7. GOLD POINT TOURNAMENTS (other than Congresses)

7.1 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Entry to these competitions is limited to players who are registered with the ABF, or else are visitors from overseas.

7.2 NATIONAL (minor) CHAMPIONSHIPS - Grade A2

7.2.1 Open entry selection events

7.2.2 Other open entry events

Australian Youth Teams	Youth	Canberra
Australian Youth Pairs	Youth	Canberra
Australian Restricted Teams	Novice	Canberra
Australian Mixed Teams	Mixed	Canberra
Australian Men’s Pairs	Men	Canberra
Australian Women's Pairs	Women	Canberra
Australian Seniors' Pairs	Seniors	Canberra
Australian Mixed Pairs	Mixed	Canberra
Australian Novice Pairs	Novice	Canberra
Gold Coast Restricted Teams	Novice	Gold Coast
Gold Coast Restricted Pairs	Novice	Gold Coast
Gold Coast Restricted Swiss Pairs	Novice	Gold Coast
ANC Swiss Pairs	Open	ANC
Australian Butler Novice Pairs	Novice	ANC

7.3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - Grade A

7.3.1 National Play-offs

Australian Teams Selection - Open/Women/Seniors/Youth

7.3.2 Closed Championships (following pre-selection)

7.3.3 Open entry Championships

National Women’s Teams	Women	Canberra
Australian Seniors’ Teams	Seniors	Canberra
National Swiss Pairs	Open	Canberra
South West Pacific Teams	Open	Canberra
Gold Coast Teams	Open	Gold Coast
Gold Coast Seniors’ Teams	Seniors	Gold Coast
Gold Coast Pairs	Open	Gold Coast
Gold Coast Swiss Pairs	Open	Gold Coast
Gold Coast Seniors’ Pairs	Seniors	Gold Coast
Autumn National Seniors’ Swiss Pairs	Seniors	Adelaide
Autumn National Women's Swiss Pairs	Women	Adelaide
Autumn National Open Teams	Open	Adelaide
Victor Champion Cup Teams	Open	Melbourne
McCance Seniors’ Teams	Seniors	Melbourne
Hans Rosendorff Memorial Teams	Women	Perth
Western Seniors’ Pairs	Seniors	Perth
Swan River Swiss Pairs	Open	Perth
Women's Swiss Teams	Women	Sydney
Bobby Evans Seniors’ Swiss Teams	Seniors	Sydney
Australian Swiss Pairs	Open	Tasmania
R J Cummings Pairs	Open	Sydney
Spring National Open Teams	Open	Sydney
Spring National Women’s Teams	Women	Sydney

7.4 GOLD POINT CONGRESSES Grade A3

Barrier Reef Teams	Open	Nth Queensland
Safilo Swiss Teams	Open	Sydney
Coffs Coast Congress	Open	Coffs Harbour
Golden West Pairs	Open	Perth
Hans Rosendorff Swiss Pairs	Men	Perth

7.5 MASTERPOINTING NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

7.5.1 Grade A2 tournaments

Grade A2 events are masterpointed in the standard manner (allowing for the grade weighting of 5.0), following the procedure described in clause 5.4.1 for grade A3 Congresses. The Goldpoint Coordinator, as the officer responsible for issuing all gold point credits (apart from those issued in GNOT qualifying rounds) must approve and then authorize the masterpoint calculations .

7.5.2 Grade A tournaments

Grade A events, as listed in clause 7.3.3, are masterpointed as above, allowing for the grade weighting of 10.0. Grade A events listed in clauses 7.3.1 and 7.3.2 (with the exception of the GNOT) receive a table amplification factor, to compensate for the fact that the field is limited in numbers due to the preceding selection process. Whenever this factor applies, the outright award (but not the session awards) is based on the amplified number of tables. Details of the events affected by the above rule are given in the following clauses 7.5.3 to 7.5.8 inclusive.

7.5.3 National Play-offs

Masterpoints are awarded for the National Play-offs whenever they do not form a part of the WBF Zone 7 Championships; the masterpoints awarded will not be counted towards the McCutcheon Trophy or Awards (ref. clauses 1.7.2 and 1.7.3). Session awards are standard for the grade (0.08 gold point per board), and increase to 0.12 gold point per board when the field is, or is reduced to, 4 teams or less. These awards should be reduced by 25% for Women's Senior's and Youth events. When matches are played in a number of segments, session awards are given per segment (and not the whole match) provided the segments are not shorter than 12 boards. Therefore, when a 60 board final is played in 6x10 board segments, it will be treated as three 20 board matches. A table amplification factor of 3 applies, hence the outright awards are given to all participants (one third of the amplified field). These awards are based on the number of 24 board sessions actually played by the teams under consideration.

7.5.4 Australian Butler Pairs

Stage 1 (preliminary) receives session awards at grade A2 level (0.04 gold point per board).

Stage 2 and stage 3 are considered as the qualifying and final rounds of the grade A event proper. Consequently, session awards are 0.08 gold point per board (stage 2), increasing to 0.12 gold point per board in stage 3.

Outright awards are based on the number of tables in stage 2 increased by an amplification factor of 1.5 and the number of 24 board sessions played in stages 2 and 3 together.

7.5.5 Interstate Teams Championships

Session awards are 0.08 gold point per board, increasing to 0.12 gold point per board for the finals. Outright awards, based on a table amplification factor of 3, are calculated as described in clause 7.5.3.

7.5.6 Interstate Pairs Championship

Session awards are standard for the grade (based on the actual size of the field). Outright awards, based on a table amplification factor of 1.5, are given to the top three quarters of the actual field (one half of the amplified field).

7.5.7 Grand National Open Teams

Qualifying rounds (played in all States) receive session awards at grade A2 level (0.04 gold point per board), increasing to 0.06 gold point per board for State or Regional finals, provided that such finals are of at least three sessions duration, with not less than 10 teams (each qualifying via club heats) participating. These awards apply for matches of 5 or more boards, i.e. the normal requirement of 7 boards (see clause 4.2.2) is waived. Masterpointing of the qualifying rounds is the responsibility of the State Masterpoint Secretaries - the supervision of the Goldpoint Coordinator is not required. The National preliminary rounds receive session awards at grade A level: 0.08 gold point per board, increasing to 0.12 gold point per board for the finals, defined as the point at which the number of tables drops to 8 or less.

Qualifying events, where the winners do not directly qualify for the National Finals, are not eligible for final placing awards, only the Grade A2 session awards.

Qualifying events, where the winners go directly to the National Finals, are entitled to final placing awards. The awards, at the A2 rate, are calculated ignoring prior qualifying events, e.g. club qualifying sessions for a Regional final, so T equals the number of tables in that final, while S equals the number of sessions.

Outright awards for the National final are based on the number of tables in the National preliminary, are calculated as described in clause 7.5.3, and then given to all players who reached the National preliminary qualifying stage.

7.5.8 Grand National Pairs

Entry to the Grand National Pairs (GNP) is restricted to those players under Life Master ranking as at the 1st of January of that year. An exception may be made where a club is in a rural area, and has less than 30 home club members, provided that the masterpoint total of the two players as at January 1st is less than 450.
The GNP is played in three stages, viz.
(1) Club Selections –early qualifying rounds.
(2) Regional Finals – to select pairs to represent the region in the National final.
(3) The National Final.
Gold masterpoints are awarded to GNP-eligible players at all three stages of the tournament. Ineligible players competing in Club Selections shall only be given masterpoints at the Grade E level.
Note: The Master factors, as detailed in clause 4.4.9 do not apply – competitors get the full stated masterpoint awards.

7.5.8.1 Club Selections

7.5.8.2 Regional Finals

7.5.8.3 National Final

7.5.9 National Open Teams

Participation in this event is restricted to "N" Teams (number selected by the ABF depending on the size of the initial field) which finished at the top of the field, or fields, in the South West Pacific Teams Championship. Session awards are 0.12 gold point per board (50% premium applied).
Outright awards, based on a table amplification factor of 2, calculated as described in clause 7.4.3, are given to the top two thirds of the actual field.