Format of tournaments and leagues you play in

[legod]

Hi all

I'd be interested to know the format of the leagues and tournaments that you play in.

I'm involved in playing in and running tournaments here in New Zealand and would appreciate ideas for new formats.

I look forward to your replies.

Cheers

:snooker:

[MattWilson]

Team Winter League - 4 players, 2 frames each off handicaps. Individual players results, breaks etc recorded for end of season prizes.

Individual Summer League - two leagues of up to 10 players in each play each other home and away, each time over 6 frames, no handicaps. Top 4 qualify from each league and play knockout over best of 7 QF, best of 9 SF and best of 11 frames in final.

Also Team Trophy comp - run off cumulative handicaps for each team, run on total aggregate of points over 8 frames. Sometimes my team gives 500 start over 8 frames!

MW

[Souwester]

Team Winter League - 4 players, 2 frames each off handicaps. Individual players results, breaks etc recorded for end of season prizes.

Ditto, here in Yeovil, though we're now down to 8 teams!


Summer league, is an individual handicap league, over about 20 weeks. It's a turn up and play at one club. Those attending are drawn into groups of three or four players, and play one-frame round robin.

Depending of number of teams, the winner and maybe one or more second places go through to quarters or semis, again one-frame.

We pay £7 per week, £2 to club for light, £2 to the week's winner, £1 to the week's runner-up and £2 to the end of season pot. This last summer the top 16 ranked players played the final night (seeded) to determine who won what.

I enjoy the summer league better than winter league... maybe because I usually do well in it, and there's money involved!

[andy carson]

league split into three sections "A" "B" "C"

A is for the too good they must have skipped all school to practice (minus handicaps to +20 allowed - or 20 is max start to get)

B is for the skipped some school but not too much
(up to 30 start on handicaps)

C is for those just out for a laugh and to enjoy a match
(up to 50 start on handicaps

cups are straight forwarsd team knockouts on the night, 1 cup is 4 players total agregate score of 4 frames, a doubles team knockout of 3 frames -straight winners no aggregate) and a 6 man team knockout - again no aggregate)

doubles knockout - 1 pair per team in league to enter - singles knockout - 1 player to enter

indivioduals knockout over 3 frames straight knockout

£1 subs per night week for team fees, free table lights as bringing others into the club for beer etc.... cup competitions fees split equally between players actually playing in it

oh and we get food for it provided as well in shape of a football card that sometimes appears round - 25p a go for a tenner prize

[KelvinJones]

Snooker - Premier division - three players, two frames each. 1 point per frame all of levels. Divisions 1 and 2 - four players, one frame each. 1 point per frame. Highest break prize at end of season. Individual, pairs and team tournaments. Billiards - three divisions also.
See www.byfleetleague.co.uk.
Always looking for ways to improve our league also.
Good luck.

[jonplayer]

The league I'm in at the moment is 3 man team two frames each. I like this format as you have more of a chance to get going than in the standard one frame format.

[Welshsteve]

Our league format is:

* Teams of seven players, one frame each.
* 1 league point per frame won.
* 1 point deducted for each player short a team is.

So we don't have draws.

Our league website is in my signature (I run the website).

Same format for our league cups, but obviously if a match goes 4-0 its all over. Team handicaps are used in the cups. We have a formula for calculating that seems to work on the whole.

We also have individual competitions.

Singles: Best of 3 up to Last 16. QFs best of 5, SFs best of 7 and Final best of 9.

Under 35s: Best of 3 up to QFs. Semis and Final best of 5.

Over 50s: Best of 3 all the way

Three Man: teams of three players. Random draws for each team twice. Decider draw if it goes 3-3

Pairs: best of 3, Semis and Final best of 5.

We also have a 6 reds tournament this season. Best of 5, SFs best of 7, Final best of 9.

I have toyed with the idea of introducing bonus points for winning in league matches as well. A team once went the whole season undefeated but didn't win the league cos they had too many 4-3 wins and weren't racking up the points.

[stephen povey]

Flying handicap

This is a fun touranment for ALL
1. 1red and the colours red put in front of pink
2. all games 1o mins only. start all together using a timer only rules when bell goes games are over EXCEPT if a ball is in motion, it counts as a scoring ball.
3. Handicaps 0-10 only.
charge a couple of pounds to enter winner and r/up win cash only!

TRY IT , its good fun say on a saturday night when clubs get quiet. I first came across this comp in the Spalding Constituional Club in the 70's it really is good fun for all snooker players, usually some old farmer who could hardly hold a cue would win !!!!
Cheers Steve.

[Cossie]

Manchester Snooker League

Hi, we play 5 man teams, one frame each and one point per frame plus an extra 2 points for the aggregate score so each frame is played out. We have handicaps ranging from -60 to + 30 this changes by +/- 2 points after every week, in addition every match has individual player rankings. Results are input onto our website and it automatically calculates all league points, handicaps and ranking points.

There are two divisions, 6 individual competitions and doubles and 3 man teams. There are also fun nights such as speed snooker nights and exhibitions.

Visit our site at www.manchester-snooker-league.com for more info.

Rob

[toppotter1967]

Taunton And District Snooker League 3 Man Team

Hi
3 Players per team 2 frames each no handicaps home team play A B C A B C away team play A A B B C C 2 consecutive frames. Website www.tauntonanddistrictsnookerleague.co.uk.

:snooker:

I would be interested in how other leagues workout their handicaps.

[JazzyJust]

Sevenoaks and District Snooker League

We have one division at the moment. Teams are made up of 3 players no handicaps, playing 1 frame per player per night and a point is award for every frame won.

We have 2 Singles competitions which runs throughout the season, 1 is for player outside the top 8 on the end of season averages and 1 is for the whole league to play if they wish to. The league also has a Doubles competition and a Team Handicap which is also run throughout the season, plus we have a Singles Handicap which is a one day event.

We give trophies for the winners and runners up in all the events, as well as highest break and top average for the season.

[pottingpinks]

We're in a rural area and have suffered alot of teams dropping out over the last few seasons.

I think the main factor for this is that where we once had three divisions, we now only have enough teams for one which means the novices are thrown in at the deep end against the ex pros etc.

There is a handicap for a select few players but they give the same start to both reasonable or novice players so unless we can get more teams (and hence separate divisions for separate abilities) it seems that needs tweaking perhaps to an individual handicap for everyone.

We have been playing 5 man teams 1 frame each with no aggregate though there did used to be 2pts for the aggregate when I first started playing - this was dropped when matches were taking too long a time to finish (as there are obviously not many concessions where every point is vital however far behind a player is).

It seems we will most likely be dropping to 3 or 4 players a team next season though as we are down to the bare bones as regards numbers.

There are a number of options, most likely is that it will go to 3 players I should think to try and double the number of teams.

Then it will either be 2 frames each player (though some have expressed reservations about the time this would take - 1 option I have thought of is each player to play 1 x 15 reds and 1 x 6 reds).

The other possibility is based on a knockout competition we have where there are 3 singles matches and the highest scoring players from each team play a doubles match to finish (though this leaves an odd man out so I would prefer that you have a nominated player playing 2 frames (again 1 could be 6 reds) and the others 1 singles and 1 pairs.

Also if there were less teams in separate divisions, there could maybe be time at the end of the season for a play-off for the top four teams to keep interest if one or two would otherwise be running away with it, but obviously these are just some of my thoughts to spice it up!

[pottingpinks]

I'd be interested to know what the general starting and finishing times are for your league matches.

Ours start at 7.30pm and usually finish between 10 and 10.30pm we find, though when I used to play in may I say it a higher standard league the matches used to be often over by 9.30pm (both 5 frame formats).

There is the argument that if playing two frames each you will get through the second frame quicker as you will have your eye in by then.

[KelvinJones]

Our league matches start at 7.45pm. Premier Division is 3 players x 2 frames each. Divisions One and Two are 4 players x 1 frame each. The matches finish before normal club closing times. The two frame format definitely encourages more open frames. It is amazing how often a player who hardly pots a ball in the opening frame then turns it around in the second. The standard of our league has improved markedly since we changed to the 2 frame format and less teams have been forced to drop out due to lack of numbers. The main worry is for the financial state of Social and Working Mens Clubs which are the backbone of many leagues. Several in our area are on the brink of closure. Fingers crossed that they survive in these difficult times.

[bongo]

Billiards

1 division of 8 teams, could be less this season unfortunately

1st half of season: Two games of 200 Up, 2 players from each team for the two games. Scores reset and balls reset before each game. Then a doubles game, one player plays against a player from the other team and plays up to 100 points, then next two players (one from each team) plays to 200 (balls are left where they are and points are carried on from first part of doubles. So a 3 game match.

2nd half of season:

Progressive format, 600 Up match, two players play until one reaches 200, next two players play until one reaches 400, next two players play until one reaches 500, next two players play until one reaches 600. Balls are not disturbed during the match and scores continue right through. A league point is awarded for every 25 points scored during the match.

Both formats can be for a team with 2, 3 or 4 players.

Handicaps used throughout the season. In 1st half of season handicap goes down 5 for a win and up 5 for a loss. Handicaps do not change in 2nd half. Handicaps from -230 to +120.

Snooker:

4 divisions, 8 teams in each. 6 frames per match, three players play from each team per match (two frames per player for a match), no handicaps. Each team plays each other team in division twice (once home and once away).