Tournament Rules

PartyGammon.com Million Tournament Rules & Procedures

1.0 PROPRIETIES.

1.1 INTERPRETATION. The Tournament Rules and Procedures cannot, and should not, regulate all possible situations that may arise during a game. No set of rules should deprive the Director of his freedom of judgment or prevent him from finding the solution dictated by fairness and compatible with the circumstances of a particular case.

1.2 SCOPE. Except where otherwise specified, the commonly accepted rules of backgammon apply. Players may not change any rule, even with the consent of the opponent, without getting permission from the director. Any players deviating from this rule may be subject to penalties or disqualification.

1.3 STAFF. A knowledgeable and disinterested Director and Staff shall represent the Tournament.

1.4 ENTRIES. All entries are subject to the approval of the Tournament. Reasons for exclusion need not be stated.

1.5 AIDS. Once a match is in progress, neither player may use mechanical or written aids except to keep score. Player may forbid his opponent from wearing headphones.

1.6 LANGUAGE. The official Tournament language is English. Speech in any other language will not be permitted between players and/or spectators while matches are in progress.

1.7 SPECTATORS. Spectators should remain silent while observing a match. Spectators have no right to draw attention to any misplays or comment on plays. Player may request the Director to bar one or more spectators from viewing his match. Any proven signaling between player and spectator will result in the instant disqualification from the tournament of the player and spectator. Spectators should report any suspected cheating discreetly to the Director.

1.8 SMOKING. No smoking will be permitted in the playing room.

1.9 CELL PHONES. No cell phones may be used at any time during match play. Each incident will be subject to one penalty point.

2.0 REGULATIONS.

2.1 PLACE. Matches shall be played in designated tournament areas.

2.2 TIME. Matches shall start promptly at the appointed times. Each player is entitled to one 10-minute recess (between games) in a match not exceeding 13 points in length. Longer matches, or those of significant importance, may be allowed additional recess time.

2.3 PENALTY POINTS. Unless excused as necessary by Director, time and recess violations shall be penalized by points awarded to opponent. The first penalty point will be awarded 15 minutes after the appointed starting time and accrue thereafter at the rate of 1 point for each 5-minute delay. When the penalty points amount to more than half of the number needed to win the match, the absent player will have then forfeited. To avoid penalties, player should secure Director's consent when leaving Tournament site for more than 10 minutes.

2.4 MONITORS. Director may appoint a monitor to observe a match on his own initiative, or at the request of a player. Monitor shall have full powers to protect each player against opponent's irregularities.

2.5 CLOCKS. All matches will be played with a digital clock. (See the Backgammon Clock Rules below under 7.0.)

3.0 PRELIMINARIES.

3.1 EQUIPMENT. All matches will be played with boards, lipped dice cups, precision dice, digital clocks, and scoreboards provided by the tournament.

3.2 PREFERENCES. The direction of play and seating shall be determined by the tournament draw sheets. The clocks shall be placed on the same side of each tournament board, and the scoreboards shall be placed on the opposite side of each board.

3.3 EQUIPMENT CHANGES. Director may replace equipment at any time.

4.0 PLAY OF THE GAME / IRREGULARITIES.

4.1 RANDOM ROLLS. Dice are strictly a means of obtaining random numbers; any other use violates the rules and the spirit of backgammon. A legal roll consists of shaking the dice vigorously in a dice cup and then simultaneously tossing them out at a discernible height above the playing surface, allowing them to bounce and roll freely.

4.2 VALID ROLLS. Both dice must come to rest flat (not cocked) on the playing surface to the right of the bar; otherwise they must be rolled again.

4.3 HANDLING CHECKERS. Player should move clearly, using only one hand to play the checkers. Player shall reenter any checker from the bar before moving any other checker. Checkers that have been hit must be kept on the bar pending reentry. Checkers that have been borne off must be kept off the entire playing surface for the rest of the game. No player should move any checkers during an opponent's turn. Deviations from proper moving procedure may result in an adverse ruling in case of dispute.

4.4 MOVING DICE. With notice to opponent, a player may reposition the dice on the playing surface to facilitate moving the checkers.

4.5 COMPLETING TURN. Player concludes his turn by hitting his clock. After doing so, the player may change his move only upon an opponent's demand to replay an illegal move.

4.6 PREMATURE ACTIONS. No player may roll or turn the cube until the opponent has hit his clock. A premature roll must be rerolled. A premature double shall stand if otherwise valid. An opponent who has yet to complete his turn may then do so with foreknowledge of the premature double.

4.7 ERROR IN SETUP. An incorrect starting position must be corrected prior to the fifth roll of the game. Thereafter the existing setup becomes official. Players starting with less than 15 checkers in play may still be gammoned or backgammoned.

4.8 ILLEGAL MOVES. Upon drawing attention to an illegal move, player may condone it or demand that opponent legally replay the entire roll. While the player is considering whether to accept the misplay or not, his clock is on. After his decision, he hits the clock.

4.9 COMPLETION. Games must be rolled to completion, unless ended by a pass of a double or redouble, or conceded in no-contact positions as single game, gammon or backgammon losses. No game may be cancelled and replayed, or settled. Players are responsible for playing to the posted match length. The first player to reach the posted match length is the winner.

4.10 REPORTING RESULTS. Match winner shall report final score to Tournament Official. Official shall verify and post a correct result on draw sheet. Once posted, an erroneous result may still be corrected in a timely manner, but not after either player has begun a succeeding match.

5.0 SCORING / DOUBLING.

5.1 KEEPING SCORE. Scoreboards will be used to keep the official score of the matches. Both players should confirm their score at the start of every game.

5.2 CUBE SETUP. The cube shall be placed so it is visible to all players at all times. It is the responsibility of both players to see that the doubling cube begins each game centered with the "64" side face up. In the event of a dispute, the current position and level of the cube will strongly influence the Director's ruling. Exception: the cube will be removed during the Crawford game (see Rule 5.5).

5.3 CUBE RULES. Gammons and backgammons will count at all times. It is not necessary to double an opponent in order to win a gammon or backgammon.

5.4 CUBE HANDLING. Player may double when it is his turn only before rolling the dice, but not after rolling cocked dice. To double or redouble, player moves the cube toward his opponent at the higher value while saying "double" or words to that effect. To take, player draws the cube toward him while saying "take," or words to that effect. To reject the double, player says "pass" or words to that effect, enters the score and resets the board. The cube should not be handled capriciously; either verbal or physical acts may be interpreted as cube actions.

5.5 CRAWFORD RULE. The Crawford Rule will apply to all matches. When a player reaches match point (e.g., 8 points in a 9-point match), the doubling cube will be out of play for one game. In subsequent games following the Crawford game, the cube may be turned at the first legal opportunity.

6.0 CONTENTIONS.

6.1 DISPUTES. When a dispute arises, all players must leave dice, checkers, cube and score unchanged while Director is summoned. Violations by a player in this area are most serious and create a presumption in favor of opponent.

6.2 TESTIMONY. Any player may argue issues of fact or rule. Spectators, except to report cheating, may testify only at Director's request.

7.0 BACKGAMMON DIGITAL CLOCK RULES.

7.1 STARTING A GAME. Players share one pair of dice. At the start of each game, both clocks are stopped and each player rolls one die. The player rolling the lower die hits his clock, starting his opponent's clock.

7.2 COMPLETING A TURN. A player ends his turn by hitting his clock. The dice are left on the playing surface for the opponent to pick up.

7.3 ROLLING AND MOVING. Normal rules for rolling dice apply. If a die leaves the table, both clocks are stopped while the die is retrieved. The clocks are not stopped for cocked dice.

After a valid roll is obtained, the moving player may move the dice plainly to the center of the playing surface, or as required to move his checkers, but should not otherwise touch the dice. The non-moving player may not touch the dice during his opponent's turn. After the mover hits his clock, ending his turn, the next player picks up the dice, and play continues.

When a player cannot move regardless of the roll (e.g., a closed out player), both players continue to hit the clock to end their turns. The player who cannot move need not roll the dice.

7.4 DOUBLING. Normal doubling procedures apply. After offering the cube, the player must hit his clock. After accepting a cube, the opponent hits his clock. When rejecting a double, the player says "I pass" and stops both clocks.

7.5 ILLEGAL MOVES. A player's clock runs while he considers whether to have his opponent correct an illegal play. A player condones an illegal move by picking up either or both dice. If a player wants his opponent to correct an illegal move, he does not pick up the dice, but instead tells his opponent why the play was illegal, and hits his clock. The opponent then makes a legal move and hits his clock. If the opponent believes his move was legal, he stops both clocks and the tournament director is called to adjudicate.

7.6 COMPLETING A GAME. As he completes his turn in a non-contact position, a player may offer to end the game with a particular outcome. The outcome may be a win or a loss of a backgammon, gammon, or plain game. The player specifies the outcome offered (e.g., "I lose a backgammon," "I give you no gammon"), hits his clock and immediately stops both clocks.

To accept the offer, the opponent repeats the outcome (e.g., "I win a backgammon," "I lose a single game"), scores the game, and begins to reset the board for the next game. To reject the offer, the opponent says "I reject," and starts his clock. A player may not reject a gin outcome.

Both clocks are stopped when a game ends, whether by a passed double, an accepted offer, or a player bearing off his last checker.

7.7 BREAKS. Each player is allowed one 10-minute break per match. Before beginning a break, the time on both clocks must be recorded by a staff member. When resuming, both players should check that the clocks are set as recorded before the break.

7.8 STOPPING THE CLOCK. Both clocks are stopped by centering both buttons:

prior to the first game
between games
to verify score or cube status in the event of a discrepancy
to retrieve fallen dice
while a player considers an offer to end a game
to summon the tournament director, or
(while adjudicating a dispute.

7.9 SPECTATORS. Spectators must remain silent. They may not call attention to either player's remaining time, to the expiration of a player's time, or to whether a player's clock is running.

8.0 TIME CONTROL.

The tournament director will set the clocks using the Bronstein system. This gives each player 15 seconds per move, plus a reserve of 2.5 minutes per point based on the length of the match (e.g., 32.5 minutes for a 13-point match). The reserve time is used when a player takes more than 15 seconds for a move.

If a player's reserve time expires, the match is over. A player who has a gin win of the match based on the position on the board wins the match, regardless of whose clock expired. Otherwise, the player whose time has expired loses the match.