Roster Changes for 2021 USBCs
The rules about changing rosters for the 2021 Open, Mixed, and Senior USBCs are complicated by the fact that roster changes can take place either before the online stage of each event or after a team has qualified for the KO stage, but before play in the KO stage has started. To clarify, the USBF Board has decided that:
Roster Changes before the Event Starts
Until 2 days before play has commenced in any USBC, which may be before the online stage or the face to face stage, depending on the number of teams entered, teams may change their rosters with no restrictions, except that they must notify the USBF Secretary, any new pair on a team must submit a System Summary Form and ACBL Convention card within 4 days of being added, and a new pair may not employ any unusual bidding methods that no other pair in the event is using.
Roster Changes By teams After Online Stage - NOTE: this applies when a player on a Women's, Mixed or Senior team qualifies for the Bermuda Bowl as well as when players drop off teams between the online and face to face stages of play:
After completion of the online stage, if there is one, in any event, teams may change their roster subject to the following:
1. At least 4 players who met the play requirements for the qualifying stage(s) must remain on the team for the face to face stages. For the Mixed USBC, there must be 2 players of each gender.
2. The added player(s) must improve the team's performance at the table.
3. No added player played in an earlier stage of the event.
3. The team must notify the USBF Secretary, and the players must submit System Summary Forms and not add unusual bidding methods as they do when a change is made before the event starts.
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Vaccine Requirement for USBCs
At its meeting on July 27th, the USBF Board made some important decisions about the 2021 USBCs, based on current concerns about the spread of CoVid19:
1. All participants in the 2021 USBCs (players, NPCs, coaches, and staff) must submit proof of vaccination against CoVid19 to the USBF Secretary before play starts. Only players who have submitted that proof will be allowed to play either online or face to face. Volunteers and other attendees in Schaumburg must submit proof of vaccination before face to face play, and will not be allowed in the playing area or hospitality suite without having previously submited such proof.
After discussion, the Board decided that there would be no exceptions to the vaccination requirement.
2. Face to face play at the 2021 USBCs will be on tablets. There will be either 2 or 4 players in each playing room, depending on the situation when face to face play starts.
3. Less important for players, but perhaps important for others, kibitzers will not be allowed in the face to face playing rooms. All tables in play will be shown online, at an appropriate time after actual play takes place.
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2021 USBC Dates
ONLINE STAGES CALENDAR
(Based on 20-24 teams in the Open, 9-14 teams in the Seniors & Mixed)
FACE TO FACE STAGES FOR OPEN, WOMEN'S, MIXED & SENIOR USBCS
For more information about the individual events:
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CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM LALL ON WINNING JLALL4
Congratulations to the Hemant Lall team (Lall-Milner, Diamond-Platnick, Hamman-Weichsel) on winning the 4th running of the USBF's JLall online team event on Monday, June 21st. Lall had finished second in the Retrievers Round Robin Division, beat the Bitterman Team by 35 in the Round of 16, the Gupta Team by 1 (those overtricks do sometimes matter!) in the Quarterfinal, the Joel Team by 24 in the Semifinal, and the Clayton Team by 44 in the Final.
After live events, we usually manage to corral the winning team for a team photo, but with an online event, all we can do is combine 6 individual photos:
Hemant Lall Reese Milner John Diamond
Brian Platnick Bob Hamman Peter Weichsel
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