Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2019 Qualifier

Introduction

The 14^th WESPA Youth Cup (hereinafter “WESPAYC”) will be held in Malaysia from 29 November (Friday) to 1 December 2019 (Sunday). As a member association of the World English-Language Scrabble® Player Association (hereinafter “WESPA”), the Hong Kong Scrabble Players Association (hereinafter “HKSPA”) is entitled to select 10 quota players to represent Hong Kong in WESPAYC. The 10 quota players will be regarded as the official “Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team” by HKSPA and they are not required to pay entry fee to the event.

Eligible players

• Players must be born on or after 1 January 2002 to participate in WESPAYC.
• To play for or play under the name of Hong Kong, players must meet the criteria in the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation.
• Those who wish to participate in the qualifying process must be HKSPA Individual Members of session 2018 – 2019.

Qualifying Rules

Players wishing to represent Hong Kong as a part of the “Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team” in WESPAYC can qualify by (1) HKSPA Ratings, or (2) Qualifier. Students studying in a local secondary school must ask for school teacher’s permission to join this qualifier, as school absence approval is needed if you qualify. Other players should make themselves reasonably available for the tournament.

The ratings and/or rankings mentioned below correspond to the Peak Ratings between the period 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019. Peak Ratings refer to the highest attained ratings during the period.

Qualify by HKSPA Ratings

Players who satisfy the following criteria automatically qualify without the need to play in any qualifier:

1. Have played at least 50 HKSPA-rated games as at 30 June 2019, and
2. Have played at least 1 HKSPA-rated game during 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019, and
3. Have a peak rating of 1900 or above between the aforementioned period, and
4. Is a HKSPA Individual Member.

Qualify by Qualifier

The remaining spots will be decided by a two-stage HKSPA-rated qualifier consisting of the Preliminary Rounds and the Finals Day.

There are a total of 16 spots in the Finals Day. Players who satisfy all the following criteria automatically qualify for the Finals Day automatically:

1. Have played at least 50 HKSPA-rated games as at 30 June 2019, and
2. Have played at least 1 HKSPA-rated game during 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019, and
3. Have a peak rating of 1400 or above between the aforementioned period, and
4. Is a HKSPA Individual Member.

The remaining spots in the Finals Day will be contested for in the Preliminary Rounds. The Preliminary Rounds are open to all eligible players not automatically qualified for the Finals Day nor the Hong Kong Team.

Should any players qualified for the Finals Day withdraw beforehand, the extra spot(s) shall be determined by the final rankings of the Preliminary Rounds. Participants of the Preliminary Rounds not qualified for the Finals Day are thus welcomed to be present before the games of the Finals Day start as stand-by players.

Arrangement after Qualifier

The “Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team” for WESPAYC will consists of 10 members.

The Association will prepare a list (hereinafter “Ranking List”) of players which consists of players qualified by rankings (ordered by Peak Ratings) and players qualified to play in the Finals Day (ordered by the rankings of the Finals Day). Players who have a higher ranking on the Ranking List have the priority over the lower-ranked players to join the Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Team 2019 for WESPAYC.

Players will be required to confirm their interest in joining the WESPAYC after the Qualifier. HKSPA will announce the qualified players information after the deadline of reply.

Registering for the Qualification Process

All players wishing to participate in the qualification process are required to register via HKSPA Event Application System by signing into their members account and click on the “Join” button on or before 20 July 2019. Registration is also required for players eligible to be automatically qualified via HKSPA Ratings. For players who are not yet a member, they are required to click on “Enroll as a non-member” and complete the HKSPA Individual Membership application form to complete the enrollment procedure. Non-members failing to complete the HKSPA Individual Membership application form on or before the deadline of enrollment will be treated as invalid application.

As a non-profit organisation, we will be collecting entry fee to cover the cost of being a WESPA member as well as the cost of running this Qualifier. Players who are not automatically qualified for the Hong Kong Team (and thus are required to participate in at least one day of the Qualifier) are required to pay HK$30 entry fee for the Qualifier. If a player is required to participate in the Preliminary Rounds, he is also required to pay HK$50 deposit at the beginning of the day, to be returned only if (1) the player finishes all the games he or she should play, and (2) the player, if qualified for the Finals Day, does not withdraw without acceptable reason(s). The conditions for the returning of deposits are subject to the HKSPA Main Committee’s discretion and/or amendment without the need of prior notice.

Details of the Qualifier

Format

The Qualifier will be HKSPA-rated.

For both Preliminary Rounds and Finals Day: 8 games, Australian Swiss Draw (lagged except for game 5, which is the game immediately after lunch break), last 2 games King-of-the-Hill (KOTH)

25 minutes per player, 5 points unsubstantiated challenge penalty, WESPA rules version 3

Players from the same school can face each other.

Dictionary: Collins Official Scrabble Words 2019 (CSW19)

Verification Policy: All participants must bring their HKID card (passport or birth certificate showing that Right of Abode/Permanent Residence is established if they do not have a HKID card) to the venue before the Preliminary Rounds and Finals Day (if qualified) for verification. Players who can only show a photo or copy of the HKID card (passport or birth certificate showing that Right of Abode/Permanent Residence is established if they do not have a HKID card) have to pay an administrative fee of HK$50 per tournament day. Registered participants would not be allowed to play if no identification documents are shown before the Preliminary Rounds and Finals Day (if qualified).

If you think you are a Hong Kong player or have Hong Kong representation status under the Hong Kong Player Statuses Regulation but do not have any of the above documents to prove your claim, please contact us at info@hkscrabble.org stating your justifications and proof.

Contact

Please contact us at info@hkscrabble.org should you have any enquiries.

Acknowledgment

The venue for the Qualifier is provided through the courtesy of Methodist College.