Goals and Purposes:

The principal purposes of this new tournament are:

1. To provide training and competition for the top AGA players, especially the professionals,

2. To promote internet Go using the Pandanet platform,

3. to create a venue for seeking and encouraging regional sponsorship of Go in North America.

Leagues:

A league - 6 teams

B league - 6 teams

C league - ? based on registration

League Season:

1st: January 1, 2013 - August 15, 2013

2nd: August 31, 2013 - August 15th, 2014

Teams:

Teams will consist of 4 players, 3 of which will play in each round on a rotating basis, and 1 non-playing team captain. Each team will represent a city or a region.

Team Consistency:

Team roster is to remain unchanged for the entire season; no transfer, hiring, or firing of playing members is allowed during the season.

Beginning from the close of the first season, it is the city / regional team that retains its ranking in the League. Should a player from any team move away or not wish to continue playing in the league for the following season, the city / regional team may replace that player using a playoff tournament format for interested players. The change in average rank resulting from player rating improvement, decline, or replacement does not effect the standing of the team.

Players:

Professional and amateur players with full or youth AGA membership from the beginning of each League Season. AGA membership is to be maintained continuously throughout the season. Players must be residents in the city or region that the team represents for at least 6 months before the beginning of the League Season, with no plans to move away during the season. If moving to another city becomes necessary during the League Season, that player may finish the season with his / her original team, but may not continue to play for that city / regional team in the following seasons.

Team Placement:

Placement of teams in the A and B league for the opening season (2012-2013) will be based upon combined AGA rank of all 4 playing team members as of August 31st 2012. Placement for all subsequent seasons will be based on the final standings of the preceding season. The close of every season, the bottom finishing team from the A league will move to the B league, and the top-finishing team from the B league will move to the A league. Similarly, the bottom finishing team from the B league will move to the C league, and the top-finishing team from the C league will be promoted to the B league.

New Team Entry:

New teams organized after the initial season may enter the C league without contestation. If they wish to place into the higher leagues, there will be a qualifier tournament before the beginning of every season where they can potentially win a spot as the bottom seed in the B league. If this is not achieved, they will be entered into the C league. In order to advance to the A league, a team must progress from the B league.

Games:

AGA rules, 7.5 komi 60 minutes basic time 25 moves in 10 minutes Canadian byoyomi All games will be played on Pandanet IGS in the AGA Tournaments Room In each round, 3 games will be played: 3 playing members of team x versus 3 playing members from team y. Any team with at least 2 out of 3 winning players wins that round.

Scheduling:

January: Round 1

February: Round 2

March: Round 3

March: Round 4

April: Round 5

May: Round 6

May: Round 7

June: Round 8

June: Round 9

July: Round 10

Final Round: August / US Go Congress

The non-playing team captains for each team will coordinate availability and scheduling for his/her team. All 3 games between the players of 2 teams in any round must be played simultaneously. At 3pm on the final Sunday of each month is the set default time before or during which the round for the month must be played. Any re-scheduling of this default time by the tournament directors will be announced at least 3 months in advance. The games for any round may be played any time before the default time, but not after. If the round has not been scheduled before that time, the opposing teams will report to play at the designated default time. Should one team not report for this game, their team will lose the round by default. Before this date and time, games may be scheduled at the teams' convenience.