Rules & Regulations

1. League Overview

The National Pool Conference (NPC) is a competitive, state-based team league designed to elevate cue sports through structured competition, professionalism, media visibility, and national recognition. NPC combines team identity, individual performance, organized advancement, and streaming-driven presentation into a single competitive platform.

NPC is designed to build official state teams, track player progress across a season, and create a pathway from qualifier participation to team representation and national championship competition.

2. Player Eligibility

State Representation Requirement

Players must possess a valid, government-issued driver’s license from the state they represent in order to compete for that state.

• • The driver’s license must be current and not expired.
• • The license must be presented upon request by league officials or tournament directors.
• • The license must have been issued prior to the start of the season or event registration deadline.
• • Players may represent only one state per season.
• • Any player found misrepresenting residency or eligibility may be disqualified, and match results may be forfeited.

3. Player Representation & Conduct

NPC tracks standings, match results, game results, and other relevant statistics in order to represent players as accurately as possible across league materials, rankings, profiles, and official NPC trading cards.

All players are expected to represent the league with professionalism, dignity, and respect in both competition and public conduct connected to NPC events.

Players representing official state teams are also expected to comply with any approved NPC or state-team dress code requirements while competing and appearing in an official team capacity.

4. Team Structure

Each state fields a team of six players.

• • 1 Team Captain (appointed by NPC)
• • 3 players earn their spots through qualifier performance
• • 2 players are selected by the Team Captain
• • The Team Captain is an active member of the team and participates in competition.
• • Team lineups must be submitted prior to match start.

5. Team Selection

Eligibility

All selected players must meet NPC eligibility requirements.

Selection Model

NPC is built around a structured hybrid model. In practice, state teams are formed through a combination of earned positions and captain-led selection.

• • 3 roster spots are earned through qualifier performance.
• • 2 roster spots are selected by the Team Captain.
• • Captain selections must be based on three primary criteria: skill, reputation, and online presence.
• • 1 Team Captain is appointed by NPC and serves as both a competitor and team leader.
• • Captain selections are subject to NPC review and may be denied under certain circumstances if they are determined to conflict with league standards, eligibility requirements, or the best interests of the NPC.

Captain Governance

Captains are appointed by NPC and selected based on skill, reputation, leadership, influence, and ability to build a credible state team. Captains are responsible for helping develop the team, recruiting tournament director support where applicable, and finalizing captain-selected positions within NPC guidelines. All captain selections must be based on skill, reputation, and online presence, and remain subject to NPC approval.

Roster Submission & Commitment

• • Final team rosters must be submitted by the designated NPC deadline.
• • Rosters must include the required number of players.
• • Selected players are expected to commit to scheduled matches and events.
• • Failure to appear may result in replacement or disciplinary action.

6. Season Structure

NPC uses a season-long progression that moves from captain appointment, to qualifiers, to roster finalization, and ultimately to national championship competition.

• • December: Captain selection
• • January–June: Qualifiers
• • July: Teams finalized
• • August: Division play
• • September: Regionals
• • November: National Championship

7. Qualifier System

NPC qualifiers may be operated as standalone designated events or as overlap qualifiers conducted alongside approved existing tournaments. The overlap model is designed to work with existing tournament ecosystems while allowing NPC to track player participation and performance.

Players may opt in to NPC competition within approved events.

Players may compete in NPC qualifiers in any state. Traveling to find competition is a core part of pool culture and is fully supported within NPC. However, each player’s points remain tied to the state they officially represent, and all points follow the player throughout the season.

Points are awarded based on performance and are used to determine team qualification as well as state and national rankings.

All participating players will have an NPC profile that tracks performance across qualifiers. These profiles provide structured statistics, including match and game win/loss records, allowing players to build recognition and promote themselves within the sport.

Qualification Standards

• • Minimum entry fee: $50
• • Minimum race format: Race to 5
• • One Pocket exception: Minimum race to 2

All NPC qualifiers must be publicly announced and properly advertised at least two (2) weeks prior to the event date. Promotion on PoolHub.live is strongly encouraged.

This requirement is intended to ensure transparency, allow fair player access, and prevent the creation of last-minute events designed to influence standings.

High entry fee scheduled ring games may also qualify as NPC events, provided they are structured to determine clear player placements through an elimination or advancement format. These events must maintain competitive integrity and produce a definitive order of finish to be eligible for NPC tracking.

NPC reserves the right to approve or deny qualifier status for any event at its sole discretion to ensure compliance with league standards and competitive integrity.

Payment Framework

NPC qualifier revenue is intended to follow the approved split structure:

• • 70% NPC
• • 20% Tournament Director
• • 10% of all state qualifier fees are allocated to the State Team Captain

This structure provides a direct incentive for Tournament Directors and State Captains to grow participation and strengthen competitive environments.

Where payments are collected manually, remittance is due within the designated NPC payment window. Where payments are processed through PoolHub systems, distribution may be automated according to NPC platform procedures.

8. NPC State Competition Match Format

NPC team competition uses a fixed, multi-discipline structure intended to showcase complete cue-sports versatility.

• • Each individual match equals 1 team point.
• • First team to the required match-point total wins the overall team contest.
• • NPC may also apply race-to-7 team-point structures depending on event format and official competition design.

9. Game-Specific Rules

General Play Rules

• • All balls must be struck with the cue tip.
• • A legal shot requires contact with a legal object ball and either a pocketed ball or rail contact.
• • Failure to do so results in a foul.
• • Ball in hand applies after all standard fouls.

8-Ball Rules (Call Pocket)

• • Rack: Standard triangle, 8-ball in center.
• • Break: Open table after break.
• • Players must call intended ball and pocket.
• • Solids vs. stripes are determined after the first legally pocketed called shot.
• • The 8-ball must be called and legally pocketed to win.
• • Pocketing the 8-ball early or illegally results in loss of game.

9-Ball Rules (Texas Express)

• • Rack: 1-ball on spot, 9-ball in center, 2-ball touching the 9 on the back.
• • The lowest numbered ball must be struck first.
• • Slop counts.
• • Push-out is allowed immediately after the break.
• • On a push-out, the incoming player may shoot or pass the shot back.
• • No rail or object-ball requirement applies on a legal push-out.
• • Pocketing the 9-ball at any time wins the rack unless a foul occurs on the shot.
• • Three-foul rule applies.
• • The opponent must be warned after the second consecutive foul.
• • Standard fouls result in ball in hand.

10-Ball Rules (Call Shot)

• • Rack: 1-ball on spot, 10-ball in center.
• • Lowest numbered ball must be contacted first.
• • All shots must be called by ball and pocket.
• • Slop does not count.
• • The 10-ball must be called to win.

One Pocket Rules

• • Each player is assigned one corner pocket.
• • First player to legally pocket 8 balls in their assigned pocket wins.
• • Balls pocketed in the opponent’s pocket count for the opponent.
• • Fouls result in the appropriate ball penalty under NPC/One Pocket procedure.

Scotch Doubles Rules

• • Players alternate shots.
• • No player may shoot twice in a row.
• • Reasonable communication is allowed so long as it does not delay play.

10. Fouls & Penalties

NPC uses an All-Ball Fouls standard across all disciplines unless otherwise specified by official game procedure.

A foul occurs when any of the following take place:

• • Failure to strike the cue ball with the tip.
• • Failure to hit the correct object ball first when applicable.
• • No rail contacted after a legal hit unless a ball is pocketed.
• • Cue ball scratch, including pocketed cue ball or cue ball driven off the table.
• • Any ball driven off the table unless game rules state otherwise.
• • Contact with any ball by a player, clothing, cue, or equipment outside a legal shot.
• • Double hit, push shot, or scoop shot.
• • Playing out of turn.

Penalty

Standard penalty is ball in hand for the opponent, full table.

Racking Rules

• • All racks must be tight.
• • Rack your own or referee-racked formats may be used, depending on event procedure.
• • Templates are allowed.

11. Sportsmanship & Conduct

• • Players are expected to respect opponents, teammates, officials, tournament directors, and event staff.
• • Sharking, disruptive conduct, or deliberate attempts to interfere with play are prohibited.
• • Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in warning, loss of rack, loss of match, removal from event, or further disciplinary action depending on severity.

12. Streaming & Media Rights

• • NPC matches may be recorded and streamed on PoolHub.live.
• • By participating, players consent to approved media use, event coverage, and promotional use connected to NPC competition.
• • Outside streaming or broadcasting requires approval from PoolHub.live / NPC.
• • NPC reserves exclusive control over official streaming and broadcast rights unless explicitly authorized otherwise.

13. Final Authority

NPC officials retain final authority on rulings, interpretations, eligibility questions, team-structure disputes, competitive decisions, and administrative enforcement. Where situations arise that are not explicitly covered on this page, NPC may issue rulings consistent with league integrity, fairness, and the intended competitive structure of the conference.