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These are the Rules of the Prediction Contests for the 2008-09 season. (EDIT: and also 2010-11 season!)
I know they are rather lengthy, but they are designed to cover as many foreseen eventualities as possible. Experience tells me that they will all at some point come into play!
GENERAL
1 –The Prediction Contest will feature each round of each ranking tournament, plus other selected tournaments, during the season (except that wildcard rounds will be combined with the first round proper). There will be a Champion declared for each individual contest, an Overall Champion for each tournament (see Rule 14), a Seasonlong Champion (see Rule 15) and a Seasonlong Handicap Champion (see Rule 16). Entry into the Overall Tournament Contests, the Seasonlong Contest and (subject to conditions as given in Rule 16) the Seasonlong Handicap Contest is automatic.
NOTIFICATION OF SCHEDULE FOR EACH TOURNAMENT
2 – Once the tournament schedule is known, the prediction schedule for the tournament will be announced, stating – for each round – the approximate time that the prediction thread will be opened and the deadline.
WHERE AND WHEN TO POST YOUR PREDICTIONS
3a – For each individual round, a thread will be opened on which predictions are to be made. This will include a link to the Rules, confirmation of the exact deadline, a reminder of the match lengths and a list of the matches (or potential matches) involved.
3b – Where the complete draw is not known because previous matches have not been completed, the thread on which predictions are to be made will include all possible pairings at that time. Those that become irrelevant will be ignored.
3c – The approximate schedules for each tournament will be:
First round: Prediction thread opened EITHER the day after the full fixture list is known (after completion of the qualifiers or random draw) OR the day after the conclusion of the previous tournament – whichever is the later, but a minimum of 24 hours before the deadline for that round.
Subsequent rounds: Thread opened at least 24 hours before the deadline for the round: generally between 36 and 24 hours before the deadline – the exact timings dependent on administrative factors, i.e. giving at least 24 hours to predict but minimising the number of potential matches which will become irrelevant.
HOW TO POST YOUR PREDICTIONS
4a – All your predictions should be made on a single post listing all possible pairings and the highest break of the round.
Please list the matches and names IN THE SAME ORDER AS IN THE INITIAL MESSAGE, and list the scores in the order the players are listed (e.g. 9–6 for the first-named player to win or 6–9 for his loss). Your predicted highest break of the round (figure only, no need for player’s name) should be shown at the end of your post.
4b – It would be helpful if you could list the scores TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE of the names.
A typical prediction post, correctly laid out, might be:
5-3 Ronnie O’Sullivan v. Stephen Hendry
5-2 John Higgins v. Joe Swail, OR
5-3 John Higgins v. Anthony Hamilton
2-5 Peter Ebdon v. Matthew Stevens
5-4 Steve Davis v. Alan McManus
Highest break 128
(In this example, the Swail-Hamilton match in the previous round has not been completed at the time of making the predictions.)
SCORING SYSTEM
5a – Scoring, for all knockout matches, will be as follows:
Best-of-17 or higher: Correct winner and correct scoreline, 2 points; Correct winner, scoreline one frame adrift, 1½ points; Correct winner, other scoreline, 1 point.
Best-of-9 to best-of-15: Correct winner and correct scoreline, 2 points; Correct winner, wrong scoreline, 1 point.
Best-of-3 to best-of-7: Correct winner and correct scoreline, 1 point; Correct winner, wrong scoreline, ½ point.
Best-of-1: Correct winner, 1 point.
5b – Scoring for league matches, where a predetermined number of frames are played, will be as follows:
Correct scoreline: 2 points; scoreline one frame adrift, 1 point.
5c – One bonus point will be awarded for correctly predicting the highest break of the round, which will NOT count towards the results of the individual round – but will count towards the Overall contest for that tournament (see Rule 14). Other bonus points may also be on offer for certain tournaments.
5d – The Predictor with the most points at the end of the round will be declared the Champion for that round.
TIE-BREAK
6 – In the case of a tie for first place in an individual round, the contenders will be ranked in the following order (ties for lower positions will remain tied):
(a) The number of correctly predicted match winners will be considered, with the more/most being given priority (in league matches, this is taken as the number of matches in which points were scored);
(b) If a tie for first place still exists, the total of frames difference between predicted and actual score, for each match where the correct winner was predicted, will be considered, with the lower/lowest total being given priority;
(c) If a tie for first place still exists, the points difference between predicted and actual highest break will be considered, with the closer/closest being given priority;
(d) If a tie for first place still exists, the earlier/earliest posted predictions will be given priority (where a Predictor altered predictions, the last alteration will count). Predictions made on the correct thread will take precedence over those made by alternative means (see Rule 8).
DEADLINE
7a – The closing date/time for posting predictions is the start of play of the first match involved. At the organiser’s discretion, late entrants may be allowed, but predictions for any match that commenced before the predictions were submitted will not be allowed. The time displayed on the post will be considered correct, and must not be later than the scheduled start time of the first match (or actual start time, if earlier).
7b – A post will usually be placed on the predictions thread, once the deadline has passed, confirming that it is now too late to make further predictions on that round. If there is a delay between the actual deadline and the posting of such message, any predictions made in the interim will still be considered too late to be accepted.
PERSONAL UNAVAILABILITY OF ACCESS
8 – For those without access to the Internet at the required time, entries will be accepted by alternative means – such as by text message or email, as long as they are either (a) received before the deadline, or (b) received within 48 hours of the result of that round being notified, in such format that it can be demonstrated that the predictions were made before the commencement of those matches. Any predictions received after this time (whether or not sent in good faith within that timescale) cannot be accepted in any circumstances.
It is not expected that an alternative method should be used for reasons other than unavailability of access. For the sake of openness, predictions received by alternative means will be posted on the relevant thread by the organiser as soon as possible, and the date/time displayed on such message shall be considered to be the time at which the predictions were made (except that if the deadline has subsequently passed they shall be considered on-time).
ALTERATIONS
9 – You MAY change your predictions; if you wish to do so please re-post the predictions you wish to alter in a new post (not by editing the original). ANY POST THAT HAS BEEN EDITED WILL BE VOID. For each match (and the highest break), your latest posted prediction submitted before the deadline will count.
MATCHES EXCLUDED FROM THE CONTEST
10 – Any match which, for whatever reason, does not reach a scheduled conclusion will be disregarded. This includes cases where a player does not show at all, and where a player retires before the due conclusion of the match; this also includes any matches incorrectly listed in (or incorrectly missing from) the draw as shown on the opening message of the predictions thread (unless the error can be suitably corrected). Any highest break made in a match rendered void, will also be deemed void.
The decision as to whether a match (correctly listed in the draw) shall stand or be void shall be dictated by the last frame that was physically started. If this was the only frame the declared winner required in order to win ordinarily (going by the official frame score at the time), the match shall stand; otherwise the match shall be deemed void. This will remain the case even if an earlier frame had been forfeited owing to late arrival or other misdemeanour.
RESPONSIBILITY
11a – It is your responsibility to see that your predictions are made in accordance with these Rules. If your predictions are based on the draw given in the opening message, and that draw contains an error, you will not be held responsible.
11b – It is in your interests to cut and paste the draw from the opening message (or reply to Message 1 and ‘quote’ it), rather than from another Predictor’s message in the assumption that (s)he has correctly copied the draw. Your predictions will be considered strictly as they were typed – if they are mistyped, say, so that a 5–4 is typed as 5–14, it will be considered as a predicted win for the second player. If the wrong ‘best-of’ figure has been used (not through the fault of the opening message), points will still be available for the correct winner but not, of course, for the correct scoreline. (In league matches, where a predetermined number of frames are played, if the two figures do not add up to the correct number of frames, then no points will be scored for that match.)
11c – If the opening message contains an error in the ‘best-of’ figure to be used, this will be corrected if discovered in a timely fashion. An attempt will be made to contact Predictors who predicted using the wrong figure. If any Predictors have predicted only using the wrong ‘best-of’ figure, through the fault of the opening message, the predicted scores will be recalculated to the same ratio between the scores, with the predicted loser’s score rounded up or down to the nearest whole number. For example, if the thread invited best-of-11 predictions but the matches were best-of-9, they would be recalculated as follows:
6–0 — 5–0 — 5–0
6–1 — 5–0.83 — 5–1
6–2 — 5–1⅔ — 5–2
6–3 — 5–2½ — 5–3
6–4 — 5–3⅓ — 5–3
6–5 — 5–4.17 — 5–4
NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS and QUERYING YOUR SCORE
12 – The results of the round will be posted shortly after the matches have been completed, in a new thread. Please check your results (and anyone else’s as you wish). If you think your (or anybody else’s) score is incorrect, you must query it, on the thread on which the results were posted, within 48 hours of the date/time displayed on the results post. The score will be checked and amended if necessary (see Rule 13 re corrections).
CORRECTION OF ERRORS
13a – The organiser reserves the right not to correct an error in the announced scores, if the correction is in your favour, if it was not posted in accordance with these Rules. An error WILL be corrected if the incorrect version is in your favour.
All errors or suspected errors for fully accordant predictions will be handled as described below:
13b – A correction can be made only if the query is raised within 48 hours of the posting of the results. Errors notified later than this will be corrected for the Overall Tournament Contest (within 48 hours of the final table being announced) and the Seasonlong Contest, but not for the single round.
13c – The same principle will apply to the Overall Tournament Contest, i.e. that errors not notified within 48 hours will be corrected for the Seasonlong Contest, but not for the Overall.
OVERALL TOURNAMENT CONTEST
14a – For each tournament, the Predictor who has accumulated the most points, in all the rounds combined, will be declared the Overall Predictor Champion for the entire tournament. Predictors are automatically entered into this contest once they have entered any individual round in the tournament.
14b – In the case of a tie for first place in the Overall Tournament Contest, the following procedure will be carried out. Ties for lower positions will remain tied.
(a) The number of individual rounds won in the tournament will be considered, with the more/most being given priority.
(b) If a tie for first place still exists, the total number of correctly predicted match winners in the entire tournament will be considered, with the more/most being given priority (for league matches, this is taken as the number of matches for which points were scored).
(c) If a tie for first place still exists, a head-to-head will be carried out for each round, between the tied Predictors, giving 1 point for coming 1st, 2 for 2nd etc. down to the number of Predictors tied. The lower/lowest total will be given priority. (Joint scores will be given the midway figure so that the same number of points are awarded for every round – e.g. in a three-way tie where two Predictors scored equal highest in one round, they will be given 1½ points each.)
(d) If a tie for first place still exists, the total of frames difference between predicted and actual score, for each match where the correct winner was predicted, will be considered. The lower/lowest total will be given priority.
(e) If a tie for first place still exists, the total of points difference between predicted and actual high break for each round will be considered. The lower/lowest total will be given priority.
(f) If a tie for first place still exists, the difference between the highest of the Predictor’s predicted high breaks and the actual highest break in the round for which it was predicted, will be considered. The lower/lowest difference will take priority. (If a Predictor made the same high-break prediction in more than one round, the lower/lowest difference will be used.)
(g) If a tie for first place still exists, the total number of points available in the rounds for which predictions were made, will be considered. The fewer/fewest will take priority.
(h) If a tie for first place still exists, a discussion will take place as to how (or whether) to resolve it.
SEASONLONG CONTEST
15a – The points scored in every round of every tournament during the season will be accumulated to form the Seasonlong Prediction Contest. At the end of the season, the Predictor with the most points will be declared the Champion. Predictors are automatically entered into this contest once they have entered any individual round.
15b – Tables giving the current standings in this competition will be provided at pertinent points throughout the season.
15c – In the case of a tie for first place in the Seasonlong Contest, the contenders will be ranked in the following order:
(a) The number of Overall Tournaments won, with the more/most being given priority;
(b) If a tie for first place still exists, the number of individual rounds won, with the more/most being given priority;
(c) If a tie for first place still exists, a head-to-head will be carried out, as described in Rule 14b part (c), for each overall tournament.
(d) If a tie for first place still exists, the total number of points available in the rounds for which predictions were made will be considered. The fewer/fewest will take priority.
(e) If a tie for first place still exists thereafter, a discussion will take place as to how (or whether) to resolve it.
SEASONLONG CONTEST – HANDICAP
16a – To allow for midseason newcomers and those who have limited access to the competition, a Handicap Seasonlong Competition will also be held, based on the number of points scored per points available in the rounds predicted.
Predictors will receive an average score, which will be their points total divided by the total number of points available (excluding bonuses) in all the rounds on which they have predicted. Predictors are automatically entered into this contest once they have BOTH (a) predicted on rounds which total 150 available points AND (b) participated in at least 15 individual rounds.
16b – Tables giving the current standings in this competition will be provided at pertinent points throughout the season.
16c – In the case of a tie for first place in this competition, the Predictor who has predicted on the fewer/fewest matches will take priority. If a tie for first place still exists thereafter, a discussion will take place as to how (or whether) to resolve it.
OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
17 – If a situation arises that cannot be resolved by these Rules, the organiser’s decision will be final; but if the decision has a potential effect on the result of a Round, he may ask the opinion of Predictors who are not thereby affected to aid his decision.
RULE ALTERATIONS
18 – These Rules will only be altered during the season if a situation arises necessitating such an alteration. Any such alteration will be made by the organiser, whose decision will be final. He may ask the opinion of Predictors to aid his decision, in a thread specifically for that purpose.
Other suggested rule changes from Predictors are welcome; however, these will not take effect, if agreed, until the following season.
DISQUALIFICATION OF PREDICTORS
19 – Should any Predictor become a banned member of the Forum, (s)he shall be disqualified from all parts of the Prediction Contest for the season in which the ban is in force, and will not be eligible to win any prize(s) for a Contest in which (s)he would have been the winner.
FORUM DOWNTIME
20 – Should the Forum be unavailable for a sustained time during a predicting period, an attempt will be made to provide an alternative venue. Any rounds affected by this will proceed only if the organiser is confident that Predictors can be notified of the new venue in a timely fashion. Should such downtime occur, please look out for announcements by email. If no alternative venue can be found with this confidence, the round will not be included in the prediction contest.
I know they are rather lengthy, but they are designed to cover as many foreseen eventualities as possible. Experience tells me that they will all at some point come into play!
GENERAL
1 –The Prediction Contest will feature each round of each ranking tournament, plus other selected tournaments, during the season (except that wildcard rounds will be combined with the first round proper). There will be a Champion declared for each individual contest, an Overall Champion for each tournament (see Rule 14), a Seasonlong Champion (see Rule 15) and a Seasonlong Handicap Champion (see Rule 16). Entry into the Overall Tournament Contests, the Seasonlong Contest and (subject to conditions as given in Rule 16) the Seasonlong Handicap Contest is automatic.
NOTIFICATION OF SCHEDULE FOR EACH TOURNAMENT
2 – Once the tournament schedule is known, the prediction schedule for the tournament will be announced, stating – for each round – the approximate time that the prediction thread will be opened and the deadline.
WHERE AND WHEN TO POST YOUR PREDICTIONS
3a – For each individual round, a thread will be opened on which predictions are to be made. This will include a link to the Rules, confirmation of the exact deadline, a reminder of the match lengths and a list of the matches (or potential matches) involved.
3b – Where the complete draw is not known because previous matches have not been completed, the thread on which predictions are to be made will include all possible pairings at that time. Those that become irrelevant will be ignored.
3c – The approximate schedules for each tournament will be:
First round: Prediction thread opened EITHER the day after the full fixture list is known (after completion of the qualifiers or random draw) OR the day after the conclusion of the previous tournament – whichever is the later, but a minimum of 24 hours before the deadline for that round.
Subsequent rounds: Thread opened at least 24 hours before the deadline for the round: generally between 36 and 24 hours before the deadline – the exact timings dependent on administrative factors, i.e. giving at least 24 hours to predict but minimising the number of potential matches which will become irrelevant.
HOW TO POST YOUR PREDICTIONS
4a – All your predictions should be made on a single post listing all possible pairings and the highest break of the round.
Please list the matches and names IN THE SAME ORDER AS IN THE INITIAL MESSAGE, and list the scores in the order the players are listed (e.g. 9–6 for the first-named player to win or 6–9 for his loss). Your predicted highest break of the round (figure only, no need for player’s name) should be shown at the end of your post.
4b – It would be helpful if you could list the scores TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE of the names.
A typical prediction post, correctly laid out, might be:
5-3 Ronnie O’Sullivan v. Stephen Hendry
5-2 John Higgins v. Joe Swail, OR
5-3 John Higgins v. Anthony Hamilton
2-5 Peter Ebdon v. Matthew Stevens
5-4 Steve Davis v. Alan McManus
Highest break 128
(In this example, the Swail-Hamilton match in the previous round has not been completed at the time of making the predictions.)
SCORING SYSTEM
5a – Scoring, for all knockout matches, will be as follows:
Best-of-17 or higher: Correct winner and correct scoreline, 2 points; Correct winner, scoreline one frame adrift, 1½ points; Correct winner, other scoreline, 1 point.
Best-of-9 to best-of-15: Correct winner and correct scoreline, 2 points; Correct winner, wrong scoreline, 1 point.
Best-of-3 to best-of-7: Correct winner and correct scoreline, 1 point; Correct winner, wrong scoreline, ½ point.
Best-of-1: Correct winner, 1 point.
5b – Scoring for league matches, where a predetermined number of frames are played, will be as follows:
Correct scoreline: 2 points; scoreline one frame adrift, 1 point.
5c – One bonus point will be awarded for correctly predicting the highest break of the round, which will NOT count towards the results of the individual round – but will count towards the Overall contest for that tournament (see Rule 14). Other bonus points may also be on offer for certain tournaments.
5d – The Predictor with the most points at the end of the round will be declared the Champion for that round.
TIE-BREAK
6 – In the case of a tie for first place in an individual round, the contenders will be ranked in the following order (ties for lower positions will remain tied):
(a) The number of correctly predicted match winners will be considered, with the more/most being given priority (in league matches, this is taken as the number of matches in which points were scored);
(b) If a tie for first place still exists, the total of frames difference between predicted and actual score, for each match where the correct winner was predicted, will be considered, with the lower/lowest total being given priority;
(c) If a tie for first place still exists, the points difference between predicted and actual highest break will be considered, with the closer/closest being given priority;
(d) If a tie for first place still exists, the earlier/earliest posted predictions will be given priority (where a Predictor altered predictions, the last alteration will count). Predictions made on the correct thread will take precedence over those made by alternative means (see Rule 8).
DEADLINE
7a – The closing date/time for posting predictions is the start of play of the first match involved. At the organiser’s discretion, late entrants may be allowed, but predictions for any match that commenced before the predictions were submitted will not be allowed. The time displayed on the post will be considered correct, and must not be later than the scheduled start time of the first match (or actual start time, if earlier).
7b – A post will usually be placed on the predictions thread, once the deadline has passed, confirming that it is now too late to make further predictions on that round. If there is a delay between the actual deadline and the posting of such message, any predictions made in the interim will still be considered too late to be accepted.
PERSONAL UNAVAILABILITY OF ACCESS
8 – For those without access to the Internet at the required time, entries will be accepted by alternative means – such as by text message or email, as long as they are either (a) received before the deadline, or (b) received within 48 hours of the result of that round being notified, in such format that it can be demonstrated that the predictions were made before the commencement of those matches. Any predictions received after this time (whether or not sent in good faith within that timescale) cannot be accepted in any circumstances.
It is not expected that an alternative method should be used for reasons other than unavailability of access. For the sake of openness, predictions received by alternative means will be posted on the relevant thread by the organiser as soon as possible, and the date/time displayed on such message shall be considered to be the time at which the predictions were made (except that if the deadline has subsequently passed they shall be considered on-time).
ALTERATIONS
9 – You MAY change your predictions; if you wish to do so please re-post the predictions you wish to alter in a new post (not by editing the original). ANY POST THAT HAS BEEN EDITED WILL BE VOID. For each match (and the highest break), your latest posted prediction submitted before the deadline will count.
MATCHES EXCLUDED FROM THE CONTEST
10 – Any match which, for whatever reason, does not reach a scheduled conclusion will be disregarded. This includes cases where a player does not show at all, and where a player retires before the due conclusion of the match; this also includes any matches incorrectly listed in (or incorrectly missing from) the draw as shown on the opening message of the predictions thread (unless the error can be suitably corrected). Any highest break made in a match rendered void, will also be deemed void.
The decision as to whether a match (correctly listed in the draw) shall stand or be void shall be dictated by the last frame that was physically started. If this was the only frame the declared winner required in order to win ordinarily (going by the official frame score at the time), the match shall stand; otherwise the match shall be deemed void. This will remain the case even if an earlier frame had been forfeited owing to late arrival or other misdemeanour.
RESPONSIBILITY
11a – It is your responsibility to see that your predictions are made in accordance with these Rules. If your predictions are based on the draw given in the opening message, and that draw contains an error, you will not be held responsible.
11b – It is in your interests to cut and paste the draw from the opening message (or reply to Message 1 and ‘quote’ it), rather than from another Predictor’s message in the assumption that (s)he has correctly copied the draw. Your predictions will be considered strictly as they were typed – if they are mistyped, say, so that a 5–4 is typed as 5–14, it will be considered as a predicted win for the second player. If the wrong ‘best-of’ figure has been used (not through the fault of the opening message), points will still be available for the correct winner but not, of course, for the correct scoreline. (In league matches, where a predetermined number of frames are played, if the two figures do not add up to the correct number of frames, then no points will be scored for that match.)
11c – If the opening message contains an error in the ‘best-of’ figure to be used, this will be corrected if discovered in a timely fashion. An attempt will be made to contact Predictors who predicted using the wrong figure. If any Predictors have predicted only using the wrong ‘best-of’ figure, through the fault of the opening message, the predicted scores will be recalculated to the same ratio between the scores, with the predicted loser’s score rounded up or down to the nearest whole number. For example, if the thread invited best-of-11 predictions but the matches were best-of-9, they would be recalculated as follows:
6–0 — 5–0 — 5–0
6–1 — 5–0.83 — 5–1
6–2 — 5–1⅔ — 5–2
6–3 — 5–2½ — 5–3
6–4 — 5–3⅓ — 5–3
6–5 — 5–4.17 — 5–4
NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS and QUERYING YOUR SCORE
12 – The results of the round will be posted shortly after the matches have been completed, in a new thread. Please check your results (and anyone else’s as you wish). If you think your (or anybody else’s) score is incorrect, you must query it, on the thread on which the results were posted, within 48 hours of the date/time displayed on the results post. The score will be checked and amended if necessary (see Rule 13 re corrections).
CORRECTION OF ERRORS
13a – The organiser reserves the right not to correct an error in the announced scores, if the correction is in your favour, if it was not posted in accordance with these Rules. An error WILL be corrected if the incorrect version is in your favour.
All errors or suspected errors for fully accordant predictions will be handled as described below:
13b – A correction can be made only if the query is raised within 48 hours of the posting of the results. Errors notified later than this will be corrected for the Overall Tournament Contest (within 48 hours of the final table being announced) and the Seasonlong Contest, but not for the single round.
13c – The same principle will apply to the Overall Tournament Contest, i.e. that errors not notified within 48 hours will be corrected for the Seasonlong Contest, but not for the Overall.
OVERALL TOURNAMENT CONTEST
14a – For each tournament, the Predictor who has accumulated the most points, in all the rounds combined, will be declared the Overall Predictor Champion for the entire tournament. Predictors are automatically entered into this contest once they have entered any individual round in the tournament.
14b – In the case of a tie for first place in the Overall Tournament Contest, the following procedure will be carried out. Ties for lower positions will remain tied.
(a) The number of individual rounds won in the tournament will be considered, with the more/most being given priority.
(b) If a tie for first place still exists, the total number of correctly predicted match winners in the entire tournament will be considered, with the more/most being given priority (for league matches, this is taken as the number of matches for which points were scored).
(c) If a tie for first place still exists, a head-to-head will be carried out for each round, between the tied Predictors, giving 1 point for coming 1st, 2 for 2nd etc. down to the number of Predictors tied. The lower/lowest total will be given priority. (Joint scores will be given the midway figure so that the same number of points are awarded for every round – e.g. in a three-way tie where two Predictors scored equal highest in one round, they will be given 1½ points each.)
(d) If a tie for first place still exists, the total of frames difference between predicted and actual score, for each match where the correct winner was predicted, will be considered. The lower/lowest total will be given priority.
(e) If a tie for first place still exists, the total of points difference between predicted and actual high break for each round will be considered. The lower/lowest total will be given priority.
(f) If a tie for first place still exists, the difference between the highest of the Predictor’s predicted high breaks and the actual highest break in the round for which it was predicted, will be considered. The lower/lowest difference will take priority. (If a Predictor made the same high-break prediction in more than one round, the lower/lowest difference will be used.)
(g) If a tie for first place still exists, the total number of points available in the rounds for which predictions were made, will be considered. The fewer/fewest will take priority.
(h) If a tie for first place still exists, a discussion will take place as to how (or whether) to resolve it.
SEASONLONG CONTEST
15a – The points scored in every round of every tournament during the season will be accumulated to form the Seasonlong Prediction Contest. At the end of the season, the Predictor with the most points will be declared the Champion. Predictors are automatically entered into this contest once they have entered any individual round.
15b – Tables giving the current standings in this competition will be provided at pertinent points throughout the season.
15c – In the case of a tie for first place in the Seasonlong Contest, the contenders will be ranked in the following order:
(a) The number of Overall Tournaments won, with the more/most being given priority;
(b) If a tie for first place still exists, the number of individual rounds won, with the more/most being given priority;
(c) If a tie for first place still exists, a head-to-head will be carried out, as described in Rule 14b part (c), for each overall tournament.
(d) If a tie for first place still exists, the total number of points available in the rounds for which predictions were made will be considered. The fewer/fewest will take priority.
(e) If a tie for first place still exists thereafter, a discussion will take place as to how (or whether) to resolve it.
SEASONLONG CONTEST – HANDICAP
16a – To allow for midseason newcomers and those who have limited access to the competition, a Handicap Seasonlong Competition will also be held, based on the number of points scored per points available in the rounds predicted.
Predictors will receive an average score, which will be their points total divided by the total number of points available (excluding bonuses) in all the rounds on which they have predicted. Predictors are automatically entered into this contest once they have BOTH (a) predicted on rounds which total 150 available points AND (b) participated in at least 15 individual rounds.
16b – Tables giving the current standings in this competition will be provided at pertinent points throughout the season.
16c – In the case of a tie for first place in this competition, the Predictor who has predicted on the fewer/fewest matches will take priority. If a tie for first place still exists thereafter, a discussion will take place as to how (or whether) to resolve it.
OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES
17 – If a situation arises that cannot be resolved by these Rules, the organiser’s decision will be final; but if the decision has a potential effect on the result of a Round, he may ask the opinion of Predictors who are not thereby affected to aid his decision.
RULE ALTERATIONS
18 – These Rules will only be altered during the season if a situation arises necessitating such an alteration. Any such alteration will be made by the organiser, whose decision will be final. He may ask the opinion of Predictors to aid his decision, in a thread specifically for that purpose.
Other suggested rule changes from Predictors are welcome; however, these will not take effect, if agreed, until the following season.
DISQUALIFICATION OF PREDICTORS
19 – Should any Predictor become a banned member of the Forum, (s)he shall be disqualified from all parts of the Prediction Contest for the season in which the ban is in force, and will not be eligible to win any prize(s) for a Contest in which (s)he would have been the winner.
FORUM DOWNTIME
20 – Should the Forum be unavailable for a sustained time during a predicting period, an attempt will be made to provide an alternative venue. Any rounds affected by this will proceed only if the organiser is confident that Predictors can be notified of the new venue in a timely fashion. Should such downtime occur, please look out for announcements by email. If no alternative venue can be found with this confidence, the round will not be included in the prediction contest.