This page records the historical EPA eligibility policy that applied to players returning from the IPA Tour during the World Rules era. It is retained for governance history and is not current eligibility advice.
Policy recorded at the time
Players ranked in the IPA Tour top 16 who wanted to return as EPA ID-card holders were required to sit out EPA professional and amateur events for a minimum of 12 months from the date of their written application.
Players ranked 17th or below could apply for membership and were permitted to play Intercounty and Interleague, but the historical policy restricted access to National Finals and amateur-only events for 12 months. Applications were reviewed by the EPA National Committee.
Later changes
The policy landscape changed significantly in 2019. A March AGM relaxed World Rules/Blackball restrictions, and the September EGM subsequently removed broader restrictions based on participation in alternative organisations, events and rulesets.
See the March 2019 EPA AGM decision, the September 2019 EGM decision and the Pool Rules archive.