By-laws for Piedmont Triad USAPL 2018-19 Divisions

All teams/players are expected to know and follow the national rules set forth by BCA/USAPL (CSI).

ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND STATE EVENTS WILL BE PLAYED BY CSI OFFICIAL RULES ONLY

A complete list of official rules is available at http://www.playusapool.com

The following by-laws are subject only to Piedmont Triad NC USAPL. Local by-laws supersede national rules for the convenience of our own local players and smooth operation of the league. Any rule disputes not covered by USAPL national rulebook or these by-laws will be subject to the League Manager’s final ruling.

Alternate Break – Two players will lag for the first break and then will alternate all subsequent breaks thereafter.

Break Rule – if the cue ball passes the head string on a forward stroke it is considered a break attempt. In 8 ball, if 4 balls do not contact the rail or an object ball is pocketed, then it will be a re-rack and the opponents break. In 9 & 10 ball, the one ball must be struck first and if 4 balls do not contact the rail or an object ball is pocketed, then it is a ball in hand foul to the opponent.

Played roster limit – 2,375 (no change to penalty deduction)

Illegally pocketed balls (10 ball only) – if an object ball is pocketed illegally, then the opponent has the option of; taking the shot as the balls lie or requiring the shooter to shoot again i.e. if an object ball is pocketed without being called or is pocketed in another pocket other than called. Only if there is not a legally pocketed ball in the same shot. Illegally pocketed balls will remain down and count as dead balls.

Make-Up Matches (not having 5 players for a match) – The opposing captain must grant the team without enough players to fulfill a match an opportunity to make-up any remaining matches. The deadline to complete any make-up matches is now 2 weeks.  Contact the League Manager when agreeing upon a make-up. Any matches not made up in this time frame will be considered forfeited and weekly fees must be paid.

Subs can no longer be used, as this can result in roster conflicts.

Replays are also an option if a team has less than 5 players for a match.  The opposing captain chooses the player that will replay the 5^th match. Captains may not knowingly choose a player that will cause the opposing team to bust the rating limit. If there is a player that will not cause the team to bust the limit, that player must be chosen.

Start Time – Start time is promptly at 7:30 on weeknights. Captains do not have to be present to begin the match.

Coaching – Coaches will be permitted to place the cue ball for the shooter (in a ball in hand situation) and will also be permitted to use a pool cue to help instruct the shooter. While the coach is giving a time out, all ball in hand fouls are still in effect. (This is not allowed in any higher level tournament)

Rosters – Roster changes can be made at any time during the session. There is a maximum of 8 players that can be active on a roster. New teams can be added to the division up until the 4th week of a session.

Playoffs – The ranking of the teams will depend on the PPS (Points per Set) average of all the 3 sessions namely summer, fall & spring. If there is a tie between teams on the PPS rating, the win/loss ratio as well as the total points scored shall be used to determine the winner. A team winning all 3 sessions shall automatically find a spot in the final round of the playoff and will need to be beaten twice. A team that wins 2 out of the 3 sessions will be given priority into the finals but will not have to be beaten twice. Teams that finish in 2^nd and 3^rd place shall find a place in the semi finals of the playoff brackets. If there is no clear leader as stated above i.e. each session is won by a different team, then the PPS rating and other parameters as stated above will prevail and the teams that finish first and second will find a place in the semi finals.

Teams that have not played in all the 3 sessions will have their averages determined as a divisible of 3 even though they may have played only 1 or 2 sessions. They will be eligible to play in the playoff but will concede a differential of their PPS versus their opponents PPS as penalty points (minimum 50 points- teams with 2 sessions / minimum 75 points for teams with 1 session) per match in the playoffs – e.g. If a team playing only 1 session averages a PPS of 33 plays a team that has played all sessions and has a PPS of 98, then they would concede 75 instead of 65 points in that match. Similar process will be followed for teams that have played only 2 sessions. A minimum of 50 / 75 points in penalties will be applied for such instances.

Players Eligibility – Players need to play at least 8 matches in any of the sessions cumulatively to be eligible to play in the Vegas Nationals Tournament. A player needs to play at least 8 matches in the spring session to be eligible to play the first two sets of a match in the playoffs as well as the Nationals in Vegas.

Bonus Points – Total of 35 points for online scorekeeping along with weekly fees due using the USAPL Scorekeeping App. 20 Points for scorekeeping on paper score sheets along with weekly fees due. No Bonus points if the fees are not turned in on time irrespective of scorekeeping on paper or online. Exceptions to the above are purely on the discretion of the League manager in case of unforeseen or untowardly circumstances.

Make up matches – In the case that the two teams need to reschedule any part of a match, we will need to be notified immediately. If we are not notified of rescheduling matches, NO bonus points will be given to either team.

Paperwork – For the accuracy of everyone’s ratings, all paperwork must be completed. Both sets of paperwork still need to be completed if paper score sheets are used. Once the paperwork is completed, signed, and turned in, it is presumed that the final scores are agreed upon and therefore any discrepancies will be adjusted to match what is on the paperwork. If there is a discrepancy and no apparent consensus is arrived at, the League Manager can use his / her discrepancy to make a call on the appropriate possibility.