Player Information

Player Eligibility & Responsibilities

League Eligibility

All members of the LoneStar Pool League must be members in good standing and must have an amateur status. A player is deemed to be a professional if (s)he falls into any of the following categories:

A player who has paid an entry fee of $300.00 or more for men, $200.00 or more for women, and has doubled his/her money in that tournament within the last three years.
Any men listed in the top 64 point positions of the Men's Professional Billiards Association (MPBA) current 8-ball ranking, or any women on a list of players provided by the Women's Professional Billiards Association (WPBA).
Anyone considered by The LoneStar Pool League as a touring pro.

Participation in League Playoffs and National Competition

Individuals must play at least eight league matches to be eligible for the end-of-season playoffs. Only players who have played for a team at least eight weeks (or 75% of the season for short season playoffs) may play for that team in LoneStar playoffs. Any player who has already qualified for National competition on another LoneStar team will be ineligible.

In national competition, a team must consist of at least three original members of their team with two possible alternates who have played at least eight weeks in the same league on different teams.

Disqualification

A League Director has the right to disqualify any player from competition and the player forfeits the right to prize money and/or any other awards for unsportsmanship like conduct or tactics detrimental to the league or tournament.

Playing On Several Teams

A player is limited to playing for one team per division in a season, i.e. a player cannot play on two teams in the same division. When approved by a League Director, a player may leave one team and join another team in the same division mid-season, but that player will not be allowed to play for the original team for the remainder of the season. Note that player statistics (average, break-and-runs, etc.) are maintained on a division by division basis. A player, therefore, will potentially have different statistics for each team. Exception to the rule for substitution player see rule LR13 page 6

Fee Payment

Every player must hand the weekly dues (along with LoneStar membership dues as appropriate) to the captain before the start of the match. Although cash is preferred, checks will be accepted and should be made payable to "LoneStar Pool League". There will be an additional $20.00 fee charged to any player whose check cannot be cashed -- due to insufficient funds, for example.

The Last Three Weeks of The Season

During the last three weeks of the season, a team may only use players who have played for that team at least 5 times during the same season in our 8 Ball Divisions and 3 times during the same season in our 9 Ball Divisions. [This rule only applies to seasons of 18 weeks or more.] Due to special circumstances this rule can be modified by the League Director.

Position Round Qualification

During a position round, a team may only use players who have played at least one time with the exception of the last three weeks of play, see the above rule, “The Last Three Weeks of The Season” Due to special circumstances this rule can be modified by the League Director.

Captains Responsibilities

Score Sheets

Each team will be provided with blank score sheets, along with a weekly statement of player standings and handicaps. Two completed sheets must be submitted for each match, one from each team captain. Both captains must ensure the score sheets are the same, and both score sheets should be signed by each captain. Ideally, captains should verify the score sheets at the end of each round to avoid discrepancies and disputes. First names, last names and the date must be entered on the score sheets. Note: Both score sheets must match for individual credits, ie Break & Runs, 5 & 0’s, 12 & 0’s, Snaps.

Fee Collection

Each team will be provided with a collection envelope for weekly fees. Always complete the back of the score sheet identifying the monies paid and by whom. The envelope contains a table where the captains may (for their own records) record the players' names and the amount of money collected each week. Immediately upon conclusion of a match, the team captain must give the score sheet and fees to a League Director or the designated drop off places.

Rule Interpretation

In the event that a player requests referee assistance, both team captains (or the designee if they are themselves playing a game) must confer and provide a rule. This is a cooperative league where the captains should be in agreement. As a last resort, if an agreement cannot be reached, a League Director must be contacted for a ruling. Note: A League Director's or League Manager's ruling is final.

Team Management

It is the team captain's responsibility to ensure that team members are promptly available on a weekly basis by the match start time ( 8:00 p.m.). Play should start promptly, but may be delayed by no more than twenty minutes. After this grace period, play must commence even if one or more players are absent. Late arriving players may fit into the game rotation as dictated by the schedule. All missed games are assumed lost.

Meetings

Captains (or a designee) must attend League meetings.