Section 10 - Scheduling Procedures
A. Each round begins as soon as pairings are posted. Players should make prompt contact to schedule their games, and all games should be completed and reported one week later (by Tuesday 2200 FICS server time). If this is not possible, then the game may be either result set, or postponed, as per Section 14.
B. Within an hour of the Board Lineup Deadline, pairings are posted, Game Forum is activated, and e-mails are sent to players, with notice of pairings.
i. All players will post all messages and offers at the game forum for their game. FICS tells and messages will not be counted as contact.
ii. Game Forum is accessible to the both players, team captains, assistant captains, the TD and division TD. Each of these persons may make comments in the Game Forum to help the scheduling process.
C. Each player shall make contact with opponent via Game Forum posts as soon as possible in order to negotiate a time to play. Note that English is the official language in which all communication is conducted.
i. The player who initiates this dialog shall specify three or more distinct times to play on at least two different days. A range of times counts as one offer. If a player offered 8-10 p.m. Monday, the other player could accept any time within that range, and be binding on both players. The accepted time, however, must be exact, such as 8:30 p.m. While not required, it is helpful if the first player acknowledges the agreed time, e.g. "Great. See you Monday at 8:30 p.m. server time."
ii. The recipient of this initial contact shall either select one of these possible playing times or specify at least three other distinct playing times.
iii. After each player transmits these initial contacts, the timeliness and workability of each successive message shall be evaluated by the division TD if a dispute arises.
iv. The back and forth offers should be done within 24 hours of each other, preferably even more quickly.
v. Once both players have begun contacts, the Thursday and Friday deadlines (described next, in 10.D) are no longer applicable. In this case, negotiations can extend to as late as the Game Completion Deadline.
vi. A reasonable amount of time must be allowed between the acceptance of an offer and the accepted time, in order for the second person to react. 24 hours is considered reasonable. To be binding on both players, an offer accepted less than 24 hours before game time must be confirmed by the offering player. SC23-24.
v. The agreed time shall be set using the feature at the Game Forum website.
D. The following two deadlines, First Contact Deadline and Contact-or-Forfeit Deadline, carry consequences for players who fail to meet them. Players are strongly encouraged to act well in advance of the impending consequences.
i. Initial Contact Deadline = Thursday 2200 FICS server time. A player must post a valid offer at Game Forum by this deadline. A player who has not made contact prior to the Contact Deadline has just another 24 hours to reply, and must accept one of his opponent's offered times rather than suggest any times of his own.
ii. Contact-or-Forfeit Deadline = Friday 2200 FICS server time. If a player has neither posted offers of play times, nor accepted an offered play time by this deadline, he forfeits the game. The offended player or captain of the offended player may post a request for the division TD to declare the forfeit.
E.
Game Completion Deadline = Tuesday 2200 FICS server time of the week following the start of the round. By this deadline, the game should either have been played, or a specific time to play a "Postponed Game" (see Section 14) must have been set, as evidenced in the Game Forum. If the Game Forum indicates neither a completed game nor an arrangement for a postponed game at this deadline, the division TD will make a ruling on the outcome of the game. ¶ SC 22-23.