Team 45 45 League

The terms and phrases listed below in this subsection have very specific meanings in Team 45 45 League and are used throughout the body of the By-Laws without further explanation.
1. Adjourned Game - A game that has not been completed by a round's deadline, but agreement has been reached by the players to play the game during the following round.
2. "Away" - Used to determine which team has the black pieces for Board 1 (see "Home"). ¶ SC 11-12.
3. Blind Carbon Copy - A type of addressing for e-mails used to send a copy of a message to people to which the message isn't specifically written to. This is generally abbreviated as BCC or bcc. All bcc'ed addressees are not displayed to all who receive the message (see Carbon Copy).
4. Board Assignments - The list of four players selected by the Team Captain who will be playing for the round specified.
5. Bye - A pairing status for a team where no opponent is available for a given round.
6. Carbon Copy - A type of addressing for e-mails used to send a copy of a message to people to which the message isn't specifically written to. This is generally abbreviated as CC or cc. All cc'ed addressees are displayed to all who receive the message (see Blind Carbon Copy).
7. Championship Rounds - Those rounds played, seeded and scheduled for teams who win their respective Division in the Preliminary Rounds (see Preliminary Rounds).
8. Default Board Assignment - The top four rated players on the Team Roster.
9. Fixed Rating - A player's standard rating at the time they are officially entered into a tournament.
10. Game Score - A document which includes information about a game, specifically the event, date, players, etc, and the actual moves in order.
11. GMT - Greenwich Mean Time, a world-wide standard for time based on the clock at the Greenwich Royal Observatory, Greenwich, England (near London).
12. Hex Division - a set of five or six teams competing against each other in a Single Round Robin format, each team playing each of the others once plus a final position round where current 1st plays current 2nd, current 3rd plays current 4th, etc (see Quad Division).
13. "Home" - a) The ICS for which the team or player will play most, if not all, their games on. b) Used to determine which team has the white pieces for Board 1 (see "Away"). ¶ SC 11-12.
14. ICS - Internet Chess Server, a broad definition which is to include any internet site where players can play chess in real time, whether telnet protocol or web-based protocol.
15. Pairing Posting Deadline - The time and day of the week the Tournament Director must have the current rounds pairings publicly available. This time and day of the week is considered the official starting time of a specific round.
16. PGN Format - "Portable Game Notation" format is a universally accepted format of documents used to transmit the details of a chess game.
17. Preliminary Rounds - Those rounds played, seeded and scheduled without any consideration of the team's previous tournament performance (see Championship Rounds).
18. Quad Division - a set of three or four teams competing against each other in a Double Round Robin format, each team playing each of the others twice (see Hex Division).
19. Red Card - Official notification of a player's action or actions disruptive enough to impose an immediate suspension (see Yellow Card).
20. Reliability Rating - This is a quantity expressed as GTS Points used to designate players with proven records of problem-free participation.
21. Seed Number- The number given a team at the beginning of a tournament based on the Team Average Rating at entry.
22. Shall - Indicates a mandatory action. ¶ SC 11-12.
23. T45L - Abbreviation for Team 45 45 League.
24. Team Average Rating - The average of the Fixed Ratings of the top four players on a team.
25. Team Roster - The list of all players on a team, and is generally permanent for the duration of a specific tournament (see Board Assignments).
26. Time Control - The amount of time each player is allotted for a game. This is expressed with two numbers, the first being the initial time available (in minutes) and the second being the time added after each move (in seconds).
27. Tournament Section - A subgrouping of all teams based on Team Average Rating and expressed in the usual "Under something" style, or "U something".
28. Tournament Director - The person designated as Tournament Director. The agents are the Sectional Tournament Directors, Divisional Tournament Directors, Scribes, Entry Clerks, Masters of Conduct, and any other positions required by the Tournament Director to effectively run the tournament.
29. Yellow Card - A formal warning to a player that an action or actions of theirs has been deemed disruptive, and another action or actions deemed disruptive by them will warrant a suspension from League activities (see Red Card).
30. Game Point (GP) - The point awarded to the winner of a played or adjudicated game. One-half GP is awarded to each player in a drawn or adjudicated draw game.¶ SC 20-21.
31. Match Point (MP) - The point awarded to the team with the greater number of Game Points in a match. One-half MP is awarded to each team when the final GP score is tied at greater than 0-0. ¶ SC 20-21.
Other terms and phrases not listed above in subsection (A) of this section, which have very specific meanings in Team 45 45 League, are defined in the statute that relates to that term or phrase. These are not used throughout the body of the By-Laws.

Section 2 - Tournament Parameters

Each tournament shall have a set of information that defines how and when the tournament progresses. This information shall include at a minimum:
1. The Time Control for the games that are played during the tournament,
2. The number of sections which include each of the section rating ceiling values,
3. The number of rounds that will be played,
4. The date for the deadline that teams are to be entered, and
5. The date and time the first round will be posted, thus establishing the weekly Pairing Posting Deadline.
The Steering Committee should have this information available at the conclusion of the previous tournament.
Unless otherwise stated, deadlines will be 22:00 ICC server time on the day specified. ¶ SC 26-27.

Section 3 - Member's Eligibility and Conduct

Each individual player must meet the following requirements to participate in Team 45 45 League:
1. They must be properly registered with ICC.
2. The league recommends that our members join the STC Bunch. ¶ SC 20-21.
3. At the beginning of a tournament, they must have an established standard rating set by a minimum of 20 rated games played. ¶ SC 12-13.
4. They cannot be a designated computer account, those with a (C) on their handle or finger note apology of computer usage, or found to have cheated on other servers or in other leagues or tournaments (e.g. FICS - Ratedbanned, OnlineChessLeague, FICS Team League, STC WC etc). ¶ SC 29-30
5. Team captains and assistant captains are subject to the same limitations on team participation as other members, and have no additional requirements to hold those positions (except for probationary periods as specified in 3.A.vi). It is recommended that individuals participate as a player for one tournament before they become Team Captain. SC 27-28
6. Reliability Ratings (RR) range from -2 to +2, and determine eligibility.
  1. New members, and those returning from a suspension, begin with a RR of zero (0).
  2. Players earn one RR point when they complete one tournament incident free (no forfeit).
  3. One RR point is deducted for each forfeited game, affecting participation in the next tournament. (See also Section 17.B regarding Red Cards). ¶SC32-33
7. Limitations on eligibility.
  1. New players and those having an RR of 0 or -1 (Sec. 17.B) may participate on one (1) team. Those returning from a red card suspension may participate as a player or assistant captain on one (1) team.
  2. Players who have a RR of +1 are eligible to participate on as many as two (2) teams.
  3. Players who have a RR of +2 are eligible to participate on as many as three (3) teams. ¶SC32-33
Each participant shall behave in a friendly and courteous fashion in all communications associated with Team 45 45 League. They shall be diplomatic, truthful and understanding at all times. Each participant will act in a manner that does not disrupt the peaceful enjoyment of this League by the other participants.
Each person may participate, as a player and/or captain, on only one team per section, to avoid conflicts of interest. ¶SC25-26
All participants shall treat our volunteers with respect. There shall be no vile or derogatory language used when communicating with our volunteers. Rude behavior towards a volunteer is not acceptable. No form of harassment towards a volunteer will be tolerated. Punitive actions for this behavior will be mandatory. Yellow, Red or Double Red Cards will be issued to the offenders of Section 3 D based on the severity and or persistence of this behavior. ¶ SC 18-19.

Section 4 - Team Entry.

The team's official entry shall be submitted to the Tournament Director by the Team Captain or designated agent no later than the Team Entry Deadline as set by the Steering Committee.
A team at entry, and through the course of the tournament, shall have a minimum of 4 players, and a maximum of 6 players.
The minimum required information shall be:
1. Team Name, which shall be moderate in length;
2. Tournament Section the team wishes to compete in, if qualified. (see Section 4.G.ii) ¶ SC25-26
3. The list of players, their e-mail addresses, and their time zone with respect to GMT.
The information from subsection (C) of this section together with the Reliability Rating for each player shall constitute the Team Roster.
The players' ratings shall be fixed by the Tournament Director prior to or at the time of each player’s entry into the tournament.
1. Players must have an established rating on the handle they are using. Players may not change and play on new handles in mid-tourney without first establishing a rating on the new handle. If a handle is changed in mid-tournament, the player’s fixed rating from the former handle will be assigned to the new handle for the duration of the tournament.
2. The current ratings for all present and former league members will be collected daily from the Round 1 Pairing Posting Deadline through Playoff Round 1 Pairing Posting Deadline. The computed average-daily-rating shall be the player’s Fixed Rating for the next tournament. Fixed ratings for new players and those returning from older tourneys will be determined by the Entry Clerk, utilizing data collected once they complete a profile. ¶SC32-33
3. All Fixed ratings are subject to review and possible revision by the Entry Clerk.
  1. Revisions to Fixed Rating calculations of returning players will normally be made before the initial public posting of Fixed Ratings.
  2. Revisions of previously estimated fixed ratings of new players will generally be posted just before the Team Entry period begins, and then periodically as new information becomes available. ¶SC32-33
4. A player may be rejected for membership, or participation delayed, if there is evidence or reasons to believe the rating is not representative of the player’s ability. Many factors, including those described in ICC’s “help abuse”, will be considered in evaluating each rating. ¶SC32-33
Once a player's rating is fixed by the Tournament Director, it shall remain the same for the duration of the tournament, and is called the player's Fixed Rating. Fixed Ratings shall be used to calculate Team Average Rating and determine board order throughout the tournament.
Team Average Rating will be calculated using Fixed Ratings.
1. Team Average Rating will be calculated after the player's ratings are fixed and shall be the average of the top four rated players on the team.
2. Each Section shall have a floor (base) rating 300 rating points below the Section limit. Should the fourth (or higher) highest rating on a team roster be less than the floor rating, the floor rating(s) shall be used for team calculation purposes. The teams may have players on the roster with ratings lower than the floor rating.
3. Ratings on each roster are arrayed in descending order. If two or more ratings are equal, the captain shall notify the Entry Clerk of the preferred board order.

Section 5 - Preliminary Rounds (Quad Format).

Once the Team Entry Deadline has passed, the Tournament Director shall set each team into the section they requested if they are eligible for that section.
Each of the teams within a Section will be assigned a Seed Number starting with the team with the highest Team Average Rating.
Divisions shall be formed in the following manner:
1. One (1) team shall be incorporated into the next higher Section;
2. Two (2) teams shall compete for the Section championship by playing a 6-round head-to-head match, following all other procedures as provided for in these Statutes;
3. Three (3) teams shall form a Quad Division with seed 4 being the bye;
4. Four (4) teams shall form a Quad Division;
5. Five (5) teams shall form a Hex Division with seed 6 being the bye;
6. Six (6) teams shall form a Hex Division;
7. Seven (7) teams shall form a single division. The first and second place teams at the end of the seven rounds of play will then play off for the Section championship.¶ SC 21-22.
8. Eight (8) teams shall form two Quad Divisions, one division having seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8, the other division having seeds 2, 3, 6 and 7; or
9. Nine (9) or more teams shall be formed into Divisions consistent with the above paragraphs and also bringing into consideration the Divisional structures of the other Sections and how the Championships will be conducted.
10. The ideal division has four teams; hex divisions are only formed when there are one to three extra teams in the Section. The extra teams assigned to the hex divisions shall be taken from the median seeded teams. Hex divisions shall be placed last in the array of divisions.
11. When the number of teams in a Section exceeds 35, the divisions within the section shall be split into two sub-Sections, Section A and Section B. Each sub-Section shall compete for its own championship and prizes. When the number of divisions is odd (9, 11, 13, etc), the greater number of divisions, all of which are Quad divisions, shall be placed in Section A, and the lesser number of divisions, but including any Hex divisions, shall be placed in Section B. When the number of divisions is even (10, 12, etc) any Hex division(s) shall still be assigned to Section B.

Section 6 - Championship Playoffs

In the cases when an entire section only forms one or two divisions:
1. If a section can only form a single division, then the winner of this division shall be declared the Sectional Champion.
2. When two divisions are formed in a section, then the winners of each division shall play a match for the Championship. ¶ SC 18-19 vote to eliminate cross-server matches negated the need for Section 6. A. ii. a.
3. In a 7-team division there will be a playoff game between the first and second place teams to determine the Section champion. It is a winner take all match, using Championship tiebreak rules. ¶ SC 22-23.
In cases where there are three to eight divisions, the following methods will be applied. In each setting, teams are ranked, or seeded, by their records in regulation play, as given in Section 13. As the playoffs progress, the winning teams retain their original order of seeding. Each match is "single elimination", as in Section 6. A. ii.
1. With three divisions the three division winners, and Best Second Place team from those divisions, are ranked: #1 plays #4, #2 plays #3. The winners play off.¶ SC 21-22.
2. With four divisions, the division winners are ranked: #1 vs #4 and #2 vs #3. The winners play off.
3. With five to eight divisions, the division winners and three to zero Best Second Place Teams from among the divisions are ranked: #1 vs #8, #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6, #4 vs #5. The four winners are ranked and play as in 6.B.ii. The two winners then play off for the Section League Championship.
All ‘Best Second Place’ teams shall be ranked below all Division Champions and seeded according to their records in regulation play. ”¶ SC 26-27.

Section 7 - Team Playing Schedules (Quad Format).

A Quad Division will be composed of either three or four teams. For a three team Quad Division, the following Team Playing Schedule should be modified by replacing "4th Seed" with "Bye Week". The following shall be the Team Playing Schedule ("Home" team is listed first): (¶ SC 35-36)
1. Seed 1 vs. Seed 2 and Seed 4 vs. Seed 3
2. Seed 3 vs. Seed 1 and Seed 2 vs. Seed 4
3. Seed 1 vs. Seed 4 and Seed 3 vs. Seed 2
4. Seed 1 vs. Seed 3 and Seed 4 vs. Seed 2
5. Seed 4 vs. Seed 1 and Seed 2 vs. Seed 3
6. Seed 2 vs. Seed 1 and Seed 3 vs. Seed 4
A Hex Division will be composed of either five or six teams. For a five team Hex Division, the following Team Playing Schedule should be modified by replacing "6th Seed" with "Bye Week". The following shall be the Team Playing Schedule ("Home" team is listed first):
1. Seed 1 vs. Seed 4 and Seed 2 vs. Seed 5 and Seed 3 vs. Seed 6
2. Seed 6 vs. Seed 1 and Seed 3 vs. Seed 2 and Seed 4 vs. Seed 5
3. Seed 5 vs. Seed 1 and Seed 2 vs. Seed 6 and Seed 4 vs. Seed 3
4. Seed 3 vs. Seed 1 and Seed 2 vs. Seed 4 and Seed 6 vs. Seed 5 ¶ SC 12-13.
5. Seed 1 vs. Seed 2 and Seed 5 vs. Seed 3 and Seed 4 vs. Seed 6 ¶ SC 12-13.
6. Position Round: Current 1st vs. Current 2nd and Current 3rd vs. Current 4th and Current 5th vs. Current 6th.¶ SC 21-22. The paired teams shall have colors (home and away) opposite of what they were when they met in the earlier round. ¶ SC 22-23.
7. An adjourned game shall be counted as a draw for the purpose of determining seed order for a position round (from Section 14.C)
If the team in fifth place does not play a position round match, the team will be awarded one-half match point. The 0.5 MP and 2.0 GP will be included in the final standings. ¶ SC 16-17.
When there are two teams competing for a Section title in the preliminary rounds, the team with the higher team average shall be the home team in rounds 1, 3, 5 and the away team in rounds 2, 4, 6. ¶ SC 16-17.
The playing schedule for a 7-team section shall be (#8 being a bye team):
1. Seed 7 vs Seed 2, Seed 3 vs Seed 6, Seed 5 vs Seed 4, Seed 8 vs Seed 1
2. Seed 1 vs Seed 7, Seed 2 vs Seed 5, Seed 4 vs Seed 3, Seed 6 vs Seed 8
3. Seed 6 vs Seed 1, Seed 3 vs Seed 2, Seed 5 vs Seed 7, Seed 8 vs Seed 4
4. Seed 1 vs Seed 5, Seed 7 vs Seed 3, Seed 4 vs Seed 6, Seed 2 vs Seed 8
5. Seed 4 vs Seed 1, Seed 6 vs Seed 2, Seed 3 vs Seed 5, Seed 8 vs Seed 7
6. Seed 1 vs Seed 3, Seed 2 vs Seed 4, Seed 7 vs Seed 6, Seed 5 vs Seed 8
7. Seed 2 vs Seed 1, Seed 4 vs Seed 7, Seed 6 vs Seed 5, Seed 8 vs Seed 3
¶ SC 22-23.

Section 8 - Board Assignments

Team captains will now post their board assignments directly to the Team4545League.org/captains page no later than Tuesday at 22:00 ICC server time. If a team roster is changed after posting board assignments, it is the captain's responsibility to resubmit revised board assignments before the pairing posting deadline. Any player in a lineup who is no longer on the roster will either play the game (if eligible) or have their game ruled a set game loss. ¶ SC 27-28
If the Team Captain fails to submit a Board Assignment list for a given round, it will be assumed that the Team will play their top four players, which shall be known as the Default Board Assignment. At the TD's discretion, a Team Captain may submit an alternative Default Board Assignment list which may be used if the Team Captain fails to submit another for a given round.
Once publicly posted, the pairings should not be changed. ¶ SC25-26

Section 9 - Pairings

The Tournament Director shall collect the Board Assignments from the Team Captains (now posted by the captains to the Captains page of the website). With these and the scheduling from Section 7, they shall prepare the Pairings and publicly display them at the league website. The deadline for this public display shall be specified in the Tournament Parameters. Information to be included in this public display shall be the ICS handle of the players, their fixed ratings, and their color allocation as specified in subsection (C) of this section. ¶ SC 26-27.
Each player on each team is assigned a Board Number for that round in rating order.
1. The highest rated player on the Board Assignment list shall be Board 1, second highest Board 2, third highest Board 3 and fourth highest Board 4 Individual pairings shall be Board 1 vs. Board 1, Board 2 vs. Board 2, Board 3 vs. Board 3 and Board 4 vs. Board 4.
2. Should a team submit fewer than four boards, the available players must be placed in descending rating order starting at board 1. ¶ SC 30-31.
The White Pieces shall be granted to "Home" team Board 1, "Away" team Board 2, "Home" team Board 3 and "Away" team Board 4.

Section 10 - Scheduling Procedures

Overview. Each round begins as soon as pairings are posted. Players should make prompt contact to schedule their games, and all games should be completed and reported one week later (by 22:00 ICC server time). If this is not possible, then the game may be either called, or adjourned as per Section 14. ¶ SC 26-27.
Pairings are Posted. Within an hour of the Board Lineup Deadline, pairings are posted, Game Forum is activated, and e-mails are sent to players, with notice of pairings.

A URL link is provided that takes each player to the forum, where the player will offer times to play.
The URL contains the player's password. Therefore, the player must not forward that e-mail to anyone.
Each Game Forum post is automatically mailed to the both players, team captains, assistant captains, the dTD and adTD. Each of these persons may make comments in the Game Forum to help the scheduling process.

Contact Procedures - Each player shall make contact with his/her opponent via Game Forum posts as soon as possible in order to negotiate a time to play.

The player who initiates this dialog shall specify three or more distinct times to play on at least two different days within the one-week playing period of the round.
1. A range of times, or several distinct times within a three-hour period, counts as one offer.
2. A range of times equal to or greater than 3 hours is counted as two offers (e.g. 7:00 - 10:00). ¶ SC 36-37
3. If a range is offered (e.g. Saturday 07:00 – 15:00 or “How about Tuesday”), the other player could accept any time within those ranges or on that day (Tuesday 00:00 to 23:45), and be binding on both players. The accepted time, however, must be exact, such as 13:30 Saturday. ¶ SC 33-34.
The recipient of this initial contact shall either select one of these possible playing times to play, as in (i) above. or specify at least three other distinct times or ranges to play, as in (i) above.
Offers still outstanding by either player may be removed or amended until accepted. ¶ SC 33-34.
After each player transmits his initial offers, a lesser number of counter offers may be made. The timeliness and workability of each successive message shall be evaluated by the dTD if a dispute arises. ¶ SC 33-34.
The back and forth offers should be done within 24 hours of each other, preferably even more quickly.
Once both players have made the required initial offers, the Thursday and Friday deadlines (described next, in 10.D) are no longer applicable. In this case, negotiations can extend to as late as the Game Completion Deadline. ¶ SC 33-34.
A reasonable amount of time must be allowed between the acceptance of an offer and the accepted time, in order for the second person to react. 24 hours is considered reasonable. To be binding on both players, an offer accepted less than 24 hours before game time must be confirmed by the offerer. (This means, if I make an offer and you accept it less than 24 hours before the game time, I must confirm your acceptance, or I cannot be held to my initial offer). SC23-24.
Exception to the 24-hour acceptance/confirmation guideline: Should a player offer a time that is within 24 hours of the time of the post, and it be accepted, it is presumed that he intended to honor it even if he did not see the acceptance, unless he places restrictions on the time of acceptance (e.g."I can play at 5 pm tonight, if you respond by noon"), absence of either player at the “agreed” time will result in a forfeit.” ¶ SC 29-30
Adjourned games (See section 14): No player is required to accept a request to play an adjourned game, nor will any blame be assigned (nor motives be questioned) for refusing to do so. Initial requests to play an adjourned game must also include appropriate offers for times within the one week of the round, or partial blame will be assigned. The intent and purpose of this rule is to reinforce the league expectation that players are to be available to play within the one week period of the round, or be withheld from that round’s board assignments by the captain. Adjourned games are only scheduled when times cannot be agreed upon and both players want to play in the adjournment week. ¶ SC 33-34.

Deadlines for scheduling. The following two deadlines, First Contact Deadline and Contact-or-Forfeit Deadline, carry consequences for players who fail to meet them. However, players are strongly encouraged to act well in advance of the impending consequences.

Contact Deadline = Thursday, 22:00 ICC server time ¶ SC 26-27. By this deadline a player should have posted an offer to play.

Once this posts is made, a player is not obligated to make any other offers until the opponent replies.
A player who has not made contact prior to the Contact Deadline has just another 24 hours to reply, and must accept one of his opponent's offered times rather than suggest any times of his own.

Contact-or-Forfeit Deadline = Friday, 22:00 ICC server time If a player has neither posted offers of play times, nor accepted an offered time by this deadline, he forfeits the game. ¶ SC 29-30

Game Completion Deadline = Tuesday, 22:00 ICC ¶ SC 26-27. of the week following the start of the round. By this deadline, the game should either have been played, or a specific time to play an "Adjourned Game" (see Section 14) must have been set, as evidenced in the Game Forum. At this deadline, if the Game Forum indicates neither a played game nor an arrangement for an adjourned game, the dTD will make a ruling on the outcome of the game (forfeit, double forfeit, set game, set game draw). ¶ SC 22-23.
The Agreed Game Time and the 30-minute Grace Period.

At the Agreed Game Time both players are expected to be logged in to the chess server present and ready to play. Players must immediately withdraw from any activity that might delay starting the game and begin their scheduled league game on time.
A 30-minute grace period is allowed for an occasional unanticipated (unpreventable through all reasonable efforts) delay past the agreed start time. At the end of the grace period no rescheduling of the game is permitted.
A player who has not logged in within the 30-minute Grace Period forfeits the game. If both players were present within the grace period, but not concurrently, the TD shall determine the game outcome based on the greater blame definitions in the statutes (Sect 15.A.). ¶ SC 27-28

Rescheduling Agreed Games, Conceding a Game, and Game Not Played (¶ SC 30-31)
1. Reschedule: A game time that has been agreed upon by both players is binding on both players and can only be changed (rescheduled) to another time if both players agree.
  1. The agreement to reschedule, if any, must be made (as evidenced in the Game Forum) prior to the end of the 30-minute grace period. The actual rescheduling discussions may take place later, and if rescheduled, the game must be completed by the deadline for the round.
  2. If no rescheduled time is reached, resulting in the game not played, a Reliability Rating Point must be deducted from the player who originally asked to reschedule. (¶ SC 35-36)
2. Conceding a Game: If a player at any time posts in the Forum that he/she concedes the game to the opponent, the opponent will receive the game point and need not be present at any agreed time.
  1. Conceding a game before it starts constitutes a forfeit.
  2. The TD will judge whether the Game Forum message constitutes a concession, for example, when the player states that he is unable to play, or unable to meet a previously agreed time. The concession becomes official when the TD posts the forfeit. ¶ SC 36-37
  3. When a scheduled game has been conceded by a post in the forum at least 24 hours in advance of the game, the SecTD, with advice from the dTD, may recommend that a RR reduction not be applied, but instead that the provisions of Section 3.A.vi.b (addition of RR point at end of tourney) be voided in regards to the forfeit. ¶ SC 36-37
3. Game Not Played: Any game that is not ruled set game draw, and is not played, for whatever reason, is a forfeit with an automatic reduction in Reliability Rating. The forfeit is applied to the player who has greater or full blame, and/or to both players with full blame (double forfeit).
Time offers are made and accepted in the game forum in text. Once an offer is accepted, the Post Agreed Game Time button will be used to post the time to the programming. If the Posted time disagrees with the texts, the written texts have priority. The Post Agreed Game Time button may not be used to offer times. However, should an offer be made and the responder, without making any other comment, post one of those times using the button, the Post will be considered to be a binding acceptance on both players. ¶ SC 33-34.

Section 11 - Conduct of the Game

The movement of the pieces, time keeping, stalemates and all other similar mandatory rules shall be controlled solely by the ICS and its programming. It is the player’s responsibility to know, understand and use any ICS commands and help files needed to play the game. ¶SC29-30
Optional rules of the ICS are to be used as follows:

"Takebacks" and "Moretime" shall not be offered or accepted.
1. Any game in which Takeback is offered and accepted will be ruled double set game against both players.
2. Asking for Takebacks or adding Moretime is considered disruptive to the peaceful enjoyment of the game, and is subject to the yellow and red card provisions of Section 3.B of the statutes. (¶SC 32-33)
Kibitz policy. (SC26-27)
1. Players may "kibitz", "tell" and/or "say" in their own game only if both players agree. No other person shall "kibitz" during the game or use "tell" to a competitor, except the Tournament Director and then only in great need. Once the game has started, no one may call to the players' attention any errors in color or time, or offer advice on accepting draw offers. Control of the game is solely in the players' hands.
2. Penalities for kibitzing are provided for in Section 17.F.
Frequent and repetitive draw offers shall not be issued, regardless of the position on the board. Draw offers more often than once every 5 full moves shall be considered disruptive.

Games shall be played as rated. ¶ SC 12-13.
Both players are assigned equal and binding responsibility to insure the game is played with the proper color allocation and time control. ¶ SC 11-12.
1. If an error in the color allocation and time control is discovered before the completion of Black's 3rd move, the game is to be aborted and restarted with the error corrected.
2. If an error is discovered after the completion of Black's 3rd move, the game in progress is to be completed and shall stand as official.
The reasons for a player disconnecting in the midst of a game are many-fold, but most often it is due to the general flakiness of the internet system. For the most part, the disconnecting player will re-connect very shortly and the game can be resumed right away. Some disconnections require specific action. Others are best left to the players to resolve over the board.

Games are to be played with noescape turned off. Should a game be played with noescape on, and a player disconnect and forfeit, the result of the game will be a loss to that player, as shown by the pgn score. E.g. “{Black got disconnected and forfeits} 1-0” and no further penalty will be applied. ¶ SC 24-25
If a player who is on the server's Disconnectors List disconnects and forfeits, the result of the game will be a loss to that player, as shown by the pgn score. E.g. “{White got disconnected and forfeits} 0-1” and no further penalty will be applied. ¶ SC 24-25
In other situations that can best be described as technical difficulties, the intent and spirit of the league is that the games be played to a conclusion if possible. However, should a player disconnect for more than 15 minutes (or multiple times totaling 30 minutes), the offended player may request a set game win, may offer to resume playing the game at a time convenient to him, or may choose to continue with the game as originally scheduled. It is expected that players and captains will discuss resolution of affected games with Section 3.B. in mind, and not question the motives of the opponent. ¶SC33-34

Should a server crash or shut down after black's third move, resulting in an unstored game, the game will be resolved in the following order of priority:
1. Restart the game with the same position and approximate clock times. Both players have to agree on the position, clock times, side to move, etc.
2. Agree to a set game draw. Both players have to agree.
3. Restart the game from scratch; neither player is obligated to follow the original lines of play. Either player can request a restart after options 1 and 2 have been considered. ¶ SC 21-22.
Other Server Disconnections. Should a server become inaccessible, the following policies apply.
1. The 30-minute Grace Period defined in Section 15.A.i.a. remains in effect. Players have an obligation to continue attempts to access the server during the grace period. If the ICS is not accessible by the end of the 30-minute grace period, the game shall be rescheduled using the guidelines of Section 10. C. iv.
2. Games in progress that are "stored" by the ICS will be continued using the guidelines of Section 10. C. iv.
3. If the main ICC server chessclub.com is down, players should attempt to play their game on queen.chessclub.com, accessible from the blitzin login window.
Playing simultaneous games (see “help simul” and “help simulize" on ICC server) is permitted. All league expectations (e.g. 10.F.i, and 11.A) and consequences remain in effect in such games. ¶ SC 29-30

Section 12 - Result Reporting

The Game Score, in PGN format, is the only official way to report the results of a game.
Game scores will normally be posted in the game forum by the Automated Collection Program. Should Automated Collection not work, the players or team captains are responsible for retrieving them using the Get Played Game feature in the forum.
This should be done within 24 hours of the game completion, but no later than 6 days after the Pairings Posting Deadline.

Section 13 - Standings and Tie-breaks

Standings shall be ordered by accumulated Match Points.
If teams have equal amounts of Match Points, the following tie-break methods shall be used in order, excluding those that are clearly meaningless:
1. During the course of the preliminary rounds, teams within any division with equal Match Points shall be ranked in order by:
  1. Game Points,
  2. Alphabetically by Team name.
2. See also 13.I At the end of the preliminary rounds, teams within any division with equal Match Points shall be ranked in order by:
  1. When two teams are tied for a place:
    1. Game Points,
    2. Head-to-Head Match Points,
    3. Head-to-Head Game Points,
    4. Fewest number of Reliability Rating Reductions (forfeits) ¶ SC33-34
    5. Head-to-Head Match Points modified by removing the results of all Board 4 games,
    6. Head-to-Head Game Points modified by removing the results of all Board 4 games,
    7. Head-to-Head Match Points modified by removing the results of all Board 3 and 4 games,
    8. Head-to-Head Game Points modified by removing the results of all Board 3 and 4 games,
    9. Head-to-Head Match Points modified by removing the results of all Board 2, 3 and 4 games,
    10. Head-to-Head Game Points modified by removing the results of all Board 2, 3 and 4 games, then:
    11. A coin toss by the Tournament Director.
    12. Note.— In a.5 to a.10, substitute board 1 for board 4, board 2 for board 3, etc, in odd numbered tournaments. Boards are removed from bottom up in even numbered tourneys and from top down in odd numbered tourneys.
  2. When three or more teams are tied for a position, the tie-breaks given in subsection (B)(ii)(a) of this section shall be used with the following additional procedures applied at any and all levels of the tie-breaking process:
    1. If the tied teams can be stratified at a certain level of tie-breaking, then they are placed according to this stratification.
    2. If any teams are still tied after some stratification at a certain level of tie-breaking, then the next level of tie-breaking is applied to those teams still tied.
  3. In the playoffs, tiebreakers to determine seeding among division champions, and eligibility and seeding among wild card teams, are the same as above, first by MP, then by GP, then by Total RR reductions, then by board removal in “head to head” matches, except that all six matches from preliminary play shall be used. Specifically, remove board 4 (or board 1) from all six matches among the tied teams and recalculate MP and GP as though they were three-board matches. If still tied, remove boards 4 and 3 (or 1 and 2) as though they were two-board matches. Greater MP is the first breaker, even if the other team(s) GP come(s) out higher. If a team had a bye, the bye match is calculated as a draw at each board.
The team in first place in the Final Divisional Standings shall advance to the Championship Division.
If there is a need to provide the Championship Division with an extra team, all second place teams are considered and the provisions of subsection (B)(i) of this section are used to determine which team is advanced to the Championship Division. When two or more teams that have not met, have the same MP and GP records, and are tied for a final playoff spot or for seedings, the tie will be broken using the six-game records of each team under the provisions of (B)(ii) and (I). ¶ SC 26-27
The Final Sectional Standings shall be the Final Championship Divisional Standings. All teams not participating in the Championship Division shall be placed by the provisions of subsection (B)(ii) of this section.
See also 13.I When it is necessary to specify a winner in a single match that ends as a 2 game to 2 game draw, the following procedure shall be used to determine that winner:
1. Fewest number of Reliability Rating Reductions (forfeits) ¶ SC33-34
2. The results are modified by removing the results of the Board 4 game,
3. The results are modified by removing the results of the Board 3 and 4 games,
4. The results are modified by removing the results of the Board 2, 3 and 4 games, then:
5. A coin toss
Withdrawing Teams
1. The results of the teams who have completed matches against the withdrawn team shall stand as played.
2. If a team withdraws in the midst of a round, games already played at the time of withdrawal shall stand. Remaining games that do not get played shall be set game against to each opponent.
3. Results of any remaining matches by the withdrawing team will be shown as Set Game to each opponent.
When the "championship" final round playoff results in a 2-2 tie, the teams will play another match with colors reversed. Should the second match also finish in a tie, the tiebreak rules of Section 13.B.ii.a. shall be applied. Should it come down to a coin toss, the teams shall be declared co-champions. In the ICC Conference the coin toss shall be used only to determine which team shall receive ICC prize membership extensions if ICC does not wish to award duplicate prizes. ¶ SC 22-23
Effective with T27 all the head-to-head board removal methods for breaking ties enumerated in subsections (B)(ii), (F), and (H) will start with the removal of board 4 and work upward in even numbered tournaments, and start with the removal of board 1 and work downward in odd numbered tournaments.

Section 14 - Adjournment Procedures

The term "adjourned game" has two separate a distinct meanings within Team 45 45 League.
1. ICS adjournment has the meaning used by the ICS programming and applies to games that have been started, but are not completed.
2. T45L adjournment has the meaning of a game that has not been completed, and has been delayed past the Game Completion Deadline for the round the game is to be played. T45L adjourned games may include ICS adjourned games.
3. If the term "adjourned" is used in any context without the specification of which of the two definitions it applies to, it will be the T45L adjournment definition.
The following conditions must be met at the time of the Game Completion Deadline to have the game declared adjourned:
1. The game shall be still pending and not designated as forfeit or set game,
2. Both players shall agree to adjourn the game,
3. The time and day the game is to be played is set, and this time and day shall not be past the Game Completion Deadline for the following round.
4. The Tournament Director shall be informed by the Game Completion Deadline by both players (or their Team Captains) of the adjourned status, and the time and day the game will be played.
An adjourned game shall be counted as a draw for the purpose of determining seed order for a position round.
The deadline to complete adjourned games in the final round of regulation play shall be 22:00 server time of the Sunday following the Game Completion Deadline.¶ SC 26-27.

Section 15 - Forfeits and "set game"

A game can be designated as a forfeit when the game is not played, and blame for this can be clearly established on the one of the players. The "offending" player is that player who bears a higher level of blame, the "offended" player is the player who is either blameless in the matter or has a lower level of blame.
1. Blame can be clearly established when:
2. Two occurrences of partially established blame by one player in regards to one game shall constitute clearly established blame. Blame can be partially established when:
  1. A player fails to meet the 48 hour contact deadline established in Section 10(D), but makes contact within the next 24 hours agreeing to one of the three times the offended player has set in their original message. ¶ SC 27-28
  2. A player only partially fulfills the contact requirements of 10(C.i) prior to the 48-hour deadline. ¶ SC33-34
  3. During the continuing communications, the offending player fails repeatedly to reply in a timely manner as determined by the Tournament Director. ¶ SC 27-28
  4. A player makes offers during the first week, but fails to make three distinct offers as specified in 10(C).
  5. The offending player logs off before the end of the Grace Period. ¶ SC 27-28
  6. Each single action or forum post may constitute at most one incident of partial blame, even if more than one statute has been violated. ¶ SC 35-36
3. In cases of partially established blame, both players are required to schedule their game in accordance with Section 10. In cases of clearly established blame, the game shall be ruled a forfeit. (SC26-27)
4. A double forfeit may be issued if blame can be clearly established for both players.
5. Players and Team Captain can only request that a forfeit be granted. The Tournament Director is the sole person who can grant forfeit requests. The Tournament Director may grant a forfeit even if it is not requested, if the requirements of this section are satisfied.
6. Notwithstanding subsection (A)(iii)of this section, all forfeits are official and final at either the Game Completion Deadline of the round following the round the game was to be played or the Game Completion Deadline of the final round of the tournament, whichever is sooner.
"Set Game" is used to designate some result to a game not played where both players are blameless. This is used in all situations where the provisions of subsection (A) of this section do not apply.
1. "Set Game" can be used to award one player a game point and the other none, in situations such as when the opposing team has posted fewer than four boards, a withdrawn team (except for any outstanding games), a disconnected game not rescheduled, and captain error. ¶ SC 32-33
2. "Set Game" can also be used to award both players one half game point each, the so called "GM Draw". This can be used in situations where the players are unable to find an agreeable playing time through no fault of either player or when both players have equal partially established blame. If both players have clearly established blame, then the provisions of subsection (A)(iv) of this section are used to grant a double forfeit.
3. All "set games" are official and final at either the Game Completion Deadline of the round following the round the game was to be played or the Game Completion Deadline of the final round of the tournament, whichever is sooner.
The difference between a forfeit and "set game" is primarily that of punitive actions detailed in Section 17. Summary of Rulings, based on degree of blame:
1. Blameless vs. Blameless is a Set Game Draw ( = : = )
2. Partial vs. Blameless is a Forfeit in Favor of Blameless ( - : + )
3. Partial vs. Partial is a Set Game Draw ( = : = )
4. Full vs. Blameless is a Forfeit in Favor of Blameless ( - : + )
5. Full vs. Partial is a Forfeit in Favor of Partial ( - : + )
6. Full vs. Full is a Double Forfeit ( - : - )
Decisions regarding rulings in a game may be appealed by the two teams directly involved. Third Party appeals by teams in the same division are permitted, but only on the "ruled" outcome of the game.¶ SC25-26

Section 16 - Substitutions and Replacement Players

A substitute player is defined as a player who is unaffiliated with any team, and is available to play wherever an empty board may exist. Substitute players are not allowed.
An individual player may withdraw at any time during the tournament and the player need not give any reason. The withdrawing player shall give notice to their Team Captain immediately upon their decision to withdraw.
1. If games are outstanding, the player will receive forfeit(s), except under the provisions of Section 17.A.i.d (forfeit changed to set game for captain error). ¶ SC 32-33
2. The withdrawing player shall remain on the Team Roster for the duration of the tournament, except as in subsection (B)(iii) of this section below.
3. If the Team Captain elects to add a Replacement Player, and holding the withdrawing player on the Team Roster violates any other statute or by-law, then the withdrawing player is permanently removed from the Team Roster and can never be added again during that tournament.
4. If the election specified in subsection (B)(iii) of this section is not exercised, then the withdrawing player may return to play in that tournament, so long as eligibility has been maintained. ¶ SC 32-33
5. Players given Red Card suspensions (Section 17(C)) are immediately removed from the Team Roster in all circumstances.
A team may add players to their Team Roster at any time during the tournament.
1. The limit of the number of players on a team shall be six (Section 4(B)). If adding a player would exceed this amount, then a player will have to be permanently withdrawn to make room for the added player on the Team Roster.
2. The added player's rating at the time of the addition, or rating previously fixed, shall be the Fixed Rating for that player for the duration of the tournament.
3. The Team Average Rating shall be recalculated (Section 4(F)) after the addition (and possible withdrawing) of players. This new Team Average Rating shall become the new official Team Average Rating and shall conform to the sectional limit in which the team is competing.
4. The Seed Number of the team (Section 5(B)) shall never change regardless of any additions or replacements.
5. All added players shall meet all the eligibility requirements in Section 4.
6. Limitations to Roster Additions for Playoffs - At the Pairing Posting Deadline for Round 6, the fixed rating of a team's fourth highest rated player establishes that team's playoff "ceiling." Once Round 6 begins, roster additions (including the replacement of any removed players) shall be limited to players whose fixed ratings are lower than the team's ceiling. (¶ SC 35-36)
The restrictions on player movement and roster changes given in this statute do not become effective until the Pairing Posting Deadline (PPD) of round 1 of the tournament being conducted. Prior to the PPD, teams may make as many changes to their rosters as they wish, so long as they continue to meet the Section and player eligibility requirements. ¶ SC 32-33.

Section 17 - Reliability Ratings and Punitive Actions

Penalties are imposed for forfeited games, general misconduct, and cheating in any form. These penalties take the forms of reductions in a player’s reliability rating (RR) for each forfeited game, and the issuance of Yellow Cards and Red Cards for misconduct.
1. Reliability Ratings. A player receives a one-point reliability rating (RR) reduction for each forfeited game.
  1. Multiple RR reductions can result in a suspension from league play. One RR Point is deducted for each forfeit; at "-2" RR a player is suspended from the remainder of the present tourney and all of the next.
  2. The suspension upon reaching a RR of –2 shall take effect immediately following any round in which the offending player has already been declared as a player. The player may arrange and play such games.
  3. A player who receives another forfeit suspension within four tourneys after being reinstated from the previous suspension shall be suspended from league play for four complete tourneys. ¶ SC 36-37
  4. Captains have a special responsibility to the league as well as to their teams. If a Team Captain admits blame for an unplayed game that results in a forfeit by posting that admission in the game forum, then the captain will receive the RR point reduction that the player would otherwise have received. When a RR point reduction is given to the captain instead of to the player, the result of the unplayed game will be changed from forfeit (-:+) to set game (o:i), and so shown in the player’s history. ¶ SC 32-33.
2. Violations of Section 3(B), 3(D), and the most serious of violations of Section 11(B) shall warrant a Yellow Card. No further action is taken when the violating player immediately ceases their conduct upon receipt of the card.
3. The most serious violations of Section 3(B) or 3(D) shall warrant a Red Card. Misconduct in the extreme may be punished by a Double Red Card.
4. A player is issued a Double Red Card and lifetime ban for known cheating. All scores received by the cheating player for the tournament are set to zero and forfeit wins granted all their opponents. Prior to the start of playoffs, team standings will be adjusted for the change in results, with appropriate changes made to playoff teams and seeding. Once each playoff pairing deadline has passed, no substitutions of teams, or banned players on the team, or the seedings of the teams will be made. The player's game in the "current" or prior playoff round will be forfeited as well.
A Yellow Card is a Formal Warning of an infraction of the rules of the league. After the issuance of the Yellow Card, the matter is considered closed (except for any appeals that may be filed). An Appeal against a Yellow Card must be filed within 48 hours of the card being issued. No RR point reductions are applied to Yellow Cards. Yellow cards are “forgiven” six (6) months after issuance, if no additional cards have been received. A second yellow card in six months shall earn a Red Card.
Red Cards
1. A Red Card has the effect of suspending a player from all League activities from time of issuance through the next complete tourney. SC 20-21.
2. The penalty imposed for a Red Card shall take effect immediately following any round in which the offending player has already been declared as a player even if the game for the round has not yet been arranged or played. An Appeal against a Red Card must be lodged within 48 hours of the card being issued and if the offending player is then selected for a subsequent round prior to the Appeal being heard and a game takes place it shall be declared a forfeit win for the opponent in the event that the Appeal is dismissed. SC23-24
If a player receives a second Red Card within one year of the issuance of the first Red Card, that player is suspended from league play for one year (4 complete tourneys) following the issuance of the second card. A player who receives a third Red Card is banned forever. A player who receives a Double Red Card for cheating or gross misbehavior is immediately banned forever. SC 27-28
Appeals: All appeals are filed with the current Oversight Committee during the tournament, or with the Steering Committee between tournaments.
1. Appeals permitted: (a) The issuance of any Card (yellow, red, double red) except for cheating is may be appealed. (b) Appeals of Reliability Rating reductions are limited to disputes arising from whether or not a game was scheduled and determinations that one player had “greater blame” in the failure to schedule a game that was not played. (c) Incorrect application of the rules concerning board assignments, pairings, set games, or disconnections.
2. Appeals not permitted: (a) Double Red Cards for cheating—immediate ban. (b) Non-issued cards (yellow, red, double red) in response to a complaint. Complaints are replied to with “Thank you for this information, we will take appropriate action.” Since final resolution is not announced, there is no informed basis for an appeal. (c) Decisions of the Entry Clerk regarding fixed ratings. (d) Admittance to the league refused (disclaimer, et al).
Penalties for Kibitzes (SC26-27)

Non-league observers: Kibs by a non-league observer shall have no remedy to any team, since the players CAN turn off kibs and set quietplay if they so choose. If the occasion warrants, such observers may be banned from future league participation
League Players

Kibs of a general comment are presumed inadvertent and receive a warning from an official, whispered in the game, or message or mail after the fact. No further action or any card
A second kib of any kind in a game, or a second kib suggesting a move or line of moves in a tournament, yellow card to the offender. No change to any game outcome
Persistent kibs by the same player, red card and immediate suspension from the tourney, regardless of status of any games by the offender in the round.

Section 18 - Instructions for Reporting Suspected (C)heating

The following is an amalgamation of "help SpeedTrap" on ICC.
Computer cheating is the use of any chess software such as chess databases (e.g. Chessbase) or chess programs (e.g. crafty, Fritz, Rebel, Chessmaster) to help you decide on any of the moves during any game you are playing; if you are playing on an account that is NOT labeled as a computer with the (C) label.
The methods used by SpeedTrap are confidential, because describing them in detail would allow cheaters to cheat more intelligently. However, we can clear up some common misconceptions by listing some things that do NOT cause them to put someone on the computer list:
1. You will never be labeled a computer just because someone complains.
2. Beating an IM or GM will not get you labeled a computer.
3. Circumstantial evidence such as a high rating, or "smooth" move times, or good tactical skill, or longer time controls will not get you labeled a computer.
4. These items may make the Computer Detection Teams suspicious and cause them to investigate, but the above are NEVER used by themselves to make a decision on a case.
The following procedures are the only way to properly complain about anyone suspected of Computer (C)heating:
1. On ICC, message Speedtrap with reports of known or suspected use of computer playing engines by registered players who are not properly labeled as computers.
2. Include the handle of the suspected computer or computer-assisted player, the reason for your suspicion, and any other evidence that seems relevant.
3. You may be contacted for further information. You may or may not be apprised of any action they take, as these matters are, in general, confidential.
4. Please do not request to be kept informed - you will be notified if and only if it is appropriate. Everyone does appreciate your assistance.
5. Please DO NOT confront other users whom you suspect of being computer-assisted. Please DO NOT publicly accuse people of cheating. The ONLY proper procedure is to message the above account or to speak privately with an admin. Alerting the suspect may interfere in the Computer Detection Teams ability to investigate, as well as possibly violate that user's rights. Public accusations of cheating are considered abuse.
Using computer assistance is cheating even when the opponent is a computer.

[Entire Section ¶ SC 12-13.]

Section 19 - Miscellanea

Hall of Fame induction shall be governed by Administrative Rules.
The use of attachments to e-mail messages is forbidden in all circumstances. ¶ SC 12-13.

¶ All statutes approved by SC 10-11 unless otherwise indicated.
¶ References to "Entry Clerk" replaced with "Tournament Director " and references changed to "Steering" by SC 11-12.

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Table of Contents

Section 1 - Definitions