TOP 8 - Detailed Conditions
Date: 2004-02-12

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Revision history:
2002-01-14: first version
2002-01-19: the rules for the challenge clarified
2004-01-25: cancellation regulations changed a little so that it is the responsibility of the person that cancels after deadline to find a replacement.
2004-02-12: added a link to the Handbook for Top 8 Tournament Hosts

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Application
- Application is done by means of a simple e-mail to Gothenburg_Racketlon@hotmail.com .
- Application deadline: Sunday, two weeks before the event
- The application turns binding at application deadline. If you need to cancel it is your responsibility to find a replacement. If no replacement is found for someone that cancels after deadline participation fee _will_ be charged. The TOP 8 concept relies heavily on the fact that there are 8 participants - no more, no less. The vision is that this shall be good training where each participant gets to play three tough matches meaning that cancellations that are not replaced ruin the training sessions for the other participants. In addition the court fee that we need to pay the sport center stays the same. I does not get smaller if we are less than 8 participants. (Actually we should

Admittance
- Admittance to TOP 8 is based on racketlon ability according to present Gothenburg Ranking list.
- The eight best ranked of the people that have applied by deadline (two weeks in advance) are offered to participate.
- An additional 4 players are offered to qualify which implies that they have the right to challenge one of the number 5-8 players selected for the main tournament - the lot decides whom. If they win the challenge they replace the loser in the main tournament.

The Challenge
- Preconditions for the challenges (i.e. who has the right to challenge whom) will be published on www.racketlon.com the day (Monday) after application deadline.
- It is the responsibility of the challenger to take the actions needed to carry through the challenge (contact the player that he wants to challenge; booking of courts...). If no action is taken, no challenge takes place and the other player keeps his place in the main tournament.
- Regular time for the challenge is Sunday morning 9:00-15:00 the week before the main tournament. (There are normally courts availbale for booking at Alelyckan then). If any of the players offers to play at that time and the other player does not accept then he wins on walk-over - PROVIDED that reasonable effort has been made by both players to find another time for the challenge during the two weeks available before the main tournament.
- Walk-over can also occur at other circumstances (generally if one of the players has been very available while the other has not) if both players agree.
- If the match is not played and there is no agreement on who should win on walk-over then the lot should decide who gets to take part in the main tournament.
- Tournament management leaves it entirely up to the players themselves to conclude on who should show up at the main tournament. Specifically, if the winner of the qualification match has to cancel his participation in the main tournament he should first contact the player he beat at the qualification to offer him his place.

Wild Cards
Wild cards are handed out at the discretion of tournament management according to the following general guidelines:
- A maximum of two main tournament wild cards are available each month for special guests
- A maximum of two wildcards for the qualification round are available each month for players with unknown ability

Racketlon Rules
- Conventional racketlon rules (see this) apply.

Equipment
- Provision of balls and shuttlecocks are handled among the participants themselves. Tournament management does not manage this and it is not included in the price.

Price
- ca SEK 150 for participation in the main tournament. Pay by cash directly at the event. (The cost for challenges are handled individually.)

Venue
- Alelyckan's Sportcenter

Time
- Sunday morning, last Sunday in every month, ca 09:00-14:00. Detailed timeplan is published together with the other preconditions at www.racketlon.com the day (Monday) after application deadline.
- Keep the timeplan! Important! It is quite tight. Not more than five minutes rest between sets + a maximum of 2 minutes of warming up!

Other
- During the event, it is the responsibility of the winner to report the result directly after the match. This is normally done by means of writing it down on the whiteboard (to the left after the stairs down to the badminton courts).
- Top 8 Tournament hosts can turn to this handbook for guiding.

Comments or Questions?
Please contact the Top 8 director:
Niclas Larsson (see contact list)
or send an e-mail to Gothenburg_Racketlon@Hotmail.com

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