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ATTENDING A CCS or ACS CHAMPIONSHIP
The League has now decided to sanction with the CCS so that Players and Teams can compete in a CCS or ACS Championship. Here's how the Championships are structured, how you enter and what the Players and Teams can expect when they get there. Structure- All the Championships are described in full detail in Tournament Brochures posted on the CCS web site www.cdnqsport.com.
- All the Championships have Singles, Scotch Doubles and Team Events. The Singles and Scotch Doubles Events are open to all CCS ‘League Members’ and others who join the CCS as ‘Player Members’. The Team Events are closed to ‘League Members’ only.
- All the various Championships are open to all CCS League Members who are in good standing. They can attend any combination they wish. And even if a Team didn’t win a Paid Trip from their League, they are still eligible to enter at their own cost and compete.
- All Events at all Championships are also ‘divisionalized’ based on Skill Level. For CCS, a Qualifying Approach is used in which after a ‘Qualifying’ Division has been completed, all the Players and Team carry on playing in either a CC Standard, CB Open or CA Advanced ‘Finals’ Division for the Prizes and Awards. For the ACS Nationals, Players and Teams enter the pre-defined Divisions of Standard, Open and Masters. Within a Division and regardless of your Skill Level, you stand a reasonable chance of competing and winning.
- All CCS Championship Events are Triple Elimination unless specified otherwise in the Tournament Brochure. All ACS Championship Events are Double Elimination. This simply means that you’re still in the Tournament until you have lost either 2 or 3 Matches.
- The Singles and Scotch Doubles Events are always run first and set up such that Players can play in both without scheduling conflicts. The Championships always finish up with the Team Events and usually end on a Saturday or Sunday.
- All Championships are almost always in a rented Host Location with all play on rented Valley 3 ½’ X 7’ coin operated Pool Tables. The choice of Table has everything to do with the economics of transporting and setting up the large number of Tables that are needed to complete the Championships in a short time frame. The Tables are never open. It’s how the cost of them being there gets paid.
Player and Team Rankings- The CCS and ACS maintain a list of Players designated as ‘Pros’ who are not allowed to compete in any Event in any Championship; Amateurs only.
- To make competition fairer in all Events, the CCS pre-assigns the Skill Level ‘Rankings’ of either CC Standard, CB Open or CA Advanced to all the Players and Teams who enter a CCS Championship. These ‘Player Rankings’ and ‘Team Rankings’ will determine the Entry Fee amount and the Division (CC, CB or CA) that the Player or Team will start play in. Regardless of the Division that a Player or Team starts in, they all have the opportunity to progress to the top. The ‘Player Rankings’ are based on either a Player’s finish in a previous CCS Singles Event, their ‘Ranking’ on an ACS, VNEA or BCAPL list or on ‘KA’ – Known Ability. The ‘Team Rankings’ are based on the ‘Player Rankings’ of all those on the Team Roster. The ‘Player Ranking’ Lists are available on the CCS web site.
- The whole idea in CCS Championships is for everyone to have the opportunity to progress up to becoming the overall Champion, but if your game wasn’t quite up to it, you get to carry on in the Tournament against Players closer to your Skill Level.
- The ACS maintains a list of both ‘Masters’ and ‘Open’ Ranked Players which are based on previous finishes in ACS National Singles Events and are also used to restrict their playing in lower Skill Level Divisions of both the Singles and Team Events.
Entry- All Events at all CCS and ACS Championships require entry in advance so that proper Tournament Planning can be ensured. It usually consists of an Early Entry Deadline a month in advance and a Late Entry Deadline (complete with a Late Fee) about 2 weeks in advance.
- The CCS, through its web site, offers On Line Entry to all the CCS Regional Championships and to both the CCS and ACS National Championships. Everyone is encouraged to do so. We then know your Entry is coming and, after we’ve gotten it, we can confirm your status – Paid in Full and your Ranking and Eligibility.
- For now, we’ll still need the Entry Fee in the form of a Bank Draft, Certified Cheque or Money Order and a Hard Copy of your Entry Form.
- All Singles Event Entries can be submitted directly by the Players to the CCS. All Team Event Entries must be submitted by the League Secretary to the CCS. For the ACS US Nationals, all Entries in all Events including the Fees are to be submitted to the CCS who will forward them on to the ACS Tournament Staff.
Tournament Draw- It is always solely done by the contracted Tournament Director in advance. It is a random Draw except that every effort will be made to place Players and Teams from the same League in different Preliminary Brackets.
- For most CCS Championships, the Draw and the Tournament Charts for the Preliminary Brackets will also be posted in advance on the CCS webs site.
Travel and Lodging- The CCS has a Championship Program such that no matter where you live, there’s a Championship you can drive to. For Paid Team Trips out of the Prize Fund, most Leagues provide some sort of a Cash Travel Allowance or even Airline Tickets.
- For Lodging, every Championship will either be in a Hotel or the organizers will recommend places to stay which are close by and where special rates have been prearranged. There is nothing more convenient for the Players than staying in the same place the Tournament is.
Dress Code- The Tournament Brochure has the details. In short, everyone must be clean and neat in appearance and, for all Team Events, all Team Mates must have matching shirts.
Tournament Check In- When you arrive, go find the Tournament Charts displayed on the CompuSport system. Your Entry will be there showing who your first opponent is, at what time and on what Table.
- Check In is not mandatory but it is recommended. You will definitely need to Check In if you have any last minute Team Roster changes to make. If you don’t, any Player you wish to add will NOT be eligible to play without prior Tournament Staff approval. You can only ever play on ONE team at a Championship.
- There are also Player Meetings held by the Tournament Director prior to the start of both the Singles and Team Events. Attendance is informative but not mandatory.
Tournament Play- Sufficient time is provided for each Match such that the posted Start Times are to be considered valid.
- Nobody will announce your Match. It’s on the Tournament Chart and it’s your responsibility to know when it is and to be there on time. A 5 minute grace period will be given but after that your match is a forfeit, no matter what the excuse is.
- A Match Score Slip will be made available in advance at Tournament Control. Go get it and, if your opponent isn’t there at the posted Start Time, go let the Tournament Director know right away so they can be put on the clock. When the Match is over, sign the Score Slip and turn it back in; right away.
- The Tournament Chart will be updated and will always tell you who, when and where you play next including whether you’re now out.
- If you were fortunate enough to get ‘into the money’, you’ll be given a Pay Out Voucher by the Tournament Director which can then be exchanged for a Pay Out Cheque.
- If you were fortunate enough to finish in the Top 3 of a Division of an Event, your picture will be taken for the official Championship Press Release and for posting on the CCS web site.
Referees- A CCS/ACS Certified Referee will always be readily available on the Tournament Floor but they must be called over to the Match.
- The decision of the Floor Referee will always be final on judgement calls of shots but all other Match Rulings may be appealed to the Head Referee.
- If you’re not behaving, they can throw you out of the Tournament.
Tournament Results- An official Press Release will always be released immediately after a Championship to all the major Billiards Publications in North America.
- A full Results Summary of the finishes of all Entrants including the pictures will also be posted on the CCS website.
Official Championship Apparel- The organizers always arrange for someone to have a Booth on site who is selling official Championship Apparel and other items. It’s always nice to bring something back home for yourself or others.
Cue in Bad Shape?- There is always a Cue Service Booth on site to make minor or major repairs to all your equipment so that you’re fully prepared to shoot your best. Of course, there’ll be others on hand who’d love to sell you a brand new cue or whatever else that catches your eye.
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