District 23 Grand National Teams

2008 CONDITIONS OF CONTEST

All aspects of the National Conditions of Contest apply to each of these events, including but not limited to any and all residency requirements for participation. The ACBL is strictly enforcing residency requirements. Anyone wishing to enter the District 23 GNT event that does not live within the geographic borders of District 23 must check the National Conditions of Contest at the ACBL website. If there are further questions contact the local district chair people.

In accordance with ACBL regulations, each participant in the GNT must be an ACBL member in good standing (The membership requirements are deemed to have been met if payment of Dues accompanies the corresponding game report).

The GNT is divided into four flights as defined below. Players will be allowed to participate in as many flights as they desire, provided that they are eligible to play based upon their masterpoint holdings as of the September 2007 cycle.

1. DEFINITION of FLIGHTS

Super Flight: unlimited.

Flight A: 0-5000 masterpoints.

Flight B: 0-2000 masterpoints.

Flight C: Non-Life Masters with fewer than 500 masterpoints.

2. ENTRY FEES

Entry fees will be $48 per team per session. All of these entry fees plus an amount budgeted by the District less all operating expenses will be divided evenly between each of the teams representing our District at the Summer Nationals.

3. REGISTRATION

Entries must be received no later than fifteen (15) minutes before the announced starting time for the event. Late entries will be accepted only at the discretion of the Tournament Director in consultation with the Tournament Chairmen.

4. CAPTAINCY

Each team must designate the team Captain from amongst its own playing members on its registration entry, and said Captain will be responsible for all representation of the team.

5. TEAM COMPOSITION and PLAY REQUIREMENTS

Teams may consist of four, five or six players. Players may be added at any time before actual competition begins. Each player must play at least 50% of the boards or one full session during the first stage and at least 50% of the final and semi-final knockout match thereafter. Exceptions to this rule may be made by request to the Tournament Chairmen, but will be entertained only with good cause. No exceptions will be made for the final match.

6. APPEALS COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS

Each team that participates in either the Super Flight or Flight A must designate prior to play on the entry form one (or more) of its players to serve as a committee member if necessary. Those designated players must be available after each session to serve if so requested. The Tournament Director(s) should assemble any committees from amongst these players designated. Designated players must not leave the premises without verifying with the Tournament Chairmen that their

Services will not be required.

7. SCHEDULE

Competition in each flight will begin on Saturday and conclude on Sunday of the same weekend unless thirteen (13) or more teams have entered a single flight, in which case the final match will be finished at the next available local sectional or at a time and place determined by the event chair people.

Flight Competition Dates

Super Flight: May 17-18, 2008

Flight A: April 5-6, 2008

Flight B: May 17-18, 2008

Flight C: April 5-6, 2008

8. SITES and STARTING TIMES

Both stages of all flights will be played at the San Fernando Valley Bridge Academy. The address of the new location for this club is 6733 Variel St. in Canoga Park 91303 (near the intersection with DeSoto Ave.). The phone number at the game site is (818) 999-9131. Session starting times will be 10:30 AM and TBA (no earlier than 4:00 PM).

9. FORMAT for SUPER FLIGHT and FLIGHT B

Qualifying for Sunday’s KO final will take place on Saturday May 17, 2008. If the number of original entries received are 12 or less a full Round Robin movement will be used. If the original number of entries is 13 or more a Swiss Teams Event will be used. The number of teams advancing to the KO round is based on the number of entries in each flight.

10. FORMAT for FLIGHT A and FLIGHT C

Qualifying for Sunday’s KO final will take place on Saturday April 5, 2008. If the number of original entries received are 12 or less a full Round Robin movement will be used. If the original number of entries is 13 or more a Swiss Teams Event will be used. The number of teams advancing to the KO round is based on the number of entries in each flight.

11. ADVANCEMENT to KNOCKOUT STAGE

The number of original entries received will determine the number of teams that advance to the knockout stage on the second day of play.

# Teams Entered # Teams Advancing

< 5                                            2

5-12                                          4

13+             8

The fractional victory point scale used in Team Trials will be used to convert the results of all matches into Victory Points. The teams with the most Victory Points will advance to the later stages.

If four (4) teams advance to the KO round the team placing first during the first day of competition will choose their opponent for the next match from the bottom half of the advancing teams from the first day. If eight (8) teams advance the captains of the teams finishing in the top three places make choices in the following sequence, 1) the first place team chooses its first round opponent from the teams finishing 5^th thru 8^th, 2) the first place team chooses its second round matchup from the teams finishing third thru fourth (or the first round survivor), then, 3) the teams placing second and third during the first day of competition will then choose in order of their finish their next opponents from the remaining bottom half finishers. These decisions set the entire bracket for the KO phase. If three (3) teams advance a three way match will eliminate one team after the first session and the two remaining teams will continue their match in the final session.

If the order of choice of opponents for the knockout phase cannot be determined by the order of finish in the Round Robin due to an exact tie, a coin flip shall resolve the issue.

12. CARRYOVER

Victory points (from the fractional scale used in Team Trials) determine the order of finish and advancement. There will be no victory point carryover. The position of finish in the Round Robin will affect the maximum IMP carryover from that stage into the knockout phase. For each knockout match, the higher ranking team from the Round Robin will receive full carryover from the direct competition between the two teams in the Round Robin not to exceed two (2) IMPS per board. If the higher ranking team trailed in the head-to-head competition, their deficit will not exceed one (1) IMP per board.

13. KNOCKOUT MATCH DURATION and SEATING RIGHTS

Each KO match in the Super Flight and Flight A will consist of 32 boards divided into two 16 board halves, unless there are only 2 teams that advance to Stage 2, in which case the final match shall consist of 64 boards divided into four 16 board quarters. Flights B and C will play 28 board matches.

The seeded team will have seating rights during the first half (or the first and fourth quarters) but may elect to exchange those seating rights for seating rights during the second half (or the second and third quarters).

14. CONVENTIONS

All conventions in the General Chart are permitted in all flights. Only general chart conventions will be allowed in Flight C. Mid Chart conventions will be allowed in the other flights provided that 2 identical legibly written viable defenses with auction extensions and continuations are provided for the opponents. Should any question arise regarding viability or legibility of these defenses the decision of the Tournament Chairmen as to whether those conventions should be allowed shall be final. In addition, District 23 policy regarding permitted defenses to No Trump openings will be followed in all flights.

15. SUBSTITUTIONS, REPLACEMENT and AUGMENTATION

A permanent replacement for a player who, for cause, cannot continue in the event is permitted only with the permission of the District Director. Prior to the completion of the District final, the replacement need not have played in the event but must:

· Be a member in good standing of the ACBL, and

· Maintain their ACBL membership in District 23, and

· Not appreciably strengthen the team.

A replaced player permanently leaves the event with all masterpoints already earned and the replacement continues in the event earning masterpoints thereafter. Play percentage requirements apply to the replacement only for the portion of the event yet to be played.

A fifth and/or sixth player may be added to a team after completion of the District Final. Any such player must have played on another team in the same flight of the current year's GNT or have previously represented District 23 in that same flight of the GNT at a prior Summer Nationals.

A team becomes ineligible to continue in the event when fewer than three original team members can continue and meet the play percentage requirements.

16. KIBITZERS

It is the policy of the ACBL and District 23 to encourage spectators. Kibitzers will be permitted at the event but must remain at one table during a match or segment. A fifth or sixth member of a team may kibitz at a table no closer than 2 tables away from the tables at which his own team is playing. Each player has the right to bar one kibitzer without assigning cause, or an unlimited number of kibitzers for cause. Any kibitzer may be barred for cause by the ACBL Director in Charge or the Tournament Chairmen, with or without prior application from the players at the table. Kibitzers shall follow appropriate etiquette (no talking, eating, gum chewing, etc.).

17. SLOW PLAY

Specific amounts of time for completion of segments similar to those used for other National events will be assigned to each segment of play (approximately 7-1/2 minutes per board). Failure to complete a segment of play within the allotted time will result in the following penalties:

First offense: Official warning and subsequent time monitoring.

Second offense: Loss of 1/4 IMP per board played in a Swiss match or KO segment where the violation occurred, to a maximum of 3 IMPS or loss of 1 VP during a Stage I Round Robin movement.

Third offense: Loss of 1/2 IMP per board played in a Swiss match or KO segment where the violation occurred, to a maximum of 6 IMPS or loss of 3 VP's during a Stage I Round Robin movement.

If, in the Tournament Director's opinion, both teams are equally at fault and the resulting penalties would be applied to both teams with no impact whatsoever, the Tournament Director may arbitrarily shorten the duration of a match by removing boards from play. If only one team is at fault, then the above penalties will be applied. Both teams may receive VP penalties during a Stage I Round Robin movement.

18. LATENESS and FORFEITS

Any team failing to seat a complete team within ten (10) minutes of the announced or actual starting time (whichever is later) will be penalized 1 IMP per board to be played in that Swiss match or KO segment, and an additional 1 IMP for each 2 minutes of tardiness thereafter. If a team is not seated within thirty (30) minutes of the starting time, the Swiss or KO match will be forfeited. The match will be curtailed one (1) board, up to a maximum of four (4) boards, for each five (5) minutes of tardiness after the first ten (10) minutes.

If a Stage 1 Round Robin movement consisting of short matches is required, any team failing to seat a complete team within ten (10) minutes of the starting time for the session shall receive ZERO VP's for the matches not played plus a one (1) VP penalty for each match not played, and their opponents shall receive a VP amount for the skipped match equal to their average result in all of their other matches.

19. TIE BREAKERS

If a knockout match ends in an exact tie, subsequent segments of eight (8) boards each will be played until a winner is determined.

If two teams are tied for the last qualifying position after a round robin the results of the direct competition between the teams shall determine the advancer. If the direct competition between the two teams resulted in an exact tie, subsequent segments of four (4) boards each will be played until an advancer is determined.

If three or more teams are tied for the last qualifying position after a round robin the team with the best IMP ratio from the direct competition between the tied teams shall advance. If the IMP ratio does not determine a winner subsequent segments of 4 boards each will be played (in a round robin format if required) until an advancer is determined.

If necessary, the seating rights for each match in the Round Robin will be determined by a coin flip.

20. WAIVER of RIGHTS

No player may waive any restriction imposed upon another player or team by these Conditions. This paragraph has specific reference to (but is not limited to) the waiver of the use of unauthorized conventions and the waiver of slow play or tardiness penalties.

21. DISRUPTION of EVENT or REFUSAL to PLAY

Any player(s) who discontinue play or significantly disrupt the normal playing schedule based upon disagreement with a ruling made by the Tournament Director, the Committee Chairmen, or an Appeals Committee will have their behavior reviewed by a Conduct and Ethics Committee with specific reference to the Code of Disciplinary Regulations sections 3.3 and 3.7.

22. ITEMS NOT COVERED

Any items not covered by these Conditions of Contest will be resolved by the Tournament Chairmen in consultation with the Tournament Director.

23. AUTHORITIES

Tournament Chairmen:

Howard Einberg (310) 475-9784

William Wickham (310) 234-3238

Directors in charge of games shall make all rulings on Law at their own events. Rulings may be appealed to the Director in Charge who will appoint a tournament committee to hear such appeals.

The Tournament Chairmen are the authority for all rulings on matters of regulation. Their rulings may be appealed to the District 23 Director.