Outreach in Sanctioned 42 Tournaments

Some tournaments are open to all players. Others are open to only select groups, e.g., family reunions, retirement centers, and "Pro" members of the National 42 Players Association (N42PA), a 42 club with authority to sanction open 42 tournaments that play straight 42.

Anybody can play in open sanctioned tournaments; however, if they are are not members of the N42PA, they cannot compete in its closed annual Tournament of Campions (TOC), also known as the "national" championship, which awards large cash prizes to its member winners.

If, however, large cash prizes are not important, players may participate in the annual sanctioned open "world" championship tourney hosted by an East Texas group. (Membership in the N42PA is not necessary to play in that sanctioned tournament.)

If the N42PA can sanction open 42 tourneys, that, to me, puts it in a leadership role in the 42 community. As such, it can standardize fair play rules, in coordination with sanctioned tournament directors, by which all sanctioned tournaments play the game.

If this is controversial, then somebody please explain how 42 can be the best game it can be going forward. (I realize the N42PA is just a 42 club, but its name appears to be more than just that. Am I missing something?)

I tried to create a graphic that shows how the N42PA fits into the 42 community. The N42PA club has an official sounding name, but it seems to serve mostly the interests of its membership. By participating in tournaments it sanctions, its members can acquire "Pro" points that qualifiy them for the its annual TOC which pays big bucks to its winners.

The N42PA constitution and by-laws are linked at www.N42PA.org/rules. The quarterly open tourneys require at least one team player to be a member of the N42PA. Only N42PA "Pro" members may participate in its closed annual Tournament of Champions, aka "national" championship tourney.

My own personal feeling is that the N42PA has a significant leadership role in the 42 community. It has authority to sanction open tournaments that play straight 42. It influences the direction the game is taking in the 42 community.

The N42PA should coordinate standardization of straight 42 playing rules with all tournaments it sanctions. Sanctioned tournaments and the 42 community need a standard set of straight 42 rules, and the N42PA rules are the best that I have seen since 2005 when the N42PA was founded.

Of course, the rules are subject to tweaking as more improvements come to light. (That's the nature of progress.)

Paul Proft, email
www.texas42.net