League Rules

(Updated on 01.12.2023)

1. Agreement to the Rules / Fee
   Participation in the Thursday League is only possible if the following rules are accepted. The League fee is 500 THB per team, payable before the start of the season. This covers the expenses for the league (booklets, copies, trophies, etc.). If a team is eliminated early, the fee will not be refunded.
   
   
2. Number of teams / Trophies
   If there are more than 14 teams, two groups will be formed. The group membership will be drawn. The first three teams in each group will each receive a trophy. In addition, on the evening of the cup ceremony, an overall winner of both groups will be decided: winner gets another trophy for the overall victory.

3. Age
   Persons under the age of 18 years shall be eligible to play in this league, as long as they are supervised by a parent or guardian and comply with Thai laws.
   
   
4. Location
   It shall be the responsibility of the home team to ensure that the playing conditions are appropriate for the purpose of the game, for example; sufficient lighting, safe flooring conditions around the table and they shall be responsible for the racking of the balls for each game. The home team must also make the pool table available to the visiting team, for practice, from 6:45pm, to start of play at 7:00pm.
   
   
5. Match
   Each match will consist of 2 set of four 8-ball singles, 2 set of four 9-ball singles matches, 1 set of four 8-ball doubles matches, a total of 20 racks. To conclude the match there will be a 8-ball rack, in which a minimum of 3 players from each team compete.. A total of 21 racks. The game is played according to the rules of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA). No bar is authorized to change the schedule. If the game plan is changed arbitrarily, no points will be awarded. Jump shots are not allowed.
   
   
6. Double racks
   All doubles racks, in league matches and any league doubles knokout competition that may be arranged, will be played with each player taking alternate shots. For example: If player 1 in the team pots a ball, then player 2 takes the next shot and thereafter the players alternate their shots, until such time as one player misses, or the game is completed.  Following a missed pot, when that team next visits the table, the sequence is continued, meaning that if player 2 missed the last pot, then player 1 is first to the table.
   
   
7. Points
   The winner of each rack will be awarded 1 rack point and the team winning the concluding team rack will be awarded 1 points. A total of 21 points.

   The winning team will be the team with most rack points and will be awarded 2 points for the win. The losing team will get no points.

   In the case of the same number of points in the table, the number of frames won decides on the placement. If this is also the same, the place in the table is also the same.

8. Number of players
   Each team will consist of 4 or more players, with a minimum number being 3, in which case the team will be subject to penalties, as explained in Rule 10 below.
   Each player may only play once in each set of singles, but twice in the doubles set, provided he/she is not paired with the same partner.
   
   
9. Outnumbered
   In the event of a team fielding 3 players, they will forfeit 1 rack in each set of racks in which they only have 3 players, that being the four sets of 4 singles and the doubles. A maximum of five racks.
   Three players in the team game is allowed.

   When writing down their players on the score sheet, the team with 3 players will leave a blank space on the fourth line of each of the five blocks of four racks. The opposing team gets the point.

10. Nationality or Gender Restrictions
    There will be no restrictions on the nationalities or gender of players playing in the league. If a mixed doubles competition were to be played, female players can include persons not legally female, but who live their lives permanently as a female, i.e. lady-boys, even though these persons are not legally female, under current Thai law.

11. Elite players
    No team may play more than one ‘elite’ player in any of the 5 sections of the match, or the final team game. An ‘elite’ player is classed as one who has a handicap of 6.25 or above, as determined by the HIPPO handicap database, AT THE START of the season in question. This ‘elite’ player ranking will not change throughout the season, regardless of whether or not a player falls below, or rises above, the 6.25 threshold.

    ‘Elite’ players also include those players who the league administrator(s) and persons whom they choose to advise them, have decided should be classed as an ‘elite’ player. This covers the eventuality of a player who is not included in the HIPPO handicap database joining the league. A list is enclosed in the team binders and this may be updated periodically, during the course of a season, by the administrator(s).

12. Professional players
    No professional player shall be allowed to play in the league. A professional player is defined as one who holds a professional pool players licence and/or one who makes their living predominantly by playing pool.
    
    
13. Consequences
    a) A team in breach of this rule will forfeit all racks won by ANY of the ‘elite’ players playing in the particular set of four racks. (For example: If two or more elite players play in the first set of four 8-ball singles, then any racks won by them will be forfeited).
    
    

    b) If, by playing a player in breach of rules 11 to 12 above, it reduces the team to 3 or less players, then the team will also be subject to rack penalties, as per Rule 9 above.

    c) Any player breaching rules 11 to 12 above, on more than one occasion in a season, will be suspended for the remainder of the season. At the same time consideration will be given to suspending the teamthey represented and this is at the discretion of the league administrators.

14. Final Rack
    A minimum of 3 players per team who have already played in the match are required to contest the final rack (Gang Bang). If any team is unable to field 3 players for the final rack,who have already played during the course of the match,they will forfeit shots proportionate to the number of players missing from the team. For example; each player in a team will take a shot, in rotation, until the rack concludes. If a team has only 2 players left and they play 2 successful shots, they will forfeit the 3rd shot and the next shot will pass to the opposition.
    
    
15. IMPORTANT: Game cancellations/game postponements
    a) All games are scheduled to be played on the scheduled day. A postponement is ONLY possible in consultation with the league management and the opposing team. Postponed games MUST be rescheduled within one week, otherwise they will be considered lost for the canceling team. The game will then be counted with the same number of points as the highest game won that evening. (So if a game is canceled and the highest score that evening is 14:7, then after a week the canceled game will also be scored 14:7 to the detriment of the canceling team).

    b) If both teams wish, the game that has already been ranked can be rescheduled within four weeks. The score will then be changed subsequently. A restriction results from point c).

    c) The catch-up date MUST take place at least one week before the last match day. Example: The last matchday of the league is July 31st, then the catch-up game must have taken place on July 24th at the latest. This may limit the four-week period in point b).

    d) Once a follow-up date has been set, it cannot be changed again.

    e) If the canceling team is the away team, the minimum turnover must be paid to the home bar. This can happen, for example, by buying drinks.

    f) Failure to appear at two games during the season without prior agreement can result in exclusion from the league.

    g) Game cancellations due to unforeseen circumstances (death, power outage, public holidays, etc.) are treated individually. (An insufficient number of players do NOT count as unforeseen circumstances)

16. IMPORTANT: Home-/Away games
    The league management attempts to create a schedule in which each team alternates between home and away games. However, due to the participation of two teams from one bar, the rescheduling of entire match days (e.g., after a holiday), and other circumstances, this cannot always be guaranteed.

    It is possible that a bar may have two or more consecutive away games or two or more consecutive home games. Over the course of a season, these imbalances even out ensuring that each bar has an equal number of home and away games. (This does not apply if a bar joins an ongoing season). The participation of two teams from one bar makes the schedule less flexible to change.
    This does not constitute a reason to request a postponement of the game.

17. Food
    It is NOT obligatory for the home team to provide snacks/food. However, if the home team wishes to do so, it is entirely up to them, but no offence should be taken if other teams do not reciprocate.
    
    
18. Drinks
    Visiting teams are not permitted to bring their own drinks to the host bar, unless private arrangements are made between bar owners, which is a matter for them and not the responsibility of the league administrators to manage.
    
    
19. Prices
    All drinks prices should be clearly displayed in close proximity to the bar and pool table.
    Bars that would normally charge ‘lady drink’ prices, will not do so for players of the host, or visiting team, who purchase drinks for any of the members or guests of teams.
    
    
20. Minimum Turnover
    As one of the purposes of the league is to try to generate revenue for the respective bars, there will be a minimum spend of 1000 THB, for the visiting team, made up of purchases by team members and their guests.It is the responsibility of the home team bar owner/captain, not the league administrators, to inform the visiting team of any shortfall in spend and resolve the issue amicably with them. (For example through further purchases).
    
    
21. Participation in two Thursday leagues
    No team in the league shall also have a team playing in an alternative league on a Thursday. Any team in breach of this rule may be expelled from the league.
    
    
22. Participation in two Thursday teams
    No player in a team shall also play for a team in another league on the night of a league match. If it is discovered that any player does so, their team will forfeit all racks in which that player played and these will be awarded to the opposition. Any player that transgresses this rule, on more than one occasion in a season, will be banned from playing in the league for the remainder of the season.
    
    
23. Team change of a player
    Players may only change teams once during a season, unless there are extraordinary extenuating circumstances and these have been agreed with and the further move authorised by a league administrator. However, for the remaining three matches, or three weeks of the league, a player MUST NOT change teams. This prevents teams appointing players and players ‘jumping ship’ in the run up to the end of the season.If it is discovered that a player has breached this rule, any racks in which he has participated will be awarded to the opposition, including the final team game.
    
    
24. Lateness / Absence
    The time of the matches is set at 6:45pm (18:45) and the match must commence at the latest by 7:00pm (19:00). At that time, if the match has not commenced, the first singles rack will be awarded to the team present and similarly, another rack every 15 minutes thereafter, until such time as the match commences. If the captain chooses to enter the name of a player on the score sheet and that player is not present at the commencement of his game, the rack will be awarded to the opposition. However, this rule can be varied at the discretion and with theagreement of both captains on the night.
    
    
25. Score sheet / Notification of the result
    The correct names of the players must be entered on the score sheet. If incorrect names are entered, the game is considered lost. If this occurs again, the team will be excluded from the league.

    It is the responsibility of the home team captain to post a copy of the scoresheet for the match to the LINE group IMMEDIATELY after the completion of the game.This allows for the results and league table to be updated on the League Republic website promptly.

    Team Captains/bar owners must retain their copies of signed score sheets. These, together with the copies forwarded to the administrators on the night of the match, are the only definitive records kept and any disputes cannot be settled without them.

26. Announcement of the results
    The league will deliver results and league tables to the dedicated League Republic website.
    
    
27. Communication
    Any complaints, suggestions or rule changes should be discussed by teams/bar owners in the “Line”-group.
    
    
28. Presentation night
    The venue for the presentation night at the end of the season will be drawn from the participating bars. If several seasons are played, the bars that have already held a presentation evening will be excluded from the draw so that no bar can host the evening more than once.