The “Relax, it’s
pool league” Pool League
Game Rules
The game:
8 Ball.
4 Players per league night needed to play.
Call your pocket:
We play call your pocket. You only have to call the ball and the pocket it is going into and not how it gets there. As long as you have made a legal hit on one of your balls and the ball you called goes in you keep on shooting. This includes the 8 Ball.
Legal Hits/ Fouls:
You must make a good hit on one of your balls. This means you must hit one of your balls before you hit anything else on the table and something must hit a rail afterwards (the cue ball or any other ball on the table) or a ball must be pocketed. We play cue ball fouls only. So if you hit a ball on the table other than the cue ball with your hand or the cue stick, the opposing player has the choice to put it back where he thinks it was or to leave it where you knocked it to but it is still your shot. If you hit the cue ball, it is a foul.
All fouls give the opponent three choices. 1. Shoot where the cue ball lay. 2. Make the opponent shoot again. 3. Take the cue ball in the kitchen.
If a player chooses to take the cue ball in the kitchen and there are none of his balls to shoot at outside the kitchen, he may spot the ball closest to the head string if he chooses. (A player must shoot at a ball outside of the kitchen when he puts the cue ball in the kitchen). Any ball that is over the line by half or more is a fair ball to shoot at.
Two consecutive fouls by the same player is ball in hand (anywhere on the table) for the opponent. 3 consecutive fouls by same player is loss of game.
Breaking/Balls knocked off table:
A legal break is when at least 4 balls are driven to a rail. If a player does not make a legal break then the balls are re-racked and the same player breaks again. If a legal break is not achieved in 3 tries then the opponent breaks the balls.
A player must take the balls that he pockets on the break unless he scratches and then it is still an open table. If the table is still open, you may use any ball to pocket a ball you call. Once it is determined which balls you have, you must make a legal hit on your own when shooting thereafter.
The home team breaks rounds one, the visiting team round two and the third game the two players lag for the break. The ball stopped closest to the head string (the short rail that you are standing near when you lagged) wins the lag. It does not matter if the ball touches the head string or not when lagging.
Time Outs:
A player is allowed 2 time outs per game to consult with anyone on his or her team.
Points:
Points are figured as follows. One player beats another by pocketing the 8 ball (which is worth 2 points) and then any balls left on the table are worth one point each. So if there are 4 balls left on the table after a game is won the game is worth 6 points for the winning player.
The match is scored as follows: one point for each round and 3 points for most overall points.
Scratching on the
8 Ball
Is loss of the game.
Handicaps:
A handicap is figured using a player’s total points won or lost during his or her pool games. So for example if a player plays three games in a night:
Winning the first game by four,
Losing the second by 2 and
Winning the third by four
For a total of 6 points ahead for the night
Her handicap would be a 2 (+4 – 2 + 4 = 6 divided by the three games she played = 2).
Her handicap would be added with the rest of her team’s handicaps for a total number. (We will provide the personal handicap figures weekly)) 80% of this total team handicap will be used to decide what one team spots another. So if this team’s handicaps add up to 10 and the opposing teams add up to 6 (these figures get multiplied by .8) then this team is an 8 and the opposing team is a 4.8 (which gets rounded up to 5). So the opposing team gets 3 points from this team per round.
To figure the team handicap with 3 players you would add the three player’s handicaps together and then take the highest players handicap of the three present players and add it to that number. This is your team’s handicap.
A person or a team CAN have a negative handicap. If team A with a negative 6 handicap plays team B with a 6 handicap then team B spot team A 12 points per round. Here EVERY TEAM HAS A CHANCE!!!!
New players starting after the first week of league play with a two handicap until they have played for two weeks. Then the first two weeks decide their handicap but it will not be retroactively factored into their first two weeks results.
Don’t worry if you make a mistake figuring the handicaps, we check them each week and fix them where necessary!
Number
of players on the team
4 players play each night. If a team is short a player on a given night they may play with three players. To figure the team handicap with 3 players you would add the three player’s handicaps together and then take the highest players handicap of the three present players and add it to that number. This is your team’s handicap.
League fees
Each team pays $28 per night. The visiting team is responsible for turning the sheet in to Blueberry Hill the night of play. All league fees get paid back 100% in the form of prize money. Last place gets money back also.
Start
time
League begins each night at 8:00 PM.
Hopefully this rule will never be needed but if 2 players are not present by 8:30 PM to begin the match the opposing team may call a forfeit.
However, let’s be kind people! J Give a break, get one back someday!
Other rules:
You must have a wonderful time playing!
As (and if) the need for more rules arises then we will create them!
Input, questions, comments, to sign up or just say
hello…
or call 708-421-8332
Our website is now up:
lotsofcrazystuff.com