WCL 2019: Rules

I have difficulty seeing the problem. This is not about FIDE federation, but about chess.com flags, which can be changed immediately and at no cost. We have quite a few non-Dutch expats in Team The Hague as well. Almost all of them chose the Dutch flag on chess.com.

I again  .... 

Only one rule is needed.

If a player plays for a national team in which that city is, is not important which flag is, each flag is a domestic flag. (also an international tag)

Interesting suggestion. But very hard to check. You would need to automatise this.

The automatic check could be similar or even included, in multiplayer detection tool.

Can the Australian clubs also request (and there are 8 in this league) that we have a start time that is changed from month to month to make this league fairer for all cities of the world.  We are supposed to be a World League.  Currently these matches start at 3.30am my time in Adelaide and I am supposed to be here at that hour in case someone changes their flag or a foreign flag bearer joins just before the start and to check how many opponents my opposing team supplies to apply this rule. 

All the Australian clubs are disadvantaged with this.

And it is unfair.   Had I been awake when this happened I would have been able to fix this misunderstanding of the rules at that time before the start and query the league for a ruling.

As it was I did my best and thought I was abiding by your rules which in my opinion are unclear.

Please alter the start time to make this fairer for all of us and let these other clubs have start times of 3am from time to time.

Just something to consider.

I'm sorry, @Kookaburrra, but I think you should know the rules before the start of the competition. Probably you are a good administrator, but it was still your job to do something to avoid breaking any rule.

@BorgQueen, Argentina has a similar mix of nationalities, but Team Buenos Aires hasn't any non-argentine flag. I believe 25% is a more than enough ratio to include the diversity that you mention, or do you say that there are less than 3 aussies by each foreigner?

I don’t think the rules were clear as I stated before and have said before.   And hope they are altered for clarity in the future.  

I deleted a number of comments at the end of this thread that were not about the rules. Please observe that this is a thread for discussing the rules of the WCL.

1.  Did you see my request for a varying start time above.  As I can’t be responsible if someone joins with a foreign flag while I am asleep.  And we are all asleep at 3 am usually.  I guess I could lock the match but that’s not usual as people are always encouraged to join.    It does disadvantage our Australian clubs.   Let Europe or the Americas have 3am occasionally.

2.  BTW the World League for the national teams has no such foreign flag rule and maybe this needs revision.     There are other matches in the city competition with this issue which no one has said anything about.    It’s obviously a rule that needs review.   At least to make it practical so that admin can enforce it regardless of what our opponents do and without regard to starting times.  

What's your suggestion regarding starting times? I find it difficult conceiving a rule that is simple, clear and fair to all teams in all parts of the world. A uniform, unchanging starting time for all matches is at least simple and clear.

As far as I can see, it has not been a major problem recently that players enter/leave in the last few hours before the match start. In all matches of Team The Hague, the registrations are normally unchanging during the last day before the round begins.

The foreign flag player rule will be revised for next season. We avoid rule changes during an ongoing season.

I think it should change by 2 hours each round.  Or 3 hours depending on the number of rounds.  That’s fair.     It is much easier to get members to join in the day than at 3am.   Or to check the matches.  

And it is too late for the Adelaide vs Misarata match to change the foreign flag rule for next season.  Not our fault the rule is unclear.  :-(.    And I think this is the only publicly acknowledged problem here this season although checking there are other matches to which this rule could apply to.    Why not just waive this rule this season?    It is an unusual and impractical rule to begin with.   

Good day everyone! I am new in this discussion. I think it will be useful to once again indicate the rules to which all refer.

1. The number of foreign flag players is limited to 25% in each cumulative (possibly incomplete) block of 12 players (i.e. max 3 players on boards 1-12, max 6 players on boards 1-24 etc. and max 25% in total).
2. Foreign flag players in excess of these maximum are considered irregular players and their results are corrected according to Appendix D. The players identified as irregular are successively #2, 4, 6 etc. (and if this is not sufficient, #3, 7, 11) of all foreign-flag players of a team.
3. A violation of the foreign flag player rule must be claimed in the forum of the respective league/division. It is not checked automatically.

4. In general, admins are not allowed to remove players from the rosters of their teams.

As an exception to the general rule, admins may remove players in the following case:

Foreign flag players in excess of the foreign flag maximum. That is, more than 25 percent of the total number of players who joined.

1. Where is it written in the rules that the administrator must monitor the number of players on the opposing team?
2. Why should a club administrator who performs many functions remove his players based on the number of opponents, and not on the number of players who joined on his part?
3. Is it fair if a club in which there are 12 strong players, that is, the minimum number, plays with a large club of 300 people, most of which are of medium and small rating and the second club has to remove its players, just because the opponent did not bother to invite more than announced minimum (minimum 12 people)?
4. Is it normal that the club administrator can invite 12 high-rated players before the competition itself and be engaged in trolling the administrator of the opposing team?
5. What is the point of holding such a competition, where a player who constantly plays for a club should be removed against his wishes from the competition, only because the color of his flag differs from the allowed color of the flag? Is this a form discrimination?
6. Are these competitions held so that players can play for fun and enjoyment or so that some people can troll other people and satisfy their ego?
7. 12 people can represent the whole city. Where did such a minimum number of players come from? Maybe this is too small a quantity?

The rules of the WCL have evolved over years as a precarious compromise between the diverging ideas of different admins of different teams and the needs of manageable administration. We are always open for discussing alternative rules, but not if they are formulated in this kind of offensive way.

@RainPiper, I am open to constructive discussion. Let's discuss the controversial points of the rules that, which as you say have been created for a long time. What in my questions seemed offensive to you?

You used "fascism", which you now changed to "discrimination".

Have you read #62? There the reason for the foreign-flag rule is explained.

62 # seems to me very reasonable and reasonable. I agree that for city teams, 25 percent of foreign flags is a smart compromise.👍 It is incomprehensible to me why a team representing a large city, in which many players with low ratings play, is put at a disadvantage compared to a team with few players, and all with a high rating? Moreover, it is not possible to verify whether these high-ranking players are really connected with this city.

The discussion about small teams with relative many high-rated players has been ongoing since the city leagues exist. If you suggest a rule change that tackles this problem, we are ready to discuss it. But be aware: There is no simple solution.

About the match vs Team Tabriz. There are 17 high-rated players in this team with a rating from 2192 to 1639 and almost no medium and few rating players (one player 1456 does not count). Judging by the flags of these players from two different countries. 12 players from Iran, 5 players from Azerbaijan, 1 player playing the international flag. Thus, 6 out of 12 players play under a different flag (33.33% of all players). Is this normal, Team Australia-Adelaide SA vs Team Tabriz from the side of Team Tabriz there are 20 players with a high rating from 2188 to 1633 only one with 1567 reting and 0 (!) with a low rating? There are enough low and mid-ranked players in Team Tabriz. I wonder why they did not participate in such an important competition and did not support the honor of the city? Usually low-rated players are happy to take part in competitions. Maybe they were forbidden to participate in this competition to play? And the most interesting thing for the city Team Tabriz are the players from two different republics (!) Azerbaijan and Iran are two different countries. Azerbaijan used to be part of the USSR. The population of Azerbaijan is about 10 million people. The population of Iran is over 75 million people. Of the two countries with a total population of over 85 million, you can make one invincible city team Tabriz, right?