Region 7 Tour Handicap System:

Region 7 is pleased to announce the launch of the new R7 Tour for 2013. A 5 event series played in 5 different counties, within our region. Please see the website for dates, venues, prize money, format and entry and payment details. The tour is a dress code event and players will be required to wear a tour shirt.

Players may be placed into 3 ability groups for handicapping purposes: A pool players, B pool players and C pool players. The starts are +1 and +2. Obviously players from the same pool will play off levels. A pool players will give B pool players a 1 start to 6 and C pool players a 2 start to 6 in the winners section. B pool players will give C pool players a 1 start to 6 in the winners section. A pool players will give B pool players a 1 start to 5 and C pool players a 2 start to 5 in the losers section. B pool players will give C pool players a 1 start to 5 in the losers section. The shorter race in the losers section does make the handicap even more significant, especially when an A pool player plays a C pool player. It will be interesting to see the results over the 5 events, hopefully a lot of matches will go to a final frame decider.

The present county structure should provide clear guidelines for most players when it comes to handicapping, but we'll probably have to look very closely at which pool to put some players in. County players can expect to be placed in pools that coincide with the county team they regularly represent. I think it may be more problematic when placing players from interleague who we don't know so well. We'll seek the advice of the relevant county delegate who may want to contact the player's interleague captain and others to accurately assess their ability. Also fast improving Juniors clearly have the potential to be ahead of the handicap. Any previous R7 Tour winner will be classed as an A pool player as will any players with a high level of past form on other well regarded tours, such as the IPA Tour, UKPT, Herts Tour and Southern Amateur Tour.

Most players on the tour entry list are A pool players and hopefully the handicap won't be too significant an issue. We trialed this format over 4 events in the London ko series in 2012 and it was well received. I'm sure if each event is well run and competently refereed, with good playing conditions (tables prepared to a high standard with good sets of match balls), then the players will enjoy the tour in 2013 and hopefully want to support it in 2014.

Tournament Director, Jerry Tickell