1)   The top ranked team must play the same amount of games that they played before their top ranking.  You have 24 hrs to play the number 2 team, or you will be rung to bottom.  If you play number 2 team you hold this spot for an additional 24 hrs.  If you are a number 1 team and get rung, there is no need to worry, as a good team will always get back there. This is a way of making everything fair and challenging for all.

 2)    Since your Ladder account is where all your records are kept we have some special policies regarding it. These are very important and you should pay close attention to them.

 
E-mail Address - Your E-mail address must be kept current on the site, as it is the only way we have of contacting you. Use the 'USER EDITOR' if you need to change it. If your E-mail address is found to be invalid your account WILL be removed.

Ladder Names: If your Ladder name is offensive to other users or contains profanity your account will be removed. If your Ladder name is found to be abusive towards another user your account will be removed. If your Ladder name is found to be too similar to an existing user's nickname you will have
to choose another name. You are only allowed to change your Ladder name once per week, so make sure that your name works on SHG before changing it on ladder so that you do not make a mistake.  Admins will make corrections to ladder names but will not make a habit of it. Your Ladder name must match the name you use in chat and play your matches under EXACTLY. This includes spaces, underscores and other keyboard characters.  If it doesn't the match is invalid and your opponent is NOT required to report any losses to you.

Exception: Lowercase vs. Uppercase letters. Teams should never report a loss to a name that is different than the one their opponent used during the match.

3)  ATOC is a regular, ndn format league but not limited to.  Any game may be addied as long as all players agree.  On alt format keep in mind we do allow a misbid on first hand only.

4)  In the event of a boot, when it happens before bids are in, it would be a common courtesy to offer a reseat. The opposing team has the choice to offer a reseat, otherwise THERE WILL BE NO RESEAT.  Subs must give seat back upon the return of booted player and originating player must return to game once they re-enter the room. If your partner or opponent is lagging, we ask that you type the word "test" to determine if you are the one causing the lag. If there is excessive lag from your pard or one of the opposing team members, offer them to reboot and hold game for their return. No game may be started with a substitute, and then have a team member join half way through game. WHEN substitutes are used, the original 4 players are ALWAYS credited with the win or loss.

5)  A boxed player/team shall not play any games for the time they have been boxed.  A written notification of the box will be sent from administration to the boxed player/team, along with a copy to the Team Captain/Co-Captain.  The letter will state the amount of days of the box and the time said player
(s) could resume play. In addition, the player/team will have added to their ladder name the word BOXED. This will be added by the admin team, and removed at the end of the time allotted of the box. Players/teams that continue to play while boxed even as a CLASSY will either be issued increased time in the box or a BAN from ATOC.

6)  To avoid possible suspicions, you MUST wait until the end of the hand and ask for "Hold Last Card" (HLC) until you return, if you can't wait you MUST go on Auto after informing the table.  Be courteous, from time to time emergencies do happen and a player must take a be right back (BRB).  It
takes less time to click auto play than it does to type BRB. Multiple emergencies or constant problems with those going BRB on nil bids will result in penalization.   Any time this occurs in a game opponents must send in chat to admin so we can make notes in the BRB players file.  BRB or HLC
requests should be as brief as possible, as not to interrupt the game in play.  BRB Means be RIGHT back, if your brb or hlc is going to be for an extended unknown period, please ask your pard to get a sub.  

Remember: If a sub is added mid game the win/loss goes to the original players that started the game. A sub is merely volunteering to help out in finishing the game for you.

Team Captains:
7)  It is your duty to read and understand your responsibilities as team Captain.  Every captain has the right to add players on their team at any time and without approval and can immediately start playing.   The captain will be held fully accountable for their teammates behavior even to the extent
of team box.
• You are responsible for each teammate.
One Player’s actions can affect the entire team.
Make sure your team reads, understands, and follow the rules.
IF you want to have a “friend” player on your team, please ask Admin to add one for you.
•You must be mature and civil when handling disputes.
•Ensure no teams are intentionally avoided.
•You are responsible for updating your team with roster changes.
•You are responsible for keeping your team informed about team violations.
•Ensure player email addresses are valid.
•Hold regular team meetings.
•You MUST try to settle disputes with other teams on your own before bringing them to the staff.
•Encourage your team to be active in ATOC communities, polls, forum, voicing their opinions and suggestions for the ladder.
•Keeping up with the latest ladder announcements posted in the message forum by the ladder Admins.
•Teams/members causing excessive problems will be removed
•And it is NOT your job to search for loop holes!
• NOTE: As a team captain you are representing your
team's reputation. Please show exemplary leadership and sportsmanship at all times.  Any disputes at all involving ATOC Members (whether or not taken care of by said captains), should be reported to Admins at mailto:atouchofclass2009@live.com  Please state reasons for disputes, and the agreement upon said dispute, also players involved.
•Captains in A Game:  If a Captain is in a team game and
their team is having problems at a table, the Captain is allowed to get a Sub. If a problem arises within a game that the Captain is a player of, an admin should be called to resolve the problem.

• Rules Amendment:  NO players / captains / co-captains
or admins are to add other players from other teams to their team, until there has been a meeting with both the team captains and players involved about switching teams. Nor are teammates to recruit from other team rosters, if caught doing this the will get an automatic 3 day box.

8) PROVEN CHEATERS WILL BE PERMANENTLY BANNED - NO EXCEPTIONS! 

Once again this is a fun and friendly league. Spades is just a game. World peace does not depend on it. Cheating is not acceptable as it lowers the integrity of the game and our league as a whole. We all play for fun not for rank here. That is why:   An accusation without proof is NOT acceptable, and is a boxable offense. 

Acceptable proof includes:   A Private Message that was
sent during the game that has been captured in a screen shot.  

Note:
Absolutely NO Private Messages from 1 player to another ARE allowed before the completion/report of a game. Proof of a private message sent in a game is considered cheating and will result in a BAN from ATOC.  Cards or instructions typed into the table chat or elsewhere, or similar proof.  A captured video of the game played.   If you have proof someone is cheating, do NOT leave the table. Stop the game in progress and request an administrator to come to the table. Whether one is available or not, take a screen shot of the table, any private messages and the entire table chat and send to: mailto:atouchofclass2009@live.com and in the subject line put "cheating followed by the oppositions name and team".   Note: If your partner private messages you as means of cheating and you take a screen shot and turn it in. You WILL NOT be penalized.
 
9) Sometimes we will have members join that are just plain troublemakers. If we see a member that shows total disrespect to other ladder members and continually cause unrest in A Touch of Class League they will be removed from the ladder with no prior warning.         

 Period. This is your warning!!
 
10) If a player purposely leaves a table in the middle of a game then that player and their team CLASSY will receive the loss for the game No Exceptions. 
 
11)  No Offensive language or behavior will be tolerated in our lobby or game play.  Period.
 
12)  Only one account is allowed per person.   When multiple accounts are found admin will remove all names that show up as duplicate.  So if you make a new name be sure to withdraw your previous name before signing up a second time.  You can only play on one team  in this League. 

Exception: Same household members. 

13) Rank Hounding is prohibited and players proven to participate in it will receive an automatic 24-hour box.  Acceptable Proof of Rank Hounding
•  Screen Shots
•  A Copy of Lobby Chat
•  A Copy of Any Other Chat via Any Other IM Service 
 
14) When the game is over, all 4 players must stay at the table until the report is finished.   Note: If a player must leave the table for an emergency after the game, if possible, tell everyone you have to go.

15)  Members of the same household are not allowed to play with OR against each other. The account will be flagged as a duplicate account and can cause the removal of both/all accounts. If there is more that one person from the same household, then you must email mailto:atouchofclass2009@live.com with
the other name/names so that we know it is not the same person and so that the duplicate account/accounts are not removed.    

Any players found to be from the same household that are partnering one another in games will automatically receive a 3-day box. Should they continue to partner one another in games thereafter they will be banned from ATOC.  

16)  No TT (Table Talk)  saying  Duck,  or bag them pard or I am nil pard are all statements of table talk,  This is not allowed.   If you feel TT  has happened please  At the end of the game copy the full chat of the game (Start till Finish) and email it to admin at mailto:atouchofclass2009@live.com.  Include a brief explanation as to what happened in your email.   The admin will then review the chat and make a decision as to whether or not it was table talk and reverse the game decision should we agree that table talk occurred.