MGSC KO 2011
Minneapolis Grand Slam Club
Knock-out Team Championship
Conditions of Contest
FORMAT:
1. Double Elimination. Each team continues to play until defeated twice.
2. Random Draw: There will be no seeding of teams, and a blind drawing will be held each week subject to modifications and procedures shown under PAIRINGS below.
3. Master Points: Master points will be awarded according to the ACBL’s regular award schedule for extended knockout team events. The event is sectionally rated.
ELIGIBILITY:
Teams may consist of 4 to 6 players who do not have to be members of the Minneapolis Grand Slam Club (MGSC). Teams officially will consist of the four players fielded for the first match. Teams may augment at any time with 5th and 6th players who have not played on any other registered team. They need not be listed on the original registration form.
CONDITIONS OF PLAY:
1. Time, date and place:
Matches may be played at the Minneapolis Bridge Center or at a place, date and time mutually agreed upon by the opposing team captains. The mutually agreed upon time must be within the scheduled week. If the team captains cannot agree upon a time and date, the official time and place for matches will be Thursday evening, 7:00 p.m. at the Bridge Center. When a two-week time period is allowed for completion of a match, the official Thursday will be the second one.
2. Forfeits:
If one team does not have 4 players seated and ready to play by 7:15 p.m. on the scheduled night, its opponents will win by forfeit. However, by agreement of both captains, the match may still be played and the actual result will determine the winner. If neither team has 4 players ready to play at 7:15, it will be deemed a double forfeit (unless one team has already forfeited by phone to the opposing captain).
3. Seating:
To start a match, captains will flip a coin. The captain who wins the flip may exercise seating rights for either the first or second half at his/her discretion. Playbacks the second half will be allowed.
4. Holiday Schedule:
As a convenience to the players, the normal one-week schedule for Knockout play will be extended to two weeks for the Thanksgiving time period and for the week between Christmas and New Years. There will be no drawing on November 25.
5. Length of Matches:
All matches will be 28 boards, scored at IMPs. The finals will be 32 boards.
6. Bidding Boxes:
Use of bidding boxes will be required just as for our regular Friday night games.
7. Breaking Ties:
If a match ends in a tie, 4 more boards will be played to determine a winner. This method will be used until one team is victorious.
8. Finals:
The final round, which is any round in which a champion may be determined, will be played at a time and day to be announced by the chair. The final round may be broadcast on BBO.
9. Round-robin:
When there are three teams left in the event, two of which have had a bye, the team with no previous bye gets a bye. The other two teams will play, even if they have already played each other.
In all other situations where three teams are left, a round robin will be played. The round-robin will be held in two sessions of play with 16 boards played against each team in each session. If after the round-robin:
a. 2 or 3 teams left each with two losses: The IMP quotient method among the 3 teams will break the tie (See Official Encyclopedia of Bridge for instructions).
b. 3 teams left each with less than two losses: Play another round-robin.
c. 2 teams left each with less than two losses: Teams play each other until one team loses twice.
d. 1 team left with less than two losses is THE WINNER!
FEES:
Entry fee per team is $20.00 per match. This fee covers the cost of Sanction Fees and using the Bridge Center’s facilities, including coffee, supplies bidding boxes and the director in charge.
Fees will be paid directly to the Bridge Center upon registration each week (See Captain’s Duties). Regular team entries will be sold by the Bridge Center Director, which must be filled out and turned in to the director at the conclusion of each match along with the name of the winning team and half-time and final scores. “Ins and outs” must be indicated on the form so that master points can be credited correctly.
PAIRINGS:
Drawings for the weekly matches will be held at the MGSC each Friday prior to the Club’s scheduled game except as previously noted. The first drawing will be September 30th, 2011.
All pairings will be done by random draw with the modifications and in this order:
1. No team will get a second bye until all remaining teams have had one bye.
2. No team will play another team twice unless forced by the remaining draw.
CAPTAIN’S DUTIES:
The Captain (or acting captain) is the only spokesperson for the team. His/her responsibilities include:
1. Make all arrangements for the time and date of the match with the opposing team’s captain.
2. Collect the $20.00 match fee from among the teammates and purchase an entry from the Bridge Center Director.
3. Make sure that all entry/result forms are completely filled out (including ACBL numbers) and turned in to the Director. Be sure to indicate the “ins and outs” of the participating players so that the correct masterpoints are awarded.
4. The day following the match, the WINNING captain reports both the half-time and final scores of the match in IMPs to Julie Tigges at 612.201.4473 or jj2@pro-ns.net.
5. In the event that a match is held at someone’s home, the winning captain will collect the $20.00 entry fee from each team, pay half ($20.00) to the host, and give the balance to one of the Co-chairs as soon as possible.
KIBITZERS:
Kibitzers are welcome when matches are held at the Bridge Center. Players may kibitz their own team but only with the approval of the opposing team’s captain.
SMOKING POLICY:
This is a non-smoking event with breaks.
DIRECTORS, RULINGS, PROTESTS AND ETHICS COMMITTEE:
If there is an impropriety in the course of a match or a question arises about the rules of the game, call the director on duty. In a match played at a site other than the Bridge Center, call the Bridge Center for a ruling. Protests where a committee is needed should be saved for the following Friday at the MGSC. Please notify the Chair prior to Friday regarding the matter. If any contested rulings, protests or ethics violations occur, the two teams are required to play one extra board after the match in case the committee rules that another board should be played as a replacements board. If there is any doubt, PLAY ANOTHER BOARD!
GENERAL:
1. The above rules may be changed only by consent of the majority of the MGSC Board of Directors and team captains still remaining in the event. Any questions should be directed to the Chair.
2. REMEMBER: The purpose of this event is to promote knockout competition and foster sociability in our Club. In this spirit we ask that teams make a positive effort to avoid forfeits by accommodating -- within reason -- the scheduling problems of the other team.
3. Since everyone connected with running this event is also a participant, to avoid conflict of interest, the applications of the rules need to be as automatic and impartial as possible. Any rule proposed changes can be submitted to the MGSC board and will be considered for the next year's event.
Julie Tigges, Chair
612.201.4473