League rules

Below are the Cardiff and District Snooker League rules for 2023-24, as agreed at the 2023 Annual General Meeting. A full set of World Snooker rules can be downloaded here

GENERAL LEAGUE RULES

A. Matches to commence no later than 7.30pm and play must be continuous.

B. Five individual frames to be played – no player may play twice.

C. If there is only one player present from either team by 7.30pm, then the opposing team can insist the match starts with that player present.

D. If play has not started by 7.45pm then the team at fault will lose one frame and subsequently one frame every 15 mins. If the one sole player represented by either team plays his match but his team mates are not present to immediately start the second frame the frame shall be awarded to the opposition, and each subsequent frame per 15 minutes.

E. Home and away captains must write down their teams in playing order first for league matches and then both lists are matched together to see who plays each other in that order. Cup matches are drawn at random.

F. It is the responsibility of BOTH TEAMS to inform the League Secretary James Llewellyn of the result by 9am on the Saturday following the match. Teams that do not submit their results will not be awarded the points earned for the match. Teams are asked to provide full details of the players winning and losing so that accurate player rankings can be produced.

G. You can phone or text the result to 07792101998, or use the CDSA Whats App group.

H. The ‘Miss’ rule must be applied in all matches and it is up to the referee to be consistent in his / her interpretation to promote fair play to both players. Guidance on its implementation is provided to teams at the start of the season. A miss can only be called a maximum of three times per visit.

Postponement/cancellation/forfeiting of League Matches
1 . Due to the fact that teams can register as many players as possible, postponements are not allowed other than in exceptional circumstances agreed by the committee. Any team who fail to show for a league match will be fined 6pts and the match will be awarded 5-0 to the opposition. If a postponement is agreed, the two teams have 14 days to rearrange the fixture and inform the committee.

2 . Any team committing this offence twice in a season may under the discretion of the committee be expelled from the league and will not be allowed to compete the following league season or their registered players. Also all players concerned will not be allowed to play for anyone else during the current league season. So even if you only have one player available it would be in your team’s best interest to attend the match and forfeit any frames left over. Exceptional circumstances will be left up to the committee’s discretion.

3. If a team disbands during the season then at the committee’s discretion all results involving this team will be voided and removed from the records for that season.

Registration of Players

1.  Any team may register a player on the night as long as they inform the League Secretary before 7.30pm. Closing date for registering a new player is the 6th match from the end of the league season.

2. Any team playing a non-registered player/s will result in that team losing all pts scored and will also be fined 6pts.

3. Players may transfer from one team to another within the same division only ONCE during the first 6 matches of the season. The League Secretary must be informed before he/she plays.

Conduct
1. Any registered team or player whose behaviour is prejudicial to the interest of the CDSA, shall under the discretion of the committee be suspended from all matches for the rest of the current season, and their acceptance to the league for the following two seasons be refused.

2. Any disputes arising from matches played in league or competitions must be submitted in writing to the committee and will then be clarified on the website.

3. Players are reminded that it is not considered appropriate to practise or use another table within the club to play snooker from 7.30pm onwards on a match night, BEFORE a player participates in a league match. After completing his or her frame, the player may feel free to practise or play on other tables, provided refereeing duties are still observed.

Professionals

Professional players must concede 50pts per frame.
Professional players will not be allowed to play in any league competitions, unless they were CDSA members when they qualified for professional status.

Competition Rules

1.  All clubs must follow the World Snooker rules of snooker. They must have an up to date copy of the rules of snooker displayed or available upon request for future reference. The rules can be downloaded here

2.  Each player will be awarded a handicap for the season, which will be used in Handicap Cup and Plate matches, as well as individual competitions.

3.  League comp fees are £3 for singles and £6.00 for pairs.

4. Competitions are only open to registered CDSA players who have played a minimum of three matches in league and/or cup since the start of the previous season.

5. In cup matches, home and away captains must draw players at random to decide the order, rather than decide their respective orders beforehand.

6. Players must use their home venue for competitions, unless they have the agreement of the committee that the match can take place in another CDSA venue.

7. In the league, if points are tied at the end of the season, positions will be decided next by games won, and if still tied, a play-off between the two sides with venue to be decided.