Blue Points Update
by Brian Crack
As previously announced, a new type of Masterpoint, called Blue Points, will be introduced from 1 January 2013.
The object is to facilitate more local events where members can earn points counting towards ranks currently requiring Greens. Thus, all Masterpoint ranks will allow up to 50 Green Points to be replaced by Blue Points in the ratio of 3 Blues = 1 Green. Members will, therefore, be able to reach Premier Regional rank entirely with Blues or with a combination of Blues and Greens but will require Greens for higher ranks.
Blue Point awards will use the current Local Point scales (100 Local=1 Blue).
EBU Simultaneous Pairs will no longer be Green-pointed but will be partially Blue-pointed to a greater extent than the current partially Green-pointed system.
Similarly, heats of the National Pairs held in clubs will no longer be Green-pointed but will be fully Blue-pointed.
Clubs may hold up to 2 Blue-pointed events each year. They may be open or closed.
If open, they must be 1-day 2 session events open to all EBU members and licensed by Aylesbury. The licence fee will be approximately one-third of the fee for a Green-pointed event.
If closed, they are restricted to the clubs major pairs and teams championships as defined in the Master Point and Licensing Handbook. However, the Handbook will be amended so that a ladder can be deemed to be the major pairs championship. Both pairs and teams major championships must be held over a minimum of 2 sessions.
Closed sessions will not require a licence but will pay an enhanced P2P fee equating to 1/3 of the green point licence fee.
Pairs championship
This is likely to take one of three forms: a quali-final, a 2 session play through or a ladder
Both sessions of a quali-final or play through event will be blue-pointed at district scale and both will pay the blue-point licence fee. Each round of a ladder will attract only local points at club scale and pay normal P2P rates but the bonus awards will be blue-pointed at district scale. Awards for the final ladder positions will need to be submitted separately from the normal P2P submissions. Since the awards are based on the average number of tables in the ladder, the licence fee will be calculated on the same basis.
Proccess
- Club holds event
- If a 2 or more session event, the club submits a P2P results file for each session with appropriate MP award marker and will be invoiced at the enhanced rate..
- If a ladder, each session is at standard P2P rate, submitted and invoiced in the usual way. Final Blue Point awards based on ladder position must be submitted to Aylesbury via a spreadsheet and the club will be invoiced at the enhanced rate on the average number of tables in the ladder.
Teams Championship
This is also likely to take one of three forms: swiss, multiple or knockout.
Again, both (all) sessions of a swiss or multiple teams championship will be blue-pointed at district scale and pay the blue-point licence fee. A knockout championship will award blue-points at district level for each match won on the normal rising scale. The licence fee will be paid on the number of matches played in the competition multiplied by 2 for teams of 4 and multiplied by 4 for teams of 8, thus equating to the number of tables
Process
- Club holds event
- If swiss or multiple the club submits a P2P results file for each session with appropriate MP award marker and will be invoiced at the enhanced rate.
- If a knock out, Blue Point awards for the whole competition must be submitted to Aylesbury via a spreadsheet and the club will be invoiced at the rate of twice the enhanced rate per number of matches in the competition if teams of 4 or 4 times if teams of 8 (X= 1/3 of Green point licence fee).
More details can be found here
Please click here to email the Master Points Secretary for more information