The Rules for all the RIBSA Billiards Rnaking Event plus the National Championships have been updated and below you will find all the latest rule changes. For more Information you should contact Brendan Devlin
1. Eligible Players:
1.1. Only players who are citizens of the Republic of Ireland or persons who have been resident for more than one year are eligible to play in Billiards Tournaments and must be registered members of RIBSA to compete in any Billiards Tournament.
1.2. Guest Players, ie players who are not citizens of the Republic of Ireland or persons who have not been resident for more than one year may play as Guest Players. Any ranking points amassed by a Guest Player shall have no standing in the RIBSA Ranking Points system.
2. Entry fees, payable on the day at the Tournament venue will be €20 for Senior and Intermediate events; €10 for Junior events and for juniors contesting senior and intermediate events.
3. Neat dress is essential for all matches, e.g. trousers and long sleeved one-coloured shirt, buttoned at the wrist. Jeans, tee shirts, jumpers or sneakers are not acceptable. Any player not conforming to this rule may be disqualified and will forfeit his/her entry fee. The Tournament Director shall determine the quality of dress. Waistcoats must be worn from Last 16 onwards. National waistcoats are NOT permissible. Players shall come to their match table already dressed for play.
4. Competitors must be at their appointed table five minutes prior to Match Time, ie commencement of their match. Each player will be entitled to two minutes solo practice time on the match table, subject to a maximum of six practice strokes. Failure to be at the table five minutes prior to Match Time will result in forfeiture of pre-match practice. At one minute to Match Time, players shall string for choice of break and ball. If a player fails to be at the table one minute prior to Match Time his opponent will be deemed to have won the string. Any player not at the match table at Match Time will forfeit 50 points for being fifteen minutes late or part thereof and 50 points for every five minutes thereafter.
5. The Prize Fund will be dependent on number of entries:
Winner – €7 per entry High Break – €1 per entry (Maximum €50)
Runner-up – €4 per entry Trophy Fund – €2 per entry (Maximum €50)
Semi-finalist x 2 – €2 per entry Hosting Venue – €2 per entry
Junior prizes – proportional to above
6. Ranking points will be awarded for each match played, a bye or a walkover, provided always that the player plays in subsequent rounds of the tournament. Points will be awarded as follows:
150 points for Winner 80 points for beaten quarter-finalists
120 points for Runner-up 60 points for Last 16
100 points for beaten Semi-finalists 40 points for Last 32
Where a player fails to progress beyond his/her first round match, any points awarded as a result of a bye or walkover into that round shall be halved.
7. A Tournament Director, appointed annually by RIBSA Council, will have the following duties:
7.1. To conduct the Tournament Draw and draw for tables.
7.2. To ensure the fair and orderly progress of the Tournament.
7.3. To decide, in the interests of fair play, on all matters arising. The Tournament Director’s decision shall be final and binding on all playerson the day. Should any player feel that such decision was unfair, or not in the interests of the orderly progress of the Tournament, he/she shall have the right to refer the matter to Council, who will decide what course of action should have been taken and what remedial action, if any, is to be taken.
8. Players are expected to assist with refereeing duties. Provided that tournament progress permits, all players must be prepared to act as Referee for one match per tournament. The losing semi-finalists shall draw lots for duty as Referee for the Final.
9. Billiards tournaments for the season will be as per RIBSA Calendar and will be played under the rules set out in the various Appendices hereto.
10. All players must abide by the Constitution and Rules of the Republic of Ireland Billiards and Snooker Association. By signing the Player Registration Form, all players understand that Drug Testing can be carried out at any time and consent to this. RIBSA competitions are subject to the Irish Sports Council Anti-Doping Rules.
APPENDIX I
SENIOR BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT RULES
1. Tournament Format:
1.1. 150 format, two knockout tournaments per season: Best of three 150 Up, untimed, open draw.
1.2. Points format, two knockout tournaments per season: 400 Up, 90 minute time limit, seeded.
1.3. Timed format, two knockout tournaments per season: 90 minutes, seeded.
In the event of a tie, play will stop, the players shall string and play for a further 9 minutes, until the match is resolved. There will be no automatic extension of the break period between rounds to accommodate players involved in such a tie-break.
2. Seeded tournaments will be seeded on ranking points attained in the current season as follows:
2.1. Up to 8 participating players: 2 seeds identified.
2.2. More than 8 participating players: 4 seeds identified.
2.3. Where numbers of entries dictate that byes be awarded, seeded players shall not be entitled to automatic byes.
3. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
First round 11.00am. 30 minute break after the first round, 15 minute break between subsequent rounds.
4. Match tables shall be those allotted by the host venue. Tables for first round matches shall be allocated by random draw. The table for the Final shall be selected by random draw from the allotted tables.
5. The Tournament Director appointed by Council for the current season is Brendan Devlin.
APPENDIX II
SENIOR BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIPS RULES
1. All registered members of RIBSA are eligible to contest the Senior Billiards Championships.
2. Ranking points acquired in Billiards Championship Tournaments will count as ranking points for the Senior Billiards rankings.
3. Senior Billiards Championship Tournaments will be seeded as for Senior Billiards Tournaments above.
4. The Championships will be played in two formats:
4.1. 150 format, where matches will be as follows:
Up to Semi finals stage: Best of five 150 Up, untimed
Final: Best of seven 150 Up, untimed
4.2. Points format, where matches will be as follows:
Up to Quarter finals stage: 500 Up, 2 ½ hour time limit
Semi finals: 600 Up, 3 hour time limit
Final: 750 Up, 3 ½ hour time limit
5. Where numbers of entries dictate that byes be awarded, they shall be awarded to seeded players in order of rank, before commencement of Draw.
6. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
6.1. Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
6.2. Players will be entitled to a thirty minute break between rounds.
6.3. On the day of the tournament, matches will be played as follows:
6.3.1. 150 format Championships: down to the last 2.
6.3.2. Points format Championships: down to the last 4.
6.4. The Semi finals and Finals will be played in conjunction with RIBSA National Championships.
APPENDIX III
INTERMEDIATE BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT RULES
1. All registered members of RIBSA are eligible to contest the Intermediate Billiards Tournaments, except:
1.1. The top 4 players in the Senior Billiards Rankings.
1.2. Senior Billiards Champions, current Champion and ex Champions in the previous 10 seasons.
2. Intermediate Billiards Tournaments will be handicapped as follows:
Handicaps will be within the range – 50 to + 65 per 100 Up; -100 to + 125 per hour.
3. All Intermediate Billiards Tournaments will be open draw format, no seeding shall apply.
4. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
First round 11.00am. 30 minute break after the first round, 15 minute break between subsequent rounds.
5. Tournament Format:
5.1. 150 format, two knockout tournaments per season: Best of three 150 Up, untimed.
5.2. Points format, two knockout tournaments per season: 400 Up, untimed.
5.3. Timed format, two knockout tournaments per season: 90 minutes.
In the event of a tie, play will stop, the players shall string and play for a further 9 minutes, until the match is resolved. There will be no automatic extension of the break period between rounds to accommodate players involved in such a tie-break.
6. At commencement of a game, each player’s handicap points will be marked up on the scoreboard and the first player to reach the required points, or who is leading at the expiry of the time limit in a timed match, will be declared the winner.
7. New players will be given a provisional handicap by a member of the handicap sub-committee before commencing play.
8. Any player’s handicap will be subject to review by the handicap sub-Committee. Any player will have a right of appeal to the sub-Committee to have his/her own or any other player’s handicap reviewed. Should the sub-Committee decide to amend a handicap, the player in question will be given notice of the amendment before commencement of the next Tournament and the amendment will take effect immediately after this next Tournament, together with any automatic adjustment resulting from this Tournament.
9. Handicaps will be amended automatically within the handicap range after each tournament, both Senior and Intermediate tournaments, as follows:
Position attained in previous tournament | 400 Up | 90 Minutes | 150s |
Loser in first or preliminary round (Intermediate) | + 15 | + 12 | + 6 |
Loser in first or preliminary round (Senior) | + 0 | + 0 | + 0 |
Loser in second and subsequent rounds | + 0 | + 0 | + 0 |
Loser in semi final (either Intermediate or Senior) | – 15 | – 12 | – 6 |
Runner up (either Intermediate or Senior) | – 30 | – 24 | – 12 |
Winner (either Intermediate or Senior) | – 50 | – 40 | – 20 |
10. Any player whose handicap, by the application of these rules, would fall outside the handicap range, will have his/her handicap amended only to the limit of the handicap range.
11. The Handicap sub-Committee will be represented at all Intermediate Billiards Tournaments for the purpose of:
11.1. Issuing handicaps for the tournament
11.2. Recording results for the purpose of updating handicaps
11.3. Receiving submissions in relation to handicaps
12. The Tournament Director appointed by Council for the current season is Liam Byrne.
APPENDIX IV
INTERMEDIATE BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIPS RULES
1. All registered members of RIBSA are eligible to contest the Intermediate Billiards Championships, except:
1.1. The top 4 players in the Senior Billiards Rankings.
1.2. Senior Billiards Champions, current and ex Champions in the previous 10 seasons.
2. All matches shall be played off current handicaps.
3. At commencement of a game, each player’s handicap points will be marked up on the scoreboard and the first player to reach the required score will be declared the winner.
4. The following seedings will apply:
4.1. Four seeds shall be identified
Seed No 1: Reigning Champion.
Seed No 2: Runner-up in previous season’s championships.
Seed No 3: Semi-finalist in previous season’s championships, beaten by winner.
Seed No 4: Semi-finalist in previous season’s championships, beaten by runner-up.
4.2. Where numbers of entries dictate that byes be awarded, they shall be awarded to seeded players in order of rank, before commencement of Draw.
5. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
First round 11.00am. 30 minute break between rounds.
6. The Championships will be played in two formats:
6.5. 150 format, where matches will be as follows:
Up to Semi finals stage: Best of five 150 Up, untimed
Final: Best of seven 150 Up, untimed
6.6. Points format, where matches will be as follows:
Up to Semi final stage: 400 Up untimed
Final: 500 Up untimed, proportional handicaps
APPENDIX V
JUNIOR BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT RULES
1. Players must be under the age of 18 on 31st December in the relevant season.
2. All Junior Billiards Tournaments will be seeded on ranking points attained in the current season as follows:
2.1. Up to 8 participating players: 2 seeds identified.
2.2. More than 8 participating players: 4 seeds identified.
3. Where numbers of entries dictate that byes be awarded, seeded players shall not be entitled to automatic byes.
4. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
First round 11.00am. 30 minute break after the first round, 15 minute break between subsequent rounds.
5. All matches are 1 hour duration.
6. In the event of a tie, play will stop, the players shall string and play for a further 9 minutes until the match is resolved. There will be no automatic extension of the break period between rounds to accommodate players involved in such a tie-break.
7. The Tournament Director appointed by Council for the current season is Ger Murray.
APPENDIX VI
JUNIOR BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP RULES
1. Players must be under the age of 18 on 31st December in the relevant season.
2. Ranking points acquired in Junior Billiards Championship Tournaments will count as ranking points for the Junior Billiards rankings.
3. Junior Billiards Championship Tournament seedings will be based on the current season’s Junior Billiards rankings.
4. Where numbers of entries dictate that byes be awarded, they shall be awarded to seeded players in order of rank, before commencement of Draw.
5. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
First round 11.00am. 30 minute break between rounds.
6. All matches are 1 hour duration.
7. In the event of a tie, play will stop, the players shall string and play for a further 9 minutes until the match is resolved. There will be no automatic extension of the break period between rounds to accommodate players involved in such a tie-break.
APPENDIX VII
ANNUAL PAT O’SULLIVAN MEMORIAL BILLIARDS TOURNAMENT
1. All registered members of RIBSA are eligible to contest the Pat O’Sullivan Memorial Tournament.
2. Guest Players, ie players who are not citizens of the Republic of Ireland or persons who have not been resident for more than one year may play as Guest Players.
3. Tournaments will be handicapped as follows:
Handicaps will be within the range – 200 to + 250.
4. All Tournaments will be open draw format, no seeding shall apply.
5. The Standard Schedule of Tournament play shall be as follows:
Entries by 10.30am on the day at the Tournament venue. Late entries will not be accepted.
First round 11.00am. 30 minute break after first round, 15 minute break between subsequent rounds.
6. All matches shall be 400 Up or 90 minutes, whichever comes first.
7. At commencement of a game, each player’s handicap points will be marked up on the scoreboard and the first player to reach 400, or who is leading at the expiry of the time limit, will be declared the winner.
In the event of a tie, play will stop, the players shall string and play for a further 9 minutes, or until one player reaches 400, whichever comes first. There will be no automatic extension of the break period between rounds to accommodate players involved in such a tie-break.
8. New players will be given a provisional handicap by a member of the handicap sub-committee before commencing play.
9. Any player’s handicap will be subject to review by the handicap sub-Committee. Any player will have a right of appeal to the sub-Committee to have his/her own or any other player’s handicap reviewed. Should the sub-Committee decide to amend a handicap, the player in question will be given notice of the amendment before commencement of the next Tournament and the amendment will take effect immediately after this next Tournament, together with any automatic adjustment resulting from this Tournament.
10. Handicaps will be amended automatically within the handicap range after each tournament as follows:
Loser in first or preliminary round + 15
Loser in second and subsequent rounds + 0
Loser in semi final – 15
Runner up – 30
Winner – 50
11. Any player whose handicap, by the application of these rules, would fall outside the handicap range, will have his/her handicap amended only to the limit of the handicap range.
12. The Handicap sub-Committee will be represented at all Pat O’Sullivan Memorial Billiards Tournaments for the purpose of:
12.1. Issuing handicaps for the tournament
12.2. Recording results for the purpose of updating handicaps
12.3. Receiving submissions in relation to handicaps
13. The Tournament Director appointed by Council for the current season is Brendan Devlin.
APPENDIX VIII
SELECTION OF PLAYERS FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
1. World Championships, senior individual international events and international team events:
1.1. Events occurring on or before 31st December in the relevant season:
Places will be offered to Reigning Senior Billiards Champion plus players selected in order of ranking positions attained in the previous season’s Senior Billiards rankings.
1.2. Events occurring after 31st December in the relevant season:
Places will be offered to Reigning Senior Billiards Champion plus players selected in order of ranking positions attained in the current season’s Senior Billiards rankings up to 31st December.
1.3. At RIBSA Council’s discretion a place or places may be awarded to:
Junior players: ie the Reigning Junior Champion plus players selected in order of ranking positions attained in the current or previous season’s Junior Billiards rankings.
2. Junior International team events:
2.1. Events occurring on or before 31st December in the relevant season:
Places will be offered to players selected in order of ranking positions attained in the previous season’s Junior Billiards rankings
2.2. Events occurring after 31st December in the relevant season:
Places will be offered to players selected in order of ranking positions attained in the current season’s Junior Billiards rankings up to 31st December.
3. Team Manager:
3.1. A Team Manager, appointed annually by RIBSA Council, will have the following duties:
3.1.1. Report to RIBSA Council and seek Council approval where appropriate in all relevant matters.
3.1.2. Represent the Team in all matters relating to the Tournament organizing body.
3.1.3. Select the players for individual matches and nominate to the Tournament organizing body.
3.1.4. Where necessary, deputise his duties to an interim Manager.
3.1.5. Decide, in the interests of the team, on all matters arising. The Team Manager’s decision shall be final and binding on all players. Should any player feel that such decision was unfair, or not in the interests of the team or the orderly progress of the Tournament, he/she shall have the right to refer the matter to Council, who will decide what course of action should have been taken and what remedial action, if any, is to be taken.
3.2. The Team Managers appointed by Council for the current season are:
3.2.1. Senior international events: Brendan Devlin.
3.2.2. Junior international events: Ger Murray.
