..and you waited all weekend for this? To finish off this short intro on running tournaments, we'll touch quickly on what to do after the event (and after your burrito/gin combo), and some of those awkward situations that can crop up in tournaments. In fact we'll do that first......
When things run smoothly, it’s easy, but tiring, to run a tournament. It’s when things go awry that it gets stickier. Here are some "what-ifs", and suggestions (only suggestions) on what you might do:-
What if I have a player arriving late? If they arrive a few minutes after the start, and it makes the number of players odd, then you might consider giving them a bye round. If the number is even, then see if the player on the bye round would pair with them - it makes for a shorter game, but is possibly better than sitting around. Otherwise they’ll have to start round 2 with a score of 0(0) and work their way up from there. Anyone arriving after round 1 has finished is probably out of luck.
What if a player is stalling? It’s often difficult to gauge when a player is stalling as different players have different speeds, and what is slow to one is normal to another. It helps if you know the people concerned and can judge it. Failing that, watch some of the action - the fact that they know you are watching will often sort the problem out. If they are stalling issue a warning that they will forfeit that game (or any subsequent game) if they continue. Do so, if it continues. Watch out for a sudden surge in (spurious) questions, another stalling method. Also be wary of people asking "how much time is left?" as that may bring on another attack of dithering.
What if a player is cheating? Be absolutely certain of your facts before you call this one! If you are certain that the player cheated, then they are out of the tournament, and their current opponent has a 100-0 victory. Previous rounds will not be affected as you cannot undo those results and their effect on pairing.
What if a player is disruptive? Warn them first, then make them forfeit a round. If they continue to be awkward, then expulsion from the tournament will be your only option. Your "duty" is to make it a good time for the other players, so you may have to make a stand. If they are truly being a jerk, the other players will probably be grateful.
What if a player leaves before the event is over? If they leave in the middle of a round, the game is scored as if their opponent had achieved victory conditions (100 or 140 points as appropriate). The differential for that match-up is calculated on the basis of the current score of the player who’s leaving. They are then dropped from the pairings for future rounds and their score stays static.
What if the final trumpet sounds, signaling the Second Coming? You’re on your own, kid.
Things to do afterwards:
Think you’re done? Not quite. There are still a few formalities to be carried out. Mail the PADD’s in to Decipher as soon as possible (or use their really nice tournament reporting software if you are lucky enough to have it). Complete and mail the Scrye forms (these can be obtained by contacting Scrye at Scryeditor@aol.com) to get your victor’s beaming visage into the next issue. Write a tournament report for Decipher and also for your players…they often want to know how well they did and it gets forgotten in all the excitement. Then take a day off and begin planning the next one!
Wrapup:
Final disclaimer: these are my views and everyone finds their own ways of doing things. Hope you found it useful, and have as much fun running tournaments as I do.
Solok
This is part of a series of instructional posts and videos produced by Mogh Enterprises ("Buy this or die. Wait a minute, buy this and die."). Other titles in this series include "Solok's Guide To Running Your Own Presidiential Campaign", "Solok's Simple Tax System - IRS Guide", "Solok's Guide To Raising Teenage Girls - A Success Story", and "Solok's Guide To Organising Retreats From Moscow". They should be available from all reputable book stores. Sadly, they aren't.
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Solok's Guide To Tournaments pt 3: Aftermath and those awkward situations ... Solok ... [4/19/99 13:06]
