To quote the USCF rules, 5th ed.:
“In the first round, the bye is given to the player with the lowest USCF rating but not to an unrated player or a late entrant. In subsequent rounds, it is given to the lowest-rated player in the lowest score group but not to an unrated player.”
1.) Didn’t it used to be the highest rated in the lowest score group?
2.) What is preferable about giving it to the lowest rated player?
I agree that it should be assigned to someone in the lowest score group. There are several UNdesirable results of giving it to the lowest rated, though-
A. When there are Uxxxx class prizes available, the lowest class can often be won with a very low score, such as 1.5 or even a tie at 1.0. That gives the player who got a “free point” a real chance of winning money because of it. A higher rated player with a low score is less likely to qualify for such prizes. (my main point)
B. Just assuming that there wasn’t an odd number, and everyone played a regularly paired game, the higher rated player is the one who would be more likely to come out of the round with a point, not the lower rated one.
C. When roughly the same group of players tend to play regularly in tournaments at a club, the same lowest rated player or players end up getting odd-player-out byes too often, in event after event.
Now, I agree completely that it would be wrong to give a full-point bye to the highest rated player in the first round (!) because that player has a good chance of winning the whole section, and should have to earn all of it themselves over the board. But it also seems to me that always making it the lowest rated player out of the qualifying group who gets the bye is not the best solution. Especially in the final round, if they are in contention for money! Is this rule just a simplification to avoid confusion, TD work, and arguments about the ‘proper’ determination?
Please advise me, -a new Club TD.