NMBL

Tips for running the day

• Please note when there are nine counties entered in an event counties must play 5 x 4 rather than 3 x 3 teams. The latter allows too many youngsters to be free to roam leading to complaints from Concorde about behaviour.
• Do not rely on Counties contacting you to say they will be coming (or not coming) – use all available contacts from the list on the NMBL website.
• Teams may well have managers who have never done the job before, so they will need plenty of advance information and guidance.
• E-mail out Team Nomination and Score sheets in good time beforehand (they should also be on website); possibly also the Rules, but they too are on website.
• When you know, or think you know, how many teams are coming, do a sheet with the draw – alternative versions for different numbers of teams should be on the website: draw the groups based on round 1 results or on previous year.
• The format of groups can be based on notes done by John Foster, as follows:
  • 11 teams – 2 groups of 4, 1 of 3; 10 rubbers; then 2 groups of 3 (top 3 and second 3) plus 1 group of 5 (bottom 2 and 1) with previous results being carried over
  • 10 teams – 2 groups of 5; 10 rubbers; then playoffs A1 v B1, A2 v B2 etc
  • 9 teams – 3 groups of 3; 10 rubbers; form three more groups of 3 with A1, B1, C1; A2, B2, C2 etc; may be able to play longer rubbers up to 31 if time allows
  • 8 teams – 2 groups of 4; 10 rubbers; top 2 into one group; bottom 2 into another group, carrying results forward from previous group match
  • 7 teams – 1 group; 7 rubbers – 1B, 1GS, 1BD, 1GD, 3MXD
  • Hopefully there will not be any fewer teams than that, but they would be played in one group
  • John Foster did not do a 12-team format. That could be possible for the counties in NMBL and would probably mean 4 groups of 3, followed by 3 groups of 4 – times might be tight with this!
• Be prepared for last-minute drop-outs and print blank versions of alternative formats in case this happens.
• For guidance, a match with 10 games on two courts, playing to 21 will take about 75 minutes; on three courts probably just under 60 minutes.
• There will be 9 courts available for play. From 5.00pm, we only have the 4 courts booked (numbers 6 to 9)
• If the IOM are playing, they often need to leave early to get the boat back, so their matches have to be given priority in the afternoon.
• Be prepared to ″bully″ the managers to keep the games moving: tell them to restrict knock-up time.
• Keep all the courts in use as much as possible. Move matches around to use spare courts if some matches are ahead of others.
• Tell managers that they must keep a watch over players of any teams that are rushing off: understandably, the Sports Centre managers do not like kids rushing around on the upper floors unsupervised. Accidents happen!
• The fee for the hall hire has to be split between the participating teams – total of £375 for season 2007/08; collect the money and pay at the desk; cheques can be made out to R.M.B.C.