All laws of chess of chess as per the rules of the Shropshire Standard League will be applied with the following exceptions below.
Any disputes arising will be resolved by adherence to the standard play league rules where appropriate. Interpretation of those rules and application to the rapidplay league will be at the discretion of the league controller.
Match Rules
Matches should start at 7.30pm.
Four boards per team.
"Home" teams will have white on boards 2 and 4.
Time control - 20 minutes for all moves (teams may use 10 minutes plus 10 seconds incremental per move if both captains agree).
Games will be graded - teams should play in rapidplay grade order but may use their standard grades only if no rapidplay grades exist. There is the usual 10-point flexibility. Players must use the most current rapidplay grading list in determining the team order. A player who obtains a rapidplay grade part way through the season must then use that grade for the remainder of the season.
If one player makes an illegal move, their opponent may stop the clocks and claim 2 minutes.
League Rules
Each team will host matches at their venue at least once a season with 3 matches played per night.
2 different clubs may combine their players at the league controllers discretion if it enables them to field a team. If 2 clubs wish to do this, they must notify the league controller prior to the start of the season.
Results must be submitted within 8 days of the match date, it is the responsibility of the "home" team captain from each individual match to forward that result.
Each win will grant that team 2 points, each draw 1 point and each loss 0 points.
The top 2 teams in division 2 will be promoted and the bottom 2 teams in division 1 will be relegated at the end of the season.
If a team fails to field at least half the number of boards (they only field 1 player on the night), that default will result in a 1 point deduction for that match night, note not a 1 point deduction per match but per night. No warnings will be given.
Player Eligibility
A member of a club may only be nominated for one team for that club. If a player is a member of more than one club, he/she may only play for one club within a division.
Every team must nominate 3 players at the start of the season. These players are ineligible to play for lower teams in the same club although may play for their higher teams subject to the below restrictions.Nominated players must play for their team at least three games (1 match night) in a season. If this proves impossible on account of unforeseen circumstance ( eg, the player moving away from the area), the league controller has discretion to accept an alternative nominated player for the remainder of the season who must then play the balance of the 3 games not played by the original nominated player. Breach of this rule will result in 1 match point per game not played.
If a team in the second division uses a player who normally plays for another Shropshire club in a higher division during that season, then it is permitted only on condition that the player has a current summer grade of below 150. The only exception to this is if 2 clubs had applied at the start of the season to combine to field a team.
Players graded over 135 are tied to their team in the first division, after playing for that team on the 6th occasion, for the remainder of the season. That player may no longer play in the 2nd division.
Teams in the first division may field substitutes graded below 135 from a lower team from the same club without restriction.