1. (9-22-13) Playing rules shall be the General Rules of Pocket Billiards, The World Standardized Rules: 8-Ball, as played by the BCA (Billiard Congress of America) (As of 2012, all of these are the same.) and the Bisbee Invitational Pool League Playing Rules. The Bisbee Invitational Pool League Charter Rules takes precedence over all of the above. The Charter Rules may not be changed without a majority vote of those eligible to vote at a regularly stated meeting. 2. (9-11-11) The following are eligible to vote at all Captain s Meetings; Each Team Captain will have (1) vote and can appoint a representative from that same team to take the Captain s place if the Captain cannot be present. Each Bar Owner will have (1) vote and can appoint a representative from the Bar to take the actual Owner s place if the Owner cannot be present. A Team Captain or player cannot vote for a Bar Owner or vice-versa. Each Captain or Bar Owner can vote only once on any issue and must be present to vote. 3. (3-26-12) Each year at the last meeting of the season, the BPL (Bisbee Pool League) may elect a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer for the upcoming season. Their term of office is to begin after the last E.o.S. (End of Season) tournament is over. Any combination of the above officers can be elected or, as an alternative to the above officer slate, the following can be adopted on an annual basis: The Captain s can elect to have no officers and elect a single Director. The Director will handle all basic transactions and decisions for the BPL that he/she has precedence for making the decision. Any major decision regarding the BPL or rules should be considered by a vote of the team captains and the involved bar owners. The vote can be taken by phone and if a unanimous vote is not cast by all of them, the Director will call a Captain s Meeting for the purpose of debating and taking a final vote on the issue at hand. The Director will be assuming all of the duties normally handled by the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer positions. 4. (2008) The secretary/treasurer shall be paid $20.00 each week, while the League is running. 5. (2008) A captain does not have to be a player. Captains will observe each game and act as referees. Captains may designate someone to observe and act as referee in their absence. Nobody but the current players at the table, and the captains may call fouls. If there is no agreement regarding the foul, there will be a re-rack of the balls and the game will be replayed with the original breaker breaking the re-rack. 6. (2008) Each captain shall keep win/loss records by use of a score sheet during play. Each team has the responsibility of maintaining win/loss records for the duration of the season. Each team captain must sign the score sheets each league night, attesting to its accuracy. **Team players first and last names must be printed neatly on all official score sheets.** 1
7. (2008) The host Bar will put up $10.00 when the match is held. 8. (9-26-10) Each player will pay $2.00 for each game he/she plays. 9. (2008) At the end of each match, the winning team receives $21.00 from the monies collected, and the League receives $45.00. The losing team receives no money. The Home Team Captain is responsible for turning in the League s $45.00 and a copy of the night s score sheet to the League s treasurer by Thursday of that week, unless other arrangements have been made with the treasurer. 10. (2008) There will be fourteen (14) games played on the league night at each of the home team bars. The games will be divided into two (2) rounds of seven (7) games per round. In the event of a 7-7 tie after the (14) games have been played, each team captain will pick one of their team players for a fifteenth and final tiebreaker game. A player may only play one (1) game per round and if chosen by their team captain, the tiebreaker game. Each team captain will draw numbers at 7:00 PM, to determine pairing between opposing team players. Play will begin at 7:30 PM or at a time mutually agreed upon by the team captains. 11. (5-16-09) Tiebreakers do not figure into Team stats or Individual stats. The tiebreaker is used only to determine who wins the tournament. Tied teams end the night at (7) games won for each team. The Players who participated in the tiebreaker don t get credit for the win or a negative for the loss. 12. (2008) Once a draw has been made, a substitute can t be put in for a missing player. Games MAY be rotated within a round, but paired players must play each other. The second round drawing may begin while the first round play is in progress. 13. (5-16-09) Teams must be sponsored by an open bar with at least (1) pool table per team, (2) weeks prior to the start of the season. 14. (2008) Each team consists of at least seven (7) players, with at least two (2) women from each team playing in each round. If there is only one (1) woman playing in a round, the team forfeits a game for the missing second woman. If there are no women playing for a team, that team forfeits all (14) games and the match. There must be a minimum of three (3) men and one (1) woman per team to play a match, and they must be present by 7:30 PM or the match is forfeit. If a team can t assemble the required (4) players, they must call the opposing team captain AND the league president prior to twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled match, at which time the president decides if the match will be rescheduled. A rescheduled match must be played prior to the next normally scheduled match or the match is forfeit. 2
15. (5-16-09) The maximum number of players on any team, for an entire season, is (21) total players. 16. (2008) Once a player shoots for a team, they may not shoot for another team during that season. 17. (9-22-13) In the event of a team forfeit, the forfeiting Team shall still be responsible for players fees not collected and, if the Home Team is forfeiting, the $10.00 from the host bar. If a team must "forfeit" a tournament, in any week of the regular season, and the tournament is not made up in accordance with League rules, the (7) players listed on the draw sheet for the first round of the team that showed up, will each receive (2) wins for the tournament. The forfeiting team will be given (2) losses each, to its top (5) male players and its top (2) female players, as determined by the League secretary, using available stats. This penalty is assessed regardless of who actually showed up for the forfeiting team. In addition, if the team forfeit occurs in the last (6) weeks of the season, and is not made up in accordance with League rules, ALL of the players on the forfeiting team will be banned from competing in any of the League sponsored end of season tournaments and will not be eligible for annual League or Team end of season awards, for that season only. 18. (9-21-14) If a bar closes during the season, the league will allow the displaced team to participate by playing at the opponents bar and the displaced team must provide the required drink and the $10.00 bar fee. 19. (9-11-11) If a team drops out before the end of a season, the win/loss record of that team will be erased from Week #1 through the last week they participated, for both team and individual stats. This will also change the stats of the opposing teams and players they played to reflect erasing the dropout team stats. The opposing teams will show a bye week for the weeks played and all teams will be given a bye for future tournaments against the dropout team. 20. (2008) This is a Lady s and Gentlemen s call shot league. Each player must call their shot by identifying which ball they are trying to pocket, and which pocket they intend the ball to go into. Amateur players only. 20. (A) (9-20-15) The BPL is a NO COACHING League. This means that no player or Captain who is present at the table during a tournament game is allowed to: talk to, give advice, alert in anyway or discuss anything pertaining to the game being played with either of the (2) players who are actually playing the game. This also means the players themselves can t ask for advice or discuss with anyone else present, anything pertaining to the game being played. Obvious coaching will be considered a foul and give the opposing player a ball-in-hand. NOTE: If agreed upon by both Captains and the (2) players actually playing the game, prior to the game starting, an exception can be made for working with a new league player who needs help with basic rule instruction. 21. (2008) If a player touches a ball with an article of clothing or a lock of hair, it is not a foul unless the ball moves. If a player touches a ball with a part of their body, a cue stick or bridge, it is a foul, whether the ball moves or not. 3
22. (2008) All persons attending a pool league match must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age. This includes all players and their families. Common courtesy and all house rules shall be observed at all host bars. 23. (9-23-12) The break is determined by flipping of a coin. Winner of the flip has the choice of either breaking or letting the opposing team break. Whoever elects to break, he/she also has the option to rack the balls for their own break. If the player breaking the rack also scratches on the break, the scratch is to be treated as any other foul, giving the opposing player a ball-in-hand. 24. (9-22-13) All bars must use a cue ball equal in size to the object balls. Attempting to jump or masse the cue ball is a foul, with ball in hand awarded to the opposing player. 25. (2008) Shot Clock If it is felt that a player is playing too slowly, a team captain may advise the opposing team captain that a shot clock will be in effect. The shot clock will be in effect from that point on for both players, for that particular game. This will be a (45) second shot clock. The captain who called for the shot clock, or his/her representative will keep track of the time with a watch that displays seconds. At thirty (30) seconds into the count, the counter will announce either fifteen or fifteen seconds, reminding the shooter that there are fifteen (15) seconds remaining. At forty-five (45) seconds (the end of the count) the counter shall call out TIME. If the shooting player has not taken their shot when time has been called, the player has committed a standard foul, and ball-in-hand is awarded to the opposing player. The first shot of a game begins when the breakers cue tip contacts the cue ball. Thereafter, shots begin when the previous players turn has ended and all balls on the table have come to rest. In the event a ball goes off the table, the ball should be replaced as soon as possible, and the shot begins at that point. IMPORTANT!!! The rule is NOT to be used indiscriminately! If a player takes a minute or so to take a shot, that is fine. Some players shoot fast, and others take their time. This is not to be used just because a shooter is not fast at the table. But when a player is consistently too slow, or is deemed to be playing very slow as a tactic against their opponent, then the shot clock can be utilized. 26. (5-16-09) Players must have played 75% of scheduled League games to be eligible for recognition and trophy purposes, including personal stats and standings. 27. (9-20-15) Teams will give a MVP (Most Valuable Player) award to one of their players. The MVP will be decided by each individual team and not by the league. One MIP (Most Improved Player) award will be given to a player on each team and will be chosen by the team and not the league. The name of the Player and host bar will be on each award. The league is responsible for purchasing the awards. 28. (5-16-09) The league will recognize players who run the table and win their game, not just from the break but also from the players first shot, during the regular season. 4
29. (4-10-10) Beginning with Week #1 of the 2010/2011 season, an 8-Ball Break will win the game. The winner will be recognized in the weekly results bulletin. An 8-Ball Break that also results in a scratch of the cue ball will be considered a foul and the player breaking loses the match. 30. (2008) There will be one (1) larger traveling trophy for the first place team. This trophy will remain on display at the winning team s bar until the conclusion of the following season s regular play, at which time it will be presented to the new season s first place team. The trophies and awards committee shall determine the prizes for any other awards. 31. (9-21-14) The end of season tournaments may be as follows: Men s Individual, Women s Individual, Men s and Women s Mixed Scotch Doubles, The Calcutta or any combination of (4) tournaments as voted on by the team captains. These tournaments are open only to players who have played in the current season. Tournaments will be played on dates specified after the season, as voted on by the team captains. 32. (9-22-13) Each player must have played in a minimum of 30% of the possible games from that season, to be eligible to play in any of the E.o.S. (End of Season) tournaments. 32. (A) (5-3-15) An E.o.S. Buy-In can be offered to any player who played at least (6) games during the regular season but did not play in the required 30% of games for that season. The Buy-In will be determined by multiplying the required amount due for each game (as explained in BPL Charter Rule #8) by the number of games 30% works out to for that season. This would be called the Target Amount. The amount already paid in for the (6) minimum games (or more if the player participated in more than (6) games) will be subtracted from the Target Amount, resulting in a required Buy-In amount to make a player eligible to play in the E.o.S tournaments. The math will be done by the BPL Treasurer or Director and will be paid in cash to the BPL. The request for Buy-In must be made no less than the day before the first E.o.S. tournament and will not be pro-rated by tournament. In other words, the Buy-In will be the same for one or all four E.o.S. tournaments. The Buy-In money must be collected before the first E.o.S tournament, regardless of which tournament the player wishes to play in and the money collected will go into the general treasury of the BPL. 32. (B) (9-20-15) In order to recognize the importance and contribution to each team made by Team Captains and Bar Owners, the BPL is Exempting from the 30% Rule, any Team Captain or Bar Owner who plays at least (1) game for the team they represent. This means that a Team Captain or Bar Owner who plays a minimum of (1) regular season game is eligible for the E.o.S. tournaments. This exemption does not apply to any other rule or requirement. 33. (9-11-11) The location of the (4) E.o.S. (End of Season) tournaments is determined by the ranking of the top (4) teams after the last weekly tournament of the season. The host bar of the #1 team gets first choice as to which of the (4) E.o.S. tournaments it would like to hold. The host bar of the #2 team gets the second choice, and so forth. There is no limit to the number of E.o.S. tournaments a bar can have. If the top (4) teams are all from the same bar, that host bar can elect to hold all (4) E.o.S. tournaments. 5
34. (2008) Refreshments and/or food are a courtesy sometimes provided by the host bar and should not be expected or demanded by any visiting team. 35. (5-16-09) It is mandatory for the home bar to provide (1) drink for each of the visiting team s players actually playing that evening. Those players must buy at least (1) drink during the first round, in order to get their league drink of equal or lesser value during the second round. 36. (2008) No abusive language or destructive behavior will be tolerated. If a player is involved in either, the team captains will handle the situation appropriately. If they are unable to do so, the bartender will decide how to handle it. This matter may be brought to the Board of Directors. Players that are 86 d at a host bar, may play with the bar owners consent. If allowed to play, the 86 d player may not purchase or drink alcoholic beverages during the match, and must leave the bar when their individual game/games are played. Captains are responsible for the behavior of their players. 37. (9-11-11) NO-THREAT policy: Showing or using any weapon, including a gun, knife or item deemed by the BPL (Bisbee Pool League) to be a lethal weapon, at any league sponsored tournament or event, will bring a lifetime suspension from the BPL for those involved. Threatening another player or league officer with a pool cue or other item deemed by the BPL to be a threatening item, at any league sponsored tournament or event, will result in suspension from the BPL for the remainder of that season (or more). Verbally threatening another player or league officer of the BPL, at any league sponsored tournament or event, will result in suspension from the BPL for a number of weeks to be determined by the league, based on the event. Conduct considered unbecoming of the BPL at any area bar, at any time or event not connected with the BPL, could still result in BPL penalties for the BPL player, as determined by the league, based on the event. 6