MCBA's Result and Registration Service, Manchester

Definitions
1. The Conditions of Contest for the Manchester County Bridge Association (MCBA) League comprise these Conditions of Contest and the general regulations of the EBU concerning matches played privately. In the event of any conflict between the EBU regulations on matches played privately and these regulations, these regulations shall prevail.
2. For any issues relating to the league, these regulations, arranging league matches, or any other matter relating to the MCBA League, please contact the League Secretary at league@manchesterbridge.org.uk
Scope of the League
1. The MCBA League is a local league played by teams consisting of players with MCBA affiliation, either primary or secondary. Teams will consist of up to eight players each of who must be registered with the League Secretary before playing in a match. Other than all members of the team being members of MCBA, there are no other restrictions on who can be in a team. Registration of players is a one time process.
2. The exact format of the League will depend on the number of entries but will normally be 5 or more Divisions each consisting of 6 or more teams.
3. The League will run from 1 October 2024 until 31 May 2025.
4. Promotion and relegation between divisions at the end of each Season will usually be on a 2-up and 2-down basis between divisions of 7 or more teams and 1-up, 1 down for smaller divisions. Division 1 will have 3 relegations if it contains 9 or more teams and there will be a corresponding 3 promotions from Division 2 if it consists of 9 or more teams. The exact number for promotion and relegation between divisions will be decided by the League Secretary and may be varied when Divisions are resized because of new teams or teams dropping out. Additional promotions/non-relegations may be made by the League Secretary (based on the average number of VPs scored per match) to balance the divisions.
5. If a team drops out of a division at the end of the season then, unless a new team of suitable standard comes in (see 7 below), they will usually be replaced by an additional promotion from the division below subject to the judgement of the League Secretary.
6. The League position of a team which splits up will be retained by the larger contingent or by the captain if the contingents are equal in size. In order to retain their place in a division in the following season, a team must either retain at least four players or retain two or more players who each played at least half of the matches.
7. Newly formed teams are positioned at the discretion of the League Secretary (normally just below or reasonably appropriate to their perceived ability level).
8. Ties in terms of Victory Points will be split by the result (in VPs) of the match between the teams, and then by total IMPs over the season.
Entry Fee
1. The entry fee will be £50 per team for the season covering between 4 and 8 players. Additional players (up to the limit of 8) may be registered without payment of any extra fee.
2. Entry fees are due before the start of the season and, in any case, before the first match is played. Teams who have not paid their entry fee in time will have a 3VP penalty in each match they play during the season.
3. The entry fee for the League will also entitle the team to enter the Higson Cup/Plate at no additional cost and the Goldstone Trophy at no additional cost.
4. Payment is preferred by BACS. Bank details : Account name : MCBA. Sort Code : 01-07-20 A/c Number : 41526708. Please use the team name as the reference when paying. Contact the League Secretary if you are unable to pay by BACS.
Team Members and Eligibility
1. The Team entry fee covers any number of registered players between four and eight.
2. All players in a team must be current members of the EBU and must have Manchester as their county of primary or secondary allegiance before the start of the first match.
3. As this is a Manchester League, it is expected that team members will be based within a reasonable distance from Manchester. Whilst this is not an absolute requirement to play in the League, captains should not refuse to play face to face matches on the basis that their team members live too far away. Any face to face match should normally be playable in Greater Manchester.
4. All players in a team must be registered with the League Secretary before playing in their first match. Any team fielding an unregistered player will forfeit the match and will score 0 VPs. The non-offending team will be awarded VPs according to 11.4 below.
5. Any team fielding in a match a player without Manchester as County of primary or secondary allegiance (except for school students) will forfeit the match and score 0 VPs.
6. No player may play for more than one team in the League in any one season, except in the case of a substitute agreed with the League Secretary in advance (see section on substitutes). Any team fielding a player who has already played for another team in any division (except for substitutes) will forfeit all matches in which that player played and will score 0 VPs for those matches.
7. Captains can add players during the season up to a maximum of 8 by contacting the League Secretary by email. This must be done BEFORE the player plays in a match.
Arranging Matches
1. The League is intended to be conducted in a friendly manner. It is thus assumed that all matches can be arranged amicably between the team captains.
2. If a match cannot be played by the end of the Season, the League Secretary will award a score as he deems appropriate (see Appendix A). This is subject to 3 below.
3. If a team fails to play more than half of their matches (rounded up in the case of an odd number) then they will be deemed to have withdrawn from the league and 12.2 will apply.
4. Each match will be played on a date which is agreeable to both teams. As there are almost 8 months in which to play the matches, it is anticipated that all captains will be able to agree dates. If there are any disputes then Captains should refer the matter to the league secretary.
5. Either captain may initiate the arrangement of matches, though the onus is on the away captain.
6. Matches may be played online or face to face. If either captain does not wish to play online for any reason, the default will be face to face.
7. Matches can be played on any agreed online platform, though Bridgebaseonline (BBO), www.bridgebase.com, is the assumed platform and the default unless both captains agree to a different platform.
8. When arranging a match, the date, start time and platform should all be clearly specified. It is also useful for captains to exchange phone numbers, in case they need to contact each other on the night.
9. The home team is responsible for setting up the match online, unless the captains agree that the away team should do so.
10. If on occasion through no fault a match has to be cancelled, it will need to be re-arranged. If it cannot be arranged by the end of season, the League Secretary will award a score for the match as he deems appropriate.
Playing Conditions and Playing the Match
1. In Divisions 1-3 inclusive, matches are of 24 boards to be played in two stanzas of 12 boards each with a change of opponents. In Divisions 4-5, matches will be of 24 boards played in two stanzas of 12 boards each (unless both captains wish to play 20 boards in two stanzas of 10 boards). In Newcomers' Division A, matches will be of 16 boards played in 2 stanzas of 8 boards each. In Newcomers' Division B, matches will be of 12 boards played in 2 stanzas of 6 boards each. Note that the Victory Point scales are different for different length matches. The VP scales are shown in Appendix B and are also available on the EBU website. Continuous VP scales are used in Divisions 1-5, but Discrete VP Scales are used in the Newcomers' Divisions.
2. Captains should agree before the match starts how long the break between stanzas should be. It is acceptable in online matches for the Captains to play the two stanzas on different dates. In this case, note the score from Stanza 1 and add it to the later date's score from Stanza 2 and only enter the final overall score as a result when all boards have been played.
3. The home team has a choice of opponents (seating rights).
4. For matches on BBO, captains should set matches up with +private+ and +slow+ in the description field. This will prevent other players trying to enter your match and will stop a match timing out if it is played very slowly or delayed by communication difficulties. The addition of +noinvite+ in the description field will enable the captain to omit a player from either team and start the match with seven or fewer players. The missing player can then be introduced by the following method. Click on the match in your Director tab and choose Show Tables from the options. Where there is a missing player the word Invite will appear in their seat. Click on Invite and type in the missing player's name. They will get an invitation to SUBSTITUTE in the match. As soon as they accept, you can start playing. All the instructions must use lower case and have a + both before and after. e.g. +NOINVITE+ will NOT work.
5. Online matches should be set up with Undos allowed. Undos for genuine misclicks in the bidding are allowed by the EBU in the Sky Blue Book and so Undo requests during the auction should be allowed by the opponents. If an undo is granted and afterwards the opposing team feels that the subsequent bid indicates a change of mind, then they should advise the opponent accordingly and ask if they are prepared to revert to the original bid. If not, then they can reserve their rights and ask for a ruling later as per Section 7 below. Undos during play are not allowed.
6. For matches on BBO, if a board is lost in Stanza 1 through slow play then BBO will score it as 0 IMPs. In this case an extra board should be added to stanza 2 to play the correct overall number of boards. If a board was played by only half the team in Stanza 1, then that score will be scrapped and replaced by the score in the additional board in Stanza 2.
7. If the final board of Stanza 2 is lost, then a new match will need to be set up to play that board. BBO will not allow team matches of fewer than 3 boards, so set up a 3 board match, take the score from the first board only, and add it to those scored in the previous stanza. To speed up completion of the match, you can pass the boards out. The results of the last two boards will show as 0. Use of +slow+ (see 4 above) in the description will prevent these problems.
8. If a match is abandoned for any reason after Stanza 1 has been completed, then the remaining stanza may be played on another mutually agreed date before the end of the season. If both Captains choose not to play the remaining Stanza, the match will be scored on the basis of the boards played and the IMPs will be converted to VPs using the appropriate continuous scale. If one Captain wants to play the remaining stanza and the other doesn't, then the entire match will be deemed as a default by the team which chooses not to play the remaining stanza and will be scored according to 11.4 of these Conditions of Contest.
9. All players must provide to the captain setting up the match their BBO names (or other platform as appropriate) so the match can be set up in a timely fashion.
10. It is strongly advised that all players are on BBO (or other platform) at least 10 minutes before the match is due to start. Any match set up on BBO will fail if any of the players is not on the site and the captain will have to try to create the match again. To avoid this, players should ensure they are online in good time. All players must ensure that they are in Competitive and it is recommended that they also click on Team Matches and wait in the Team Match lobby. Players should take care to ensure that they have not labelled any player in the match as "Ignore" as this may prevent them receiving the invitation to the match.
11. All players must abide by the EBU Best Behaviour at Bridge guidelines. Anyone who thinks they have been affected by bad behaviour should report back to the League Secretary as soon as possible.
12. Players should under no circumstances be watching the match they are playing in on another device nor should anyone else in the same room be watching the match on another device. Players should also not communicate with their partner via phone, Zoom or other method about the play or bidding of the hand until the hand is over. Any infringements will be construed as serious cheating and will be treated as such by MCBA if discovered.
13. Team captains should agree whether kibitzers are allowed. If one team wishes to allow kibitzers but the other team does not, then kibitzers are not allowed.
14. For matches on BBO, players must self-alert in line with BBO regulations. See videos on this at bridgewebs.com/manchesterevents/. for an explanation of how to do this.
15. Level 4 conventions as defined in the EBU Blue Book are allowed in all divisions of the league. However, pairs playing methods or conventions that may be unfamiliar to opponents should note that the onus is on them to fully explain their methods to opponents. For methods that may be unknown to opponents, it is considered good practice for a pair to make available a convention card to the opposing team captain prior to any match. This can be done by email. For example, a pair playing Polish Club might wish to do this as their opponents may never have come across this system before. However, there is no requirement to do this.
Rulings
1. For matches on BBO, note that although there is a Call TD option in the menu, this will NOT bring a TD to the table in a team match.
2. If a ruling is required, please do not stop the match but continue until the end of the match having advised the other pair and their captain that you are reserving your rights. Then contact the League Secretary with all the details including the BBO login names of the four players at the table. He will then arrange for a ruling to be made.
3. A request for a ruling must be made within 24 hours of the end of the match
4. If you wish to appeal the TD ruling, send the full details about the hand to the MCBA Secretary using an Appeal Form which can be downloaded from the EBU site by clicking HERE. The form is available in both Word and a PDF format. The form should make clear what details are agreed upon by both teams and should be accompanied by a deposit of £30. The MCBA Secretary will form a committee to hear the appeal.
5. Teams unhappy with the Appeal Committee's ruling may appeal to the EBU about the ruling, but unless it is a matter of bridge regulation, they may decline to hear it.
Incorrect Direction of Seating

It should be obvious if you are sitting incorrectly, because you will usually find you are playing your teammates! If this happens cancel the match and set it up again, following the video at bridgewebs.com/manchesterevents/, to make sure you get the match setup correctly. To cancel the match click on your Director tab, then click on the match and the bottom option on the green menu will be Cancel Tournament. Captains must take great care to ensure that they do not place their own players sitting in the same direction for the two different teams. This will result in a void stanza but will only become apparent after 12 boards have been played. If so, the stanza will have to be replayed with the players sitting in the correct seats. Always ensure that your team are sitting in the four seats allocated to Team 1 BEFORE you start the match.
If a match is abandoned due to unforeseen circumstances with neither team at fault, then any remaining boards should be replayed at another date that week. If the match cannot completed by the end of the season, then the League Secretary will award a score as he sees fit.

Scoring and Reporting Results
1. Scoring will be by IMPs, converted to VPs on the EBU VP scales as given in Appendix B.
2. Full details of the match including the name of the winning team and the net IMP difference should be noted and uploaded to the EBU website https://www.ebu.co.uk/members/v2/ within 24 hours of a match being played by either captain. To submit a League Result:

Click My EBU and enter your EBU No and Password
Click Utilities and EBU League
Click on the link for your team
Click on the specific match (little notepad and pencil icon) and enter the results and tick players accordingly

Substitutes
1. If fewer than four players are available for a pre-arranged match, then the following options are available:

Try and re-arrange the match
Register another player(s) on the team who is available for the match. See Section 4 number 5. Such a player(s) must not have played for any other team in any match in that season.
Apply to the League Secretary for a substitute(s) for the match.
1. The League Secretary is under no obligation to grant a substitute(s) and will only do so if convinced that the other options are not viable. Any substitute must not:

have played for a team in the same or a higher ranking division in that season
be materially stronger than the player(s) substituted for. This will be determined by examining the NGS grades of the players involved. If either or both players have their NGS grade hidden, then the substitute will automatically be deemed of higher rank and not be allowed.
1. There will be a compulsory 5 VP penalty per substitute per match in which a substitute is played, subject to a team scoring a minimum of 0 VPs. The VP score of the opposing team will not be affected by this. So, for example, if a team with a substitute wins 15-5, then the team with the substitute will score 10 VPs and the team without the substitute will score 5 VPs.
2. Playing a substitute without agreement of the League Secretary will result in the match being forfeited and the team scoring 0 VPs.
3. The League Secretary will inform the opposing captain that a substitute(s) is being played and who the substitute is, but it is good practice for the captain of the team with the substitute(s) to also inform the opposing team captain.

Defaults
1. All matches must be completed before the announced "End of Season" date, as stated in 2.5 above.
2. Any outstanding matches will be awarded a score as deemed fit by the League Secretary according to 11.3 & 11.4 below.
3. If the League Secretary deems that one team is at fault that team will score 0 VPs and the other team will score as in 11.4 below. If the League Secretary deemed that neither team was at fault, then the match will be scored as in 11.4 below. Teams may appeal this decision to the League Secretary who will form a Committee of MCBA Officers to hear the appeal, but the appeal would have to be heard within 1 week.
4. If a team is awarded a match as a result of a default by the opposing team or no fault on either side, then:

The defaulting team receives no VPs.
The other (or both teams in the case of no fault) team will be awarded 10 +(their VP average – opponent’s VP average) VPs (Mould formula)

(subject to a minimum of 10VPs and a maximum 20VPs in the case of a default match and a minimum of 0VPs and a maximum of 20VPs in the case of a no fault match)

Artificial VP scores from other defaulted matches are not included in this calculation.

Withdrawals
1. On occasion a team withdraws from the League.
2. If a team withdraws from the League having played fewer than half its matches in a Season (rounded up in the case of an odd number), all results against that team will be cancelled.
3. If the team has played at least half its matches in the Season (rounded up in the case of an odd number), results in the remaining matches are calculated using the default match formula above.
4. The League Secretary reserves the right to refuse entry in the following season to some or all the members of a team who consistently default matches.

Masterpoints
1. Local points will be awarded in accordance with the EBU Masterpoint Handbook.
Appendix A: Procedure in the Case of Difficulty Arranging Matches

It is hoped that all matches can be arranged amicably. If, for whatever reason, there are problems arranging the match, then the following regulations will apply:
1. Before the End of Season (May 31st 2025 for the 2024-25 season), the team captains can apply to the League Secretary for an extension of 1 week in order for the match to be played. This will usually be granted, but there is no requirement for the League Secretary to grant this extension and teams should not rely on this provision. Only in exceptional circumstances (eg serious illness of a team member) will an extension of longer than one week be granted.
2. If, for whatever reason, there is difficulty in arranging a match, then the away team should formally offer 4 dates to the home team, these all to be before May 31st (or within any extension if granted).
3. Of these dates, at least 3 must be week evening dates, and no more than 2 should fall in any continuous 7 day period.
4. All dates offered must be a minimum of 5 weekdays from the date they are offered (that is, if dates are offered on a Monday, the earliest date that be offered is the following Monday etc).
5. it is advised that these dates are communicated by email or other written communication in order to ensure an audit trial.
6. if the conditions above are met, the home team is unable to agree to any of these dates, and no other date can be arranged, then the match will be awarded to the away team as a default and the relevant regulations for awarding VPs will apply.
7. if the away team cannot or will not offer the relevant number of dates within 4 weeks of being requested by the home captain, then the home team is entitled to offer dates, in line with the provisions of paragraphs 2) – 5) above.
8. If the away team is unable to agree to any of these dates, and no other date can be arranged, then the match will be awarded to the home team as a default and the relevant regulations for awarding VPs will apply.
9. If neither team are able to offer dates which comply with 2) – 5) above and/or were unable to prove that (see 5) above) then the match will be void (0 VPs for each team).
10. In all cases, the team(s) awarded against can appeal against this decision. This appeal will be dealt with by the Chair of Council, who may form a committee of up to 3 people to assist. The League Secretary may not be involved in the appeal, though the League Secretary will be asked for a written statement as to how and why the decision was made.
Appendix B: Scale of IMPs to VPs For MCBA League Matches

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