RUGBY AND DISTRICT BRIDGE LEAGUE RULES

1. Arrangement of Fixtures

2. Registration of Players

3. Eligibility of Players

4. Substitution of Players

5. Players per Match

6. Conventions and Conduct

7. Convention Cards

8. Arrangement of Play

9. Victory Points

10. Notification of Results

11. Late Play

12. Cancelled Matches

13. Tournaments

14. Competition Rules

15. Trophies

16. Teams per Division

17. Placement of New Teams

18. Promotion and Relegation

19. Changes in League Structure

20. Number of players in a team

1. Arrangements for matches shall be made at a Fixtures Meeting held on the first or second Monday in September. All matches should take place between 15th September and the following 15th May each season. Teams failing to play any match during this period shall be liable to forfeit all points for that match (see Rule 11). The first named team in each match shall be the Home Team. At the end of the meeting the Fixture Secretary shall receive, from each team, a complete timetable of matches for the season. See Rule 12 for the procedure when later rearrangements occur

2. Each Team Secretary is responsible for notifying the Fixture Secretary of his or her name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, if available, together with the name of each member of the team, by a date specified by the Fixture Secretary. During the season non-registered players must be registered with, and accepted by, the Fixture Secretary before they become eligible to play.

3. Players may represent only ONE team in any ONE season, except as a registered substitute under Rule 4. No players from a team can play for another team in the same division or any team in a lower division. Players may not play more than twice in a division higher than their own without transferring to that team.

4. Players are allowed only two substitutions per season and may not play for more than two teams in any one season. Substitutions must be notified to the Fixture Secretary on the official form and be accepted before players can play for their new team.

5. No team may field more than four players in any one match except in the case of illness, and subject to the agreement of the opposing team.

6. In accordance with EBU recommendations Level 3 conventions and bidding agreement apply. Furthermore all players are expected to adhere to the standards of behaviour set out in the Code of Conduct. The Committee is empowered to deduct up to 4 VPs from any team in the event of each substantial breach of the Code of Conduct.

7. Before play commences each partnership from each team must present to its opponents at least one fully completed convention card. In the absence of such a card the partnership must play the EBU Simple System.

8. Play should normally commence not later than 7.15 p.m. unless by prior arrangement. Before play commences the Home Team shall sit at the tables and then be joined by the Visiting Team. 24 boards shall be played in all League and Knock Out matches, except that in the event of a tie in Knock Out matches, extra boards shall be played (see Rule 14). When 12 boards have been played, opponents must change tables and the Visiting Team remain in their starting positions.

9. In all League matches Victory Points are awarded to each team in accord with the scale in force at the time. The team acquiring the greatest number of Victory Points during the season wins its respective division. Ties in League positions are to be split in accord with current EBU Regulations.

10. Each Home Team secretary is responsible for notifying the Fixture Secretary of the results of each match and the names of the players on the card provided.

11. No match may be played after 15^th May in each season. When a match is not played, the Committee shall consider evidence as to the liability for the match not being played. One or both Teams may be judged to have offended. The decision of the Committee shall be final unless further evidence becomes available. A non-offending team shall be awarded a score of 10 VPs plus the total of its VPs obtained from all its played matches divided by twice the number of its played matches. IMPs shall be allocated accordingly. The offending team/teams shall be awarded a score of 0 VPs. The Committee is empowered to allocate an awarded score when necessary. When a team may benefit by not playing a match, a fine not exceeding 10VPs may be imposed.

12. All cancelled League matches should be re-arranged within 14 days of cancellation and the Fixture Secretary notified of the re-arranged date within this period. Failure to comply may result in a fine of up to 4 VPs per match.

13. The League should promote, and the League Committee shall arrange:-

13a) An Annual Knock-out Competition open to all teams in the League.

13b) An Annual Handicap Knock-Out Competition open to all teams in the League.

The League may arrange any other competitions as may be deemed attractive.

14 Competition Rules

14.1 The Following shall apply to the Knock-Out, Open and Handicap events:

14.1a) The League Committee is responsible for setting handicaps and completion dates for each round of the Competitions. In the event of difficulties, the Fixture Secretary may grant an extension. Matches not played by the extension date shall result in one or both teams being disqualified.

14.1b) Any new team entering the League shall always be placed at the top of its division for handicapping purposes.

14.1c) A player may represent ONE team only in each competition in any one season in these events.

14.1d) One draw for each competition shall be made by the Committee.

14.1e) The first named team shall be the home team and be responsible for the venue.

14.1f) 24 boards shall be played in each round. Any boards that are misboarded shall be declared void and an additional board shall be played unless it is agreed by both the team captains that a zero result shall be recorded for the board. (The wrong number of cards in a hand is not a misboard, but incorrect orientation is a misboard.)

14.1g) One IMP or more in excess of the opponents’ score shall constitute a win.

14.1h) In the event of a tie, four extra boards shall be played. In this event, in the Handicap Competition, 1/6th of the Handicap difference shall be allocated for the extra four boards.

14.1i) If the scores are still level after the four extra boards, then another four boards shall be played. If the scores are still level the match shall be replayed.

14.1j) Once the result card is signed, the result is final unless appeals relating to a particular board or boards are to be made to the Fixture Secretary within 10 days.

14.2. The following shall apply to the Knock-Out Rubber Bridge Competition:

14.2a) 24 boards shall be played in each round.

14.2b) Normal Rubber Bridge Rules shall apply, including honours.

14.2c) In the event of a tie, four extra boards shall be played.

14.2d) If the scores are still tied after the four extra boards, then another four boards shall be played. If the scores are still level the match shall be replayed.

15. All trophies shall be held for one year.

16. When deciding the number of teams in each division, the Committee should use the following table as a guideline:

17. The normal practice shall be to place new teams in the lowest division at the lowest available position.

18. The normal practice for promotion and relegation shall be that, in each division, the two highest finishing teams at the end of the season shall be promoted to the next higher division and the two lowest relegated to the next lower division.

19. When a change occurs in the League structure, following additions or withdrawals, the normal practice shall be that the two up and two down processes shall be used to establish a merit order for all of the teams in the League and the divisions then created in accordance with the Table in Rule 16 above

20. Teams in all divisions will be restricted to ten registered players. The Committee will exercise discretion in this matter in cases of illness or other extenuating circumstances.

RUGBY AND DISTRICT BRIDGE LEAGUE RULES

CONTENTS

1. Arrangement of Fixtures

2. Registration of Players

3. Eligibility of Players

4. Substitution of Players

5. Players per Match

6. Conventions and Conduct

7. Convention Cards

8. Arrangement of Play

9. Victory Points

10. Notification of Results

11. Late Play

12. Cancelled Matches

13. Tournaments

14. Competition Rules

15. Trophies

16. Teams per Division

17. Placement of New Teams

18. Promotion and Relegation

19. Changes in League Structure

20. Number of players in a team

4. Players are allowed only two substitutions per season and may not play for more than two teams in any one season. Substitutions must be notified to the Fixture Secretary on the official form and be accepted before players can play for their new team.

5. No team may field more than four players in any one match except in the case of illness, and subject to the agreement of the opposing team.

7. Before play commences each partnership from each team must present to its opponents at least one fully completed convention card. In the absence of such a card the partnership must play the EBU Simple System.

9. In all League matches Victory Points are awarded to each team in accord with the scale in force at the time. The team acquiring the greatest number of Victory Points during the season wins its respective division. Ties in League positions are to be split in accord with current EBU Regulations.

10. Each Home Team secretary is responsible for notifying the Fixture Secretary of the results of each match and the names of the players on the card provided.

12. All cancelled League matches should be re-arranged within 14 days of cancellation and the Fixture Secretary notified of the re-arranged date within this period. Failure to comply may result in a fine of up to 4 VPs per match.

13.

The League should promote, and the League Committee shall arrange:-

13a) An Annual Knock-out Competition open to all teams in the League.

13b) An Annual Handicap Knock-Out Competition open to all teams in the League.

The League may arrange any other competitions as may be deemed attractive.

14 Competition Rules

14.1 The Following shall apply to the Knock-Out, Open and Handicap events:

14.1a) The League Committee is responsible for setting handicaps and completion dates for each round of the Competitions. In the event of difficulties, the Fixture Secretary may grant an extension. Matches not played by the extension date shall result in one or both teams being disqualified.

14.1b) Any new team entering the League shall always be placed at the top of its division for handicapping purposes.

14.1c) A player may represent ONE team only in each competition in any one season in these events.

14.1d) One draw for each competition shall be made by the Committee.

14.1e) The first named team shall be the home team and be responsible for the venue.

14.1g) One IMP or more in excess of the opponents’ score shall constitute a win.

14.1h) In the event of a tie, four extra boards shall be played. In this event, in the Handicap Competition, 1/6th of the Handicap difference shall be allocated for the extra four boards.

14.1i) If the scores are still level after the four extra boards, then another four boards shall be played. If the scores are still level the match shall be replayed.

14.1j) Once the result card is signed, the result is final unless appeals relating to a particular board or boards are to be made to the Fixture Secretary within 10 days.

14.2. The following shall apply to the Knock-Out Rubber Bridge Competition:

14.2a) 24 boards shall be played in each round.

14.2b) Normal Rubber Bridge Rules shall apply, including honours.

14.2c) In the event of a tie, four extra boards shall be played.

14.2d) If the scores are still tied after the four extra boards, then another four boards shall be played. If the scores are still level the match shall be replayed.

15. All trophies shall be held for one year.

16. When deciding the number of teams in each division, the Committee should use the following table as a guideline:

17. The normal practice shall be to place new teams in the lowest division at the lowest available position.

18. The normal practice for promotion and relegation shall be that, in each division, the two highest finishing teams at the end of the season shall be promoted to the next higher division and the two lowest relegated to the next lower division.

20. Teams in all divisions will be restricted to ten registered players. The Committee will exercise discretion in this matter in cases of illness or other extenuating circumstances.