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14. KNOCK-OUT EVENTS

(a) Seeding is permitted in a first-class event if notice is given in the tournament programme.  A first-class event is an event played under the conditions of advanced play with unrestricted entry except for restrictions excluding men or women, non-Associates or players with handicaps exceeding a stated number of bisque or other restrictions approved by the Council.
(b) In other events the draw may be adjusted only in order to avoid as far as possible an early meeting between
(1) players from the same club; or
(2) close relatives; or
(3) players already drawn to meet in the first round of another event.
(c) SINGLE-LIFE EVENTS.  Subject to (a) and (b) above, the draw is compiled by the Bagnall-Wild method as follows.
(1) Subtract the number of entries from the power of 2 (i.e. 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256) greater than or equal to the number of entries.  This gives the number of byes.
(2) Subtract the number of byes from the number of entries.  This gives the number of players in the first round.
(3) If the number of byes is even, either half are placed at the top of the draw and half at the bottom or, if the number of byes is not divisible by 4 (i.e. 2, 6,10, 14,18 etc.), two more byes may be placed at the bottom than at the top; if the number of byes is odd, one more bye is placed at the bottom than at the top; within each half the byes may be distributed between the two quarters according to the same principle; similarly within each quarter between each eighth, etc.
(4) The names of the players are then drawn at random and entered on a draw sheet in the order in which they are drawn, starting at the top and numbered accordingly.
(5) If a bona fide entry is omitted, the name of the player is inserted on the draw sheet at the position an additional name would occupy. If the number of entries were one greater and any necessary consequential adjustment is made.  If there is more than one omission or more than one possible position the matter is decided by lot.
(6) If an entry is included in error, it is struck out and the draw remains valid.
Example: 21 entries give 11 byes and 10 players (5 matches) in the first round. 5 byes are placed at the top of the draw and 6 at the bottom.  Thus the first 5 players to be drawn receive byes, the next 10 players compete in the first round and the last 6 receive byes.
(d) TWO-LIFE EVENTS
(1) The draw for the first life, known as the Draw, is made in accordance with (c) above.
(2) The draw for the second life, known as the Process, is compiled by entering on a second draw sheet the appropriate series of numbers from the table set out below.  Next to each number is entered the name of the player next to that number in the Draw (see (c)(4) above).  Any player who is paired with a blank opponent receives a bye.

Process order

Entries
1 to 4		1		3		2		4
5 to 8		1	5	3	7	2	6	4	8
9 to 16	(1st 8)	1	9	5	13	3	11	7	15
	(2nd 8)	2	10	6	14	4	12	8	16
17 to 32	(1st 8)	1	17	9	25	5	21	13	29
	(2nd 8)	3	19	11	27	7	23	15	31
	(3rd 8)	2	18	10	26	6	22	14	30
	(4th 8)	4	20	12	28	8	24	16	32
33 to 64	(1st 8)	1	33	17	49	9	41	25	57
	(2nd 8)	5	37	21	53	13	45	29	61
	(3rd 8)	3	35	19	51	11	43	27	59
	(4th 8)	7	39	23	55	15	47	31	63
	(5th 8)	2	34	18	50	10	42	26	58
	(6th 8)	6	38	22	54	14	46	30	62
	(7th 8)	4	36	20	52	12	44	28	60
	(8th 8)	8	40	24	56	16	48	32	64

For 65 to 128 players, additional columns are generated by adding 64 to each number for 33 to 64 entries and inserting the result immediately to the right of that number.

(3) The winner of the Draw plays an extra match against the winner of the Process to decide the event winner.  If the same player wins both halves of the event, the defeated finalists in the Draw and Process may play off for second place.

(e) TWO-LIFE VARIATIONS
(1) These variations reduce a two-life event to a single-life event but may not be introduced in a first-class event (as defined in (a) above).
(2) VARIATION A. This is introduced when both lives have reached the semi-final stage and there are fewer than eight players involved.  The draw is compiled on a draw sheet containing positions numbered from 1 to 8.
7 players: the player in both lives is placed in position 1 and receives a bye; position 2 is blank and the other players are drawn by lot to fill positions 3 to 8.
6 players: the two players in both lives are placed in positions 1 and 8 and receive byes; positions 2 and 7 are blank and the other players are drawn by lot to fill positions 3 to 6.
5 players: the three players in both lives are drawn by lot to fill positions 1,3 and 8 and receive byes; positions 2,4 and 7 are blank and the other players are drawn by lot to fill positions 5 and 6.
4 players: all players are drawn by lot.
(3) VARIATION B. This is introduced when both lives have reached the final stage and there are fewer than four players involved.
3 players: the player in both lives plays the winner of a game between the other two players.
2 players: they play each other once.
(f) XY AND XYZ EVENTS
(1) THE X EVENT.  The players are drawn in accordance with (c) above.
(2) THE Y EVENT.  Players who lose their first match in the X enter the Y automatically in the same order as they were drawn in the X.
(3) THE Z EVENT (if played).  Players who lose their second match in the X or their first match in the Y enter the Z automatically, but in any order the Manager thinks fit.
(4) Byes and, in XY events, walkovers do not count as a win.  Competitors who scratch from the X or Y may not enter the Y or Z.