Pool MSC League Rules

Martock Pool League Specific Rules
Updated as of 2026 - 2027 Season

TERMS & RULES OF THE LEAGE
All league fees must be paid upon registration

All scores to be entered via the RackEmApp – if there are issues with the app, we still have paper copies of scorecards & these can be sent to Martock Snooker via FB for admin to fill in

NUMBER OF PLAYERS
1. Minimum of 4 players required per team and a maximum of 4 frames per player per match.

FROM MAY 1st -> END OF SEASON
You may play with 3 players on only 2 occasions per season to cover for players being on holidays etc.
If one team has 3 players then, players may play up to 5 frames per match. No player may play the same player twice in the same match

a) If a team has played 2 matches with 3 players then they will have to forfiet the last 3 frames of the match
b) If a team plays a game with 3 players (as per Rule 1) and the other team has 4 players, the team with 3 will still need to forfeit 3 frames
c) If a team plays a game with 3 players (as per Rule 1) and the other team has 5 players, but choses not to use the 5th player in an attempt to force the forfeit of the 3 frames, those frames will be given to the team with 3 players
d) If both teams have 3 players then you play 9 frames and both teams concede 3 frames each

SCOTCH PAIRS AND 3 MAN COMPETITIONS
a. All entries are via the RackEm Up app.

Reserve Players:
b. You may register 1 player as a reserve for each competition entry.
c. If you do not wish to register a reserve player, you must still put a player in the space on the RackEm Up App you will need to create a player like this Name = dummy1 surname = team name. You can create as many as required i.e. dummy 1 dummy 2 etc. d. If no reserve player is registered and you cannot make a fixture, then you must forfeit.
e. Reserve players must not be entered elsewhere in the same competition.
f. You may use any combination of players that you have entered at the season start in the competition as long as the have played a frame in a league match and are not registered with another team in the competition.
g. The same combination of players used in the semi-final must also be used in the final if successful.
h. If for exceptional circumstances you cannot make a fixture then you may ask the organiser if you can rearrange your fixture to a date prior to the next round of that competition, if both sides agree to a rearranged date, then this may be allowable.

FEES
3. All league fees are payable by the start of the current season

SCORE CARD
4. When filling in the score cards please remember

a) For all League Games, each block of 5 must be entered in one go. The home team confirms they have entered their players, the away team adds their players and confirm they have done so. This block is then locked. No changes to this block of 5 can then be made unless BOTH captains agree.
b) For all Cup Games, players can be entered one at a time but once the Away team player has been entered that frame is locked unless BOTH captains agree to change.
c) All results to be filled in using the RackEm Up app (physical score cards to be used as a backup if you have problems). HOW TO FILL IN THE SCORE CARDS: CLICK HERE

POSTPONEMENT OF GAMES
5. At least 24 hours notice needs to be given to postpone a match, failure to do so will mean you forfeit the match

a) If you forfeit a match then your opponent receives 8 points plus the 3 point win bonus (11 points in total) and your team will lose 7 points
b) It is the responsibility of the team that postpones a match to rearrange said match
c) The team who postpones the match must supply 3 dates for the game to be played. These dates must be supplied within 7 days of the original fixture date (i.e supplied by the following Tuesday).
The 3 supplied dates must be within 30 days of the original fixture. Failure to supply these dates will be classed as a forfeit and points will be given as per Rule 5a
d) If both teams cannot agree a date they must contact the league organiser(s) BEFORE the 30 day deadline. The league organiser(s) will then supply a fixture date. If the organiser supplied date is not completed then the result will be classed as a forfeit and points will be given as per Rule 5a with the postponing team being classed as the forfeit team.
e) If a fixture is postponed in the first half of the season, the option to use the return game as a "double" result is an option. This would mean that the result would be used for both games
f) Any team deemed by the organiser to be tactically postponing games or purposefully failing to agree a rearranged date will be liable to a points reduction
g) All postponed games must be played prior to the last league game of the current season
h) Any team not attending matches and not giving 24 hours prior notice may be fined by the league (subject to consultation with league organiser) to the sum of £20.00 per match missed
i) Any team may only have 1 active postponed match at any time.

SIGNING PLAYERS ON
6 A player is deemed to be "Signed On" once they have played their 1st frame in a League Game (not Cup, Singles Knock Out etc)

a) No new players will be eligible to play after the half way point of the season except under mitigating circumstances and the player was registered at season start and agreed with league organisers. For clarity the LAST game of the first half of the season is the final game to sign a player on
b) Any player "Signed On" after the half way point, will forfeit their frames played in any game they are not eligible for
c) Only players that are classed as "Signed On" (as per 6) are eligible to play in the Semi-Final and Final Rounds of ALL competitions

MATCH START TIME
7. Matches start at 8:00pm

a) Failure to attend on time will result in an automatic loss of the first frame
b) Following an automatic loss of the first frame, the second frame must start at 8:15pm
c) Following the second automatic loss of frame the third frame must start at 8:30pm
d) Following the third automatic loss of frame should the team fail to attend by 8:45pm then a forfeit will be delcared and points given as per rule 5a
e) If a game has started on time and not all players are available for the start of the game, what happens if all possible frames are played and another player is due at a later time (e.g 9:30pm)

For every 15 minutes that a frame is unable to be played (due to a missing player) that frame will be conceded by the team with the missing player

Example

Team 1 has 4 players at 8pm
Team 2 has 2 players at 8pm and 2 due at 9:30pm

8 frames are played by 9:00pm
Assuming the next frame begins BEFORE 9:45pm, 2 frames will be given to Team 1 as conceded frames
IF the frame starts after 9:45pm but before 10:00pm then 3 frames will be given
This matches the same format as Section 7 of the MSC Rules

Any disputes can be raised as per Section 8 of the MSC Rules if required.

DISPUTES
8. Any disputes will be settled by the league organiser and or his/her deputies

a) All disputes must be in written format to league organiser(s) and must been put forward within 3 days of the disputed match

AVERAGES
The aim of the following rules is to attempt to reduce the chance of someone playing either 1 frame a match and winning the averages or, as has been possible in previous seasons, playing lots of frames in the first half of the season and finishing high in the averages without attending a game in the second half of the season

9. Players must have an Attendance Percentage of 50% or more for their average to be counted. If the Average is shown in Grey on the website it is outside this Attendance Percentage

a) When the season is half way through averages will be sorted based on a min number of frames and at least 50% Attendance
This will be an average of 65% of total frames available to them based on a player playing 3 frames a game
e.g. 7 Games = 21 Frames. 65% = 14 frames (rounded up) players must have played at least this number of frames
If the Average is shown in Grey on the website it is outside these criteria
b) Averages will be ordered by:
Average (Desc)
Frames Played (Desc)
Frames Won (Des)

This is assuming they meet the criteria for Point 9.

DISH and REVERSE DISH DEFINITION
10. How to claim an DISH and REVERSE DISH:

DEFINITION: 1st visit = The first time the player approaches the table in the frame

DISH: This can only be claimed by the player who Breaks. A player will be able to claim a "DISH" when the player clears all their balls after the Break
REVERSE DISH: A player may claim a "REVERSE DISH" if they clear all of their balls as part of their 1st visit to the table. The number of balls does not matter (e.g they can pot 3 Red balls, pot the 8 Ball and claim a Reverse Dish) - No awards are giving for Reverse Dish at the end of the season
On the score card you can set it to DISH or REVERSE DISH as required

THE LAG
11. Each player is allowed a practice lag BEFORE the proper lag is done if the player requests it. Lag rules are to be followed as per the Internation Rules section 4b.

FIXTURES

12. The league organisers reserve the right to alter and amend any fixtures as deemed required even after the season has started.