SPRING ONLINE TEAM TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

Game Format:

• The games are held on The Internet Chess Club (ICC). Free ICC accounts are available for your team-members, if needed.
• The time control is 60 minutes/game + 30 second increment.
• Board order is by USCF rating. If you do not have a USCF rating, then ICC or other alternate ratings may be used. You do not need to be a member of the USCF to play in the tournament.
• Average team ratings will be determined by the ratings of the four players used in the 1st round.

Tournament Structure:

• Five round team Swiss.
• A team consists of 4 players. Teams may use alternates for subsequent rounds. Unless otherwise instructed by the team captain, the top 4 rated players from a school will play in the 1st round. The lineups will be kept the same for each subsequent round unless the captain indicates otherwise. Colleges can have multiple teams, but once a player has played for one team they may not switch to another.
• If a player does not begin their game within 30 minutes of the start of a round, they will be forfeited. If a player has been disconnected for at least 15 minutes, they will lose their game and their game will not be adjudicated.
• If one of your players believe that cheating has occurred, contact the tournament directors at once and we will look into the accusation. However, please do not publicly accuse your opponent if you believe that cheating has occurred. Please let the TDs handle the matter.

Scheduling:

• Unless otherwise noted, all games are played on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. EST.
• Teams may request one 1/2 point bye per tournament.  Byes for the 4th round must be requested prior to the start of the 3rd round games.

Eligible Players:

• Players must meet the college chess eligibility requirements.
• The players may play from any location.
• Players are agreeing to these guidelines when they register for the tournament.

Contacts:

• The majority of any communications to the TDs or ICC should be done thru the team captains.
  
  Any items not covered in these guidelines/rules will be decided upon by the discretion of the tournament directors and organizers.