Tournament terms and conditions

General

1. All teams must abide and agree to the ‘Team Entry Criteria’, ‘Tournament Format’ and ‘Conditions of Pool 2024’, as set out within the website and team application form.
2. The game shall be played to Blackball Rules.
3. The Organisers reserve the right to change tournament format and prize fund at any time, the Organisers decision is final. Only complaints submitted to the Organisers in writing will be considered.
4. All players must be properly registered and be able to prove their permanent residential address.
5. Team names must incorporate the name of the pub or club they represent. Names deemed rude or offensive will not be allowed.
6. The organisers reserve the right to take whatever action is necessary to ensure fair play and smooth running of the tournament. More than one table may be used for any match in team events. Groups may be re-organised and number of frames per match may be varied if considered necessary. The Time Foul Rule of 60 or 30 seconds per shot will be enforced at the Organisers discretion if game play is considered slow and hindering the tournaments progress. 9 ball or 5 ball racks may be used in extreme circumstances of slow play or a match concluded to an early result.
7. Registered players agree to their name appearing on the BAPTO website. Registered players and spectators agree to their picture being taken at the event and used in future publicity, uploaded to Facebook or added to the BAPTO website. Pictures of players may also be used on future printed materials.
8. Registered players agree to being filmed for the purposes of streaming matches live on the internet. Streamed matches will be archived and made available for future viewing.
9. All prizes over £100 will be paid by cheque.
10. Prizes will not be paid until 11am on Sunday.

Playing in the spirit of the game

1. Players or teams who do not play within the spirit of the game, behave in an unsportsmanlike way, act aggressively, spoil the enjoyment of others or bring the tournament into disrepute, risk being banned from future events and ejected from the hotel. We will not tolerate this type of behaviour at our tournaments and we will take the appropriate action after an event to deal with offenders. Repeat or serious offenders will receive life bans.
2. Any Player or Team whose supporters misbehave is liable to be disqualified.
3. A player may ask a referee to clarify any rule prior to taking a shot. Disputing a referee’s/organiser’s decision is considered unsporting behaviour.
4. Any team or players found cheating may forfeit any prize monies and risk being banned from future events.

Dress code

1. All players in the playing arena must be smartly dressed in keeping with the status of the Grand Finals. No denim, trainers, tracksuits or any scruffy attire will be permitted – players unsuitably dressed will not be allowed to play. Players must be wearing trousers, shoes and shirts with collars. Polo shirts are acceptable.
2. There is NO dress code on Thursday.

Norbreck Hotel rules

1. All present are bound by the conditions of the Norbreck Castle Hotel venue. Persons misbehaving in any way may be ejected from the venue with no refund given.
2. Only alcohol purchased at the hotel bar may be consumed in the arena.
3. It is a criminal offence to set off a false fire alarm, or move / play with firefighting equipment within the hotel. Any player or guest caught doing this will be reported to the police and ejected from the hotel and their team removed from the tournament. They will be liable to prosecution and banned from all future BAPTO and Golden 8 Ball events.

Entry fees & refunds

1. All players and spectators must have a tournament wristband to gain access to the event – these are £60 for players and £20 for spectators and provided FREE to those who book the ‘Norbreck Hotel Pool Accommodation Package’. Players and guests that are staying at the Norbreck but do not book the official ‘Norbreck Pool Accommodation Package’, must purchase a wristband to gain access to event.
2. Wristbands are non-refundable.
3. Team entry fee is £100.
4. Men’s and Ladies Singles entry fee is £20 per player– enter at event.
5. Mixed Doubles entry fee is £25 per pair – enter at event. Players can pair with any other player.
6. Entry fees are non-refundable unless event is cancelled, in which case all entry fees will be returned via method paid.
7. Team’s must be approved by the Tournament Committee. Teams that are rejected by the Committee may be given the reasons why and opportunity to reapply.
8. Team’s pay their entry fee during the registration process via the website. If a team is rejected they will be refunded.
9. A team’s place is not secured until full payment of £100 has been received by BAPTO.

Norbreck Hotel – Pool Package Accommodation

1. All players and guests who book the ‘Norbreck Hotel Pool Accommodation Package’ will receive free tournament wristbands.
2. If players are wanting to book the Norbreck pool package, we recommend they book their accommodation at least 4 months prior to the event, to secure their rooms.
3. The Organisers cannot be held responsible for players that fail to book the Norbreck Pool Package or can’t get a room at the hotel. Rooms are limited so get in early! If rooms have sold out, players must stay in alternative accommodation and purchase a wristband to gain entry to the event.
4. Single room are limited, if you want a twin room with sole occupancy there is a £20 per night supplement. Players that share a twin or family room will get the best room rate.
5. If players stay at the Norbreck but fail to book the Norbreck pool package, they must either purchase a wristband to gain access to the event or transfer their booking with the hotel to the pool package at the correct room rate.
6. Warning – players that try booking rooms at the Norbreck through third party websites like booking.com, risk being transferred to a sister hotel. These sites can show availability, when in fact the hotel is full. You will not be on the pool package code and will have to purchase a wristband separately.
7. Norbreck room deposits are £30 per player, with balance due 28 days prior to arrival. Hotel accommodation deposits are non-refundable, even if the event is cancelled.
8. Teams should only book their accommodation after their team has been accepted by the Tournament Committee. No refunds will be given to rejected teams.
9. Accommodation should be booked through the booking form, which is emailed when the team is accepted. This goes direct to the hotel, who will then call you for a deposit.
10. Teams that pay for their accommodation in full before the event, will get express check-in and save much time queuing.

Evening Meals

1. Players staying Half Board at the Norbreck are responsible for booking their own evening mealtimes at hotel reception. You can book a time in advance or turn-up and wait to be seated.
2. Tournament is scheduled so all teams get an evening meal break, although sometimes disruptions to the schedule can occur and these breaks may not be possible. In these circumstances, the Team Captain is responsible for sending their players to the restaurant in rotation, so that play is not disrupted. If players prefer not to leave their team during a match, then their meal will be forfeited.
3. Teams that are late for a scheduled match due to breaking for their meal, will be docked frames, as per the rules.
4. The Organisers are not responsible for players that fail to get their meal and no refunds will be given.

Event Cancellation

1. In the unlikely occurrence that the tournament is cancelled, for any reason, the Organisers are not liable for any accommodation deposits paid to hotels by players, spectators and their guests.
2. If the event is cancelled, only team entry fees and team entry deposits will be refunded via cheque.

Team Check-In

1. Teams can arrive Friday morning between 8am and 8:30am but must make organisers aware of their plans and contact Rob Pearce or Sharon Griffiths on Thursday evening to confirm their team is definitely coming, so they are not removed from the draw.
2. Teams that fail to check-in or contact the Tournament Organisers on Thursday will be removed from the tournament draw and considered a ‘No Show’ team.
3. ‘No Show’ teams that fail to inform the Organisers that they are not coming will be banned from entering the following year. If you know your team is not going to attend, please inform us ASAP as your team has been entered into the draw and other teams are expecting to play you.