Clarification – GCR 5.5 and GCR 5.6

Further to recent enquires BWF would like to clarify the process around the implementation of General Competition Regulations 5.5 and 5.6. Below you will find a step by step guide to how GCR 5.5 and 5.6 will be implemented.

1.  Changing an entry for a tournament before the close of entry (GCR 5.5).

BWF General Competition Regulation 5.5 does not allow for a player / pair to be entered in two tournaments in the same week. The Online Entry System will block a player/pair from entering into two tournaments in the same week and the Member Association must first withdraw the player before the entry deadline and enter the player into the new tournament before the entry deadline.

Entry into any tournaments in the same week will not be allowed after the entry deadline except in connection with the circumstances relevant to regulation 5.6 (see below under point 2).

2.  Entry after the close of entry in another tournament with a later entry deadline. 

BWF General Competition Regulation 5.5 does not allow for a player / pair to be entered in two tournaments in the same week, but Regulations 5.5 and the exception in 5.6, are intended to allow players to withdraw and be entered into a tournament with a later closing only if the player is not accepted into the main or qualifying list.

This means that the player can only withdraw for the purpose of Regulation 5.6, after confirmation of not being accepted into the M & Q list, if they are on the reserve list.

Withdrawal after the close of entry and before M&Q list is published to then enter in another tournament.

A withdrawal before the M&Q list is published does not make the player eligible to enter in another tournament in the same week. A player would therefore need to wait for the M&Q list to be published, as the Player would otherwise not know if he/she had been accepted or not, and thereafter the exception to Regulation 5.6 comes into effect if the player is eligible by only being on the reserve list.

Withdrawal after close of entry and after the M&Q list is published to then enter in another tournament.

If the player is on the reserve list and not included in the main and qualifying list then the player is able to enter another tournament held in the same week with a later closing date.

If however the player is accepted in the main and qualifying draw the player will not be eligible and cannot be entered into another tournament.

Online Entry System Functionality

Please note that the Online Entry System will technically allow that a Member Association withdraw a player at any time and enter into another tournament. This is simply a software issue that the system cannot currently block a player/pair that is no longer in the system.

Although the system cannot currently block a Member Association from doing something that is against the regulations it is however up to the Member Association to ensure that any entry they make follows the General Competition Regulations. Member Associations are responsible for following competition regulations.

BWF is working very hard with our IT partners to upgrade and update the Online Entry System and we hope that the automatic checks to stop incorrect entries will be developed and will in future block the user from doing this.  However such automatic functionality is not yet in place.

We hope this clarifies the implementation of the regulation to avoid that any players are entered against the regulations, which will cause removal from the tournament the player is entered into.

Any problem please do not hesitate to contact Darren Parks [email protected]