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The rules have been designed to minimize the possibility of someone cheating in the league. Known cheaters are permanently banned from the league.

If a current player(s) is proven to have cheated, then that player will be permanently banned from the league.

There will be NO second chances. Your ban will be permanent, but you may request a review of your banned status by writing to the Admin team after 6 months from the date the ban went into effect.

However, there is no guarantee that the ban will be lifted; it is entirely at the DISCRETION of the Admin team.

Additionally, NO player may ACCUSE OR INSINUATE another player of cheating without substantial evidence. Lagging during a match and / or the completion of a risky nil is not evidence of cheating and should not be considered as such.

If a player accuses or insinuates another player or team of cheating without substantial evidence, then the league member(s) will be boxed for a mandatory 7 days. Acceptable and substantial evidence includes the following:

ª Cards or instructions typed into the table chat or elsewhere that can be saved and clearly indicate what each player was saying

ª Captured video of a match clearly indicating that a player has used a renege program during play

ª Any other type of evidence that is captured and clearly indicates the infraction that was made

If you have substantial evidence of someone cheating in action, do NOT leave the table. Stop the game in progress and request an Admin to your table immediately.

If no Admin are available, record whatever evidence you have, including the table chat of the match so we clearly know who the participants were and e-mail all of your evidence and information DIRECTLY to the Admin team.

It will be properly investigated and dealt with accordingly. However, do NOT confront the person in the lobby! Doing so can result in a penalty being assessed against you for inciting. Unfortunately, the Admin team has decided that we cannot accept "WHISPERS" as proof of cheating, because this is not an interactive type of chat the clearly identifies what each party was saying.

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Infractions committed by league members will be addressed as outline in the table below.

ASP PENALTY GUIDE

General Penalties

Infractions stay on a members record for 60 days, should there be a 60 day period of no infractions then all others are wiped clean.

Note: Because a CHEAT CLAIM (accusation OR insinuation) carries a mandatory 7 day box regardless of which occurrence it is, it is POSSIBLE to spend more days in the penalty box than indicated above.

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While the ASP league upholds the PEAK COC guidelines, meaning that sexual, political, religious, or profane chat is not permitted in any PEAK lobby, our lobby is under the DIRECT control of the Admin team, EXCLUSIVELY! Therefore, no TOKEN from the PEAK may interfere with anything within our lobby UNLESS an Admin has requested the assistance from a PEAK Token.

If no Admin are present in the room and you are being harassed by another player, you may go into the SOCIAL SPADES room and request the assistance from a PEAK Token.

Should any member be gagged or booted in the ASP room for behaviour reasons a total of 3 times or more from each Monday-to-Monday, they will be imposed with the next appropriate box according to their User Record.

WHISPERS

Members that feel they have been harassed and/or bashed by another member they are to take a screenshot of the whisper(s) and send to Admin Team to review.

It is strictly forbidden & against Peak COC to copy & paste whispers in the lobby. Players found doing this will be warned & then subject to the penalty guide.

LOBBY/TABLE

Admins will impose penalties for BASHING or NAME CALLING of any kind, that is directed at any player or team (directly or indirectly), regardless if they are registered in the league or not, especially during times of stress or friction that is already underway in the lobby.

Basically we are saying if you do NOT have anything nice to say, then keep it yourself and avoid unnecessary comments towards others in the league lobby. We expect you to act and behave like adults, but if you revert to this type of action, then we will impose penalties and treat you like the children you are emulating.

These monitoring rules also APPLY during Tournament play and as such will not tolerate anything at the Tournament table that would not be tolerated in the general lobby. However, since we do consider this an Adult league, if the use of any profane language is an issue for you, then the Admin team strongly suggests you enable the PEAK filter, as outlined below, to remove any profane language from appearing on your monitor.

Regardless if the language is offensive or profane, you are not allowed to attack another player, team, or Admin in the lobby by resorting to name-calling, making derogatory remarks, or anything similar to those types of actions. If you have an issue with a player or Admin, please ask them to join you at a table or in a private chat.

If you feel you need a third party, please get your team Captain involved or an Admin, if your team Captain is not available. Your team Captain is your best resource for resolving any issue(s) between yourself and another player or team in the league.

In order to avoid a PEAK TOKEN invoking penalties, please ensure you are compliant with the PEAK COC. If you are unsure of what is included in the COC you may review it by clicking on the CODE OF CONDUCT link, located to the far left of the PEAK main page, where the lobbies are listed.

All table chat must adhere to the rules that we enforce in the lobby. Penalties can be issued if the table chat is copied and turned in by either a Captain or an Admin.

Harassment

It has come to the attention of ASP Administration that members are being harassed by other members through Whispers! We as Administrators of the ASP League feel it is necessary to implement a Harassment Rule. Effective immediately Whispers can be used as evidence of Harassment! Please remember WHISPERS will only be used for Harassment! All other complaints of any other nature whisper WILL NOT influence harassment complaints!

This doesn't mean for ASP Members to send in every little thing. This means a member may send in a complaint if they are truly being harassed by another member and they have not participated by entertaining chat to develop. (Which means do NOT add fuel to the fire!) Members are to take a screen shot of the whispers along with a copy of the “FULL CHAT” with subject line as HARASSMENT and send it to Admin Team for review. Complaints WILL NOT be considering as a Harassment Complaint if not sent in this way. Please refrain from copying whispers in lobby!

All cases of harassment if proven, will be adjudicated on their severity.

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In addition, you are only allowed to be on one team roster at a time.

Anyone found to be on multiple teams will be removed from the league.

If you wish to change teams, please contact the team Captain of the team you wish to join to be added to that team roster. You may leave a team at any time by using the “user editors” tool, as mentioned above.

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Therefore, it is important that you keep your account in good standing and active. Every account must have an active e-mail address.

This is our only way of contacting you. If your e-mail address is invalid your account will be deleted from the league. If you need to change your e-mail address to keep it current, this can be done by clicking on the "USER EDITORS" tool, located on the far left side of the website under the heading of MY ACCOUNT.

You are free to choose any nickname that you wish for your account.

However, there are some guidelines regarding your nickname choices, which are aligned with the PEAK COC:

ª No Gaming Peak Volunteer may play on the ASP Ladder under their Volunteer nickname. This means No Blue + (Sysops), No Orange hammer (Tournament Hosts), No Green Hammer (Tech). We ask all volunteers who wish to play on out ladder to create a player nickname to play in.

ª Your league nickname MUST match your PEAK nickname exactly, including underscores, spaces, capitalization, or any other keyboard characters. If your league nickname does NOT match your PEAK nickname, then the opponents of are NOT required to report the loss to the league site.

ª Your league nickname cannot be offensive to other users.

ª Your league nickname cannot contain any profanity.

ª Your league nickname cannot be abusive towards other players.

ª Your league nickname cannot be too similar to any existing member of the league. (-Exception- If a player joins ASP with a similarly named nickname as another player, and has transferred from another gaming league with that nick, they may use that nickname as long as they are not on the same team).

ª You are only allowed to change your nickname once each week.

It is highly suggested that if you want to change your nickname, change your PEAK nickname first to ensure that it is available, then change your ASP league nickname.

You should NEVER report a loss for another team if their nicknames do not match any on the appropriate roster. The only exception allowed is the Co-Captain (CC) designation, enclosed within parentheses, at the end of the league nickname.Any game played in which the nickname does not match any on the appropriate roster will be declared a 'no game'.

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1 vs 1 Games

In 1 vs 1 games a player has 7 minutes to return to the table after being booted. If after 7 minutes they have not returned to the table the remaining player can ask for ASP Admin to come to their table and they will then be awarded a Win for that game. If no ASP Admin are in the room at the time that the 1 vs 1 game is being played they can email the full table chat to ASP Admin with the boot and the 7 minute wait documented in the table chat and ASP Admin will review the table chat and decide if a win is warranted.

Team Games

If any player gets booted from the table BEFORE the bidding has concluded, then the match must be reseated. All 4 players must stand and reseat to start the match again.

If any player gets booted from the table during the first hand of the match, then the players must decide on whether to continue the match or do a reseat. If any SINGLE player wants to continue with that hand, then play must resume, as indicated in the next paragraph.

If a player is booted from the table anytime after the completion of the first hand, that player has 5 minutes to return to the table. After 5 minutes, the remaining partner has 2 minutes to find a SUB. If the original player has not returned after 5 minutes and NO SUB could be found, then the TABLE HOST must click the ADD BOTS button to replace the missing player. The ADD BOTS button can be found on the lower right side of the table, directly above the STAND button. The remaining partner must play with a SUB or a BOT for the balance of the game. If the original player happens to return after 5 minutes, the SUB or BOT must relinquish the seat to the original player at the conclusion of that hand. If the remaining partner does not wish to continue the match with a BOT and no SUB can be found, then the loss MUST be reported with the original player as the partner.

A player is allowed two individual boots per match. On the third boot, the remaining partner has 5 minutes to locate a SUB, continue playing with a BOT, or FORFEIT the match. If the partner chooses to FORFEIT, the loss MUST be reported and acknowledged at the table. If the original partner returns after the third boot, the seat IS NOT to be relinquished. The original player is still awarded the win or loss, but is not allowed to participate for the remainder of that match.

If a SUB or BOT is used to continue a match that was originally started with four live players, then the ORIGINAL four players are the ones that are credited with the win or the loss, not the SUB or the PAL.

A SUB is any registered, unboxed ASP league member. A SUB never starts a match - only fills in for a player that cannot finish a particular match.

In order to keep track of the elapsed time, it is recommended that one of the players at the table type the current time into the table chat. It does not matter if this time is exactly correct, only that it acknowledges how much time has elapsed. Every two minutes or so, the time should be posted into the table chat again. This way, everyone at the table is aware of the remaining time and the remaining partner knows how much time they have left to locate a SUB, in case his partner does not return. This will also eliminate any argument between teams on how much time is left before a SUB takes over, the match is continued with a BOT, or the match is FORFEITED.

If Both players are Booted from a table that are playing together, meaning a player is booted and so is their partner, they have 5 minutes from the last player booted, to return to the table and finish the game together. If after 5 minutes only 1 player has returned, he/she has an additional 2 minutes to find a sub to finish the game with. If no sub is available their last option is to complete the game with a BOT or forfeit. Should neither player return then the remaining players are to copy the game chat including the boot timestamps & submit to Admin for the win to be reported.

Note: At any time, if ALL four players agree that a particular match should be considered a NO GAME, which means a loss will NOT be reported to the league site, or agree on ANY table matter, then that is acceptable, and encouraged! However, ALL four players MUST agree.

There are times when the PEAK connections are not very stable or an emergency might arise with a particular player.

It is perfectly fine to end the match and start over with a different team. We encourage all members to be compassionate towards other players and realize that on the other side of the screen is a real person that might be going through a difficult time.

A true sportsman would rather get credit for a win by competing rather than on a technicality.

Room Boots

If the entire room is booted from the PEAK, then any match that was in progress is considered a NO GAME, and no report is made to the ASP league site.

Admin Boots

If an individual is in a game and is booted by admin from the room for breaking the ASP rules, the admin that booted the person will go to the table and notify all remaining players what has happened. If the player booted has a team mate as a pard, that team mate can get a team mate to sub or a PAL, or they can choose to report the game as a loss . If the booted player has a PAL for a pard, the admin will go to the table and explain that the game is over and the player booted will receive a loss. The admin will report the match to the booted player and a PAL.

Booting Players from Tables

At no time can an individual playing a game take it upon themselves to boot someone or a kibber from the table. Only an Admin member may remove someone from a table.

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If you volunteer to be a PAL for another player, it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your partner is a registered, unboxed member of the ASP league. If you lose the match and your partner is either IN THE BOX or is NOT a registered member of the this league, then you will have to report the loss for your team, with a PAL as your partner. However, if you win the match, then the opponents DO NOT have to report the loss.

**Should a member of the same team sit as PAL for the opponents, all 4 players must agree prior to the game commencing.

Note: If you are a new member and have not chosen a team to join or if you have left your current team and looking for a new team to join, you may still play in this league as a PAL as often as you like.

However, if you are not on a team within 30 days, the system will automatically purge your account out the league.

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ASP @@@ 4

If you advertise for a PAL, then your team is the team credited with the win or loss for the league once the match has concluded. You cannot switch PAL status once the match has begun.

All matches MUST be advertised in the lobby prior to sitting at a table that is addying. Both players have to be seated and ready to play before addying for a game. When a team is addying for game both opponents have to be seated and ready to play. If only one sits, their pard has two minutes to arrive. If their pard does not arrive they should use common courtesy and get up. If an admin gets called the opponents will be asked to move. If they refuse, penalties may be imposed.

Any teams beginning a match that was not advertised in the lobby will result in both teams being RUNG to the bottom of the ladder.

Only one match of each variation may be advertised at a time. The first team to advertise for a specific variation MUST begin play before another team may advertise for the same variation. For instance, one team might advertise ASP @@@ 4 and another team could be advertising ASP @@@ 2 – DN at the same time.

If you accidentally advertise for a match in the lobby and another team that advertised earlier has not yet begun, simply go to their table to begin the game or stand until their game is filled.

Should you start and continue with your game before the leading addy has filled, then your team will be rung to the bottom of the ladder with a possible room boot to the person who advertised the game.

Should any member feel that they have been deliberately avoided for whatever reason and the issue was not resolved at the time of occurrence, they are to send all the relevant details, which MUST include lobby chats AND screenshots to their Captain. The Captain should then try and work it out with the opposing Captain and failing an agreement, file it with the Complaints Committee at myleague_asl@yahoo.com enclosing all evidence as required for a ruling.

You may also advertise a 1 vs. 1 match, where both players use a BOT as their respective partners. The losing player must still report the loss to the league site, since the game was advertised.

If you wish to just play a friendly match in the room, you may do so without advertising the match in the lobby. However, ONLY the loss of an advertised match may be reported to the league site.

Since this is a sit and play league, you cannot challenge nor deny to play a team that sits at your table for a match that was advertised in the lobby. All teams and players have equal access to play any team in the ASP league. You may NOT "whisper" a team in order to get a match.

There is no limit to how many times each day that you play against the same team. However, immediate re-matches against the same team and same players are at the DISCRETION of the winning team. It is the only time that a team pair has the OPTION of denying a particular match. However, if that same pair chooses to advertise for a third match, then the original opponents cannot be denied a match against them.

This rule allows the winning team to avoid camping by other teams and gives all teams a chance at play. All rematches must STILL be advertised in the lobby.

Any team found camping (waiting for a higher ranked team to advertise) or found avoiding lower ranked teams will be RUNG to the bottom of the ladder.

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If you are playing with a PAL as your partner, then you are also RESPONSIBLE for stating that your partner is a PAL. The PAL may also state their PAL status for this match, to help clarify.

Once you and your partner sit at the table of an ADVERTISED match, you cannot refuse to begin play once the table launches, including 1 vs. 1 matches. If you refuse to play a penalty can and will be assessed against you and your partner.

If your opponents forget to state their team name, please ask them what team they are representing. Do NOT bid until you know which team your opponents are representing. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your opponents are part of the ASP league. An Admin cannot enforce rules or penalties against opponents that are not registered with the league.

Also, be considerate. Sometimes a team may be excited or distracted and forget to announce their team name. Just ask them. Our intent is to keep this league a fun and friendly place in which to enjoy spades, not to continually rule against teams that accidentally forget to acknowledge their team name. In the name of sportsmanship, help out your opponents so you can both experience a positive and competitive game of spades.

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Please be advised that when you first kibitz a match, you will NOT be able to see that player's cards until the NEXT hand. However, despite this, we ask that you abide by a few rules to make the match enjoyable for all at the table:

ª Please kibitz only your team

ª If you accidentally kibitz an opponent – please click STAND immediately, which will allow you to "watch" the game, without being on that person's lap and seeing their cards

ª Do not jump from player to player – this is rude and usually starts a disagreement between players

ª Please keep table chat to a minimum – it can be difficult to concentrate with excessive table chat

ª If you leave the table and return later, you MUST return to the same seat to kibitz again

ª If you want to change seats to another of your teammates, you have to ask the opponents; if they agree, then it is to be done on the LAST card of that hand and BEFORE the bidding of the next hand

During a game if 3 out of the 4 players agree to silence all Kibbers this can be done. One of the 3 can type " /mute " at the table and this will enable all Kibbers to Not be able to type at the table. It is Important to note this can only be done if 3 out of the 4 players in a game are in agreement as penalties for Unsportsmanship Conduct can be imposed.

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Once the match is over, the losing team must REPORT, decide who is going to report the loss to the ASP league site. This is usually done by saying IWRP (I Will Report Partner) at the table. However you decide, be sure that you know which partner is going to report; ONLY one partner reports the match for all four players.

• 24 hours to Report only applys to the Reporting
  system being down at the ASP site.

Players will have up to 7 minutes to report the game.Should either player fail to report the game within 7 minutes, an Admin will be called to report the game, if there are no Admin present, please copy the gamechat, take a screenshot and send it to myleague_asl@yahoo.com for the report to be made.If 7minutes have elapsed and Admin are called to make the report, any 'double reports' will NOT be corrected and a Team warning will be sent to the appropriate Captain.

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Occasionally you will receive a message indicating that you must wait 5 minutes before reporting. This occurs if your team just submitted a loss report within the last 5 minutes of your attempt. Remember, some teams are very active and will have multiple matches in progress.

This can delay the reporting process, but all players must remain at the table until the loss has actually been reported. If you receive the wait message, we suggest you confirm that the match was not posted and that the wait message was in error. From time to time, the message will be a mistake or somehow the submit button registered a double click and attempted to submit the loss twice. If the loss, in fact, was not submitted, wait approximately 5 minutes then submit the loss again.

You can do this easily by hitting the “back button” on your browser window. All of the information should be present and ready to be submitted again.

Note: The PAL is not required to remain at the table. They may leave as soon as the match is concluded.

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It is suggested that the winning team confirm that the match was reported before leaving the table, even if the losing team indicates they have reported the loss. If you find that the game has not been reported, please politely ask the opposing team to return to the table to discuss and resolve the issue.

It is much easier to resolve game issues while they are fresh in everyone’s mind. Do NOT chase after the losing team or disrupt their next game if they refuse to post the loss or return to the table – please contact your team Captain.

If the winning team notices that the report has not shown up AFTER everyone has left the table, then check your team’s record log later to see if it is listed. If it does not show up, send an e-mail to your team Captain with the names of each team, the names of all players, who won the match, and whether either team had a PAL.

Your team Captain can contact the other team’s Captain and work out getting the loss properly reported. If the Captains cannot get resolution to the match, then they can send in the information, along with the Captains' chat, to the Admin team. Again, do NOT chase after the losing team; you should have confirmed the loss was reported before leaving the table, as suggested above.

If you have questions or concerns regarding a double post, please request an Admin to your table to verify the posting.

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Note: Do not report a match for someone else. The system will interpret this as a multiple account and both accounts could be kicked off the league.

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An Admin will contact the team Captain that failed to report the loss and get resolution. If the report is still not reported after another 24 hours, the Admin will report the loss and the losing team player(s) and their Captain will get 48 hours in the penalty box AND the team will be RUNG to the bottom of the ladder.

Remember, we are all here to have fun and play spades. If you lose the match, do the right thing and have the decency to report the loss.

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If the match is still not reported within 24 hours, then your team Captain may e-mail the Admin team an "Un-Reported" match complaint.

The Admin team will review the situation and post the loss accordingly.

Be sure to INCLUDE the Captain's chat with the complaint.

If you are playing with a PAL that is registered with the league and is on a current team and your PAL intentionally leaves the game forcing a forfeit, then the PAL and their team will receive the league loss.

Please record the table chat and e-mail it to your team Captain. Your team Captain will get with the PAL's team Captain and get the loss properly reported, within 24 hours. If the match is still not reported within 24 hours, then your team Captain may e-mail the Admin team an "Un-Reported" match complaint. The Admin team will review the situation and post the loss accordingly. Be sure to INCLUDE the Captain's chat with the complaint.

If you get upset during the play and intentionally leave the match without posting the loss, then your team and partner (team Captain if your partner was a PAL) will get the league loss.

Any registered player in the league will be assessed a penalty for intentionally forfeiting a match and NOT reporting the loss. (See PENALTY GUIDE).

When a player quits a game and has a PAL as a pard and withdraws from the league so they do not heaver to report the game, call an admin to the table. The Admin will report the loss to the captain of that players team to a PAL. If the individual rejoins the league a penalty may be imposed at that time for withdrawing to avoid a loss. (See PENALTY GUIDE).

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RANK HOUNDING

While the ASP league is a no challenge, sit and play league, we acknowledge that we are also on a ladder system. Therefore, we do have some rules pertaining to the ladder ranks and rank hounding.

Any team will automatically be RUNG to the bottom of the ladder after maintaining the 1st ranked position for 3 consecutive days (72hours).

This allows all teams the chance to reach the number one spot, but also acknowledges the work that is required to reach and maintain the top rung of the ladder. We feel this is a fair way to accomplish both team achievement and promoting sportsmanship and competition between the teams in the league.

However, your team must remain active in order to avoid being automatically RUNG to the bottom of the ladder.

It is not fair to the league or other teams if your team achieves one of the top ranked positions, then becomes inactive in order to hold that specific rank.

Therefore, in order to maintain your team’s 1st or 2nd ranked position on the ladder, each 1st and 2nd ranked team MUST comply with the following two rules:

1) Each 1st & 2nd ranked team MUST play at least 10 matches per day each.

2) Each 1st placed team MUST play the 2nd placed team at least once every 24 hours.

If a team defends the #1 position with honor for 3 days (72hours) they will be recognised for their achievement by receiving a personalised ASP Banner.

If either team at #1 or #2 fails to play each other within a 24hour period (where applicable) then BOTH teams will be rung to the bottom of the ladder. If YOUR team is ranked 4th, or 5th, you MUST be active in the lobby and play a minimum of 5 matches per day, in order to maintain your rung on the ladder. If YOUR team is 1st (or 2nd) ranked and has NOT played a 2nd (or 1st) ranked team in 18 hours, YOUR team MUST request a formal challenge to the appropriate team (2nd ranked or 1st ranked) in the lobby BEFORE 24 hours has elapsed. If YOUR team is 3rd ranked and has NOT played a 1st or 2nd ranked team within 18 hours, you MUST request a formal challenge to a 1st and / or 2nd ranked team in the lobby BEFORE 24 hours has elapsed.

Any team AVOIDING a formal challenge or NOT present enough to ensure a top ranked team above them can get the required matches within the time limits established, WILL be RUNG to the bottom of the ladder.

FOR INSTANCE, if the 1st ranked team has been challenging, in the lobby, for a match against a 2nd ranked team (as determined by View Ranks - All Active Teams) AND the 1st ranked team has met their required matches per day, but has not been successful at obtaining the challenge due to the 2nd ranked team not present in the lobby for the last six hours, then the 2nd ranked team can be RUNG to the bottom of the ladder.

The 1st ranked team, in this example, would be granted a 6 hour extension to play a match against a 2nd ranked team. This applies to ALL ranked teams between 1st and 3rd.

The CRITERIA that will be used to determine if YOUR team has met the requirements for a TOP RANKED team will be the matches recorded on YOUR team roster (Last 50 Games).This is solely an Administrative call and extensions may be granted due to speciality tournaments, room or site crashes, or legal challenges issued in the lobby.Please email ASP Admin if you believe your Team was rung without proper cause.

Each match played is recorded on your team roster with a time / date stamp from the system. The time requirements (24 or 48) will be determined by the LAST time your team reached a rank that has specific league requirements for the maintenance of that rank.

FOR INSTANCE, if your team reached 1st rank at 20:10 (military time), then your team has until that time the next day (rounded up to the nearest 30 minute interval) to meet the requirements of a 1st ranked team. This applies to ANY ranked team that has specific league requirements for the maintenance of that rank.

We encourage each team to actively monitor their position on the ladder to ensure it is not RUNG to the bottom of the ladder for failure to meet the league requirements as outlined above.

If YOUR team does not meet the requirements, then your team will be RUNG to the bottom of the ladder, period! Be SURE to check your team logs often to determine if YOUR team has met the requirements of that rank.

While an e-mail is NOT sent to the team Captain, each and every RUNG is recorded in the league Daily News.

If your RANK has changed unexpectedly, please check the news to determine why. If you are unsure as to why your team was RUNG, please contact one of the Admin for assistance - DO NOT go off in the lobby over ladder positions, or your team Captain / entire team may be assessed a penalty.

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BOXED PLAYERS & TEAMS

If you or your team is in the penalty box, then you are not allowed to participate in any match, including being a PAL, until your penalty box time has expired.This Includes matches in the ASP the GTA and the GTAS.

The system will NOT allow a boxed player to report a league loss AND it will not allow anyone to choose a boxed player from a roster when reporting a loss.

The daily news will list any player or team that is in the penalty box, the reason for the box, and the number of days that the penalty is in effect.

You can also check when a player's boxed time is scheduled to expire by checking the team roster of that player; if a player is in the penalty box, the team roster will indicate next to that player's name under LAST GAME the date and time that the penalty expires.

In addition, on the main page of the ASP website, is a link entitled The JOINT. This link will take you to a list of players that are boxed with their scheduled expiration date.

This list is NEVER deleted.

In addition, any boxed player or team may NOT post messages in the MESSAGE FORUM until the penalty has expired.

If you continue to play league matches as a PAL while in the penalty box, then either your penalty box time will be increased and / or you could get banned from the league.

The penalty box is used by the Admin team as a cooling off period and is NOT intended as a jail or prison; thus no player or team will be subject to an unreasonable amount of time in the penalty box. Therefore, if the Admin team feels that an infraction is of a critical nature, then having that player or team banned is a more appropriate action than, for example, assigning 30 days in the penalty box.

No player or team may serve more than a maximum of 14 consecutive days in the penalty box.

Exceptions to this rule are RARE and will be addressed on an individual basis.

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TABLE COMPLAINTS

If you have an issue or complaint at a table then you MUST first discuss your complaint with your team Captain.

Once the complaint has been mailed to admin by the team Captain or their Representative, both Captains will have 48 hours to try and come to a reasonable solution. If this happens the Captain who files the complaint must withdraw it. If no reasonable solution can be accomplished between the two Captains, then at the end of the 48 hour time period admin will rule on the complaint and issue penalties if needed. If a Captain is to be out of town we suggest they forward to admin a player nic whom will answer complaints in their absence.

We encourage the team Captains to work out issues and differences together. However, the complaint that is sent in MUST contain a copy of the table chat, or other documentation, between the team Captains, and/or players, so we understand what was discussed between those involved in addition to any other chat or evidence that is relevant to the complaint.

If your team Captain or Co-Captain are not online and you need immediate attention, then you may request or contact an Admin. The Admin team is here to help you enjoy your time spent in this league. If you require assistance with something, like a lost password, login problems, or reporting problems, then please contact an Admin. We will be glad to assist you.

All complaints or communication with the Admin team MUST be done using our primary e-mail address. This link can be found on the left side of the main page under the heading of ASP COMPLAINTS.

You have 10 days from the date of the game or incident to file a Complaint with ASP Admin, any Complaints received outside of this '10 day' time frame will not be considered.

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LOBBY COMPLAINTS

Admin will do there best in controlling situations in the lobby. If, at any time, a member feels the lobby conduct is out of hand he/she may file an individual complaint on lobby conduct.

If you are submitting a complaint, be SURE to indicated in the body of the e-mail who the complaint (nickname) is referencing. Also, please only include enough of the lobby chat to clearly indicate the infraction and what led up to the infraction. There is no need to copy the entire lobby chat if it is NOT crucial to the complaint being submitted.

All table and lobby chats emailed to ASP Admin as a complaint from either an ASP member or Captain must be complete and full chats from the moment you are at a table or enter the lobby. All Complaints emailed to ASP Admin will be fully reviewed. This means that ANY league member is subject to receiving a Penalty(s) if it is warranted upon ASP Admin's review of the table or lobby chat that has been submitted.

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RULES EXCEPTIONS

We attempt to address all rules and infractions that we have experienced. However, situations may arise in which the current rules do no accurately address an issue. The Admin team will do its best in remaining fair, unbiased, and impartial in dealing with issues between players and teams. We will use our discretion responsibly and minimize the exceptions to any rule.

If a player does something that is not specifically covered in these rules but does fall within the guideline of unsportsmanlike conduct, then that action may result in you being subject to time in the penalty box.

However, we will do our best to discuss and give proper warning if infractions were done inadvertently. The best code of conduct is to treat the members of the league in the same fashion YOU would like to be treated. Do not intentionally or maliciously attack another league member, be it a Player, a team Captain, or an Admin.

Please enjoy your time in this league and use it as a means of entertainment.

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MESSAGE FORUM

The Message Forum is a place intended for members of the league to post messages, announcements, congratulatory statements, questions, jokes, feedback, rule changes, and even constructive criticism.

Any active member in good standing is given access to the Message Forum. Abuse of the forum or any player that is in the penalty box will not be allowed to post messages to the forum.

Once the player is out of the penalty box, access to the Message Forum will be restored.

We encourage our members to utilize this function to the best interest of the league. No topic is taboo, as long as the post is addressing an issue, asking a question, or is congratulatory in nature.

No player may use the forum to bash or degrade another player or team. Posts that are intentionally derogatory and directed towards another player or team will be pulled.

This is not to say that, as members, you cannot ask tough questions.

The Admin team will do our best to address any issue that arises, as long as the issue is presented in a responsible and professional manner.

To resolve open issues, it is better to speak to a member one on one or in a small group setting, such as a table chat.

When the Message Forum is used for this purpose, the issues tend to get diluted and the timeline to resolution is much longer.

Please remember that this league was founded on the principals of fun and mutual respect; therefore, every effort should be taken to resolve issues in a manner that shows respect for all parties concerned.

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ADMIN TEAM

The ASP Admin team is a group of volunteers here to help and promote an arena in which its members can enjoy competitive spades in a friendly and drama / stress-free atmosphere, as much as possible.

If you have a specific issue with anyone on the Admin team, please approach them with your issue.

You will discover that we are reasonable and willing to work out any issue or misunderstanding. If you feel a decision was made in error, please sit down and discuss it with us. We promise to investigate incidents to ensure fair treatment for all members and that the penalty balances the infraction.

We will not resort to profanity or name-calling and we ask the same of our members.

We are held to the same rules and penalties as our players, and if we break the rules we are not above the same penalties that would be assessed happen we not be on the Admin team.

Our team and league is one of mutual respect. We understand, acknowledge, and appreciate that respect is not given but earned.

You have our commitment to respect you, as an individual, and we ask the same of you. From mutual respect springs trust and friendship, which is the ultimate goal of this league. Please do not consider us unapproachable for we are here to interact, play, and socialize with all members of the league.

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CONCLUSION

Everyone that is a member of the ASP league is here to have fun, entertain ourselves, relax, and enjoy a friendly match of competitive spades.

By registering as a member of this league you are giving your consent to uphold the same values and principles upon which this league was founded.

From time to time you might have a disagreement or issue with another player or team.

We ask that all members be compassionate and willing to work together to resolve any issue or problem that arises.

If you have suggestions or problems you want addressed, please contact an Admin; we will be glad to consider your views and do our best to make your time in this league as enjoyable as possible.

This is YOUR league. Take pride and ownership in assisting us to make this The Best Damn League On the Peak!

Thank you,

The Admin Team of ASP

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HLC & BRB

If a player needs a BRB during the match, they should request an HLC.

Then, on the LAST card of that hand, say BRB, do what they need to do, and return to the match as quickly as possible.

If a situation arises during the game and a player requires a BRB BEFORE the LAST card of the hand, then the player must ASK the table if it is OK. If everyone agrees, then the player does what they need to do and returns as quickly as possible. If they do not agree, then the player must place their cards on automatic and let the computer play the hand until they return, or wait till the last card of that hand.

Again, please be considerate. This should be a friendly league and if you insist on requiring an opponent to play on automatic, then the same might happen to you in a similar situation.

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