8 Ball Scoring And Handicapping

Games are scored on a ‘Ball Count’ Point System and each Player develops a ‘Ball Count’
Points Average of all the games they played to date throughout the League Schedule.
These Player ‘Ball Count’ Points Averages are used to determine a ‘Team’ Handicap expressed
in ‘Ball Count’ Points spotted to the lesser skilled Team. Matches are played in ‘Rounds’ of
5 for 5 Player Teams. The winner of each Round in the Match will receive a ‘Team’ Point.
The winner of each Round in the Match is determined by the ‘Ball Count’ Points that a
Team scores plus any Team Handicap ‘Ball Count’ Points they were spotted. The number
of ‘Team’ Points (or ‘Rounds’) won will determine the winner of the Match and Team Standings.


1. Scoring - 10 Point ‘Ball Count’ System

• Each Player receives 1 ‘Ball Count’ Point for each of his/her group of balls (solids or
stripes) not on the Table at the end of the game plus 3 ‘Ball Count’ Points if they legally
pocket the 8-ball.

• A game win then is always worth 10 ‘Ball Count’ Points to the winning Player. The losing
Player will receive up to a maximum of 7 ‘Ball Count’ Points.

2. Player ‘Ball Count’ Point Averages

• A Player's ‘Ball Count’ Points Average is determined by dividing their total ‘Ball Count’
Points scored to date by the number of games they've played to date. The result is then
rounded up or down to the nearest whole number. Some Leagues express this Average
rounded up or down to the nearest tenth to provide a more accurate result.

3. Match Format

• The Match Formats is 5 Players each play a single game in each of 5 Rounds for a total of 25 games

4. Score Sheet

4.1 Your Starting Team Roster

• The ‘Home’ Team fills out their Team Roster first by entering 4 or 5 Player names as
‘Starters’ in Roster Order spots #1 to #4 or #5, depending on the Match Format your
League or Division is using. ‘Spares’ may be listed in Roster Order spots #6 to #7 at the
start of the Match or at any time prior to the start of a Round.

• Players may be listed in any Roster Order position regardless of their Player ‘Ball Count’
Points Average.

• Should a Team be short a Player(s), ‘forfeit’" is entered in the last Roster Order
position(s) on the starting Team Roster.

4.2 Match Rounds

• A set of one game each played by a Team's Match Roster is considered to be 1 Match
Round.

4.3 Handicapping

• At the start of every Match Round, the ‘Ball Count’ Points Average of each Player of the
Team’s Match Roster is entered in the ‘AVE’ column beside their Roster Order number.
In the case of a ‘forfeit’ or ‘first time’ Player, an 8 is entered. The Player ‘Ball Count’
Points Averages are then totaled for each Team, and rounded to the nearest whole number. The difference in totals 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’.

4.4 Substitutions of ‘Spares’ During a Match

• Substitutions of ‘Spares’ for ‘Starters’ 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 ‘Ball Count’ Points Average is
entered and used to compute the new total of the ‘Ball Count’ Points Averages of the
Team to determine the new Team Handicap for that Match Round.

• Players listed as ‘subs’ in Roster Order spots #6 and #7 may change Roster Order
positions in successive Rounds. Players listed as ‘Starters’ in spots #1 to #5, when they
are ‘subbed’ out, must sit out at least one Round. When a ‘Starter’ is ‘subbed’ back in,
they must return to their original Roster Order position.

4.5 Order of the Break Shot

• The order of play for the ‘Home’ Team stays the same for every Round of the Match.

• The order of play for the ‘Visitor’ or ‘Away’ Team does vary for each Round of the Match
as shown on the Score Sheet.

• The order of the ‘breaks’ is also shown on the Score Sheet. The ‘Home’ Team always
‘breaks’ the 1st and 3rd Rounds and the ‘Visitor’ or ‘Away’ Team always ‘breaks’ the 2nd
and 4th Rounds. If there is a 5th Round, the ‘breaks’ are alternated with the extra ‘break’
going to the ‘Home’ Team.

• This matches what happens at all CCS Championships.

4.6 Scorekeeping - Team Points

• All games are scored on the maximum 10 ‘Ball Count’ Point System including forfeited
games which are scored 10 - 0. These ‘Ball Count’ Points are entered on the Score
Sheet in the ‘POINTS’ column provided for each Match Round.

• After a Match Round has been completed, the ‘Ball Count’ Points won in each game in
the Match Round by the each Player for each Team are totaled along with the Team
Handicap. This total is entered in the ‘TOTAL’ box on the Score Sheet.

• The Team with the higher total receives a ‘Team’ Point for that Match Round. This is
indicated by circling the ‘W’ beside their ‘TOTAL’ box for that Match Round.

• After the 2nd Match Round has been completed, the ‘TOTALS’ for the two Match Rounds
played are added together and entered into the ‘RUNNING TOTAL’ box on the Score
Sheet. This is repeated until all Match Rounds have been played.

• The team with the higher ‘RUNNING TOTAL’ receives another ‘Team’ Point for the
overall which is also indicated by circling the ‘W’ beside their ‘RUNNING TOTAL’ box in
the last column on the Score Sheet.

• In summary, each Match is played for one ‘Team’ Point for each Match Round played
plus one ‘Team’ Point for the overall.

• 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. The definition of each is listed on the Score
Sheet. Be sure when you sign off on the Score Sheet that the other team has all your
special feats recorded as well.

• To help the League Secretary, be sure to total the Wins, Special Feats and Points for
each Player and for the Team.

5. Match Ties

• In Handicapped play ties can result. In League Play for all Match Formats the first
tiebreaker to award ‘Team’ Points for any Match Round or for the overall, is games won.
This is often the same tie breaker used for Team ‘seeding’ for all Play Offs. If still tied at
the end of a Match in League Play, the second tiebreaker is the winning of an extra game
played by one Player selected by each Team from amongst those who played in that
Match. If tied at the end of the Match in Play Offs, the first and only tiebreaker is the replaying
of the last Match Round by the same Players. There are no ties in any CCS
Championships as no ‘Ball Count’ Points or Team Handicaps are used. All Matches are a
Race to a specified number of games won.

6. Match Forfeits

• In the case of a Team forfeit of a Match, both Captains must submit a Score Sheet along
with all related Fees. All Players listed on the forfeiting Team will receive a zero as the
‘Ball Count’ Points scored for all their games. All the Players listed on the other Team will
receive 10 ‘Ball Count’ Points for all their games. Teams taking a forfeit have the option
of taking all, half or none of the ‘Team’ Points for the match. The forfeiting Team will
receive whatever the other Team doesn’t take.