REFERENCE
The ACBL 2007-2008 Grand National Teams Special Conditions of Contest ("ACBL GNT COCs") shall govern all Grand National Teams qualifying play in District 4.  These District 4 Conditions of Contest  Grand National Teams 2007-2008 (District 4 COCs) are a supplement to the ACBL GNT COCs. Any inconsistencies between the ACBL GNT COCs shall be determined in favor of the ACBL GNT COCs.  The ACBL GNT COCs are available at acbl.org under "document library".  Written copies may be obtained by contacting your District 4 GNT Coordinator.


DISTRICT 4 GNT COORDINATOR
Name:  Raymond Depew
Address:  140 Culver Street, Forty Fort, PA 18704
Telephone:  570-287-1786
E-mail: rdepew@intergrafix.net
INTRODUCTION
The 2007-2008 District 4 Grand National Teams Event will be conducted in one stage, a District Final.  No Qualification from the club or unit level is required.

DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP
The District Finals will be held at a time and place to be determined by the District 4 Board of Directors or Executive Committee and published in advance.  The Finals will be conducted in separate but simultaneous events of the Open Championship Flight, Flight A, Flight B, and Flight C.  District Finals will be played over a period of two days.

ENTRY FEES
Entry fees will be determined and published in advance by the District 4 Board of Directors, Executive Committee or their designee

QUALIFICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY

1. All players must be members of a District 4 unit and paid up members in good standing of the ACBL.  See the ACBL GNT COCs,  Appendix 1 Board Item 003-106 regarding membership in a unit where a player does not reside.  Specifically, the ACBL will not grant a player's request to change units for the sole purpose of playing in a district's GNT finals.
2. Players deemed ineligible by the ACBL are not allowed to participate in the District Finals.  Such players are disqualified and may cause their team to be disqualified as well.  See the ACBL GNT COCs regarding "Ineligible Payers and Disqualifications".
3. See the ACBL GNT COCs for exceptions regarding full-time students, members of the armed forces, or persons whose full-time employment requires temporary relocation and players with dual residency.

FLIGHT MASTERPOINT REQUIREMENTS
Masterpoint requirements for each player are as follows: Open Championship Flight - unlimited; Flight  A - 0-5000; Flight B - 0-2000;  Flight C - NLM, 0-500.

DISTRICT WINNERS
The winning team from each Flight qualifies to compete in the National Finals.

RULES OF PLAY FOR DISTRICT FINALS - TWO DAYS

1. Byes are not permitted
2. Replays during the knockout phase are to be avoided as long as possible.
3. The defending champion team in the Open Flight, Flight A and Flight B shall receive the top seed provide at least four members of that team return, not including substitutes or augmentees.  Other teams within these Flights shall be seeded based on average masterpoints of team members.  Flight C shall be a random draw event.
4. In all flights having 16 or more teams, there will be a double session bracketed round robin qualification on the first day, with each of  four brackets qualifying one team for play on the second day.  These four teams will play two knockout matches with no carryover on the second day to determine the winner.  In flight C the brackets will be assigned randomly.  In seed flights the bracket assignments shall be:  
   
        Bracket I:  Seeds 1, 8, 9, 16;
        Bracket II:  Seeds 2, 7, 10, 15;
        Bracket III:  Seeds 3, 6, 11, 14;
        Bracket IV:  Seeds 4, 5, 12, 13. 
   
   Teams seeded lower than 16^th are assigned randomly to each bracket in this order:  IV, III, II, I, until all entrants have been assigned brackets.  For the first session of the second day, the Bracket I winner plays the bracket IV winner and the Bracket II winner plays the Bracket III winner.
5. Flights of 10-15 teams inclusive will be broken into two brackets for a two session round robin on the first day, each bracket qualifying two teams:
   
        Bracket  I: Seeds 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13;*
        Bracket II: Seeds 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.  
        *if there are 13 teams exactly, team 13 shall be in Bracket II);
   
   For the first session of the second day, the Bracket I winner plays the second place team from Bracket II, and the Bracket II winner plays the second place team from Bracket 1.
6. Flights of 7-9 teams will play a two session round robin on the first day qualifying four teams for knockout play on the second day with no carryover.
7. Flights of 3-6 teams will play a double session round robin to reduce the field to two teams for a single session knockout event on the second day with no carryover
8. In the event only two teams are entered in any flight, the teams will play a double session knockout on the first day and no play on the second day
9. In the event only one team is entered in any flight and pays its entry fee for the first day, that team will be declared the winner and will represent District 4 in the National Finals
10. Matches prior to the finals will be 25-30 boards, at the discretion of the Director-in-Charge.  The finals will be 36 boards.  If a knockout match ends in a tie , a four board playoff will be used to determine the winner.  Should subsequent playoffs be required to determine a winner , each playoff will b four boards.
11. Points awarded in which the district Champion is declared are gold for overalls and red for match awards at regional rating.  Swiss Team events that qualify to a knockout are considered to be a part of the District Finals, and do NOT award overall masterpoints.  The award for first place overall for the district Champion is arbitrary and is based on the number of sessions in the District Final as follows:  Open:  36.00;  masterpoints: Flight A:  30;  Flight B:  26.00;  Flight C:  15.00

SUBSTITUTIONS DURING PLAY AT DISTRICT FINALS
The District GNT Coordinator or the Director-in-charge may approve a substitute in an emergency.  Only one substitute is permitted at any time, and no substitute is permitted if four or more team members of record are available.  A substitute may not appreciably strengthen a team and also is subject to the following limitations:
    a)  Must meet the requirements under QUALIFICATION (see page 1);
    b)  Must be eligible to play in the flight in which the team requiring the substitution is competing; and
Any team with a substitute player shall retain its original seed

REPLACEMENT DURING PLAY AT DISTRICT FINALS
The Permanent replacement of a player who, for cause, cannot continue in the event is permitted only with the permission of  the District 4 GNT Coordinator.  A replaced player permanently leaves the event with all masterpoints already earned, and the replacement continues in the event earning points thereafter.  A replaced player may be returned to the team as an augmentee provided such player meets the requirements for augmentation set forth below.  Play percentage requirements apply toe the replacement only for the portion yet to be played.  The replacement:
    a)  Must meet the requirements under QUALIFICATION  (see page 1)
    b)  Must not be eligible for further competition in another flight, but may withdraw from such other flight in a writing directed to the District GNT Coordinator;
    c)  Must be eligible to compete in the flight of the team needing the replacement;  and
    d)  Must not appreciably strengthen the team.
A team with a replacement player shall retain its original seed.

AUGMENTATION OR REPLACEMENT AFTER DISTRICT FINAL
The Permanent replacement of a player who, for cause, cannot continue in the event or augmentation of a fifth and/or  sixth player to a team after completion of the District Final will be allowed provided:
    a)  The District GNT Coordinator is notified;
    b)  The augmentee or replacement does not appreciably weaken the team;
    c)  The player(s) to be added meet the requirement under QUALIFICATION (see page 1) and are eligible to compete in the flight in which the team wishing to add them is competing;
   d)  At least three original members remain on the team; and
   e)  Must not be eligible for further competition in another flight, but may withdraw from such other light in a writing directed to the District GNT Coordinator.

NATIONAL GNT FINALS
The first place finisher at the District Finals in each flight qualifies to represent District 4 in the National GNT Finals.  The ACBL will announce the schedule for these events.  Should the winning team in a flight elect not to participate in the National GNT Finals, District 4 will extend and invitation to the second place team in that flight to represent District 4.  If neither the first nor the second place team in a flight elects to advance to the National GNT Finals, District 4 will not be represented in such flight.

The ACBL provides no subsidy to teams participating in the National GNT Finals, and does not require the Districts to do so.  District 4 will reimburse each team that qualifies for the National GNT Finals for all entry fees as long as each team survives in the event, as well as $1,000 for the first two days and a additional $400 per day after the second day of the event

UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES
In Case these District COCs and the ACBL GNT COCs do not provide a remedy to an incident that requires a timely solution, The District 4 Director, or, in that person's absence, the District 4 President, or in both of their absence the District 4 GNT Coordinator, shall make a timely and just determination and ruling with the consultation of district officials, tournament directors, and others as such person may deem necessary.