Updated December 14, 2005

Mitsubishi Motors

2005 World Croquet Championship

The 10th WCF World Association Croquet Championship in 2005 sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors will be held in England.

6th - 14th August 2005

The World Croquet Federation has awarded the hosting of this prestigeous event to The Croquet Association (of England) with the main venue chosen as Cheltenham Croquet Club, Gloucestershire with the lawns of Bristol, Edgbaston (Birmingham) and Nailsea also being used.

Details are as follows:-

Basic Information

Accommodation

Initial Allocation and Entry

WCF Qualifier

Seeding

Block Stage

Knock-Out Stage

Dress Code

Media Interviews

Attendance at Functions

Discipline

Timing of Final Stages

Acceptance of Conditions

Basic Information

The event is to be sponsored by Mitsubishi Motors, the WCF and the Croquet Association (of England). It will be held from the August 6th to 14th 2005 inclusive. It will be based at the Cheltenham Croquet Club, with some matches played at the satellite clubs of Bristol, Edgbaston (Birmingham) and Nailsea (transport will be made available between these venues so players should be based in the Cheltenham area).

Dawson balls will be used.

PLAYING SCHEDULE

NON-PLAYING SCHEDULE

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Accommodation

All accommodation will be situated in Cheltenham. Cheltenham is a major tourist centre in the West of England, and as such has a comprehensive range of commercial accommodation available, ranging in price from 20 - 200 GBP per person per night.
Two levels of discounted accommodation will be available, as shown below.

Cost (per person per night)

Thistle Hotel

Gloucester Road
Cheltenham GL51 0TS

Tel: +44 (0)870 333 9131
Email: Cheltenham@Thistle.co.uk

35 GBP two people sharing - 20 rooms provisionally booked until 31/3/05

Pittville Campus Pittville Campus

University of Gloucestershire
Albert Road, Cheltenham GL52 3JG

Tel: +44 (0)1242 532774
Email: conferenceservices@glos.ac.uk

23 GBP single occupancy, no breakfast 20% deposit required.

Contacts names: Abbie Kirkwood & Josephine Horler

Accommodation should be booked directly with establishments concerned. The Accommodation officer for the tournament is David Magee:- davidandeileen.magee@btopenworld.com, who can help with any queries.

Useful Links:

Visit Cheltenham
Cotswolds Info
All About Cheltenham
Cotswolds - More Info

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Allocation and Entry

The entry fee for the event will be £60 (sixty Great Britain pounds) to be paid before May 1st 2005. Details on how payment shall be made shall be available shortly.

The tournament will be for 80 players, singles only. The first phase will be block play, expected to be blocks of 10 (with 9 games guaranteed). The second phase will be a best of 3 (or 5) knock-out competition for 32 block qualifiers. There will be also be two free consolation events for block non-qualifiers and first round knock-out losers, one reserved for members of WCF observer members.

Good Standing of WCF Members and Players

Entries to WCF events will only be accepted from Financial Members of the WCF and for players in good standing with their own Association. This includes players allocated Wild Card places and competing in the Qualifying Event

Rules used for allocation

The 80 places in the event have been assigned using rules previously agreed by the WCF:-

• reserved places for the 4 semi-finalists from the previous world championship;
• at least 1 place for each WCF member;
• take into account the numbers of players from each country in the top 50 and top 100 of the WCF association croquet rankings at 1st December 2004;
• at least 4 places to be kept for wild cards (to be assigned by the organising committee);
• at least 4 places to be kept for a qualifying competition to be held over two to three days
  immediately prior to the main event in England. Further details to be advised later.

In addition, the Committee has used the results of the last MacRobertson Shield to adjust places between those four countries slightly since the rankings in these countries can be slightly different.

Allocations and Entry

The 80 places are split as follows:

(a) The 4 previous semi-finalists:-

• Robert Fulford (England) Confirmed
• Toby Garrison (New Zealand) Confirmed
• Andrew Johnston (Ireland) Confirmed
• Brian Wislang (New Zealand). Declined

(b) Allocation to WCF member countries as follows:-

WCF Wild Cards:- (12)

Andres Alvarez-Sala (Spain)
Rutger Beijderwellen (Netherlands)
Robin Brown (England)
Brian Cumming (Canada)
Jeff Dawson (England)
Ed Duckworth (England)
David Foulser (Russia)
Bruno Hess (Germany)
Alan McInerney (Ireland)
Walid Wahban (Egypt)
Chris Williams (Wales)
Jenny Williams (New Zealand)

Selection

Each WCF Member National Croquet Association shall determine how selections are made.

WCF Recommended possible methods include:-

• Use the WCF association rankings and select the highest ranked available player or players each country;
• Use a selection committee;
• Use a qualification tournament;
• Use a combination of the above methods.

The WCF have ensured that virtually all of the top 50 players in the world rankings will be eligible under the first criterion.

Where a WCF Member is not be able to find players to fill their quota then the WCF will assist other members to complete the maximum entry of 80.

WCF Member Croquet Associations have been asked to:-

• make these selections before March 30th 2005;
• propose other players to be considered for a wild card before March 30th 2005. The wild card nominations should not be significantly stronger players than the quotas nominees.

Individuals should not put themselves forward for wild card places.

The committee will select wild card players before April 30 2005.

Players not selected for wild card nominations will be able to enter the qualification tournament.

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WCF Qualifier

The Mitsubishi Motors 2005 World Croquet Championship - General Qualifier
Sponsored by : The Croquet Association

Venue : Surbiton Croquet Club, Alexandra Drive, Surbiton, Surrey, KT5 9AD

Dates : 2 - 3 August 2005

Manager : Phil Cordingley

Secretary : The Secretary, The Croquet Association, c/o Cheltenham Croquet Club, Old Bath Road, Cheltenham, Glos., GL53 7DF, United Kingdom.

Entry Fee : £20. Entry fee must be paid in sterling. Overseas entrants may pay at the event. Home entrants enclose payment with entry. Cheques made payable to "The Croquet Association". Overseas entries will be accepted by email at: CA Office

Entries : Allocation & Closing Dates: 10 May. Draw: 25 July

Time Limits : May be imposed AMD

Double-banking : May be used

Seeding : May be used

Event: A minimum of four of the places for the forthcoming Mitsubishi Motors 2005 World Croquet Championship will be available to all comers for the four top performers in this qualification tournament. The format, tie break criteria etc. will be determined at the Closing Date according to the number of entries received. Entrants will be notified at that time. For those qualifying, the entry fee to the Championship proper will be reduced by the amount of the entry fee to this event.

Exceptions and Additions to Tournament Regulations:
1. Every effort will be made to accept all entries. That being the case, it may be necessary to hold play off games on the morning of Thursday 4 August. Entrants should make themselves available for this contingency

2. Entrants must ensure they have the support of their National Association, and should state on their entry form which Association that is.

3. Late entries may be accepted.

4. Play will start at 09:30 each morning

5. Dawson balls will be used.

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Seeding

For the Block Stage

All entered players will have a WCF World Ranking Grade, if not a formal one, then an estimated one determined by the WCF.

Each player will be ranked 1 to 80 and placed into the different groups (See Block Stage below).

For the Knock-Out Stage

At the conclusion of the Block Stage, the top four of each Group shall progress to the Knock-Out Stage and shall then be ranked in accordance with the WCF World Ranking Grade that includes all games played in the Blcok Stage.

The draw for the Knock -out stage shall then be made (See Knock-Out Stage below)

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Block Stage

There will be 8 blocks and each shall have 10 players.

Each of the blocks are identified by the letters A to H.

The ranked players shall then be initially placed as follows:-

Same-Country Modification.

The initial placement may be modified so as to minimize same-country conflict.

This means that a country with 8 or fewer players in the tournament should ideally have, in each block, at most one player, while a country with 9 through 16 players should have, in each block, at least 1 and at most 2 players, and so on.

This modification is done by interchanging players of approximately equal Grades. The interchanges (which may involve more than two players at a time) should:-

• leave the top ranked player of each block unchanged
• keep the Test Averages of the blocks as near equal as possible, (where the Test Average of a block means the average Grade of the players that remain after removal of the top ranked and bottom ranked player).
  

Each player shall play each other player in their Block in a single game

Ranking after Block Results

After block play, the players are ranked within each block with the player with the higher number of wins being ranked higher and then in descending order.

The four top ranked players from each block advance to the Knock-Out stage.

The block ranking will not be used for any other purpose, so the only ties that need to be broken are ties that leave qualification for the Knock-Out stage undecided. Tie breaking, as far as time allows, will be obtained by play-off games arranged by the Committee.

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Knock-Out Stage

The draw for the Knock-Out stage shall be done in accordance with WCF Regulations to eliminate, as far as possible, the possibility of players from the same country or players that have already played each other in the Block Stage, from meeting in the first round.

Games shall be best of 3 and then best of 5 from the Semi-Final Stage

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Dress Code

Players may wear a national uniform recognised and acceptable to the WCF or predominantly white clothing, both bearing no sponsor logos except as provided for in paragraphs 6 to 9 below. Predominantly white clothing means any article with more than 75% of its surface area white. Clothing which does nor meet these criteria will be subject to rejection as unacceptable. White means white, not grey/off white. This condition does not apply to wet weather clothing.

Clothing will be smart, clean and laundered. Particular attention will be paid to shoes to ensure they do not detract from overall appearance. T-shirts with cartoons or messages will not be worn. Shorts will be of a decent length.

Players in any doubt as to what is or is not acceptable should clarify their position before starting a match by consulting the Tournament Manager. If the Tournament Manager considers a player's dress to be in contravention of the above guidelines, he/she shall have the authority to request the player to change into suitable attire before the beginning of a match.

Should such a request be necessary, it will not invalidate the scratching of any player not ready to play within 20 minutes of being called upon to play by the Tournament Manager.

Failure to comply with the requirements will result in the disqualification of the player concerned.

The WCF will advise players and National Associations of the dress requirements agreed with any naming rights or other sponsors. Players and National Associations are expected to adhere to any conditions on the display of logos on clothing/shoes advised by the WCF. Approval from the Tournament Manager must be obtained to display other sponsors' logos on dress, including shoes. Small brand names forming an integral part of any clothing item are excluded from this paragraph unless specifically advised to players and National Associations before the event.

Sponsor clothing, if provided, will be worn as requested, and any other sponsor requirements observed. Players involved in photo calls or playing in the final stages of the competition must wear sponsor clothing as appropriate.

In cases where a player or a WCF member organization is sponsored by a sponsor other than the Event sponsor, the player or National Association concerned must obtain written sanction in advance of the event to permit the wearing of such sponsor's logos or the display of any sponsor advertising of any kind at the Event.

Should any dispute arise between the Tournament Manager and a player as to what dress is or is not acceptable, appeal may be made to the Appeals Committee, whose decision is final.

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Media Interviews

Players will be expected to cooperate with reasonable demands for media interviews and public relations activities. The Event organisers will ensure that such activities do not take place whilst a player is engaged in competition. A "code of conduct" will be issued to photographers and other media personnel when they first arrive at the venue explaining procedures for photographs and interviews aimed at avoiding distraction of those in play.

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Attendance at Functions

Players should schedule their activities so that they are able to attend any Opening Ceremony or Civic Reception and the medal presentation at the Closing Ceremony of the Event.

Players should attend the Briefing given before the Event by the Tournament Manager and the Tournament Referee, which will be conducted in English. Players who may need an interpreter should notify the organisers at the time of entry.

Players are expected to stay for the duration of the Event and to compete in all supplementary events run alongside the Event subject to the voluntary nature of it. This is to ensure that those who stay are not deprived of competition and that spectators are given every opportunity to see croquet at its best.

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Discipline

All players are expected to abide by the Tournament Regulations of organising Member, to be ready to play when required, and to play in a sporting and courteous manner. The Tournament Manager or one of the Assistant Managers will normally deal with these issues. Any appeals regarding such decisions and any continuing or gross violations of behaviour shall be referred to the Appeals Committee and have the power as a last resort to ban a player from the tournament.

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Timing of the final stages of an event

The timing of the final stages of an Event will be decided by the Tournament Manager in consultation with the WCF and the Organising Committee to fit in with the time decided for the presentation ceremony, the sponsor's requirements, media considerations and the need to provide a spectacle for spectators.

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Acceptance of conditions

Attendance at a WCF Event is taken as acceptance of these WCF Regulations, as amended from time to time.

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