OFFICIAL RULES

GALVESTON WORLD CLASSIC (GWC)

September 11-20, 2009

The GWC will be using the June 1, 2009 edition of The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League as the official rules for all events.  Any rules not shown below in the GWC general rules and specific game rules will be applied according to the BCAPL rule book.

Rules questions, dress code clarifications and any other issues will be addressed at the player’s meeting prior to each event.

Dress Code Requirements

Professional Events

1 Pocket; 8 Ball; 10 Ball; Women’s 9 Ball

Required:  cotton or dress slacks; (women may also wear dresses or skirts of a conservative length); collared shirts; dress-type sweaters; Henley shirts without collars; (women may also wear dress-type blouses); dress shoes.

Prohibited:  hats of any type; T-shirts (long or short sleeve); jeans of any color; warm-ups; sweat pants; shorts; skorts; tank tops; tennis shoes; open-toed shoes; sandals; flip-flops; Ipods or similar music devices; Bluetooth or similar type earpieces; earplugs.

Other Events

Team 8 Ball; Women’s Team 8 Ball; Scotch Doubles; Amateur 8 and 9 Ball; Women’s 8 Ball; Wheelchair 8 Ball

Required:  cotton or dress slacks; blue or colored jeans; collared shirts; dress shoes or tennis shoes.  All items must be neat and untorn.

Allowed:  hats, worn in their normal manner; dress-type sweaters; Henley shirts without collars.

Prohibited: T-shirts (long or short sleeve); warm-ups; sweat pants; shorts; tank tops; open-toed shoes; sandals; flip-flops; Ipods or similar devices; Bluetooth or similar type earpieces; earplugs.

All Events

Players reporting to their match out of dress code will be given a verbal warning from the tournament director, and must rectify the problem before their next match.  A second violation results in forfeiture of their next match.

GWC General Rules

Player Responsibility:  You are responsible for knowing the rules of play and when you are scheduled to play.

Player Etiquette:  Whenever possible, you must be seated when your opponent is at the table.  Intentionally distracting your opponent when it is their turn is unsportsmanlike conduct and will be penalized accordingly.

Cell Phones:  Players must turn off their cell phones or place them on silent while playing their match.

Smoking Policy:  Smoking is prohibited in all tournament playing areas, including the action room, other special event areas, and anywhere there are tables for play or practice.  You may smoke in designated areas only.

Forfeit Time:  Once your match is announced, you have 15 minutes to be at your match table with your equipment or you lose the match by forfeit. There is no grace period in team play.

Time-out:  You are allowed one five-minute time out per match.  You may only take a time out when it is your turn at the table, either during a game or in between games.  Your opponent may leave the playing area during your time-out, but they must be back when you are ready to resume play or they will lose their time out if they have not already used it. Time-outs are not allowed in team play.

Rack Your Own:  All events require you to rack your own.

Cue Ball Fouls Only:  Accidentally touching or disturbing a single object ball is not a foul unless the disturbed ball has an effect on the outcome of the shot. Call an official for advice if you think this has happened.  Otherwise, the opponent has the option to restore the disturbed ball or leave it in position.

Accidentally touching or disturbing 2 or more object balls is a foul, and there is no restoration option for the disturbed balls.

Jump Cues:  Allowed.

Phenolic Tips:  Allowed.

Ball in the Kitchen:  The “base of the ball” rule applies.

Rules for Professional Events

One Pocket

Format:  Double elimination; race to 3 on both sides.

Lag for First Break:  Winner of the lag decides who breaks first.

Breaking Subsequent Games:  Players must alternate the break.

Legal Break:  A legal break requires you to pocket a ball or drive at least one object ball or the cue ball to a cushion after contact.  Failure to do so is a foul.

Scratch or Foul:  Any scratch or foul results in loss of a ball.  If you have no balls to spot, you “owe” a ball.  You must spot what you owe at the end of your next inning in which you have balls available to spot.  If a scratch or foul is “slept” and subsequently remembered, the ball is spotted after each player has shot once.

A scratch or cue ball jumped off the table results in the opponent having cue ball in hand behind the head string.

Trapping or Wedging the Cue Ball:  It is a foul if you deliberately trap or wedge the cue ball in the jaw of the pocket.  In addition to the foul penalty, your opponent receives cue ball in hand behind the head string.

Deliberate Cue Ball Foul:  If you wish to take a deliberate cue ball foul, you must use your cue tip to strike the cue ball.  If you strike the cue ball with anything other than the cue tip, in addition to the foul penalty, your opponent receives cue ball in hand behind the head string.

Shooting into the Wrong Pocket:  If a player shoots into the wrong pocket and continues to shoot because their opponent failed to notify them of the error, any additional balls pocketed in that inning do not count, whether pocketed for the shooter or the opponent.  The first shot to the wrong pocket in a given inning is the shooter’s responsibility, and the opponent is entitled to any balls pocketed on that first stroke. However, any other pocketed balls in the wrong pocket in the same inning are to be spotted as illegally pocketed balls.

3-Foul Rule:  If you commit 3 successive fouls in one game you lose the game. Your opponent must notify you that you are on 2 fouls immediately before your next inning.

All Balls are Behind the Head String with Cue Ball in Hand:  Should this occur, the ball closest to the head string is spotted.  If 2 or more balls are the same distance from the head string, the shooter will designate which ball to spot.

8 Ball

Format:  Double elimination; race to 9 on winner’s side; race to 7 on the one-loss side.

Calling Ball and Pocket:  You must indicate the intended ball and pocket for any shot that is not obvious, either verbally or by gesture.  Banks, combinations, kicks and similar shots are not considered obvious and must always be called. Only one ball may be called on each shot.

Safety Play:  You may call a “safety” instead of a ball and pocket.  Your inning ends after the shot and any ball(s) pocketed on the safety remain pocketed.

Lag for First Break:  Winner of the lag decides who breaks first.

Breaking Subsequent Games:  Winner breaks.

Legal Break:  A legal break requires you to either pocket a ball or drive at least 4 object balls to the cushions.

Illegal Break:  If the legal break requirement is not met, the incoming player may:

1.    accept the table in position if there was no foul, or

2.    take cue ball in hand behind the head string if there was a foul, or

3.    re-rack and break, or

4.    require the offending player to re-rack and break again.

Scratch or Foul on a Legal Break:

If the breaker scratches the incoming player has cue ball in hand behind the head string.

If the breaker fouls (but does not scratch) the incoming player may:

1.    accept the table in position, or

2.    take cue ball in hand behind the head string.

8 Ball Pocketed on the Break:

If no foul is committed, the breaker may:

1.    spot the 8 ball and accept the table in position, or

2.    re-rack and break.

If a scratch or foul is committed, the incoming player may:

1.    spot the 8 ball and take cue ball in hand behind the head string, or

2.    re-rack and break.

3.    require you to re-rack and break again.

Open Table / Establishing Groups

The table is always open after the break.  When the table is open, all balls are legal object balls except the 8 ball.  Groups are established when the first object ball is legally pocketed on a shot after the break.  Groups cannot be established on a safety.

Scratch or Foul:  Other than on the break shot, a scratch or foul results in the opponent having cue ball in hand anywhere on the table.

Loss of Game:  You lose the game if you:

1.    foul when pocketing the 8 ball;

2.    pocket the 8 ball before your group is cleared;

3.    pocket the 8 ball in an uncalled pocket;

4.    jump the 8 ball off the table other than on the break.

10 Ball

Format:  Double elimination; race to 11 on the winner’s side; race to 9 on the one-loss side.

Lag for First Break:  Winner of the lag decides who breaks first.

Breaking Subsequent games:  Winner breaks.

Legal Break:  A legal break requires you to contact the one ball first and either pocket a ball or drive at least 4 object balls to the cushions.  Failure to do so is a foul, and counts as the first foul of the 3-foul rule.

10 Ball Pocketed on the Break:  Wins the game in any pocket.

Push Out:  You may push out on the shot immediately after the break.

Scratch or Foul:  Any scratch or foul results in cue ball in hand.

3-Foul Rule:  If you commit 3 successive fouls in one game you lose the game. Your opponent must notify you that you are on 2 fouls immediately before your next inning.

Women’s 9 Ball

Format:  Double elimination; race to 9 on the winner’s side; race to 7 on the one-loss side.

Lag for First Break:  Winner of the lag decides who breaks first.

Breaking Subsequent games:  Winner breaks.

Legal Break:  A legal break requires you to contact the one ball first and either pocket a ball or drive at least 4 object balls to the cushions.  Failure to do so is a foul, and counts as the first foul of the 3-foul rule.

9 Ball Pocketed on the Break:  Wins the game in any pocket.

Push Out:  You may push out on the shot immediately after the break.

Scratch or Foul:  Any scratch or foul results in cue ball in hand.

3-Foul Rule:  If you commit 3 successive fouls in one game you lose the game. Your opponent must notify you that you are on 2 fouls immediately before your next inning.

Rules for Other Events

Team 8 Ball

Rules for Team 8 Ball are identical to the Professional 8 Ball Rules, with the following exceptions:

Format:  Double elimination; race to 13 on both sides.

Breaking Subsequent games:  Teams must alternate the break.

Player Eligibility:  Only one national master level player or equivalent per team.

Women’s Team 8 Ball

Rules for Women’s Team 8 Ball are identical to the Professional 8 Ball Rules, with the following exceptions:

Format:  Double elimination; race to 11 on both sides.

Breaking Subsequent games:  Teams must alternate the break.

Player Eligibility:  Only one national master level player or equivalent per team.

Mixed Scotch Doubles

Rules for Scotch Doubles are identical to the Professional 8 Ball Rules, with the following exceptions:

Format:  Double elimination; race to 7 on the winner’s side; race to 7 on the one-loss side.

Breaking Subsequent games:  Teams must alternate the break.

Women’s 8 Ball

Rules for Women’s 8 Ball are identical to the Professional 8 Ball Rules with the following exception:

Format:  Double elimination; race to 7 on both sides.

Wheelchair 8 Ball

Rules for Wheelchair 8 Ball are identical to the Professional 8 Ball Rules with the following exceptions:

Format:  Double elimination; race to 7 on both sides.

Player Eligibility and Additional Rules of Play:  As described in the Wheelchair Rules section of the current BCAPL rule book (page 64).

Amateur 8 Ball

Rules for Amateur 8 Ball are identical to the Professional 8 Ball Rules.

Format:  Double elimination; race to 9 on both sides.

Amateur 9 Ball

Rules for Amateur 9 Ball are identical to the Women’s 9 Ball Rules.

Format:  Double elimination; race to 9 on both sides.