E.W.B.A. COMPETITION REGULATIONS 2007-2008

 

 

These regulations apply to all heats and finals of E.W.B.A. Area Events and also to heats and Area qualifying rounds of W.B.U. National Events.

 

In respect of W.B.U. events these regulations are subsidiary and supplementary to the competition rules of the W.B.U. published in the W.B.U. Annual handbook. 

 

Heats (where appropriate) may be organized by any bridge club which is based in the area of the E.W.B.A. and is affiliated to the W.B.U. Clubs which run such heats must comply with the W.B.U. competition rules and with these regulations. Subject to that, clubs may prescribe such procedures as they find convenient for their members for the conduct of heats. For Area events all competitors must be members of the E.W.B.A.

 

Membership of the WBU  remains a requirement for membership of EWBA. Membership of a Bridge Club in East Wales is not a pre-requisite for membership of EWBA.  Furthermore, at EWBA tournaments, officers or their nominees are authorized to collect the necessary membership subscription on behalf of both organizations. 

The direct WBU membership subscription for 2007-8 is £15 and  EWBA membership subscription is £1.50.

 

 

ENTRY FEES

Table money for Area events will be £4.00

It is not currently the practice to provide food at any EWBA event with the exception of the Vera McAndrew Plate where a light tea is provided free of charge.

 

 

SYSTEMS AND CONVENTIONS

Level 3 conventions apply to all Area competitions.  However, for the Vera McAndrew Plate , the following additional condition will apply:-

Any opening bid which shows a weak hand (i.e. below the level for an ACOL one-level opening) must be one suited with the suit specified (3NT to show a solid minor is permissible). No opening bid may be used which has both weak and strong options.

 

E.W.B.A. FINALS AND AREA QUALIFYING ROUNDS

 

1.       These events will be held on the dates specified in the W.B.U. calendar. They will be completed during the afternoon and evening of a single day which will be either a Saturday or Sunday.  All events will start play at 1.00pm.  Players will be expected to be in their seats by 12.50pm to facilitate this. Late arrival may incur appropriate penalties.  For 2007/8 the details are as follows:

Event

Date

Venue

Closing Date

No Tables.

WBU Mens Teams

Sun 7th Oct 2007

Cardiff BC

1st Oct

 

Stan Berger Open Pairs

Sun 14th Oct 2007

Cardiff BC

7th  Oct

13

Louis Lermon open Teams

Sun 28th Oct 2007

Gwent BA

21th  Oct

13

Area final WBU Mixed Pairs

Sun 2nd Dec 2007

Gwent BA

25th Nov

 

Area Final WBU Open Pairs

Sun 20th Jan 2008

Cardiff BC

13th  Jan

 

Area Qual Teams of Eight

Sun 3rd Feb 2008

Gwent BA

27th Jan

 

EWBA Mixed Pairs

Sun 6th April 2008

Gwent BA

1st April

 

Vera McAndrew Plate

Sun 6th April 2008

Gwent BA

1st April

 

Arthur James Swiss Teams

Sun 27th April 2008

Cardiff BC

20th Apr

 

NOTE:-     The number of tables may be changed if the size of the original entry justifies it.

2. Players entering qualifying rounds are expected to intend playing at the Area level. It is the responsibility of the players to inform their club organizers as soon as possible if they do not intend to proceed.

Late withdrawals may be notified direct to the ATO.

 

CLUB ORGANISERS

 

3.  For each event an entry date is quoted. Clubs must ensure that by this date the ATO has received their entries (names and numbers) together with the appropriate fees. The qualifying numbers for each club will    be notified immediately after this date.  Clubs need not necessarily complete the playing of heats by the entry date, but entries so received will be treated as if they have already played in the event.  Extra entries may be accepted after the entry date, on the understanding that they will not increase the qualification numbers.

 

4.  If heats contain non-qualifying participants these must be clearly defined as such at the start of the heat, and notified as such in the results sent to the ATO.  If at all possible clubs should have separate  movements for qualifiers and non-qualifiers.

 

5.  A club heat of the Stan Berger Trophy should contain at  least six qualifying pairs.  Each pair must play at least 22 boards.  A club heat of the Louis Lermon Cup must contain at least three qualifying teams, and must be run as a multiple team event. Each team must play at least 24 boards. Only competitors who declare their intention to proceed before the start of the competition, or have paid the entry fee prescribed for the competition may be counted as attempting to qualify.

 

6.  Organizers of club heats must ensure that the ATO receives by the closing date above, a copy of the official result showing the entire field , the scores, and if applicable the achieved percentages. Any entry fee  applicable should accompany this information.

 

7.  The ATO will, from the results sent to him from club organizers, calculate the number of qualifiers from each heat. The number of qualifying places Q will be calculated as:

 

          Q = size of area final x size of club heat

                                                    total area  entry

 

Subject to the lowest qualifying competitor having achieved a place in the first 50% of those attempting to qualify.

 

       After each club has been allocated the integer part of Q, the remaining places will be allocated to the clubs with the highest fractional part remaining.  Where two or more clubs have an equal right under this rule, preference will be given to the heat with the larger entry.  If the entries are of equal size, a random device will be used to determine the allocation. Reserves will be allocated according to the regulations in the Supplement to the EBL TD Guide (White Book) 80.26 subject to 9 below.

 

8. For Club Heat of the Vera McAndrew Plate (If held), master points will be issued by the club. For all other club heats and Area finals covered by these rules master points will be issued by the Area Master Points Secretary.

 

  1. For all club heats and Area finals covered by these rules. It is the responsibility of the organizers of club heats to ensure that the number of qualifying places allocated to their heat is fully taken up by entrants from that heat. The club organizer shall allot the qualifying places allocated to pairs/teams in the order in which they finished in the club heat.  In the event of a pair/team being unable to play in the Area final, the club organizer shall allot its place to the next highest placed entrant subject to that entrant having achieved a place in the top half (50%) of the competing field.

 

 
TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS

 

10.  If, at the start of an Area final or qualifying round, fewer than the full number of expected qualifying entrants is present, the event will be started without replacement. Late arrivals arriving before the start of the second round will be allowed to join the movement with the usual score adjustment.   After the start of the second round late arrivals may be accommodated, at the discretion of the tournament director, if this may be done without causing inconvenience.

 

11.  It is the responsibility of the tournament director to run each Area final in accordance with the rules of the competition, to score the event and. to determine and announce the results.  The director should attempt to complete the scoring on the day of the event in which case the result will be subject to scrutiny and appeal for 30 minutes after announcement.  Should timely announcement not be possible the result will be subject to scrutiny for 1 week after being communicated to the secretaries of all clubs affiliated to the E.W.B.A.and/or posted on the EWBA web site. The tournament director shall, in either case, ensure that the results are given to the ATO without delay for circulation. to all, clubs. The final result of all EWBA events will be published on the EWBA web site.

 

A.T.O.

 

12.  It is the responsibility of the A.T.O. to book accommodation for Area events, to select and engage tournament directors, ensure that all the necessary equipment and stationary is available, and to determine the amount of table money and make arrangements for its collection. The ATO must also ensure that details of the date, location, time and format of each Area final are notified to organizers of clubs which ran heats not later than the time at which the number of qualifying places is notified. He is also responsible  for notifying all organizing clubs of the results of the Area finals.

 

 

                                                AREA OPEN EVENTS

 

STAN BERGER TROPHY

 

This is the major Area Open Pairs Championship.  Heats will be held at club level followed by a two session final with a minimum of 36 boards-

Master Point Awards

Heats: Basic scale X 2 reducing to half-way. Final: Will be determined by the size of the original entry.

Probably about 4 green points for the winners reducing to 8th place with local points for the top 1/4 of the original entry.

 

LOUIS LERMON CUP

 

This is the major Open Teams of Four Championship.  Heats will be held at club level followed by a two session final of at least 40 boards. Heats and the final will be run as multiple team’s events.

Master Point Awards

Heats: Basic scale X 2 reducing to half-way. Final: Will be determined by the size of the original entry-

probably about 5 green points for the winners reducing to 7th place with additional local points.

 

ARTHUR JAMES BOWL

 

This is the Area Swiss Teams Championship.  It is a two session event of at least 36 boards with no qualifying round.

Master Point Award’s       Individual matches: 3 X number of boards in match. Position points are given to the top 1./4 of the field, the number depending on the size of the entry.

 

AREA RESTRICTED ENTRY EVENTS

 

Entry to these events will be limited to players whose Master Point holding (as in the W.B.U. Master Point Journal 2004-5) is below a certain level- The systems which may be played in these events will be limited in accordance with the E.W.B.A. Competition Regulations.

 

 

            VERA McANDREW PLATE

 

A pair’s event open to players of the rank of County Master and  below. (i.e.- less than 50 MPs)

 

Entry is by club heat. Every club holding a heat will be guaranteed at least one pair in the final. The final will be a single session event (with light refreshments served at the half way stage)

 

There will be no entry fee, and no table money will be charged in the final. It is hoped that the final will be of 14 tables.

 

Master Point Awards

Heats : Basic scale X 1.5 reducing to half-way. 

Final: Winners    6 X number of pairs in final reducing to  half-way.