Tournament Rules

1. In the event of a dispute the decision of the committee will be final.
2. Any unacceptable standard of behaviour by a player can result in disqualification from the tournament.
3. In any dispute both checkers and dice are to be left untouched and a member of the tournament committee called. They will then give a ruling.
4. Spectators must observe complete silence during matches.
5. Spectators have no right to draw attention to any misplays or make any comment on plays. If such a case arises the offended player has the right to request the Committee to give a ruling.
6. Any proven signalling between player and spectator will result in the player's instant disqualification from the Tournament. The spectator will suffer the same penalty.
7. All players have the right to request that any spectator(s) leave the table and it will not be necessary for a player to give a reason.
8. The question of whether byes should or should not be allocated to seeded players will be left to the discretion of the Tournament Committee.
9. The official Tournament language is English. No speech in any other language will be permitted between players and spectators, or spectators and other spectators when matches are in progress.
10. If a player inadvertently concedes a match, even though his opponent has not reached the requisite number of points such concession shall be deemed valid once the name of the winner is entered on the Tournament draw sheet by an official.
11. Scores must be kept by both players and compared after every game. In any dispute concerning the score a player not keeping score will be at a disadvantage.
12. Once a match is in progress writing is restricted solely to keeping the score.
13. Mechanical aids of any kind are forbidden.
14. The presence of any printed matter relating to backgammon (charts, probability tables, etc.) is illegal and their use strictly forbidden once a match is under way.
15. The committee reserves the right to appoint a referee in any match and a charge for this service may be made to one or both players.
16. Gammons and Backgammons will apply in all matches.
17. The Crawford rule as defined below, will apply in all matches.
18. When a player reaches match point (6 points in a 7 point match, for example) for that game and that game only, the doubling cube may not be used. Thereafter, in subsequent games there will be normal use of the doubling cube.
19. In general play will be continuous throughout a match of 7 points or less. Short breaks may be allowed. In longer matches each player will be allowed two breaks of a total duration of 5 minutes during the match. No breaks will be allowed once a game is in progress. The authorised breaks must be taken between games.
20. A player has completed his play once he lifts both his dice, even one millimeter, from the playing surface.
21. No player may roll until his opponent has picked up his dice. A roll out of turn will be nullified in every case, and the player must re-roll.
22. In the event of a misplay, once a player has picked up his dice his opponent may point out the misplay only if he wishes it to be replayed. If the misplay is not pointed out, it stands. The intervention of any spectator relating to misplays is strictly illegal and will be deemed totally invalid.
23. Players must roll to the board on their right and cocked dice must be re-rolled.
24. Both dice must come to rest flat on the surface of the board.
25. It is illegal for a player to pick up his dice and attempt to re-roll when one dice has come to rest in a legal position and the other dice is still moving on the bar or rim of the board or anywhere within the circumference of the inner board of the players right. The entire roll must be taken again and both dice re-rolled.
26. Automatic doubles will not be allowed.
27. The Jacoby rule and the Holland rule will not apply.
28. Settlements are not to be made at any time.
29. A legal double may be given under the circumstances where a player has a checker on the bar, his opponent has a closed board (ie. all 6 points covered on the inner board) and it is the player's turn to throw.
30. A player who doubles (or redoubles) must state "I double" and place the cube (with correct face upwards) on the board and must not roll until the opponent has made a decision.
31. A player who decides to accept a double must state clearly "I take" and place the cube on their side of the board.
32. Nods of the heads and gestures with hand are not acceptable substitutes for either doubling or accepting a double. "Toying" with the cube in order to gauge an opponent's reaction is discouraged.
33. It is the responsibility of both players to see that the cube is in the correct place and at the correct level following a double.
34. It is the responsibility of both players to see that the doubling cube is in the middle at the start of each game. In the event of a dispute at any time during the progress of a game concerning the position or level of the cube, the position at which it lies will be deemed valid. Obvious inconsistencies (for example, a cube at 32 in the middle) will be adjusted by the Committee.
35. Once a player is doubled and accepts, this double will be deemed valid.
36. Both dice must be placed in the cup and shaken vigorously before rolling. Players may change dice before the commencement of any individual game.
37. Once a game is in progress dice may not be changed.
38. Any player may ask the Committee for new dice at the conclusion of any game during the match.
39. The Committee reserves the right to change dice in any match at any time without prior notice.
40. If a player mixes the dice in the middle of the game or throws one or two of the dice away he will be penalised one point and may be subject to further disciplinary action.
41. Players will arrive promptly for matches. Penalty points will be awarded as follows:
42. 1 point for every 5 minutes of lateness, commencing 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time, or a time advertised by the Tournament Committee. These points will be added to his opponent's total.
43. Once a player has been awarded penalty points due to his opponents lateness amounting to more than half the number needed to win the match (ie. 8 points in a 15 point match), he will be judged the winner and awarded the match.
44. It is the responsibility of each player to be on time. He must check to see that no deviations from the Tournament programmed have been introduced. Ignorance is no defence against penalty points incurred through late arrival.
45. All matches must take place in the playing room unless specific variance is permitted by the Committee.
46. Direction of play and choice of colour of men and seats shall be decided by roll of dice before play starts. Once decided direction and colour shall remain constant for the entire match.
47. If a Tournament Committee provides match cards these must be used. At the end of the match they must be signed by both players. It is the responsibility of the winner to hand in the score card to an appropriate official.
48. The Tournament Committee may rule that a given match will continue without a specific individual spectator, spectators, or all spectators.
49. If a player thinks that his opponent is taking an unnecessary length of time to play a protest may be lodged with the Committee. A Committee member will then observe the match. If after observation the official agrees that a player is contravening generally accepted time standards, the official will issue the offending player a warning. If, in the judgement of the official the offence still persists, the official will then penalise the offending player 1 point. This penalty point will bear no relation to the game in progress which will continue without interruption. Several penalty points can be awarded in the same match if the official deems it necessary. The penalty points will be added to the offenders opponent's score and not subtracted from the offenders score. Player's guilty of slow play he may be penalised in the following match at the discretion of the Committee.
50. The Tournament Committee has the right to appoint an official to observe a match. This official may allot penalty points against one or both players under the conditions described above. This right may be invoked if a given match is seriously retarding the progress of the Tournament.
51. If a checker is found off the board during the course of the game the offended player will have the option to place his opponents checker on the bar or force his opponent to play on with 14 men.
52. A player hitting a blot must remove that checker and place it on the bar. It is insufficient simply to tap the checker or indicate by movement of the hand that a hit is intended. One exception is where it is only possible to have play a particular move by hitting a checker (ie off the bar).
53. The cups of both players must be left on the table while waiting for their turn to roll. At no time should a cup be below the table. If this offence occurs the Committee has the right to take positive action.
54. If legally possible, both numbers on the dice must be played. A player has the option to plays either number first.
55. If only one dice or the other can be played legally, but not both, then the highest dice must be played.
56. All matches will be played to the stated number of points. Players do not have the right to agree between themselves to play to a different score. In the case of a match played to an incorrect number of points the Committee will adjudicate.
57. Either player has the right to request his opponent to remove foreign objects from the table surface.
58. Any checker which has been hit during the course of play must be placed on the bar. It is illegal for a player to hold one or more such checkers in the hand. If this occurs the player has the right to request a ruling from the Committee.
59. See Rule 1!