1.     International Shuffleboard Events and Competitions

1.1. General:

1.1.1.   There shall be at least one ISA event each year.

1.1.2.   In even years, the ISA shall organize a World Team Championship.

1.1.3.   In odd years, the ISA shall organize a World Singles Championship.

1.1.4.   In ISA World Championships there shall be a separate men’s and women’s division.

1.1.5.   Requests to host an ISA World Championship can only come from the president of a national Shuffleboard association and shall be submitted to the ISA President.

1.1.6.   A vote shall be taken by the voting members of the Board of Directors to determine the host venue.

1.1.7.   If there is more than one request to host an ISA World Championship, the venue that receives the greatest number of votes shall be selected.

1.1.8.   If two or more requests receive the same number of votes, the ISA President shall break the tie.

1.1.9.   In order to qualify for organizing an ISA World Championship, the host venue must have a number of courts equal or greater to the amount of ISA “Full Member” associations.

1.1.10.   The maximum number of participants is limited to four times the number of courts per division available at the host venue.

1.1.11.   The percentage of participants representing one nation in ISA World Championships may not be greater than one fourth of all participants.

1.1.12.   Any player must be a member of a national Shuffleboard association. In cases where nations do not have individual memberships, players nominated by the respective national president are viewed/treated as members of that national Shuffleboard association.

1.1.13.   Nominations and approval for any player come from the presidents of the respective national Shuffleboard associations.

1.1.14.   Any national Shuffleboard association that does not have a minimum of 50% of their participating players residing in the nation they represent must have ISA Board approval.

1.1.15.   In order to be eligible to represent a nation, the player has to meet one of the following criteria:         

1.1.15.1.         produce a valid passport or ID of said nation

1.1.15.2.         produce a birth certificate of said nation

1.1.15.3.         lives in said nation at least one year from the date of his/her application

1.1.15.4.         at least one parent of the player comes from said nation, provable by production of passport, ID or birth certificate of that nation

1.1.16.   Once a player has chosen the nation they wish to represent they cannot then switch to another nation unless their chosen National Shuffleboard Association ceases to be an ISA member or if the National Shuffleboard Association did not exist at the time the player represented a different nation.

1.1.17.   Regarding the appointment of a Tournament Director, the ISA President shall consult with the host(s) of that tournament.

1.1.18.   In the event that an agreement on the Tournament Director cannot be reached, the voting members of the Board of Directors will make the decision by vote with simple majority.

1.1.19.   The Tournament Director has the authority to appoint Assistant Tournament Directors as required.

1.1.20.   The tournament schedule is set up by the Tournament Director, the ISA President and the host(s).

1.1.21.   In ISA World Championships, each participating national Shuffleboard association shall supply up to two gifts, not exceeding the amount of $25.00 each, from their own country.

1.1.22.   On request, the costs for these gifts will be reimbursed by the ISA Treasurer upon delivery of the gifts along with a required purchase receipt.

1.1.23.   The ISA President, the Tournament Director and a host representative will select individuals who have contributed to a successful event, to be the recipients of these gifts.

1.1.24.   Infringements of the playing rules or the “Code of Conduct” will result in the formation of a general forum, consisting of the Tournament Director and the voting members of the Board of Directors present at the tournament, to deal expeditiously with the alleged violation.

1.1.25.   The forum has the authority to take appropriate disciplinary action and to make decisions regarding previous or outstanding games related to the violation.

1.1.26.   There shall be no coaching during the games.

 

1.2. World Singles Championship

1.2.1.  Number of Participants

1.2.1.1.             The number of participants should be in a multiple of 8.

1.2.2.  Order of Play

1.2.2.1.             Players in World Championships shall be required to be divided into groups of 8 players each.

1.2.2.2.             There will always be a championship round(s), the form of which will vary depending upon the number of players in the division.

1.2.2.3.             Where there are insufficient courts for all players to play simultaneously, divisions shall play on alternate rounds, allowing the elimination of the stoppage of play for the lunch break.

1.2.2.4.             Games are to be 16-frame non-walking singles with eight frames to be played on each color.

1.2.2.5.             In the first Round Robin, individual game ties at the end of 16 frames will remain as unbroken ties.

1.2.2.6.             Prior to the start of the tournament, the Tournament Director shall announce an appropriate procedure to break a tie, should that become necessary after the first Round Robin.

1.2.2.7.             After the game has started, no player may refer to drawings or any similar device designed to assist in executing a shot.

1.2.3.  Practice shots

1.2.3.1.             At the beginning of each game, two discs may be shot by each player to check speed.

1.2.3.2.             Four setup disks are allowed for each player.

1.2.3.3.             The shooter may ask the player at the other end to place his/her cue in the desired location for the first shot and thereafter; the player may position the shooter’s discs as targets.

1.2.3.4.             When opponent’s discs are available, they may be used as a target.

1.2.3.5.             After changing color, four setup discs may be shot by each player on their new color.

1.2.4.  Judging Discs

1.2.4.1.             When there is doubt as to whether or not a disc counts, the first call shall be made by the person playing black at the opposite end of the court.

1.2.4.2.             If either the shooter or his/her opponent doubts the call, the other person shooting the yellow disc shall immediately make the second call.

1.2.4.3.             Should they disagree, the Tournament Director or his/her designate will make the final call.

1.2.5.  Moved Discs

1.2.5.1.             If a disc is moved by the players at the other end, by mistake during play, it will be placed back in its former position, as close as possible.

1.2.5.2.             If multiple discs have been moved and it is difficult to get them back in their proper locations, then the frame will be replayed.

1.2.6. Recording Scores

1.2.6.1.             No scores shall be recorded and the round/game is not over until the absolute last disc has been shot and comes to a complete stop.

1.2.6.2.             No discs shall be moved until the score is recorded on the scoreboard.

1.2.7. Penalties

1.2.7.1.             No penalties will be assessed.

1.2.7.2.             Any dispute between players should be brought to the attention of the Tournament Director or his/her designate to clear the situation.

1.2.7.3.             The Tournament Director has the final say in any and all disputes regarding play on the courts for the duration of the tournament.

1.2.8. Code of Conduct

1.2.8.1.             A player shall not interfere in any way with the shot of his opponent.

1.2.8.2.             A player shall demonstrate good sportsmanship on and off the courts.

1.2.9. Points

1.2.9.1.             One point will be awarded for an individual win, a half point will be awarded for a tie and zero points will be awarded for a loss.

1.2.10.   Ties

1.2.10.1.         Ties at the conclusion of the first Round Robin will be broken in the following order:

1.2.10.1.1.               Results of prior head-to-head play for the involved players.
1.2.10.1.2.               SpeedShuffleboard between the players involved.

1.2.11.   Rules for SpeedShuffleboard

1.2.11.1.         Each player will be assigned a court by the Tournament Director or his designee.

1.2.11.2.         Each player will be provided with eight discs.

1.2.11.3.         Upon command, each player will shoot one disc for practice. The practice disc will be removed from the court before any other discs are played.

1.2.11.4.         Upon command, each of the remaining discs will be played one at a time.

1.2.11.5.         A minus 10 (kitchen) will count as +10; all others will count as normal.

1.2.11.6.         All discs will remain on the board.

1.2.11.7.         Discs may be played from anywhere in the shooting area.

1.2.11.8.         Each player must shoot his/her disc before their opponent’s disc comes to a stop. Any disc not shot in the allotted time shall be forfeit and removed from the board.

1.2.11.9.         After each of the remaining discs is played, the scorekeeper shall announce the value of that disc and write that value and the total score on the scoreboard.

1.2.11.10.      After all discs have been shot, the Tournament Director or his designee shall announce the total score for each player and the order of finish for all involved players.

1.2.11.11.      The number of rounds will be equal to the number of players tied for the position in question and all players will play one round on each of the assigned courts.

1.2.12.   Player categories

1.2.12.1.         “Returning Champions” (male & female winners of their respective divisions of the previous World Singles Championship have the right to defend their titles. Players from this category count towards the national quota for the respective national Shuffleboard association).

1.2.12.2.         Players from “Full Member” associations

1.2.12.3.         Players from other national Shuffleboard associations

1.2.12.4.         “ISA Appointments” (as defined in ISA Appointments 3.10.1)

1.2.13.  Substitutions

1.2.13.1.         Substitutions are to be allowed only for a player that is too ill or injured to play as scheduled and the following limitations shall apply:

1.2.13.1.1.               Substitutions for formerly nominated players who were unable to participate (due to sickness, failure to appear or other reasons) can only be made until the Tournament Director finishes his statement during the official Opening Ceremony.

1.2.13.1.2.               The Tournament Director at that time will approve and publicly announce those substituting players, thus publicly affirming that all rules and regulations regarding the World Singles Championship were observed.

1.2.13.1.3.               Re-substitution (i.e. substituting any player who has already been officially substituted by the Tournament Director, even a formerly nominated player) is not possible.

1.2.13.1.4.               The substitute player must be eligible to represent the nation for which he/she is to play.

1.2.13.1.5.               If a player concedes a game, does not finish a game or does not appear within 15 minutes of the scheduled start of the game, the game shall be classified as a loss for this player and as a win for his/her opponent.

1.2.13.1.6.               A player who misses one or more games during the World Singles Championship can return at any time and continue playing according to the schedule.

1.2.14.   Medals

1.2.14.1.         The winner of each division is rewarded with the “Golden Cue” trophy as well as a World Champion pin.

1.2.14.2.         The winner holds the title of “World Champion” until the next World Team Championship.

1.2.14.3.         The winner of each division gets the gold medal, second the silver and third the bronze.

1.2.14.4.         The top eight participants of each division are rewarded with medals with their finishing rank engraved on the medal.

1.2.14.5.         Each participant shall receive a certificate stating his/her participation and finishing rank.

1.2.14.6.         The participants, in finishing order, shall be published on the ISA website.

 

1.3. World Team Championship

1.3.1.  Team Size

1.3.1.1.             The team size is standardized to four players per team

1.3.1.2.             The maximum number of teams permitted per national Shuffleboard association and division is three.

1.3.2.  Order of Play

1.3.2.1.             All team events will require an even number of teams in each division and may require teams to be divided into smaller groups.

1.3.2.2.             There will always be a team championship round(s), the form of which will vary depending upon the number of teams in the division (see figure 1 below).

1.3.2.3.             Where there are insufficient courts for all teams to play simultaneously, divisions shall play on alternate rounds, allowing the elimination of the stoppage of play for the lunch.

1.3.2.4.             Games are to be 16-frame non-walking singles with eight frames to be played on each color.

1.3.2.5.             Individual game ties at the end of 16 frames will remain as unbroken ties.

1.3.2.6.             After the game has started, no player may refer to drawings or any similar device designed to assist in executing a shot.

1.3.3.  Practice shots

1.3.3.1.             At the beginning of each game, two discs may be shot by each player to check speed.

1.3.3.2.             Four setup disks are allowed for each player.

1.3.3.3.             The shooter may ask the player at the other end to place his/her cue in the desired location for the first shot and thereafter; the player may position the shooter’s discs as targets.

1.3.3.4.             When opponent’s discs are available, they may be used as a target.

1.3.3.5.             After changing color, four setup discs may be shot by each player on their new color.

1.3.4.  Judging Discs

1.3.4.1.             When there is doubt as to whether or not a disc counts, the first call shall be made by the person playing black at the opposite end of the court.

1.3.4.2.             If either the shooter or his/her opponent doubts the call, the other person shooting the yellow disc shall immediately make the second call.

1.3.4.3.             Should they disagree, the Tournament Director or his/her designate will make the final call.

1.3.5.  Moved Discs

1.3.5.1.             If a disc is moved by the players at the other end, by mistake during play, it will be placed back in its former position, as close as possible.

1.3.5.2.             If multiple discs have been moved and it is difficult to get them back in their proper locations, then the frame will be replayed.

1.3.6.  Recording Scores

1.3.6.1.             No scores shall be recorded and the round/game is not over until the absolute last disc has been shot and comes to a complete stop.

1.3.6.2.             No discs shall be moved until the score is recorded on the scoreboard.

1.3.7.  Penalties

1.3.7.1.             No penalties will be assessed.

1.3.7.2.             Any dispute between players should be brought to the attention of the Tournament Director or his/her designate to clear the situation.

1.3.8.  Code of Conduct

1.3.8.1.             A player shall not interfere in any way with the shot of his/her opponent.

1.3.8.2.             The Tournament Director or his/her designate will bring any rule infractions to the attention of the respective Team Captain who will assist in counselling the player (s).

1.3.8.3.             Good sportsmanship on and off the courts shall be demonstrated at all times.

1.3.9.  Points

1.3.9.1.             Individual players will earn points towards their team score.

1.3.9.2.             One point will be awarded for an individual win, a half point will be awarded for a tie and zero points will be awarded for a loss.

1.3.9.3.             A team’s total score is the sum of the points earned by its individual players.

1.3.10.   Team Ties

1.3.10.1.         If there is to be more than one round robin, all relevant ties between teams (i.e., ties that, if broken, would determine whether the involved teams are placed into high or lower subsequent groups) will be broken in the following order:

1.3.10.1.1.               Results of prior head to head play for the involved teams.
1.3.10.1.2.               SpeedShuffleboard between the involved teams.
1.3.10.1.3.               The same method will be used to break all ties at the conclusion of the last round robin.

1.3.11.   Rules for Team SpeedShuffleboard

1.3.11.1.         Each tied team will be assigned to a court (two tied = two courts, three tied = three courts, etc.)

1.3.11.2.         Each of the four team members will be allowed one practice shot on their assigned court. The practice discs will then be returned to the head of the court.

1.3.11.3.         Each team member in turn will then shoot two discs, each on the command of the TD or his representative.

1.3.11.4.         Any disc not shot before an opponent’s disc comes to a stop will be forfeit.

1.3.11.5.         All shot discs will remain on the court until all eight discs have been played.

1.3.11.6.         Discs will count their normal value, except 10-Offs which will count as plus 10.

1.3.11.7.         Total scores will be tallied for all involved teams and the process repeated until each team has played on each of the assigned courts.

1.3.11.8.         Total score will determine the final positions.

1.3.12.   Substitutions

1.3.12.1.         Substitutions are to be allowed only for a player that is too ill or injured to play as scheduled and the following limitations shall apply:

1.3.12.1.1.               The substitute player must be eligible to represent the nation for which he/she is to play.
1.3.12.1.2.               The substitute must be named by the team captain or national president and the Tournament Director informed prior to the start of the tournament.
1.3.12.1.3.               The Tournament Director and all team captains shall be immediately notified of any actual substitution.
1.3.12.1.4.               There will be only one substitution per team for the duration of the tournament.
1.3.12.1.5.               If the incapacitated player recovers, he/she may return to play the remainder of the tournament and the designated substitute will be removed from play.
1.3.12.1.6.               Should a second player from the same team become unable to play, that team will continue without a substitute and an individual loss will be recorded for each round the player is absent.

1.3.13.   Medals

1.3.13.1.         The first place team gets the gold medal, second the silver and third the bronze.

1.3.13.2.         Each member of the top three teams as well as their Team Captains are awarded their respective medals.

1.3.13.3.         The first place team holds the title of “World Team Champion” until the next World Team Championship.

1.3.13.4.         The teams, in finishing order, shall be published on the ISA website.

 

1.4. International Friendly Matches

1.4.1.   In order to be recognized as an ISA sanctioned international friendly match following requirements are to be met:

1.4.1.1.             The participating national Shuffleboard associations apply for recognition of their event as an ISA sanctioned event.

1.4.1.2.             Each player participating in that event pays a player fee to the ISA. The amount is to be determined by the ISA President.

1.4.1.3.             A minimum of four players per national Shuffleboard association have to compete.

1.4.1.4.             A minimum of eight frames per match have to be played.

1.4.2.   Other relevant topics are subject to agreement between the respective national Shuffleboard associations.