There are a couple of reasons why a team in a match might have an average rating above 2400.75. They are:

1. Each team is allowed to use any rating list from September of the previous year through August of the current year. The ratings shown on this page will all be from August though - sometimes resulting in a seemingly higher rating average than would legally be allowed.

2. When a team uses a player rated above 2590, that player only counts as 2600 when determining a lineup's legality. However what is shown on this page will be the actual average which of course might be higher.

There are a couple of reasons why a team in a match might have an average rating above 2400.75. They are:

1. Each team is allowed to use any rating list from January through August of the current year. The ratings shown on this page will all be from August though - sometimes resulting in a seemingly higher rating average than would legally be allowed.

2. When a team uses a player rated above 2600, that player only counts as 2600 when determining a lineup's legality. However what is shown on this page will be the actual average which of course might be higher.

If there is a tie during the regular season as to the finishing order for playoff positioning, the following rules will be used (for instance if two teams are tied for second place with seven match points each). Tiebreak #1 is of course the first tiebreak with the lower ones being used only if all the above tiebreak procedures also result in a tie.

1. Total Team Game Points. Thus winning a match 4 - 0 will give you more tiebreak points than winning a match 3 - 1.

2. Average rating of opponents throughout the season, using the August rating list of that season.

3. Head to Head Results. If you have beaten the opposing team 1.5 - 0.5 during the regular season, you will get the higher seeding.

4. Total Match Points versus Divisional Teams. Thus if Team A went 4.0 - 2.0 in Divisional Matches while Team B went 3.5 - 2.5 then Team A would have the better tiebreaks.

5. Total Game Points versus Divisional Teams

6. Total Game Points from Board 1

7. Total Game Points from Board 2

8. Total Game Points from Board 3

9. Total number of team wins. Thus if one team has a total of twenty five points, with twenty of these points being from wins, whereas another team has a total of twenty five points with only nineteen being from wins, the team with twenty wins has the better tiebreaks.

10. An Armageddon blitz game between chosen members of the teams

If there is a tie between three teams in both match points and game points, we will use the above rules to decide the order amongst the teams. The last resort will be an online blitz game between chosen members of the teams.

If there is a tie during the regular season as to the finishing order for playoff positioning, the following rules will be used (for instance if two teams are tied for second place with seven match points each). Tiebreak #1 is of course the first tiebreak with the lower ones being used only if all the above tiebreak procedures also result in a tie.

1. Total Team Game Points. Thus winning a match 4 - 0 will give you more tiebreak points than winning a match 3 - 1.

2. Strength of Schedule; the team whose opponents have the highest combined record wins the tiebreak.

3. Average rating of opponents throughout the season, using the August rating list of that season.

4. Head to Head Results. If you have beaten the opposing team 1.5 - 0.5 during the regular season, you will get the higher seeding.

5. Total Match Points versus Divisional Teams. Thus if Team A went 5.0 - 3.0 in Divisional Matches while Team B went 4.5 - 3.5 then Team A would have the better tiebreaks.

6. Total Game Points versus Divisional Teams

7. Total Game Points from Board 1

8. Total Game Points from Board 2

9. Total Game Points from Board 3

10. Total number of team wins. Thus if one team has a total of twenty five points, with twenty of these points being from wins, whereas another team has a total of twenty five points with only nineteen being from wins, the team with twenty wins has the better tiebreaks.

11. An Armageddon blitz game between chosen members of the teams

If there is a tie between three teams in both match points and game points, we will use the above rules to decide the order amongst the teams. The last resort will be an online blitz game between chosen members of the teams.

If the regulation match is tied 2 - 2, the following tiebreak procedures will be take place after a ten minute break:

1. The fourth boards from each team will play each other. The team that won on the highest board during the original match will choose their color for the first game. If all regulation games were drawn, the lower rated team gets to choose colors for the first tiebreak game. The time control will be three minutes with a three second increment. The loser of this game will be eliminated, and the winner then faces Board Three of the opposing team.

2. This process continues with the next higher board on each team continually replacing any player of their team who gets eliminated.

3. If a game ends in a draw, both players are eliminated, except if at least one team is using its Board One in which case there is no elimination on a draw, instead colors reverse, and the game is replayed until there is a decisive result.

4. Colors will switch every game for the teams in all circumstances.

5. This process repeats itself until all four players from one team have been eliminated. Thus in order for your opponents to win the match, every one of your team members must be eliminated.

Return to the 2009 Schedule

Semifinals Results, USCL 2009

Monday, November 16th

1. San Francisco Mechanics vs Miami Sharks8:30 PM EST (San Francisco advances on a draw)

Wednesday, November 18th

2. New Jersey Knockouts vs New York Knights7:00 PM EST (New Jersey advances on a draw)

• If you are wondering why some teams have an average rating of above 2401, click here

• All ratings listed below are August ratings - not always the ratings used for the league rating calculations!

• Team listed first gets White on Boards 1+3


team icon San Francisco Mechanics (7.5 – 3.5)vsMiami Sharks (7.0 – 4.0) team icon

San Francisco receives Draw Odds

All Time Series Record: (San Francisco leads 6 - 5)

Starts at 8:30 PM EST

Time Control: Game in 75 with 30 second increment

San Francisco MechanicsMiami Sharks
GM Jesse Kraai: 25520.50.5GM Julio Becerra: 2615
GM Vinay Bhat: 25041.00.0IM Blas Lugo: 2351
IM David Pruess: 24180.01.0IM Alejandro Moreno Roman: 2331
NM Yian Liou: 21490.01.0NM Eric Rodriguez: 2290
Average Rating: 2406Average Rating: 2397
San Francisco Total1.52.5Miami Total
In consideration for the Mechanics' willingness to move this match to Monday, when it was originally scheduled for Wednesday, Miami agreed to allow them to use IM Pruess (who is an alternate) in place of the player San Francisco had intended to use, IM John Donaldson, who was not available on Monday.


team icon New Jersey Knockouts (9.0 – 2.0)vsNew York Knights (6.0 – 5.0) team icon

New Jersey receives Draw Odds

All Time Series Record: (New Jersey leads 3 - 2)

Starts at 7:00 PM EST

Time Control: Game in 90 with 30 second increment

New Jersey KnockoutsNew York Knights
GM Joel Benjamin: 26410.50.5GM Giorgi Kacheishvili: 2666
IM Dean Ippolito: 25350.50.5GM Pascal Charbonneau: 2560
SM Mackenzie Molner: 24460.50.5NM Matt Herman: 2275
Sean Finn: 21140.01.0NM Yaacov Norowitz: 2354
Average Rating: 2434Average Rating: 2464
New Jersey Total1.52.5New York Total