bylaws

LAUREL HIGHLANDS TAP LOCAL BYLAWS

1. Practice time before matches.

(a) Visiting teams will be allotted 1/2 hour table time before the start of their scheduled match. Matches start at 7:30 pm. If a visiting team comes in after 7:00 pm, they get only the time that is left before the start time of their match. The same cue ball that is used for practice must be used for the match unless both teams agree. (No switching cueballs on visiting teams.)

2. Played matches needed to compete at Titleholders

(a) 16 week session.....no byes.....6 played matches

(b) 16 week session.....one bye.....6 played matches

(d) 8 week summer session..no byes...4 played matches

(e) 8 week summer session..one bye...3 played matches for established players....New players will need a minimum of 3 played matches and if need be, handicaps will be set by TAP corp.

(f) Summer session shorter then 8 weeks.....3 played matches

(g) Summer sessions longer then 8 weeks....4 played matches

(h) Forfeits do not count....only played matches count.

(i) Players can't combine matches if they play on different teams in two separate divisions, regardless if it is 8 or 9 ball. The two can't be combined.

(j) Playoff matches will not count towards the total needed starting after the spring 2008 session. A player can compete in a playoff match if they have 5 matches in for that team in a 16 week session with no byes or 4 matches played in a session with byes. If they have 3 or less matches in, they can not play in the playoffs. They have not played enough matches and are not considered to be on that team.

(h) Players that shoot in two different table size divisions will play at the Titleholder at their highest attained handicap for both teams if they have two different caps. This does not happen often and mainly when players do not have

nough matches in on one or the other.

3. Taverns and host locations

a) LH TAP's only request is to have the tables open or quarters available for the tables.

(b) Complimentary food is not mandatory but is greatly appreciated

(c) Any roster changes, team moves, etc. is 100% in the hands of the person that submitted the team roster and not the host location (unless the tavern owner submitted the roster)

(d) Underage players are allowed to compete in LH TAP. We will honor any host locations right to not allow these players to compete in their establishments.

(e) LH TAP honors any host location to exercise their rights to not allow a member play in their establishment that has been banned from that location.

(f) Tables,cloth and balls should be maintained and be kept in a reasonable condition. LH TAP does not dictate what type of cue ball to be used but we recommend a red circle cue ball whenever possible.

4. Team dues

(a) It is up to the team captain to make sure all weekly dues is turned in. Any teams that do not pay the full amount will be barred and blacklisted on the league web site until all monies are paid. Any players on these teams will need to pay their fair share to the LH TAP office regardless if they already paid their weekly fees to their team captain. Note: You chose to trust this person, not LH TAP. Team dues is $35 a week per team in the fall and spring sessions and $50 per team a week for the shorter summer session, regardless of forfeits or no shows.

**Note**.... Money that does not come in, can't expected to be paid out.

5. Turning in score sheets

(a) LH TAP would like to see all score sheets turned in within 48 hours out of respect for the rest of the league. Since the introduction of Pool-Net and less down time for data entry needed, score sheets must be turned in no later then the day before the following weeks match by no later then noon. Example...Wednesday's score sheet must be in my office by no later then Monday noon of the following week. Late sheets will result in a one win deduction after the end of that session.

(b) 1. If a team does not send their score sheet (away team was counting on the home team to send it in) and the either team needs a player's match that night to count for their last match to play at Titleholders, they WILL NOT get credit for this. I need played matches. This will make more teams to both keep score. Do not depend on the other team to get your scores in. WATCH YOUR OWN BACK.

6. Roster deadlines

(a) Week 6 for 16 week session

(b) Week 4 for a 8 week session

(c) LH TAP's reserves the right to extend this to any teams or players based on each individual case and circumstances such as team survival rule, which is in the TAP national rule book.

7. Forfeits, byes and no shows

(a) Byes are a 3-2 win. No dues are owed for bye weeks

(b) Dues is still owed for player matches that are forfeited. Do not put a opposing player on the score sheet for a forfeit. This match will go into open stats.

(c) If a team is a complete no show the opposing team will be awarded a 5-0 forfeit. If a team is a no show on consecutive weeks, the second week will be a 5-0 forfeit. The no show team will then by dropped from that session and all following matches will be a 3-2 bye. In the event I am notified before a scheduled match that a team is dropping then the scheduled team they would have played will get a 3-2 bye as well as all remaining scheduled teams for that session.

8. Sessions needed for nationals

(a) Members have to play 2 out of 3 sessions to compete in that playoff or at nationals. You can play on a different team if you like but you have to play on the team you qualified with. Also, you can take the spring session off but than you have to play the 10 week summer session or you can play the spring and take the summer off but you have to get 2 out of 3 sessions in. This has always been this way since we started qualifying for nationals 5 years ago.You can be active in a singles league and that would count towards a session but a 9 ball session does not count towards a 8 ball handicap.

(b) Teams that win these trips during the year are obligated to attend. Teams CANNOT take the money from the national fund and not attend nationals. Teams that can not attend forfeit all national monies earned back into the national fund.

(c) Players or teams that win more then one national entry will get their entry paid for the 2nd team. Players on two teams will not get the full travel and hotel fund that is allotted to a single team. These teams or players will get 1/2 of the normal allotment. Example...If the total travel fund available per team is ($2,800) divided by 8 players equals $350. Players on the second team would get one half or $175 extra for the second entry.

(d) Players that have qualified on a national team will have their handicaps locked at the handicap they qualified with until the next nationals. They can go to a higher cap but they will not go lower then the handicap they played at when their team won the national spot.

9. Tiebreakers

Ties are broken by which team won the most matches when they met in head to head competition during the session. If they are still tied, the 2nd tiebreaker is which team won the last time they played. If there is a 3 way tie, to keep it simple, all three teams will go into the bracket that they are tied for. If they did not play each other, both will go to the highest of the two brackets. On the rare occasion if two or more teams are tied for first place (and they did not play each other in the regular session) all teams will go onto the final board and split any first place division money earned.

10. Playoff week

Always follows the last week of the regular session unless there is a holiday. No dues is owed for playoffs. Since the inception of Pool-Net, only regular session matches and not playoff matches will count towards the minimum number of weeks required.

11. LH TAP reserves the rights to:

(a) Lock players handicaps in on short summer sessions. This is to protect the rest of the league from players that do not have enough matches in for a accurate handicap. These locks will be released at the start of a full 16 week session,

(b) Lock any player's handicap in that is suspected of cheating either by sandbagging or turning in inaccurate score sheets for the purpose of holding a lower handicap.

(c) The right to revoke membership to compete in LH TAP for any reason that is deemed justified.