General Regulations

Any affiliated club may run a heat but such a heat may require the prior approval of the relevant County Association.

No player may compete in more than one heat. Players need not be EBU members in order to play in the club qualifying stage, but must become members in order to proceed to the Regional Finals or beyond.

Any player wishing to play in a club of which he/she is not a member is required to give a maximum of four weeks’ notice of intention to compete, and a minimum of one week. The club may accept entries at its discretion in the case of less than one week’s notice being given.

The club may only decline entry if all available places are already taken at the time of the enquiry.

Heat organisers are required to run only single winner movements (i.e. Howell or arrow-switched Mitchell type). A heat may be divided into more than one section if at least 33 pairs are taking part. The number of qualifiers is as follows:

If necessary, a tie for the last qualifying place should be ‘split’ in accordance with EBU regulations. Please note, however, that clubs are permitted to nominate a first reserve from within their heat, in the event of a withdrawal from that heat. However, there is an absolute maximum of one reserve pair per heat. Organisers are not permitted to arrange section sizes so as to qualify more than the above.

Club organisers are requested to complete this form at the end of their heat and return it immediately to the EBU.

The number of pairs qualifying for the final from each of the Regional Finals will be in accordance with a scale designed to qualify 50 pairs overall to an all-play-all final.

County or club secretaries should send entry fees and detailed results for their heat to the EBU Competitions Department as soon as possible after the heat, and in any event by the end of February. Please give details of the County or club involved, the venue and the date on which the heat was played, the name, address and telephone number of one member of each qualifying pair, and the pairs’ choices of venue for the Regional Final, where applicable. Organisers are asked to ensure that students give an address and telephone number for use during their vacations.