🏆 Welcome to the ALES Pool League

By Mark Court
On Thursday 11 September 2025 10:20

We’re thrilled to kick off what promises to be an exciting season! Your Co-Chairmen, Dan Reilly and Mark Court, are committed to ensuring the league is run to a fun yet competitive standard, with a shared goal of growing the league, raising the standard of play, and promoting local pool.

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🙏 Acknowledgements

A huge thank you to H, Vicky, and Dave for their dedication and hard work over the years. Their efforts have been instrumental in making the ALES Pool League the success it is today.

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📋 Season Format

(as discussed at the Captains’ Meeting – Wednesday 10th September)

🔹 League Structure

-          Two divisions, evenly split based on sign-up times and seeded according to final standings from the 2024/2025 season.

  •  Home and away fixtures throughout the season.
  •  All teams must use the Rack Em App. Captains will select the draw, which will then be locked into the app.
  •  Players must follow the correct frame order: no second frame before someone’s first, no third before someone’s second.
  •  Match format: 3 sets of 4 frames (12 total), with dishes counting as bonus points.
  •  Cup matches will include Scotch Doubles and Singles, played under Blackball/BAPTO rules.
  •  Season structure: League (50%) → Cup (50%) → League (remainder) → Cup (remainder) → Singles & Doubles Competitions.
  •  League entry fee: £70 per team.

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📊 Stats & Competitions

-          Stats will now include all games played, including dish bonus points.

  •  New: End-of-season “Leading Player” competition featuring the top 8 players across both divisions.

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📜 Rules & Regulations

-          League matches will continue under the Old EPA rules.

  •  Cup matches will feature a new format: group stages followed by knockout rounds, played under Blackball/BAPTO rules.
  • Teams may play up to 2 matches per season with only 3 players (home or away). This applies separately to league and cup matches.
  • Food provision is optional.
  • Entry fees for competitions:
    •  Singles: £5 per player
    • Doubles: £5 per pair

These fees help reduce no-shows and support better trophies and potential prize funds.

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🆕 New Teams & Player Registration

We warmly welcome new teams to join the ALES Pool League! If you're interested in entering a team, please contact either Dan Reilly or Mark Court to get started.

All team captains are required to send the following details for each player to Mark Court:

  •  First & Last Name 
  • Email Address
  • Telephone Number 

This information is needed to create player profiles on the Rack Em App and assign them to their respective teams.

We strongly encourage all players to log in and join the Rack Em App to take advantage of its features, including match tracking, stats, and team management tools.

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🙌 Final Thoughts

Thank you all for your continued support and enthusiasm. We’re looking forward to a fantastic season ahead filled with great matches, good sportsmanship, and plenty of memorable moments. Let’s make this the best season yet!