Rules of the Club Teams Championship for the Committee Cup
1. Only clubs affiliated to the Berks and Bucks County Bridge Association may hold a heat of this event. Clubs intending to hold a heat must inform the Chairman by 30 November 2008.
2. No player may attempt to qualify in more than one heat.
3. The arrangements for the heat are at the discretion of the clubs, in particular whether conventions with Level 4 Licences are allowed. Heats may be held in an ordinary club session combined with the usual weekly event. Any teams playing in that session and not entering the competition must state this before play begins. (See also rule 7)
4. Clubs may choose whether their heats are to be open or closed. In closed heats, clubs may refuse entry to players who are not members of the clubs concerned. Clubs who are running closed heats must advertise that fact at least a month in advance either on their notice board or in any other club publication. It is the responsibility of non members to make sure that the heat is open to all. Open heats will be advertised on the BBCBA web site.
5. Clubs who regularly run separate sessions during the week may hold separate heats in each session. Each heat will have its own qualifiers in accordance with 6 below
6. The numbers that qualify will be in accordance with the following scale.
Number of Competing Teams Number of Qualifying Teams 3 to 4
1 5 to 7
2 8 to 10
3 11 to 14
4 15 to 17
5 18 to 20
6 and so on
7. There must be a minimum of 3 teams competing in each heat. In the event of a tie for the last qualifying place all tied teams shall qualify.
8. Clubs are responsible for informing players who have qualified and determining who will play in the final. This should be done as soon as possible after the heat.
9. A copy of the full results sheet must reach the Event Coordinator by 1 March 2009. This is important as master points in the final are calculated on the number of teams who have played in the Club Heats
10. The qualifiers and reserves must be clearly marked. Names of those who played and did not compete must be marked NC.
11. The club must send the total table money (£6 per player, £3 for juniors) for all qualifiers who intend to play in the final to the Event Coordinator to arrive by 1 March 2009.
12. Please send a single cheque, payable to Berks & Bucks CBA and drawn on the club account, as soon as the number of qualifying teams is known, then recover the money from these players.
13. If any qualified team declare themselves unavailable for the final, competing teams from the same heat who finished next in ranking order may take their place as a qualifying team and play in their place.
14. Up to two substitutes may play in any team in the final. These substitutes may either be players who have not attempted to qualify in any heat or players from other qualified teams from the same club.
15. If a team has qualified in a closed heat, any substitutes who plays in the final must be bona-fide members of that club
16. Note: This regulation permits qualified teams who both have players unavailable for the final to combine into one team.
17. Advance notification of any changes to the qualifiers made under rules 13 and 14 must be given to the Event Coordinator. In particular, when a qualified team are unable to play in the final and cannot be replaced by a reserve from the club heat in which they qualified, then the Event Coordinator must be informed. Table money will be refunded providing such notice has been received.
18. Heats which breach any of the above regulations may, at the discretion of the Event Coordinator, be declared invalid.
19. Heats may be run in all affiliated clubs in the district. The County Association will make no charge to players in the heats, nor need players be members of B&BCBA.
20. Master points in club heats should be awarded according to the district scale. This is 1.5 times the club scale.
21. The Event Coordinator is Nigel Thompson. Contact details can be found in the Handbook and on the web site.
22. Qualifiers in the club heats will play in a final comprising approximately 36 boards, played in two sessions. Players are asked to be seated by 1.20 p.m. so that play can start promptly at 1.30 p.m. Play is expected to finish about 7.00 p.m. Only conventions with a Level 3 Licence will be allowed.
The final is on 8 March 2009 @ Windsor.