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| − | This page outlines the criteria that will be used to select the players who will represent the United States at the [[2014 SCRABBLE Champions Tournament]] (SCT), formerly known as the World SCRABBLE Championship (WSC).
  | + | #REDIRECT [[2014_SCRABBLE_Champions_Tournament_US_Qualification_System]]  | 
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| − | == Eligibility ==
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| − | All players wishing to qualify must be NASPA members in good standing.
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| − | United States citizens and permanent residents are eligible.
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| − | Players may not register for the qualification process if they have already registered 
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| − | to qualify for another nation. If a player registers to play for the U.S. and then 
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| − | withdraws to attempt to represent another nation at SCT 2014, they will be ineligible 
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| − | to compete for the U.S. at the next SCT.
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| − | == Assumptions and Caveats ==
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| − | It is unknown but assumed for the purposes of the process defined below:  
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| − |   The SCT will be held sometime between September and December of 2014. 
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| − | If it is held earlier in the year than September, the end of the Qualifying 
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| − | Period, deadline for process registration, and the dates for the Qualifying 
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| − | Tournament will be moved earlier accordingly. 
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| − |   The United States will have between 13 and 15 slots for the 2014 SCT. 
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| − | If the WESPA process of awarding slots changes and the US has fewer than 13 or 
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| − | greater than 15 slots available, then the number of slots available at the 
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| − | Qualifying Tournament will be adjusted accordingly.
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| − | == Registering for the qualification process ==
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| − | Players who intend to claim a spot on the team as one of the top 10 finishers at 
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| − | the 2013 SCT or who intend to qualify on the basis of peak rating must register and 
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| − | commit to play by the end of the Qualification Period (see below). Any player who 
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| − | qualifies by peak rating or top ten finish, registers for the process, and withdraws 
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| − | after the end of the Qualification Period will be ineligible to play on the U.S. team at 
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| − | the the next SCT. Players wishing to register should contact [[Sam Kantimathi]] and 
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| − | [[John Chew]]. 
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| − | The deadline for registering for the qualification tournament will be announced 
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| − | after the date for the tournament is set. All players in the qualifying tournament must 
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| − | agree to attend the SCT if they qualify. Any player who qualifies via the qualifying 
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| − | tournament and withdraws after the completion of the qualifying tournament will be 
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| − | ineligible to play on the U.S. team at the next SCT.
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| − |    |   | 
| − | == Qualified players ==
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| − | The following players have qualified to represent the USA at the 2014 SCT: 
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| − | # Qualified via top ten overall finish at 2013 SCT:   |   | 
| − | # Qualified via peak rating: 
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| − | # Qualified via Qualification tournament: 
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| − |    |   | 
| − | == Registered player list ==
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| − | The following players have registered for the qualification process:
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| − | == Qualification period (QP) ==
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| − | The qualification period begins with the 2013 National Scrabble Championship 
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| − | and ends Memorial Day Weekend 2014 (although see Assumptions and Caveats 
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| − | above). A qualification tournament (QT) will be held in June or July of 2014 (again, 
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| − | see Assumptions and Caveats). 
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| − | Note: Tournaments that are in progress at the beginning or end of the QP were 
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| − | considered to fall within the QP.
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| − | == Available spots ==
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| − | It is assumed that the United States will be represented by between thirteen and fifteen players in 2014.  (see Assumptions and Caveats above)
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| − | == Criteria (in order) ==
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| − | === 1. [[World English-language Scrabble Players' Association]]  (WESPA)  bye(s) ===
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| − | Any spots awarded by WESPA (for example, for being a finalist at the previous SCT, or for being champion of the WYSC) do not count against the United States' allotment.
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| − |    |   | 
| − | === 2. Top ten overall finishers from the [[2013 World SCRABBLE Championship]] ===
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| − | Any American finishing in the overall top ten in the 2013 SCT will be invited to 
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| − | represent the US in the 2014 SCT, provided they maintain NASPA membership and 
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| − | play the minimum number of tournament games in QP. If any of these players 
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| − | decline to play, then additional spots will be determined by peak rating. 
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| − |    |   | 
| − | === 3. Qualification tournament (QT) ===
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| − | Four spots will be determined by a 20-game qualification tournament that will be 
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| − | held in June or July of 2014. Details about the tournament will be announced later. 
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| − | To be eligible for the QT, players must meet the eligibility requirements for 
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| − | representing the US at the 2014 SCT as enumerated above. The participation 
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| − | requirement does not apply to players who wish to qualify via the QT. Players who 
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| − | sign up for the QT will be automatically registered for the qualifying process, and 
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| − | must commit to play the SCT if they earn a spot.
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| − |    |   | 
| − |    |   | 
| − | === 4. Peak NASPA SOWPODS rating (PR) ===
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| − | The remainder of slots (depending on the number of Americans in the top ten, 
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| − | and the overall team allocation) will be determined by peak rating during the QP. 
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| − | A player must have played at least 31 fully rated (CSW) NASPA games before their 
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| − | post-tournament rating will count as a peak rating. The final rating from any fully rated tournament once this participation requirement is met may be used as a PR. 
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| − | Any bonus points will count as a part of a person’s PR. 
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| − | Ratings following tournaments which are not fully rated (ie, LCTs) will not count 
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| − | as a peak rating, but any such games played will count as 1/3 of a game towards fulfilling the participation requirement.
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| − |    |   | 
| − | ==== PR tie-breakers ====
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| − | # Head-to-head records among tied players in fully rated games during the QP. 
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| − | # Second highest rating achieved after playing at least 31 games in the QP. 
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| − | # Highest rating achieved after any fully rated tournament in the QP. 
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| − | # Number of CSW games played in the QP. 
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| − | # Drawing of lots.
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| − | == Qualification Standings ==
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| − | == Alternates ==
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| − | Any spots opened by withdrawl of a player after the applicable deadline (end 
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| − | of the Qualifying Period, or completion of the Qualifying Tournament) will be 
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| − | filled by PR.
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