Definitions

A junior is a player who was under 16 on 1 September 2008.  A junior side is one containing at least 3 junior players.

Rules

1. For 2008-9 there will be two League Cups, one aimed at teams from Divisions 1 and 2 of the League, and one aimed at teams from Divisions 3 and 4 of the League.  These will be known provisionally as the D12 and D34 League Cups respectively.  Each event will be a 5-round Swiss tournament with a handicap (see below).  The submission of an entry signifies that a club accepts the Rules below.
2. There is no restriction on the number of teams a club may enter, but the order of strength of such teams should be indicated in the usual way.
3. A player who has played for a given team is regarded as a barred player for that team, and may not play for a lower team from that club, or for another club or team.  In addition players who are barred players for teams in Divisions 1 and 2 of the League are not eligible to play in the D34 Cup.  No player may appear for more than one team in any one round of the Cup events: for this purpose the two cups are regarded as a single event, so [for example] a player who appears in round 1 of the D12 event may not play again in round 1 of either the D12 or the D34 Cups.
4. Each team must appoint a single contact, with home/work/mobile phone numbers and e-mail address supplied.  This person will be contacted with draw details etc.
5. Each team must have an appointed captain who is responsible for all its match arrangements.  The home captain shall contact the away club to confirm the venue for the match and to offer two dates in separate weeks for the fixture, within the time allocated for a given round.  One of these dates must be accepted.  Deadline dates for each round will be announced by the League Secretary.
6. Any delay or problem with a fixture must be reported at once to the League Secretary: any significant delay occurring without the League Secretary's permission might result in one or both teams being defaulted.
7. There is no grading restriction in these events.
8. Teams from the same club will not normally be drawn against each other in the early rounds of the each Cup.

Matches

9. Each match must be played between teams of (exactly) FOUR players.
10. The board order of each team in every match must conform to League Rule 13 (the "5-point rule").  Each player must have a grade, either a new style ECF grade or a grade assigned by the League Secretary and publicised on the LRCA Web site.  (Clubs intending to field an ungraded player must therefore consult the League Secretary in advance).  A team with less than four players available must use them on the top boards, e.g.  a 3-player team must default board 4.
11. Colours for each match will be decided by the toss of a coin, the winner of the toss to choose white on odd or even boards.

Handicap System

12. Each player's grade must be listed on the match score sheet by the captains, and the total grading points for each team must be calculated and agreed before the match starts.  The difference between the two team totals is used in the handicap system as shown below.  If one or more boards are defaulted, a team's grading for those boards shall be the average grading of the players of that team who actually play.  If a nominated player is replaced at the last minute by an eligible substitute, the higher of the two players' grades must be used in the handicap calculation.  The handicap position must be clearly announced to all players before the start of a match.

13. The handicap system will operate by giving bonus points to the lower-graded team according to the following scale:

    ECF Grade Difference	Lower-Graded Team Bonus
    0-12	0
    13-37	½
    38-62	1
    63-87	1½
    88-112	2
    113-137	2½
    138-162	3
    163-200	3½

    If the grading difference between two players on a single board is over 50 it should be treated as exactly 50 points – the maximum grade difference in the table is thus 200 points.  This is to allow for the fact that a grading difference of more than 50 points implies that the higher-rated player should always win.

    A consequence of the system is that the match score for two 4-player teams may not add up to 4.  For example if, in a match between teams A and B, A wins 2.5-1.5 over the board, but B has a grade total 120 points less than A, B gets 2.5 bonus points, and thus wins the match by 2.5-4.0.

Play

14. Matches will start at the times given in the League Handbook for each home club.  Substitutes for absent players are permissible using the provisions of League Rule 10.
15. All games in a given match are to be played to a finish on the same occasion – there will be no adjournments and no adjudications.
16. The normal rates of play will be those summarised under "Option A; Quick Play Finish" in the League Handbook, including the provision for 3-hour matches.  In the D12 Cup, if the home club wishes to play a 3-hour match, that will be the default time limit, unless the travel time for the visiting team exceeds 30 minutes (see League Handbook).  In the D34 Cup 3-hour matches will only be played if both teams agree to them (see League Rule 12).  A junior team has the right to choose a rate of play of all moves in 60 minutes per player.
17. Teams will score 2 match points for a win and 1 for a drawn match.  In each Cup, if two teams are tied in match points after 5 rounds, the Cup winner will be decided as follows:
    1. If the two teams have played each other, the result of that match will be decisive: if such a match was drawn, the team having the lower grade total in that match shall be the winner.
    2. If tied teams have not played each other, then the sum of progressive scores will be used to break the tie.
18. The result of the match is to be forwarded electronically to the League Secretary and the LRCA Web within 7 days.  Any disputes will be resolved by the League Secretary: clubs will have the right of appeal, as in League Rule 7.