Guidance for Match Captains

 

Before the match

1.   It is the duty of the visiting team captain to contact the home team captain a couple of days before the match is due to take place in order to confirm the venue and security arrangements.

 

2.   It is the duty of the home team captain to ensure that security personnel are aware of the match arrangements at least one hour before the start of the match, including the provision of a telephone number within the match room, and that sufficient equipment is available for the match. The home team should provide simple refreshments, e.g. tea/coffee and biscuits. Where a team does not make such provision at its own home matches, the team, when playing away, must offer to make an appropriate contribution towards the cost of the refreshments provided.

 

3.   Captains occasionally know in advance that they are going to default a board. In such instances, it is only courteous to the opposition that the captain informs his opposite number. In doing so, a player can be saved a wasted journey.

 

Defaulted and postponed matches

4.   If a team has to default a match, the opposing captain should be notified as soon as possible so that he has the maximum amount of time to inform his players. Both captains must inform the Senior Recorder about the match default.

 

5.   Matches may only be postponed in the event of transport strikes, bad weather or any other circumstances that are deemed reasonable by the Senior Recorder. If a match is postponed, captains must agree a new date and venue at the time of postponement, and inform the Senior Recorder of the new arrangements as soon as possible. If a Cup match needs to be postponed, the Senior Recorder should be contacted immediately.

 

During the match

6.   As a guide for the purposes of League Rule 17, the Executive Committee considers a member of the team to be of a higher playing strength if his grade is more than 15 points higher than that of another member of the team, though extenuating circumstances may exist which would permit the Executive Committee to waive this guidance note should a complaint be made.

 

7.   If a player fails to arrive in good time, the captain should endeavour to insert an eligible reserve providing a member of his club is present.

 

8.   If present, the Senior Recorder will act as arbiter for the match. If the Senior Recorder is not present, both captains or their deputies are deemed to be arbiters. An arbiter has the following powers:

(1)   If a player claims a draw by repetition or by the 50 move rule, he shall immediately stop both clocks. He is not allowed to withdraw his claim. If the claim is found to be correct the game is immediately drawn. If the claim is found to be incorrect, the arbiter shall add three minutes to the opponent's remaining time. Then the game shall continue and the intended move must be made.

 

(2)   An arbiter must draw the attention of the players to flag fall. It must then be established how many moves have been made. The game will be drawn if the player whose flag has not fallen cannot possibly checkmate.

 

(3)   An arbiter or any player shall refrain from calling a player's attention to the fact that his opponent has made a move, or that the player has forgotten to stop his clock after he has made a move.

After the match

9.   All captains are requested to send in their match results and adjudication claims using the usual forms. Please do not use odd scraps of paper (if reporting by post) or a simple email message (which does not always format properly).

 

10.   All results, adjudication diagrams, claims and NOTICE OF POSTPONED MATCHES MUST be sent so as to reach the Senior Recorder within TEN DAYS of the match. Email or first class post should be used.

 

11.   It will help to keep the web site up to date if captains could also send these items (by email please) to the Web Manager.

 

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