Latest revision as of 14:50, 23 October 2015

This page outlines the criteria that are proposed to be used to select the players who will represent the United States at the 2015 WESPA Championship (WESPAC15) to be held in Perth, Australia November 4-8, 2015.

Eligibility

All players wishing to qualify must be NASPA members in good standing.

United States citizens and permanent residents are eligible.

Players may not register for the qualification process if they have already registered to qualify for another nation. If a player registers to play for the U.S. and also attempts to represent another nation at WESPAC15 (with or without withdrawing from the U.S. registration), they will be ineligible to compete for the U.S. at the next such championship.

Registering for the qualification process

Players who intend to claim a spot on the team as one of the top 10 finishers at the 2014 SCT or who intend to qualify on the basis of peak rating must register and commit to play by the end of the Qualification Period (see below). Players who intend to claim a spot on the team as the top nonqualified finisher at in the CSW Division at the 2015 National SCRABBLE Championship must register and commit to play by the start of that event. Any player who qualifies by peak rating or top ten finish, registers for the process, and withdraws after the end of the Qualification Period will be ineligible to qualify for the U.S. team at the next WESPAC or equivalent event based on peak rating. Any player who qualifies based on their finish at the 2015 NSC and withdraws after the end of that event will also be ineligible to qualify for the U.S. team at the next WESPAC or equivalent event based on peak rating. Players wishing to register should contact Chris Lipe and John Chew.

The deadline for registering for the qualification tournament will be announced after the date for the tournament is set. All players in the qualifying tournament must agree to attend the WESPAC if they qualify.

Any player who qualifies via the qualifying tournament and withdraws after the completion of the qualifying tournament will be ineligible to qualify for the U.S. team at the next WESPAC or equivalent event based on peak rating.

Any player who is ineligible to qualify for the U.S. team based on peak rating due to dropping out after a deadline may appeal to the International Committee US Subcommittee to have their eligibility reinstated.

Qualified players

The following players have qualified to represent the USA at the 2015 WESPAC:

Qualified via invitation from WESPA:

• Chris Lipe

Qualified via top ten overall finish at 2014 SCT:

• John O'Laughlin
• Dave Wiegand
• Peter Armstrong

Qualified via peak rating:

• Evans Clinchy (PR 2031)
• Dave Koenig (PR 2016)
• Marty Gabriel (PR 1993)
• Mark Kenas (PR 1900)
• Jason Keller (PR 1898)
• Scott Garner (PR 1849)
• Steve Polatnick (PR 1841)
• Bob Linn (PR 1835)

Qualified via Qualification tournament:

• Jesse Day
• Rich Baker
• Cecilia Le
• Puneet Sharma

Qualified via 2015 National SCRABBLE Championship There were no qualifiers

Alternates Awarded Unclaimed Spots

• Sandy Nang
• Jennifer Lee

Congratulations to all of the above.

Qualification period (QP)

The qualification period begins with the 2014 National Scrabble Championship and ends Memorial Day 2015. A qualification tournament (QT) will be held in Portland, OR on June 27-28.

Note: Tournaments that are in progress at the beginning or end of the QP were considered to fall within the QP.

Available spots

The United States has 17 spots at the WESPAC15, not including any players earning WESPA invitations.

Criteria (in order)

1. World English-language Scrabble Players' Association (WESPA) invitation(s)

Any spots awarded by WESPA (for example, for being a finalist at the previous SCT, or for being champion of the WYSC) do not count against the United States' allotment.

2. Top-ten finish in the 2014 SCRABBLE Champions Tournament

Any American finishing in the overall top ten in the 2014 SCT will be invited to represent the US in the 2015 WESPAC, provided they maintain NASPA membership and play the minimum number of tournament games in QP. If any of these players decline to play, then additional spots will be determined by peak rating.

3. Qualification tournament (QT)

Four spots will be determined by a 20-game qualification tournament. This qualification tournament will be held on June 27-28 at the Portland Bridge Club, 8383 NE Sandy Blvd, Suite 300, Portland OR 97220.

To be eligible for the QT, players must meet the eligibility requirements for representing the US at the 2015 WESPAC as enumerated above. The 31-game participation requirement does not apply to players who wish to qualify via the QT. Players who sign up for the QT will be automatically registered for the qualifying process, and must commit to play the WESPAC if they earn a spot.

Additionally, the fifth-place finisher at the QT will be the primary alternate for the US team at WESPAC.

Players interested in playing in the QT should contact the director, Evans Clinchy at evans.clinchy@gmail.com

4. Peak NASPA CSW rating (PR)

A minimum of eight slots will be determined by peak NASPA CSW (Collins Scrabble Words) rating during the QP. A player must have played at least 31 fully rated (CSW) NASPA games before their post-tournament rating will count as a peak rating. The final rating from any fully rated tournament once this participation requirement is met may be used as a PR.

Any bonus points will count as a part of a person’s PR.

Ratings following tournaments which are not fully rated (ie, LCTs) will not count as a peak rating, but any such games played will count as 1/3 of a game towards fulfilling the participation requirement.

5. 2015 National Scrabble Championship

Two spots will be determined based on the final standings of the CSW Division at the 2015 National Scrabble Championship. The two highest finishing players who meet eligibility requirements to represent the U.S., have registered for the qualification process before the start of the 2015 National Scrabble Championship, and have not already qualified based on any other qualification criteria will be awarded spots on the U.S. team. Note that the 31-game participation requirement does not apply to players wishing to qualify on the basis of performance in the National Scrabble Championship.

6. Unclaimed Spots

Any positions which remain open once the list of people interested and eligible to qualify based on PR is exhausted will be allocated based on peak NASPA rating (either CSW or TWL) in the qualification period, with a minimum 4 game participation requirement in the lexicon used to determine the peak rating. A position will be deemed claimable once the appropriate deadline to register for that position has passed, eg, the spots in the US allocation less five spots reserved for the QT and two reserved for the NASC will be claimed at the end of the QP; five spots (four spots plus the position of First Alternate who will be awarded a previously unclaimed spot, should one exist) will be claimable at the end of the QT, and the final two spots will be claimable at the conclusion of the 2015 NASC in Reno.

PR tie-breakers

1. Head-to-head records among tied players in fully rated games during the QP.
2. Second highest rating achieved after playing at least 31 games in the QP.
3. Highest rating achieved after any fully rated tournament in the QP.
4. Number of CSW games played in the QP.
5. Drawing of lots.

Qualification Standings

    Qualification is over, and the team has been selected. See Qualified Players section above.

Alternates

The first spot opened by withdrawal of a player after the completion of the Qualifying Tournament will be filled first by the Primary Alternate (ie, the fifth-place finisher in the Qualifying tournament). Any additional spots opened by withdrawal of a player after the completion of the Qualifying Tournament, or any spots opened by the withdrawal of a player before the Primary Alternate is selected will be filled by PR.