District 14 GNT Policies (April 8, 2019)

Reminder: Conditions of Contest are distributed annually by the GNT chair.

1. Flights A and Superflight ACBL Mid-chart Conventions may be used in Flights A and Championship District 14 Finals. Flight A and Championship flight teams should be seeded by averaged total masterpoints except that District Champions returning with more than 50% of its members begin as #1 seed.
2. Flights B & C Flights B & C Swiss qualifying events should use the 20 Victory Point scale. If Flight B & C Finals include a knockout phase, seeding is based on the two session team qualifying performance with any ties broken by previous head to head competition, then net IMPs. If four teams remain, the #1 seed plays their choice of #3 or #4. The District Finals start with a two session qualifying K.O [<10 teams] or Swiss [11+ teams]
3. General
   • The first weekend in May shall be reserved for a rotating Grand Nation Teams District 14 Final and Special Sectional. Recommended sites: The metropolitan areas of Des Moines, Twin Cities, Omaha, and Sioux City. No unit within 150 miles shall schedule a competing sectional.
   • The format for play, for any given number of teams, should be announced in advance.
   • Where there are no club qualifying games within a reasonable distance, a player including those who are out of state during the club and unit qualifying games period may petition the GNT District 14 Coordinator to play in the District 14 Final for the "buy-in" fee pf $20, preferably with a two week notice (April 15).
   • Players in all flights in the GNT District 14 Finals shall be guaranteed a minimum of two sessions.
   • District 14 allows stratified games at the club level and clubs are encouraged to run separate events whenever possible.
   • District 14 sponsors the District 14 Final including responsibilities for collecting income and covering all expenses.
   • District 14 does not allow unit sectional tournaments to run opposite the dates of the GNT District Finals unless the sectional tournament is held at the same site (except for Rapid City).
   • There is no carryover to the second day in flights with KO formats for semi-final and final play.
   • The price of team entries will be determined by the District 14 GNT Coordinator. Fulltime students less than 27 years will pay half of the posted entry fee.
   • District 14 will reimburse the D14 Open Flight championship team for up to two days of entry fees to match the ACBL policy for the three lower flights.
4. On October 2009 the District Board endorsed the following five principles:
   • Each Unit will designate a liaison for GNT coordination, typically the Unit GNT Coordinator or Unit Tournament Coordinator, who will work with the club managers in the unit to encourage GNT participation as well as coordinate with District 14 GNT coordinator.
   • The District 14 GNT coordinator will prepare a list of fees due the District from each Unit at the conclusion of the club qualifying period based on reports from the ACBL Special Events coordinator.
   • Unit liaisons will assist the D14 GNT coordinator to see that table fees from club qualifiers are forwarded to the District before the completion of the District Finals.
   • Club managers will print report forms from GNT club qualifying games as they occur and be prepared to forward table fees and report forms when requested. Club managers need not send a series of checks after each qualifying game. Club managers will also prepare a list of GNT-qualified players for posting at the conclusion of their qualifiers.
   • Units are encouraged to hold two-session Unit Finals with the following benefits and caveats:
     1. Players can earn gold points in a two session Unit GNT game.
     2. Players do not have to play in a Unit Final to qualify for the District Finals
     3. Unit Finals are not designed to thin the field; the maximum number of teams will qualify (ACBLScore program will qualify 90%).