RULES

1. Tournament Eligibility

a. Players must become an APTSA member in order to play in an APTSA event.

b. All players will receive ranking points for each ‘ranking’ event they participate in.

2. Tournament Registration

a. The maximum field size of a tournament will be determined at the time the tournament is scheduled.

b. 10% of the field will be reserved for a qualifier.

c. 1 spot will be reserved for the host location (sponsors exemption).

d. Signing Up For Tournaments

i. All available spots will be offered to the players, in order, based on the World Rankings. These players will be eligible for early signup.

1. Only APTSA members will be eligible for early signup.

2. The defending champion of an event will always be eligible for early signup.

3. There may be an exception for the World Championships.

ii. World Rankings will be based on the World Rankings approximately 6 months prior to the tournament date. At the time a tournament is scheduled, this information will be posted.

iii. An early signup date will be set. This will usually be 3-4 months prior to the tournament, however some cases may require that this date be closer to the tournament. The players eligible for early signup must respond by this date and have their entry fees received. Any players eligible for early signup that do not send in their entry fees by the early signup date will be removed from the signup list for that tournament.

iv. A qualifier tournament must be scheduled and confirmed by the early signup date. It does not have to be held, it just needs to be scheduled and committed. If not, the spots reserved for the qualifier will be given to the waiting list.

v. The sponsors exemption spot must be assigned and the entry fee must be received by the early signup date. If not, that spot will be given to the waiting list.

vi. It is recommended that any player eligible for early signup, who will not attend an event, inform the APTSA Board that they will decline their spot so we may offer it to the next person on the waiting list.

vii. Players not eligible for early signup, but who are on the World Ranking list, will be placed on the waiting list in World Rank order. However, these players will not automatically be placed on the waiting list. They will need to send a request in writing and only then will they be placed on the waiting list. This request must come by the early signup date.

viii. All other players who are not on the World Ranking list, will be placed on the waiting list in the order in which their request is received, and they will be placed below all players on the World Ranking list who are also on the waiting list.

ix. ALL REQUESTS FOR SIGNUP MUST GO TO THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS: iapaboard@artisticpoolplayers.com. Any signup requests sent by other means are at your own risk.

x. After the early signup date, any available spots will be offered to the waiting list. These players will have 1 week to respond in writing, and 1 additional week to send in their entry fee (2 weeks total). Please note that while these players have 2 weeks to send in their entry fee, they must confirm their acceptance of the spot within 1 week.

xi. If spots become available and are offered to the waiting list prior to the early signup date, those players will be given until the early signup date to respond and send in their entry fee. Please note that in no case will a player be given less than 1 week to respond in writing and 2 weeks to send in their entry fee.

xii. As the tournament date approaches, if there are still some spots available and there are a lot of players on the waiting list, alternative signup deadlines may be implemented.

xiii. Any available spots at the tournament site will be sold immediately after the players meeting. If there are more players that want to enter the tournament then there are spots left, a random draw will take place, and the winners will get the spots in the tournament, provided they can pay their entry fee in cash at that time. Entry fees will be fully refundable up until 1 month prior to an event. Cancellations after this deadline will be reviewed by the APTSA Board. The APTSA Board reserves the right to decide whether entry fees will or will not be refunded for all late cancellations.

xiv. The APTSA Board has the right to refuse early signup privileges to any player due to excessive late cancellations.

xv. There will be no exceptions made regarding paying entry fees in advance. Players will be required to pay their entry fees by the specified deadline dates or their spots will not be guaranteed.

xvi. If a player sends in their entry fee and those funds to not clear, that player will be notified and will be given 2 weeks to resubmit their entry fee. Failure to resubmit within this time period will result in their spot being offered to the waiting list. Players who send in their entry fee late (close to the actual tournament) may not have time to clear. If any player’s entry fee does not clear by 1 week prior to the event, that player will be approached during the players meeting and they will be expected to pay their entry fee in full at that time (in cash), or entry into the tournament will be denied. Should this occur, and the player’s funds clear at a later date, they will be reimbursed in full for the duplicate payment.

xvii. Any players who pay their entry fee at the tournament site will not get paid their prize money at the conclusion of the tournament. Their prize money will be mailed within 10 business days of the conclusion of the event. The APTSA Board reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule, and pay these players along with everyone else. Making exceptions for one player does not necessarily guarantee making an exception for another player.

e. Players may cancel up to one month prior to a tournament’s start date.

f. If a player cancels after this deadline, the following will happen:

i. For a period of 1 year, this player’s “intent to play” will not be accepted. The player will only be confirmed into a tournament when his entry fee is received by APTSA.

ii. Emergency cancellations will be reviewed by the APTSA Board and handled individually.

g. If a player commits to a tournament and doesn’t show up, the following will happen:

i. For a period of 1 year, this player will not be eligible for early signup.

ii. For a period of 1 year, this player’s “intent to play” will not be accepted. The player will only be confirmed into a tournament when his entry fee is received by APTSA.

iii. Emergency no-shows will be reviewed by the APTSA Board and handled individually.

h. Qualifiers

i. Qualifier signups will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Early signups may or may not be accepted, and field size will be determined once the qualifier is scheduled.

ii. The purse collected at a qualifier will not be paid back to the players. That purse will be used to pay the entry fees for all earned spots in the qualifier.

iii. Players not accepting their spots will have their entry fee passed to the next player.

iv. Some players who earn a spot in the main tournament may not have their entry fee covered by the qualifier purse. Those players will be responsible for making up the difference (which may be paying the entry fee in full). Players choosing not to do this will have their spot passed to the next player.

v. If the qualifier purse totals more than the required entry fees into the main event, the additional money will be paid out as prize money for the qualifier.

vi. Players will have to commit to accepting or declining their spot in the main event within 1 week of the conclusion of the qualifier. Failure to do so will result in their spot being offered to the next player from the qualifier. Players will continue to have 1 week to accept their spots. Please note that these deadlines may change based on the date of the qualifier and of the professional event.

vii. Players who win the spots and who must pay part or all of their entry fee, must get that payment sent in as soon as possible. Depending on how much time there is before the main event, these players may be allowed to pay the remainder of their entry fee at the players meeting without penalty.

viii. Eligibility For Qualifiers

1. All players may play in a qualifier.

2. As of the date of the qualifier, any players who have accepted their spot in the professional tournament, or who have been offered a spot in the professional tournament, are not eligible to win the qualifier spot(s). Those players are free to participate in the qualifier for ‘experience’ or ‘warm-up’, but their scores will not count in the final results of the tournament. This includes overall position of finish, discipline medals, and any prize money paid out.

3. Dress Code

a. All professional tournaments have a ‘Relaxed’ Black-Tie dress code.

i. The recommended wear is tuxedo pants, tuxedo shirt, dress shoes, dress socks, bow tie, and either a tuxedo vest or a cummerbund.

ii. Players have the option of replacing the tuxedo pants with BLACK dress slacks.

iii. Players have the option of replacing the tuxedo shirt with a dress shirt. A bow tie is still required so if a regular dress shirt is used, it must accommodate a bow tie.

iv. Sweater vests are not allowed. If the player chooses to wear a vest instead of a cummerbund, it must be a tuxedo-style vest.

v. Women will be required to dress in formal-wear, or follow the above guidelines.

vi. Hats, visors, aprons, etc, will not be allowed. These do not conform with a black tie dress code.

vii. APTSA reserves the right to make all final decisions on dress code issues. This includes approving, under special circumstances, and with proper advance notice, certain minor violations of this dress code.

b. The dress code for women (at professional tournaments) is as follows:

i. Dress slacks or a long skirt (nothing above the knee).

ii. Dress blouse (vest optional).

iii. Alternatively, a semi-formal dress may be worn (nothing above the knee)

iv. Alternatively, a business suit may be worn. A dress blouse must be worn with the suit, and if a skirt is part of the suit, it must be below the knee.

v. All colors for slacks / skirt / jacket / dress must be dark colors. Black (preferred), navy, burgundy, etc. No bright colors.

vi. The blouse may be of any color. If a vest is worn, it may be of any color and design.

vii. It is preferred that all slacks / skirt / jacket / dress be solid colors. No fancy patterns (except on optional vest). If patters are worn, it should be subtle and also dark colors.

viii. No open toe shoes.

c. Amateur and qualifier tournaments will have the following dress code:

i. Dress slacks, dockers, or neat jeans (no rips).

ii. Collared shirt, or dress shirt. No t-shirts. No offensive pictures or words may be on the shirt.

iii. Dress shoes, casual shoes, or neat sneakers. No sandals. Women may wear open-toe shoes but they may not be sandals.

iv. Socks are required unless open-toe shoes are worn.

d. Players who show up to play and are in violation of the dress code will be notified by the tournament director. That player WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY UNTIL THEY MEET THE DRESS CODE.

i. Matches will not be held up if a player shows up and is not dressed properly. The player will be treated as ‘missing’ until he returns in proper dress.

4. Equipment

a. A player may bring as many cues as necessary.

b. Cues must be at least 40 inches in length.

c. Shafts can be replaced at any time.

d. All props / balls must be from the venue’s inventory.

e. Players are allowed to place chalk, or other objects under the bridge head, or bridge butt, provided that those objects do not interfere with a shot.

f. Players may bring and use their own chalk, however it must be a color that conforms with the cloth. The tournament director has the right to ask a player not to use a certain color chalk.

g. Chalk cubes may be positioned on the rail anywhere (at the player’s discretion).

h. Players may not make chalk marks (scratch marks, wet marks, etc) on the felt to use as aiming devices.

i. Players violating this rule will be given 2 warnings.

ii. The third time a violation occurs, that player will receive a 2 point penalty per discipline for each occurrence. This penalty will be applied after each discipline and will affect discipline medals, as well as overall position of finish.

i. Players may use powder. However, the player must be neat with the powder. If the powder is getting all over the tournament table, and other players complain, the table judge or the tournament director has the right to tell the player that powder may no longer be used.

5. Shooting Requirements

a. Players must keep one foot on the floor at all times while shooting.

b. Players are allowed to ‘raise’ the floor by bringing something to stand on.

i. If a player chooses to ‘raise’ the floor, that player must inform the table judge, and the player must keep one foot on the object that he is standing on.

6. Practice Time

a. Players will be allotted 2 minutes of practice time per discipline right before their match.

b. Players may not practice on any tournament table except for the scheduled times listed above. This includes shooting ANY SHOT on a tournament table, not just those that are in the current shot program. In other words, players are not allowed to use the tournament table for any reason except for their scheduled practice time and match time.

i. If a tournament is in a pool room, where the tables are already in place, this rule will be in effect starting 1 day prior to the players meeting.

ii. If a tournament is in a hotel, or another venue where the pool tables are brought in just for the tournament, this rule is in effect permanently.

c. When a player’s match is over, players are not allowed to setup extra shots on the tournament tables.

d. Players who are caught violating these ‘practice’ rules will be penalized 2 points per discipline for each violation. Points will be deducted at the end of each discipline, and will affect discipline medals, as well as overall position of finish.

7. Ball Tapping

a. Players are allowed a light tap of the balls during setup.

b. Players tapping the balls too hard will be given three warning by the table judge.

c. Players who continue to violate this rule after getting three warnings will incur a 1 point penalty for the current discipline for each occurrence.

d. The table judge has final say when issuing a warning. After the table judge has given 2 warnings, the head table judge will be notified. After the third warning, the head table judge will be notified and will keep an eye on the player. Violations that result in point deductions must be approved by the head table judge.

e. Ball Tapping warnings will be in effect for the duration of the tournament.

i. Warnings are not confined to the current discipline or round.

ii. If a player receives a warning during round 1, that warning is in effect for the entire tournament. This means that is the player gets two more warnings in round 2, and then violates this rule again in round 3, points will be deducted.

8. Shot Program

a. The player is responsible for everything in the shot program. This includes all shot setup requirements, objective requirements, and any special notes on a shot.

b. Placement or position zones are determined by the edge of the cue ball, not the base.

i. Legal cue ball in hand placement in a zone area or behind an ‘X’ line is determined by the vertical ‘leading edge; of the cue ball.

ii. Any shot / challenge with target zone or position of finish is judged by the vertical ‘leading’ edge or the vertical ‘trailing’ edge.

c. All balls placed on the edge or within pockets may be adjusted by the player, unless specifically mentioned in the program.

d. Players have the option to shoot any shot from any side of the table. Players may shoot the mirror image of any shot.

e. Players are allowed an accidental ‘nudge’ of the cue ball when attempting a shot. The table judge will use his discretion as to whether this ‘nudge’ was part of the player’s attempt, or just accidental contact. Accidental contact will not count. If the table judge feels that the player was actually attempting the shot, the player will receive a ‘no score’ for that attempt.

i. Certain shots have exceptions to this rule. For example: the wing shots. Once the object ball is rolled, the shot must be executed. Any accidental nudge of the cue ball will count as a missed attempt.

ii. Miscue on any attempt does not cancel the successful completion of the shot, if made.

f. Unless otherwise stated in the program, scratches are allowed and do not cancel the successful completion of a shot.

g. If during an attempt, any ball flies off the table, the player will receive ‘no score’ for that attempt.

h. If the table judge informs the player that the shot is setup wrong, that player has the following options:

i. Make the correction that the table judge has suggested, and shoot the shot.

ii. Show the shot program to the table judge and review it to see who is correct.

iii. Appeal to the head table judge.

i. In all cases, the following order of priority will be in effect (lowest to highest):

i. The player shooting the shot.

ii. The table judge’s decision.

iii. The head table judge’s decision.

iv. The shot program.

j. In all cases, the ‘intent’ of the shot will be enforced. If the shot program is found to be ambiguous on a certain issue, the head table judge will use the ‘intent’ of the shot to make the ruling.

k. If the head table judge makes a ruling on a shot, and the player notices an obvious mistake being made (something that directly contradicts what is written in the shot program), that player has the right to temporarily stop play and request the assistance of another staff member or player who is in the room at that time. Please note that this must be an OBVIOUS AND MAJOR mistake and there must be a DIRECT CONTRADICTION to what is written in the shot program. Any other types of issues will result in violations and be dealt with as explained in the ‘Questioning Shots’ section.

l. ONCE A PLAYER SHOOTS A SHOT, WHETHER THE SHOT IS SETUP RIGHT OR WRONG, THAT SHOT IS FINAL. IF LATER IS IT FOUND OUT THAT SOMETHING WAS SETUP WRONG, FOR WHATEVER THE REASON, THE RESULTS OF THE SHOT WILL REMAIN.

m. The player is required to know all shot setups and requirements, within reason.

i. If a player has a question on a particular shot, it is preferable that this question be resolved prior to match time. However, if a player is in the middle of a match and has a question, that player may ask the table judge.

ii. Players are not allowed to request setup help or ask about shot requirements with other players, even in the same flight, unless those players do not mind.

iii. Players who are in a match and are found to not know a majority of the shots / setup / requirements, will be issued a warning, which will be in effect for the duration of the tournament.

iv. Players will be allowed 2 warnings. The third time, the player will be disqualified from the tournament. He will forfeit his entry fee and any prize money due him.

9. Score Cards

a. After each match, the players and table judge should check the master scorecards at the tournament desk to make sure that all scores was recorded properly.

b. The master scorecards at the tournament desk are the ‘official’ score cards. Any other scorecards or charts, are not official.

c. Any errors on the master scorecards must be handled immediately. Once the table judge and players leave the tournament desk, all scores are final and may not be changed.

d. The players are ultimately responsible for their own score.

10. Questioning Shots

a. If there is any question on the setup or outcome of a shot, only the following people are allowed to say anything:

i. Table judge for that table only.

ii. Players in the same flight (on that table only).

b. If multiple tables are being used, the table judge has the right to request the assistance of another table judge.

c. The table judge may always request assistance from the head table judge.

d. If the table judge makes a ruling and the player is still in disagreement, they may go to the head table judge.

i. The head table judge will listen to both the table judge and the player.

ii. The head table judge may request the assistance other players in the same flight or of the table judge on another table.

iii. The head table judge’s decision is final.

e. Some shots require the table judge to make a call while the balls are in motion. In these cases, the table judge’s decision is final.

f. If a player has a question about a shot’s setup or requirements, that player must speak with either the table judge, the head table judge, or another player within their flight.

i. A player is not allowed to consult with an outside player regarding the setup / requirements / outcome of a shot.

g. Once a decision is made by the table judge, the player has the right to request that the matter be taken to the head table judge. However, that player may not request the assistance of an outside player.

h. Once the head table judge makes a decision, the issue is closed and no further discussion will be held on that issue. At this point, players are required to return to the table and continue play.

i. Players may not, at this point, continue the issue at hand, nor may they request the assistance of an outside player.

ii. The head table judge’s decision is FINAL.

i. Once a player is finished with his match, that player has the right to approach the head table judge, or any other player, and discuss the issue. However, the ruling that was made during the actual play will stand, no matter what happens afterwards.

j. Players not in an actual match may NOT interfere with play.