# Rule 23C and the online submission process **URL:** \ **Category:** Running Chess Tournaments\ **Created:** [November 19, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195 "2004-11-19T17:48:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nolan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/nolan/32/174_2.png) [@nolan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/nolan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/1 "2004-11-19T17:48:38Z")
Here’s the current wording of the text that will appear at the top of the Membership Exception Request Form: > [@](#): > > [size=117]USCF Tournament Rule 23C: > For the inclusive dates of the tournament, each player must be a member in good standing of the USCF, unless USCF regulations waive this requirement. > > Blanket waivers for JTP events are indicated on the ‘Type’ pulldown for the section. Use this form to request an exception to rule 23C for individual players in your tournament or to submit additional information about a player. If your request is not approved, you must either collect appropriate USCF dues from that player or pay them yourself. > > Even if you don’t have all of the information requested for an exception category, please provide all the information you do have. The more information you can give to document your reasons for an exception to Rule 23C, the easier it will be to automate the approval process. (Manual approvals may take several working days to process.) > > Use the Comments field for information that doesn’t fit in other categories, such as duplicate IDs, returning members with existing IDs that aren’t on the USCF’s records, incorrect ratings issues, etc. Use the ‘ADD’ button to request an exception record for a player who doesn’t already have one.[/size] The exception categories are currently: House Player Foreign Fide Titled Player (IM/GM/WIM/WGM) Membership with payment by check pending from this event Membership Receipt from another affiliate/event Other (explanation required) ---
**Author:** ![Localtdforsythe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@Localtdforsythe](https://forum.uschess.org/u/Localtdforsythe)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/2 "2004-11-19T19:02:16Z")
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**Author:** ![nolan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/nolan/32/174_2.png) [@nolan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/nolan)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/3 "2004-11-19T20:03:43Z")
Others may remember it differently, but as I recall when the house player exception was created by the Delegates at the 1990 US Open in Jacksonville, it was with the clear understanding that house players need not be current USCF members. Here’s the relevant portion of DM 90-79: > [@](#): > > House players who participate in tournaments for the benefit of the tournament at the request of the tournament director should be able to play with no USCF or local membership requirement. While the USCF office may have ‘interpreted’ that rule a variety of ways over the years, to my knowledge the Delegates have not revised the policy they established. Most of the time, house players are current or former USCF members. Since the reason for having house players is to balance out an odd number of players without materially affecting the tournament, using a rated former member who fits into the ‘hole’ in the tournament field is a reasonable tool to give TDs. For that reason, requests to grant an exception to the membership requirement for a house player will be examined to see if the player really looks like a house player. By that, I mean someone who isn’t among the highest rated or highest scoring players in the section, and in most cases did not play in every round. There will also be limits on the number of house players in any round. Those who don’t meet those criteria will have to be reviewed manually. If I was setting the rules (which I’m not, I’m just applying them), I would only permit as house players those who already have a USCF ID and a published rating. Using an unrated non-member as a house player is a lot riskier choice for the TD unless he or she has some reasons to believe that such a house player is a reasonable match for the player who would otherwise have gotten a bye or been paired in a different score group. The Exception Request Form does have the necessary fields (name, address, birthdate) to issue a USCF ID to someone who doesn’t already have one, though it is also possible for the ID to be issued through the membership module on TD/A. The ‘not a USCF member’ coding was added to MSA to specifically denote those individuals who have never been USCF members but have been assigned USCF ID’s. This includes JTP’s. We did this because TDs were doing a bad job of checking the current membership expiration date for those individuals. The USCF’s lax enforcement of the membership rules has led to many duplicate IDs being assigned. Under the new ratings software, whether an event is submitted online, on diskette or on paper, we will enforce Rule 23C. ---
**Author:** ![Localtdforsythe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@Localtdforsythe](https://forum.uschess.org/u/Localtdforsythe)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/4 "2004-11-19T22:26:49Z")
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**Author:** ![nolan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/nolan/32/174_2.png) [@nolan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/nolan)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/5 "2004-11-20T02:31:59Z")
At most of my tournaments, and most of the ones I’ve played in, there have usually been plenty of former USCF members hanging around willing to be house players. Have I ever used someone who has never been a USCF member as a house player? Maybe once or twice. I agree with you that using an unrated non-members is not the best choice, but the Delegates’ motion doesn’t refer to former members it just says USCF membership is not required. Sometimes that may be the only person available. ---
**Author:** ![nolan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/nolan/32/174_2.png) [@nolan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/nolan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/6 "2004-11-22T20:09:00Z")
The exception request form is now available, but automated processing of requests is still in development. It should be available by the end of November. ---
**Author:** ![nolan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/nolan/32/174_2.png) [@nolan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/nolan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/7 "2004-11-23T06:44:28Z")
The membership exception report has a place to give the affiliate ID, affiliate name, date and who signed the receipt. If we have those, we can contact the affiliate to request they get their paperwork submitted. Hopefully most TDs will use the online submission program which will speed everything up. I think the USCF office is about 10 days behind on memberships received in the mail at the moment. I think the MCA folks are still getting accustomed to the online system, I know they’ve had some problems getting things set up. Some people catch on faster than others, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![nolan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/nolan/32/174_2.png) [@nolan](https://forum.uschess.org/u/nolan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/8 "2004-11-25T05:50:55Z")
This forum works best when everyone stays focused. Off-subject posts made in this topic in the last day have been deleted. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.uschess.org/system/32/2_2.png) [@system](https://forum.uschess.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 8:38am UTC](https://forum.uschess.org/t/rule-23c-and-the-online-submission-process/195/9 "2024-04-22T08:38:46Z")