The below letter is from Mike Sierra. The section on "How Players are Drawn" does not come out right. It changes once I post it, so I'm sorry if that section looks confusing. Lorraine
Fellow Foosers:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our foosball players from beginners, amateurs, rookies, semi-pros, pros, and pro-masters for competing in and supporting our Saturday & Sunday night tournaments at Lumpys Downtown. Many thanks to our out of State friends who frequent our tournaments. I’d also like to thank family members who come out to watch their favorite fooser in action. Thank you to Lumpys Downtown for all their support, help, and contributions to our foosball sport in Salt Lake City, UT. Thank you to Best Distributing for quality foosball tables and parts to keep the foosball tables in good playing condition. In addition, a special thank you to Lorraine Hough for all her hard work and dedication in maintaining our website and player contact needs. Thanks to all the players that have helped with suggestions, table maintenance, and helping run the tournament when needed and their support by showing up on a regular basis. With all of the above mentioned, and anybody I’ve missed, these tournaments would not be the success that we’re enjoying today.
We’re coming up on our one-year anniversary of tournaments at Lumpys Downtown. A year ago today Lumpys had one table tucked away in the corner by the dart boards. Lorraine Hough, in search of a tournament location went to Lumpys and asked if they would be interested in having tournaments there. Through a series of meetings we were able to coordinate tournaments as we see them today. In the first six months we went from one table to two tables, then three tables, two of which were new tables with the voices of the foosball players being heard.
In addition to the $5.00 per person being matched at our weekly tournament, Lumpys Downtown donated a $400.00 budget toward shirts and trophies for qualifier finals held September 2006. This qualifier finals being held on March 23, 24, 25 (watch for flyer), Lumpys Downtown has donated $600.00 toward shirts and trophies. This is a very appreciated 50% raise. This is a direct reflection on our foosball players, friends and families in helping make foosball tournaments at Salt Lake City’s Lumpys Downtown a success. We are making progress!
We’re coming up on a 30 year anniversary of when the Point System Qualifier was designed - wow that makes us old. At Farmer’s Daughter, approximately 1977, a few of the foosball players gathered together to design a system that would be competitive not only for that night, but also for the time frame of the season agreed on - I won’t mention who was at that meeting for they may not want to disclose their ages. Throughout the years many people have implemented that point system with various deviations. Many thanks to you people for keeping it alive after 30 years.
At that time, we listed a set of guidelines to follow for our point system during that era. We feel the need and believe it’s long overdue to list a few rules of thumb or guidelines used when running our upcoming tournaments.
I would also like to apologize for any mistakes or misunderstandings made, past, present, or future while running these tournaments. We are not paid professionals, just volunteers donating time and efforts in the hopes that ALL foosball players from beginners to professionals can enjoy the love of foosball as many players have and have a great time doing it.
Below are a few guidelines I use when running a foosball tournament. Note that of these may fluctuate depending on time frame and amount of teams.
GUIDELINES
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL:
Start time 8:00 p.m. $5.00 Entry. Starting time or cancellation of tournament may occur if Lumpys schedules a banquet or function reserved downstairs.
Events:
Two separate tournaments including Open Doubles/Bring Your Partner and
Beginner Doubles/Bring Your Partner.
Or, two separate tournaments including Open Singles and Beginner Singles.
Specialty events added - time permitting.
These events alternate every other Saturday (see schedule).
1. Beginners play against beginners only, but may play in open events also.
2. Amateurs and above cannot play in beginner events.
3. Matches are 2-3 in winners and loser’s bracket - ITSF rules. Exception, if time not allowed to finish tournament switching to 1-7, win by 2 to 11 in loser’s bracket. Must announce and will write on bracket sheets. In this instance where switching to 1-7 has occurred, when playing in the loser’s bracket, winner of loser’s bracket only will be 2-3 matches. All other matches in the losers bracket will be as posted for that night, exception time permitting, possible game to seven, win by two to 11.
4. Players must check bracket sheets to verify 2-3 or 1-7, and check before you leave to verify that you are totally out. Note, doubles teams help each other.
5. If a player leaves due to emergency or mistake or chooses to leave, a player may be substituted with another player of equal status of the player that left.
6. In order to start on time, players may be added until all byes are sold.
7. No point system kept track of on Saturday night tournaments.
SUNDAY TOURNAMENTS - April - 2007 Season:
Start time 6:00 p.m. - ITSF Rules.
Point System Qualifier Events - during season.
Points awarded for below events are as follows:
1st place - 10 points
2nd place - 7 points
3rd place - 5 points
4th place - 3 points
Tournaments are $5.00 entry fee. On tournament closest to holidays (Sunday only) entry fee is $10.00 and double points are awarded and count as two tournaments toward tournaments needed to qualify for finals. (Length of season and amount of times needed to qualify for point system starting April 2007 to be announced - watch for flyer.
EVENTS:
1. Shake & Bake first Sunday of month double draw - ½ of the tournament Bring Your Partner and ½ of tournament Open Draw Your Partner - no handicap points on this tournament night.
2. Double draw, ½ Pro/Am Draw Your Partner, ½ open draw - handicap points used.
Example of handicap points:
No handicap points amateur and above.
No handicap points for two women on same team - exception for two beginners only.
Two beginners on same team will receive one point spot per game (Group A).
One beginner against amateur or above will receive one point spot per game - singles only.
HOW PLAYERS ARE DRAWN:
Group A Group B Group C Group D
Beginners Pro/Master Rookie Amateur
Pro
Semi Pro
B Rookie
1. Group A draws from Group B.
2. Group C draws from Group D.
3. Too many beginners - Group C added to Group B to even #.
4. Too many Group B - Group D added to Group A to even #.
5. Too many Group C - Group C added to Group D.
6. Too many Group D - Group D added to Group C.
*Note, tournament director will make final decision on how teams will be evened up.
Two players may not draw each other the same night. Note: no redraws if a player draws same player. He or she will move to next team down.
Example:
Pro/Am Open Draw
Team # 1 Joe - Susan #1 Joe Susan move down
2 2 Above moved down then continue drawing
All matches Sunday night:
Six teams or less, 2-3 winners, and 2-3 losers.
Seven teams or more, 2-3 winners, and 1-7, win by 2 to eleven maximum.
Exception, if time not allowed to finish tournament as designated above, switching 2-3 matches to 1-7, win by 2 to 11 in loser’s bracket may occur. Must announce and will write on bracket sheets. In the instance where switching to 1-7 has occurred, or is played as a result of seven teams or more, when playing in the loser’s bracket, winner of loser’s bracket only will be 2-3 matches, but that could change due to time constraints. So please remember that even if a 1-7 switch has occurred, and you are the winner of the loser’s bracket, you will be playing 2-3 unless this has been changed due to time constraints.
*NOTE: It is the players responsibility to check chart for matches called, time frame, 1-7 or 2-3. Tournament director will mark charts accordingly and make every effort to announce changes. Ultimately it is the players’ responsibility to find out what the current chart status is - do not rely on what you heard earlier in the evening - make sure you know just prior to match as things can and do change.
Players should check before leaving to verify that you are totally out. Note, doubles teams help each other.
If a player leaves due to emergency or mistake or chooses to leave, a player may be substituted with another player of equal status of the player that left.
In order to start on time, players may be added until all byes are sold.
Lumpys’ management and Tournament Director reserve the right to refuse service of or disqualify any players or persons due to misconduct or damaging of equipment. Please act in a sportsmanlike manner and have a great time at these tournaments.
Again, I would like to thank everybody involved. These foosball tournaments are for your enjoyment. They are designed to teach and help the newcomers as well as strengthen and hone the skill of the old-timers. Please be respectful of each other and help each other to have a fun time at these tournaments.
I hope that these Guidelines will help to better understand how these tournaments are run. Any suggestions or comments, please feel free to call me at 801.561.0611.
Sincerely,
Mike Sierra
 |
