The fourth USBF JLall Online Teams event (JLall4) will be held from June 11-14 and 18-21 on RealBridge. It will be very similar to JLall3.

Jlall4 is open to all Active USBF members. An Active member is one who has paid USBF dues. All players must have paid 2021 dues on or before June 1.

Event Schedule and Format

• JLall4 will be held from June 11-14 and 18-21.
• Play each day will start at 12:30 pm EDT and end at 9:00 pm EDT. We are starting earlier and have added some time to the breaks based on player requests.
• There will be no more than 32 teams, each with 4-6 players.
• The entry fee for the event is $300 per team.
• DIC for the event is McKenzie Myers. Tournament Organizer is Jan Martel. Software guru is Al Hollander. Vugraph Organizer is Chris Wiegand, who will again organize voice commentary for the KO stages. RealBridge may also have some new kibitzing enhancements in place by June.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, June 11-13:
Everyone plays 3 days of a “split field” Round Robin with 10 board matches; there are two Round Robin groups, to be named by the winners of JLall3. Teams will be assigned to the two groups based on a "draft" by the top two teams (chosen by  a vote of all  teams). The top 5 teams in each group will qualify for the KO Round of 16. The five teams ranked 6-10 in each group (“bubble teams”) will play in Stage 2 of the Round Robin. The remaining teams in each group will be eliminated. 

Round Robin Stage 2, June14th:
Each bubble team plays a 10 board match against each bubble team from the other group, scored at VPs with carryover from the first 3 days. The top 6 teams qualify for the Round of 16. The bottom 4 teams are eliminated.

Knockouts, June 18-21:
• One match per day. 56 boards per match. If both of the finalists want a longer match (60 or 64 boards), we will have that.
• There will be a short Captains' meeting on June 15th to set the KO bracket. The precise method of setting the bracket is set forth in the Special Conditions of Contest. Summary: the top 4 teams from Round Robin Stage 1 will select their opponents for the Round of 16 from the bottom 8 qualifiers. The remaining qualifiers will be shuffled in groups to fill the bracket.

• The matches will be played on RealBridge. During the bidding & play, each player will see & hear their screenmate - (N&E, S&W). Before and after each match, teammates will be seated at one table, and RealBridge is working on a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you (players who sat out will be able to see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time online kibitzing allowed for any match. Kibitzers will be able to watch after a delay. For the Round Robin, the delay will be until each match is over so kibitzing does not provide “state of the match” information. For the first half of each KO match, kibitzing will start half an hour after play starts, and each board will be shown no sooner than when all tables have finished playing it. For the second half of each KO match, kibitzing will start at the end of the segment. We will try to have voice commentary, and perhaps may limit chat at the tables late in the event to approved commentators.

• RealBridge will archive bidding, play & score information for the event. We will also post scores on this website.
• Players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding only. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the first 3 days of play: if there are 32 teams (15 matches) each player must have played 7 of the 15 matches.

• Play Requirements for teams that qualify after the fourth day of play: each player must have played 50% of the boards played over all 4 days, rounded down if there are an odd number of boards.

How to Enter

• Entries are now open. Entries will close on the earlier of May 21 or when 32 teams and 2 alternates have entered. You must be logged in to this website to enter. After you have logged in, click on "Enter 2021 JLall4" under the User Menu and complete the entry form. After you enter there will be a link to pay the entry fee. You can pay the entry fee by credit card later by logging in to this site and clicking on "Pay Entry Fee" under the User Menu.

• Your entry is not complete until you have 4 players. You cannot "save" a place in the event by entering a team with fewer than 4 players.

• Any player who has not paid 2021 USBF dues by June 1 will not be allowed to play. 

• Teams can freely change their rosters until May 27th, when the division of teams into Round Robin groups will start. After May 27th, a team may change its roster only if the change does not substantially strengthen or weaken the team. Roster changes are made by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If an added player or pair is not able to meet the deadlines for system filing, they may not play any unusual method unless it is played by another pair in the event.

System Regulations & Conditions of Contest

• Normal USBF System regulations apply to this event - each pair must complete a USBF System Summary Form online and file an ACBL convention card no later than May 28th. To complete the SSF, log in and click on CREATE OR EDIT SSF under the User Menu. Follow instructions and you should be able to create a completely new SSF for this event or copy and edit a prior one. When you have finished filling out the SSF or making changes you must click on submit at the top or bottom of the page to save the changes - otherwise all of your hard work will be lost in cyberspace. To file the ACBL convention card, copy the URL for a BridgeWinners convention card, and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you have filed an SSF &/or convention card recently that is/are completely unchanged for this event, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will magically move it forward to this event. 
• This event is governed by the USBF General Conditions of Contest and Special Conditions of Contest for the event. .

• ACBL Open+ Convention Chart applies to this event.

Ethics Statement

The provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties apply to this event. The USBF has appointed an Ethics Investigation Committee that will review any complaints about ethics violations. If the EIC concludes that a player or pair was acting unethically, they will report to the USBF COO, who may refer it to the USBF Recorder. Either the COO or Recorder may bring a Charge against the player to the Board of Directors, who may place a player on probation, suspend, or expel a player for cause.