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2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:47 pm
by MahoningQuizBowler
The National History Bee and Bowl is pleased to announce Year 2 of the Online Skype Practice League!

I will be directing OSPL throughout this year, and throughout the year, we will be offering two levels of OSPL: Novice and Expert. Novice leagues will play in odd numbered months while Expert leagues will run in even numbered months. 4 teams will play in each league each month, and each team can play with a maximum of 4 players and a substitute (see below).

Players are free to select either Novice or Expert affiliation; however, this is in all cases subject to review by David Madden and me. It is possible that a player could play in Novice in the fall, but be declared ineligible for Novice by the spring. Schools are limited to two players in each round of OSPL. OSPL is free to compete in, and sign ups work on a first-come, first-served basis. If a player is on a winning team in a round of OSPL, he/she will be ineligible to compete until the OSPL Champions League in the spring. OSPL Students will only be allowed to compete in multiple preliminary rounds of OSPL once everyone who has not yet competed has had a chance to play.

Each league operates on a single round robin schedule, meaning each team will receive three games (one per week). At the end of three weeks, when all matches have been played, the top 2 teams will play in the season final on the fourth week. That final may be advantaged if the #1 team only holds a 1 game advantage over the #2 team. If the #1 team is 3-0 and the remaining teams are all 1-2, no final will be played. If #1 and #2 are 2-1, the final will be a single game. If three teams are tied at 2-1, then #2 will play #3 for the right to play #1 based on points per bonus.

At the end of four seasons of Novice and Expert, there will be Champions' Leagues in each division. This will take place in May. The four winning teams will be invited back to compete again. The same league structure as above holds.

A few things to keep in mind for this competition year, specifically:

Once a game is scheduled, whether it be on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and whether it is the 8 PM game or the 9 PM game (all times Eastern), it will be played at the time scheduled. If no members of a particular team are signed on and ready to play when the match is scheduled to begin and after a 5 minute grace period has elapsed, the match is forfeited. If no members of _both teams_ are present, the game is declared a 0-0 tie. Teams will not be permitted to play against "empty chairs" in an effort to pad statistics.

Each team will be permitted a maximum of one substitute player on its roster. First priority will be given to players who attempted to sign up for one of the 16 open positions prior to the start of the league season, but were 17th, 18th, 19th, or 20th to sign up. If any of those players should indicate his or her unwillingness to play as a sub, then the teams may nominate a sub. I must approve the nomination before the player can play, _particularly_ in the Novice division.

Team names may not be as awesome as last year's, since I'll be coming up with them. Expect soccer references. :)

Good luck, and we look forward to receiving signups soon!

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:28 pm
by ProfessorIanDuncan
I hereby express interest for the novice division for the first phase (whenever that is), but I have a question. If someone is a member of a winning team in the novice division can they play later in the year in the expert division?
Expect soccer references. :)
Yes. Yes. Oh my God. Yes.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:46 pm
by czheng0708
I'm in interested in the novice division. Though, I'm not sure if I can always make the scheduled game.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:55 pm
by Harpie's Feather Duster
I'll play the first Expert one

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:56 pm
by sbfromcopley
When is the signup deadline?

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:08 pm
by DoWon.Kim
I would like to play whichever division comes first (novice or expert).

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:58 pm
by vedp
I am interested, though I'm not sure in which division

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Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:18 am
by Redgrass1
I'm interested in the novice division.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:21 am
by AustinlSmith
I'm interested in the novice division as well, as long as this starts later than August.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:53 am
by Kilroy Was Here
Golden-bellied Starfrontlet wrote:I'll play the first Expert one
I think you mean novice.
In all seriousness, sign me up.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:22 am
by shrey96
I'll play the first novice iteration of this I think

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:52 pm
by orenji
-edit- never mind. I have other obligations. I can't play.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:30 pm
by conquerer7
I'll play in the novice division.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:50 pm
by Great Bustard
Folks, a little explanation here as to who's a novice vs. who's an expert:
If you...
1) Played primarily or exclusively in Room 1 at ACE Camp (Esther)
2) Played at Mt. Vernon in the History Bee finals last year (Alec)
3) Are without a doubt the best science player in NJ and probably one of the top 20 in the country (Kevin)

then I hate to break it to you, but you are no longer a novice. We'll be starting with an expert division in August (Greg will post a separate announcement for that later today). Novice play will begin after Labor Day in September. A Novice does not have to be someone in their first year or two of high school play (though please encourage new players on your teams to sign up) but should be someone who would not clobber such people either.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:27 pm
by bmanzo44
I'll sign up for the first Novice iteration.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:17 pm
by Riverwalker
I'll sign up for the novice iteration.
However, I won't be able to make the 9 o'clock games on Tuesdays or on Wednesdays.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:09 pm
by AC360
I would like to sign up to play in the novice division.

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:34 am
by Fat Lip
The post does not explicitly state this, but I'm guessing this is for high school and under. Correct?

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 11:24 pm
by Important Bird Area
MahoningQuizBowler wrote:Players are free to select either Novice or Expert affiliation; however, this is in all cases subject to review by David Madden and me.
Just FZed a bunch of arguing and metaposting about who is or isn't a novice. Unless you are David Madden or Greg Bossick, please think twice before you post here to the effect of "X obviously belongs in Y division."

Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:33 pm
by Winston Smith
I would very much like to participate in some sort of OSPL league. I must, unfortunately, plead ignorance when it comes to how it is that I actually sign up. If I can be in expert that would be great but, being that that appears to be full, I would have no problem playing in a novice league of some sort. Really, I just want to play some quizbowl on skype and anyway that I can be hooked up with that is fine by me. Being in novice, expert or even playing as an alternate is all fine.

--Matthew Powers

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Re: 2012-2013 Online Skype Practice League General Announcement

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:21 pm
by pentupenguin
I'd like to sign up for a spot on the novice league if there's any left :)

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