Rapidplay League Rules

2017Rapidplay League Rules

1. Entry to the League

(a) Each team wishing to enter the League shall be required to do the following, by a deadline set by the Committee:

(i) Pay the entry fee, which shall be £5.

(ii) Give information about a team’s venue for home matches.

(iii) Provide an e-mail contact for the club concerned.

(b) The Committee has the right to extend the deadline as it sees fit.

2. Format

(a) Teams in the League shall consist of four players.

(b) The competition will be divided into four divisions:

(i) Teams in the first division shall consist of any four players eligible under Rule 4.

(ii) Teams in the second division shall consist of four players, eligible under Rule 4, whose total ECF rapidplay grade does not exceed 560 points.

(iii) Teams in the third division shall consist of four players, eligible under Rule 4, whose total ECF rapidplay grade does not exceed 480 points.

(iv) Teams in the fourth division shall consist of four players, eligible under Rule 4, whose total ECF rapidplay grade does not exceed 400 points.

(c) If a team exceeds the point limit in (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, then the team shall be deemed to have defaulted all games played within the match. Nevertheless, the games shall be graded with the results of the games as played.

(d) Each division will be a single round all-play-all with venues determined by the Committee. However, the Committee reserves the right to amend these arrangements should the number of entries make it necessary.

(e) All divisions will be ECF-graded.

3. Fixtures

(a) The League’s fixtures shall be determined by the Committee. These will be circulated to the teams who have entered via the contact declared in 1(a)(iii). No team shall have more than one fixtureper week in this original schedule.

(b) Teams are permitted to change the dates of the fixtures, but must notify the Committee of any rearrangements.

(c) Any fixture that remains unplayed by 21st July shall be declared void and excluded from the League's final standings, unless the Committee agrees otherwise.

4. Eligibility

(a) Player registration is only necessary for ungraded players. Ungraded players are those who have no Rapidplay or StandardplayECF grade in the most recent grading list published prior to the start of the competition. Where a player has no Rapidplay grade, his Standardplay grade shall be taken to be his grade for the purposes of this competition. All other players must be registered with the League Controller before the game in which the player is due to play has begun.

(b) Where a player’s grade or assigned grade is below the following limits for a particular division, the player will be deemed to have a grade equal to that limit:

Division Two – 90

Division Three – 70

Division Four – 50

(i) The player has previously played for another team in the same division of the League during that season's competition.

(ii) The player is not a direct member of the English Chess Federation.

(d) If a team fields an ineligible player as described in 4(a) or 4(c), then the game shall be deemed to be lost by the player by default, and won by his opponent. The team will incur a further penalty of one gamepoint towards the score in a match or fixture. This game shall count as defaulted for the purposes of 8(c). This notwithstanding, the games shall be graded with the results of the games as played over the board.

(e) If both players in a game are ineligible, then the game shall be defaulted for both players, and count as defaulted by both teams for the purposes of 8(c). This notwithstanding, the games shall be graded with the results of the games as played over the board.

(f) Players need not play for the club they played for in the main Birmingham League.

5. Format of a Fixture

(a) Each fixture shall consist of two, four-board matches. In the first match, the designated home team shall be white on odd boards and black on even boards. In the second match, the designated home team shall be white on even boards and black on odd boards.

(b) A team is not obliged to field the same team in both matches of a fixture.

(c) Where there is a difference of more than 10 grading pointsbetween two players in the same team, the higher graded player must play on a higher board than the lower graded player. If this rule is breached, then the players whose grade is too high for the board on which they are playing shall be deemed ineligible under Rule 4. This notwithstanding, the games shall be graded with the results of the games as played over the board.

(d) Players who play in both matches of a fixture must play in the same playing order in both fixtures. [For example; if a team fields players in the order 1234 in the first match, and keep the same team for the second match, they must play in the order 1234. If a team fields players in the order 1234 in the first match and wants to use a substitute, 5, for the second match, then the board orders 5123, 1523, 1253, 1235 shall all be legal, so long as 5(c) is not thereby breached.]

(e) The first match of a fixture shall commence at 7:30pm.

(f) The second match in a fixture must not start before the conclusion of the first match, and must start not later than fifteen minutes after the conclusion of the first match.

(g) A player who has defaulted under 10(c) in the first match of a fixture may only play in the second match of a fixture if either:

(i) the player arrives before the end of the first match; or

(ii) by agreement between the two captains.

(h) A defaulted board without a named individual shall count the number of points listed in 4(b) towards the total grade limit for the division.

6. Format of a Game within a Match

(a) The time control shall be all moves in 20 minutes, plus a 10-second increment per move from move 1. This is henceforth referred to as the incremental time control. Where suitable digital clocks are unavailable for all boards in a match, the time control shall be all moves in 30 minutes. This is henceforth referred to as the non-incremental time control.

(b) Digital clocks may be provided by either the home team or the away team. No team shall have the right to refuse to play using digital clocks where they are available.

7. Reporting of Results

(a) Each team must report all of its results in the competition before July 6th.

(b) Fixtures played after July 6th must report their results as soon as possible after they’re played.

8. Scoring of Points

(a) A team winning a match shall score 2 matchpoints. A team drawing a match shall score 1 matchpoint. A team losing a match shall score 0 matchpoints. These points are awarded for both matches in a fixture.

(b) The gamepoints in both matches of a fixture shall be aggregated. Should a team have scored more gamepoints than their opponent, then this team will be awarded a bonus. This bonus shall be 1 matchpoint.

9. Tie-breakers

(a) The League shall be sorted in the following way:

(i) Number of matchpoints (descending)

(ii) Head-to-head results between tied teams, based on matchpoints (descending)

(iii) Number of gamepoints (descending)

(iv) Head-to-head results between tied teams, based on gamepoints (descending)

(v) Number of matches won (descending)

(vi) Number of defaulted boards (ascending)

(b) Teams that remain tied after 9(a)(vi) shall remain tied for the purposes of winning the league.

(c) Should there be a tie involving more than two teams, the procedure outlined in 9(a) shall still be used. As soon as one or more teams have been split from the tie, then the remaining tied teams shall restart the tie-breaking procedure from 9(a)(i).

10. Rules of play

(a) The FIDE Laws of Chess, including the overridingrules in Appendix A4, apply to all games played in the League.

(b) A player wishing to appeal under Appendix G6 must follow the correct procedure, and submit a copy of the position, and an up-to-date scoresheet if possible, to the Committee. [Note that such claims are only possible if the non-incremental time control is used.]

(c) In accordance with Article 6.6(a), the default time shall not be 0 minutes. A player shall be deemed to have defaulted if his allotted time expires without having made a move on the chessboard.

Appendix - Rule Clarifications

(a) A player is entitled to make his move on the chessboard when his opponent has made his move. He does not have to wait for his opponent to press his clock. However, a player is still entitled to press his clock to complete any move he has made, regardless of whether his opponent has already made a move in reply.

(b) An illegal move shall result in the loss of the game. This penalty only applies once the player making the illegal move has pressed his clock. Until then, the player may retract the illegal move, noting that “touch move” applies where necessary. Please read Appendix A4.(b) for more details.

(c) It is the responsibility of the players to point out a “flag fall”, i.e. the expiration of their opponent’s allotted time. All other players and spectators shall refrain from pointing out a flag fall unless the flags of both players have fallen. In this situation, the game shall be drawn.