CONSTITUTION:

1. The name of the Association shall be called the (English Pool Association), hereafter called the Association.
2. The Association is formed for the purpose of promoting the game of pool amongst all playing members within England, and to organise (individuals, pairs & team knockouts) competitions, and to select true English National Pool Teams, to negotiate sponsorship for the game, and standardise playing rules.
3. The Association will be zoned into seven (7) Regional areas, and numbered one to seven (1-7). In each of these Regions a Regional Association will be established. Each Regional Association will be managed by the County Associations within that Region on behalf of the E.P.A. The Constitution of each Regional Association will be broadly in line with the model contained in the E.P.A. handbook, and will always contain the following paragraph: This Association will be organised to run in accordance with the E.P.A. Constitution, and will be subject to, and comply with, any decisions of E.P.A. general meetings and National committee meetings.
4. Any alterations to the constitution and playing rules can only be done at a Annual General Meeting of the Association, after giving the relevant details of intended changes to Secretary forty two (42) days prior to the date set for that meeting, amendments are to be in the hands of the Secretary twenty eight (28) days prior to the set date for the meeting.

RULES:

The Association shall elect a committee to manage all business appertaining to the Association.
1. The six (6) senior officers are elected at the relevant Annual General Meeting as set out below.
2. The Executive committee shall consist of eight (8) officers, Chairman: Vice Chairman: Secretary: Assistant Secretary: Treasurer: Assistant Treasurer: plus 2 co-opted Sub-Committee Chairman: (Marketing & Event Tournament Director).
   1. National Committee consists of: Chairman: Vice Chairman: Secretary: Assistant Secretary: Treasurer: Assistant Treasurer: plus two (2) representatives from each approved Region within England, and a representative from the English Pool Referees Association.
3. The six (6) Senior Officers, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer, will hold office for three (3) years, on a staggered basis, starting with the Treasurer/ Vice Chairman, then the Chairman/ Assistant Secretary/ then the Secretary/ Assistant Treasurer.
4. None of the six Senior Executive Officers may hold the position of a Regional delegate at a National meeting.
5. The retiring officer’s positions will be open for election at the current Annual General Meeting providing nominations have been received within forty two (42) days of the A.G.M.
6. All retiring members will be eligible to stand for re-election.
7. The committee will appoint any member from the incumbent committee to fill any position that may occur during the year. The person seconded into the position will only be acting in that position until the next A.G.M.
8. The committee shall have full authority to make any decision that, in their opinion, is deemed necessary or beneficial to its members.
9. The committee shall have the right to alter or amend any fixture or advertisement that they decide necessary.
10. No Officer from another Country’s Association/ Organisation/ Federation may hold a position on the E.P.A. National Committee or vote at an E.P.A. A.G.M. or E.G.M.
11. A Region cannot hold more than two (2) Executive Officers positions on the E.P.A. Executive Committee.
12. The Chairman, Secretary and the Treasurer will be entered on the bank mandate, the Treasurer plus either the, Chairman or the Secretary must sign all cheques.
13. The Treasurer will provide a properly audited balance sheet, two (2) weeks prior to each A.G.M
14. The Treasurer and finance sub-committee will check all income and expenditure receipts, and observe proper banking procedures.
15. The Treasurer will present at each meeting of the Association the ledger book, showing all income and expenditure, since the last meeting of the Association.
16. Honorariums will be paid by Standing Order debt along with Telephone allowances. (A.G.M. 2003).

(Playing Rules Clarification) Motion may be included in the E.P.A A.G.M. if agreed they are sent to the W.E.B.P.F. to be agreed by the World 8 Ball Federation A.G.M.

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership of the Association will be open to all County Associations, throughout England; Leagues will become members by joining the County Association the league is in. (see appendix 1)
1. New Pool Leagues: A league can only affiliate to the County Association where the majority of its team play pool. (The EPA may at its discretion grant dispensation to a league wishing to affiliate to a County Association where fewer than the requisite number of teams play pool). Existing County Association Pool League structures to continue as status quo.
1. The committee reserves the right to instruct a County Association, to refuse membership to any league, team or individual, if for any reason they consider that, granting of membership would be detrimental to the Association.
   1. Players playing Inter-County, Inter-League, or any event carrying the use of the ‘Players I.D/ registration card’ must register their names and addresses and supply 2 passport photographs to their Regional Director within seven days (7) of playing in the event.
   2. The E.P.A National Affiliation Registration membership card will carry a money figure attached to it. This will include a £3 levy payable to the E.P.A. (as of 1st January 2008)
   3. The National Committee will have the power to suspend the I.D/ Registration card of an individual who administers or plays in an event that is believed to be in direct competition with the English Pool Association until the disciplinary procedures are completed.
2. All County Associations in membership shall pay the annual subscription, agreed at the A.G.M each year. Ref: Appendix 1.
3. The annual subscription will be due on January 1st each year.
4. Any member County not paying their subscriptions by the twenty second (22nd) of January, of that year, will be deemed to have resigned their membership, and will be refused all benefits of the Association.
5. Only fully paid up members will be entitled to enter any competition (other than a lottery) organised by the Association.
6. All monies held by the Association will after the deduction of managerial expenses be used for the Association.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS:

The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be set at the first National meeting after the E.P.A. A.G.M..(AGM proposal 2005)
1. Only fully paid up County Associations are allowed to attend the A.G.M, plus the committee of the Association.
2. Voting at the A.G.M & E.G.M is: one (1) vote per County Association present. Chairman will hold the casting vote if required.
3. E.P.A. will send out notification of the A.G.M no less than seventy (70) days prior to the A.G.M. set date.
4. Proposals for the agenda of the A.G.M must be in the hands of the Secretary of the Association forty two (42) days prior to the date set for that A.G.M.
5. Amendments to these proposals must be in the hands of the Secretary of the Association twenty-eight (28) days prior to the date set for the A.G.M.
6. County Associations in full membership, and the Executive Committee are allowed to add Proposal Or Amendments to the A.G.M. agenda, subject to these proposals or amendments being submitted to the National Secretary within the stated time period.
7. An E.G.M of the E.P.A. may be called by a minimum of 25% of the Affiliated County Associations, the request to be put in writing to the National Secretary, and signed by the Chairman of each County Association requesting the E.G.M. This must be accompanied by the reason they request an E.G.M.
8. The Executive committee of the E.P.A. upon receiving a request to call an E.G.M, will give a minimum of 3 days notice in writing, to all Affiliated County Association with an agreed date for the E.G.M. and the reason for the meeting.
9. At the A.G.M any member of the Association may require the committee to give a full account of any action taken by the committee.
10. No Motion will be read to the A.G.M or E.G.M unless it as been seconded 7 days before the said A.G.M or E.G.M.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS:

The Association will convene a minimum of four (4) committee meetings a year, these meetings to be set by the National Committee, these are additional to the two (2) A.G.M.
1. Votes at these meetings will be: a maximum of two (2) votes per Region, one (1) per delegate present. Chairman will hold the casting vote.
2. Any Region not represented at these committee meetings will be subject to a fine. (see appendix 1).
3. A quorum for E.P.A meetings is 4 Regions.
4. Any four (4) Regions may call a meeting of the Association, after giving at least seventy two (72) hours notice in writing, and giving the reason they require a meeting, these reasons to be given to all members of the committee.

DISPUTE:

In the event of a dispute occurring in a game of Pool Organised by the EPA a complaint must be registered with the Organising section within seven (7) days of the offence occurring.
1. Any event organised by a County Association = County Association Secretary.
2. Any event organised by a Region = Regional Director (this includes Inter-County Fixture)
3. Any event organised by EPA Nationally = EPA Secretary.

DISCIPLINE:

The committee reserves the right to suspend, fine or expel any member, team, league, County Association or Region, for any breach of these rules, or any rules that the committee makes at any future time, or for any act deemed by the committee to have brought the Association into disrepute.
1. Any member, team, league, County Association or Region accused of any offence against the
2. Association, will be afforded every opportunity to defend themselves, or explain their conduct either in writing, or in person to the disciplinary committee.
3. Any member, team, league, County Association or Region expelled will not be allowed to enter a competition organised by the Association, until the body who suspended the party has re-admitted them to the body, which originally suspended them.
4. If a member, team, league or County Association is suspended, then the names, addresses and reason for suspension, must be forwarded to the Associations Secretary.
5. Any member, team, league, County Association expelled from the Association, will forfeit the whole of any subscriptions paid for the current year, and any right or entitlement formally accorded to them as members of the Association.
6. A member/ team suspended at league level, must appeal to the league who suspended them firstly, if the appeal fails, the member may request their County Association to hear their case, if the County Association rejects their case, the member can request the Region to hear their case, if the Region rejects their case, the member can request the Association to hear their case, and their decision will be final.
7. A league suspended by a County Association, must appeal to the County Association who suspended them firstly, if the appeal fails, the league may request the Region to hear their case, if the Region rejects their appeal, the league can request the Association to hear their case, and the decision will be final.
8. A County Association suspended by the Region, can request the Region to hear an appeal, if the appeal is rejected, the County Association can request the National Association to hear their case, and the decision will be final.
9. The Associations disciplinary committee will consist of: either the Vice Chairman or Assistant Treasurer of the E.P.A., and one (1) delegate from the two (2) closest Region to the Region where the case originated from.
10. The Associations appeals committee will consist of: either the Chairman or Treasurer of the E.P.A, and one (1) delegate from the two (2) closest Regions to the Region where the case originated from.
11. The Standard letters on disciplinary procedures are to be used for disciplinary issues. (A.G.M. 2001).
12. The Dress Code as updated and passed at a general 2009 is the adopted dress code for the E.P.A.
13. Random drug testing may be carried out after a white paper is agreed by the E.P.A.
14. E.P.A Disciplinary Guidelines as set in form E.P.A Form A6 be used as guidelines for Disciplinary cases. (As of E.P.A A.G.M 2005).

REFEREES:

The Association will encourage the training of referees in the Associations own playing rules so that they may gain the highest possible standards.
1. Any person wishing to officiate as a referee at any competition organised by the Association must first pass an official examination, set by the E.P.R.A.

GENERAL:

All members should endeavour at all times to play to rules supplied by the Association.
1. All teams/ leagues will be responsible for keeping a register of all their members, the committee shall have the right to examine any such register after giving five (5) days notice of their intentions.
2. The Association will endeavour to reimburse all reasonable expenses of any member of the committee incurred, while conducting business on behalf of the Association, such expenses to be approved by the finance sub-committee.
3. The Association will set up Sub-Committees to deal with functions dealt with by the Association These committees will be selected at the National committee meeting held in August or September of each year. (These Sub-Committee members will take office as from the meeting, except where an event is run in October/ November or December of that year).

APPENDIX 1:

English Pool Association Annual Subscription: £311 per year as 2009. A.G.M (note rule 1b).

A County Association must play Inter-County fixtures in the Region they are allocated too. This is Men’s A – Men’s B – Ladies.
If they cannot fulfil these criteria they must apply to the National Committee for dispensation.

1. New County Associations playing only Inter-League in their first year will be allowed to pay a reduced Affiliation fee. The cost of this Affiliation will be 50% of the Annual Affiliation fee.
   1. Affiliation fees will include the following free accommodation for delegates meetings called by the Executive of the Association, including the A.G.M and any E.G.M. Each County will be allowed one (1) delegate for 2 nights or two (2) delegates for one (1) night accommodation (each County will decide their preference). Counties will be responsible for all costs over the above stated limits. The Affiliation fee will be reviewed at each A.G.M under the Finance section on the agenda.
   2. All fixed income and expenditure items will be increased by the retail price index applicable in the September prior to the A.G.M. (A.G.M 98).
   3. County Associations not attending the E.P.A A.G.M will be fined £50. (A.G.M 96). This must be paid in full by the next National Committee date. If not paid by the day after that National Committee meeting, a further £10 will be added per calendar month that the fine is not paid in full. A County must pay the fine in full, even if it wishes to appeal against the fine.
   4. Regions not sending a delegate to the E.P.A committee meeting will be fined £50. (A.G.M 96). This must be paid in full by the next National Committee date. If not paid by the day after that National Committee meeting, a further £10 will be added per calendar month that the fine is not paid in full. A Region must pay the fine in full, even if it wishes to appeal against the fine.