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Steering Committee members:
      Permanent Members:  DaveTheRook (chair), BosqueVerde, chesskix, rgadoury
      General Members: bmw2002, fledermaus, Invicta-knight, Kingofknights, RedAttack

Standing Subcommittee (Rules):
      rgadoury (chair), chesskix, Invicta-Knight, RedAttack

Standing Subcommittee (Technology):
     bmw2002 (chair), chesskix, DaveTheRook, fledermaus, rgadoury

The role and purpose of the Steering Committee is to manage the affairs of the league, to set its direction and expansion, see to its advertisement and management, writing the Constitution, Statutes and Handbooks, and reviewing the rulings of the previous Oversight Committee. This is the ultimate governing body of Team 45 45 League with all rights and responsibilities. (Article III of the League Constitution)

League Members may stay informed of potential rules changes by watching this page. Prior to voting results being displayed here, members may make their comments known by notifying any Steering Committee member, who may choose to forward your comments to the Steering Committee. The Committee members will not disclose any details of the Committee discussions.  

Item 1   T53 Tournament Parameters - Approved April 5, 2012

Item 2   Proposed extension of Game Completion Deadline  - rejected.

Item 2a   Questions concerning the Thursday-Friday dealines. - approved by Rules June 9, 2012

Item 3  Change all deadlines from 2200 to 1700 same days - Tuesday deadline changes to 1700, write Administrative Rule, approved July 19, 2012,- Tuesday 1700 passes, Thursday-Friday unchanged.

Item 4 Set deadlines for appeals - Approved 8-0 1 abstain. Section 17.E.iv,v

Item 5 Playoff seedings and results for two playoff rounds (information only)

Item 1. T53 tournament parameters

Time Control: 45 45
Sections: 6 (U1200, U1400, U1600, U1800, U2000, U2200)
Rounds: 6 - (possibly 7) followed by Playoffs

Team entries accepted: April 24, 2012
Team Entry Deadline: May 8, 2012
Ratings "fixed" Date: April 17, 2012
(Some ratings may be adjusted by the Entry Clerk)

Round 1 Posted: May 15, 2012.
Three rounds of playoffs will end July 24, 2012

Count of team RR reductions (if any) precedes board removal tiebreak.
Tiebreak board removal rules start with board 1 this tournament

Playoff rounds may be delayed, section by section, for late finishing games and outstanding appeals.

No Adjournment week during playoffs.

 Approved 8-0 1 abstain April 5, 2012

Item 2 - Section 10.E. Proposed extension of Game Completion Deadline  - rejected.

A member has suggested that the Game Completion Deadline of 22:00 Tuesday be nullified and a game allowed if the players had reached agreement on a game in the Adjournment Week after the deadline had passed, but before the TD had posted a ruling.

Rules Subcommittee reviewed this suggestion and unanimously rejected it, 4-0 June 2, 2012.

Arguments to reject: To allow the late scheduling of a game would result in an uneven application of this rule. Some TDs can make a ruling as soon as the deadline is reached; other TDs would not make a ruling until several hours or days later, depending on their availability or the complexity of the required ruling, or both. We must have a deadline, and one week to schedule a game in a "one week to play a game" league is more than enough.

Item 2a - Questions concerning the Thursday-Friday dealines.

Several questions have been raised concerning the Thursday-Friday deadlines. In response, Rules Subcommitteee inserted these explanations in the TD handbook, Part 5. If no SC member objects, these will remain in the handbook. Approved by Rules 4-0 and posted June 9, 2012

10. Three questions that come up concerning the Thursday-Friday deadlines.

11. What happens if the offending player has no games to choose from because the three required offers have expired? The offending player forfeits.

12. What happens if a player has to pick an opponent's time under the Thursday-Friday deadline rules and it is less than 24 hours to game time? - If a player accepts a valid offer that could have been voided due to the 24 hour rule but the game is played, the game counts. If the player who accepted the offer does not show up, he forfeits the game. If the player who made the initial offer does not show up, the forfeit is voided under the 24 hour rule. They continue scheduling with a remaining partial blame against the player who missed the first deadline.

13. Who should make the first offers after the TD nulls the forfeit? The TD should make a post telling both players to continue scheduling efforts, and that if adjudication is needed those efforts will be a determining factor. The TD should make the call at the end based on the entire scheduling effort (including partial blame).

No objections by SC members - Approved June 26, 2012

Item 3. Change all deadlines from 2200 to 1700 same days

Problem: The position of Entry Clerk requires someone who is available at the critical times of team entry, change of rounds, and pairing playoff teams, most of which happen on Tuesdays.  In the long history of the league we have had just two entry clerks. The first one lived on the west coast of the USA; 7 pm his time, 2200 ICC time, was most convenient for him. The second now lives on the east coast, on ICC time; 2200 is also convenient for him.

A search for an Assistant Entry Clerk has been ongoing for more than two years.  At last, we have a very qualified candidate. The catch? He lives in Europe and is usually fast asleep at 2200! It has always been understood that our league deadlines were at the convenience of the people most intimately involved in day to day league management.

Recommended Solution: Both the present Entry Clerk and the new Assistant Entry Clerk would be able to manage setting a new time of 1700 for all league deadlines – Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, round 6 adjourn Sunday dates, etc.

Advantages: If all the deadlines are changed, we keep the same intervals for critical scheduling deadlines; 48 hours to make offers, 24 hours to accept an offer where required, four full days to continue negotiations. There would be less confusion if we change every deadline; we would quote 1700 where we now quote 2200. It makes it easier to do global changes on all our by-laws. Finally, it would increase by more than 10 percent (65% to 77%) the number of people, on both continents, who could make their initial offers within the first 5 hours.

Disadvantage: Potential confusion with the new times.

The Entry Clerk proposes the following motion to the SC for consideration:

Whereas our new assistant entry clerk lives in Europe and cannot execute the requirements of our existing 22:00 deadlines in a timely fashion, and

Whereas the deadlines have always been what was convenient to the Entry Clerks, and

Whereas17:00 would work for both the Entry Clerk and the Assistant Entry Clerk,

Therefore, be it resolved that all deadlines (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and any other similar deadlines) be changed throughout the statutes and handbooks from the present 22:00 to 17:00, same days.

These changes to be implemented for T54.

Voting is now going on for the following four conditions:

Please vote regarding agenda item #3. If you vote for choice #1 or #4 please include your preference for change via #2 or #3.

1. Make no changes. If someone votes to change nothing, they could add also add their preference to 2 or 3 in case the majority vote is for change.

2. Change just the Tuesday pairing time to 17:00.

3. Change all deadlines to 17:00, the pairing and contact deadlines for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

4. Task the Chief TD to make a more temporary Administrative Rule, in lieu of immediate more permanent Statute Changes. That would also cover us in case the new Assistant Entry Clerk does not enjoy the new position, and has a brief tenure. If anyone votes choice 4 they should also include their preference for #2 or #3 concerning preference for change.

Vote totals:

1 - 1

2 - 5

3 - 4

4 - 5

Tuesday deadline times will change to 1700. Thursday-Friday deadlines will remain at 2200. An administrative rule will be written by the TD.

Item 4  Set deadlines for appeals

Problem: The Oversight Committee notes that the statutes do not presently specify deadlines for the filing of most appeals. The only reference to a deadline is in Section 17.C.ii where 48 hours is allowed for appeals of a red card.

Comments: It has been common practice to allow 48 hours for an appeal of a yellow card or a TD decision in a game. It is also common practice for TDs to allow 24 hours for comments by captains or players on draw offers and rulings the TDs are considering. Deadlines are often time critical in the playoffs, where potential delays are involved.

Recommendation:  Set 48 hours as a time limit on most appeals, and 24 hours for TD comments in the forums. Insert the two deadlines in the statutes, as 17.E.iii.

1. Appeals of Yellow and Red Cards, warning letters, and permitted appeals of Reliability Rating Reductions must be filed within 48 hours of the date(s) of the letter(s). Appeals to the Oversight Committee of TD rulings in the forums must be filed within 48 hours of the posting of the rulings. TD requests for captain approval of draw offers, tentative ruling of a game, etc, require a forum post reply within 24 hours of the TD post to have any effect on the adjudication.

Approved 8-0 1 abstain July 24, 2012

Item 5 Playoff seedings.

Previous SC Agendas: