Is there any reason why a player can’t enter the same section more than once and play in the same round more than once? Is there any reason many players can’t do this at the same time so in effect you have a multi simul going on – more than one person simuling more than one person and sometimes the same players simuling each other multiple times? This was done recently in my State and the organizer and TD didn’t have any problem getting it rated, but I’m not sure they ever actually checked whether it was ok with USCF, but I also couldn’t think of any rules it definitely violated. Players were allowed to play 1 board or up to 3. Swiss rules were mostly followed as far as I know with minor exception. Prizes were “humble pie” system based on each board not place/class/under prizes.
I’ve never seen a player have multiple entries in the same section. I’ve seen players with multiple re-entries, of course, as well as multiple entries in different sections, but those are different than what the OP describes.
As an organizer, I would probably not allow multiple entries by a single player in the same section. Among other potential issues, what if a player who enters the same section more than once wins multiple prizes? (See Rule 32B1.)
A player with multiple entries in different sections can still hold up the prize payments when somebody points out that the player took 3rd in the U1600 section and 2nd in the U1400 section and is only allowed to win a single cash prize per 32B1.
If a player enters several class sections, crazy as that sounds, he is playing in effect in several different tournaments at the same time. If he is able to win prizes in more than one section, more power to him, though I think the logistics of him running around to several games will be difficult to do. I would not make any accommodations for him to play his games side by side to improve his chances. He would be stuck with whatever arrangements are made, even if it means going to different rooms to play in the sections located there.
As far as having several separate entries in one section, uh, no. He doesn’t get to pick and choose his best result. One entry per section per customer has been the practice for ages. Allowing re-entries has become a new norm, though why a player should get extra bites of the apple while other players do not seems a little unfair. But if the player is stupid enough to fork over extra cash to play again, that has become allowable. While a few have been successful, many have just thrown good money after bad. Have always wondered how a guy explained to his wife that he re-entered a tournament several times and ended up with no prize, more lost rating points, and a bigger hotel bill.
It may be easily addressed but 32B1 does not explicitly make that differentiation and thus a determined complainant will state that it applies to the tournament, not just the section, and will appeal it as high as possible (thus the delay I mentioned).
32C6 gives some implied support for treating the sections as individual tournaments, but it is in regards to prize limitations (such as for unrateds in a class section). It might be the best bet in the rulebook for shortening the discussion.
The TD certification guidelines go both ways (allowing individual sections to be treated as separate events for section chiefs but only allowing a single such section from a tournament to be used rather than all of the multiple sections that a TD may have been the section chief of).
In practice, what delay there is would likely be extremely short. In most events, the organizer and chief TD are often the same person. Since the organizer would be paying the prizes, I suspect this appeal would not get very far. Of course, the TD who permits this practice deserves what he gets.
I recall that when Bill Smythe was running Hexagonals and Quadrangulars (the Hex was two day, quads on Sat and Sun each) in the early 1970’s a player name Berry Bouton (sp?) entered a Hex over the weekend and a Quad section on each of Saturday and Sunday.
There have in the past been US Opens with multiple schedules [day time, evening, & short schedule] where a player was allowed to be entered more than once in 2 different schedules. They then would have a choice of which schedule score to use when the merge occurred. This was done at least once, and maybe more.
I personally have played in 2 different section in the same tournament at the same time.
