Magic Rack to be allowed at Las Vegas BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships

Magic Rack at BCAPL Nationals

To clear up any questions, here are my responses. This ONLY applies to the amateur events, since Delta 13 will be used in Pro Arena. The Grand Masters will also be using Delta 13. A player can elect to use the Magic Rack - the opponent can continue to use the triangle supplied with the table OR he/she can use the magic rack supplied by the other player. The owner of the magic rack MUST allow opponent to use it.



Cuebacca said:

1. Since supplies of the sets for sale will be limited, I am curious if we will be allowed to use a 10-ball template to rack 8-ball. I personally don't own the 8-ball template, but I've been using the 10-ball template for 8-ball and it works great.

THE ONLY OPTIONS ARE RACK WITH SUPPLIED TRIANGLE OR MAGIC RACK-NO OTHER SUBSTITUTES. (We do not have the time to examine the quality of other triangles at the tournament).



2. Will there be any rules and regulations posted regarding the Magic Rack usage? I'd imagine some players who have never seen the Magic Rack will be skeptical when we tell them that it's allowed, so to save the referees' time, it would be nice to have an official BCAPL document to show the opponent that explains the deal with the Magic Rack.

THERE WILL BE SOMETHING POSTED. PLEASE READ COMMENTS AT TOP.



Also, since it is a foul to touch two balls in BCAPL rules, I would be interested in seeing some guidelines (especially to show our opponents) on how to handle removal of the rack. It's rare for two balls to stop in the rack, but it does occasionally happen. An official BCAPL document of some kind could prevent arguments and/or having to have a referee intervene in every match in which the Magic Rack is used.

THAT WILL PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS. WE WILL NOT BE HAVING REFEREE INTERVENING IN EVERY MATCH.


The referees will be aware of the situation. The control desk will also be available for questions. Bad Boys (who are the TD) will have them for sale in their booth which is next to the control desk.

Please be patient, this is a new item to many players. But they do provide a good rack. The Delta 13, one of our sponsors, also provides a good rack. They are both excellant products aimed at different parts of the market.

Mark Griffin, CEO
CSI - BCAPL

Official language concerning the Magic Rack...

...is pending. I am in communication with the powers that be and will have the final version of regulations concerning the use/removal of the rack completed tomorrow. I will post it here as soon as it is complete, and copies will be placed at every table on Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday. While the final specific wording is not complete, the gist of it will be that the rack will not be removed until there is little to no chance of a ball being disturbed by removing the rack with reasonable care. Marking balls in order to remove the rack will NOT be allowed. See Mark's post above for other details, and stand by for the final version...

Buddy

BCAPL Nationals - Magic Rack procedures

Text of notices to posted conspicuously and provided on every table on Friday and Saturday morning:

RACKING AND BREAKING PROCEDURES – SCOTCH DOUBLES AND SINGLES

ALTERNATE BREAK. FLIP FOR FIRST BREAK. LAGGING IS NOT AUTHORIZED. WHEN YOU BREAK, YOU PAY AND PREPARE YOUR OWN RACK.

You may use either the rack provided with the table or a genuine Magic Ball Rack brand template. No other triangle or racking template is authorized. You may not deny your opponent the use of a Magic Ball Rack. If a Magic Ball Rack is used, it must be the 8-Ball Magic Ball Rack. If a Magic Ball Rack is used, it is not required to be used for every game. Magic Ball Racks are available for sale at the Tournament Desk.

Penalties for any violation of these procedures: 1st offense during a match: warning. 2nd and subsequent offenses during a match: foul. Penalty for violations of Rule 1.33 during removal of the Magic Ball Rack: foul.

USE OF THE MAGIC BALL RACK

If you intend to use a Magic Ball Rack at any time during your match, you must notify your opponent before your match begins. If your opponent does not have a Magic Ball Rack and they desire to use your Magic Ball Rack, you must permit them to use your Magic Ball Rack at any time during the match.

If you do not notify your opponent of your intent to use a Magic Ball Rack before the match begins, it may not be used.

REMOVAL OF THE MAGIC BALL RACK

The Magic Ball Rack may only be removed by the shooter before any shot after the break. Rule 1.33, Disturbed Balls, applies to the act of removing the Magic Ball Rack, and fouls may occur when removing the Magic Ball Rack. Before removing the Magic Ball Rack, the shooter must allow their opponent the opportunity to summon a referee to observe the removal of the Magic Ball Rack. Balls may not be marked or moved in order to remove the Magic Ball Rack.

New notices with slightly different wording will be posted Wednesday morning to accommodate team procedures, but the effect will be the same.


Buddy Eick
BCAPL National Head Referee
BCAPL Director of Referee Training
Technical Editor, BCAPL Rule Book
bcapl_referee@cox.net

Find the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League here:

http://www.playbca.com/Downloads/Rulebook/CompleteRulebook/tabid/372/Default.aspx

* The contents of this post refer to BCA Pool League (BCAPL) Rules only. The BCAPL National Office has authorized me to act in an official capacity regarding questions about BCAPL Rules matters in public forums.
* Neither I nor any BCAPL referee make any policy decisions regarding BCAPL Rules. Any and all decisions, interpretations, or Applied Rulings are made by the BCAPL National Office and are solely their responsibility. BCAPL referees are enforcers of rules, not legislators. BCAPL Rules 9.5.3 and 9.5.4 apply.
* No reference to, inference concerning, or comment on any other set of rules (WPA, APA, VNEA, TAP, or any other set of rules, public or private) is intended or should be derived from this post unless specifically stated.
* For General Rules, 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 10-Ball, and 14.1 Continuous: there is no such thing as "BCA Rules" other than in the sense that the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) publishes various rules, including the World Pool-Billiard Association's "World Standardized Rules" for those games. The BCA does not edit, nor is responsible for the content of, the World Standardized Rules. The Official Rules of the BCAPL is a separate and independent set of rules and, to avoid confusion, should not be referred to as "BCA Rules".
* Since 2004, there is no such thing as a "BCA Referee". The BCA no longer has any program to train, certify or sanction billiards referees or officials.
* The BCAPL has no association with the Billiard Congress of America other than in their capacity as a member of the BCA.
* The BCAPL has not addressed every imaginable rules issue, nor will it ever likely be able to, as evidenced by the seemingly endless situations that people dream up or that (more frequently) actually happen. If I do not have the answer to a question I will tell you so, then I will get a ruling from the BCAPL National Office and get back to you as soon as I can. If deemed necessary, the BCAPL will then add the ruling to the "Applied Rulings" section of The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League.