How to play a teams of four match
In teams of four bridge, one team of four people plays a match against another team of four people. This is a very popular form of bridge because it is a great way to meet new people and very interesting.
Organising your team
A team is four people (i.e. two pairs) but it is a good idea to have a squad of, say, six to allow for holidays and unexpected events. You can recruit a new member for your squad if necessary providing they have not played a match for a different team in the Murray league.
Where do we play our matches?
Many matches will be played at the home of a team member but if that is not convenient, you can arrange to play wherever you like - in a room at your usual club venue, during a club session, at your local pub - it's up to you!
How many matches will we play?
That will depend on how many teams enter but we hope it will be about four.
Before the match
The Captain of the home team contacts the Captain of the away team to arrange a match to suit all concerned. You will be told whether you are home or away for each match. It is up to you when you play your matches but they must all be completed by the end of March. The day and time are up to the captains to agree.
The home team is responsible for providing all the equipment and stationery, bearing any costs of hiring a room and providing basic refreshments.
Organising the match
Everyone should look on the match as a friendly game. When some of both teams have arrived, it is a good idea to use the time to shuffle and deal the cards and putting them into the boards ready for play.
A total of 24 hands are to be played in two halves (sometimes called stanzas) of twelve boards.
In the first half, put boards 1 to 6 on one table and 7 to 12 on the other. One pair of Team A sit North/South at table 1 and the other pair of Team A sit East/West at table 2. Meanwhile, one pair of Team B sit East/West at table 1 while their team-mates sit North/South at table 2.
First half
Table 1 |
Table 2 |
Team A pair 1 N/S : Team B pair 1 E/W |
Team B pair 2 N/S : Team A pair 2 E/W |
Boards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Boards 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
then 7, 8, 9 etc. |
then 1, 2, 3 etc. |
It is wise for the captains to check that everyone is sat in the right position before starting to play.
Play the first six boards and then swap them with the other table. The players do not move.
When all twelve boards have been played, team A gather at table 1 and team B gather at table 2 and score up to get a half time score. It is a good idea to have a short break before playing the second half.
The second half is played in exactly the same way using boards 13 to 24. However, the Team A pair who were North/South at table 1 in the first half now move and sit East/West at table 2. The Team A pair who were East/West at table 2 now sit North/South at table 1. The team B players stay as they were in the first half.
Second half
Table 1 |
Table 2 |
Team A pair 2 N/S : Team B pair 1 E/W |
Team B pair 2 N/S : Team A pair 1 E/W |
Boards 13, 14, 15 16, 17, 18 |
Boards 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
then 19, 20, 21 etc. |
then 13, 14, 15 etc. |
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