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I'd agree with Sass that the whole stopwatch thing is just an annoying distraction that does nothing to improve the enjoyment of the evening. A ref and a spot ref is sufficient, and if a player is seemingly taking longer than 'necessary' in the opinion of the ref then they should be politely asked to get on with it.

The length of time of the games does not seem to have altered at all (the majority of players play well within a minute anyway), and it seems unlikely that anyone will over-run on any individual shot.

Perhaps if we made the time limit 30s it would have a dramatic effect upon the game, but a rushed shot will lead to more errors and a longer game because of that, so perhaps not.

Of additional (linked) interest is the 15 game proposal in the current poll/vote.

It may perhaps be appropriate to have a 15 game format in the top division, 13 in Div II, 11 in Div III, 9 in Div IV with league cup games and lower divisions playing a 7 game format.

Win bonuses could then be reapplied across the board, and lower division teams that do not clear the table in a single visit (and who therefore take longer to play an average game) can enjoy an evening of pool that doesn't necessarily result in being too bleary eyed the next day.

Just an idea from the floor!