GC Merit Awards - Working Document
Contents...
Introduction
The purpose of these awards is to encourage and recognise achievement in developing players. The AC awards are about encouraging bold play - see the current scheme. It would be good if the GC equivalents were achievable at about the same stage of development: We might say that Bronze indicates a basic grip on how to play the game properly, Silver an ability to really compete in tournaments, Gold entry into the serious A-Class, and Platinum great control and mastery of a sophisticated manoeuvre.
There are very few handicap events in the CA Fixtures Calendar - most serious GC is played level and tournaments are handicap-restricted to give competitive events for all levels.
We have not been able to identify a set of skills that are equivalent to the AC Merit Award triggers; instead we recognise that GC is a game played against an opponent, not a demonstration of mastery of a skill set in a solo performance. The proposals here are about demonstration of the skills of the game through performance in a competitive encounter.
In both of the optional proposals, we need to fine-tune the achievement level to be comparable with the AC side.
CA Merit Awards - Proposal
Conditions
- The Player must be a CA Member when the claim is made.
- The event must be all singles level-play 13-point (or more) games played with eight or more competitors taking part on full-size courts as part of a CA Fixtures Calendar tournament and under the Tournament Regulations.
- Awards claimed must be of a higher category than any previously claimed, e.g. once a Silver Merit Award has been achieved, the Player is no longer eligible for a Bronze Merit Award unless the Bronze Merit Award was achieved first.
- If a single feat qualifies for more than one award, only the higher award will be made.
Appropriate Badges and Certificates are awarded to players on the first occasion they achieve each of the following (subject to the Conditions):
(Option 1)
- Bronze: Winning an event
- Silver: Winning a B-Level Series event
- Gold: Winning an A-Level Series or Grade 2 Championship event
- Platinum: Winning a Grade 1 Championship event or the GC Open Championship, Ascot, Musk or Kate Jones.
(Option 2)
- Bronze: Winning a game against a player with a handicap of 4 or better.
- Silver: Winning a game against a scratch or better player (handicap 0).
- Gold: Winning an event (which might be a restricted handicap entry event).
- Platinum: Winning a best-of-3 (or more) match against a player with a handicap of -2 or better.
Further Considerations
Consider restricting the claimant to have a handicap higher than their relevant opponent.
We need also to consider if Merit Awards should be back-dated - previous AC awards have not been back-dated and many players had no opportunity to gain them.
Should GC and AC merit awards be the same badges or distinct? I feel a strong argument for them being distinct.
CA Silver Medal
The idea of a Silver Medal (follow link for current AC-only usage) is to mark a player's entry into the top echelon of players.
For AC it is awarded to qualified players reaching the last 16 of any open event (usually weekend or longer).
TC(GC) Proposal: It is awarded to a player who on the first occasion reaches the semi-final stage of the GC Open Championship when 32 or more competed in the event.
DJK Proposal: to match the AC conditions (but without requiring TC(GC) to categorise events) Qualifying event: all singles level-play 13-point (or more) games played on full-size courts as part of a CA Fixtures Calendar tournament and under the Tournament Regulations with unrestricted entry except for restrictions excluding men, women, non-Associates, players with handicaps over a stated level, ranking or grade below a stated level, or other restrictions approved by Council. (i.e. good players not excluded). A Silver Medal is awarded to a player who on the first occasion wins an event where 16 or more competitors took part or finished in the top two where 32 or more took part.
Further Considerations
Silver Medals are and should be fully backdated, indeed Chris Williams has been hunting people out. If we don't go with a GC Silver Medal then I would support back-dating the highest Merit Award, perhaps the top two. That would open the flood gates for AC people to claim badges for sextuples and maybe triples).
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