National Interleague Rules

1. General/Global:

1. All players taking part in the E.P.A Inter-league competition must be in possession of an EPA ID Members registration card, as issued through the County Association were they have registered to play in. Any player having played in an Inter-league match and not in membership within seven days of that match being played will forfeit any frames they have won to their legally registered opponents.
2. Each team wishing to compete in a County’s Inter-league structure must complete their Online Data spreadsheet, naming a minimum of nine players intending to play for the team.
3. A County Inter-league will only be recognised by the EPA when the Online Data spreadsheet is completed.
4. The Online Data spreadsheet must be completed by the end of April of each year. Fixture schedule must be in the possession of the relevant Regional Director by the 16th April of each year.
5. Any County Association not able to start their Inter-league fixture schedule by the end of April must apply in writing to the E.P.A. National Secretary for dispensation before any Inter-league matches may be played.
6. E.P.A. National Secretary will be en-powered to stop any County from playing any Inter-league fixture, if any team intending to play a Inter-league fixture does not have at least 9 registered players on their list, (7 ladies in a Ladies Inter-league).
7. No player is allowed to play county matches and Inter-league matches for different county associations in any one season. Where a conflict exists the player will be registered to the county where they played their first inter county or Inter-league frame in that season.
8. No player can play for two Inter-league teams in the same season
9. The Inter-league season will run from January 1st to December 31st. All matches must be completed within the season.

2. Inter-league at Local League Level:

1. Any player who is registered and actively playing in a local league can, if selected, play for any Inter-league team run by their local league providing that any local team/player qualification Rules are meet, in addition, that they are or will be within 7 days of their first Inter-league match be registered I.D. card holders.
2. Once a player has been named on an Inter-league fixture score sheet that player is locked into that team and county association until January 1st of the following year. Players may not be included on the score sheet for any match if they are not in attendance.
3. There is no minimum requirement for the matches a player must play in their local league to qualify to play in their county’s Inter-league competition. However, if their team qualifies or is invited to attend the National Inter-league finals held in April and October each year. Then player qualification rules will apply (see below). Player Qualification Rules for teams that qualify for the National Inter-league finals:
4. Players must have played in, or have been a signed reserve in a minimum of 50% of their team’s local Leagues current fixtures/ if completed their last completed season in the last 12 months, and also played in or have been a signed reserve in a minimum of 50% of the County’s Inter-league Fixtures for the previous season, to qualify to play in the Inter-league finals, If these minimum criteria are not met by a player. Dispensation may be given by the E.P.A. National Inter-league Tournament Director/E.P.A. National Secretary upon written request. Each request will dealt with on its merits.
5. Any player that has not meet the minimum qualification criteria or been granted dispensation to play in the event from the Tournament director/EPA National Secretary will not be allowed to play in the finals.
6. Leagues wishing to send their Inter-league team(s) to the National Finals must provide on request their Local league’s current tables and individual player performance stats to the E.P.A. National Inter league Tournament Director/E.P.A. National Secretary. Failure to send details when requested may result in places being withdrawn.
7. All County Secretaries/County Inter-league Secretaries must provide on request their County Inter-league tables and County individual player performance stats to the E.P.A. National Interleague- Tournament Director/E.P.A. National Secretary. Failure to send details when requested may result in places being withdrawn.
8. All Player dispensation requests must be made in writing to either the Tournament Director or National Secretary

4. Inter-league at County Level:

1. The format of play in the Inter-league at County level is as follows:
2. Each affiliated league in a County Association will be responsible for picking or delegating a person to run their Inter-league team(s) playing in their County’s Inter-league programme,
3. All Inter-league teams are restricted to a maximum of 4 professional players.
4. Players used in any Inter-league team must be current playing members of the league they wish to represent
5. Any fees and table costs to be arranged within the county association.
6. The Inter-league season will run from January 1st to December 31st of each year.
7. Inter-league matches will be played by teams consisting of a minimum of nine individual players. No Inter-league match can be started unless there are a minimum of seven players from each team present at the start of the match.
8. If any player is not ready to play their frame when called those frames will be awarded to the opposition
9. Each Inter-league session will consist of a minimum of nine single frames.
10. An Inter-league fixture may consist of any number of sessions that a county association deems to play to constitute a fixture,
11. Female players playing in a county that does not organise a ladies specific Inter-league fixture schedule are allowed to play in the men’s section either as an individual as part of a men’s team or as part of a ladies team: If a county runs a ladies specific Inter-league schedule then all female players must play in that section.
12. In multiple session’s fixtures, a maximum of three Substitutes may be used in any match at any Time after the first session, but before the start of the following session. Any players substituted may not take any further part in the fixture. Substitutes must have been named as a substitute before the match started and sign the result sheet to be officially acknowledged by the EPA.
13. In the event of an unregistered (see rule 1A) or ineligible player being entered on the match sheet, the team will forfeit any frames won by that player, the frames in question will be awarded to the opposing player, if the ineligible player has no opponent, no player will be awarded the frame win but the offended team will gain the value of the frames in question. The offending team will be dealt with by its county committee as it deems necessary.
14. All result sheets are to be with the county official responsible for collating the results within seven days of the match being played.
15.  Home team to referee frames & the away team to time keep. In multiple session matches the roles are to be reversed at the end of each session.
16.  If a county appoints a Senior referee for any matches then their decision is final on the rules of the game at all times. All non playing rules (other than the rules covered in this document) will fall to the County Association for adjudication.
17. Start times & dates for all Inter-league matches will be set by the organising county association. The EPA recognises the last weekend of the month as the date for Inter-league matches to be played. County associations are at liberty to choose any dates suitable to them; however, care should be taken not to clash with other EPA events already scheduled.
18. At the end of the Inter-league season, but no later than January 10th of the following year, each County Inter-league results collator shall supply to the National Secretary their Inter-league final tables and player performance stats, this letter must incorporate a statement indicating whether the winners and runners up will be attending the National finals, once received; the winners & runners up will be guaranteed a place in the National Inter-league Finals in April of that year subject to the teams complying with all deadline dates and qualification rules.
19. If a County Association Inter-league has less than six Inter-league teams in it, the County Association must apply in writing to the E.P.A. Secretary to sanction the Inter-league season to be played.
20. Playing order
    1. The playing order of home and away Inter League teams, shall be as follows
       1. Frame 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
       2. Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
       3. Away 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 4 1 2 9 8 5 6 7
       1. If a county Inter League is run over 27 frames, then the playing order shall be extended as follows:
          1. Frame 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
          2. Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
          3. Away 5 8 9 6 7 4 3 2 1
       2. If a county Inter League is run over 36 frames, then the playing order shall be further extended as follows:
          1. Frame 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
          2. Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
          3. Away 7 6 5 8 1 2 9 4 3
       3. If the home team only has 8 players then a bye will be put in playing position 9
       4. If the home team only has 7 players then byes will be put in playing position 9 and then 7
       5. If the away team only has 8 players then a bye will be put in playing position 8
       6. If the away team only has 7 players then byes will be put in playing position 8 and then 6
       7. At the National Inter-League/ K.O Cup finals teams of less than 7 players will not be allowed to play.
    2. Commencement of match
       1. The home team and the away team shall enter their first 9 players on their respective sides of two different result sheets.
       2. Once the first 9 players have been entered the break shall be determined by the toss of a coin (the team who wins the toss shall have the choice of breaking first, or putting the opposition in to break first). The break alternates throughout a match, which includes any play off frames that may be required. Hence there is no re-toss for play off frames.

5. National Inter-league Finals:

All teams selected to play in the finals will pay an entry fee of £25, this is non returnable.

1. All players and spectators must reside on the Site during the Finals. Players used in any Inter-league team must be or were current playing members of the league they wish to represent at the time the team qualified for the National Finals.
2. A player’s Membership card will be checked at the Inter-league Finals before the “players” wristband will be issued to them.
3. There are four stages to getting an Inter-league team to the finals and each has a deadline date set to it:
   1. 
      Stage 1: request for places will be done online.
   2. 
      Stage 2: notification of acceptance of the 96 teams invited (sent to county secretaries)
   3. 
      Stage 3: booking forms sent out to the 96 invited teams (sent to registered invited team captains)
   4. 
      Stage 4: invited teams booking in to the venue (invited team to send completed forms back to event organiser)
   5. County secretaries are responsible for step 2
   6. Inter-league team captain are responsible for steps 3 & 4
   7. Failing to meet any of the deadline dates set for any stage of the Inter-league finals continued acceptance procedures will result in a reserve teams from their County being invited to fill this place, subject to that County having applied for reserve places, if no reserve places were applied for then the place will be offered to another County requesting reserve places. without further communication taking place with the team or county that has missed a deadline date.
4. Booking forms will only be sent to the qualifying teams; usually two months before the event date, providing steps 1 & 2 have been completed. The forms are to be filled in and accommodation fee paid by the date on the inter-league accommodation booking forms. (see rule above)
5. The reigning Inter-league champions will be invited to return the following year to defend their title but only if they are still playing in their counties current Inter-league fixture program. (if they win their County’s Inter-league in the same season they are due to return to defend their title, then their County can send their next team available in line to the Finals by right).
6. Each County Association fulfilling the EPA criteria for Inter-league will be allowed to send their winners & runners up to the National Finals. (any spaces available after this process has been completed will be filled by County Association’s requesting more places than their 2 allocated places (large County Inter-league structures will be given priority).
7. Each County running official Inter-league fixtures, can request as many places as they have teams willing to attend the finals.
8. Team captains must register their team’s presence and collect their bond money on the Friday night of the event, between 7PM and 11PM from the main hall top desk. If a team fails to register then they forfeit their bond money.
9. Any Inter-league players involved in ancillary events that requires them to be resident on site before the National finals start must book in through the tournament director or their teams place in the finals will be in jeopardy

6. Format of Play:

1. The draw for the first round will be posted in the main hall on the Friday night for captains to access their tables of play for the Saturday, the draw will show the 32 groups drawn to play, the first two teams will start play at 9am but the third team’s captain must attend the start time, in case a team fails to appear then their team, will play two matches against other team there.
2. The draw for the last 32 will take place at around 10-30am on the first day of play, by table numbers only.
3. Play will start at 9am on the Saturday, and continue until the there are only sixteen teams left in the event. The last sixteen teams will re-commence play on Sunday at 9am and play to a finish.
4. Play will be on a round robin basis in the group stage, using 32 tables. The group winners on each table will go through to the last 32, which will be a straight knockout, with the team that reaches 10 frames first being the winner. In the case of a drawn match a simultaneous three frame play off will be used to separate the teams.
5. During the round robin stage of play matches one and two must complete the full eighteen frames of the match regardless of the score. Scoring will be two points for each match won, and one point for a drawn match, if the first match in a group is a draw, the teams playing will toss a coin, witnessed by a tournament official, to decide which team plays the third team in the group. At the end of the series the team with the most points will win the group. If after the round robin stage two or more teams on the table have the same amount of winning points, then the team with the best legs averages will win. Legs averages will be decided by calculating the number of legs for, minus legs against.
6. Order of play in the round robin stage:
   1. Team ‘A’ v Team ‘B’ (match one). Losing team v Team ‘C’ (match two).
   2. Winner of match 1 v Team ‘C’ (match three).
7. If a team gains a winning margin at any stage during match 3 this margin being such that the group is won, then play may be curtailed in that particular group. For example:
   1. Team ‘A’ beats team ‘B’ 11-7. Team ‘B’ loses to team ‘C’ 10-8 Team ‘A’ leads team ‘C’ 9-0
   2. Team ‘A’ cannot be beaten: Play can be abandoned in order that progress can be made.
8. The organisers reserve the right to use more than one table for any match at any stage of the event. This will be governed by slow play, or any other reason needed to expedite play, In the event of a leg where in the opinion of a referee, or organiser, or organiser’s representative no progress is being made, the leg will be abandoned, and relegated to the end of that match.
9. If a result is achieved before the relegated leg is required to be played, then that leg shall be ignored.
10. Once the knockout section of the Inter-league has started all matches will be played on more than one table. Where possible the number of tables used for any match will not exceed three
11. No player will be allowed to play in any match dressed outside the published dress code for the event This rule does not apply to flyers held at the venue.
12. All disputes on playing rules will be referred to the senior referee whose decision will be final.
13. No player will be allowed to enter into any dispute or discussion over a dispute.
14. Only captain’s are permitted to approach the stage during the finals, and then only to either;
    1. Return a completed match sheet, or
    2. Register a protest. (such protest will be discussed by the organisers at the first available opportunity).
15. Any person using obscene language to a referee or organiser will render themselves liable to eviction from the venue, this includes the Holiday Park. Each captain is fully responsible for the conduct of all members of their party, if a member of any party is evicted from the park, then it is possible that all members of that party will be evicted at the same time.
16. The decision of the organisers is final on the day, if the offender/s feel they are being dealt with unfairly they have the right of appeal under the E.P.A disciplinary procedure.

Effective from 1.1.11
ENGLISH POOL ASSOCIATION
RECOGNISED BY THE SPORTS COUNCIL AS THE GOVERNING BODY FOR POOL IN ENGLAND.
www.epa.org.uk