Manasota APA Local By-Laws Randy and Shannon Vogel, League Operators Office Phone: (941) 209-9104 Office Hours: Monday- Friday Noon to 8:00pm Phone: Shannon (941) 209-9104 Randy (941) 209-9103 Email: havefun@apaleagues.com Website: www.manasota.apaleagues.com We welcome your team to the American Poolplayers Association! In order for us to enhance your enjoyment and the service of the League, we must enforce local bylaws, which are designed to allow a smooth operation of the League. Read these bylaws carefully and keep them with your team manual. Breaking these rules could cost you a playoff spot and a chance to advance to the Local or National Team Championships. These bylaws have been read and approved by the American Poolplayers Association. The local bylaws are a secondary source of information created in accordance with and in addition to the Official Team Manual. The best way to reach us is electronically via email or by text. Phone calls will be taken whenever possible. If you call and do not reach us, please leave a message and we will return your call. If there are any questions about play due to weather or other circumstances, please check the website if possible. We will make our best effort to notify Team Captains of any situations, but it is impossible for us to contact each person individually and the website is your best source of information. All announcements or notices will be posted there. Team Fees The basic fees for weekly play are $30 per team. If a team has chosen to participate in Plus League, or a Division has chosen to become a Cash Back Division, the fee is $40 (see explanations below). In Division Playoffs, each team will only pay for the matches played. Pre-payment of weekly team fees can be arranged with the League Operator. Plus Leagues include a Singles Board for each team, to be played by that team, each Session. Each team will then send one player from each Session to the Singles Regional Tournament. There, they will have an opportunity to play in a tiered tournament against players of their own approximate Skill Level, for an entry into the National Singles Tournament in Las Vegas. In Cash Back Divisions, payouts will vary depending on the team count in the Session. The Division Champion (the team with the most points at the end of the session, prior to playoffs) will be considered the first place team. In the case of a tie, the money will be divided evenly, but we will use our software to determine who the true Division Champion is. Any team that is past due at the end of the session will not receive their Cash Back (if earned). The Cash Back fund cannot be used as credit toward the current session. Any team that is past due will not be paid until they are caught up. Late Fees Any team that fails to submit their team fees each week will not earn their bonus points (covered under Bonus Points ). Teams with past due accounts will not earn any bonus points until the balance is paid. Teams that are two or more weeks past due may lose their qualification (if applicable) and risk suspension from the League. No team with a balance due will be eligible for Wild Card Draws, Playoffs or any other Higher Level Tournament play. Other Please note that the APA of Manatee and Sarasota Counties is not responsible for cash! There will be a $25 fee for any returned checks. Players responsible for bad checks will not be eligible to participate in any Playoffs or Higher Level Tournament play until the debt has been paid in full. No Bonus Points will be awarded to the team until the debts are settled. All checks should be made out to APA of Manatee County. A driver s license number should be included on all checks or submitted to the League Office. Bonus Points Teams may earn bonus point(s) each week by: a) turning in their entire weekly team fee at the end of league play for that day/night; b) playing only current APA members in the matches; c) completely filling out the score sheet as required. 8-Ball 1 bonus point 9-Ball 20 bonus points Packet Pick Up/Drop Off All packets will be at the Host Location on the night of play. When League play is finished, packets must be deposited into the drop boxes provided on the night of play. Teams whose packets do not make it into the boxes on the night of play will not earn their Bonus Point(s) for the week. We will make special arrangement with teams whose Host Locations do not have a drop box.
Bylaws 1. 8-Ball/9-Ball: Points for Forfeits Due to "No Show" Team The winning team will receive 3 match wins in 8-ball and 60 points in 9-ball. Teams do not pay for "no shows." If one player from each team plays then this rule does not apply. 2. Byes When a team is scheduled for a BYE (they are not scheduled to play another team that week) they will receive 3 points for 8-Ball and 60 points for 9-Ball and that is all. There will be no bonus points awarded for a BYE. If a new team fills a BYE in the schedule, there will be no adjustments made for teams that have already received their BYE points because they might have earned more if they had played. Teams do not pay for Byes. 3. 8-Ball / 9-Ball: Forfeit Points If a team wants to receive one or more forfeit points (when 1-4 players from the opposing team did not show), the wins must be paid for on match night. You cannot call the next week and request that the wins be given to you then. If a team is short a player during regular league play, and a forfeit occurs, the following points are awarded. 8-Ball is one point for a forfeited match. 9-Ball is 12 points for a forfeited match. 4. Membership Dues Annual membership fees are due on the date that a new player first plays in the league. All new members (or non-paid ex-members returning to the league) must pay their annual membership fees before playing. Membership fees for current players are renewable every January. All membership fees must be included in the team envelope when it is received by the league office. The Fees Section in the lower left corner of the score sheet should be filled out completely. If membership fees are not paid when due, loss of Bonus Points will apply. Playing Non-Paid Members: Every player must be a current APA member before playing a league match. It is the Team Captain s responsibility to make sure all team members have paid their membership fees when due. To avoid losing your team s Bonus Point(s), do not play unpaid members. Playing one unpaid member will result in the loss of your Bonus Point(s). If an unpaid player is allowed to play, and wins the match, that win and the resulting point(s) will be taken away. (The opponents will only get credit for the matches or points they actually win.) New players may be added to a team after week 4 of a session. Teams may add a new player by writing a note on the score sheet and providing information about the new player to be added to the team roster. Keep applications in your packets for that purpose. Excpeption: Players may not be added to, or removed from, a qualified team after the fourth week of the Spring Session. 5. 8-Ball / 9-Ball: Travel Assistance Fund The travel assistance fund will be divided between eligible teams going to the National Championship. If a qualified team elects not to go, the runner-up (the team that the qualified team defeated) will receive the opportunity to go to the nationals and will receive its portion of the travel assistance fund. To receive the travel assistance funds your team must go to the National Tournament. Each format has its own travel assistance fund. 6. Earning a Slot to the Local Team Championship Divisions containing eight (8) or more teams are eligible for two slots to the Local Team Championship per session. LTC slots are awarded as follows: At the end of the regular session the team finishing in first place with the most wins will be the division winner. (Tie-breaking procedures are explained in the team manual if two teams finish the session in a tied position.) This team earns an automatic slot into the Local Team Championship. Playoff matches determine which team wins the second slot for the Local Team Championship. In each division with eight (8) or more teams, the next top three finishing teams that have not already earned a slot to the Local Team Championship plus a wild card team will be in the session playoffs. Any team that has already earned a slot in the Local Team Championship will not be entered into the playoffs or the Wild Card drawing unless the team loses/lost its eligibility and wants to be re-qualified. In such cases the team must notify local league management that it intends to try to re-qualify so its name will be included in the playoffs/wild card draw. Notification of intent should be made in writing to the local league office before session playoffs. Home-field advantage will go to the top two eligible teams competing in the Playoffs. (Tiebreakers, if needed, determine ranking.) In the finals, the two semi-final winners play each other to decide which team will earn the second slot in the Local Team Championship. Home-field advantage goes to the highest ranked team from the regular session. The Wild Card Team is selected from those teams that did not make the Playoffs, and have not already earned a slot in the Local Team Championship, unless they gave up more than five (5) forfeit points during the course of the session, or are not current with all League fees. In divisions with less than eight (8) teams the division earns one slot per session to the Local Team Championships, and the procedure for winning that slot is as follows: The top three finishing teams that have not already earned a slot to the Local Team Championship plus a Wild Card Team will be in the session playoffs. Any team that has already earned a slot in the Local Team Championship will not be entered into the playoffs or the Wild Card drawing unless the team loses/lost its eligibility and wants to be re-qualified. In such cases the team must notify local league management that it intends to try to re-qualify so its name will be included in the playoffs/wild card draw. Notification of intent should be made in writing to the local league office before session playoffs. 7. Session Awards Awards will be provided to each member of each team that finishes in first place in their respective division. If two or more teams are tied for first place at the end of the regular session, tie-breaking procedures as outlined in the team manual will decide which team will receive the first-place awards. The Host Location for any team finishing in first place in its division for any session will receive an award for hosting.
8. Young Adults, Players 18 20 As the APA now allows 18-20 year olds to play we agree but with the understanding that they will be held to a high behavioral standard. Any complaints of inappropriate or unacceptable behavior, and they could be suspended from the League until they have reached their 21 st birthday It is recommended, but not required, that teams limit the number of players under the age of 21 to no more than three. In Sarasota and Manatee Counties there are host locations that do not allow anyone under the age of 21 in their establishment. The APA has no right to ask these establishments to allow anyone under age 21 into their place of business. If your team has one or more players under the age of 21, plan accordingly. It is the Captain s responsibility to confirm with any host location what the age requirements are prior to any scheduled matches. 9. Byes in Local Team Championships Any team that qualifies for the Local Team Championship in the Summer Session, and finishes 1 st in either the Fall or Spring Session will have be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Bye in the first round of the Local Team Championship. Any team that qualifies for the Local Team Championship in the Fall Session, and finishes 1 st in the Spring Session, will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a Bye in the first round of the Local Team Championship. A team may only be entered into the drawing one time. If a team qualifies in the Summer and finishes in 1 st for both the Fall and Spring Session, the team will only be allowed one entry into the drawing. Having an entry in the drawing does not guarantee that a team will be selected for a Bye in the first round of the Local Team Championship. The drawing will only be held if there are Byes in the first round. 10. Teams May Play a Player Twice During the first four weeks of regular session play, 8-ball and 9-ball team captains may utilize a player two (2) times during match play in order to avoid forfeiting the last match due to an unavailable player. After the fourth week of regular scheduled play the rule may not be used. After week #4 if a player is played twice, the second match will be changed to a loss for both teams. This bylaw can only be utilized if the following conditions are met for 8-Ball and 9- Ball: The team does not have at least five players on the premises to participate in match play. The captain who intends to invoke this bylaw amendment notifies the opposing team's captain that a player will play a second time prior to either player being declared for the final match. * The player chosen to play a second time will shoot in the last match. The team utilizing the rule to play a player twice will pick their player for the last match first, regardless of which team s turn it is to pick. The player chosen to play a second time is a SL 4 or below. The "23 Rule" may not be violated if the player is played twice. Rule may not be used at any higher-level match. (Playoffs, LTC, or NTC) *If the opposing team's captain is not informed of the repeat player before he or she declares the player for the last match, that captain will have the right to change his or her player selection upon learning that an opposing player is to play a second time. 11. Make-Up Matches for Non-Qualified Players or Teams Make-up matches may be rescheduled according to the following guidelines: Team Captains can agree to reschedule a match; the team granting the rescheduled match selects the location for the rescheduled match. Both Captains will work out the date and time of the rescheduled match. Notification by both team captains to the league office is required. The rescheduled match must be made up by the 2nd Sunday following the original date of the scheduled match. Rescheduled matches will follow the guidelines set above unless it would cause the rescheduled match to be completed after the last night of regular session. No make-up matches will be allowed to take place after the last night of the current regular session. If the original matches or the rescheduled matches do not take place as agreed by both team captains, then zero points are given to both teams. If a team fails to show for the agreed upon rescheduled match, then that team will be treated as a no show/forfeit and the bye points will be given to the team that was present for the rescheduled match. 12. Make-Up Matches for Qualified Players or Teams participating in an APA-Sponsored National Tournament If four (4) or more players from one team have qualified to participate simultaneously in a National Team or Singles event in Las Vegas, the team is encouraged to schedule a make-up match or matches with the opposing teams they are scheduled to play during their absence. These make-up matches are to be re-scheduled and played prior to the regularly scheduled match. In the event that make-up matches cannot be arranged, the following "Make-up Points Schedule" will be implemented: 9-Ball - 60 points awarded to each team 8-ball - 3 points awarded to each team Points from the Make-up Points Schedule will not be awarded to teams whose players have elected to go to Las Vegas as spectators; teams who have three or less players participating simultaneously in a National Tournament; or teams whose players are participating in National Tournaments for which there is no qualification process. In these situations, absences may result in forfeited games if a make-up match cannot be arranged. The Board of Governors urges all teams whose matches will be affected with four or more players' simultaneous participation in a National Tournament to make a good faith effort to schedule make-up matches whenever possible.
Sportsmanship 13. Breaking Down a Cue to Use in Tight Situations In the event that a non-movable obstacle (wall, bar, etc.) interferes with a shot, the player may break down his or her cue to execute the shot. Under no circumstances may a player jump or masse a ball with a cue that has been broken down. 14. Table and Cue Ball The Home team is responsible for choosing which table the matches will take place on. The Home team will also determine the cue ball to be used for all matches to be played. The same cue ball must be used throughout the matches. The Pro Cup cue ball (Measles Ball) may be used for a league match providing both players agree; otherwise it will not be used for a match. If host location has the Pro Cup cue ball as its primary cue ball for each table, then the Pro Cup cue ball could be used during league play. 15. Playing Condition of Host Location Environmental conditions in the location where the matches are being played (noise level, temperature, lighting, table conditions, obstacles, crowds, poor service, etc.) are related to the business practices of the location and, as such, cannot be remedied or interfered with by the League Office. As a player, you have the option of politely asking the Home Team Captain or the employee in charge of the host location for help in remedying the situation. If the condition cannot be improved, simply make the best of it. 16. Modified 23-Rule (Open 8-ball) This rule, as it pertains to 8-ball league play, has been modified at the local level in order to be more consistent with the existing rule pertaining to 9-ball league play. If the 23-Rule is broken, the offending team will receive zero points for that League match and any subsequent matches if applicable. The non-offending team will receive points already won, plus 1 point for the match in which the 23-Rule was broken and any subsequent matches if applicable. 17. New Team Joining After the Session Starts When a new team joins the league after the first week of league play, it will be awarded a number of points that is equal to the amount of points held at that time by the last-place team in the standings. 18. Players Changing Teams A player may change teams during the first four weeks of the session with permission from the league operator, including within the same division. The player may not play for two teams in the same division during the same week. 19. Tied Teams that Did Not Play Each Other During the Session Normal tie-breaking procedures are covered in the Official Team Manual. In the unlikely event that two or more teams that did not play each other during the regular session are tied at the end of a session, the winner of the tie-breaker will be determined by the following method: The league office will look at the team standings for the week prior to the last week of the regular session to determine how the teams were ranked. The team that had the most points one week prior to the end of the session will win the tie-breaker. If those teams were tied at one week prior to the end of the session, the standings from two weeks prior to the end of the session will be used to determine the winner of the tie-breaker, and so on. This procedure will only be used if two or more teams are tied at the end of a session, and those two or more teams have not played each other during the regular session. 20. Teams Running Late In the case of late teams, the policy is as follows: The first match will be forfeited at 7:15, the second match will be forfeited at 7:30, the third match will be forfeited at 7:45, and the last two matches (and the night) will be forfeited at 8:00. This allows teams that are running a little late time to get to their match while not making League play last too late into the night. Practice good pool etiquette! This includes NO drinks, NO food and NO smoking at the table. It is damaging to the tables and inconsiderate of other players. This also includes NO CELL PHONES as this could be misconstrued as illegal coaching. These are not rules they are just good pool etiquette. Both your opponents and your Host Locations will thank you for respecting these guidelines. Please do not mark your pockets with chalk, weapons, or folding money. Coins are acceptable. Headphones may be used during regular session play but they are not allowed in any Higher Level Tournament play. Final Words May 1 st, 2011 Remember, we re all here to have fun! So get to know your opponents and enjoy yourselves!