1. Objectives:
- To promote the spirit of sportsmanship in the game of 8-ball.
- To adopt and enforce uniform laws, rules, conditions and methods of playing and scoring the game of 8-ball.
- To promote business and goodwill for the franchise owners.
- To sanction individuals for team, league and tournament competition.
- To educate players in the use of proper pool etiquette. Examples of poor etiquette are: distracting your opponent, such as standing too close to the table when it is not your turn; “verbal baiting”; breaking down your cue before the game is concluded; and stalling! Each and every league player is bound by not only these, but all rules of pool etiquette to maintain the highest level of sportsmanship at all times!
2. Sanction and Organization:
- Any establishment operator, individual, team, league or association having access to approved pocket billiard tables owned by Accel Entertainment and upon payment of all fees shall be entitled to the stated rights of the league.
- Any of the above may be expelled for poor sportsmanship, unbecoming conduct or any other reason considered by the league to be detrimental to the welfare of the league. Any player could be expelled for throwing the 8-ball into a pocket, obvious sandbagging (such as directly shooting the 8-ball in before pocketing his object balls) or doing anything to bring an early end to a game to lower his average. A protest must be filed by the opponent and will be reviewed by the Board of Directors.
- Any parties so expelled may request a hearing from the league and the findings of the team captains shall be recognized as final.
3. Officers:
- AE Leagues will supply a League Director. AE Leagues will coordinate the league and handle all treasurers’ duties.
- An AE Pool Representative will work with AE Leagues to govern league administration, render decisions on protests, aid in the organization of the league, help run any league meetings and tournaments. A member will be selected through an application process and serve a term of 2 years.
4. The Team:
- A team consists of 2 regular players and subs if needed. Regular players may shoot for their team only.
- Franchise owner shall possess full authority to add or remove players from the franchised team.
- The franchise owner shall provide the table at the designated time and he/she shall retain the right to remove any player(s) (whether from his/her own team or the opponent’s) from his establishment.
- Any player that is dropped from their team shall not play in this particular league for the remainder of that league season, unless written approval of original franchise owner or captain is presented to the league.
- All registered players must be 21 years of age.
5. Captain’s Duties:
Each team shall appoint a team captain and each team captain shall then appoint a team co-captain. The team co-captain’s responsibilities are to act as a team captain in the team captain’s absence.
- Must be a sanctioned league member.
- Shall be present or send an acting captain to all matches, be responsible for the personnel and the attendance of the team in league play.
- Instruct his/her players as to all league rules and requirements.
- Try to settle all disputes that may arise.
- The “HOME” team’s captain will be responsible for supplying current league stats at match time.
- Sign the score sheets and have scores verified by the opposing captain.
- Pay each member of the team within a reasonable time after receiving prize money. Failure to comply with the above requirements subjects the captain to indefinite suspension.
6. Substitutes:
Subs can shoot for any team.
Sub Deadlines: Subs used for position rounds, a team’s final 2 appearances (15-26 week season) or their final appearance (6-14 week season), must have previously played at least one league night that season for that team. Prior approval by AE is required in a hardship situation.
Following the Average Establishing Period (First 2 Weeks), each team may use a maximum of one player not listed on the current team roster (standings sheet) to be entered into the team’s match line-up prior to the start of play.
7. Match Time & Forfeits:
Matches begin at 7:30 PM. Lineups should be on score sheet and games started at that time.
Team forfeit situation (not “legal” team). Each member of the winning team will receive his average as his score. Winning team will be credited with all match rounds won. The winning team will receive 6 wins (8 game match).
The losing team members will not be credited with any games played or points scored!
8. Scheduling:
- All schedules shall be posted by the League Director.
- All rescheduling of games must be by mutual consent of both team captains.
- In an emergency, opposing captains may also delay or reschedule their games by mutual consent. All make-up games must be arranged with the League Director and played before the next scheduled Position Round.
- When games are not played, the money to the league must still be paid, or it will be deducted from your winnings at the end of the season.
- Leagues are never canceled because of bad weather, but teams who consider going to a match to be unsafe, should try to reschedule their match and will receive the support of AE Leagues in getting their match rescheduled. You must give AE reasonable notice.
9. League Champions: Will be determined in the following manner:
- The highest team win percentage will be the league champion.
- In the event that two or more teams are tied, the team with the highest 8-ball win percentage will be the league champion. In the event the teams tied again, total “scratch” points will decide the champion.
- If win percentages and total scratch points are equal, the teams involved will playoff to determine final position in the standings only if a trophy or prize money difference is at stake. A tie can be declared if both teams agree to accept duplicate prizes.
10. Scoring
Each player receives one point for each of his group of balls (stripes or solids) legally pocketed, plus three points when the 8-ball is legally pocketed. A player is always credited with ten points when he wins a game. The loser cannot score more than seven points. Tie breaker for round by round system is the most 8-ball wins in the round or match if total is a tie. Tie in 8-ball wins results in a split of round, each team receives ½ rounds.
8-ball made on an open table (before the groups of balls have been determined) is a 10-0 loss for the person shooting.
11. Handicaps
Kearney leagues use team averages.
After your teams’ first 2 appearances your team average is computed by adding together the individual averages of the listed players.
When a player “not listed on your roster” is brought in for a match after your teams’ first 2 appearances you will add together the averages of the player present + the unlisted player’s average (for that night) to determine the team average for that night. Fractional averages are rounded up at .5 and higher only!
100% Handicap for all leagues except that the maximum spot is 6 points / round in 2 player leagues.
12. Team Matches and Line-ups: Players are not allowed to play more than one league match at the same time. You cannot change your lineup once you have exchanged sheets, unless you have permission of the opposing captain prior to the start of the match.
- Line-up is determined by “Blind Draw”. The line-up system is detailed on the score sheet and is easy to follow by placing player’s name by his/her corresponding number throughout the match.
B. Any player shall have the right to shoot out their games at the start of the match, but only if the opposing captain agrees.
Wrong player(s) playing in a given game: If noticed before the game is completed the game will be restarted with the correct players playing.
If the game has been completed and those 2 players are scheduled to play each other in a later game in the match, the result will be moved to the round where they correctly play each other. If the game has been completed but those 2 players are not scheduled to play each other in the match, the result of the game that they played will be deleted and that game will be replayed with the correct players playing.
Correcting score sheets: All mathematical errors are corrected. However, if a team plays with an average that is higher than its correct average, it will not be changed. The average will be raised up when a team plays with an average lower than its correct average.
It is each team’s responsibility to know their average. Call AE before your match if you are not sure!
13. Player Cost:
Game Cost – Players will pay their own quarters with the total amount for the night shared evenly by all players.
Player Sanction Fee: $25
Nightly Fee: $6 / player plus cost of games.
Money Envelope Liability Policy:
1. Envelope drop system: The white league envelope must be inserted into the slot on the right side of the coin door of the AE dart game at your location or into the slot provided in the Q-Ball end of your pool table.
2. The Home team will be held accountable for the money in any league envelope not received by Accel Entertainment.
3. If the sealed league envelope is turned in to a person responsible at the bar, but then lost or stolen before AE picks it up, the bar will be held accountable for the money.
4. The home team captain is responsible for the money placed into the white money envelope. Both team captains must sign to verify their team’s amount deposited.
5. If the money in an envelope is not correct, it will be documented on that particular team’s ledger.
6. Any team that forfeits a match either of the final two weeks of a season will lose half of the prize money they would have won!
14. Protest Procedure:
1. Authority to protest rests with the captain.
2. Protest must be in writing and be presented to AE within 48 hours after the match.
3. Protest shall include a $25 deposit. Protester loses the deposit if he loses the protest. The $25 is placed in the league fund. If protester wins, his deposit is returned. The Board of Directors decision will be rendered in writing to the parties involved. Signatures by each party will be required at the time the decision is rendered to acknowledge the ruling. A non signature is the same as acceptance. If you reject the decision, you may appeal to the captains of your division, but this appeal must be accompanied with an additional $50. A two thirds majority vote is required to reverse the Board of Directors decision. If you win your appeal, the $50 will be refunded. Decision of league captains is final! AE has the authority to disregard any protest not properly presented!
15. Definition of Feats:
ERO definition = Run out first turn at table with all 15 balls initially on the table. 1 VNEA “ERO” pin/year will be awarded to each player who shoots an ERO.
RO definition = Run out first turn at table with less than 15 balls initially on table.
Avg. (Average) = Points scored divided by games played.
Power Average = Points scored minus opponents points scored divided by games played.
Sweeps – Winning all of your individual games on league night.
16. Tournament Rules:
- At no time will a player be allowed to compete on more than one team at any given team tournament, regardless of divisional separations.
- Eligibility is listed in your Tournament Flyers.
- All Midwest rules apply.
