DAKOTA
8
BALL RULES
2013
EDITION
Rules
in this edition supersede all former rule books used by the Dakota Pool
League. This book should be read in
its entirety as rules which are mentioned in one section may be limited or
clarified in another section. Any
sanctioned player of a Dakota Pool League shall be eligible to participate in
and receive stated rights of the league and shall be governed by rules
herein. Interpretation of all rules
will be the sole job of the coordinator.
The coordinator’s decision will be final.
I. MEMBERSHIP
To
be a member of any division team, except for youth divisions, a person must be
of legal drinking age and be a member of the Dakota Pool League. To become a member of the Dakota Pool
League the person must fill out a sanction sheet and pay a sanction fee to the
league. Dakota Music Inc. reserves
the right to deny or expel any player from the league. This includes anyone whose participation
is not in the best interest of the Dakota Pool League, competitors and their
employees and anyone who is disruptive to organized league play. The sanction fee may be used for
operational expenses. Any funds not
used for operational expenses will be returned to league members in the form of
tournament prize money. No person
shall be considered a league member nor shall any scores count until the player
has filled out a sanction sheet and paid the sanction fee. If a score sheet is handed in with the
name of a new player and no sanction
information for that new player, the new player's score shall not be counted but
that position will instead be given a dummy score and the opponent will be given
the wins.
II. RULES
COMMITTEE
Each
division shall have a rules committee which will be made up of all the team
captains. This committee will
decide on all optional rules. This
committee will judge on all disputes which cannot be mutually settled by
opposing team captains or mediated by the coordinator. Their decision shall be
final.
Each
team may have nine (9) players on their roster. In the event a team must add a 10th
member the captain must notify the secretary which present member is to be
dropped. If the secretary is not
notified of which player to drop the new player cannot be added and shall
receive dummy scores. A dropped
player may not be re-signed during that season except by unanimous approval of
all other division captains. No 5
player team shall be allowed to play with more than two dummy scores. No 4 player team shall play with more
than one dummy score. No one shall
be considered a team member until a sanction fee is paid, played one night of
play and has an average posted on the weekly standing
sheet.
Each team within the
division shall elect a captain. The
team captain's responsibilities shall be to keep the team organized and informed
of all league activities, including meetings, tournaments, rule updates,
etc. The captain or person
appointed to act in his absence shall have the exclusive right of voting on
behalf of the team at all division or league meetings. When the captain is the home team
captain (playing in his sponsor's bar) he shall be responsible for putting the
division funds and score sheet in the envelope, sealing it, and getting it to
the proper place in the bar. In the
event the money in the envelope is incorrect, the division secretary shall
consider all missing funds as not having been paid by the home team. If a team is short a player and does not
pay for that player, the home team captain must indicate such shortage or the
shortage will be deducted from the home team funds.
IV.
No
team may add new players in the last three weeks of either half season (or
season end) unless prior approval of all division captains is secured. If a new name appears on a team roster
in the last three weeks of either half and notification of approval by all
division captains is not given within 1 week and 24 hours after the player has
played, he or she will be considered legal. If a written protest is received by the
coordinator, that name may not be added and dummy scores will be given in that
position.
V. MATCH TIME
Any
team not showing and ready for play by 30 minutes after the scheduled beginning
time shall forfeit the match. In
the event a team cannot show for a match and wishes a chance to make the match
up, they must notify the opposing captain 24 hours before the scheduled
match. Any rescheduled matches must
be made up before the next regularly scheduled match. If a team forfeits a 3rd time, your team
may be turned into a bye.
VI.
16 & 25
GAME FORMAT
The
home team will fill in their roster first.
Players may be lined up in any order.
NOTE: Any variations in the line-up procedure
must be agreed upon by both team captains before play begins. The line-up order must be checked before
any games are played and shall be considered legal as stands once play
begins.
The
nightly fees to be paid by the division members shall be decided by a meeting of
the division. These fees will be
used for (1) secretary fee, (2) coins to operate the pool tables, (3) trophies,
(4) banquet tickets, (5) pay-back at the end of the year to division teams as
per the number of match points won.
VIII.
SEASON
The
length of the season shall be decided by a meeting of the division. The division decision must meet with the
approval of the coordinator. The
season will be divided into two halves and season winners will be determined as
follows:
If the same team wins
both halves - that team will be first.
If different teams win
first in the halves they will play off to determine first.
If the same team wins
second both halves and there is a play off for first, the team who won second
both halves will play off with the team who loses the play off for first to
determine second and third places.
If different teams win second each half and there is a play off for first
the loser of the play off has second and the two second place winners will play
off for third.
If different teams win
second each half and there is not a play off for first then the two second place
winners will play off for second and third places for the year. There will be 1
day set aside for ties and end of the year playoffs. The competition will take place in the
bar whose team has accumulated the most points.
IX. PROTEST
PROCEDURE.
Only
the team captain or acting captain can file a protest. A protest must be filed with the league
coordinator in writing within 24 hours of the match. A $15.00 fee must accompany any
protest. A meeting of the rules
committee will settle the protest.
If the protest stands, the $15.00 will be returned.
All
games will be played on pool tables owned and operated by Dakota Music and
Amusement Inc.
A. GOOD
SPORTSMANSHIP WILL PREVAIL AT
B. OBJECT OF THE
GAME
1. The balls are racked in a triangle at
the foot of the table with 8-Ball in the center of the triangle with the stripes
and solids in a random, mixed up, order.
2. The object of the game is to make one
group of numbered object balls - either stripes or solids - and then sink the
8-ball which wins the game.
C. SCORING
1. The winner of the game will receive 8
points. The loser will receive 1
point for each of his object balls which have been
pocketed.
2. In the case of an absent player the
dummy score will be 3 points per round.
If a player is present when the match begins and misses any succeeding
games he will receive 0 points for the games missed.
3. If the game ends and the group of balls
has not been determined (8-ball is pocketed early) the
loser will receive points for the group which has the least balls
pocketed.
4. If a dummy score is used the points will
be given to whatever name appears on the score sheet. If you wish your dummy score (3 or 8) to
be figured in the personal average of the player who does not play, then enter
the player's name. If you do not
wish to have the 3 or 8 figured in the player's personal average enter dummy and
the points will be figured in the dummy's
average.
5. The total of the scores of each player
in a match constitutes a match score.
The team with the highest match score is the winner of a match
point. In the event of a tie in the
match total, the team with the most 8's will be awarded the match point. In the event of a tie in score and 8's a
half game will be awarded the match point.
One match point will be given for each match plus 1 match point for the
total team points of the night.
D. BREAKSHOT
1. The breaker must drive 3 object balls to
a cushion or pocket one or more balls.
Failure to do so is a foul and requires a rerack. Their
opponent then has the option of breaking.
2. When spotting the cue ball for a breakshot or positioning the cue ball after fouling on the
break the player shall position the cue ball fully behind the head string. The opposing
player
must inform the breaking player of improper positioning of the cue ball before
the shot is made or the shot is considered legal.
3. If any part of any object ball is in the
kitchen, the ball is considered in the kitchen.
4. The table will be considered open
regardless of the outcome of the break.
If a player legally pockets a ball after the break the player then
continues shooting at that group of balls as long as the player legally pockets
a ball on each shot.
5. Any object ball
(except the 8-ball) knocked off the table while breaking will be spotted. Making the 8-ball or knocking it off the
table on the break is a rerack.
Scratching
while making the 8-ball on the break will be a rerack
and the same player will break.
When necessary for a rerack take the quarters
out of the envelope to get the balls back.
Make a note on the score sheet and Dakota Music will put the quarters
back in the fee envelope.
6. If the player breaking the racked balls
does not make any balls, the opponent then shoots having an open
table.
E. CALL POCKET
On all shots after the
break shot, before each shot, the player must call the ball number and indicate
into which pocket it is being played.
If the opponent does not hear, or is not clear on the shooter's call, he
must ask for clarification before the shot is made. If he does not ask for clarification the
call is considered made and legal.
Failure to call the ball to the pocket, after being asked for
clarification, will result in loss of turn but will not constitute a foul. The shooter must indicate into which
pocket he is playing the 8-ball however an 8-ball patch is not
necessary.
F. OPEN TABLE
1. The table will be considered open
regardless of the outcome of the break.
2. On an open table the player can shoot at
either group of balls. The first
ball can be pocketed by a direct hit from the cue ball or by any combination of
balls including a stripe to make a solid or a solid to make a stripe. The 8-ball can also be used in a
combination on an open table.
G. PLAY
1. Any contact of the cue stick and cue
ball will be considered a shot. (Except for positioning the
cue ball for the breakshot).
2. All balls pocketed, legally or not,
remain pocketed with the exception of the note under fouling. Any object ball knocked off the table
will be handled accordingly. (A) If
the ball is the shooter's ball it will be spotted on the foot spot. (B) If it is the opponent's ball it will
be dropped in a pocket.
3. Each player continues to shoot, so long
as the player pockets a ball legally.
4. In the event the cue ball or an object
ball stops on the edge of the pocket, it remains the shooter’s table until the
opponent has touched the table.
(The chalk is part of the table).
5. Frozen ball to rail: If a ball is frozen to a rail, the
shooter must be notified before the player shoots. When playing such a shot, the player
must contact the frozen ball and (1) pocket the frozen ball, or (2) cause the
frozen ball to contact another rail, or (3) cause another ball to contact a
cushion or (4) cause the cue ball to contact the frozen ball and then contact
another cushion. Failure to do so
is a foul.
6. The game is over when the balls stop
moving on the winning shot and is scored with all balls then
down.
7. Raising the cue above the armpit and
attempting masse shots is illegal, scoop or jump shots are illegal. Doing so is a
foul.
8. There must be one foot on the floor
while attempting a shot. Failure to
do so is loss of turn.
9. Parts of rules 7 and 8 will be modified
as necessary if player is handicapped or when using an artificial
bridge.
10. Push Shots and Double Hits are
illegal. See Fouling for
details
H. SPECIAL RULES FOR THE
8-BALL
1. Knocking the cue ball off the table,
scratching the cue ball or touching a moving cue ball while shooting at the
8-ball is an automatic loss of game.
(Must be called before next game
begins.)
2. Except on the
break, the eight ball knocked off the table or pocketed before its time or made
in any pocket other than the one called is an automatic loss of
game.
3. Committing a foul while pocketing the
8-ball is a loss of game except failure to hit the 8-ball while shooting at it
is a foul but not loss of game.
4. Fouling after the 8-ball is pocketed but
before the other balls have stopped moving is loss of
game.
I. LEGAL SHOTS
A player must use the
cue stick to strike the cue ball.
The bridge is not a cue stick.
On all shots the player must cause the cue ball to strike one of the
player's group of balls first and then either (1)
pocket the object ball, or (2) cause the cue ball or any other ball to contact a
rail. Failure to do so constitutes
a foul.
J. FOULING
All fouls must be
called by the opposing player before the next shot is taken. There is no such thing as an automatic
foul. The following result in
fouls: (1) Failure to make a legal shot as noted above. (2) Shooting the cue ball into a pocket
or off table. (3) Scratching the
cue ball on a legal break. (4)
Touching a ball before it stops moving.
(5) Shooting out of turn.
(6) Accidentally moving the cue ball. (7) Other infractions noted in these
rules.
Push
Shot Fouls: It is a foul if the cue ball is pushed
by the cue tip, with contact being maintained for more than the momentary time
commensurate with a stroked shot. (Such shots are usually referred to as push
shots.) With a cue and object ball
frozen, shooting the shot from any angle other than at least 45 degrees above,
or at least 45 degrees to the right or at least 45 degrees to the left of center
from the straight line of the frozen balls is a foul and must be so
called.
Double
Hit Fouls: It is a foul if the cue ball is struck
more than once on a shot by the cue tip (such shots are usually referred to as
double hits.) If the cue ball has
left initial contact with the cue tip and then is struck a second time in the
course of the same shot, it is a foul and must be so
called.
Note: If a player concedes to a foul by
picking up the cue ball, it will be handled as follows: The opponent may put the cue ball back
to its original spot and make the shooter shoot it.
Note: Accidentally moving an object ball is
not a foul. The opponent may
replace the ball to the original spot or leave it where it rests. Unless the
moved ball (or balls) make contact with the cue ball or any moving object
ball. Then it is a foul and the
object balls remain where they rest.
If the ball is knocked into a pocket, quarters can be put into the table
to retrieve the ball. A player may
not use a ball as part of their bridge.
K. PENALTY FOR
FOULING
1. After a foul, the player has cue ball in
hand (anywhere on the table).
Except for fouling on the break shot, the cue ball will be placed behind
the head string. If the shooter
does not place the cue ball behind the head string or shoots at a ball in the
kitchen the opposing player must inform the shooter of improper positioning of
the cue ball or that he or she needs to shoot at a ball outside the kitchen
before the shot is made or the shot is considered legal.
2. A player must stop shooting when a foul
is called and resume shooting after the opponent's turn.
3. If a player refuses to yield to a foul
call, the opponent must stop the game and notify the team captains or a
tournament official.
L. BAR
In the event of a
player being caused to foul due to natural bar behavior
(I.E.
- being bumped while in the act of
shooting by a patron) the following may be done:
A. The balls may be placed as nearly as
possible to the original position or...........
B. If the 2 players involved do not agree
on position of the balls the game will be reracked and
replayed.