EUROBOWL CHARTER
Eurobowl charter 2022
A process of making unwritten rules written was started at Eurobowl 2013 in Vienna. In 2016-17 we have had a Eurobowl Committee for the first time. At the Captains meeting in Porto 2017 all votes put forward be this committee was passed with some additions. This document is the finalization of the rules based on the decisions made at this meeting. Hence forth this document is considered the Charter of the Eurobowl and changes to it require a 2/3 majority vote at a captains meeting.
This charter had some additions in the captains’ meeting 2018 and 2022.
1. TEAMS
1.1 Teams must be made of exactly eight coaches or eight coaches and a non-playing captain or coach. (NB for clarity all mentions of ‘team’ below will mean a team of real human coaches. Blood Bowl teams (for example Undead) will be referred to as a ‘race’ or ‘roster’)
a) A non-playing captain or coach is allowed to talk about whether a player should play to win or play to draw, and he can talk about the situations in other games. Nothing else. This conversation should be had in English.
b) If needed the non-playing captain can substitute for a player unable to play in the tournament and play with the substituted players roster. The substituted player is allowed to re-enter the tournament at the start of the following day if possible.
1.2 Each nation may send a maximum of one team.
1.3 A ‘nation’ is defined using FIFA rules (so for example England, Wales and Scotland are separate rather than competing under the flag of Great Britain).
1.4 Each national team must include at least five coaches who would be eligible to play for that nation under one or both of the following criteria:
a) National or citizen of that Nation.
b) Resident of that nation.
1.5 Moving Nations is permitted as long as the person meets the eligibility criteria of the nation they are moving to. No more that one move is normally allowed in a 3 year cycle. An exception can be made if citizenship or residency changes within the 3 Eurobowl cycle. This exception will need the approval of the Eurobowl Committee.
Note that the distinction between nationality and citizenship differs in law between countries so it is not possible to give an exact definition as to how each is defined. In general we are choosing to define each as follows:
National: The nation you identify with, belong to. It cannot be granted, it is what you are born with. It is also possible to claim this if you have a parent or grandparent who is/was a national of that country.
Citizen: Which country you hold a passport for. Citizenship is normally granted by a government.
Resident: Where you live.
We would also encourage all nations to try and have a complete team of eligible coaches before engaging the services of freebooters.
1.6 If required to ensure an even number of teams the organizers are responsible for forming team of “pirates”. This team will compete in the same way as all other teams.
2. TEAM SELECTION
2.1 Each nation is responsible for selecting its own team of eight coaches.
2.2 Each coach must play a different race. Only one coach per team may take Wood Elves for example.
2.3 Each nation selects one coach as Captain to represent the team in meetings etc.
2.4 The Captain’s role involves sharing information and gathering opinions about Eurobowl from within his community (not just the selected team), and to represent these in any meetings he or she attends. The captain can send a representative from the nation to the captains meeting.
2.5 Team selection should be fair and representative of each nation, in line with point #4 of the NAF’s Pre-Tournament Requirements.
3. EVENT RULES
3.1 In each round, nation will play against nation with all eight coaches from one national team playing a game against a member of the same opposing nation.
3.2 The draw will be random in the first round and Swiss thereafter for both teams and individual match ups within the team pairings.
3.3 The tournament most follow the resurrection format, with injuries not carrying over etc.
3.4 Rosters may have a Team Value of between 100 and 120 excluding any added skills.
3.5 Incentives for lower tiered teams are permitted at the discretion of the committee and the NAF Tournament Director in line with point 6 of the pre-tournament requirements of the NAF Tournament Approval Document.
3.6 Rules must be proposed to the committee and NAF Tournament Director 7 months before the event at the latest.
3.7 The rules must be approved and publicized six months before the event.
3.8 If the rules for whatever reason is not approved 6 months before the event, the rules of the previous Eurobowl will be used.
4. HOSTING RIGHTS
4.1 The right to host future Eurobowls will be awarded based upon results at each Eurobowl event. In the captain’s meeting at the event, each nation who wishes to host must declare their interest. To be eligible to host a nation must have sent a national team of eight to at least two of the previous three Eurobowls including the current one.
4.2 The team at the current Eurobowl must also have at least six eligible coaches rather than the normal five.
4.3 Nations who have previously hosted are not eligible to host again whilst there are eligible nations who have yet to have the chance.
4.4 The hosting rights for the Eurobowl after the next will be awarded to the nation who places highest in the competition from those who have declared their interest. So, for example, in 2016 the hosting rights for the 2018 event was decided, thus giving two years for preparation.
4.5 Prospective hosts should report their progress to the Captains’ meeting one year before their event and are required to provide a representative to the committee who must be present at the captains meeting the year prior to hosting.
4.6
1) The host nation has to submit a detailed business plan 1 year or more in advance including all budgeting plans, Swot analysis – discussion to be held if anything should be changed and understand the host is on the right track.
2) plans for scoring system to be used to be discussed with committee, and committee needs to be included in testing and operation of software.
3) 6 months prior to event host country is to have meeting with committee on registration progression, challenges and obstacles expected and committee to try and troubleshoot and make sure host country is ready and prepared
4) A host nation should ensure that everyone can attend irrelevant of political, religious, gender to Eurobowl. The captains group extends the jurisdiction to the committee to ensure this is followed
4.7 The Committee have the power to withdraw hosting rights should a prospective host fail to provide adequate assurances of their progress. This would require unity of all five elected committee members and it would fall upon the committee to make plans and make sure the Eurobowl was held and follow up on the decision at the upcoming captains meeting.
4.8 In the event that no eligible nation comes forward at a captains meeting all nations immediately becomes eligible for the year in question. The second year there are no eligible nations the process is permanently reset, and all nations count as having hosted zero times except the nation hosting the first time no nation was eligible. They count as having already hosted.
5. DECISION MAKING
5.1 At every Eurobowl a captains meeting is organized. The captains meeting has the absolute authority in all decisions related to the Eurobowl.
5.2 Only captains or a representative of a captain of participating Eurobowl teams has a vote at the captains meeting.
5.3 Non-participating nations are allowed a representative with no voting right at the captains meeting.
5.4 At every Eurobowl a committee is elected to oversee the next Eurobowl.
5.5 Only one representative from any nation can be elected.
The committee will comprise of:
• Five elected representatives chosen by vote at the captains meeting, one of which will be chairperson, chosen by the committee.
• A representative from each of the next two Eurobowl organizer group, chosen by the organizer group.
• The organizer of the last Eurobowl and the NAF tournament director are invited to join the committee but does not have a vote.
All members will stay on the committee until the next Eurobowl even if they do not remain captain of their national team.
The committee’s responsibility is:
• Support the organising committee of the hosting nations
• Take decisions required in-between Eurobowls. Major decisions will require ratification at the full Captains meeting by a 2 thirds majority and any decision made by the committee can be made subject to a vote at the captains meeting if a captain wishes it. The committee must at all time follow the line put forward at the captain’s meetings.
• Agree dispensations to any of the rules.
• Organise the Captains Meeting at each Eurobowl.
6. THE EVENT
6.1 The Eurobowl will be held in every year there is not a NAF World Cup. It is traditionally held in October or early November.
6.2 The Eurobowl must be announced at least nine months in advance and provide a minimum of 200 seats in total but more is preferable.
6.3 Eurobowl hosts must organise a sister tournament alongside the national team competition: The EurOpen
6.4 At the announcement there must be given a deadline to register for the Eurobowl and an estimate of the total number of seats. Any national team registered before this date must be given a spot up to a minimum of 20 national teams.
6.5 The deadline for the EurOpen registration should be approximately one month later than the deadline for the Eurobowl registration to give EurOpen teams the possibility to grab spaces unoccupied by national teams.
6.6 The EurOpen will be a Blood Bowl team tournament open to all who wish to enter (space permitting).
7. PERSONAL CONDUCT
7.1 We understand that Blood Bowl is a particularly emotional game and that Nuffle is a fickle master, however at no point should this be an excuse to abuse your opponent (verbally or otherwise), or to interrupt or impact other games.
We must all understand that attendees will come from different backgrounds, cultures, and ways of seeing things. Words and actions need to be more measured in such an environment. While swearing and a flying dice cup is acceptable in certain areas, it isn’t in others. We will not accept abuse from or to anyone especially referees and organising team. There will be a zero-tolerance policy and penalties below will be enforced.
Dice cups, trays and towers are not only permitted but encouraged.
If one of the two Coaches facing off requests that one dice pool is used this must be done..
At the start of game Coaches facing off are encouraged to define for their game how to handle cocked dice and dice which escape from dice cups.
If a Coach suspects their opponent of misconduct, they are to call a referee immediately.
Should the above not be adhered to referees and organisers will implement the penalty system below immediately.
Penalty Points
1st Offense: Warning
2nd Offense: 2 Coach points will be deducted from the offending Coach.
3rd Offense: 1 Squad point will be deducted from the Squad of the offending Coach.
4th Offense: Offending Coach is sent-off. (Bribes or argue the call are not allowed)
This is a guideline, and the organising Team and referees may apply more severe penalties in earlier offense.
When a warning is given, it will need to be given clearly and specifically to the offending player