Referees are not active participants in match play. This
means Referees will not presume a particular shotmight
result in a "bad hit" or any other condition that could
produce a foul, and will not make calls or rulings unless
officially requested to do so. Referees are typically
assigned to more than one table at any given time, but
even in those cases when only one table is involved in
competition, the following procedures must be followed:
1. In most instances, Referees will not enter the playing
area unless the match has been temporarily
halted by a CURRENT MATCH PLAYER. You halt a
match by calling a REFEREE TIME-OUT, which
allows time for the Referee to get into position to
view the upcoming shot. A Referee’s decision is
final. Do not simply look over at the Referee, or
ask the Referee toWATCH THE HIT, expecting some
action to be taken. You must first halt the match
and request a Referee to make a call or ruling.
PLAYERS are not allowed to halt a match using the
REFEREE TIME-OUT in an ill-timed manner, or in situations
that are obviously unnecessary. PLAYERS
that abuse the use of the Referees are subject to
loss of time-outs. Here are some examples of illtimed
and unnecessary use of a Referee:
a. You ask the Referee to "just watch what happens
next" without calling a REFEREE TIMEOUT.
b. Your opponent is shooting at a loose ball and no
potential foul is obvious.
c. You wait until the last possible second to call
REFEREE TIME-OUT. If the player has already
stroked the shot, the call automatically goes to
the shooter.
Using the REFEREE TIME-OUT as a means to
SHARK opponents will not be tolerated. Please
remember that it is the responsibility of the
PLAYERS, not the Referee, to be aware of potential
infractions. Study the table situation and call
a REFEREE TIME-OUT if you feel that an infraction
is likely to occur. The Referees are here to
help you.
2. Contested plays will be handled by calling a REFEREE
TIME-OUT, and asking the Referee if he or she
was watching the table at that time and was in a
good enough position to make a call or ruling. If the
Referee replies affirmatively, the Referee will make a
binding call.
3. Situations involving potential rules violations are also
handled by calling a REFEREE TIME-OUT. If necessary,
the National Rules will be checked. The
Tournament Director may also be consulted in order
to render a decision.
4. Situations not requiring calls or rulings may be
brought to the attention of the Referee by the PLAYER
ONLY. No other person is allowed to ask for
Referee assistance in NON-PLAYING situations. If
the request is reasonable, the Referee will monitor
the situation and take appropriate action. If the
problemcannot be solved to everyone's satisfaction,
thematch will be temporarily halted, the Tournament
Director will be called and the parties involved will discuss the issue.
Please treat the Referees with courtesy and respect.
These APA League members have volunteered for
this duty in order to make your competition more enjoyable.
Players treating Referees in a disrespectful,
demeaning, or uncooperative manner are subject to disqualification
by the Tournament Director.
