Competition Controller : Robert Northage, 5 Harrington Close, Quorn LE12 8AZ

T: 01509 412 189

email: rnorthage@btinternet.com

1.  All competitors must be paid-up Player Members of the EBU who meet the general LCBA conditions for participation in the Association’s Members-only competitions for the year 2011-12, which are published in the LCBA Yearbook, LCBA League Rules & on the LCBA website.

2. a) The competition is for teams of four. 

 b) A team may consist of up to six players, at least four of whom must be nominated for the Preliminary Round heat. Additional players, up to the overall limit of six, may be nominated to the Competition Controller (CC) at any time prior to first playing in the event.

 c) Planned (non-emergency) substitutions. The planned use of more than four players in any single match must comply with Appendix 1.

 d) Emergency substitutions, by the fifth and/or sixth member of the team, may be made to cover cases of late arrival, illness during play etc. of any of the normal four playing members. Such changes at other than the end of a stanza/round are subject to the consent of the opposing captain.

 e)  The membership status of all competitors will be checked after the Preliminary Round.

Any team having used an ineligible player will be disqualified and may not participate thereafter, in either Cup or Plate, unless this player makes all payments necessary to become eligible and these payments are received by the LCBA (and EBU if appropriate) by Friday 4 November 2011, or the CC is notified by that date of his replacement by an eligible player, subject to the overall limit of six.

 f) No team may take part in more than one Preliminary Round qualifying heat.

 g) No player who has played for one team may later play for any other team in either the Bowl or Plate.

3. a) Each player must provide a completed EBU 20/20A/20B style system card and hand this to the opponents for their use throughout each stanza. Pairs not having completed such cards should be furnished with EBU 20B style (or original) LCBA Simple System (Standard English) Cards and required to play in accordance with these until personal EBU style cards are completed. WBF style cards may not be used.

 b) Pairs with properly completed (2 paged) EBU 20 style system cards, may employ EBU Level 2 (and 3) Permitted Agreements, as detailed in Section 11 of the 2006 Orange Book, incorporating amendments as per subsequent LCBA Yearbooks.

c) However pairs having properly completed full (4 paged) EBU 20A or 20B style system cards may also employ any Agreements permitted at Level 4, as detailed in Section 11 of the 2006 Orange Book, incorporating amendments as per subsequent LCBA Yearbooks. [These amendments are consolidated on the LCBA website.]

4. a) Any captain either wishing to appeal, or reserve the right to later appeal, against a decision of the Director or Scorer should inform both the Director and the other team of this and ensure that all relevant details of the hand and decision etc are recorded on a witnessed statement before leaving the venue.
Whether the actual appeal is immediate, or made later after reflection or consultation, it must be sent in writing by email or post to the CC, within two days of the event.

(It is strongly recommended that in home-play matches each captain bring a standard LCBA Appeal Form, downloadable from the Website, to the match.)

b) If a psychic bid is reported to the Director, he shall, on request, record the details of the board on which it occurred, and report the matter to the CC for the attention of the Laws and Ethics SC of the LCBA. The Director may also record and similarly report any departure from the system that he considers should be brought to its attention.

5. All results shall be treated as provisional until confirmed by the CC after receipt of the records and the determination of any appeal.

6. a) The winners of the competition will hold the Josephs Bowl for one year.

 b) Subject to prime allegiance
(i) the winners qualify to represent Leicestershire in the Pachabo Cup. If fewer than four of the team are qualified and available then the team may be completed by players from the runners-up, or replaced by a team composed only of players from the runners-up, as per EBU guidelines.
(ii) at least two pairs from the winning team will be invited to represent Leicestershire in a Midlands League match.

 c) Monetary prizes of £80, £60, to the winners and runners-up respectively and subject to a play-off for third place £40 and £20 to the losing semi-finalists. If none of these are won by non-expert teams then a further prize of £20 will be awarded to the highest placed such team, subject to this team having qualified to proceed beyond the preliminary round.

7.  The LCBA will award Local Master points on the Regional scale in the Preliminary Round and Green Points thereafter.

8.  Teams MUST notify the CC if they wish to withdraw from the competition at any stage.

9. a)  The LCBA will hold a number of regionalised Preliminary Round Heats, normally with non-playing Directors, at various Affiliated Clubs around the County. Clubs may agree to act together as one, when their combined membership will be deemed to be members of the actual host club. Mostly heats will be held at Clubs which have run successful heats in recent years. A membership base including three League teams has normally been necessary to generate an adequate bona fide entry. The LCBA may run additional heats beyond those already arranged if there is clear evidence of sufficient demand. Any further applicants to host a Preliminary Round heat at their venue should notify the CC as soon as possible and by at the very latest Monday 12 September 2011.

Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 October 2011 have been set aside in the calendar for regionalised heats, but they may exceptionally be held on other days within the period Monday 10 to Thursday 27 October on which there are no other LCBA events.

b) Teams are expected wherever possible to play in a ‘regional heat’ embracing clubs of which at least two of their number are members. Such entries should be made directly to the host club by at latest seven days before the heat.

At this point 7 days before the planned heat, the Host club’s own entry list will be closed and reported to the CC. Any later applications to play received by the club will be referred to the CC.

c) The LCBA will also run an Open Preliminary Round heat on Wednesday 9 November 2011 at Glenfield Bridge Club for teams either without two players who are members of a club embraced in a regional heat, or unable to play in any of their own ‘regional’ heats.

All entries to this open heat should be made direct to the CC.

d) Any team unable to play either in the Open Heat or in any of their own regional heats and consequently wishing to play in an alternative heat should apply at least 7 days in advance of the heat to the CC, who will, subject to space remaining arrange this.

e) The absolute minimum number of competing teams in any regional club heat is three. If fewer entries are received the team(s) will be invited to play in the Open heat, possibly with the option of playing in an alternative regional heat.

f) Each team shall be represented by only two pairs in this round; except for emergency substitutions made in accordance with Rule 2 d).

g) In such Preliminary Round Regional heats table fees, other than the LCBA entry fee of £1 per head, are at the discretion of the host club. Full results and payments must reach the CC within four days of the heat and in any event by 28 October 2011. Host clubs must not report heat details to the EBU.

h) The entry fee in the Open Preliminary Round heat is £3.50 per head, inclusive of table money

 10. a) Preliminary Round heats will be run as Multiple Teams events. [Exceptionally the Open Heat may be a Head to Head match, or if only one team enters it that team shall receive a bye.]

 b) (i) All teams will play an absolute minimum of 20 boards. (Details of permitted movements are published below as Appendix 2).

(ii) Each board will be scored in IMPs and the result of each match, converted into a Victory Point score using the standard scale. [Published below as Appendix 3.]

 c) Consent to a heat being held on a host club’s own club night will be subject to the club making arrangements for those who would not be bona fide entrants to the Josephs Bowl to play in a separate pairs or teams movement under their own auspices.

11. a) Original Master score sheets showing the result, expressed in IMPs, and Victory Points, of each match played, together with the official table slips and the heat entry fees must be sent to the CC as soon as possible, meeting the deadline stipulated in Rule 9(g).

 b) The table slips must show the seat orientation, EBU number, surname and a forename of all participating players, and, if any emergency substitution is made, how many boards each played.

12. a) Those teams finishing within the top half of the bona fide entry in each Preliminary Round heat will qualify for Round 1. Bona fide entrants are teams with at least 4 eligible LCBA members that propose to play in Round 1.

b)  Additionally, subject to an overall limit of 28 teams, any other eligible team either (i) obtaining 50% or more of the available VPs, or (ii) finishing exactly midway or in a tie involving the middle position, in the bona fide field, or receiving a PR bye will be admitted to Round 1. Such teams will if necessary be ranked in accordance with standard EBU guidelines.

c) Ties will not be resolved; the LCBA will, subject to 12 b), normally admit all such tying teams into Round 1.

d) All bona fide entrants that fail to reach Round 2 of the Josephs Bowl qualify to play in the Plate (Butterworth Trophy).

JB ROUNDS ONE - TWO AND QUARTER FINALS

13.  The schedule of dates, and playing charges for these rounds is: 

    Round 1:     Thursday 8 December 2011 [ play-by date no LCBA charge]

    Round 2:     Wednesday 11 January 2012 at Blaby Bridge Club [£3.50 per head]

    Quarter Finals :     Wednesday 8 February 2012 at Blaby Bridge Club [£3.50 per head]

JB HOMEPLAY: ROUND ONE

14. a) Round 1 will comprise as many head-to-head matches as necessary to reduce the field to 16 teams for Round 2.

 b) Byes will be given

(i) Firstly, to the teams finishing within the top half of the bona fide entry in each preliminary round heat,

(ii) Secondly, if all such teams receive byes, then to teams qualifying under 12(b).

c) Having determined the number of Round 1 matches necessary to reduce the field to a power of two, the CC will together with another LCBA Executive Committee member conduct a draw determining by lot which teams shall be required to play and the pairings, with the first drawn in each pair being the home team.

15.  Such head-to-head matches shall be played in four stanzas of six boards, boards being scored in IMPs. If, as is normal, each captain plans to deploy just two pairs in the match then each pair shall play alternate stanzas against each opposing pair. In the event of a tie a further 4 boards shall be played, two against each pair. This procedure shall be repeated until a result is obtained. If either captain plans to use more than four players in a match then such use must comply with Appendix 1.

16. a)  Within seven days of the pairing being announced, the deemed away team captain should offer to the deemed home team captain, a minimum of three weekday evening dates, not clashing with any LCBA event, spread over a period of at least eight days, with a minimum of seven clear days notice of the first date. Not all dates offered should be for the same day of the week. Any failure to make a timely offer, or to accept a date within a further seven days, should be reported to the Competition Controller who will seek to expedite the playing of the match but who has the discretion to default one or both teams.

 b) In all cases the deemed home team will be responsible for venue arrangements, including the payment of any table money wherever the match be played.

 c) The results of these privately played matches must be notified by both teams to the CC within seven days, and never later than the closing date of the round. The return must include the names of the players in each team and how many boards each member played.

 d) In these privately played matches, unless a prior arrangement to the contrary is made, the Away Team Captain or his nominee shall be designated as Director.

17. Should a team arrive more than 15 minutes late, its opponents have the following rights:

 a)  After 45 minutes of un-notified late arrival, or 90 minutes of notified late arrival, the match is awarded to the non-offending side. ‘Notification’ may (obviously) be by message, but the presence of even a single member of the team is deemed to indicate an intention to play and constitutes ‘notification’ in the context of this rule.

 b) For each completed 15 minute delay within a scheduled play period, the match is to be reduced by two boards, awarding the non-offending side 3 IMPs per board. Only the initial stanza is shortened, removing board 1 onwards, leaving full standard stanza thereafter.

 c) If both teams are late the match shall be curtailed according to the time interval of the latest arrival after the other side became complete, again with the award of 3 IMPs per board removed (details as in b), or awarded to the first completed side subject to the ‘time interval’ before the second side becoming complete reaching the ‘lateness’ figures in a).

JB ROUND TWO

18.  After the date by which all Round 1 matches should have been played the Competition Controller will together with another LCBA Executive Committee member conduct a draw to allocate the pairings in Round 2 and for the rest of the competition. The team drawn first shall be deemed the home team in Round 2 matches.

19.  All matches shall be scored in IMPs, and played over 24 boards in four stanzas each of six boards. If, as is normal, each captain plans to deploy just two pairs in the match then each pair shall play alternate stanzas against each opposing pair. In the event of a tie a further 4 boards shall be played, two against each pair. This procedure shall be repeated until a result is obtained. If either captain plans to use more than four players in a match then such use must comply with Appendix 1.

JB QUARTER FINALS

20.  In the quarter finals the team qualifying for the first listed position in the draw shall be deemed the home team.

21.   All matches shall be scored in IMPs, and played over 32 boards in four stanzas each of eight boards. If, as is normal, each captain plans to deploy just two pairs in the match then each pair shall play alternate stanzas against each opposing pair. In the event of a tie a further 4 boards shall be played, two against each pair. This procedure shall be repeated until a result is obtained. If either captain plans to use more than four players in a match then such use must comply with Appendix 1.

22 a) In all matches the team qualifying for the first listed position in the draw shall be deemed the home team.

 b) All matches shall be scored in IMPs, and played over 32 boards in four stanzas each of eight boards. If, as is normal, each captain plans to deploy just two pairs in the match then each pair shall play alternate stanzas against each opposing pair. In the event of a tie a further 4 boards shall be played, two against each pair. This procedure shall be repeated until a result is obtained. If either captain plans to use more than four players in a match then such use must comply with Appendix 1.

23a)  The semi-finals and final & third place play-off should take place by agreement between the teams concerned, subject to these date limitations: 24 March and 5 May respectively.

  b) Within seven days of the pairing being confirmed, the deemed away team captain should offer to the deemed home team captain, a minimum of three weekday evening dates, not clashing with any LCBA event, spread over a period of at least eight days, with a minimum of seven clear days notice of the first date. Not all dates offered should be for the same day of the week. Any failure to make a timely offer, or to accept a date within a further seven days, should be reported to the Competition Controller who will seek to expedite the playing of the match but who has the discretion to default one or both teams.

  c) In all cases the deemed home team will be responsible for venue arrangements, including the payment of any table money wherever the match be played.

  d) The results of these privately played matches must be notified by both teams to the CC within seven days, and never later than the closing date of the round. The return must include the names of the players in each team and how many boards each member played.

  e) In these privately played matches, unless a prior arrangement to the contrary is made, the deemed Away Team Captain or his nominee shall be designated as Director. 

24. Should a team arrive more than 15 minutes late, its opponents have the following rights:

 a)  After 45 minutes# of un-notified late arrival, or 90 minutes# of notified late arrival, the match is awarded to the non-offending side. ‘Notification’ may (obviously) be by message, but the presence of even a single member of the team is deemed to indicate an intention to play and constitutes ‘notification’ in the context of this rule.
# note that in the 32 board final these times are increased to one hour and two hours respectively

 b) For each completed 15 minute delay within a scheduled play period, the match is to be reduced by two boards, awarding the non-offending side 3 IMPs per board. Only the initial stanza is shortened, removing board 1 onwards, leaving full standard stanza thereafter.

 c) If both teams are late the match shall be curtailed according to the time interval of the latest arrival after the other side became complete, again with the award of 3 IMPs per board removed (details as in b), or awarded to the first completed side subject to the ‘time interval’ before the second side becoming complete reaching the ‘lateness’ figures in a).

B1 This competition is for bona fide entrants to the Josephs Bowl that are eliminated either in the Preliminary Round or in Round 1 of the Josephs Bowl. All such teams are automatically entered into the Plate unless they inform the Competition Controller in advance that they wish to withdraw.

B2 a) Teams of fewer than six players may nominate additional players, subject to he overall limit of six, to the CC prior to participation in the Plate.

b) Any such additional players must satisfy the requirements of Rule 1 and not have played previously for any other team in the Josephs Bowl or Plate; nor may they subsequently play for another team in either.

B3 a) Each player must provide a completed EBU 20/20A/20B style system card and hand this to the opponents for their use throughout each stanza. Pairs not having completed such cards should be furnished with EBU 20B style (or original) LCBA Simple System (Standard English) Cards and required to play in accordance with these until personal EBU style cards are completed. WBF style cards may not be used.

b) Pairs with properly completed (2 paged) EBU 20 style system cards, may employ EBU Level 2 (and 3) Permitted Agreements, as detailed in Section 11 of the 2006 Orange Book, incorporating amendments as per subsequent LCBA Yearbooks.

c) However pairs having properly completed full (4 paged) EBU 20A or 20B style system cards may also employ any Agreements permitted at Level 4, as detailed in Section 11 of the 2006 Orange Book, incorporating amendments as per subsequent LCBA Yearbooks. [These amendments are consolidated on the LCBA website.]

B4 a) Any team either wishing to appeal, or reserve the right to later appeal, against a decision of the Director should inform the Director and the other team of this, and ensure that all relevant details of the hand and decision etc. are recorded on a witnessed statement before leaving the venue.
Whether the actual appeal is immediate, or made later after reflection or consultation, it must be made in writing by email or post to the CC, within two days of the event.

(It is strongly recommended that in home-play matches each captain bring a standard LCBA Appeal Form, downloadable from the Website, to the match.)

b) If a psychic bid is reported to the Director, he shall, on request, record the details of the board on which it occurred, and report the matter to the CC for the attention of the Laws and Ethics SC of the LCBA. The Director may also record and similarly report any departure from the system that he considers should be brought to its attention.

B5 All results shall be treated as provisional until confirmed by the CC after receipt of the records and the determination of any appeal.

B6 a) The winners of the competition will hold the Butterworth Trophy for one year.

b) Monetary prizes of £40 and £20 respectively will be awarded to the winners and runners-up.

B7 The LCBA will award Local Master points on the District Scale.

B8 a) The competition will be organised on a knock-out basis.

b) Each team shall be represented by only two pairs in each round.

c) Emergency substitutions, by a fifth or even sixth eligible player, may however be made to cover cases of late arrival, illness during play etc. of any of the normal four playing members. Such changes at other than the end of a stanza/round are subject to the consent of the opponent captain.

d) All matches shall be scored in IMPs, and played in four stanzas of six boards. Each pair shall play alternate stanzas against each opposing pair.

e) In the event of a tie a further 4 boards shall be played, two against each pair. This procedure shall be repeated until a result is obtained.

B9. a) Round 1 will comprise as many head-to-head matches as necessary to reduce the field to exactly 8 teams (or another power of two) for Round 2.

b) Byes will be given
(i) Firstly to teams that played in Round 1 of the Josephs Bowl,
(ii) Secondly, if all such teams receive byes, to teams eliminated from the Josephs Bowl by the application of the 28 team limit
(iii) Finally, if necessary, to other bona fide entrants to the Josephs Bowl eliminated therefrom in the Preliminary Round.

c) Having determined the number of Round 1 matches necessary to reduce the field to a power of two, the CC will together with another LCBA Executive Committee member conduct a draw determining by lot which teams shall be required to play in Round 1 and the pairings in this and all subsequent rounds, with the first drawn in each pair being the deemed home team.

d) The allocation of pairings for Round 1 in accordance with these principles will be notified to competing teams within seven days of the completion of Round 1 of the Josephs Bowl. Round 1 matches should be played on or before Thursday 12 January 2012.

e) If a team withdraws after the pairings have been distributed their opponents will receive a bye into Round 2.

b) The semi-finals and final should take place by agreement between the teams concerned, subject to these date limitations: 22 March and 26 April 2012 respectively. [N.B. Subject to rescheduling if original entry outside expected range.]

B11. a) In the case of Round 1 and the semi final and final it is expected that all matches will take place at times, dates and venues agreed between the captains

b) The deemed away captain should, within seven days of the pairing being confirmed, offer a minimum of three weekday evening dates, not clashing with any LCBA event, spread over a period of at least eight days, with a minimum of seven clear days notice of the first date. Not all dates offered should be for the same day of the week. Any failure to make a timely offer, or to accept a date within a further seven days, should be reported to the CC who will seek to expedite the playing of the match but who has the discretion to default one or both teams.

c) In all cases the deemed home team will be responsible for venue arrangements, including the payment of any table money, wherever the match be played.

d) The results of these privately played matches must be notified by both teams to the CC within seven days, and never later than the closing date of the round. The return must include the names of the players in each team and how many boards each member played.

e) In these privately played matches, unless a prior arrangement to the contrary is made, the deemed Away Team Captain or his nominee shall be designated as Director.

B12. In Round 1, the semi final and final should a team arrive more than 15 minutes late, its opponents have the following rights:

a) After 45 minutes of un-notified late arrival, or 90 minutes of notified late arrival, the match is awarded to the non-offending side. ‘Notification’ may (obviously) be by message, but the presence of even a single member of the team is deemed to indicate an intention to play and constitutes ‘notification’ in the context of this rule.

b) For each completed 15 minute delay within a scheduled play period, the match is to be reduced by two boards, awarding the non-offending side 3 IMPs per board. Only the initial stanza is shortened, removing board 1 onwards, leaving full standard stanza thereafter.

c) If both teams are late the match shall be curtailed according to the time interval of the latest arrival after the other side became complete, again with the award of 3 IMPs per board removed (details as in b), or awarded to the first completed side subject to the ‘time interval’ before the second side becoming complete reaching the ‘lateness’ figures in a).

* * * * * * * * *
Appendix 1:
Regulations relating to the PLANNED use by either captain of more than four players in a single head-to-head match

A If a captain intends to field a team of more than four players then he must inform his opposite number of this, indicating the three partnerships involved, before the line-up for the first stanza is arranged.
B Planned changes in line-up may only be made between stanzas.
C The two pairs deployed in the first stanza are deemed to be the PRIMARY pairs; the pair introduced later is deemed to be the SUBSTITUTE pair. This substitute pair can include a member of a primary pair.
D The SUBSTITUTE pair may replace, in different stanzas, just one or both of the PRIMARY pairs; but neither PRIMARY pair may be used as a substitute for the other PRIMARY pair.
E No captain may make a planned change that would result in ANY pair deployed in precisely two stanzas playing both of these against the same opponent pair.
It follows that:
i) One PRIMARY pair may be replaced in ONE stanza by a SUBSTITUTE pair without restriction.
ii) If the SUBSTITUTE pair play in precisely TWO stanzas, whether twice as substitutes for one primary pair, or once for each of the two primary pairs, then the SUBSTITUTE pair may NOT play both of these stanzas against the same opponent pair
iii) If the SUBSTITUTE pair play in a THIRD stanza then if they replace one PRIMARY pair in precisely TWO stanzas, then these two stanzas may not be ones in which that primary pair were scheduled to play the same opponent pair.
F In the event of a tie, the captain of each team of more than four must nominate two pairs to represent his team throughout the tie-breaking process. No further changes to the line-up may be made.

Appendix 2:

(a) Recommended Movements

With 4 teams Circulation Movement 3 rounds of 8 board matches.

With 10 or more teams NORMALLY split into two (or more) groups, each of at least five teams and play as above.
Alternative acceptable movements (albeit not really recommended) are

(b) Movement Details

3, 5, 7, 9 TABLES - AMERICAN WHIST

Respectively play 2 x 12 boards, 4 x 6 boards; 6 x 4 boards, 8 x 3 boards (requires 30, 28, 27 boards)

Standard movement EW down 2, taking boards down 1

No score break

THURNER 6

5 sets of 5 boards on tables 1 - 5 (25 boards)

Table 6 shares boards in sequence with tables 1 3 5 2 4

Starting positions for EW 1 - 6 are respectively Table 6 Table 4 Table2 Table5 Table3 Table1

Board movement. Shared boards returned from 6 to the lower numbered table.

Then Down One table round circuit 5 to 1.

EW movements EW1-5 Up one table round circuit 1 - 5; if arrive at home table go to T6 but return to home table prior to next move

EW6 Move up two tables round circuit 1 to 5; and shares boards with table 6

THURNER 8

7 sets of 4 boards on tables 1 - 7 (28 boards)

Table 8 shares boards in sequence with tables 1 6 4 2 7 5 3

Starting position for EW 1 - 8 are respectively Table 8 Table 6 Table 4 Table 2 Table 7 Table 5 Table 3 Table 1

Board movement. Shared boards returned from table 8 to lower numbered table.

Then Down One table round circuit 7 to 1.

EW movements EW1-7 Up one table round circuit 1 - 7; if arrive at home table go to T8 but return to home table prior to next move

EW 8 Move down two tables round circuit 7 to 1, and shares boards with table 8.

STAGGER 10

Teams 1 - 5 in one line of tables numbered.1 - 5; teams 6 - 10 in a parallel line of tables numbered 6 - 10 alongside; as tables 1 & 6 (and 2 & 7, etc) will share boards throughout.

Stanza One: 3 board sets are allocated to, and made up by, each pair of tables.

4 Standard moves (EW down 2, boards down 1) then play a round, follow.

After 4 rounds EW return to their home table for 'scoring break'.

Stanza Two: 5 new sets of 3 boards put out and EW move down ONE table.

Appendix 3:

STANDARD IMPs - VP Conversion Scale

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