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West Michigan BCAPL Bylaws
What is a Bylaw?
Bylaws are rules that are specific to the local League and do not apply to the BCA Pool League standard set of rules.Why are there Bylaws?
Every BCAPL league operator has the discretion to implement bylaws as they see fit to enhance the league experience.Do these rules apply elsewhere?
The answer to this is generally “no”. These rules were implemented at the local level by the league operator. Other leagues “may” have similar rules in place, but that is at their discretion. The rule set used at the tournaments will be based on the national rules. Players are responsible with familiarizing them selves with these rules prior to playing in a sanctioned tournament.Team Captain and Player Responsibilities
Match Dues
Each match played requires payment of a certain amount – set by the league operator.- Each Team Captain is responsible for making sure that their players pay their weekly dues.
- Should a member of the team fail to pay their weekly dues, either in cash/check, or online within 7 days of the played match, the team captain is responsible for these fees.
- Failure to remit the full amount due within 14 days of the played match will result in forfeiture of points for the match that is not paid in full.
- Inability to field a full team does not excuse the team from remittance of all dues for that night/formats matches. If a team utilizes a playback, schedules a make-up, or forfeits a match, that team is still responsible for those match dues.
Sanctioning Fees
BCAPL Annual Sanctioning Dues match the calendar year (January 1st – December 31st) and are currently $20 per year.- Players are responsible for remitting their sanctioning fee on the same night that they play their first match in a calendar year.
- In the event a player fails to pay their annual dues, it is the responsibility of the Team Captain to correct this by either reminding the player to correct this, or to remit the payment themselves.
- Failure to remit the full amount due within 14 days of the first played match will result in forfeiture of points for any matches that have been played.
- Players will also be suspended from the league, and will only be able to return once their sanctioning fee has been paid.
- Forfeited points will not be returned, even after remittance of the sanctioning fee.
Fielding a Team
- Team Captains need to ensure that they have an adequate number of players to play all matches for the evening.
- In the event that the Team is unable to field enough players to play all matches, the Team Captain is responsible for coordinating with the Team Captain of the opposing team to identify the need for utilizing a playback, scheduling a make-up match or matches, or forfeiting a match or matches entirely.
- Failure to notify the opposing Team Captain BEFORE the night starts that you will need an accommodation will result in a forfeiture of any match that is unable to be played. (See Below for more information)
Playbacks
When a team is short a player to complete their roster for the evening (IE: Team A has 4 players present, but there are 5 matches to compete in), they may opt to utilize a player that has already played a match for the evening, to play the final match.- Teams may utilize ONLY 1 PLAYBACK per format for each night.
- Teams may NOT utilize a playback in the last 2 weeks of a session.
- Teams who cannot field enough players in the last 2 weeks of a session will forfeit those matches.
- Choosing a player for a Playback
- When only 1 team needs to field a player for a playback, the opposing team captain will be permitted to choose the player that will play the playback match.
- In the event that both teams need to utilize a playback for the same night, each team may choose the player from their team that they wish to field for the playback match.
- When a playback is required in both formats in double play leagues, the same player may NOT play the playback in both formats. It MUST be a different player for each format.
- If the team starts the night with enough players, but cannot finish the night with enough, it is at the sole discretion of the opposing team captain whether they wish to allow a playback, schedule a make-up, or take a forfeit win for that match.
Make-Up Matches
- In the event that a team is unable to field enough players, and ONLY if the opposing team is agreeable, the teams may schedule a day/time to Make-Up those matches.
- In the interest of sportsmanship, teams are asked to be accommodating (within reason) to teams that are unable to field a full roster, but it is at their discretion whether or not they wish to do so.
- Make-up Matches MUST be completed no later than 14 days after the date the match was supposed to take place, and must take place no later than 2 weeks before the end of the session. This means no Make-Ups for the last 2 weeks, and if it is the 3rd week before the end of the session, you only have 6 days to complete your Make-Ups.
- The team that has enough players present MUST identify the players that will play the Make-Up matches by writing their names on the scoresheet, and MUST make payment for those matches with the nights envelope. Should the matches later turn into forfeits from the team that could not field players, this will complete the paperwork for that night.
- Any Make-Up match that is not completed by the 14 day mark, or is not completed prior to the 2 week blackout for the end of the session, will automatically become forfeits for the team that could not field the players.
Substitutes/Alternates
What is a Substitute or Alternate Player?A substitute player is one that plays games/matches for a team, but is not part of their permanent roster.
An Alternate Player is one that is part of the permanent roster, but takes over mid-match for a different player. (Only applicable in Rotation Format)
Player Exceptions- Players from Opposing Team – You may not use a player that is part of the core roster of the team you are scheduled to play against that evening.
- Players with no Fargo Rating – You may not use a player that just walks in off the street and has no established Fargo Rating as a sub. You may add them to your roster as full time players and get them established, but you must clear this with the league operator first.
- Players Who Are Not Sanctioned – You may not use a player that is not a sanctioned player, UNLESS they pay their sanctioning fee on the West Michigan BCAPL website PRIOR to their match.
- Suspended or Banned Players – You may not use a player that has been suspended or banned from the league.
- End of Session – Substitue players may not be utilized in the final 2 weeks of a session.
Score/Handicap Manipulation
- Sandbagging – Intentionally losing a game or match, either to maintain a lower handicap, boost an opponent handicap, or gift points to an opponent.
- Manipulating/Omitting Match Data – Incorrectly recording wins/losses or recording a match against an incorrect opponent (IE: Player A played Bob Smith, but didn’t want Bob’s handicap to go down, so during the recording of the scores, identified that the match actually took place against John Doe).
- Delaying Data Entry – Purposely delaying the entry of match data to maintain a skill level or point level, most commonly used to keep a handicap lower.
- Forfeiture of points, ranging from the affected match – up to all points for a session.
- Suspension of the players membership to West Michigan BCA Pool League for a time period determined by the league operator.
- This suspension could be either temporary or permanent, and will be decided based on the severity of the offense.
- Suspension of the players membership to the national BCA Pool Leagues domestically, internationally, or both
- This suspension could be either temporary or permanent, and will be decided based on the severity of the offense.