association for Snooker and Billiards
and, if and so long as it shall be recognised by such (or a delegated
authority) as an accredited agent, it shall act in that capacity towards
its constituent members. |
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| 4 |
The Association
shall be governed by a Management Committee consisting of a President,
Chairman, Vice-Chairman, General Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant/Match
Secretary (who shall sit for terms of two years) and 10 members (terms
of one year) elected at the Annual General Meeting. No more than 2 representatives
from any one club will be allowed. Honorary Life Members and the Secretary
of the Staffordshire & West Midlands Billiards & Snooker Referees' Association
may also attend Committee meetings. |
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| 5 |
In the event
of any office becoming vacant, the Management Committee shall have the
power to appoint a successor until the next Annual General Meeting. |
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| 6 |
The Management
Committee shall meet on the first Friday of each month, and as or unless
the Chairman and General Secretary deem necessary. It shall be empowered
to make any by-laws for the benefit of The Association and do all such
things as it may deem necessary for the carrying out of its objectives.
It shall have full power to deal with any infringement of the rules or
by-laws and give a decision on any matter on which they are silent. |
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| 7 |
Membership
of The Association shall consist of the following categories: |
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(a) League
clubs. These shall be eligible to compete in any competition promoted
by the Association, unless otherwise specified. |
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(b) Affiliated
clubs. These shall be eligible to compete in any competition promoted
by the Association, with the exception of the League, handicaps and the
Wolverhampton Old Peoples Welfare Cup. |
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(c) Affiliated
leagues. These shall be eligible to enter the Inter-Town Snooker Championship
and their member clubs shall be deemed to be category b members. |
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| 8 |
Membership
shall be subject to a yearly subscription or affiliation fee, as determined
annually by the Management Committee, which must be forwarded with the
appropriate entry forms by the date stipulated. The annual subscription
fee shall cover entry to The Association's League, Challenge and Consolation
Handicap Cup competitions, prize fund and handbooks. |
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| 9 |
The Annual
General Meeting, of which two weeks notice shall be given, shall be held
in the month of July each year and a Statement of Accounts showing all
receipts and expenditure, duly audited, will be rendered by the General
Secretary/Treasurer. Any Notice of Motion must be forwarded to the General
Secretary at least seven days before the date of the meeting. |
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| 10 |
All clubs
wishing to continue membership of the Association shall be represented
at the Annual General Meeting. Any club neither attending nor having given
written notice of their intention to remain in The Association shall be
liable to lose their place. Such clubs will remain liable for any monies
due in respect of the previous season and shall be liable to be fined
as determined by the Management Committee. |
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| 11 |
Any clubs
resigning from the Association after the Annual General Meeting shall
automatically forfeit any subscriptions paid. |
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| 12 |
Any club
or players thereof shall not be permitted to play in any of the Association's
competitions until all obligations have been fulfilled to the entire satisfaction
of the Management Committee. |
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| 13 |
No amendments
or additions shall be made to these Rules except at an Annual General
Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose. |
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| 14 |
In the event
of The Association being dissolved, an Extraordinary General Meeting shall
determine the re-distribution of any assets or monies held at that time. |
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CONDITIONS
OF PLAY |
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| 15 |
All arrangements
and conditions of play shall be in the hands of the Management Committee,
subject to the particular rules of a competition. |
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| 16 |
Games shall
be played in accordance with the Rules as laid down by the English Association
for Snooker and Billiards. |
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| 17 |
All league
matches will be played on or before the date specified. Any club desiring
the re-arrangement of a match must first obtain permission from the League
Match Secretary, whose decision shall be final. |
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| 18 |
Competition
matches may be postponed by up to no later than 7 days after the date
stated. Any club/player desiring the re-arrangement of a match must first
obtain permission from the Competetion Secretary, whose decision
shall be final. Competition matches not played within this period will
result in the elimination of both parties. |
| 19 |
Any club
re-arranging a match without permission or failing to contest a match
as fixed shall forfeit all games in the match and be fined. |
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| 20 |
League Competition
matches take precedence over all other matches, unless it is by direction
of the Management Committee. |
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| 21 |
The Management
Committee shall have the power to order any match to be replayed should
circumstances warrant it. |
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| 22 |
Teams are
deemed to belong to the club stated on their membership application form
and shall play their home matches at that club. Only in exceptional circumstances
will the Management Committee approve otherwise. |
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| 23 |
All players
must be bona fide members of the club they intend to represent, or have
their membership pending ratification. |
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| 24 |
All matches
are to commence play at 8.00 p.m. The only exception shall be at clubs
with only one table, where team matches must commence at 7.30 p.m. |
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| 25 |
Each captain
shall independently enter his team's order of play onto the result card
(STATING FULL NAME) and frames will be played to the order as shown. |
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| 26 |
Should a
team or player be unready to commence play, as scheduled, at the stated
time then, upon a claim from the opposing party, the first frame shall
be forfeited by 147 points to nil. Should the offending team or player
still be unready after an interval of 15 minutes then a second frame shall
be forfeited and, after half an hour, the match. |
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| 27 |
In the case
of a team playing short of the required number of players, then it shall
be adjudged to have lost such games by 147 points to nil and be fined.
Frames forfeited shall be the last frame(s) as shown on the result card. |
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| 28 |
In the case
of a team playing an unregistered player, the offending team will be adjudged
to have lost the applicable frame(s) by 147 points to nil and be fined.
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| 29 |
In the case
of a team playing an ineligible player, the offending team will be adjudged
to have lost the applicable frame(s) by 147 points to nil and be fined.
Should the offence occur in a league match, 2 points will also be deducted
from the offending team's total. Ineligible shall be defined as members
of the W.P.B.S.A. Main Tour (except as under rule 39), of another team
(except as under rule 40) or restricted by a Management Committee decision. |
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| 30 |
In the case
of a player playing the wrong opponent, should the frame be completed
then the result stands. |
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| 31 |
Team matches
at clubs with excess of 2 tables must be played on adjoining tables. |
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| 32 |
Home teams
are responsible for refereeing and away teams for marking the board. |
| 33 |
Home teams
will score on spot (top) and away teams on plain (bottom). |
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| 34 |
All members
of a team must be present no later than 8.30 p.m. In the event of a player
being absent, a registered reserve may be substituted providing he/she
has been present since the match's commencement. |
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| 35 |
All result
cards must be in the hands of the Appropriate Secretary within
4 days of the date of the match. The card must be signed as correct by
both parties and any alterations initialled. In league matches, delivery
is the responsibility of the HOME team, and in competitions it is that
of the WINNING team or player. Failure to adhere to this will incur a
fine as determined by the Management Committee. Late delivery of a competition
card is also liable to result in elimination. |
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| 36 |
Any party
found to have falsified a match result card will be severely fined. The
extent of the fine shall be determined by the Management Committee upon
the evidence before it and any party condoning the act will be liable
to a more severe fine. |
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| 37 |
All trophies
are perpetual challenge trophies and must be returned to the General Secretary
on request. Clubs shall be responsible for their upkeep whilst in their
possession and will be charged for any renovation necessary on their return. |
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| 38 |
Should the
Management Committee consider a competition to have attracted insufficient
entries to make it's commencement valid, then that competition shall be
suspended for the season in question. |
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| 39 |
Members
of the W.P.B.S.A. Main Tour shall be allowed to compete in League division
1 and Inter-Town matches only, and shall be limited to one per team. |
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| 40 |
A player
may transfer between clubs, subject to Management Committee approval.
All requests must be accompanied by written permission from the club holding
the player's registration and will only take effect upon receipt of a
fee, as determined by the Management Committee from time to time. No request
will be entertained if received after December 31st. |
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| 41 |
All matters
in dispute must be delivered, in writing, to the General Secretary within
three days of the event. |
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LEAGUE
PLAY |
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| 42 |
All matches
shall be played on a home and away basis and teams shall consist of 5
players playing 1 frame each. |
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| 43 |
For the
computation of league tables, one point will be awarded for each frame
won and an additional point for the team winning most frames in a match. |
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| 44 |
All players
intending to compete in the league must be entered on the Association
Registration Form, which is to be deposited with either the General or
Assistant/Match Secretary by the date stipulated. Clubs wishing to register
additional players after this date may do so by obtaining permission from
either the General or Assistant/Match Secretary, but such registrations
will be subject to Management Committee scrutiny. |
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| 45 |
Where a
club operates more than one team in a particular league, such teams shall
be deemed 'A', 'B', 'C', etc., and the following constraints shall apply: |
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| (a) |
Players
will automatically be registered for a team when they have played 3 league
matches for that team. They will then be ineligible to play for any other
team except as under rule 40. |
| (b) |
Second team
players may play for the first team (or third team players may play for
the second team and so on) but only twice in a season. Should that player
play a third time he then becomes a first team player (or second team
player and so on). |
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In the event
of a club wishing to transfer a player from a team of a higher standard
to that of a lower one, application must be made to the Management Committee
and each case shall be judged entirely on merit. |
| (d) |
Should the
Management Committee consider a club to be fielding a player(s) in a division
of the League where their playing ability is noticeably greater than the
general level in that division, the right is reserved to prevent that
club from fielding such a player(s). |
| (e) |
Where a
club is running 2 teams in any one division, such teams shall be deemed
to be separate clubs within the meaning of these rules. |
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| 46 |
No player
can play for more than one club team in the same week, or in respect of
the same week's fixtures. |
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| 47 |
No player
may represent more than one club, unless as under rule 40. |
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| 48 |
Should any
team retire from the league, then all matches played by that team shall
be deleted. |
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| 49 |
At the conclusion
of the season, the team securing the largest number of points shall be
deemed champions of their respective section, league or division. Prizes
will also be awarded to the player(s) registering the most wins and highest
break in each division. No claim for the highest break will be entertained
unless it has been recorded on the appropriate match result card. |
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| 50 |
Where there
is more than one division in any one section, promotion and relegation
will operate on the principle of two-up two-down, unless as the Management
Committee deem necessary. |
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| 51 |
In the event
of 2 or more teams being equal on points, that with the most number of
matches won shall occupy the higher position. Should a tie still occur,
the team with the most number of frames won, in matches between those
concerned, shall be deemed to occupy the higher position. Should the teams
still remain inseparable, and the situation involves the issue of promotion,
then a play-off match will take place on neutral tables. |
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KNOCKOUT
COMPETITIONS |
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| 52 |
Entry fees
shall be determined annually by the Management Committee. |
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| 53 |
The winners
of each match shall be decided by virtue of the most number of frames
won, unless otherwise specified. |
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| 54 |
The number
of frames to be played in each round shall be determined by the Management
Committee at the start of each season. |
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| 55 |
In any one
competition, no player may play for more than one team per season. |
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| 56 |
Initial
matches shall be played at the home of the club or player first drawn
or a venue selected by the Management Committee, with a referee being
mutually agreed between the players concerned. |
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| 57 |
From the
Semi-final stage onwards (or Quarter-finals in the Individual Championship),
all matches shall be played at a neutral venue with officials appointed
by the Management Committee and Referees' Association. |
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| 58 |
Any handicaps
awarded shall be agreed by the Management Committee and are subject to
alteration at any time. In INDIVIDUAL HANDICAP matches any start
should be marked on the scoreboard before each frame. In TEAM HANDICAP
matches any start should NOT be marked on the scoreboard and each
frame treated separately. |
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| 59 |
In matches
decided by aggregate scores, should the points of both teams be equal
after the completion of the final frame then the black shall be re-spotted
and the last two opponents play. The player winning the toss shall have
choice of first strike. In no other frame, regardless of the frame or
aggregate score, shall the black be re-spotted after the pool balls have
been potted or a penalty on the final black ends the frame. |
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CHALLENGE
AND CONSOLATION HANDICAP CUPS |
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| 60 |
All league
teams shall be entered into the Challenge Handicap Cup and those defeated
in the first round will automatically be entered for the Consolation Handicap
Cup. |
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| 61 |
Teams forfeiting
their first round match due to a contravention of the rules will be fined
and eliminated from both competitions. |
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| 62 |
Teams shall
consist of five players, each playing one frame. Eligibility of players
shall be subject to rule 44. |
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| 63 |
Winners
shall be determined by virtue of the highest aggregate score of all frames
in the match (including any points awarded under the handicap). |
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| 64 |
No player
may play for more than one team in either or both competitions in any
one season. |
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INDIVIDUAL
COMPETITIONS |
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| 65 |
Age restrictions
shall apply in both the Junior and Grand Masters' Snooker Championships.
The Junior shall be open only to players under the age of 21 years on
31st December of the year of the competition, and the Grand Masters' shall
be open only to those over 45. |
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FOURSOMES
SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP |
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| 66 |
No player
may play for more than one pair in the Championship, nor will a substitute
partner be allowed after a pair has played its first match. |
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| 67 |
At the start
of each match, choice of first strike shall be determined upon the toss
of a coin. Each side shall then open alternate frames but the order of
play shall be determined at the commencement of each frame. |
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| 68 |
Matches
shall be determined by virtue of the highest aggregate score of all frames
in the match. Should rule 59 apply, all four players continue to play
after the black has been re-spotted, maintaining the order of play as
during the frame. |
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ST. DUNSTANS
SNOOKER COMPETITION |
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| 69 |
Teams shall
consist of three players, each playing two consecutive frames, with the
winners decided by virtue of the aggregate score of all frames in the
match. No more than four players per team may be registered. |
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OLD PEOPLES
WELFARE SNOOKER CUP |
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| 70 |
Entry shall
be restricted to league teams competing in division 4 or lower. |
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| 71 |
Teams shall
consist of three players, each playing one frame each, with the winners
decided by virtue of the aggregate score of all frames in the match. No
more than four players per team may be registered. Eligibility of players
shall be subject to rule 44. |
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INTER-TOWN
SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP |
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| 72 |
Teams shall
consist of 7 players, who shall play one frame each. |
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| 73 |
Players
shall only be eligible to represent a town or area in which they reside
or the club they represent is situated. |
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| 74 |
Match dates
will be published with the draw for each round, and matches must be played
on or before that date. Failure to do so will result in the elimination
of both teams. |
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| 75 |
All matches
must be played at venues with minimum two tables. Secretaries of teams
drawn at home are responsible for informing the General Secretary of the
date and venue of each match. |
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