Player’s Responsibility

I know as the tournament director that I have a responsibility to answer questions and be available to answer odd questions, and I’m ok with that, but players also have the responsibility to pay attention when I speak.

• I read this rule page before EVERY tournament, yet players are rude and don’t listen, then they ask me questions to answers that I have already given. So, players who ask me questions that ARE ON THIS PAGE, yet decided that they didn’t want to A) pay attention initially, then B) not read, you will get one warning, and then the next time, you lose a CHIP.

• Players think that they can just yell out my name and interrupt me whenever they want. If you require my assistance, you quietly come over to my table, and wait until me and/or my partner and/or my opponent are done shooting. Then, I will pause my game and help you. If you interrupt my opponent, my partner, or myself while we are shooting, you will get 1 warning, and then next time you will lose a CHIP.

• I have no problem recording shots for anyone, but the only shots that I SHOULD be recording are cue ball/double hit shots. Two object balls close together and/or touch shots close to a rail do not need to be recorded by me. Set your phone on slo-mo, record it, and I can make a ruling if needed.

• BCA rules - Flip or lag for break ( If a player wants to lag, you must lag)

• Rack your own - Can’t win/lose on the break - $$Ball spots immediately or re-rack (If the $$$ is not immediately re-spotted, IT IS A FOUL)

• Call ball & pocket, no slop

• If your opponent does a break and run at any time(this includes a push out scenario….meaning if your opponent NEVER SHOOTS, it is considered a break and run), you have a chance to break and run. If Player 2 hits a break and run, there is a 3rd game played. Player 1 Breaks. If Player 1 wins, Player 2 loses a chip. If player 2 wins, no player loses a chip.

• Call non obvious shots! (Ball & Pocket) Situations

  • If the cue ball has unobjected sight of the object ball and goes directly into object ball, and that object ball goes straight into the pocket, then it is obvious, you don’t have to call

  • If the cue ball sight to object ball is blocked, and the cue ball hits a rail before contacting the object ball (kick or bank), you must call

  • If the object ball is being banked, you must call

  • If the object ball caroms off of another ball, you must call

• Racking - a solid and stripe on the wing, 8 ball in midddle

• Open after the break (Cannot use 8 as 1st ball).

• You can call safety and make a ball

• Cue ball scratch on 8 is NOT a loss unless 8 ball is pocketed.

• Racking - 1 ball on point, 9 in the middle

• No 3 Foul Rule

• Push out after break

• Player’s Option: If you pocket a ball ILEGALLY, theere is a player’s option for your opponent. They can choose to shoot where everything lies, or pass the shot back to you. Thesee are 3 example scenarios:

  • You call the 3 in the side, but it goes in the corner - ILLEGAL, Player’s Option to Opponent

  • You call the 3 in the side, do NOT pocket the 3, BUT the 7 is pocketed - ILLEGAL, Player’s Option to Opponent

  • You call the 3 in the side, pocket the 3 in the side, AND the 7 is pocketed - LEGAL, continue shooting

• NO EARLY 9 IS ALLOWED FOR A GAME WIN. You can call the 9 in a pocket, but it will spot up IMMEDIATELY and you will continue to shoot, if it was a LEGAL shot. In order to win, balls 1-9 must be cleared from the table, then whoever LEGALLY pockets the 9 ball after wins

• Rack your own, not for your partner

• Stay in rotation for each GAME, new rotation each rack. In 9 Ball, for a push scenario, you do not rotate until a player has physically made a shot.

• Can talk anytime, anywhere.

• 1 swap per rack - players can change rotation once per rack (A,B,B,A)

• Keep track of your chip count, between the website link and the printed scoresheet, there is ZERO excuse for you not to know how many chips you have left. Chip counts are updated after Round 1, and during Round 2 / Round 3. If you are unsure, just ask, we will help you

• Once you have finished the first game in each round, your chip count is locked. Don’t come to me 4 games later and say you should have such and such chips left. I make mistakes in score keeping, give me a chance to fix it. You have plenty of chances to check your chip count

The biggest cause of grief and arguments in tournaments that I’ve seen are close shots…Close shots SHOULD be filmed.

• If you need a shot watched, FILM IT in slo-mo - It is the NON-SHOOTERS responsibility to ask for the shot to be watched, but I would prefer if SHOOTERS also get in the habit of asking their own shots to be watched

• If you are SHOOTING, and it’s close, give the non shooting player a chance to analyze. This means 10 seconds AFTER the cue ball stops moving….this does NOT mean 10 seconds AFTER a shot is called. Players need to be aware of the table AT ALL TIMES. You CAN stop a player if they are starting to bend down. You CANNOT stop them once they are in warmup strokes.

• If you are not shooting, you have to ask for MOST shots to be watched….

• EXCEPTIONS - These shots must be filmed, if there is a dispute, and these shots were NOT filmed, it is automatically a FOUL

  • If a ball is LESS than 2 balls width from the rail, and you are kicking at it

  • EVERY FROZEN BALL SCENARIO

  • If the cue is less than a chalk distance from object ball

• IT IS NOT UNSPORTSMANLIKE to CONFIRM if you have ball in hand after a shot by simply asking “Ball in hand?” OR “Foul?” I would PREFER that the SHOOTER acknowledge a FOUL before the NON SHOOTER has to ask

• IT IS UNSPORTSMANLIKE to say anything else….such as ANYTHING REGARDING YOUR OPINION ON THE SHOT.

• Zero tolerance for poor sportsmanship. No sharking, bitching, complaining about handicaps. Don’t make me the bad guy. I’m not afraid to DQ anyone

• Warnings

  • Do not walk around the table while your opponent is shooting.

  • Do not grab chalk off of the table while your opponent is shooting.  Stay in one spot.

  • Do not talk to your opponent while shooting. Let’s also try to be aware of others that are shooting. If someone is playing a game, please wait until that game is over to talk to them.

  • Do not practice/warmup on a table while that table still has scheduled matches upcoming

  • Do not practice on a different table WHILE you are playing

  • No discussion of gambling while players are still in tournament….do that on your own time/private

• Loss of Game

  • If you say “good game” or grab the clipboard before they shoot the $$$ ball, the game is conceded.

  • For Rounds 2 and 3 you have 3 minutes to be at table when match is called. You need to be aware and present. We will NOT leave the tournament room to find you. If you need a break let us know BEFORE LEAVING TOURNAMENT ROOM

•  Automatic DQ

  • If you slam a stick on the table or knock balls off the table

• ALCOHOL - I cannot restrict people from drinking, but what I can do, is say that if you are drinking, you lose all credibility and benefit of doubt in any questionable situation

• EARBUDS - Only one earbud is allowed, but same as alcohol, if you are wearing an earbud, you lose credibility

• DO NOT ENGAGE POLICY - We are all allowed to question another players intentions BEFORE a shot, but I will not allow any disagreements between 2 PLAYERS. If there is a dispute of ANY KIND, please come get me. This DO NOT ENGAGE policy will be very very very strict! If any party gets loud and I have to come over to separate, they will be IMMEDIATELY DQ’d for disrupting the tournament and other players. I’m done with MACHO BULLSHIT and PRIDE and I’m done with people who can’t just play pool. I repeat, DO NOT ENGAGE!!!! If someone says something that you disagree with, you come and get me and I will resolve the dispute accordingly. If you DO NOT COME AND GET ME, you are just as at fault! Check your PRIDE, EGO, & TONE at the door

This tournament is about EFFICIENCY and SPEED. Speed is the #1 rule! It overrules everything else. If a match can be played, play it. Players should be playing.

• Round 1 - Play 1 game, then next opponent ( Tables and Rotation numbers are drawn randomly)

• Round 2 - Play 1 game, then rotate. All of the players who were rotating in Round 1 are now grouped together to play each other, while the players stationary on tables from Round 1 will all play each other. ( Seeded by how many chips remaining. Most chips will be stationary, while least amount of chips are rotating, although eventually everyone within the group will play each other)

• Round 3 - Whoever is remaining…. All players have played everyone at once, Play 1 game, then rotate. Players left are seeded like Round 2

You must check with me and the schedule so I can tell you if you have a gap. If you go off to smoke I will call your match, and if you don’t show up within 2 minutes, you lose that game. There are PLANNED breaks for everyone!

Item deIf I have to put people on 30 second shot clocks, I will, this is a general chart for the MAXIMUM allowed time per game

• 8 Ball - 12 Minutes/Game

• 9 Ball - 8 Minutes/Gamescription

• I’ve noticed a growing trend of players trying to pattern rack, manipulate the head ball, etc, etc. It should not take more than 15 seconds to rack. I understand balls sometimes grab the rack and move. You have 3x to reset balls and pull the rack ( A total time of 60 seconds ). After that, you come and get me. I will either rack or ask someone to rack. YOU CANNOT LOOK AT THE RACK, YOU MUST BREAK. If you don’t break, you forfeit the game. I don’t care if you think it’s fair or not…..because what’s not fair is you taking 5+ minutes to rack and slow down the tournament for everyone else.

I will grab 3+ players and pull them aside and let them decide a ruling, using my rules. Fair is fair