Please agree a date with your opponents and play your match by the date indicated (the first named pair takes the responsibility of arranging the match and the venue).  Matches may be played during normal club sessions, but players must make the director aware that they are not participating in the duplicate session as soon as they arrive.  Matches can also be played at other mutually agreed locations.  Matches will be played over 24 hands (players may, by mutual consent, play a different number of hands but the total should be a multiple of four).  Vulnerability is as the standard EBUscorecard.  Scoring is as in duplicate bridge.  The scores are totalled and the winning pair is the one with the higher plus score.

The winning pair shall inform the Competitions Secretary as soon as possible following the completion of the match.

Before dealing the first hand, pairs should agree whether -  

1. passed Out hands should EITHER be shuffled and re-dealt OR whether they should count as a played hand with the deal moving to the next player.  Should pairs fail to agree before play begins then the hand must be re-dealt in the event of a Passed Hand.
2. in the event of a tie, (and time is available or agreed for subsequent completion), to play EITHER an additional 4 boards/multiple thereof (continuing on with the dealer/vulnerability from the last board played) OR  a single "sudden death" board, (with a "high card wins" to establish the dealer).
   Should there have been no agreement prior to play commencing, then please select from the above.
   If no agreement was made initially or can now be reached, then you must replay the match in its entirety with the same pair taking responsibility for organising the replay.
   Whichever route is taken, it should ensure you can still play the match before the round closing date.

If you are in doubt about any aspect of the Knockout Plate please refer to the Competitions Secretary, Stuart Rees.