Macclesfield Pool League – Competition Updates

By Lewis Ditchfield
On Monday 11 May 2026 15:04
 
 
 
Key Changes (Summary)
 
 
 
 
✅ Race Format Changes (Singles & Pairs):
Race to 3 → Semi-finals Race to 4 → Finals Race to 5
 
✅ Lag for Break Now Mandatory:
Applies to all competitions
 
✅ Plate Competitions Introduced (Trial):
First-round losers in main individual comps enter a Plate
 
✅ Pairs Comp Renamed:
Scotch Pairs → Open Pairs
 
✅ Scheduling Improvement:
Gap introduced between Finals Night and next season
 
✅ New Winter Competitions (AGM):
Mixed Pairs (International Rules)
Winter Cup (International Rules)
 
 
 
Full Details
Following a recent meeting with team captains representing each division across both leagues, a number of ideas and suggestions were discussed regarding the structure and running of our competitions. These were reviewed by the committee, resulting in the following management changes being agreed.
 
We would also like to extend our thanks to those who attended the Captain Feedback Group meeting and contributed their input:
Marc Corbett, John Barton, Shaun Rose, Matt Mason, Barry Buckley, Jimmy Sheldon, Jeff Ravenscroft and Ollie England.
Your feedback played an important role in shaping these updates.
 
1. Updated Match Formats (Singles & Pairs Competitions)
For all singles and pairs competitions under both Macclesfield rules and International rules, the format will now be:
 
Early rounds: Race to 3
Semi-finals: Race to 4
Finals: Race to 5
 
For the 3-a-side competition, as agreed at the AGM, this will now be three singles followed by two 3-a-side matches throughout the entirety of the competition.
 
While there was feedback suggesting the Men’s Individuals be played as Race to 5 throughout, this was carefully considered. However, the decision was made to keep a consistent format across all competitions using the 3/4/5 structure.
 
2. Lag for Break – Now Standard Across All Competitions
A key rule change:
 
All competition matches must now start with a lag for break and alternate breaks throughout the rest of the match
 
Applies to all comps:
 
Singles
Pairs
3-a-side
Team competitions (including upcoming Super Cup group stage matches)
 
This ensures consistency and fairness league-wide.
 
3. Plate Competitions (Trial for This Season)
We will be trialling Plate competitions for:
 
Men’s Individuals
Open Individuals
 
Format:
 
Players knocked out in the pre-lims/first round will be automatically entered into the Plate competition (unless you want to opt-out, please advise the Competition Secretary)
Finals Night will now include:
 
The Plate Final
Followed by the Main Event Final
 
This aims to give players more game time and value from entering competitions.
 
4. Pairs Competition Name Change
Scotch Pairs will now be known as Open Pairs
 
Reason:
Both rule sets already use Scotch format in pairs matches, so the name is no longer required.
 
5. Finals Night Scheduling
Feedback highlighted that Finals Night was too close to the start of the next season.
✅ This has now been addressed:
 
For this summer and ongoing seasons, there will be a break between Finals Nights and the following season
 
6. New CompetitionS (AGM Decision)
Separate from the captain feedback meeting, the following were agreed at the most recent AGM:
 
Mixed Pairs (International Rules)
This has been brought in for the Winter seasons
 
This brings the total to:
 
4 bi-weekly competitions in the Summer
4 bi-weekly competitions in the Winter
 
As for the other Winter Cup that was proposed at the AGM, we are still ironing out how this will be brought in for the Winter.
A post update will go out once this has been clarified.
 
 
7. Unchanged Competitions
All other competition formats and structures remain unchanged.
 
 
Any questions, just give us a shout 👍
 
Macclesfield Pool League Committee