Irish Blackball Association

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Irish Blackball Association 


Tournament Regulations



It is a condition of entry to tournaments that players agree to abide by the Code of Conduct of the  Irish Blackball Association.


CODE OF CONDUCT FOR TOURNAMENTS


OBJECTIVES


The objectives of the Code of Conduct are:

To uphold the good name of the Irish Blackball Association and of the sport of  Blackball Pool.

To resolve any issue relating to the conduct of any of its members (and other persons under its jurisdiction) in their relations with each other, with officials and with the public.


CODE OF CONDUCT


The following activities/behaviour are expected of Players, Officials, or Parents whether in playing, advisory or supervisory roles.


1. Must wear appropriate  clothing as set out in  “ The Dress Code For Tournaments.”

2. Must not verbally, visually or physically abuse his/her partner/opponent, the referee, officials or spectators.

3. Must not use offensive language .

4. Must not physically abuse his/her  cue, the balls ,the table , or any other equipment whilst playing.

5. Must fulfil his/her commitment having entered a tournament or accepted an invitation to play in a tournament or match.

6. Must not bring the good name of the Irish Blackball Association into disrepute by any unreasonable behaviour.

7. Must at all times comply with the rules and the spirit of the games as applied by the Irish Blackball Association and approved by the  European Blackball Association  and  Blackball International.


SCOPE


The Code of Conduct will apply in all events run under the auspices of the Irish Blackball Association and to its members and all persons under its jurisdiction taking part in events outside the country.


PROCEDURES


All events against the Code of Conduct will be dealt with  as deemed appropriate by The Elected Members of The Irish Blackball Association  Disciplinary Committee.

In addition any breaches brought to the notice of the Tournament Referee must be included in the Tournament Referee’s Report to the  Irish Blackball  Association Committee.

Any offences so recorded may be subject to further disciplinary action.


During the Tournament


Players must wear the appropriate clothing as set out in “The Dress Code For Tournaments.”

The decision of the Referee  on points of fact and on points of Law will be final. All complaints about the conduct of players or spectators  must be brought to the Tournament Referee.


Players must be ready to play at the appropriate scheduled  time of their match. If the start time of the match is delayed for any reason ,players must be available to play within 10 minutes of being called by the top table. After that a frame will be deducted for every 5 minutes that a player is not at the table..This Will be at the Discretion of the tournament referee .


Gambling on the outcome of any event or on the outcome of any matches in any events run under the auspices of

The Irish Blackball Association is strictly forbidden.


Coaching and Support


All participants and observers are asked to respect players involved in every event and refrain from any unsportsmanlike conduct. In particular, support should be of a positive nature and be devoid of any intimidatory behaviour or barracking.

Coaching during matches is not allowed under any circumstances.

Parents, Friends and other players are asked to observe this ruling meticulously.




Photography and Video Recording

Because of the requirements of Child Protection Legislation , the taking of photographs and video recordings of Junior Players (U 18 ) can only be allowed with the written permission of the Irish Blackball Association and the parents of the children involved. This includes the use of camera phones.


By Entering a tournament ,Senior Players are agreeing  that photographs taken at the Event , may be used for publicity and marketing.


Players and anyone involved  in any way with  the I.B.A. are reminded that  whilst they are wearing any clothing  that represents  the   Association  they must behave at all times in a manner that befits the association.


Drugs


The taking of banned drugs either before or during a tournament is not permitted.

From time to time random drug testing shall take place and players should make themselves available upon request.


Social Media


Players, officials, Volunteers ,Parents and anyone involved in Irish Blackball in any way ,by doing so are agreeing  to follow and uphold  that which is laid out in  “The Social Media Guidelines “ of  The Irish Blackball Association .


International Olympic Committee ( I.O.C. )


Whilst the  I.B.A  will use its own “Code of Conduct “ as required  in most  situations , where appropriate The Code Of Conduct of the  I.O.C  may also be used if deemed  necessary.





Social Media Guidelines



We live in a society that promotes free speech and freedom of expression, within the standards of what is acceptable, in good taste, non-offensive or abusive, and of course legal.  The Irish Blackball Association ( I.B.A.) seeks to reflect these values and standards within our sport, and encourages the responsible use of social media.  Social networking is continuing to grow and it is in our interest to sensibly and proactively embrace it.


All Players, Committee Members, Referees, Parents and Volunteers should pay particular attention to these guidelines when using or setting up a social media account.  


These guidelines are not intended to replace existing  I.B.A  Policies in relation to  Codes of Conduct and Good Practice or individual responsibility, or the onus placed on those in positions of authority to take action in any particular case.  


These guidelines are designed to provide helpful, practical advice for all involved in or associated with our social media.  Everyone should also be aware that negative or critical comments disseminated by any other means (letter, confidential report, telephone call, person to person conversation) can also lead to misinterpretation and dispute.




SOME DO’S


  • DO...Report anything that concerns you.  If you see any comments or photos that concern you , report it to the relevant authority.


  • DO...Check your privacy settings and who can see your account.  Consider using private or protected accounts. If your content is for your friends and family, use a private account;  partner organisations, funding partners, sponsors, etc., don’t need to see this content.  Use public accounts to promote the game of Blackball Pool.


  • DO...Be responsible!  Remember everyone can see you.  Before you write anything, remember that it is public and anyone can take your words and put them in a newspaper, on a website or the TV.  The News Media also monitors the social media and will use your words as a news source.  


  • You are personally responsible for the content you provide and how you behave online.  Be careful and if you are in doubt, don’t post it. e.g. Stephanie Rice, an Australian triple Olympic swimming gold medallist, lost a lucrative sponsorship deal after she posted an inappropriate comment on Twitter.


  • DO...Interact!  The more you interact with and reply to followers, the better relationships you will build with them, and the more frequently they will come back to the site and check out your page.  People want more than just facts about sports - providing them with your personal experiences and emotional stories will be really valuable to them.  Feel free also to talk about your interests and life away from sport if appropriate, while being alert to your own personal privacy and online security.


  • DO...Be honest.  Always tell the truth and correct any mistakes you make as quickly as possible.  Don’t alter older posts without indicating that you have done so.


  • DO...Consider your post content.  It might be sensible not to tweet or post comments on Facebook immediately before or after a match/tournament.  If your opponents are following your accounts they may get useful insights into your state of mind, whether you’re confident or not, any weaknesses, injuries, etc.  In addition consider the consequences of posting content immediately after an event.  Whether you’ve won or lost, emotions will be running high and you might not post appropriate content. In addition the press might be following your content and take something out of context/misinterpret what you are saying;  e.g. Commonwealth Games England suggests that athletes don’t post comments within 4 hours of the event/match starting or finishing.


SOME DON’T’S


  • DON’T...Forget your rivals may be reading  Other competitors may gain confidence if they read any comments you make about poor form in training, feeling tired, upset or low on confidence;  e.g. A GB gold medallist rower was given the belief that he could win a medal against one of his American competitors by reading his rival’s blog: “From his blog I got the impression that he was not some untouchable superstar. He had worries and demons like everyone else. He was beatable.”


  • DON’T... Use inappropriate or offensive language in text or video content.   Even suggestions of foul or abusive language by replacing letters with symbols;  e.g. s@£t should be avoided.  Similarly, don’t get into disputes with your audience – instead, show that you have listened and be responsive in a positive manner;  e.g. English Cricket suspended the captain of England under -19 team for his use of inappropriate language on Twitter.


  • DON’T---abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate other users.


  • DON’T...Talk negatively about the I.B.A  other competitors, countries, organisations (such as funding partners, sponsors or competitors) or brands.  Gossip or slanderous comments can be easily taken the wrong way and get out of control.  Remember that you are an ambassador for your sport.


  • DON’T...Assume anything you delete will completely disappear.  It’s almost impossible to completely remove information on social networking sites even if you “remove/delete” it from the original source.  There is no way of knowing where it may have been reposted. So think before you post.


  • DON’T...Give out any personal information or encourage a user to do so.  It’s OK to share broad information;  e.g. what town people live in.  However exact locations, etc., should not be encouraged.  Be alert to online security issues.


  • DON’T...Link to any unsuitable content.  Make sure that any links you give are sending users to appropriate content and following the guidelines stated above.


  • DON’T...Openly discuss or engage in discussions about inflammatory subjects such as religion or politics.  Be careful not to make any comments that may offend others.  First think before you post any comments; how will your comment/view be interpreted?  Will it be considered controversial?  Don’t just think about how the person you are replying to will react….comments on the internet are available for everyone to see including parents!


  • DON’T...Engage in or promote any illegal activities.  Make sure that under no circumstances do you link to or promote anything that could be considered illegal.  If in doubt don’t do it!


  • DON’T…Publish photographs of under-age competitors without the permission of them and their parents.  In particular, be very careful, even if you have obtained permission, of publishing names or any other details of under-age competitors.


Twitter/Facebook - Guidelines for use


As well as complying with Twitter and Facebook’s Terms and Conditions, please follow the guidelines below.  You are responsible for any activity that occurs under your screen name in these groups.


  • DON’T…Transmit any worms or viruses or any code of a destructive nature.

  • DON’T…Modify, adapt or hack any of the groups.

  • DON’T…Use any group for any illegal or unauthorised purposes.

You must be 13 years or older to use any of the groups.  You are solely responsible for your conduct and any date, text, information, screen names, profiles, graphics, audio and video clips, url addresses that you submit.



Members / Volunteers


Any person who works with or participates in any way with The I.B.A. are reminded that at all times they must uphold the highest standards of the sport.


Important Hints and Tips…


Privacy Settings


Review privacy settings of the social networking site you are using.  


Choose social sites and appropriate settings depending on the content you are posting.  Any information that you post should be considered public, regardless of your privacy settings since your postings could be reposted elsewhere and may be viewed by people other than your intended audience.


Please be aware that Children under 18 years of age may see your posts so you must be conscious of the requirements of Child Protection Legislation when posting anything.


The above guidelines are taken from the International Olympic Council Code of Conduct and for more extensive details please visit their website.


https://www.olympic.org/code-of-ethics


We are also operating under the international World Anti Doping Guidelines and each competitor is subject to random drug test during competitions run by the Irish Blackball Association. 


https://www.wada-ama.org/