Bristol Backgammon knock-out tournaments

Conditions of entry common to the following Bristol Backgammon knock-out tournament series:


(Entry to the tournaments mentioned below implies acceptance of these conditions -- with effect from June 14th, 2009).
Conditions revised 26/08/18.

Ensuring the completion of a knock-out tournament

All entrants undertake to do everything in their power to ensure that each flight of a tournament reaches completion in a timely manner. For guidance on how to achieve this, please read on.

Starting the tournament

The advertised starting time of Bristol Backgammon tournaments is 7pm. The draw will be at 7.15pm promptly. There will be no redraw, unless the Director has made an error.
Any player who knows he/she is going to be late, or suddenly finding him/herself to be late, should ring or text the Director's mobile number, which you will know when you getv added to the mailing list, or the provided number of any alternative Director to signal the estimated time of arrival. Such players will be admitted to the draw wherever deemed possible.
In the event that the draw has been completed, and there is an odd number of players in the draw, there will be a possibility that one late, unannounced, player might be admitted to the draw, provided the recipient of the bye is happy to forego that privilege. Otherwise any player(s) missing the draw will be afforded the option -- as has always been the case -- of cut price inclusion directly into the consolation flight.

Progress of the tournament throughout the initial session

It is a fact of life that not all tournament flights will finish during the advertised session. Nevertheless, the closer each flight gets to finishing, the fewer will be the possible subsequent complications arising.
This means that it is imperative that we make the best possible use of the time at our disposal, and there are various ways we can do this, and generally acknowledging the urgency of the situation is the best attitude to bring to the event:
(1) Slow play (except where the tournament is governed by clock rules) is to be avoided wherever possible.
It is the policy of Bristol Backgammon to show patience and understanding in the case of inexperienced players, who need to be embraced into our tournament structure, although such players will always be encouraged to play faster.
All other players, though, have a responsibility to play at a reasonable pace. If, for example, you regularly spend upwards of three hours getting through two rounds of seven point matches, you would be wrong to assume you are not part of the problem.
NOTE: From the start of 2011, should both players agree prior to the start of a match, it is permissible for matches to be played under clock rules, with time allowances for each player of 1 minute 30 seconds per point needed for victory, plus a delay of 12 seconds for every move or doubling decision.
(2) Breaks between matches. If you finish your match, and the next opponent is already available, you should take no more than a five minute break before starting the match.
(3) Recesses during matches. Most tournament rules allow for a maximum of one five minute recess per player in a nine (or less) point match. Even allowing for the fact that these days we need to accommodate smoking breaks, there should be no need to change this ruling. And no break should exceed five minutes. This is difficult to police if the Director is playing as well, but wherever possible the intention is to penalise players (one point added to their opponent's score) who are taking breaks too frequently or for too long.
(4) Leaving the tournament early. We have 24 hour access to the casino. If play starts immediately after the draw, then we should have ample time to accommodate most matches before excuses for early departure become acceptable.
While it is acknowledged that some players need to rise early on the morning following a tournament, it should also be acknowledged that others travel some distance to compete at these events, and can be inconvenienced by premature cessation of the session.
Compromise should usually be possible, but in any event no player who has further involvement in the competition should leave without prior consultation with the Director.
Any player leaving early from the competition without consulting the Director, or any player leaving before completion of at least the quarter-final stage of any flight, will be deemed to have resigned from that competition, thus giving a bye to his/her opponent.

Completion of tournaments after the initial session

However well we progress the tournaments, there will still, inevitably, be unfinished flights. These need to be tidied up as soon as possible to avoid further difficulties (with grand prix standings, with side pools which may or may not rollover to the next equivalent tournament, and with the unwitting creation of a complacent culture).
So any tournament flight not completed by the time the next one in the series comes around will be subject, at the discretion of the Director, to the following penalties:
(a) Grand prix points for winning the outstanding matches will not be awarded, even if the matches are later played;
(b) Prize money for late finals will be paid at the loser's rate for both finalists, and the surplus will go towards the appropriate grand prix prize fund(s);
(c) Any side pool for the flight will now roll over to the next equivalent tournament.

Disbursement of prize money

No prize money will be paid out until the final of a flight is completed. There will be no exceptions to this.