2007 GRAND NATIONAL TEAMS,
CONDITION OF CONTEST,
1. District 19 Grand National Teams (GNT) will be conducted at Clubs or Units as the first stage of competition. Semifinals and finals will be held, Saturday, April 21st and Sunday, April 22nd, 2007.
Master Points for Flight determination for 2007 competition is Master points recorded with the ACBL as of September 1, 2006, except International players. This was calculated around Aug 6, 2006 in Memphis TN. Masterpints won after this cycle will not impact flight eligibility for these events.
For the GNT, a member’s principal physical residence as of Sept. 1 of the year prior to the NABC finals shall establish the district in which the member is eligible to participate beyond the qualifying stage. The credentials committee may request documentary evidence from the member whose eligibility is in question. If players wish an exception from these requirements, thy must begin the process for the GNT by July 1. Players must seek permission in writing from the district directors of the district in which he/she lives and the district in which he/she wishes to play. Both district directors must agree for the exception to be granted. For the Open Championship Flight in the GNT, this written permission from both district directors will be forwarded to the credentials committee for final approval. If the directors do not agree, the exception is not granted. There is no appeal from this decision.
Open Championship Flight – Unlimited
Flight A – No player exceeding 5000 master points
Flight B – No player exceeding 2000 master points
Flight C – Non-Life Master and under 500 Masterpoints
The STAGE ONE flight is club and /or unit sponsored games throughout the district and may be conducted at any time from now until March 30th, 2007, except during regional events in District 19 and national events.
2. Any four to six players may form a team for Club/Unit Game STAGE ONE competition. This team need not compete together at future stages. Each member of a team that qualifies can play with any team participating at the Semi Final and Final Events, without regard to the plurality of members from any particular unit and/or club. A major purpose of STAGE ONE Competition is to support our four teams at national competition and to provide for qualification by local match play.
3. Players must qualify at the Club or Unit sponsored STAGE ONE in order to further qualify or pay a fee of $25.00 per player to a maximum of $100.00 per team, to move directly to the semifinals.
4. Sanction application shall be tendered where ACBL regulations require same.
5. Scoring
a. STAGE ONE (club or unit qualifying): The method of scoring shall be win-loss or victory point scoring at club/unit option.
b. SEMI-FINAL STAGE: Victory point scoring shall be used in all flights.
6. Flight B or C players who qualify in a higher flight may elect to play in his/her flight and or the higher flight at the SEMI and FINAL Events.
7. The district GNT coordinator shall have discretion on all issues of qualifications and interpretation of these rules. The current District 19 coordinator is Tom Hansen, 24700 NE 126th St, DUVALL, WA 98019. He can be reached at (425) 485.8616 days, evening at (425) 788.0647, email thansen2@mindspring.com. With regard to any questions where the District GNT Coordinator is charged with discretionary responsibilities involving players in a flight in which the Coordinator is currently playing, the Director in Charge is substituted for the GNT Coordinator in consultation with the District’s National Director, if available.
8. SEMI-FINALS and FINALS will be held April 21st and 22nd with the first of four sessions starting, Saturday, April 21st at 1:00 PM. Registration for the event will close at 12:30 PM (1/2 hr before play begins).
9. STAGE IV, National Finals – See ACBL conditions of contest.
10. The following rules apply to a team that wins the right to represent the district in any flight:
a. Each team may augment their team in the National Finals, to constitute a team of not more than six players. At least three players must be original members from the qualified Final team.
b. At least three members of the winning team must participate in the plan to play in at least 50% of the matches at the National Finals. If at least three members of the winning team cannot participate, the second place team shall be granted the same privileges, subject to the same limitations. If the second place team also cannot or chooses not to participate under these criteria, the District Coordinator and such other members of the board having been selected by the District Director to serve on the GNT/NAOP Committee may select the representative of District 19 at Stage IV, National Finals. If possible, the team shall be composed of members of teams placing first through fourth at the District Finals.
10. Fourteen hundred dollars will be paid by the District to each winning team that participates in the National Finals to assist with expenses of participation. All participating players at the National Finals shall pay or provide for their own expenses to and from the tournament, as well as entry fees. The captains of the winning team shall be responsible for notifying the ACBL and the District Director of their intent to participate in the Finals or not and comply with the rules pertaining therto.
11. Bidding Methods
a. Championship Flight and Flight A may use the Mid-Chart.
b. Flights B and C must use the ACBL general convention chart conventions only.
STAGE ONE : CLUB/UNIT
1. Any club or unit may conduct a STAGE ONE qualification.
2. STAGE ONE may be conducted on any dates other than during the North American Bridge Championships or a District 19 regional.
3. STAGE ONE is one or two sessions at the Club or Unit’s selection.
4. For one-session events, the number of teams dictates the format of STAGE ONE as follows:
Number of teams, Number of matches, boards per match
2 1 24
3 (round robin) 2 12
4 (round robin) 3 8
5 (round robin) 4 6
6 (round robin) 5 5
7 (swiss) 3 8
8-17 (swiss) 4 6
18 and up (swiss) 5 5
5. If a two-session event is held, each session must be at least 24 boards in length. Any ACBL accepted format for team competition might be used.
6. Each club or unit may conduct a stratified game wherein all flights participate together. Where this method is used, each member of the qualifying team shall be qualified for Semifinal competition in the flight(s) qualified for by the team and any flight below the qualified flight in which the player is eligible.
7. In addition to the ACBL sanction fee, the District has an additional $6.00 per team (whether one or two sessions) surcharge. The ACBL sanction fee will be remitted with the official report to the ACBL. The district surcharge and a copy of the qualification print out from the club or unit game will be remitted to the District Coordinator. District Coordinator is currently Tom Hansen, 24700 NE 126th St, Duvall WA, 98019. thansen2@mindspring.com.
8. Qualification of Teams in Stratified Club or Unit Games: the top ˝ of the field and ties qualify for Championship Flight, Flight A and lower. The top half of Flight B and C teams plus ties qualify for B and lower, without counting the Championship and A flight teams. The top ˝ of the C teams and ties qualify for Flight C. A member who qualifies as part of higher flight team for that teams qualification level qualifies for play in any lower flight for which that player has point qualifications.
SEMI FINAL DISTRICT QUALIFICATION
Teams shall consist of members who have qualified at STAGE ONE or who purchase entry byes as stated above.
District 19 conducts the SEMI-FINAL and FINAL qualifications. General entry fees shall be charged at the most recently established District 19 Regional rates.
The number of teams to enter one flight shall determine the qualifying format. If these rules do not clearly provide for a process for the number of teams in the flight, then events shall be conducted at the director’s discretion subject to the limitations of these rules. The number of boards and rounds played will be at the discretion of the director subject to these rules of contest and National Conditions of Contest.
If eight (8) or fewer teams enter SEMIFINAL competition in the involved flight, knockouts shall begin immediately. In the case of five teams, there will be a single session round robin to eliminate one team as follows: Championship and A Flight - 8 boards, Flight B – 7 boards and Fight C – 6 boards. The Director shall seed such fields according to the number of masterpoints held by the four (4) highest members of each team. If there are eight or less teams, knockout matches on Saturday shall be Championship and A Flight – 32 boards, B Flight – 28 boards, and C Flight – 24 boards..
If there are more than 8 teams, a two session Victory Point Swiss team, 20-victory point scale, is used for the SEMIFINALS. By results of the Swiss Team two sessions, the field shall be reduced by at least 50% and to not more than 8 teams for the knockout finals. Knockout finals shall be seeded according to the overall positions in the Swiss team format. (If there are 9-11 teams, Swiss team format shall be used to reduce the number to 4 teams for knockouts, 12-15 teams to 6 and 16 or more teams to8) for the DISTRICT FINALS. Ties effecting seeding rights shall be determined by record of tied teams against each other and otherwise at random by the director. Ties affecting what teams qualify for the KO’s shall be broken for all teams involved in the tie by the following sequentially prioritized method.
1. If only two teams are tied the record of tied teams against each other shall be determinate.
2. Four board matches using IMP scoring shall break additional ties. If further ties, two board matches shall thereafter be repeated until the tie is broken.
Substitution and replacement are for cause and are allowed as follows:
A. SUBSTITUTE. At any stage of the competition prior to the National Final, the District GNT coordinator, the District Director, or the Tournament Director may approve a substitute. Only one substitute is permitted at any time and no substitute is permitted if four (4) or more team members of record are available. A substitute may not appreciably strengthen the team and is subject to the following limitations:
1. At STAGE ONE, substitutions are at the discretion of the director in charge. If the substitute player plays more than 50 % of the boards, he becomes the contestant of record.
2. At SEMI-FINALS and FINALS a substitute is not permitted for more than twenty four (24) boards or 50% of the boards played. Additionally, the substitute must be a member of District 19.
3. Substitution is not allowed so long as there are four members of the team remaining available to participate.
B. REPLACEMENT
1. The permanent replacement of a player who, for cause, cannot continue in the event is permitted only with the permission of the GNT Coordinator or Tournament Director in his absence. A team whose player is removed for cause shall NOT be eligible to continue to the next stage and shall be removed from the field by the director at the first reasonable opportunity. Prior to replacement, the replacement need not have played in the event but must: (a) Be a member of District 19, and (b) not have played in the event beyond Stage One, and (c) not appreciably strengthened the team.
2. A replaced player permanently leaves the event with all master points earned and the replacement earns master points thereafter.
3. A team cannot start the semifinal competition with a non-qualified replacement. However, the proposed member may follow the buy-in procedure. All team starting members must have qualified at STAGE ONE or buy-in.
4. Replacement players are not allowed if a team has 4 members available.
C. MINIMUM PARTICIPANTS and PARTICIPATION: After the Semifinals commence, a team becomes ineligible to continue in the event when fewer than three members of the original team can continue and meet the play percentage requirements. Members of teams are required to play at least 50% of each session, except that a member may choose to play one full session of a two session Swiss.
AUGMENTATION: No augmentation of a team is allowed after Semifinal stage has commenced prior to the conclusion of District Finals.
STAGE III, DISTRICT FINAL
The teams remaining in the field, as provided above, shall conduct a series of knockouts consisting of Championship and A Flight – 32 board, B Flight - 28 board, and C Flight – 24 board matches except as otherwise provided below.
If six or eight teams remain after Swiss competition, the Quarter Final matches will begin the second and final day of the competition and subsequent two sessions will be at times as established by the Director. With six teams remaining there shall be two round robins with Teams seeded 1,4 & 5 together and 2, 3 & 6 together. Ties are broken by quotient. Seeding is by Victory Points in the Swiss. Quarter Final round robin matches shall be 24 boards with one team eliminated. The two remaining teams play 12 more boards with full carryover.
If four teams remain for the finals after Swiss competition, the Semifinal session of the Finals shall begin the final day and the finals shall begin at time established by the Director.
If only two teams remain after two sessions, the Finals shall begin on the final day. In this format the finals shall be: Championship and A Flight – 64 boards, Flight B – 56 board, and Flight C – 48 board match on the final day unless otherwise agreed by team captains and the director.
I certify these to be the current rules of contest as most recently approved by the D19 Board of Directors:
Thomas O. Hansen
GNT Coordinator
Thomas O. Hansen, 24700 NE 126th ST, Duvall WA 98019
Office: 425.485.8616
Home: 425.788.0647