The following are the procedures of which you should be aware if you are participating in a USBF online event, or stage of an event:
To Be Done in Advance of Play
1. Your BBO profile must include your complete real name.
2. You must have loaded a convention card on BBO so that your opponents can consult it during play.
3. ACBL approved defenses to Midchart methods that your opponents are playing have been posted on the USBF site (they are linked to a menu item under 2013 Junior USBC on the Tournaments menu). If you plan to use the ACBL defenses, you should print them and bring them with you to the site where you are playing. If you plan to use your own defenses to any Midchart methods, you should print those and bring them with you. You will not be allowed to access electronic documents while you are playing.
Procedures During Play
1. Undo’s:
a. There are no undo’s during play. Please do not ask your opponents for an undo during play and please do not allow an undo if you are asked.
b. If you make a misclick during the bidding, message the table to stop bidding and call the Director. The Director will determine whether an undo is appropriate and instruct you and your opponents what to do.
2. Thinking during play:
a. Declarer and 3rd hand should take time to think after the opening lead is made. Up to 30 seconds pause at that time is appropriate and does not require any explanation.
b. Otherwise: if you are on lead and need time to think, please message “thk” or something like that to the table so that the other players know that you are still there; if you are not on lead and need time to think, please wait to play your card and message ONLY THE OPPONENTS that you are thinking about the hand.
3, Alerts.
The appropriate way to alert is to click on Alert before you make a bid. To explain the alert, you may either type the explanation in the box to the right of the Alert button or message both opponents with the explanation.
4. Time.
If you think that one or both of your opponents are taking an unreasonable amount of time so your table may exceed the time limit for the match, call the Director.
5. Kibitzers
No Kibitzers are allowed during online play to preserve security.
6. Sequestered matches.
The last few matches of Round Robin play will be “sequestered” so that you do not know the current standings in the event as you play those matches. The purpose for this is so no one will have any incentive to play in an unnatural way because of their or their opponent’s current standing in the event. During play of a sequestered match, you may not chat to anyone other than the table, your opponents, USBF officials and the TD. In addition, you may chat to your partner between matches. If someone sends you a chat message between matches, please respond that you are not allowed to chat during this stage of the competition.