8 Ball Scoring and Handicapping

Summary

All Games are scored on a Point System and each Player develops a Points Average throughout the League Schedule.

These Player Points Averages are used to determine a 'Team Handicap in Points'.

In rotating Match Formats, there are multiple 'Rounds' played.

The Points that a Team scores in each 'Round' plus any Team Handicap Points they get, will determine which Team wins the 'Round Point'.

The number of 'Round Points' won in each Match will determine the success of the Team.

1. Scoring - 10 Point System
The first and still most commonly used system.

* In a Game, each Player gets 1 Point for each of his/her group of balls (solids or stripes) plus 3 points if they legally pocket the 8-ball.
* The winner will always get 10 Points.
* The loser will get 1 Point for each of his/her group of balls (solids or stripes) not on the table at the end of the game to a maximum of 7 points.

2. Scoring - 17 Point System
Gaining in popularity, this approach is seen as resulting in truer Player Points Averages and thus truer Team Handicaps that gives teams a better chance of succeeding.

* In a Game, the Point Total for the loser and the winner must always add up to 17.
* The loser will get 1 Point for each of his/her group of balls (solids or stripes) not on the table at the end of the game to a maximum of 7 points.
* The winner will get the difference between 17 and the loser's Point Total.

3. Player Averages

* A Player's Average is determined by dividing their total Points scored to date by the number of Games they've played to date and then showing the result to the nearest tenth.
* Please note that all games (including any points) that the player received an N Stat (No Shot) will be excluded in the calculation.

4. Match Formats

* The most common Formats are:

(4) Players play a 1 Game in each of 4 Rounds for a total of 16 Games.
(5) Players play a 1 Game in each of 4 Rounds for a total of 20 Games.
(5) Players play a 1 Game in each of 5 Rounds for a total of 25 Games.

5. Score Sheet

5.1 Your Starting Roster

* The Score Sheet (example #1) accommodates all of the above Match Formats.
* The Home Team fills out their Roster first by entering (4) or (5) Player names depending on the Match Format your League or Division is using.
* Spares may be listed at any time prior to  the Round they are being 'substituted' into the Match.
* Players may be listed in any order regardless of their Player Averages.
* Should a Team be short a Player(s), "forfeit" is entered on the starting Roster.

5.2 Match Rounds

* A set of one Game each played by a Team's Match Roster is considered to be one Match Round.

5.3 Handicapping

5.3.1 Team Handicap
* At the start of every Match Round, the Player’s Averages (to the nearest tenth) of each Team are entered in the "AVE." column beside their Roster Order Number.
* The Player Averages are then totaled.
* The difference (to the nearest tenth) is then rounded to the nearest whole number and is given to the Team with the lower total as a Team Handicap.
* This Team Handicap is to be entered in the Points Column in the box beside "HANDICAP".

5.3.2 Team Handicap - PPL League Policy - Maximum
* There is a maximum Team Handicap that is to be given in any one Round:

4 Player/16 Game Format - maximum 12 Points for both the 10 point and 17 point scoring systems.
5 Player/25 Game Format - maximum 15 Points for both the 10 point and 17 point scoring systems.

* By PPL League Policy, this Team Handicap is set at the true maximum for which the formula is 3 points times the number of games in a round.
* 3 points is the difference in a game scored 10 - 7 under both the 10 point and 17 point scoring system.
* This means that if a team lost every game by that score, the handicap could not take the Round Point from the winning team.


5.3.3 Player Averages - PPL League Policy - 17 Point Scoring System

First Time Players for a Team
* Player has no Ranking - use 10.0
* Player has a Ranking - use 5.0 for C, 8.0 for B, 10.0 for A, 12.0 for AA

Regular and Spare Players
* Player Average is below the Rank minimum - use 5.0 for C, 8.0 for B, 10.0 for A, 12.0 for AA
* Player Average is above the Rank minimum - use that Average.

Missing A Player
* Phantom 'Team Spare' - use 12.0

5.4 Substitutions

* They are permitted providing they are made at the start of each Round and providing that it will not result in the same two Players playing each other a second time.
* In the Round that they're subbing in, the substitute's Average is entered and used to compute the new Team Average Total to determine the new Team Handicap for that Match Round.
* Players listed as subs in spots #6, and #7 may change Roster positions in successive Rounds.
* Players listed as Starters in Spots #1, to #5 when subbed out must return to their original Roster Position when subbed back in.

5.5 Order of Play and the Break Shot

* The Home Team never changes their order of play.
* The  Visitor Team’s order of play does vary each Match Round as shown and according to the Match Format being used.
* The  Home Team breaks the first and third rounds and, in the fifth round, the breaks alternate as indicated with the extra break going to the Home Team.

5.6 Scorekeeping

5.6.1 Game Scoring
* All Games are scored on either the 10 Point System or the 17 Point System.
* This includes forfeited Games which are scored either 10 - 0 or 17 - 0 respectively.

5.6.2 Match Scoring
* After a Match Round has been completed, the Points won by the Players for each Team are totaled along with the Team Handicap.
* The Team with the higher total receives a Team Point for that Round.
* This is indicated by circling the "W" beside their Point Total.
* After all the Match Rounds have been played (either 4 or 5 depending on the Match Format your Division is using), the "Points Total for each Round" are added together to arrive at Total Overall Points for all the Rounds played.
* The Team with the higher overall total receives another Team Point for the OVERALL which is also indicated by circling the "W" beside their Point Total.
* In summary, each Match is played for one Team Point for each Match Round played plus one Team Point for the OVERALL.

5.6.3 Tiebreakers
* In all Match Formats, the tiebreaker in 'League Play' to award the Round Point and for playoff seeding is Games Won.
* The tiebreaker if still tied in 'League Play' is the winning of an extra Game played by one Player selected by each Team from amongst those who played in that Match.
* The tiebreaker in all 'Playoffs' is the re-playing of the first Round by the same Players. Flip for 1st break, then alternate.

5.6.3 Forfeits
* In the case of a "Team Forfeit", all Players on the opposing Team will receive zero as the Points scored for all Games.
* PPL League Policy is that Teams taking a "forfeit" have the option of taking all, half or none of the Team Round Points for the Match.

5.6.4 Special Feats
* Provision is made for the recording of Special Feats such as E = ERO, F= First Approach, Z= Ten Zip and N=No Shot After the Break.
* Be sure when you sign off the Score Sheet that the other Team has recorded the Special Feats of your Team as well.

5.6.5 Sportsmanship
* After the Score Sheet has been signed off, be sure to rate the other Team on their Sportsmanship.
* The best is 10 and the worst is 0.
* It's one of the ways your League monitors what's happening throughout the league schedule. Some leagues award a special prize.

5.6.6 Phantom 'Team Spare' - PPL League Policy
* Every team will have a player added to their Team Roster called 'Team Spare'.
* When a team is short one player for a Match, the players who are there are permitted to play the games of the missing player.
* Each player would play one additional game and one player would play an additional two games.
* The player with the lowest average must play the extra additional game.
* For the purpose of computing the Team Handicap for the Round, an average of 12.0 is to be used.
* Any special feats scored by a player playing as a Team Spare will not count for the POY Report or for Runout $.