 1. Preamble |
(1) These rules relate to all Competitions organised or sponsored by the SCCBA, including heats of competitions held by affiliated clubs on behalf of the Association. With regard to Club heats other than those described in sub-paragraph (4) below, it is an important principle that all SCCBA members should have an equal opportunity to participate.
(2) A Club heat must be held on the date & at the time advertised in a current issue of the County Calendar, or notified to all SCCBA members by subsequent amendment. Abnormal measures may not be adopted by a club which will afford its members an opportunity to secure priority in acceptance of entries within the limit imposed by playing conditions.
(3) The cancellation of an advertised Club heat may be made only after consultation & agreement with the Competition Organiser.
(4) These requirements affecting attendance at club heats are not relevant to the Charity Simultaneous Pairs & any other events which the Committee may from time to time determine. |
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| 2. Eligibility & Entries |
(1) Competitors may only play in one heat of each competition & only in one team in each event. A member of a qualifying pair in a pairs event may not be substituted. Teams may consist of up to six players. The number of players in a team can be increased to a maximum of six after the Tournament Organiser has been informed but only before the semi final of a knock out competition or in a league before half that teams matches have been played.
The Tournament Manager, in extreme circumstances, may allow extra players to be included after the normal cut off time.
If a team by virtue of its finishing position in a county event qualifies for a further event then 2.(1) above does not stop that team adding players provided it complies with the further competition's rules.
The time or standard restrictions to adding team members does not apply to heat plus final events, e.g., the Devonshire Cup.
(2) Competitors must be paid up members of the SCCBA except when playing in the heats of specified competitions.
(3) Entries must be received & confirmed by the Club Secretary in the case of a club heat, or by the Competition Organiser where the competition is being held centrally, at least seven days in advance of the advertised date or as specified by the competition organiser. Entries by telephone will normally be acceptable unless otherwise stated. |
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| 3. Organisation & Arrangements |
(1) In view of Rule 1 (2) above, it is necessary, as a preliminary measure, that Clubs intending holding heats of SCCBA competitions should ensure that the dates & times of their heats are notified to the County Secretary in good time for inclusion in the relevant issue of the County Calendar.
(2) Instructions concerning the arrangements & special rules for each competition, see Appendix C, will be issued to participating clubs or entrants or to qualifying players, as the case may be, by the Competition Organiser whose name address & telephone number shall appear in the County Calendar.
(3) A Club holding a qualifying heat or a single heat of a simultaneous pairs event shall appoint an experienced Tournament Director for that purpose. In the case of subsequent & final stages of a competition, Tournament Directors shall be appointed by the Competition Organiser from the County Panel of Directors or be acceptable to the Tournament Manager.
(4) Tournament Directors so appointed shall be responsible for the proper conduct of their events in accordance with the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge, the provisions of the current English Bridge Union Orange book, these local rules & any additional instructions given by the Competition Organiser.
(5) Tournament Directors shall post the results of their events on the appropriate Club notice boards & forward complete copies of those results to the Competition Organiser without delay. Results charts must bear the titles, initials & surnames of the competitors written in block capitals. |
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| 4. Communication on qualification |
Information on communications regarding qualification for semi finals & finals of competitions.
The County’s Responsibility
The County Tournament Organiser will contact all clubs that hold heats giving a list of qualifiers for further stages of the competition and other information eg venue of the semi final, time and date. The information will normally be published on the County web site and maybe if time allows in the County Newsletter. For some competitions the Organiser may contact each qualifying competitor.
Club’s (Holding Semi-final/Final) Responsibility
Club Secretaries are requested to publish the details sent by the Organiser and to contact qualifiers who played in the heat at their club.
Player’s Responsibility
The final responsibility for finding out if a player has qualified and the venue and time of the next round is with that player. They can use the above methods to establish it or they can contact the Tournament Organiser by telephone or e-mail or any other method. If they are unable to make contact with the Organiser they can contact any of the Officers of the County. Contact details are published in the County Calendar.
Further Points
• The county expects qualifiers to be present at the competition unless the player contacts the Organiser to say otherwise.
• The county reserve the right not to fully return an entry fee for non-attendance.
• To reduce possible mistakes in future all semi finals & finals will start at 1.00 pm. If there is to be any change to this then competitors will be notified directly. Congress competitions times do of course vary and are stated on the entry forms.
• Dates & venues listed in the County Calendar will not be changed, except in extreme circumstances.
• Whilst every endeavour is made to accommodate competitors with special dietary requirements, it is the responsibility of the competitor to notify the Organiser in advance. |
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| 5. Arranging Matches |
Arranging matches
1 This will be carried out by the team captains or in their absence by their appointed deputies.
2 As soon as possible but in any case within seven days of receiving match details the away captain should offer the opposing captain four dates, not all in the same week & not all on the same day of the week. The home captain may require that at least one of the dates be an afternoon or evening & at least one date at a weekend. The home captain should accept one of the offered dates & inform the away captain without delay. However despite these formal arrangements it is expected that captains will make reasonable efforts to seek an acceptable compromise where difficulty arises. Normally, if all possible steps to arrange a match in the specified time have failed & the Event Organiser is contacted within the specified time, a 7-day extension will be granted.
3 If the Event Organiser decides that there has been a failure to observe rule 2 above then he may award the match to the non offending team. If in the opinion of the Event Organiser both captains have been at fault he shall have power to disqualify both teams & in the case of a league to omit the award of victory points.
4 Matches should normally be played in a club affiliated to the SCCBA or in a residence of a member of the home team. The home captain must ensure that the premises are suitably equipped, with tables suitably separated, & that they contain a copy of the Laws. Bidding boxes should be available.
5 If a match would otherwise be held at a venue exceeding 35 miles from the general location of the away team, the away captain may require the match to be played at a suitable half way venue. When this option is exercised the away captain shall be responsible for making the necessary arrangements.
6 Table money if any & other costs shall be borne by the home team except at a half way venue when they will be shared equally.
7 Either captain should inform the other at least 48 hours in advance if it is intended to play a team in excess of 4 members. |
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| 6. Playing Regulations |
Playing Regulations.
1 In matters not covered specifically by these rules, The Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge & EBU Directives & Permitted Conventions as published in the Orange Book shall apply but only where these are of general application & do not relate solely to events above county level.
2 Difficulties should be referred directly to the Tournament Organiser concerned as soon as possible. The Tournament Organiser will, as appropriate, make a decision or contact the Tournament Manager for advice or direction.
3 The right to choose opponents shall be decided by lot & that right shall alternate after each set of boards. The captain winning the toss can either choose the odd or even sets or give the choice to the other captain. Some events may specify a compulsory change of pairs at half time. In this case if there is no agreement on who plays who then both captains write down their line up. Sets shall consist of 8 boards unless both captains agree otherwise or the instructions for a particular event specify different arrangements.
4 Spectators may attend a match in a private residence if this is agreed by both captains. Spectators or additional team members may watch a match subject to the provisions of Law 76. Law 76 (4) states that a spectator may not in any way disturb a player. In this regard, it is reasonable that a player may claim to be disturbed by being watched. It is not acceptable that a player should claim disturbance because a spectator is watching another player at the table.
5 Either captain may opt at the start of a match to declare one of the rooms or tables a 'Closed Room' & that this will only be occupied by the 4 players concerned. The other playing room will be open to spectators including non-playing team members.
6 Team changes may only be made between sets of boards.
7 In the case of a tie in a knock out match a further 4 boards shall be played & this process repeated if necessary. There are no seating rights for the extra boards, captains should write down their line ups.
8 A match result card shall be completed & signed by both captains & sent to the Event Organiser within 48 hours. For teams with more than 4 players the card must show the number of boards each played.
Additional Rules for Leagues
In cases of conflict between this section & the remainder of Rules of Competition then for Leagues this section applies.
Leagues pose particular problems in that equity between two teams does not necessarily lead to equity to the other teams in the league. It follows that an unplayed match will lead to a less than equitable solution for the individual teams or the league generally. Therefore it is vital that all matches are played.
Leagues will not require teams to play more than an average of one match a month & teams unable to make that commitment should check with the League Organiser to find out the exact requirements before entering.
Team captains should ensure that matches are played regularly through the season & if unable to keep up with the schedule should inform the Organiser immediately.
Time at the end of the season will be available if a late match date is broken so that it can be rearranged & played.
If in spite of the above a match is not played the Organiser has complete discretion to award all or no victory points or to fine victory points or both as he judges appropriate. There is no appeal.
The current years league will form the basis for the next year’s league. Normally there will be promotion & relegation of either one or two teams between adjacent divisions. However the Organiser has complete discretion to change this as thought necessary.
For rulings during matches the normal procedure for getting a Ruling of First Instance should be followed. For all other issues, but excluding matters relating to conduct, contact the Organiser. In these matters he has complete discretion & there is no appeal against his decision. |
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| 7. Lateness |
Lateness
These are the EBU rules & for convenience are reproduced below. They do not apply to League matches.
Should a team arrive 30 minutes late or more, its opponents have the following rights.
a. After 45 minutes of unnotified late arrival or 90 minutes of notified late arrival, the match is awarded to the non-offending side. Note that one member of a team being present within 45 minutes of the scheduled starting time is an indication of the intention of the team as a whole to arrive & thus constitutes ’notification’ within the meaning of this clause.
b. After 30 minutes of late arrival (whether notified or not) the match is to be reduced by 2 boards, awarding the non-offending side 3 imps per board removed. For each further complete 15 minute period of notified late arrival further sets of 2 boards are removed & the non-offending side continue to be awarded 3 imp’s per board removed. The maximum number of boards that can be removed is 8.
c. Where boards are removed from a match which does not involve a compulsory change of opponents a short stanza is to be played first, removing boards 1 onwards, in order to produce stanzas of the pre-scheduled number of boards thereafter. Where there is a compulsory change of opponents an equal number of boards as possible should be removed from all stanzas. If 1 or more stanzas must be 1 board shorter than the others then the short stanza(s) shall be played first. The match shall begin with board 1 & shall finish with the highest numbered board now scheduled to be played.
d. If both teams are late the above regulations apply from the time that the first complete team is present. |
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| 8. Ruling and Appeals |
Appeals shall be dealt with generally in accordance with Laws 79, 92 & 93 of the Laws of Duplicate Bridge (1997), but subject to the following provision. The correction period prescribed under Law 79C shall be as specified by the SCCBA. The SCCBA strongly recommend that competitors take advice from within the county before resorting to an appeal to the EBU Laws & Ethics Committee.
There will be a £20 deposit for appeals which will not be returned if the appeal is trivial for the class of player involved.
Rulings in Matches Played Privately
A player who becomes aware that he may wish to seek a directors ruling should normally notify his opponents (for example by reserving his rights) as soon as practical after the incident occurs & confirm the request before the players compare scores at the end of the set.
On occasions a player may only become aware of an irregularity after a set has finished. In such cases the time within which a ruling may be requested is extended until the two captains agree the score at the end of the match.
Even though results are often passed to the organiser by telephone or electronic mail, captains should still sign a results card as it is from that point that a result becomes final.
If a ruling is required, the captains should, in the break at the end of the set in question:
A Agree a mutually acceptable outcome. Neither side may subsequently appeal an outcome reached by this method. Neither captain should feel obliged to reach an outcome by this method rather than in B below.
B Contact one of the people listed in appendix A for a ruling of first instance. The home captain should make the initial contact by telephone & then all the players should co-operate with the directors instructions.
C Exceptionally it may be impossible to contact any authorised person to give a ruling. In such a case both captains should co-operate to put in writing:
1 Full details of the hand including auction, alerts, explanations, play, dealer & vulnerability.
2 The result of the board in both rooms.
3 The reason for requesting a ruling.
4 Comments by any of the players involved or the captains ( no player is obliged to comment).
5 The telephone numbers of both captains.
A substitute board with identical dealer & vulnerability should be played & the result in both rooms recorded on the ruling request sheet. The result sheet should be headed " Match won by A by x imp's subject to a ruling on board Y".
Further written additions to the request for a ruling by either side in the absence of the other is a serious offence.
The event organiser will arrange for an authorised person to give a ruling & for that ruling to be notified to both captains. Either captain may appeal such ruling, but must attempt to notify the event organiser within 48 hours.
Appeals against rulings in matches played privately.
Either captain may appeal a ruling. Captains should co-operate to put in writing all the information required in C above.
1 Full details of the hand including auction, alerts, explanations, play dealer & vulnerability.
2 The result of the board in both rooms.
3 The reason for requesting a ruling.
4 Comments by any of the players involved or the captains ( no player is obliged to comment).
5 The telephone numbers of both captains.
6 The result of the ruling & who gave it.
If the director has cancelled the board & ordered a replacement to be played. The result of the original board in both rooms should be recorded separately.
The result sheet should be headed " Match won by A by x imp's subject to appeal on board Y". The score recorded at this stage should be based on the ruling of first instance. Further written additions to the request for a ruling by either side in the absence of the other is a serious offence.
Appeals will generally be dealt with by telephone & correspondence rather than a meeting of an appeals committee. If either captain feels that there are exceptional circumstances why such methods are inappropriate he should indicate this on the appeal form.
On receipt of a request for a ruling, the event organiser shall notify the Chairman of the Conduct Committee, who will select three suitable persons to hear the appeal.
Captains will be notified as soon as possible after the appeal has been heard. |
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| 9. Fees & Table Money |
(1) Entry fees shall be determined by the County Committee & the Tournament Director for each heat shall be responsible for remitting the appropriate total sum to the Competition Organiser. Event organisers should take considerable steps to inform qualifiers of their qualification, however it remains the players responsibility to find this out. The county reserve the right not to fully return an entry fee for non attendance.
(2) Clubs may charge table money which shall be the same for visitors as for a Club member, although the Committee may authorise a departure from this rule in special circumstances. |
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| 10. Ties |
(1) Ties in a qualifying event which affect the last qualifying place shall be resolved in accordance with EBU recommendations.
(2) Ties in final sessions shall not be split unless expressly laid down by the County. |
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| 11. Master Points |
Master points for heats of County competitions held by clubs shall be issued by the clubs themselves according to the appropriate scale. For the semi-finals and finals of such events, master points will be issued by the Master Points Secretary at the conclusion of the competition. |
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| 12. Smoking |
| Smoking rules in club heats shall be those adopted by the Club. At other times current EBU regulations apply. |
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| Appendix A - Ruling Contacts |
The below are authorised by the SCCBA to give rulings in private matches.
Dave Armstrong 01273 566101
Eddie Williams 01424 430596 or 07792 672161
Julian Mitchell 01273 270884
Matthew Hoskins 01273 465255
Martin Pool 01444 892414 or 07970 195580
Guidance to directors giving rulings of first instance
Although competitors in SCCBA competitions played privately are encouraged to have a current copy of The Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge available, you will sometimes be contacted purely to apply the relevant law to a situation e.g. to assess the penalty after a revoke. This can usually be done while the captains remain on the telephone.
The majority of requests for rulings will be more subjective & you are encouraged to treat them exactly as you would if you were on site. You should record in writing all the information given to you. Ideally on an EBU appeals form or in a similar format & retain it for one month after the ruling. Such information will be required if the ruling is appealed. You should feel no pressure to make a ruling whilst on the telephone. Indeed it is better to consider & when appropriate consult others before ruling.
Once you have been requested to give a ruling all the authority given to a tournament director under the Laws is available to you. Even though a dispute has arisen, players are expected to act with courtesy towards you & each other. If necessary you should remind them specifically or generally of the Best Behaviour requirements under which all SCCBA events are played. If necessary you should use the disciplinary powers available under the Laws & Best Behaviour.
When contacting the match with your ruling you should explain to both captains, instructing them to inform all players at once, so that all participants are in possession of the same information. You should remind them of their right to appeal.
If you are subsequently contacted by the Chairman of the Conduct Committee with reference to an appeal you should inform him of any person with whom you consulted about the ruling & forward him the written record in your possession. |
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| Appendix B - General Points |
General points relating to most competitions
1 Qualification ratios should be as generous as possible.
2 Byes should be equally distributed throughout a draw.
3 The first named team in a draw is the home team.
4 Draws for knock out events shall take place in public & be drawn by known players. These details & the date & place should be written on the draw.
5 Duplimated boards should be used for all semi finals, finals, one day events, congresses, etc. when at all possible.
6 The minimum number of players for a pairs heat is 6 pairs. One pair may play without standing.
7 The minimum number in a teams heat is 2 teams.
8 The minimum number of players in an individual heat is 8 players. One player may play without standing. |
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| Appendix C - Special Conditions |
Special conditions relating to specific competitions.
The absence of an entry in this appendix for a particular competition does not mean that special conditions do not exist. |
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| Appendix C1 - Championship Teams |
1 A knock out competition with a plate competition for first round losers
2 The whole competition is Licence category 4.
3 No seeding or pre-qualification.
4 Rounds 1, 2 & 3 are 32 boards each, the semi finals 48 & the final 64. The semi finals & final may be reduced to 32 & 48 boards respectively if both captains agree. |
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| Appendix C2 - Inter Club Teams of Eight |
1 One team of eight to represent each club.
2 Players must be fully paid up members of the club they represent or if the club has no subscription be regular playing members of that club.
3 Players are not required to owe primary allegiance to the county.
4 Players may only play for one club in any one year.
5 The event will be scored in IMPs converted to VPs.
6 Licence category 4. The winning team qualifies for the Garden Cities Trophy competition.
7 Team members playing in the Garden Cities stages must be members of the EBU.
8 Clubs may change their team for the Garden Cities stages but see 2 & 4 above. |
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| Appendix C3 - Devonshire Cup |
1. This is a pivot teams competition with both heats and finals divided into3 sessions. Each player partners a different member of his/her team in eachsession.
2. Scoring is by IMPs, with the leading teams in each heat qualifying for oneor other of the two finals. |
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| Appendix C4 - Chairman's Cup |
| A |
Qualifying Pairs |
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Qualifying Events |
Qualifiers |
No of Pairs |
| 1 |
Championship Teams |
Winners and Runners-up |
4 |
| 2 |
Sussex Pairs |
Winners and Runners-up |
2 |
| 3 |
Sussex League |
Division 1 Winners |
2 |
| 4 |
Sussex League |
Division 2 Winners |
2 |
| 5 |
Invitation Pairs |
Winners and Runners-up |
2 |
| 6 |
Ardingly Pairs |
Winners |
1 |
| 7 |
Autumn Congress Pairs |
Winners |
1 |
| 8 |
Spring Congress Pairs |
Winners |
1 |
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15 |
| B |
Invited Pairs - Sussex |
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Holders |
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1 |
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Chairman |
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1 |
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President |
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1 |
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18 |
| C |
Invited Pairs - Other Counties |
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Kent |
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2 |
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Surrey |
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2 |
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22 |
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Withdrawals are to be filled in as follow:
Sussex Pairs - next pair in line down to 6th place.
Sussex League - pair(s) from Division 1 Runners-up.
Sussex League - pair(s) from Division 2 Runners-up.
Invitation Pairs - next pair in line down to 4th place.
Any other withdrawals are to be filled by the organiser.. |
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