Bristol Premier League Division One rules and formats 2008
(a k a PREMIER ONE)
Eligibility for the Bristol Premier League
Eligibility to play in the Bristol Premier League is dependent on the assignment of Premier Status. Click here for the criteria.
Rules for Premier One 2008
The season
The league season runs from January 1st to November 30th inclusive. Only play-off matches can be concluded after the end of the season, but these MUST be completed by December 14th at the very latest.
Membership and number of matches
The twelve members of the league play each other twice in first-to-11-point matches, which can be arranged at any time during the season and at any place to suit the players.
It is the responsibility of each player to ensure completion of his/her fixtures in the allotted time.
Winning scores are truncated to 11 points.
League placings
League table placings are determined by the following criteria:
- (1) number of match points (3 for a win, less penalty points incurred);
- (2) "average points difference", i.e. points scored minus points conceded in matches throughout the season, divided by the number of matches completed;
- (3) results (i.e. wins and defeats, but not actual scores) of matches between players who could not be separated by criteria (1) and (2);
- and (4) play-offs where the first three criteria are indecisive and the finishing positions are significant in terms of prizes, avoidance of relegation, or qualification for other events.
Relegation
Players occupying the bottom four (or fewer, should any player(s) get expunged during the course of the season) league positions at the end of the season, will be deemed relegated to Premier Two.
Such relegation may be avoided in the event of either qualifiers for the following season's Premier One not taking up their places, or the numerical split between divisions needing to be changed as a result of numerical fluctuations in the total Premier League entry.
The precise rules for population of the various divisions can be viewed here.
Reporting of results
Results must be reported to the Director and are only deemed to be results when they have been recorded by him (or his designated representative), and contestants must complete (and report the results of) their fixtures by the end of November.
THIS DEADLINE WILL NOT BE ALTERED.
Alternative methods of play
Players may agree to "double up" the result of an 11-point match in another competition as a league result.
But this can only apply with the PRIOR agreement of both players.
This could be in another Bristol Backgammon competition, a BIBA competition, or any other event with face-to-face play.
BUT IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO PLAY A SINGLE PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH AND COUNT IT AS TWO RESULTS!
In extreme circumstances, a player or players having difficulty in arranging matches to suit the schedule may request that a match might be played over the internet. Wherever possible, any visible pip count should be disabled.
This would only be permissible with the total agreement of both players, and the PRIOR permission of the Director.
Entry fees
The entry fee for 2008 is £20.
This must be paid by the end of March, and will go into the fund for the engraving on the Premier League and Premier Two trophies, engraved mementoes for the winner and runner-up of all Premier League levels, and cash prizes for the top finishers in all levels. An admin fee amounting to no more than 10% of the total fund will be charged by Bristol Backgammon.
Failure to pay the entry fee by the end of March will be punished by a single penalty point.
The split into two or more Divisions
With Premier League membership rising year on year, we have had two divisions since 2003 -- Premier One and Premier Two.
The criteria for splitting into two or more divisions in any given season can be seen here.
The Penalty Points and Expungement processes
Players who lag behind the schedule will incur penalty points (see Table P1 and explanatory notes, below). Players who lag FAR behind the schedule will have their complete records expunged from the league table (see Table P1 and explanatory notes, below). Both of these occurrences are subject to an appeals process, which is detailed below.
TABLE P1 -- Penalty Points and Expungement
| Checkpoint date | Advisory schedule | Penalty avoidance | Expungement avoidance |
|---|
| 31 Mar | 9 results | 7 results | 4 results |
| 31 May | 13 | 11 | 8 |
| 31 Jul | 17 | 15 | 12 |
| 30 Sep | 21 | 19 | 16 |
| 30 Nov | | 22 | |
Penalty Points
are deducted on the following basis. By each of the checkpoint dates in table P1 above, the number of results in the corresponding column 'Penalty avoidance' should have been reported by each player.
If not, penalty points will be deducted from that player's total points at the rate of 1 PENALTY POINT PER MATCH short.
The player can then claw back such penalties by avoiding penalty at the next checkpoint. Failure to catch up by that stage results in the penalties becoming permanent, although still subject to appeal.
At the end of the season, any results left unreported will be penalised at the rate of 4 PENALTY POINTS PER MATCH short.
Expungement
from the league table occurs when a player has not reported the number of results in column 'Expungement avoidance' at each checkpoint.
In this case, where a player has fallen so far behind the schedule as to seriously jeopardise the completion of the competition, all of that player's results will be erased from the record. This is also subject to appeal.
After the September 30th checkpoint expungement does not occur. The Director reserves the right to take whatever measures he deems necessary to bring about the completion of the league, as far as is possible.
The advisory schedule
(see column 'Advisory schedule' in the table above) is nothing more than a guideline as to where you ought to be at any given checkpoint to have a chance of completing the season in good time.
Players' progress against the 'Advisory schedule' will be monitored throughout the season, however, and this evidence will be made available to any appeals sub-committee.
Appeals
against the imposition of penalty points or expungement must be submitted to the Director within one week of notification, or -- in the case of end of season penalties -- within two days of notification.
This applies only to expungement or to penalty points which have become "permanent", i.e which can no longer be clawed back.
The only possible exception to this would be at the end of the season, when failure to claw back points could be argued to be the result of exceptional circumstances.
A "sub-committee" of three peers will be asked to adjudicate on any appeal.
The appeals sub-committee shall have the power to reinstate or let stand penalty points, either in total or in part.
APPEALS SHOULD ONLY BE CONSIDERED SYMPATHETICALLY IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, e.g. unavailability through illness, or other unavoidable reasons, for a period in excess of two months.
Historical rule differences
In 2008 the Director was given additional powers to resolve issues concerning completion of the season, and the table for splitting the league into various combinations of divisions was completely overhauled.
Before 2006, prize money was only available for the top three positions in each division. Also before 2006, there was no points penalty for late entry fee payment.
In 2003 promotion and relegation affected only three players in each division.
And the Penalty Points and Expungement table was adjusted during the season to allow for a player resignation.
For rules prior to 2003, click here.
Find out more about the Bristol Premier League by clicking on any of the following links:
Current Premier One positions
Current Premier Two positions
Previous years' history
Premier Two rules 2008
Premier Status
Procedure for splitting the Premier League
Back to Premier League home page