Welcome to the Bracknell Bridge League.
We have been running a teams-of-four Bridge league in the Bracknell, Wokingham, Crowthorne, Camberley and Yateley area for more than 50 years and currently have three divisions in the League as well as a knockout handicap/pivot competition. Since the start of the 21-22 season, we have been operating as a 'hybrid' league, where matches may be played either face-to-face or on-line, as agreed between opposing captains. New teams are welcome to join. Team members do not need to be EBU members or members of a local club to play in the league. You do need a minimum of four players (preferably 5 or 6 to provide reserves), and a venue where you can host your face-to-face home matches. Entries for the 2022/23 season are now closed, but if you wish to register interest in entering a team in the 2023/24 season or just receive more information on the league then please contact info.bbl@bridgewebs.com.
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| 9th September 2022 |
The New Season
For the first time for many years, we welcome a new club to the league, Loddon Vale. In view of the very high NGS of their team members, Loddon have been fast-tracked to the top division. The 21 teams competing in the new season will be accommodated in an 8-7-6 divisional structure, with Division 1 teams playing 14 matches rather than the usual 12. Provided the number of teams remains the same, two teams will be relegated from both Division 1 and 2 at the end of the season, allowing the league to get back to a more balanced structure for the following season. The fixture schedule for the new season is now available on LMS.
The Committee’s recommendation that the default for the new season should remain as ‘on-line’ was supported by the clubs at the recent AGM. There are a couple of small changes in the rules for the new season. Following the survey carried out towards the end of last season, the default for the number of boards played in Division 2 and Division 3 on-line matches has been reduced to 20 but remains at 24 for Division 1 matches. Team captains should note that the default applies only when there is no agreement on the matter; any (even) number of boards between 18-24 can be played provided there is agreement to do so. When submitting your result to LMS, please remember to use the correct IMPS to VPS conversion, which may be found here
There has also been a change in rule concerning the eligibility of players. Those competing teams who are non-aligned (i.e. are not part of a club and have no formal membership) are required to register up to 8 players at the start of the season.
The full rules in place for the new season may be found here.
After nearly 30 years of involvement with the BBL in various capacities, Alan Brown has decided to retire from the Committee. Thank you Alan for your contribution in helping to run the league, not to mention the hospitality you and Pam have provided over the years by hosting many of the league’s meetings. John Sheridan (Crowthorne) has agreed to replace Alan as Committee Member.
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| 26th May 2022 |
End of Season Pairs 2021/22 (Thurs 26th May) - Congratulations
Well done To John Fairhurst & Keith Bennett ! Results HERE
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| 9th September 2021 |
Revision of League Rules
The move to a ‘hybrid’ league in which both on-line and face-to-face matches can be played has required changes to be made to the overall governance of the league. As a first step, changes to the Constitution were put forward for consideration at the AGM, which were endorsed by the clubs – the updated Constitution maybe found here. Since the AGM, the Committee has reviewed the changes that need to be made to the League Rules to accommodate the ‘hybrid’ approach and, following feedback on a draft circulated to the clubs, updated the website with the revised rules, which may be found here. In order to see easily where the changes have been made, a marked-up version of the rules (in which changes from the previous version are highlighted in yellow) is available under ‘quick-links’ on the website. This will remain in place for the early part of the season to give players time to become familiar with the changes.
In the main, the update details the various options that are now available for league matches, the rules governing how matches should be agreed/arranged and how to go about setting up a match on both of the on-line platforms.
On the playing side, there is one very important point to note, relating to the use of 'undos'. Last season these were not permitted under any circumstances, but this season ‘undos’ will be allowed for genuine mis-clicks during the bidding but NOT during the playing of the cards. This change brings the league into line with both EBU and B&B County practice.
As far as playing face-to-face goes, the rules will be exactly the same way as in the pre-covid days, with one exception. In matches where there is a late start or slow play and captains reach an agreement to play fewer boards, the minimum number that can be played is reduced from twenty to eighteen. This change has been made to provide consistency with on-line matches, where teams can choose to play eighteen boards if they so agree.
Finally, team captains should note that a change has been made to the ‘lead time’ for confirming matches. This has been increased from a minimum of three days to five, primarily to give more time for the exchange of information that is required to set up on-line matches. Whether it’s BBO names, links for RB or convention cards, these can all take time to sort out when an exchange of emails between the league, team contacts and individual team members may be required.
Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns about the new rules or find any inconsistencies etc – by email via info.bbl@bridgewebs.com
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| 13th August 2021 |
Fixtures for New Season
The BBL fixture schedule for the new season is now live to view and may be found here. Although most clubs have indicated their preferred days for their home matches, individual fixtures have again been listed as w/c rather than on specific day - home team captains may update the schedule on LMS once they have been in contact with their opposite number to agree on the day. Full details of contacts etc. for each of the teams have been sent to club contacts, who should forward the information to their team captains. The list includes preferred home days and preferred platforms for on-line (home) matches as well as e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. Please let us know of any updates, omissions etc. by e-mail via info.bbl@bridgewebs.com .
Although many clubs have already made their entries, if you wish to enter a team in the Pivot H/C Cup and have not yet done so please let us know, sending the captain’s name and contact details to pivotsec.bbl@bridgewebs.com by the 31st August. The draw will be shown on the website shortly after that date. As with the league, matches may be played on-line or face-to-face by agreement and there will be no entry fee to the competition, although there will be a RB charge if you play choose to play on that platform.
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| 29th July 2021 |
The New Season
Thanks to all the clubs who were represented at the AGM, held at the start of July. The meeting endorsed the Committee’s proposal that, from 2021-22 season onwards, BBL will become a ‘hybrid’ league in which matches may be played either face-to-face or on-line, as mutually agreed between the two teams. In the event of non-agreement on this matter, the ‘default’ in place for the season applies. With the covid situation still very uncertain, the Committee recommended that the ‘default’ for the forthcoming season should be on-line, which was supported by the clubs at the meeting.
The new season will start at the end of September. We are pleased to welcome an extra team from Camberley and, after deferring for one season, the return of Crowthorne. This means a small increase in the number of entries, with 20 teams competing in a 7-7-6 divisional structure. The fixture schedule will be available on LMS in early August.
On-line matches may be played on either RealBridge or BBO, as agreed between the teams. Each team has nominated a preferred platform for their home matches and the away team must defer to that choice should there be no mutual agreement to do otherwise. Although the default for matches will be 24 boards, on-line matches of 18 boards will again be permitted provided both teams agree – don’t forget to use the correct IMPS to VP conversion table when entering the result into LMS. By agreement, matches may also be played in two distinct sessions rather than with the usual short break between two sets of 12 boards.
Of the 20 competing teams, just over half have nominated RB as their preferred platform for any home matches played on-line. A small number of teams have expressed a preference for face-to-face matches if at all possible; as the season progresses and (hopefully) the risks associated with covid diminish we expect more teams to follow suit.
The move to a ‘hybrid’ league requires changes to be made to the overall governance of the league. As a first step, draft changes to the Constitution were put forward for consideration at the AGM, which were endorsed by the clubs. The Committee is now reviewing the changes that need to be made to the League Rules and a draft of the changes will be circulated to the clubs for comment/feedback in the near future.
Provided there are sufficient entries, the pivot-handicap cup will be run in the new season with the same ‘hybrid’ options as the league.
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| 13th June 2021 |
Next Season & the AGM
Plans for next season were discussed at the Committee meeting held Tuesday 1st June. Although it is possible that a return to face-to-face matches will be permitted by the time the new season starts, it is accepted that many players may wish to continue playing matches on-line. As a consequence, the Committee has drafted a proposal that, from next season onwards, the BBL becomes a ‘hybrid’ league in which matches may be played either face-to-face or on-line, subject to guidelines laid out by the league and to agreement between teams. Although it is anticipated that the majority of teams will choose to play their on-line matches on RealBridge, one or two clubs have indicated that they would prefer to remain on BBO, so both platforms will be permitted. The league has already opened a RealBridge account and will be happy to help teams arrange friendlies on that platform between now and the start of the season to enable them to become familiar with teams-of-four matches on RealBridge.
Club contacts have been sent the details of the proposed ‘hybrid’ approach, which may be found here. This will be put forward for formal consideration at the AGM, to be held as a Zoom meeting on Thursday 1stJuly, starting at 3pm - calling notice, agenda etc will be forwarded to club contacts shortly.
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| 13th May 2021 |
EOSP Evening
Under normal circumstances, tonight's event would start off with the award of trophies to the winners of the three divsions and Pivot Handicap cup for the 2020-21 BBL season, along with a few photos of team members for the history page on the website. Sadly, this year's event is online, so the best we can do is announce the winners/team members here.
- Pivot Handicap Winners - Congratulations to the Ascot team of Mike Corfield (captain), Jennie Corfield, Bruce Franklin and Tony Solomons, who beat a team from Yateley BC.in the final
- Division 1 Winners - Ascot L, who have won the Division 1 title for the very first time. Well done to John Fairhurst (captain), Keith Bennett, Andy Fry, Phil Brown, Nick Browne and Madeline Lawson. Runners up were Aerospace
- Division 2 Winners - Congratulations to Yateley A, captained by Alan Brown with Michael Bader, Colin Bailey, Jo Brock, Jill Cook, Ian Lewis and David Steele. Runners up were Bradshaws.
- Division 3 Winners - Camberley B. Well done to David Pinder (captain), Marion Simpson, Barbara & Neil Thomas and Alan Coales. Runners up were Ascot E.
Trophies have already been engraved and we hope to get these to you shortly.
Winners of the event were Andy & Michelle Margetts (Ascot) with an impressive 67.5% followed by Marceli Smialkowski & Andrzej Kwiatkowski (Bracknell Forest) who scored 61.3%. Full details of the hands, scores etc may be found here. Thanks to all 23 pairs who competed in the event and to Mick Green for directing.
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| 22nd January 2021 |
The Committee held its first meeting of 2021 recently, at which a small number of issues on the current BBL on-line rules were discussed following feedback. As a result, two minor changes have been made to the rules.
- If, as the away team, you wish to exercise your choice of seating rights in a match, the away captain should take responsibility for setting up the match on BBO. This has come about after problems arose in a match where the home captain failed to set up as requested by the away captain, causing a delay as the match had to be restarted.
- The up-loading of an on-line system convention card on BBO is only advisory and not mandatory, as stated in the current version of the rules. This change has been made to be consistent with EBU rules on the matter. Players are also reminded that if they do up-load such a card, reference to it is not an acceptable alternative to alerting in the required manner.
The meeting also confirmed that UNDOs are not permitted either during the auction or the play. The committee acknowledges that this is now out of step with the B&B County Association who allow UNDOs during the auction in their Lo8/Lo4 matches, but felt that for consistency over the season, the BBL rules on this should not change.
As you will know, the current rules allow on-line matches to be played over 18 boards as well as the usual 24, with the use of the appropriate IMPS-VPS conversion table, as available here. However, our attention has been drawn to the fact that raw IMPS are also used in cases where either a match is not played (and therefore has to be adjudicated) or where there is a tie between teams who finish their season with the same VPS and head-to-head result. In such cases the IMPS score from an 18 board match will be modified to that of an equivalent 24 board match, solely for the purpose of the adjudication or tie-break process. The method of doing so is also outlined here.
In a normal season, the Committee is usually turning attention at this time of year to sorting out plans for the EOSP. This year, the question is will the Covid situation be sufficiently over to allow players to meet without risk in a crowded hall for the event in May or June. Despite the fact that progress is being made in the vaccination process, the Committee’s view expressed at the recent meeting is that it is still very unlikely to be the case. The possibility of an on-line event was discussed and it was agreed that this should be looked at in more detail over the next few weeks, primarily to consider the logistics, cost and preferred platform for doing so. Whilst BBO seems the obvious choice because of the familiarity most have with that platform, the Committee felt that RealBridge might prove to be a more popular choice. For those of you who have yet to sample RB, it can simply be thought of as combining BBO (or BCL) with ZOOM, so providing much of the social contact that is very much part of an EOSP evening – without the presentation of trophies unfortunately. A number of clubs in the area have switched to RB, including Ascot, Bracknell Forest, Oakingham and Woodley. Details may be found on the websites of these clubs to see if it possible for visitors/guests to sample RB.
Another matter not entirely unrelated to this is the position of on-line bridge in BBL for next season. Whilst most anticipate (or at least hope) that, by the time we get to October of this year, the Covid crisis will be sufficiently over to allow F2F matches again, there remains the question as to whether there is a case for on-line bridge to continue in some form as part of the BBL season. There is little doubt that it has been a success this year and part of the attraction of playing on-line is that it negates the need for lengthy drives in the dark, depths of winter to unknown destinations. The Committee will consider the role of on-line bridge within BBL for season 21-22 once the current season is over; part of that process will be to seek the views of clubs and players within the league.
If you have any questions or views on the issues raised above, please feel free to contact the league via info.bbl@bridgewebs.com. In the meantime the Committee would like to wish you all a Happy and safe New Year.
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| 15th October 2020 |
The new on-line season got underway w/c 5th October, with a small number of matches played in each of the three divisions, mostly on BBO. Unfortunately, Bracknell Forest C withdrew from the league shortly after the fixture schedule was drawn up and published on LMS, so each division will contain 6 teams, playing 10 matches in the season.
The draw for the Pivot was made at a recent committee meeting. Details of contacts, handicaps and the draw have been sent to captains, who should note that results should now be entered via the website here rather than through the EBU Knockout Management System. With only 8 teams entering this season there will one less round than usual and therefore more time to play matches. Advisory completion dates are the end of December, mid-February and the end of March for the three rounds. With the limited entry we are particularly keen to avoid any withdrawals, so please contact the BBL via pivotsec.bbl@bridgewebs.com if your team is having difficulty in raising a four, meeting the completion dates or if you have any other queries about the competition.
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| Foy Rees |
It is with great sadness that we have to report that Foy Rees passed away recently. She would have been ninety this coming December. Foy played in the BBL and at several local clubs since the 1970s. She was a member of a very strong Ferranti team that often included her son, Tim, winning the league on more than one occasion in the 80s and 90s. Following the closure of Ferranti and the demise of the old Bracknell Bridge Club, Foy played most of her bridge at St Sebastians or Bracknell Forest, for whom she played in one of their league teams right up to the time of lockdown this March.
She will be sadly missed and we send our condolences to Tim and the rest of the family,
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| 14th September 2020 |
AGM and the 2020/21 Season
The 2019/20 season was brought to a conclusion recently with the final match played on-line between Ascot A and Ascot B, with the former winning 17-3, so securing the Division 1 title. Many thanks to all those teams who played their part in bringing the season to a close by completing their remaining matches on-line. Congratulations to Ascot A, Aerospace and Crowthorne for winning their divisions and to Woodley for winning the Pivot. Although the EOSP for the season has been cancelled, it is hoped to get the shields and cup to the captains of the winning teams in the near future.
The long-delayed AGM was held on September 1st, with 6 of the 9 clubs in the league represented at the virtual meeting. Ian Adnams has now left his role as secretary and will be replaced by Marguerite Ehinger from Ascot BC; all other members of the Committee were re-elected at the meeting. Many thanks to Ian for all his hard work over his six year tenure and for seeing out the 2019/20 season. As many of you will have heard, BBO will be introducing a charge for ‘non-casual’ teams matches played on their platform from September. The fee will be $10/team for the league season, which will be payable to BBO through the EBU. As the league has sufficient funds to support only some of this increase, the committee put forward a proposal that about 50% of the increase would be covered by the clubs themselves. This proposal was accepted at the AGM, meaning that league fees will be £17/team. Hopefully, the league will be able to get back to face-to-face matches in time for the 21/22 season, so this should only be a one-season increase. Similar charges would also apply to the Pivot/Handicap knock-out competition, but we have been able to avoid these by opting out of the use of the EBU Knockout system to record results/players etc. As a consequence there will be no fees for entry into the Pivot. Payment can be made by BACS - Account name Bracknell Bridge League, Account number 93260461, Sort Code 20-16-99 (please use your team names as a reference), or in cash to the treasurer.
The new season will start in the first week of October, with 21 team competing in three on-line divisions. Although two teams have decided to not to compete until face-to-face bridge returns, we welcome two extra teams from Ascot and one from Camberley, with all three competing in a division of 7 teams. The schedule for the new season has now been drawn-up and is available on the EBU LMS as well as our own website. Teams should note that all matches have been scheduled for ‘week commencing’ rather than specific club home nights, allowing them to take advantage of the flexibility offered by on-line bridge by agreeing their own day/time with opponents. LMS can be updated if captains so wish. The default platform will be BBO, although matches may be played on BCL by mutual agreement between the teams. Teams will also have the option of playing 18 or 24 boards in one or two distinct sessions. Captains should remember to use the appropriate IMPS to VPS conversion when entering the result into LMS – the conversion tables for both 18 and 24 board matches can be found here.
Club contacts should have received both a list of details of team contacts and the first version of rules/advice for BBL on-line. These should have been passed onto to team captains. Both documents will be updated as we receive comment/feedback in time for the start of the new season.
This season’s entry to the Pivot is reduced, so most probably there will be one less round, which gives the organisers a little more time to set the competition up. As noted earlier, for financial reasons we have opted out of the EBU Knockout system for recording results etc – details of the draw, how to enter results and keep up-to-date with progress will be made available soon.
Best of luck to all teams in what promises to be a very different season to those of the past. If you have any concerns about setting up matches or any other issues relating to BBL on-line please contact the league via info.bbl@bridgewebs.com
Minutes of the AGM should be available soon on the league governance page
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AGM and the 2020/21 Season
The 2019/20 season was brought to a conclusion recently with the final match played on-line between Ascot A and Ascot B, with the former winning 17-3, so securing the Division 1 title. Many thanks to all those teams who played their part in bringing the season to a close by completing their remaining matches on-line. Congratulations to Ascot A, Aerospace and Crowthorne for winning their divisions and to Woodley for winning the Pivot. ..........
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| 7th August 2020 |
Update on 2020-21 Season
Thanks to all clubs and teams for their response to the survey on the options for next season. We had feedback from 17 of the 18 teams currently in the league, with a further three replies from potential new teams. A sizeable majority expressed their concern about face-to-face matches even if government advice was favourable and most teams were happy to play on-line. The results from the survey were discussed at a recent virtual committee meeting, at which it was provisionally agreed that the 2020-21 season should start by the end of September or early October as an on-line league, with the option to play face-to-face once the advice becomes favourable but only if both teams are happy to do so.
The structure and programme for the new season will be similar to that in recent years, with teams playing each other twice over a period of about six months. Whilst we anticipate that a small number of teams will choose not to play on-line, we are hopeful that there will be at least two new teams and therefore expect to be able to run three divisions of similar size to last season. The composition of each division will reflect the final standings of the season just completed and there will be promotion and relegation at the end of the new season. Those teams who wish to defer for one season are, on their return, guaranteed a place in the division they would have played had they not deferred.
On-line matches will be played on BBO, although BCL may be used if both teams agree. The on-line environment offers a much more flexible approach to when matches can be played and the fixture schedule will be drawn up around (advisory) playing weeks rather than specified ‘home’ nights. Matches may be played on a day (& time) that is mutually agreeable to both teams, although they should be completed in the week specified by the fixture schedule if at all possible. Although the default for matches will be 24 boards, the committee recognises the concerns expressed by some players of having to play that number of boards in a single on-line session and therefore matches of 18 boards will be permitted provided both teams agree. Those players who already take part in the various EBU/BBO duplicate sessions run by several clubs in the area will be familiar and hopefully comfortable with that number, which is still consistent with EBU rules currently in place for the award of master points for the league. Provided the correct IMPS to VP conversion table is used, the Committee sees no problem in playing either number of boards. By agreement, matches may also be played in two distinct sessions rather than with the usual short break between two sets of 12 boards.
Provided there are sufficient entries, the pivot-handicap cup will be run in the new season as an on-line competition.
With no realistic chance of holding the event in the near future, it has finally been decided to cancel this season’s EOSP. However, teams who won their division or the pivot will still receive their engraved trophy at some stage. In line with the BBL Constitution, the Committee feels that the AGM, the other casualty of the covid situation, should be held before the start of the new season, if at all possible. With little or no prospect of a ‘live’ meeting, it has been decided that a virtual AGM will be held on Zoom within the next few weeks. A calling notice will be sent to club contacts shortly, detailing the proposed agenda. The main objective of the AGM will be to seek the endorsement from the clubs for the proposed structure and programme of the 2020-21 season, as outlined above.
We hope all club contacts can attend or be represented.
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Update on 2020-21 Season
Thanks to all clubs and teams for their response to the survey on the options for next season. We had feedback from 17 of the 18 teams currently in the league, with a further three replies from potential new teams. A sizeable majority expressed their concern about face-to-face matches even if government advice was favourable and most teams were happy to play on-line. ..........
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| 27th June 2020 |
BBL Season 20-21
Although we are still trying to complete the current season, your committee are now considering the best way to proceed for the new season, which we still hope to be able to start around the usual time of October. All team captains and club contacts are invited to take part in a short survey which will help the committee to decide on the best way to go for the next season. The survey has been sent to club contacts who should circulate this to team captains and encourage them to respond. The club contacts should, if appropriate, also cater for the response of potential new teams or those who merge within the club. The options open at present range from a full return to face-to-face (F2F) bridge, on-line matches, a combination of on-line and F2F, to a complete suspension of the BBL for an indeterminate period. Which route we go down depends not only on government advice on social distancing, but also on the views of the players who partake in the league. The committee also appreciates that many of the options may not be acceptable to some teams and we can reassure any team that wishes to take a season out that they will be awarded the same positions on re-entry as they (eventually) finish with this season.
Please complete and return the survey by the end of July. There are a number of ways captains can respond to the survey: directly to the secretary Ian Adnams, via your club contact or by downloading the form here, completing and returning it to the committee at info.bbl@bridgewebs.com.
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| 12th May 2020 |
BBL Secretarial Vacancy
After six years in the role, Ian Adnams has decided to end his tenure as BBL League Secretary at the end of this season. Under normal circumstances, the season concludes with the AGM followed shortly by the End-of-Season Pairs evening, neither of which has taken place because of the Covid-19 situation. In addition, there are still a number of matches to be played, so the season is far from over for the Committee and Ian has kindly offered to stay in post whilst we try to bring the 2019-20 season to a satisfactory conclusion. The Committee would like to thank Ian for all his hard work over the last six years, wish him a happy ‘retirement’ and hope to see him representing Finchampstead in the BBL for many years to come.
The league now needs to find a replacement, so the Committee would like to hear from anybody who might be interested in taking over from Ian as Secretary. If you would like to express an interest or just find out more about the role, please contact the league via info.bbl@bridgewebs.com. In addition to seeing the current season out, Ian has also offered to provide assistance during a handover period.
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BBL Secretarial Vacancy
After six years in the role, Ian Adnams has decided to end his tenure as BBL League Secretary at the end of this season. Under normal circumstances, the season concludes with the AGM followed shortly by the End-of-Season Pairs evening, neither of which has taken place because of the Covid-19 situation. In addition, there are still a number of matches to be played, so the season is far from over for the Committee and Ian has kindly offered to stay in post whilst we try to bring the 2019-20 season to a satisfactory conclusion. ..........
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| 12th May 2020 |
Completing the 2019-20 season - Update
The BBL committee has decided to adopt a policy similar to that of the B&B County for completing the season, setting a date by which all league matches should be played. The deadline for playing any match is 31st August 2020. In keeping with existing rules, the result must be posted on LMS by the Friday following the match. We hope that this approach will allow adequate time for teams to complete their matches either on-line or face-to-face.
As the BBL has no explicit rule for determining the outcome of unfulfilled matches in those cases where neither team is at fault, we have also decided to adopt the County League of 8/ League of 4 rule to determine the result. This rule is:
The result of an unplayed match is adjudicated at the end of the season by apportioning the available 20VPS in the ratio of the average VPs obtained by each team in all of the other matches they have played in the season (this may include a previous match between the two teams).
No provision will be made for determining the result of the final of the Pivot. Unless all participants are willing to play on-line, the match will be played face-to-face as soon as circumstances permit. No deadline is being imposed.
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Completing the 2019-20 season - Update
The BBL committee has decided to adopt a policy similar to that of the B&B County for completing the season, setting a date by which all league matches should be played. The deadline for playing any match is 31st August 2020. In keeping with existing rules, the result must be posted on LMS by the Friday following the match. We hope that this approach will allow adequate time for teams to complete their matches either on-line or face-to-face. ..........
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| 17th April 2020 |
Completing the 2019-20 Season
The BBL held a ‘virtual’ committee meeting recently to decide how best to complete the current season in light of the coronavirus situation. Although there are just 11 league matches still to be played, the questions of which team will win the league and which will be relegated from Division 2 still have to be answered. One option would be to curtail the season now and use the current standings as the final positions. Alternatively, the existing league rules on unfulfilled matches could be applied, but neither of these options are seen as fair or ideal in the current situation and we have made a decision to extend the season to allow key matches to be completed.
On-line bridge offers a way to complete such matches whilst we wait until the current lock-down eases sufficiently to allow ‘face-to-face’ matches to resume. BridgeBaseOnline (BBO) and BridgeClubLive (BCL) are two alternatives ways to play on-line, both of which have been trialled successfully within the BBL community and appear to meet all the requirements for a competitive teams-of-four match. Whilst the committee is happy for matches to be played in this manner, we accept that some teams will be unable or unwilling to go down this route and therefore it should only be used if both teams are agreeable. For those teams who would like to give this a go but are not too familiar we would recommend several practices before you undertake that all-important match. There are a number of very helpful videos on you-tube about playing on BBO. The league is happy to give advice if it can or even provide a team for a friendly should you wish – just contact us via info.bbl@bridgewebs.com to do so. Should you choose to play on-line, don’t forget to enter the usual details into LMS after the match.
Of course, not all of the 11 outstanding matches are ‘key’ or will remain so. All three matches in Division 3 are already ‘dead-rubbers’ and we would expect a number of those in the other divisions to reach the same status once some of the matches are completed. ‘Dead-rubbers’ can be played if the two teams so wish. Otherwise we will assign a draw in LMS for completeness, but no master points will be issued. Please do not be tempted to populate LMS with the names of your team – the BBL will be charged by the EBU under the P2P scheme if you do. If you are unsure as to whether your own match needs to be played please contact the fixture secretary at leaguesec.bbl@bridgewebs.com.
As well as the outstanding league matches, the final of the pivot is still to be played. This season’s finalists are Ascot (Franklin (C)) and Woodley (Hopkins). Again we would support completion on-line - provided both teams are happy to go down that route.
The BBL AGM was originally scheduled for 30th April, but will now take place sometime later in the summer- once the season is completed and ‘live’ gatherings are permitted. Failing that, we may need to go ‘virtual’ somehow/sometime.
As previously reported, the EOSP evening planned for 6th May will not take place. Whether or not the event is moved to a later date or cancelled completely for season 2019-20 has yet to be decided. The committee recognises the popularity of the event and will try to hold it later; however the availability of a hall is outside our control at present and there are also concerns about the financial viability of the event should the number of entrants drop because of on-going health risks.
Under normal circumstances, once the EOSP event is completed there is a short lull in activity before the secretary sends out invitations for entries for the new season and we start to plan/draw up fixtures. Despite the uncertainty as to when the new season can start, we still plan to send out informal enquiries to the clubs around the usual time (mid-June) to be able to gauge the numbers for season 2020-21. Should there be much of a decrease in teams because of knock-on effects from a variety of reasons associated with coronavirus, we may need to think carefully about the structure of the league or seek the views of the clubs as to the best way forward.
Finally, the committee hopes you remain safe and well and it won’t be too long before we have the opportunity to get back to the bridge table face-to-face. We will keep you up-to-date of any changes or progress.
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Completing the 2019-20 Season
The BBL held a ‘virtual’ committee meeting recently to decide how best to complete the current season in light of the coronavirus situation. Although there are just 11 league matches still to be played, the questions of which team will win the league and which will be relegated from Division 2 still have to be answered. One option would be to curtail the season now and use the current standings as the final positions. ..........
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| 16th March 2020 |
Coronavirus and the BBL
As you would expect the Coronavirus is now impacting on the league matches.
To date a total of 11 matches across the three divisions and the pivot final are still to be played
Whilst we have the mechanism within the rules to assign a result to unfulfilled fixtures the Committee has decided that we should extend the season to allow all fixtures to be completed - the duration of this extension cannot be predicted so we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates directly to the Club Contacts and on the website.
Although the EBU now strongly recommends that county events are cancelled, the Committee has decided that a final decision on whether or not the EOSP goes ahead on the 6th May will be made at a later date.
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| 1st March 2020 |
Season 19-20: Promotion/Relegation
There appears to be some confusion on the number of teams to be promoted/relegated at the end of the season. As reported under the 31st October ‘news’ item on the website (below), the committee decided to reduce the number from 2up/2down to 1up/1down for this season because of the reduction in size of each of the divisions. However, the highlighting on the EBU LMS league tables apparently led some teams to believe there had been no change. LMS has now been updated to be consistent with the new rule.
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| 07 Feb 2020 |
End of Season Pairs 2019/20.
The annual End of Season Pairs competition will take place on Wednesday 6th May 2020 at Ascot Bridge Club, Chavey Down, SL5 8RR. The cost of entry will again be £6.00 per pair, payable on the day. This year there will be a limit of 36 pairs placed on the number of entrants. Entry is open to all members of participating clubs and teams, not just those who took part in the League or Pivot Handicap Cup. Player registration starts at 7pm and the presentation of trophies for the League and Handicap/Pivot competitions will take place at 7:15pm.
Parking at the venue is limited so please car share wherever possible and be prepared for double parking - BBL/Ascot members will be on hand to assist. There should also be a small amount of street-parking available within a short walk of the venue.
Pairs wishing to enter the competition are asked to complete the form on the EOSP page (also available through the main left menu) as soon as possible. Entries will be accepted on a ‘first-come/first-served’ basis should the limit of 36 pairs be reached.
There is a downloadable poster here which is available for display in clubs.
There was a Committee Meeting held on 30 January. A copy of the Minutes is available to view on the Minutes page under League Governance
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End of Season Pairs 2019/20.
The annual End of Season Pairs competition will take place on Wednesday 6th May 2020 at Ascot Bridge Club, Chavey Down, SL5 8RR. The cost of entry will again be £6. ..........
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| 31 Oct 2019 |
Update of Rules
Following the reduction in size of the league for this season, the Committee has decided to introduce a more flexible approach to the number of teams to be promoted or relegated each season. The two-up/two-down policy that has been in place for many seasons has now been replaced by one-up/one-down, with the option of a second promotion/relegation at the discretion of the Committee, depending on the size of the division. Club contacts will be advised at the start of the season as to the policy in place for the season - for 2019/20 it will be just one-up/one-down. The League Rules have been modified to cover this and may be found under Rule 17 of Match Management.
Team captains who regularly fail to submit the names of their players into LMS can be the bane of the Fixture Secretary's life, as failure to do so means a check cannot be made on appearances and Master Points cannot be awarded at the end of the season unless the Secretary chases captains for the information. At the discretion of the Committee, a 2 VP penalty can be imposed on persistent offenders, but the wording of the rule (11.1) meant that this could only be applied to the home team. This has now been modified to cover both the home and away teams. Don't forget the rule also applies to the submission of the match result as well as the player's names.
An error in the cross-reference under rule 15.2.3 was also corrected.
These changes were ratified at the recent Committee Meeting, held on 24th October. Minutes from the meeting have been uploaded to the website and may be found on the Minutes page (under League Governance).
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| 25 Sep 2019 |
2019 / 2020 EoSP
The End-of-Season Pairs event for the forthcoming season will be held on the evening of Wed 6th May 2020. The venue will be St Martin's Church Hall, Chavey Down, North Ascot. Further details on the event and how to enter will be announced later in the season. The BBL Committee would like to express their thanks to Ascot Bridge Club for their help in arranging the evening.
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| 10 Aug 2019 |
2019 / 2020 Season
The BBL League fixtures and Pivot Draw are now live to view on LMS. Club contacts should by now have received a list of team contacts for the new season from the secretary Ian Adnams – please let Ian know by e-mail at sec.bbl@bridgewebs.com if you have not received the information or need to inform him of any updates or corrections.
A few points from the League (Fixture) Secretary, Dave Green, on the use of LMS:
(i) If you wish to add, replace or have two nominated captains for LMS purposes please e-mail him at leaguesec.bbl@bridgewebs.com and he can then readily do that.
(ii) By clicking on the pencil and notebook icon at the end of a match line, captains, after consultation with the opposing captain, can readily change the date of the match.
(iii) Please help by always ticking off the players utilised in a match. (That stops him chasing you).
There has been a further reduction in the number of teams entering the league and, as a result, all three divisions will run with six teams, each playing a total of ten matches during the season. Unfortunately, this reduction has meant that a couple of teams who were expecting to be promoted remain in the same division as last year. This year we finally say farewell to Lilly Research as an independent club, who after over 40 years in the league have decided to throw in their lot with Ascot because of difficulties in finding a home venue. However, John Fairhurst and his team will still be there in Division 1, playing under the Ascot L banner.
.An updated version of the rules will be available for the start of the season, but the changes from those currently in place will be limited to clarifications, corrections or minor mods. Clubs are reminded of the rules for playing for different clubs in place for next year, as outlined in the 20 June 2019 news item below and detailed in rule 2 of Match Management.
The number of teams entering the Pivot remains at 13. Although teams are asked to try to adhere to the deadlines for rounds being played, teams having difficulty doing so should get in touch with the Committee rather than withdraw from the competition. Handicaps for the competition will appear on the website early in September.
Minutes of the last Committee Meeting, held in July, have now been uploaded to the website and may be found on the Minutes page (under League Governance)
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2019 / 2020 Season
The BBL League fixtures and Pivot Draw are now live to view on LMS. Club contacts should by now have received a list of team contacts for the new season from the secretary Ian Adnams – please let Ian know by e-mail at sec. ..........
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| 20 Jun 2019 |
2019 / 2020 Season
We are now accepting League and Pivot/Handicap Cup entries for the 2019/2020 season.
The costs are unchanged from last season at £10.00 per team for the League, and £7.00 per team for the Pivot/Handicap Cup. The preferred method of payment is by Bank Transfer (BACS), although cash will also be accepted.
Existing Club contacts should have already received an e-mail from Ian Adnams, the League Secretary, regarding this and including bank details for payment. Club or Team contacts who have not received the e-mail but who wish to enter a team should advise Ian by e-mail to sec.bbl@bridgewebs.com of the number of teams to be entered for each competition by 17th July 2019.
Any changes to teams’ details – contacts, venue, home nights etc. - should be notified at the same time. New teams will always be welcome – please e-mail Ian at the above address for further information
The rules on playing for different clubs trialled last season has now been formally adopted. The detail of the relevant rules may be found on the website (insert link), but in summary players may play for a team from a second club, provided that the teams are in different divisions. The total number of matches an individual may play in a season has been modified to enable all players to play the same number of matches if they so wish. The limit is defined by the total number of matches played by a team in the division with largest number of teams. Currently, the largest division has 7 teams, so an individual may play up to 12 matches, irrespective of the division in which they play. The league has always had an unwritten understanding that established partnerships should not play in a division that is much lower than their usual standing. This has now been formalised in the rules, limiting ‘playing down’ to just one division. Thus a pair who normally play in division one cannot play in division three, etc.
Of course, the rules on player eligibility can be waived by the Committee in exceptional circumstances and teams should write to the League Secretary detailing the circumstances if they wish to seek an exemption at any stage.
Both league fixtures and the draw for the Pivot should be available on the website by early August. In the meantime a provisional list of proposed playing weeks for the league schedule is available now (insert link) – this should help teams plan ahead if they partake in other leagues etc. Clubs are also reminded that, provided both team captains agree, matches may be played on any day and at any time, not just Monday to Thursday evenings defined in the published schedule. Any changes to match dates can be made by captains in LMS without the need to notify the fixture secretary.
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2019 / 2020 Season
We are now accepting League and Pivot/Handicap Cup entries for the 2019/2020 season.
The costs are unchanged from last season at £10.00 per team for the League, and £7. ..........
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| BBL EoS Pairs |
End of Season Pairs 2018/19
Well done Jennie & Bruce!!!
For Photos of the Season's winners, click HERE
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| 21 May 2019 |
The league held its AGM on 25th April – minutes of the meeting and those of the Committee meeting that preceded the AGM are now uploaded to the Minutes Page (under League Governance). The Chairman, Bill Barclay, has resigned following his recent move out of the area, with Dave Lee replacing Bill as Chair. All other Committee members will remain in post for the new season. We all wish Bill and his family the very best for the future and thank him for his short but very successful tenure in which he did much to promote the league and ensure its well-being. At the AGM it was confirmed that the rules which allow players to represent a second club will be formally adopted following a successful trial last season. The detail of the rules governing the changes will be published on the website over the next few weeks once they are ratified by the Committee. The league has also announced its intention to rotate the day of the week on which the EOSP takes place from the end of next season.
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The league held its AGM on 25th April – minutes of the meeting and those of the Committee meeting that preceded the AGM are now uploaded to the Minutes Page (under League Governance). The Chairman, Bill Barclay, has resigned following his recent move out of the area, with Dave Lee replacing Bill as Chair. All other Committee members will remain in post for the new season. ..........
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| 04 Aug 18 |
2018 / 2019 Season
The BBL League fixtures and first round Pivot Draw are now live to view on LMS.
As a result of our recent survey we are in the process of making some some changes to the League Rules, which will be updated on the Web Site shortly. A brief summary follows below:
First, the rule on playing for different clubs has been relaxed slightly. For the next season, we will be trialling a regime where players may play for teams from different clubs, provided that the teams are in different divisions, and no player may play in more matches than those that are available to a team playing in the lowest division in which he or she plays. It will also be emphasised in the new version of the rules that, provided both team captains agree, matches may be played on any day and at any time, not just Monday to Thursday evenings. Finally, the amended rules will emphasise that the normal method of reporting results is through the EBU LMS system.
There are also some relaxations to the Pivot rules that will be processed shortly. First, although players in the Pivot may only play for one team competing in the Pivot, teams may be drawn from more than one club. Secondly, although teams are asked to adhere strictly to the deadlines for rounds being played, teams having difficulty doing so should not withdraw from the competition without consulting the Committee first. Finally, Pivot Team Captains should be reminded that, unlike the league where the responsibility for notifying the results sits with the home team captain, in the Pivot competition, it is the responsibility of the winning captain to upload the results using the EBU Knockout system (or notify the Pivot Secretary) within 48 hours of the match being played.
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2018 / 2019 Season
The BBL League fixtures and first round Pivot Draw are now live to view on LMS.
As a result of our recent survey we are in the process of making some some changes to the League Rules, which will be updated on the Web Site shortly. A brief summary follows below:
First, the rule on playing for different clubs has been relaxed slightly. ..........
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| 13 Jul 18 |
Leagues & Pivot
We are now accepting League and Pivot/Handicap Cup entries for the 2018/2019 season.
The costs are unchanged from last season at £10.00 per team for the League, and £7.00 per team for the Pivot/Handicap Cup. The preferred method of payment is by Bank Transfer (BACS), although cash will also be accepted.
Existing Club contacts should have already received an email from Ian Adnams, the League Secretary, regarding this including bank details for payment. Club or Team contacts who have not received the email but who wish to enter a team should advise Ian by email to sec.bbl@bridgewebs.com of the number of Teams to be entered for each competition by 25 July 2018.
Any changes to Teams’ details – contacts, venue, home nights etc. - should be notified at the same time. New teams will always be welcome – please email Ian at the above address for further information.
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Leagues & Pivot
We are now accepting League and Pivot/Handicap Cup entries for the 2018/2019 season.
The costs are unchanged from last season at £10.00 per team for the League, and £7. ..........
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| 13 Jun 18 |
BBL Minutes
Committee and AGM Minutes now uploaded to the Minutes page (under League Governance)
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| 31 May 18 |
BBL End of Season Pairs
A total of 30 Pairs played in the End of Season Pairs event and results can be seen on this website
Well done to Marcelli & Bill for winning and to all those who took part.
Photo's have been uploaded and these are within the history tab
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| 20 May 18 |
BBL Survey April/May 18
A total of 67 individuals responded to the survey: 50 answered the survey for current players and 17 responded to the non-current player survey. The Committee would like to thank all those who took the time and trouble to complete either survey. A summary of the responses is on the League Survey page (also accessible from the menu on the left).
The results were discussed at the AGM. Following this, the Committee does not propose to make any significant changes in the structure of the League, the playing season or policies regarding where and when matches are to be played. Greater freedom will be given to teams who wish to organise their matches during the day – but this must be with the express consent of both teams. Although the majority of responses indicated that players are satisfied that the current number of matches is ‘about right’, it is likely that the number of teams wishing to play in the league next season will naturally result in a slight reduction in the number of matches to be played, and the Committee will review this when the applications from teams wishing to play in the next season have been received.
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BBL Survey April/May 18
A total of 67 individuals responded to the survey: 50 answered the survey for current players and 17 responded to the non-current player survey. The Committee would like to thank all those who took the time and trouble to complete either survey. A summary of the responses is on the League Survey page (also accessible from the menu on the left). ..........
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| 21 Feb 18 |
End of Season Pairs 2017/18. The annual End of Season Pairs competition will take place on Thursday 31 May 2018 at Finchampstead Memorial Hall, The Village, Finchampstead RG40 4JU. The cost of entry will again be £6.00 per pair, payable on the day. Entry is open to all players, not just those who took part in the League or Pivot Handicap Cup. Player registration starts at 7pm and the presentation of trophies for the League and Handicap/Pivot competitions will take place at 7:15pm.
Pairs wishing to enter the competition are asked to complete the form on the EOSP page (also available through the main left menu) as soon as possible.
There is a downloadable poster here which is available for display in clubs.
Bracknell Bridge League Privacy Policy. The League has produced a Privacy Policy in anticipation of the implementation of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, which comes into effect on 25 May 2018. A copy of the Policy is available to view here, and it can also be found under the League Governance menu above.
There was a Committee Meeting held on 8 February. A copy of the Minutes is available to view here.
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End of Season Pairs 2017/18. The annual End of Season Pairs competition will take place on Thursday 31 May 2018 at Finchampstead Memorial Hall, The Village, Finchampstead RG40 4JU. The cost of entry will again be £6. ..........
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| 26 Jan 18 |
A NEW BRIDGE MAGAZINE is a new, completely FREE, on-line magazine edited by Mark Horton. Contributors include: David Bird, Alan Mould, Larry Cohen, Alex Adamson & Harry Smith, Sally Brock, Julian Pottage, Liz McGowan and Kit Woolsey. It has been recently added to our links page or you can click: www.newbridgemag.com.
There was a Committee Meeting held on 12 October. A copy of the Minutes is available to view here.
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