Teams of 8 Leagues - Rules

The rules for the North District Teams of 8 League were last revised August 2007.

Leagues

No league will contain more than 8 teams.  No league will contain more teams than the league above.  There can never be a difference of more than one team between the leagues.  At the end of each season the bottom two teams will be relegated from any league containing 7 or 8 teams and the top 2 teams promoted for the league beneath regardless of how many teams it contains.  In leagues with 6 or less teams in them only the bottom team will be relegated and the top team promoted from the league beneath.   If, however, the leagues need to be re-structured prior to the start of a season due to teams entering or withdrawing, it may not be possible to apply the above rules.  In that case the District Council will decide the composition of each league by following the above rules as closely as possible.

 Teams

All teams must be from clubs who are members of the Scottish Bridge Union.

All teams must have an adequate pool of players from the Club membership.  The membership of this pool should be given to the Convenor at the Team Captain’s meeting in August.  Throughout the season other players may be added to the pool provided they have not played for any other team.  Team Captains may recruit players, however, from outside their pool provided the following criteria apply:

a)     The player is a member of the club which the team is representing

b)     The player has not played for any other team in the same league or higher league

c)      The player has not already played for the team on more than 2 occasions.

Matches 

Team captains or their representatives will meet on the last Friday in August each year to arrange matches.  At the start of the season, (and announced at the captain’s meeting), the convenor will assign a month in which each match is to be played.  Team captains will then have until 31st October to agree the actual dates on which matches will be played and notify the convenor, in writing.

Team captains may agree to play the match on any date in the assigned month.  Team captains may re-schedule a match, so long as it is played in the assigned month.  Notification of a match date change must be made to the convenor, in writing, no later than two weeks before the match.

Team captains may move a match from its assigned month to a vacant month.  Notification of a match in September must be made to the convenor, in writing, at least one week prior to the match.

Re-scheduling of a match within two weeks of the declared date will incur a two point penalty.

Re-scheduling of a match within one week of the declared date will incur a five point penalty.

These penalties will be automatic but an appeal may be made to the convenor if a team feels that extenuating circumstances apply e.g. severe weather conditions.  (An appeal against the Convenors ruling may be made to the Appeals Committee).  All attempts will be made to find an alternative date to replay a cancelled match.  In the event that this proves to be impossible, it will be treated as an abandoned match.  (See below).  In the event of a team being financially disadvantaged by the late cancellation of a match by its opponents (i.e. within seven days of the date of the match) then that team may be entitled to compensation from its opponents unless extenuating circumstances occur e.g. severe weather conditions.

All matches must be completed by the end of April.

Abandonment of a match:

If a team fails to produce the full compliment of players and the match is subsequently abandoned, the non-offending team will be awarded a score of 12 points, or their average score in the other matches, or the converse score of the offending team (whichever is higher).  The offending team will be awarded a maximum of 8 points, or their average in the other matches, or the converse of the non-offending team (whichever is the lower).

Late arrival:

If only one table is affected, the non-offending team will decide which of their pairs will sit at the incomplete table.  After 7 minutes, board 1 will not be played at that table the score awarded will be the average of the scores at the other three tables + 120 points.  After 14 minutes Board 2 will not be played and after 21 minutes Board 3 will not be played, similar scores being awarded in each case.  After 28 minutes the match will be abandoned.  If two tables are affected the match will start as a Team of Four, the non-offending team having seating rights.  The non-offending team will be awarded 240 points for each 7 minute delay, appropriate boards being withdrawn from play.  After 28 minutes the match will be abandoned.

Home captains must confirm matches with the appropriate Steward.  Where a room is shared, matches must start at the same time.  Failing agreement, these matches will start at 7.15 p.m.

Smoking:

Smoking is not permitted in the card room.

Home Captain's Responsibilities:

Home captains are responsible for returning the completed and signed Match Result Sheet and for providing a copy of ‘The Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge 1997’ and the SBU Rule Book for Competitions and that every player should carry a completed convention card.

The completed and signed Match Result Sheet must be mailed to the convenor, in writing, no later than one week of the match date.  Late submittal of match results will incur a one point penalty per week, or part thereof.  Date of postmark is accepted as date of submittal.