GUIDANCE FOR TEAM CAPTAINS

The following guidance is designed to maintain the friendly nature of the League and to reduce to an absolute minimum sharp practice and unsporting behaviour. It is also designed to help in the smooth running of the League and reduce the burden on the Match Secretary caused by some simple omissions (see below). Thank you all for your co-operation.

• Match results must be sent to the Match Secretary by BOTH team captains.
• Double defaults score 0-0 NOT ½-½.
• When sending in the match results, please enter the name of the team above the players, with the home team on the left, with proper consideration given to the nominal home side in the case of HMC and Railways 2.
• Full names would be helpful but correct initials are essential (i.e. not B for Robert or T for Anthony). Also necessary is legible handwriting.
• The match result must bear the name of the team captain who has sent it in; there is a space for this at the bottom of the form.
• 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 so doing, a player can be saved a wasted journey. Also, 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.
• It is the responsibility of both team captains to establish contact at least two days before the match to confirm venue, time etc. and to establish the security arrangements.
• It is the responsibility of the home team to have the venue ready by 6:30 so that play can begin on time.
• It is customary for light refreshments to be provided by the home team, even in these days when very few companies provide such refreshments free.
• Team sheets should be exchanged before tossing for colours, and at least five minutes before the scheduled start of the match.
• At the end of each time control 15 minutes is added to each player's clock and an additional seven moves must be made. Any time remaining from the previous period(s) is carried forward into the next period and added to the 15 minutes of additional time.

Examples of what not to do.

The following have all happened at least once, and the Match Secretary would be grateful if instances of them could be reduced to zero. It is not rocket-science, but it does require a little thought.

• No result sent in at all. Usually it is just one side that fails in this respect, but occasionally neither side send in a result. At least six adjudications have been lost in the last three seasons because of this.
• Adjudications submitted without a claim.
• Adjudications submitted without a position.
• Adjudications submitted with positions that differ.
• Results submitted with details of players that differ.
• Results sent to the wrong address.
• Illegible or ambiguous writing such that the spelling of names cannot be deciphered.
• No team names on the form, sometimes no date or event either.
• Result sent in without an indication of who sent it.
• A player's name entered who failed to turn up - the captain had forgotten to cross it out and write "default".
• The home team entered in the right hand column (usually HMC matches but not always) - it makes cross checking the score that little bit harder.
• "B" entered for Robert - you may know him as Bob, but I can assure you the grader doesn't.