Rules

Below you can find all the rules relating to the Newtown Pool League.

Newtown Pool League uses the blackball rules. Click here to view the visual guide.

League Regulations

Modified for the 22/23 season.

MEETINGS - The Commitee is formed of at least six representatives who are elected at the start of each season and who serve with the Chairman and Secretary on the Executive Commitee. This commitee deals with all routine maters throughout the season. Agendas for forthcoming meetings will be notfied to Captains who can include items for discussion, or can apply to atend the meeting to address the commitee. Generally, the elected members will include a representative from each Division of the league to ensure a fair cross-section of views. Full meetings consistng of all the Captains of each team will be called periodically to update them on anything new.
MATCH DAY - The League takes place on Sundays. All matches start at 7.30pm with no concession to late arrivals, in that play MUST commence at 7.30pm. Fixtures should always be played on the scheduled night; if a match is postponed without league permission a 14-0 win will be awarded and the offending team must pay the full £28 fees. If a team is not ready to start play at 7.30pm, then the side which is ready, is en tled to claim a game for every 15 minutes wasted wai ng for players. For example - Player drawn at No. 1 is not there - the match then begins at 0-1 to that team. If player No. 2 is not there by 7.45pm then it becomes 0-2 and so on. WELSH TOUR PLAYERS—if a tour player is late returning for league fixtures, then he is permi ed to play at the end of each respec ve session he is drawn in, irrespec ve of when he was drawn to play.

ALL FIXTURES MUST BE PLAYED. TEAMS FAILING TO TURN UP FOR GAMES WILL BE WARNED ON THE FIRST OCCASION AND FOR A SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION OF EXPULSION FROM THE LEAGUE.

THE MATCH DRAW - This is carried out by both Captains before 7.30pm so that the match starts on me. When it is me to do the Draw the Captains must enter at least 5 names into the draw, regardless of how many are present. If a player is not present when due to play, he loses the game. Draw sheets are supplied and only these are to be used to record results. Players' names should be ready wri en onto cards and placed face downwards on the table, with first the Away Captain, and then the Home Captain selec ng cards from each other's collec on. As the cards are drawn, so the names are wri en onto the sheet. NO CHANGE IN THE ORDER IS PERMITTED ONCE THE DRAW HAS BEEN MADE. At the end of each game, the Captain will write down WON or LOST alongside each player's name. At the end of the match, the final score is entered. When compiling the sheet, no ini als or nicknames are to be used in case of confusion in compiling results by the Fixture Secretary. Players will lag for the break of each frame, with the winner having choice. There will be three sessions with a draw before each. The first two sessions will be five frames, and the last session just four frames. For the last session, only four names need be entered into the draw. For the purposes of “Player of the Year” sta s cs, only the FIRST TWO FRAMES a player plays will count towards this.
REFEREES - Each team must name two Referees before the start of the match and these will be the only two to act as Referees. They should be of a suitable standard and capable of opera ng the rules proficiently. THE REFEREE'S DECISION WILL BE FINAL. ANY COMPLAINTS CAN BE REFERRED TO THE SECRETARY OR CHAIRMAN FOR CONFIRMATION OF THE RULES, BUT IF IT IS A QUESTION OF FACT AND THERE IS NO SUSPICION OF A BLATANTLY POOR DECISION, THEN DECISION STANDS.
LATE FINISHES - Instances have occurred in the past where games have finished at ridiculously late mes. Landlords should not be inconvenienced to this extent and are thus advised to stop all games at 11pm. The Secretary will then arrange another date to finish the match. Teams or players persistently finishing late are liable to ac on from the League Commitee.
PAYMENT - In League games, the Home side pays for all the games. In Knockout games, the cost is shared. Weekly league subscrip ons are charged at the rate of £1 per frame for all Divisions. Captains are responsible for collec ng the dues and the home captain is to deliver them, with the match sheet, to the Secretary by the Monday a er the match. (See Rule 2 above, also)
AGE LIMITS - The minimum age for membership is 14 yrs, with a condition that only two players under 16 yrs of age per team.
BANNED PLAYERS - Pubs and Clubs wishing to exclude players from their premises are quite en tled to do so, and there is nothing the league can do to intervene.
TABLES - Maximum length of tables to be 7 feet, and rests to be provided on these larger tables. At least four feet playing room shall be available to cue around all of the table, thus allowing for a standard sized pool cue to be used.
INCLEMENT WEATHER - In the event of severe frost, ice, snow or fog condi ons prevailing on match nights, Captains may wish to cancel the match. They must contact the opposing CAPTAIN before 7pm on the night of the fixture. If he fails to contact the Captain, he should contact the Secretary who will arrange the cancella on. It is stressed that only severe weather problems will qualify. SUCH CANCELLATIONS MUST BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY TO SECRETARY.
DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE - This exists to decide on complaints made by a member of the league against any other member about an issue involving pool in this league. Any complaint must be in writing and delivered to the Chairman or Secretary. The Commi ee will consist of the Execu ve Commi ee who will hear the facts from any witnesses.
REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS - There is no limit to the number of players that can be signed for a team. The Registration Fee is made up of 12 x £2, enabling 10 players to sign free of charge. If that figure is exceeded then an extra £2 is needed per player over the maximum.
TRANSFERS - Any player can be transferred from one team to another, but only upon payment of a £5 transfer fee and the comple on of a transfer form which requires the signature of both the outgoing team Captain and the new one. This is subject to a limit of the 31st December for all transfers. The excep on to this would be where Captain and player had fallen out, making it unreasonable for them to continue playing together, but all such instances would be referred to the Commitee.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD - The players in each Division compete for separate "Player of the Year" awards which are decided by the player that has won the most games. Any failure, for whatever reason, to play will count as a loss. If a e, then %ages will decide. Each team's top player will be invited to compete in the Annual Divisional Singles KO Finals at the end of the season.
PROMOTION & DEMOTION - At the end of each season the top two teams and bo om two teams in each Division will be promoted & relegated accordingly. This may be increased or decreased depending on the number of teams star ng the season. The Division Two champions and runners-up shall be promoted to the Premiership each year, with the bo om two Premiership teams ge ng demoted to Division Two.
6-A-SIDE K.O. - Entry to the major 6-a-side event automa cally qualifies a side for the Consola on Cup later in the season, if that side was knocked out in either the preliminary or first rounds of the ini al 6-a-side Cup. The entry fee also covers free entry to the Memoriall Handicap Cup (Old Gordon Price Handicap KO) and the three Divisional Cup compe Cup entry fees are £18.
KNOCKOUT EVENTS - Once the draw has been made for any of the KO events, no late entries will be accepted. The first rounds of Singles, Doubles & Threesomes will be played on a fixed night, with mings arranged by Secretary. This date will be final unless the players arrange a different date between them, but it must take place before the fixed date. All KO team events will be given a due date and if a team fails to play their match by this date they will be eliminated. All KO semi-finals will be fixed by the League. Partners in Doubles, Threesomes & Mixed Doubles can only be changed with the consent of League.
SEVEN-BALL GAMES - A certificate will be awarded to any player who "7-balls" his opponent in any league fixture or 6-a-side (excluding K.O. events). A "7-baller" is defined as leaving an opponent with seven balls of his group a er comple on of the game, whether it was achieved in one break or more. If a player breaks and pots one or more of each of the groups, and proceeds to pot all his remaining balls and the black (whether with a free visit or not), then that, too, is deemed to be a "7-baller". If, during a 7baller the winner plays a “skill shot” and pots his opponent’s ball, deliberately or not, then it will not be deemed a 7-baller. A prize goes to the player who gains most 7-ballers over the season.
ADDITIONS TO PLAYING RULES - In the event of a Referee calling a “deliberate foul” (no a empt to play his own ball), rather than award the match to the opponent, he/she shall offer the opponent to take his normal visit, or can order the player to re-play the same shot, with the s pula on that unless a far be er effort is made to hit his own ball, then he will forfeit the frame. Push Shot - this is permi ed in our league to save confusion and controversy over understanding the rule, except when the cue ball is ruled to be touching the player’s ball, in which case the player MUST play away without moving the object ball to avoid a foul.
Players partcipating in AWAY County Pool fixtures, may arrive late for games on the same evening. They should contact the opposing team to advise them they will be late arriving, but the rest of their team should begin the match in their absence. No game shall be postponed completely because of County games, with players expected to return for their Newtown league commitments.
All Doubles games, in any competition, will feature the rule where each partner can only play one “cue stroke” before passing control of the table to his/her partner.
All League fixtures a ract a £1 per frame subscription from the player. For a 14 frame match, the team Captain will collect £14 in fees which are handed to the home team captain for delivery to the League Secretary.
Each member team will pay a fee of £25 at the start of the season as a registration payment
The 6-a-side competitions will move from 6 singles and three doubles to a longer format of two sessions of 6 players playing a total of 12 frames. A doubles frame, partners will be drawn out, will be used as a decider if necessary.