CONSTITUTION
January 2025
- Committees
- Membership
- Benefits
- Rules
- General Meetings
- Annual General Meetings
- Extra-Ordinary General Meetings
- Finance
- General Rules (Playing)
- County Venue Tender Process
The organisation shall be called "Cheshire Pool Association" (CPA). It shall affiliate itself with the English Pool Association (EPA) and agree to be bound by the terms laid out in this Constitution. The CPA is formed to promote and administer the game of pool among all playing members throughout the Cheshire area and to support the EPA. It shall also organise an Interleague competition, with the winners representing the CPA at the National Finals.
1. COMMITTEES
1.1. The CPA shall elect committees to manage all business related to the association.
1.2. The General Committee shall consist of ten (10) officers:
- Chairperson
- Vice Chairperson
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- ID Secretary
- Interleague Secretary
- Competition Secretary
- Youth Team Manager
- Media Officer
- County Collator
1.3. The Executive Committee of the CPA will consist of four officers:
- Chairperson
- Secretary
- Interleague Secretary
- Treasurer
1.4. All officers of the Executive Committee shall hold office for a period of two years. Retiring officers shall be eligible to stand for re-election.
1.5. The Executive Committee shall appoint any member to fill any vacancy that may occur prior to the AGM.
1.6. The General Committee shall have full authority to make any decisions it considers necessary or beneficial to its members.
1.7. Upon receiving a request from at least two-thirds of the members of the General Committee, the Secretary shall be empowered to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).
1.8. The Executive Committee shall have the power to elect sub-committees for specific purposes.
1.9. Committee Roles
Chairperson
The Chairperson shall be the chief officer of the CPA, presiding over all meetings and enforcing all rules and regulations. They shall perform duties as necessary, be accountable to the General Committee, and verify the accounts with the Treasurer.
Vice Chairperson
In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall assume their duties. Additionally, the Vice Chairperson shall assist any officer on the General Committee as needed.
Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for the proper running and organisation of the CPA. They shall ensure all meetings are minuted and issue copies to all officers, General Committee members, and Member League Secretaries. The Secretary will conduct all correspondence, notify officers and committee members of meeting dates and venues, and act on behalf of the CPA in the best interest of the game. They will take instructions only from the elected officers.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall manage the disbursement of funds on behalf of the CPA, keep accurate records of all income and expenditure, collect dues for membership from leagues wishing to join the CPA, and collect sponsorship monies. They shall open and maintain CPA bank accounts, sign all cheques (countersigned by one other General Committee member), and submit a statement of accounts at the Annual General Meeting.
ID Secretary
The ID Secretary shall be responsible for registering all affiliated players to the EPA database, collating membership forms, and distributing EPA membership cards.
Interleague Secretary
The Interleague Secretary shall set dates for interleague fixtures, collate interleague results, publish results, and handle all matters pertaining to the CPA interleague.
Competition Secretary
The Competition Secretary shall organise and manage all CPA competitions, including team trials and annual knockouts.
Youth Team Manager
The Youth Team Manager shall oversee all U18 and U23 squad fixtures, including team selection, travel arrangements, squad shirts, and practice sessions.
Media Officer
The Media Officer shall manage all social media platforms and publish information as considered necessary by the CPA.
County Collator
The County Collator shall create CPA rankings, record fines and points earned or deducted during a session, and collaborate with team captains and squad managers as appropriate.
1.10. The CPA allows multiple positions to be held by the same person, with the following exceptions:
- Chairperson & Vice Chairperson
- Chairperson & Treasurer
- Secretary & Treasurer
When one person holds multiple positions, they will only be eligible to vote once on any decision made at a General Meeting, AGM, or EGM. They do not receive one vote per position held.
1.11. Any General Committee member who misses three scheduled meetings during the year (excluding extenuating circumstances accepted by the majority of the General Committee) will be removed from the Committee.
1.12. The CPA will organise annual trials for admission into the CPA County Squad. The fee for these trials will be set annually by the committee.
2. MEMBERSHIP
2.1 Membership of the CPA is open to all pool leagues that play in Cheshire.
2.2. Membership will be valid for a full 12 months, starting on January 1st and ending on December 31st each year.
2.3 The General Committee reserves the right to refuse membership to any league or individual deemed injurious or harmful to the CPA.
2.4. The affiliation fee for the CPA will be determined at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year and must be paid by a specified date. Failure to comply will result in non-affiliation with the CPA.
2.5. In the absence of an honorarium for any Executive Committee member of the CPA, upon completion of one full year in office, any member of the CPA Executive Committee will have their EPA affiliation refunded. Additionally, if they are a playing member of a County team, they will have their subscription refunded at the end of each season.
3. BENEFITS
3.1. Only fully paid-up members are eligible to enter any closed competitions organized by the CPA.
3.2. All affiliated leagues are entitled to send players to the County Trials with a view to becoming CPA County players.
3.3. All affiliated leagues have the right to submit proposals for discussion by the CPA General Committee at the next scheduled general committee meeting (see 5.5).
a. The CPA must provide a written acknowledgement within 7 days of receiving the proposal, including the date of the next scheduled meeting.
b. The CPA must provide a written response within 7 days of the completion of the general meeting where the proposal was discussed, including the date of the meeting, outcome of the discussion, and any next steps where appropriate.
c. The relevant league may be invited to attend the General Meeting to present their case.
3.4. All affiliated leagues have the right to request the attendance of an Executive Committee member at any of their own general meetings or AGM. Likewise, an Executive Committee member may request to attend meetings of affiliated leagues.
3.5. All affiliated leagues have the right to have a representative present at the AGM.
(See 6.6 for voting rights).
4. RULES
4.1. At least two General Committee members and two Executive Committee members shall constitute a quorum for conducting the business of a CPA General Meeting.
4.2. All leagues shall supply a list of their league officials, along with the number of teams and estimated number of players in the league, to the Secretary upon request.
4.3. All leagues affiliated to the CPA shall agree to abide by the CPA Constitution.
4.4. The Interleague Rules shall be the only set of rules used for Interleague, and they shall be added to the CPA Constitution.
4.5. All players representing the CPA shall abide by the Squad Playing Rules (see section 9.20).
4.6. All players representing CPA shall abide by the CPA Code of Conduct.
4.7 All affiliated leagues to the CPA shall abide by the CPA Code of Conduct.
4.8 The CPA defers to the EPA Drugs Policy (18 – issue 4 – EPA Drugs Policy)
4.9 The CPA defers to the EPA Disciplinary Procedure (19 – issue 3 – Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures).
4.9.1 All players representing the CPA at any EPA event or while wearing a CPA shirt must abide by all CPA rules.
5. GENERAL MEETINGS
5.1. The CPA shall hold scheduled meetings every two months. In the event of an issue requiring an immediate response, an ad hoc meeting will be called by the Chairperson.
a. Meetings can be held virtually or in person at the CPA HQ.
b. Meeting attendees will include:
i. General Committee Members (compulsory)
ii. County Team Captains (optional)
5.2. An agenda shall be produced for each meeting and be issued out by email to each invited attendee not later than 7 days in advance of the meeting. For virtual meetings, the agenda should be set by the Chairperson and distributed by CPA Secretary.
5.3. The CPA General Meeting shall have the authority to make any decision deemed necessary and/or in the best interest of its members, except for constitutional changes (see AGM No. 6.3).
5.4. The CPA General Meeting shall have the right to change any fixtures they deem necessary.
5.5. Any league wishing to add an item to the agenda must notify the County Secretary at least seven days prior to the meeting.
5.6. A copy of the CPA accounts shall be made available for each general meeting.
5.7. Each General Committee member is entitled to one vote per decision at General Meetings, as per 1.10. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
5.8. The County Secretary, or a delegated individual, shall send the minutes of General Meetings to General and Executive Committee members within three weeks of the meeting taking place.
6. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
6.1. The CPA Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall be held as near as possible to the end of the
season but no later than January 20th.
6.2. An agenda shall be produced for the AGM and be issued out by email to each invited attendee not later than 7 days in advance of the meeting. For virtual meetings, the agenda should be set by the Chairperson and distributed by CPA Secretary
6.3. Any alteration to the Constitution can only be made at the AGM or an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) called expressly for that purpose.
6.4. All decisions previously reached and passed at the AGM and General Meetings shall be honoured until they become unworkable or detrimental to the CPA or the good of the game. Decisions passed at a AGM can only be changed at an AGM or EGM.
6.5. All motions for debate must be submitted to the Secretary at least seven days prior to the AGM.
6.6. Votes shall be allocated as follows:
a. Each General Committee member is entitled to one vote per agenda item (except the Chairperson).
b. Each affiliated league is entitled to one vote per agenda item.
c. The Chairperson shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie.
Should squad members or even interleague players get a vote?
6.7. All voting shall be conducted in person by a show of hands, unless a ballot is demanded by delegates or deemed necessary by the Chairperson. Voting by proxy will not be accepted.
a. In the event of a virtual meeting, all voters must be present online to cast their vote at the time the vote is called.
6.8. Any motions for debate that fail to get seconded before the AGM shall not be debated.
7. EXTRA-ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM)
7.1. Upon receipt of a request by at least two-thirds of the members of the General Committee, the Secretary is empowered to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Should squad ambers be able to call an EGM
7.2. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) can be called by the Executive Committee if circumstances are considered exceptional.
7.3. At least seven days' notice shall be given of an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), along with an agenda of the business to be transacted.
7.4 An agenda shall be produced for the EGM and be issued out by email to each invited attendee not later than 7 days in advance of the meeting. For virtual meetings, the agenda should be set by the Chairperson and distributed by CPA Secretary
8. FINANCE
8.1. The Treasurer, together with the Chairperson and Secretary, shall be responsible for the finances of the CPA.
8.2. The CPA Bank Account must recognise three signatories, two of which should be from the Executive Committee.
8.3. The Treasurer shall provide an up-to-date balance at each meeting and produce a balance statement upon request of the General Committee.
8.4. The CPA financial year shall conclude on 31st December each year, and the Treasurer shall provide a balance sheet for the AGM.
8.5. If required, an audit of the accounts up to 31st December shall be completed within three months of the Annual General Meeting.
8.6. All monies held by the CPA - after the deduction of managerial expenses - will be used for the benefit of all the members of the CPA.
8.7. All fines imposed by the CPA must be paid to the Treasurer before the next General Meeting.
8.8. The CPA will endeavor to reimburse all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any representative while conducting business on behalf of the CPA. These reimbursements will require approval at a General Meeting.
9. GENERAL PLAYING RULES
INTERLEAGUE
9.1. Subscriptions to the Interleague shall be £50 per team entered, with no added entry fee for teams entered in the annual Interleague KO Cup.
9.2. Each team member must be EPA registered (£15 per year). A rule was brought in a number of years ago that players didn’t have to pay the epa £15 if they only helped out a team in the second half of the season, we needed to add this here.
9.3. If a team plays an unregistered player in a match, they have seven days to submit the registration paperwork and fees, along with a signed result sheet, to the Interleague Secretary. Failure to do so will result in the loss of those players’ frames, a five-point deduction, and a possible fine.
9.4. All matches are to be played on a Sunday afternoon on the dates set by the Interleague Secretary. Where this can’t be achieved then a date that is mutually agreed by the two captains and Interleague Secretary can be used as an alternative date.
a) All matches to be played by their due date. In the event of a game needing to be re-arranged a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice must be given to the opposing captain and a choice of 3 alternate dates given. The Interleague Secretary is also to be notified in writing at the same time. In the event of the given dates not being suitable the general committee will decide on a date.
b) All re-arranged matches must be complete before the next scheduled Interleague fixture.
c) A Fee of £25 & a loss of 20 points is levied against the team cancelling a match.
d) In the event of a team failing to meet the deadline in 9.4 (a) or failing to comply with 9.4 (b) then the Interleague Secretary will award the match against the team who cancelled the match, their opponents will receive game and win points, equivalent to the average result on the original match date (e.g. if the average result on the day was based upon results of 14-4 and 12-6 then 18pts would be awarded to the winning team – 13pts for the frames won and 5pts for the win).
9.5. All matches will consist of 18 frames (2 sets of 9), with no player allowed to play more than 2 frames. Five points will be awarded for a win, two points for a draw, and one point per frame won.
9.6. Teams should arrive at the Venue approximately15 minutes before the start of the fixture.
9.7. A minimum of seven players must be present from each team to start a match. If during the match a team has no player, a 10-minute allowance will be given before the frame can be claimed. Further frames can be claimed at 10-minute intervals.
Substitutions:
- If the home team has only eight players, a bye will be put in playing position 4.
- If the home team has only seven players, byes will be put in playing positions 4 and 3.
- If the away team has only eight players, a bye will be put in playing position 5.
- If the away team has only seven players, byes will be put in playing positions 5 and 8.
9.8. Home teams are to time keep and away teams to referee.
9.9. The first frame break-off will be decided by the lag, and all subsequent breaks shall alternate.
9.10. Fines and penalties will be imposed for offenders as the general committee sees fit.
9.11. Any correspondence or complaints should be sent to both the CPA Secretary and the Interleague Secretary.
9.12. All matches are to be played to the EPA’s chosen rule set.
9.13. Any team failing to play three consecutive matches or failing to complete the season shall be struck from the league with no refund of fees. All results for the team shall be null and void.
a. Any player registered through a removed interleague team will remain registered with the EPA for the remainder of the subscribed year.
9.14. Any team disqualified from the league will be barred from re-entering the CPA for a period of 12 months. Individual players from that team may play for a different team in subsequent seasons, provided they pay 25% of any outstanding fees from their previous team or a £10 fee, whichever is greater.
9.15. The top-ranked male and female player in the Interleague merits, in terms of games won, will be offered a place in the following season’s County squad.
a. This will only apply to a player who isn’t already retained for the following season in the County squad.
b. If the place is declined, it can be offered to the next highest-ranked interleague-playing, non-county-playing player in the top ten of the merits.
i. The place must be passed on subsequently from 1 to 10 inclusive until it is accepted, or no further players remain.
9.16. The Interleague KO event shall be shared, where practicable and given sufficient tables, around the competing leagues on a rotating annual basis. A set contribution of £150 in sponsorship from the league/venue hosting that year's event is agreed upon.
COUNTY
9.17 At the start of each County season, the county teams will be chosen from the CPA squad of retained players and newly qualified trialists. Players can only play for one squad where matches are played at the same time with the following exceptions.
a) If a squad is short on the day any qualifying player can be asked to fill empty places to prevent teams from giving frames away.
9.18. The following retention and minimum squad size per section shall apply:
a. Men: Top 18 retained, minimum squad of 26.
b. Ladies: Top 9 retained, minimum squad of 14.
c. Seniors: Top 9 retained, minimum squad of 14.
d. Masters: Top 3 retained, minimum squad of 5.
e. U23s & Youth: Decided by the Squad Manager.
9.19. The CPA Rankings are created from the EPA ranking points taken from the EPA website.
The CPA reserves the right to deduct points as follows:
a. Late notification (within 48 hours of a fixture) of non-attendance to a county fixture – 4 points.
b. No show at a county fixture after having responded that you would be in attendance – 12 points.
Any point deductions will also result in a warning being issued to the player (See squad rules warnings for full details).
Dispensation can be given by a vote of the general committee on a case-by-case basis (two-thirds majority).
9.20. The following squad rules will apply to all County Squad Players.
Confirmation of Attendance:
i. Managers/Captains will contact each player at least a week before the county fixture.
ii. Players must respond no later than Wednesday midday before the county fixture with an attendance or non-attendance decision.
1. No response will result in a warning being issued and recorded against the player, non-selection for the county fixture, and a 4-point CPA ranking point deduction.
2. Late notification (within 48 hours of the fixture) of non-attendance to a county fixture will result in a warning and a deduction of 4 CPA ranking point.
3. Players who are unable to confirm their availability must realise that efforts will be made to draft in replacements, and if they subsequently turn up at the county game, they might not make the starting lineup.
4. No show at a county fixture after having responded with confirmation of attendance will result in a warning being issued and recorded against the player, as well as a deduction of 12 CPA ranking points.
Missed Games:
i. Missing two consecutive games during a season – return to retrial at the end of the season.
ii. Missing three games during a season – return to retrial at the end of the season.
iii. Missing four games during a season – removed from the squad and banned from retrialing for one year.
Owed Monies:
i. Any player owing money to the CPA will not be eligible for team selection until the money has been repaid.
ii. Any player owing money to any affiliated league will not be eligible for team selection until the money has been repaid.
Dress Code:
County Dress must be worn at all times:
i. Plain black trousers or skirt
ii. Sensible black shoes
iii. County shirt – Players must wear the most current county shirt as directed by the CPA.
1. Dispensation for new players added to the squad after the halfway point.
2. Failure to comply will result in a formal warning being issued by the county and loss of 1 CPA ranking point.
3. Shirts will be provided to new players at a 50% discount of supplier cost.
4. Replacement shirts will be provided at 100% of supplier cost.
5. In the event new shirts are required by the CPA, they will be provided at a 50% discount of supplier cost.
Alcohol:
Excessive alcohol consumption will not be tolerated:
i. If not deemed fit for play due to alcohol by the captain/team manager during a fixture:
1. Player will be substituted and a warning issued and recorded against the player.
2. Second infringement during a season will result in automatic removal down a section (if no lower section, made a reserve for the following game), a final warning issued and a deduction of 5 CPA ranking points.
3. Third warning given – return to retrial.
Non-attendance after trialling or being retained without notice to the captain/team manager will result in the player being banned from retrialling for 1 year.
Resignation from the squad:
i. Any player who leaves the county squad mid-season without due reason acceptable to any of the respective team captains will be ineligible to trial for the following season.
Arrival Times:
i. Players must arrive no later than 12:30 PM on the day of the fixture. Any player arriving later than 12:30 PM without giving prior notification will jeopardise their team selection on the day, will be issued with a warning, and will lose 1 CPA ranking point.
Warnings:
i. First warning issued – formal letter sent and recorded against the player.
ii. Second warning issued – £5 fine, unable to play until it is paid.
iii. Third warning issued – return to retrial.
iv. Fourth warning issued – ban from County selection for a year.
Right of Appeal:
i. A player affected by any squad rule may appeal a decision made by the CPA in writing, no later than seven working days after confirmation is received of the decision. The response from the CPA to any appeal must also be communicated to the participating player within seven days in writing. Dispensation regarding these rules can be given by a vote of the General Committee on a case-by-case basis (two-thirds majority).
9.21. A wildcard place into the County playing squad (up to a maximum of three per season) will only be granted if the player has played within the previous season and receives a majority of general committee votes (i.e., two-thirds of the general committee). This ruling also applies separately to the Ladies, Senior, and Junior teams as well.
9.22. Each team member must be EPA registered (£15 per year) and pay a £15 subscription fee before the start of the season (£30 in total). Each affiliated player will be allocated Region Two Raffle tickets which can be sold to subsidise the registration fee.
9.23 The CPA shall be responsible for ensuring a suitable captain is picked for each team every year.
a. Team captains will be decided by a two-thirds vote of the General Committee.
b. Should any issue arise with a captain during a season, the CPA reserves the right to appoint a new captain if issues cannot be resolved.
c. Team captains will be allowed to select a vice-captain to deputise for them in their absence.
d. Team captains (except U18s) will be invited to attend all General Committee meetings (see section 5.7 for voting rights).
10. TENDER PROCESS
10.1 The CPA will put out to tender (via a Tender Process Sub-Committee) the right to host the CPA and become the CPA HQ for a 2-year period, to all pool venues within Cheshire.
a. Venues must have been trading for a minimum of 12 months.
i. One year’s trading accounts may be required by the General Committee to ensure viability.
b. The invitation will be sent no later than three months before the end of the current contract with the incumbent venue.
i. Details of what is required to host the CPA will be included within the invitation.
ii. Details of a deadline to return tenders by.
c. The venue must have a minimum of eight pool tables.
d. The venue must not have been previously excluded from the tender process by the CPA.
10.2 The Tender Review Process:
a. The Tender Sub-Committee shall review the tenders.
b. The tenders shall be collated and voted on by the Tender Sub-Committee.
i. The winning tender will be decided by a majority decision, with the Chairperson only voting in the event of a tie.
c. The CPA Secretary will notify the winning tender of the decision by letter no later than seven days after the General Meeting where it was voted on.
d. A new contract will be created and sent for signature by the winning tender.
e. All losing tenders will be notified by formal letter by the CPA Secretary no later than seven days after the General Meeting where it was voted on.
10.3 The Tender Committee shall be comprised of:-
The General Committee & CPA Team Captains (Men’s A, Men’s B, Ladies, Seniors & U23’s) *
a) Votes to be case following a ballot of all squad players (majority vote).
b) Eligible votes:
i. General Committee – 1 vote each (see 1.10 for multiple votes)
ii. Men’s Squad – 1 vote
iii. Ladies Squad – 1 vote
iv. Seniors Squad – 1 vote
v. U23’s Squad – 1 vote
· Where multiple positions are held by one person, that person will only be eligible to vote once.
10.4 Chairperson’s Letter
You are hereby invited to tender for the provision of a venue to be used by the Cheshire County Pool Association as its County Headquarters, effective from [start date] to [end date].
The minimum requirements considered necessary by the CPA are outlined in the enclosed guidelines. If you feel that your venue offers additional benefits beyond these requirements, please detail them in your tender.
The closing date for tenders to be submitted is [closing date]. A stamped addressed envelope marked 'TENDER' has been included for your response. Tenders will not be accepted unless received in the provided envelope.
Following the closing date, any member of the CPA Committee may visit and inspect your premises, including any features mentioned in the tender, before making a decision.
Notification of the successful tender will be made in writing after consideration and a vote by the General Committee. If you have any additional questions or require further information, please contact the CPA Secretary.
10.5 Sponsorship will be at the discretion of the venue themselves, which should be put forward in their tender, but there is no specific amount stipulated. The amount submitted in the tender will be paid annually before January 31st provided, they continue being the Association’s County Headquarters.
10.6 A Minimum of eight (8) Supreme UK eight ball pool tables in good condition must be available for all CPA events.
The area around match tables must be always kept clear. (This is an EPA Inter County Rule and must be adhered to).
The tables should be re-covered as and when required, and when the Association feels it necessary.
The CPA expects the tables to be kept in good condition at all times, ensuring that all tables are brushed, ironed and where necessary, levelled prior to any County event.
The use of authentic Aramith Pro Cup Balls must be provided for all CPA events on all tables.
10.7 The CPA requires that tenders include a 50% contribution to squad shirts capped at 75 shirts. Contribution per shirt not to exceed £15 per shirt.
a) For this, venues will be allowed to apply 2 logos to the squad shirt subject to approval by the Tender Committee.
10.8 The venue must provide light meals/buffet on a county match day for all teams (including the opposition teams). Food is also to be available for purchase as well as the appropriate licenses to be held to serve hot food and alcohol to players and spectators.
10.9. The CPA would require the venue to accommodate all the following events:-
i. County matches (Adult & Youth)
ii. County Knockouts (including Interleague)
iii. County Trials
iv. Any other event, knockout or competitions run by the CPA.
10.10 The CPA requests the use of the designated County pool tables being used for the fixture for all county players, free of charge from 11.am (10.30am for youth matches), for practice prior to every home county match.
10.11 The CPA would request that any tables not in use are closed to the public and/or club members on a county event day and the surrounding areas (i.e.: snooker tables and 9 ball tables) are also closed off if they interfere with County play).
10.12. The successful venue will abide by the above requirements of the CPA and the contract will be set out on an annual rolling-contract basis, subject to re-tendering after 2 years. Signatures will be required from both the venue and the CPA to confirm that the above will be adhered to. Failure to meeting the requirements listed above or failure to remedy any other issue raised to the venue by the CPA General Committee within 1 month (CPA to inform the venue in writing of any issue) may result in the right to act as the CPA HQ being lost without any refund of monies paid to the CPA and early termination of the contract. The venue would be excluded from tendering for 2 years.