2011 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship qualification system

Preamble

• A total of 52 entrants will qualify to compete at the next Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship (CNSC).
• This event will take place in Toronto from June 10 to 13, 2011.

Eligibility

• All participants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
• All participants must be NASPA members in good standing.

Qualification period

• As announced at CNSC 2008, the qualification period (QP) began immediately following CNSC 2008.
• By special vote of the CC, the qualification period for the 2011 CNSC will end on March 27, 2011.

Prior to the special vote, the following rules had been established for CNSC qualification periods...

• The QP will end four months before the start date of the CNSC or one month after the official announcement of the CNSC, whichever comes later.
• Exception: If the CNSC is announced one month or less from its start date then the QP will end immediately.
• Tournaments in progress at the end of the QP will be considered to have fallen within the QP.

Defending CNSC champion

Adam Logan receives an automatic berth as defending champion.

Participation requirement

Players who wish to qualify for any of the remaining 51 berths must meet a minimum participation requirement. Players will be credited for rated NSA or NASPA tournament games played and directed within the qualification period. This requirement varies from province to province and is based upon each player's primary residence:

• Ontario and outside Canada: 40 games played or directed
• Alberta, BC, and Quebec: 30 games played or directed
• Manitoba and Saskatchewan: 20 games played or directed
• Maritimes, Newfoundland, and Territories: 10 games played or directed
• The maximum amount of credit any one player may receive for directing is 1/2 of that player's minimum requirement.
• No credit will be given for games directed in tournaments in which the director also played.

Peak rating

The next 47 berths will be awarded based on peak rating (PR). A player's PR is defined as his or her highest rating that satisfies the following conditions:

• It is achieved in an open rated tournament.
• It is not achieved before the tournament in which the participation requirement has been met.
• It is achieved in the last 18 months of the qualification period.
• It may be either a TWL rating or a (NASPA) Collins rating.

If two or more players have the same PR, then the tie will be broken by each player's second highest PR eligible rating. If still tied then the tie will be broken by drawing of lots.

Qualifying tournaments

It is the intention of the Canadian Committee to award the four remaining berths based on two qualifying tournaments (QTs). However, either or both of these QTs may be cancelled if, for reasons of logistics or practicality, the process becomes unworkable. In that event, the berths that would have been awarded based on the cancelled QT(s) will be awarded based on PR.

• The QTs will be held after the 47 PR berths have been awarded.
• One QT will be held in western Canada and the other will be held in eastern Canada.
• The sites, dates, and formats of the QTs will be announced in due time.
• The QTs may be held in conjunction with other Scrabble events.
• The QTs will be restricted to players who have not already qualified for the CNSC.
• Only players who are eligible to play in the CNSC and who intend to play in the CNSC will be allowed to compete in the QTs.
• Players may compete in only one QT.
• All QT participants must meet the same minimum participation requirements as those who qualified based on peak rating.
• There is no minimum PR requirement to play in a QT, but interested players must notify the director in advance to confirm their intention to play in a QT.
• The director of each QT has the right to limit the number of entrants based on the size of the venue.
• The director of the QT will determine and announce which criteria (PR or first-come-first-served) will be used to enforce this limit.
• The top two finishers at each QT will receive CNSC berths.
• Any ties in the QTs will be broken by PR.

Qualifying tournament hosts

The CC will be accepting offers from NASPA clubs and directors who are interested in hosting one of the two regional QTs for the 2011 CNSC. These QTs must be held sometime in May. Organizers are free to devise any format which will best determine the top two finishers (who will earn CNSC berths). A QT may be held in conjunction with another NASPA event already scheduled for May. Players who compete in QTs must meet the same requirements as those who qualified for the CNSC based on peak rating. Please contact the CC for any further information or to submit an offer to host a QT. The deadline to submit an offer is March 31.

Current standings

Current qualification standings will be updated regularly until the close of the qualification period.

Alternates

All alternates will be chosen on the basis of PR.

Disputes

Any dispute regarding the application or interpretation of any of the above will be resolved by the Canadian Committee, whose decision will be final.