Arbiters’ License

[LawrenceCooper]

Dear friends,

from 01.01.2013 the new regulations for the Arbiters’ License will be in effect.

Please find the regulations, as they are published in the FIDE Handbook (B.05, art. 6).

The main change because of the new regulations will be that from 01.01.2013, in order a tournament to be rated, all its Arbiters ( IA, FA, National Arbiters) must be licensed.

A tournament with non-licensed Arbiters will not be rated.

The procedure of paying the license fees will be as follows:

1. The Federation will send to FIDE Office ( [email protected]) the list with all its Arbiters (IAs, FAs and national Arbiters) who will get the license.
2. FIDE will send to the Federation the invoice with the license fees to be paid according to the regulations (art.6.3).
3. The Federation will collect the fees and send them to FIDE.
4. FIDE will send to the Federation the cards for its licensed Arbiters and the Arbiters will be eligible to conduct any FIDE rated tournament.

Since the Federations need to have licensed Arbiters for their first events of 2013, it is advisable to send to FIDE the lists with their Arbiters to be licensed not later than 5 December 2012, so that the Arbiters will get their license on time and before the tournament they will conduct will start.

For any questions or further information please contact the Chairman of the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission IA Panagiotis Nikolopoulos ( [email protected]) or the FIDE Arbiters’ Commission ( [email protected]).

With best regards

IA Panagiotis Nikolopoulos
Chairman
FIDE Arbiters’ Commission

PROPOSAL APPROVED BY THE FIDE EXECUTIVE BOARD IN 2011 KRAKOW FIDE CONGRESS

Arbiters’ License

(to be included in FIDE Handbook, B.05: Regulations for the titles of Arbiters)

6. Arbiters’ Licence.

6.1 A titled active Arbiter (International Arbiter or FIDE Arbiter) and a National Arbiter working in a FIDE rated tournament shall be charged with a “licence fee”.
6.2.1 The licence will be valid for life, on the condition the arbiter remains an active arbiter, and will be in effect from the day after FIDE has received the fee.
6.2.2 The licence fee for National Arbiters is valid for life.
6.2.3 If a National Arbiter is awarded the title of “FIDE Arbiter” the licence fee for this title has to be paid to FIDE.
6.2.4 If an arbiter upgrades his/her category only the difference between the category fee has to be paid to FIDE.
6.2.5 If a “FIDE Arbiter” achieves the title of “International Arbiter”, the fee for the new title has to be paid to FIDE.
6.3 The licence fee will be:
a) for A’ Category Arbiters (only IAs): 300 €
b) for B’ Category Arbiters (only IAs): 200 €
c) for C’ Category Arbiters: IAs 160 €
FAs 120 €
d) for D’ Category Arbiters: IAs 100 €
FAs 80 €
e) for National Arbiters 20 €
6.4 Failure to pay the licence fee will lead to exclusion from the FIDE Arbiters’ list.
6.5 The Arbiters’ licence will come into effect from 01. 01. 2013.
6.6 From 01. 01. 2013 all arbiters of FIDE rated tournaments shall be licensed.
6.7.1 An arbiter who has become inactive (see annex 2, articles 1.3 and 1.4) is considered not to be licensed anymore and will be transferred to the list of inactive arbiters.
6.7.2 In order to be active again the inactive arbiter has to pay for a new licence, according to 6.3
6.8 If the article 6.6 is not fulfilled, the tournaments shall not be rated.
6.9 From 01. 01. 2013 the licence fee will be charged together with the application fee for all new awarded arbiter titles.

[LawrenceCooper]

Dear Mr. Cooper,

according to the regulations it is confirmed that in every FIDE rated event the Arbiters must be licensed. It is valid for Rapid and Blitz as well, as such tournaments are FIDE rated.

With best regards
Panagiotis Nikolopoulos
Chairman
FIDE Arbiters' Commission

[Roger de Coverly]

according to the regulations it is confirmed that in every FIDE rated event the Arbiters must be licensed. It is valid for Rapid and Blitz as well, as such tournaments are FIDE rated.

Presumably then, if you are thinking of running a local rated Blitz or Rapid, international rating is no longer free, because the ECF is going to ask for 20 Euros for every "National Arbiter" deemed to be running it.

With its own grading system, the ECF is less affected than other Western European Federations such as France and Italy which are trying to phase out their national ratings.

[David Sedgwick]

Lawrence, thank you for clarifying the situation regarding Rapid and Blitz events. The outcome is as I feared.

In my capacity as ECF Manager of Arbiters (International), I'll be preparing something to be sent to English arbiters affected.

Roger, you are correct up to a point, but a "National Arbiter" only has to pay the €20 once. It's not a fee per event.

[Roger de Coverly]

Roger, you are correct up to a point, but a "National Arbiter" only has to pay the €20 once. It's not a fee per event.

Noted that it's a lifetime title, but isn't that only if they remain active? Still, how would FIDE know?

The ECF have been actively promoting the idea of FIDE rating local Blitz and Rapid events. Will this continue?

[David Sedgwick]

Roger, you are correct up to a point, but a "National Arbiter" only has to pay the €20 once. It's not a fee per event.

Noted that it's a lifetime title, but isn't that only if they remain active? Still, how would FIDE know?

The ECF have been actively promoting the idea of FIDE rating local Blitz and Rapid events. Will this continue?

You're right about needing to remain active, which means you need to be an arbiter at FIDE rated events periodically. (I forget the exact definition.)

On your final sentence, that is likely to depend far more on whether FIDE introduces rating fees for Rapid and Blitz events. I for one don't know the answer to that one.

[Alan Walton]

It looks like every 2 years there is an inactive list produced

Presumably arbiters with the licence who don't arbit a event within the 2 year period will go onto that list, and then in future have to pay again

[Alex Holowczak]

On your final sentence, that is likely to depend far more on whether FIDE introduces rating fees for Rapid and Blitz events. I for one don't know the answer to that one.

I asked Stewart Reuben this question earlier in the week. He says he has heard nothing about FIDE introducing fees for these, so I should assume (for a Blitz event I'm running in the new year) that there aren't any fees.

Presumably arbiters with the licence who don't arbit a event within the 2 year period will go onto that list, and then in future have to pay again

That's my understanding too, except of course it only applies to FIDE-rated events.

Most of our current active IAs and FAs - you know, the ones you tend to see at the British, 4NCL etc. - tend to meet this requirement very comfortably.

[Alan Walton]

That was my view as well that most arbiters will always be active

To me the it now looks like National Arbiters can run FIDE events on the previso they pay 20 Euros for the licence, wasn't it you have to be a FIDE arbiter to run FIDE events prior to this new scheme

Regarding Blitz & Rapid, you may not have to pay a fee for the games, but the person running it will have to a licence

[Alex Holowczak]

To me the it now looks like National Arbiters can run FIDE events on the previso they pay 20 Euros for the licence, wasn't it you have to be a FIDE arbiter to run FIDE events prior to this new scheme

I don't think that's true - that's covered by different regulations. You still need one FA or IA somewhere in your arbiters for the event, depending on the type of event it is. You should interpret "National Arbiters" as "people who aren't FA or IA".

Regarding Blitz & Rapid, you may not have to pay a fee for the games, but the person running it will have to a licence

The person running it will not, because it only covers arbiters, and not organisers.

The arbiter for that event will need a licence, yes. With my Blitz event in mind, I'm sure I'll need to invest in a licence, but then I'd need one for all of the other stuff I do anyway.

[Sean Hewitt]

Something to bring a cheer to the heart of E Michael White.

Until they introduce player licences!

[Roger de Coverly]

The person running it will not, because it only covers arbiters, and not organisers.

The line between the two is very blurred. In fact where is the line? If you input the entrants to a pairing program, run it and display the pairings, does that make you an arbiter, even if you nominally have an IA or FA in charge of the whole event? When the subject of International rating of county matches came up a while back, it was suggested that the "arbiter" needed to be no more present than at the end of a phone line. There was also a complaint about a well known Congress a year or more ago, that the IA or FA nominally in charge wasn't actually present in person, leaving the running of the event to aspirants.

[Alex McFarlane]

that the IA or FA nominally in charge wasn't actually present in person

That has been changed too. It was recognised that it might present a problem for leagues etc but it was still passed that the titled arbiter must be present.

I also think that it was accepted that there will be no rating fee for blitz or rapudplay in 2013 (I saw nothing about 2014). Fees for registering events though was discussed and would be brought up with the Treasurer. I do not know the outcome of this. Effectively there may still be a charge for these events.

[Alex Holowczak]

The person running it will not, because it only covers arbiters, and not organisers.

The line between the two is very blurred. In fact where is the line?

Happy to have this discussion with you in another thread.

[E Michael White]

Something to bring a cheer to the heart of E Michael White.

Well not quite news to me as I have been aware for some time it was coming.
It is of course a welcome provision bringing more professionalism to the game.

Until they introduce player licences!

According to you here http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... as#p102416 I am neither a player nor an arbiter. If a sponsor could be found I would be prepared to play an 11 game match against you provided a foreign licensed arbiter officiates.

Why not make it a five part ECF baccalaureate contest covering :- a chess match, FIDE rules test, mathematics of grading systems, UK Information Law and UK Company Law. Such an ECF baccalaureate would be a useful qualification for all ECF board members instead of just rounding up your mates' proxies and organising a few events.

However I am impressed that you can spell licence correctly.