NEC Cup 2017 Conditions of Contest
Qualifying: A 12-round Swiss of 14-board matches will qualify the top 8 teams to the Knockout phase; no playbacks.
V.P. Scale for Qualifying: WBF 14-board scale (20 point scale, given to two decimal places).
Seating Rights for Qualifying: Blind seating 10 minutes before the start of match.
Tie-Breaks: At the end of the Swiss, ties will be broken by IMP quotient. If the IMP quotients are the same the head-tohead match (if any) will be used. If there is still a tie a coin toss will be used. If more than two teams are involved, thelatest version of WBF Conditions of Contest procedures will apply.
In the Knockout Phase, the team with the greater total of IMPs (including fractional IMPs due to penalties or scoreadjustments) is the winner of the match. In the event of an exact tie the team with the higher position in the Swiss isthe winner of the match.
KO-Phase Seating: The team with the higher position from the Swiss has the choice of seating in either of the two 16board segments of the quarter-finals and semi-finals. If they do not declare their choice before the match starts they
will be deemed to have used their rights in the first segment. In the four 16-board segments of the final, the team withthe higher position from the Swiss can choose the seating in either the first and fourth segments or the second andthird. If they do not declare their choice before the match starts they will be deemed to have chosen the former.
Swiss Pairings: First-round Swiss matches will be made by randomly pairing each team in the top half with a team fromthe bottom half.
Home and Visiting: 1st numbered team sits N/S in the open room, E/W in the closed room.
Systems: No HUM or Brown Sticker methods are permitted in this event. However, pairs may prepare written defenses
against a two-level opening bid in a minor that shows a weak two-bid in either major, with or without the option ofstrong hand types. These defenses are deemed to be part of the opponents’ convention cards.
Length of Matches: 2 hours will be allotted for each 14-board segment (or 2 hours and 15 minutes for each 16-board
segment of the KOs). In addition, a 5-minute grace period will be allotted to each team. Overtime and slow playpenalties as per the latest version of WBF Conditions of Contest.
Appeals: The WBF Code of Practice will be in effect. The Chief Director will have 12C1c authority. Appeals found to bewithout merit may incur a penalty of up to 3 VPs. Appeals will be permitted until the start of the next session exceptthat they will only be permitted for 30 min after the last session of the Swiss or the last session of a KO match.
Match Scoring: Bridgemate scoring terminals will be used. Match results should be verified against the official result
sheet (posted at the end of each match); Score corrections should be made before the start of the next session, butthey will be accepted after the start of the next session if still timely (i.e., until the draw for the KO for corrections toresults in the Swiss, until the start of the next KO round for corrections to the Quarter-final or Semi-final results, or until
the award of prize money for the KO final), and if there is no reasonable doubt.
KO Draw: The team finishing 1st in the Swiss may choose their opponent from the teams finishing 5th-8th. The teamfinishing 2nd will have their choice of the remaining teams from the 5th-8th group. The same process is repeated for theteam finishing 3rd and the team finishing 4th will play against the team not chosen by any of the other three teams. In
addition, before the start of the Knockout Phase and after all quarter-final draws have been determined, the team thatfinishes 1st in the Swiss chooses their semi-final opponent from any of the other three quarter-final matches.
Security: No player may leave the playing area during play without permission, due to security concerns arising from theBridge Base Online Broadcast and the upload of the results of all matches in progress on the web.
Smoking: Once play in a qualifying-round match or a KO-round session starts, smoking is prohibited at ALL times(including when a player leaves the playing room to go to the bathroom), until the player completes the play of allboards in the match or session. (For those wishing to smoke at other times, smoking rooms are located on the 3rd and5th floors of the Conference Center.)
Automatic penalties for violations will be assessed by the Director as follows:
Qualifying Swiss: 1 VP for the 1st offence, 3 VPs for all subsequent offences
KO: 3 imps for the 1st offence, 10 imps for all subsequent offences

Screen Hesitations: When a delay in the return of the tray is suspected, a player on the opposite side of the screen must
be the first to call attention to it (by summoning the Director). In case of dispute the call from the wrong side will beignored, but in situations where the wrong side calls or a late call is made and there is no dispute the Director may
accept the fact of the delayed call.
Mobile Phones and Electronic Devices: Mobile phones and other electronic devices capable of receiving/transmitting
information to/from the playing area (e.g., personal computers, tablets, etc.) must be turned off at all times from thebeginning of a match/session until the player has completed all boards in the match/session and left the playing area.
In KO rounds, mobile phones and other electronic devices in the playing area are prohibited during game time. Playerswith mobile phones or other electronic devices should surrender their devices to the staff at the service desk andreceive a numbered tag for collecting their mobile phones and other devices after the session.
The Director may authorize exceptions in emergency situations. Penalties for violations are the same as for smoking
violations.
Photography/BBO Vugraph: By entering the event, players (and kibitzers) agree to authorize still and/or video
photography by the JCBL and also to appear on BBO VuGraph whenever requested by the Director.
Official Language: English
Other: Any matter not covered here will be decided according to the JCBL Conditions of Contest. If not covered by theJCBL Conditions of Contest it will be decided according to the WBF Conditions of Contest. If not covered by either, thedecision of the JCBL Tournament Operations Department will be final.

WBF VP scale (14 boards)
IMPS VPs - Won VPs - Lost IMPS VPs - Won VPs - Lost
0
10.00
10.00
29
16.88
3.12
1
10.33
9.67
30
17.04
2.96
2
10.66
9.34
31
17.19
2.81
3
10.97
9.03
32
17.34
2.66
4
11.28
8.72
33
17.49
2.51
5
11.58
8.42
34
17.63
2.37
6
11.87
8.13
35
17.77
2.23
7
12.16
7.84
36
17.912.09
8
12.44
7.56
37
18.04
1.96
9
12.71
7.29
38
18.17
1.83
10
12.97
7.03
39
18.29
1.71
11
13.23
6.77
40
18.41
1.59
12
13.48
6.52
41
18.53
1.47
13
13.72
6.28
42
18.65
1.35
14
13.96
6.04
43
18.76
1.24
15
14.19
5.81
44
18.87
1.13
16
14.42
5.58
45
18.98
1.02
17
14.64
5.36
46
19.08
0.92
18
14.85
5.15
47
19.18
0.82
19
15.06
4.94
48
19.28
0.72
20
15.26
4.74
49
19.38
0.62
21
15.46
4.54
50
19.47
0.53
22
15.66
4.34
51
19.56
0.44
23
15.85
4.15
52
19.65
0.35
24
16.03
3.97
53
19.74
0.26
25
16.21
3.79
54
19.83
0.17
26
16.38
3.62
55
19.91
0.09
27
16.55
3.45
56
19.99
0.01
28
16.72
3.28
57
20.00
0.00