The second USBF JLall Online Teams event (JLall2) will be held from February 12-15 and Feb. 26-Mar.1 on RealBridge. It will be very similar to JLall1, with a few minor changes suggested by the players in JLall1.

Jlall2 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 Feb. 1.

Event Schedule and Format - NOTE DATE CHANGE

• JLall2 will be held from February 12-15 and Feb. 26-March 1.
• Play each day will start at 1:00 pm EST and end no later than 9:30 pm EST. Time per board will remain 7-1/2 minutes, but we will have longer breaks, based on  answers to the JLall1 Exit Poll.
• There will be no more than 32 teams, each with 4-6 players, all of whom are USBF Active members.
• 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.
• The event format will be:

Round Robin Stage 1, Feb. 12-14:
Everyone plays 3 days of a “split field” Round Robin with 10 board matches; there are two Round Robin groups, to be named later (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 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 bottom 6 teams in each group will be eliminated. The five teams in the middle of each group (“bubble teams”) will play in Stage 2 of the Round Robin.

Round Robin Stage 2, Feb. 15th (Presidents' Day):
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, Feb. 26-Mar. 1:
• 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 Captains' meeting on Feb. 16th to set the KO bracket. The precise method of setting the bracket will be 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 we are trying to find a way to allow the players who were sitting out to join you, with audio (players who sat out can see & hear their teammates and be heard but not seen).
• There will be no real-time 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, each board will be shown when all tables have completed it. For the second half of each KO match, kibitzing will start one hour after play starts. We will try to have some 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.
• We will take a vote of all teams entered in the event to determine whether to continue to have “open notes,” which means players may consult their bidding notes, SSF, and convention card during the bidding. Other aids to memory (for example, lists of percentages, calculators, notes about carding) are not allowed.

How to Enter

• Entries are now open. Entries will close on the earlier of January 15th 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 JLall2" under the User Menu and complete the entry form.

• 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 Feb. 1 will not be allowed to play. 

• Teams can freely change their rosters until January 29th, when the division of teams into Round Robin groups will start. After January 29th, a team may change its roster only because of unexpected occurrences and 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 January 29th. 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 attach it to your partnership for 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

We’re not trying to provide security for this event, as we do at USBCs. However, the provisions of the USBF General Conditions of Contest regarding ethical obligations and possible penalties still 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.