13 May at 15:24
I do appreciate the 32 organisers who responded to the recent consultation. Before I summarise the results, I thought I would start by giving you a timeline for the changes.
At the next Board meeting my boss, Dave Thomas, will be challenged to say whether a start date for monthly grading can be January 2020. It is a difficult decision since it depends on if we can get volunteers to help with the programming.
If we go ahead then the tentative schedule is as follows:
January 2020: ECF have in place ability to accept monthly submissions appropriate for monthly lists. Graders will be able to use existing procedures, but will be asked to have greater regard to the dates of games. A stretch target day 1 would be to load results from the ECF League Management system automatically. The usual January (3-digit) grading list will be produced
January – June 2020: Improvements in administration and at some point, pilot production of the new monthly lists. These new grades will be treated as indicative and will be ratified by the ECF as notappropriate for competition use (yet).
July 2020: Usual closing rules for 6-monthly list which will be produced as ECF grades.
August 2020: Production of the usual “August List” appropriate for use in all ECF competitions for season 2020-21. At this stage the Board will decide if Monthly Lists will become formally the ECF grading system. It may well decide to defer adoption if either the administration or the methodology are inadequate. When the system is adopted the current 3-digit list updates will cease.
August 2021: If adopted, all ECF 2021-22 competitions will to have to amend regulations to recognise the new grading system.
Looking at the consultation:
* A fair number of you would like grades back to biblical times!
* Most of you would prefer the historical list to be a conversion of the 3-digit lists, with the conversion basis published. We have data back to 1994 and I think we will archive the existing website with the 3-digit grades and develop a list of those grades converted as an initial database for the new list.
* There is no groundswell to keep A-E categories. The majority found the category F concept useful, but a fair number had had difficulties with the status it received from players. Most found the idea of publishing a “sub F” grade a hindrance. We will develop a proposal for a complete rethink on categories in the light of these comments
* The idea of active/inactive players was found useful. We will look at the data and make a proposal.
* The main problem with dual grading lists for the pilot period was seen as players using the best option for them, leading to difficult decisions for arbiters. The above timeline recognises this issue with there only ever being one recognised grading list.
When I have a better idea of the plans for H1 2020 administration there will be a need to consult with graders about the inevitable changes that will arise. Thank you for identifying your software providers, I will be contacting them at an appropriate time.
I will update you as the project develops.
Brian Valentine
Manager of ECF gradin