1. Name and status

1.1 The organisation shall be known as the Bulford, Amesbury and Tidworth Pool League, abbreviated to BATPL and referred to in this constitution as “the League”.

1.2 BATPL is a voluntary, not-for-profit local sports league. It is not operated for the private financial benefit of any individual.

1.3 The League does not maintain a standing committee or fixed officer structure. Administrative tasks may be carried out by one or more volunteers, collectively referred to in this constitution as “League Administration”. This description is functional only and does not create elected offices, permanent titles or personal authority beyond this constitution.

2. Aims and objectives

2.1 The aim of BATPL is to promote friendly, fair and inclusive competitive pool in Bulford, Amesbury, Tidworth and the surrounding area.

2.2 The League seeks to:

organise league fixtures for registered teams and players;

organise knockout, singles, doubles and other competitions where practical;

support local pubs, clubs and other suitable venues;

encourage good sportsmanship, participation and the development of players; and

arrange presentation nights or other social events when appropriate.

3. Rules and affiliation

3.1 Matches shall be played under the ruleset published by BATPL for the relevant season or competition. Unless BATPL publishes a specific variation, Blackball Rules shall apply.

3.2 Any affiliation to a county, national or other governing body shall be decided by the registered teams and communicated before the relevant season begins.

3.3 Competition-specific rules, formats and entry requirements may supplement this constitution. Where a conflict exists, this constitution takes priority unless the registered teams expressly approve a temporary variation.

4. Membership

4.1 Membership is open to suitable teams based at pubs, clubs or other approved venues within a reasonable travelling distance of the BATPL area.

4.2 A team becomes a member when its registration is accepted and all applicable fees are paid by the published deadline.

4.3 Players become members through registration with a BATPL team or entry into an eligible BATPL competition.

4.4 By registering, teams, captains and players agree to follow this constitution, the published playing rules, competition rules and reasonable administrative instructions.

4.5 League Administration may refuse or place reasonable conditions on an application where participation would be impractical, unsafe or contrary to the interests of the League. Reasons shall be provided, and the applicant may ask for the decision to be reviewed by the registered teams.

4.6  The founding members of BATPL shall remain Honorary Members for life in recognition of their contribution to establishing the League. Honorary membership does not automatically carry team voting rights, administrative authority or exemption from the playing and competition rules unless the person also qualifies for those rights in another capacity.

5. Team representation and decision-making

5.1 Each registered team shall nominate a captain and may nominate a deputy. These are points of contact for that team and are not League officials.

5.2 Each registered team has one vote on League-wide matters, regardless of how many representatives attend a meeting. No person may cast votes for more than one team.

5.3 Ordinary decisions are made by a simple majority of votes cast. A tied vote means that the proposal is not carried; there is no casting vote.

5.4 Amendments to this constitution and a decision to dissolve BATPL require at least two-thirds of the votes cast.

5.5 Voting may take place at a meeting or through a clearly recorded electronic vote. Teams must receive reasonable notice of the proposal, the closing date and the method of voting.

5.6 A decision is valid where at least half of the teams registered at the time take part in the vote. If that threshold is not met, the matter may be put to a second vote after further notice; the notice must state whether the second vote will proceed on the votes received.

6. League Administration

6.1 League Administration exists only to perform the practical work needed to operate BATPL. Tasks may be shared, rotated or reassigned at any time and do not belong permanently to any person.

6.2 Administrative activity may include publishing fixtures, maintaining RackEmApp and batpl.co.uk, processing registrations and results, communicating with teams, arranging competitions, keeping financial records and applying decisions made under this constitution.

6.3 League Administration may make routine operational decisions and urgent decisions needed to keep fixtures or competitions running. It may not unilaterally amend this constitution, create significant unbudgeted expenditure, dissolve the League or impose a long-term suspension without the review arrangements in this constitution.

6.4 Where an administrator is personally involved in a dispute or disciplinary matter, that person must take no part in deciding it.

6.5 Registered teams may collectively replace, add or remove people carrying out administrative work by a simple majority vote.

7. Meetings

7.1 A General Meeting should normally be held at least once each year and may be held in person or online.

7.2 A General Meeting may consider finances, season structure, fees, rules, competitions, membership matters and any proposals submitted by teams or registered players.

7.3 Reasonable notice and an agenda shall be circulated to team contacts. Proposals for a binding vote should normally be provided in writing before the meeting.

7.4 A Special General Meeting may be requested by at least one-third of registered teams. The request must state the matter to be considered. Only notified business may be decided at that meeting.

7.5 A brief record of decisions and voting outcomes shall be retained and made available to registered teams.

8. Finance

8.1 All BATPL money must be used solely for League purposes, including administration, technology, trophies, events, equipment, venue costs, affiliation and agreed charitable activity.

8.2 League funds shall be kept separately from personal money in an account or other payment facility used for BATPL. Where the provider permits, at least two trusted volunteers should have visibility of or access to the account.

8.3 A clear record of income and expenditure shall be maintained. Receipts or invoices should be retained for expenditure wherever reasonably possible.

8.4 A financial summary shall be presented to registered teams at least annually and additionally on reasonable request.

8.5 Fees shall be set and published before registration. A captain is responsible for ensuring their team’s fees are paid, whether or not the venue contributes.

8.6 Reasonable discounts or fee waivers may be offered to encourage participation or support the League, provided they are recorded and applied fairly.

8.7 No surplus shall be distributed to members. Legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of BATPL may be reimbursed against suitable evidence.

9. Registration and eligibility

9.1 Registration shall normally be managed online through RackEmApp. Captains or nominated team contacts must use the system to manage their team and electronic scorecards.

9.2 A team must register at least the minimum number of players stated in the season entry requirements. There is no maximum squad size unless published for a particular competition.

9.3 A player is eligible once their registration is complete and visible in the League system, subject to any published deadline, suspension or competition restriction.

9.4 The normal minimum age is 16. A team fielding anyone under 18 must ensure that participation is permitted by the venue and that appropriate consent and safeguarding arrangements are in place.

9.5 New signings, deregistration and transfers are permitted only in accordance with the current season rules and deadlines. A player may represent no more than two League teams in one season and may not transfer back to the same team during that season unless an exceptional variation is approved.

10. Venues and equipment

10.1 Each home venue must provide a safe and reasonably playable pool table, suitable lighting and enough access for the fixture to be completed.

10.2 Captains should inspect the table before play. Any concern must be raised immediately and, wherever possible, corrected before the first frame.

10.3 If a table becomes unplayable and cannot be corrected, the captains should record the circumstances in RackEmApp and contact League Administration. The match may be rearranged or completed later as directed.

10.4 A venue may be temporarily or permanently withdrawn where safety, conduct, access or prolonged table-condition problems make continued play unreasonable. The affected team may request a review by the registered teams.

11. League matches

11.1 Fixtures shall be played on the dates and at the venues published on batpl.co.uk and in RackEmApp.

11.2 The season’s match format, minimum team size, start time, scoring system and any local rule variations shall be published before the season begins.

11.3 Unless both captains agree otherwise, matches must start at the published time. Any agreed change should be recorded in writing.

11.4 The home team shall normally provide table fees, referees and timekeeping unless the published rules state otherwise. One person may act as referee and timekeeper.

11.5 All players must be registered and entered in the correct playing order before taking part. Changes after submission require the agreement of both captains unless the system rules expressly allow them.

11.6 Matches should be completed on the scheduled night. An unfinished match shall be completed at the original venue, using the original eligible line-up where practicable, within the period directed by League Administration.

11.7 League points, tie-break procedures and sanctions for late or missing results shall be stated in the season rules.

12. Electronic scorecards and results

12.1 RackEmApp is the official record for fixtures, player line-ups, frame results and match approval.

12.2 Both captains are responsible for checking that entries and scores are accurate throughout the match and for approving the final score within the published deadline.

12.3 Known errors should be corrected before final approval. If an error cannot be agreed, the dispute function must be used and sufficient detail provided.

12.4 League Administration may correct an obvious administrative or input error after consulting the affected teams and shall keep a record of any material correction.

13. Postponements and cancellations

13.1 A team seeking to postpone must contact the opposing captain and League Administration as soon as possible and normally provide at least 24 hours’ notice.

13.2 The teams should agree and record a new date within the published rearrangement period. If they cannot agree, League Administration may set a date or determine the fixture after considering the circumstances.

13.3 Failure to provide the required notice, attend a fixture or cooperate in rearranging it may result in a walkover, points deduction or other proportionate sanction set out in the season rules.

13.4 Only players eligible on the original fixture date may play in a rearranged fixture unless League Administration approves an exception to avoid unfairness.

14. Withdrawal from the League

14.1 A withdrawing team must notify League Administration promptly and settle any outstanding League property or money.

14.2 If a team withdraws before completing half of its fixtures, all of its results may be removed and remaining fixtures treated as byes.

14.3 If a team withdraws after completing at least half of its fixtures, results from the completed half of the season may stand and remaining fixtures may be treated as byes or walkovers. The chosen treatment must be applied consistently.

14.4 Players from a withdrawn team may be permitted to join another team, subject to eligibility deadlines and a fair case-by-case decision.

15. Competitions

15.1 BATPL may organise team, singles, doubles, open or other competitions according to demand and available venues.

15.2 Entry criteria, fees, format, draw arrangements, deadlines, match length, venue responsibilities and result-submission method shall be published for each competition.

15.3 Unless stated otherwise, competition fees are non-refundable after the draw has been made.

15.4 Players or teams are responsible for contacting opponents and arranging self-scheduled fixtures by the round deadline. Failure by both sides to make reasonable contact may result in both being eliminated.

15.5 Competition results must be submitted through the BATPL system by the stated deadline. Finals and presentation arrangements will be communicated separately.

16. Refereeing and conduct during play

16.1 The referee must apply the rules fairly and without bias. Players and captains are expected to know the applicable rules.

16.2 A player may politely ask for a rule to be clarified before the next shot. Once a final on-the-night ruling is made, play should continue under protest unless it would be unsafe to do so.

16.3 Coaching is not permitted except where expressly allowed by the published match format, such as permitted consultation in a doubles frame.

16.4 Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, intimidating or violent behaviour is not acceptable. Serious misconduct may result in immediate removal from a venue and temporary suspension pending review.

17. Disputes, complaints and discipline

17.1 The captains should first try to resolve match issues calmly at the venue. A disputed match must be marked as disputed in RackEmApp before final approval wherever that function is available.

17.2 A formal complaint must normally be submitted in writing within seven days and include the date, venue, people involved, nature of the complaint, relevant evidence and witnesses.

17.3 The matter shall be considered by an impartial panel of at least three people drawn from unaffected registered teams or other suitable independent persons. Panel members must declare conflicts and take no part where their team or personal interests are involved.

17.4 Each affected party must receive the allegation or dispute details and a reasonable opportunity to provide their account and evidence.

17.5 Possible outcomes include no action, advice, a warning, replay or adjustment of a fixture, loss of frames or points, temporary suspension, removal from a competition, venue restriction or expulsion in the most serious cases. Any sanction must be proportionate and confirmed in writing with brief reasons.

17.6 A party may appeal within seven days on the grounds of significant new evidence, procedural unfairness or a clearly disproportionate sanction. The appeal shall be considered by different impartial persons. The appeal decision is final within BATPL.

17.7 A person found responsible for physical violence, except reasonable self-defence, or serious abusive behaviour may be banned from BATPL activities.

18. Data, communications and records

18.1 BATPL may hold the contact, registration, fixture, result and disciplinary information reasonably needed to run the League.

18.2 Information shall be used only for legitimate League purposes, handled in accordance with the BATPL privacy statement and retained only as long as reasonably necessary.

18.3 Official notices may be issued through batpl.co.uk, RackEmApp, email, WhatsApp or another channel commonly used by registered teams.

18.4 The published online records are the primary operational record, subject to correction of proven errors.

19. Changes to this constitution

19.1 Any registered team or player may propose a change in writing. The proposal should explain the requested wording and the reason for it.

19.2 Teams shall receive reasonable notice before voting. A change requires a two-thirds majority of votes cast and must meet the participation threshold in clause 5.6.

19.3 Approved changes take effect on the stated date. Updated wording shall be published on batpl.co.uk and communicated to teams.

19.4 League Administration may correct spelling, numbering, formatting or broken references without a vote, provided the meaning is not changed.

20. Dissolution

20.1 BATPL may be dissolved only by a two-thirds majority vote of registered teams after at least 14 days’ notice.

20.2 After all legitimate debts and liabilities are settled, remaining assets shall be transferred to another not-for-profit local sporting or community organisation chosen by the registered teams. They shall not be distributed among individual members.

20.3 League records and digital assets should be retained or transferred securely so far as reasonably necessary to close the League and meet legal obligations.

21. Adoption

This constitution was approved by the registered teams of the Bulford, Amesbury and Tidworth Pool League, after a 2/3rds majority vote on 25/08/26