When is the next session starting?
Sessions that have been scheduled with
specific dates are listed on the Sessions
page. Most past sessions will run
again on similar schedule as the last league
year. When their dates are scheduled,
they will be listed on the Sessions page.
The league newsletter announcing the start
of league sessions will be sent out four
weeks before, and again two weeks before a
session starts. If you would like to
receive the newsletter, you can subscribe to
it on
the About page.
How do I sign up to play league?
You can signup by sending an email or
calling the league operator as soon as you
decide to play. This is the best
method to ensure your team has a spot in the
session. The league operators contact
information is on the About page.
You may also signup at the signup meeting
/ warm
up tournament for the session. The
signup meetings are normally the first date
of the session.
I don't have a team. How
can I find a team that needs a player?
Look in the league forum. There may
be a post from a team that needs a player.
You can then directly email the team that posted
the message. You can also post a
message in the league forum stating
that you are looking for a team.
You can also come to the signup meeting.
There are usually players looking for teams
and teams looking for players at the last
minute.
Sometimes a player drops out of a session
and the team needs a replacement.
Email or call the league operator to let
them know you would like to get on a team if
a spot opens up. If
one does, the league operator will then
call you.
Players must play eight full matches over at least eight calendar weeks. A
full match is the number of games a player plays if they play every round in
the nights match. In a NPL
Handicapped session, a full match would be
one race.
What are the dates for the
________ tournament?
The dates for the next regional
tournament are listed on the Tournaments
page. Additional detail can be found
on the Western BCA web site.
The dates for the next national
tournament are listed on the Tournaments
page. Additional detail can be found
on the BCA Pool League web site.
When will tournament entry forms
be available, and where can I get one?
Entry forms for the regional tournaments
are generally available four to five weeks
before the event. They will be
available from the league operator.
You will also be able to download them from
this site and from the Western BCA web site.
The entry forms for the BCA Pool League 8
Ball Championships should be available in
mid to late January. They will be
available from the league operator, and for download from this
site as well as the BCA Pool League web
site.
How does the NPL Handicap System
work?
The NPL Handicap system was developed by
Bob Jewett and is used by several leagues
and tournaments nationwide. A
detailed description of the system is
available.
Each player has a
rating. Beginners will have ratings around
20, while professional players will have
ratings around 100 or higher. Players are
handicapped by setting the race so that the
better player must win more games than their
opponent, in order to win the match. The
size of the handicap is determined by the
difference between the ratings of the
players. Using the table below as an
example, if a player rated at 55 played
someone rated at 25, the difference would be
30 rating points and the match length would
be 4 games to 2. Other tables may be used
to increase or decrease the match length.
A player’s initial
rating is based on their known abilities,
and / or a recommendation by their peers.
The ratings are then adjusted after each
match. For each match a player wins or
loses, his rating goes up or down one
point. New player ratings are adjusted
faster than that, moving three rating points
per match for their first ten matches and
then two for the next twenty matches.
If the better player is
giving up half or more of the match, the
player has the option to break the first
rack; otherwise the players lag for first
break. In the example table below, if the
difference between the ratings were 30 or
more, then the stronger players would have
the option to break. Players will alternate
breaks in the remaining games of the match.
|
Rating |
Match |
|
Rating |
Match |
|
Difference |
Games |
|
Difference |
Games |
|
0 - 6 |
4 – 4 |
|
30 - 39 |
4 - 2 |
|
7 - 18 |
4 – 3 |
|
40 - 48 |
5 - 2 |
|
19 – 29 |
5 – 3 |
|
49 - Up |
6 – 2 |
|
