The International Board Gaming League (IBGL) is set to launch in January of 2006, with league play in the game of Puerto Rico commencing in April of 2006. For the cost of league membership and per-game fees defined by the League's Manual, the league is offering play of 4-player Puerto Rico games, leading to a Championship Final Event to be held in Las Vegas (date to be determined) in 2007. Modeled after similar leagues in such sports as bowling and pool, the IBGL will maintain data on all match play. At the end of the defined league season (approximately 6 months with matches scheduled roughly once per week), the league will select a group of individuals with the highest win/loss records (employing "tie break" rules, where applicable) and offer them a flight and two nights, hotel-paid accommodations in Las Vegas, to compete in a Championship Event, offering a $5,000 minimum cash prize pool.

The league is being conducted through local "chapters," which will register and conduct league-sanctioned, face to face Puerto Rico matches amongst its membership. Individual registrants who are not members of a local chapter will have the option of joining an on-line chapter at the Brettspieltwelt gaming site. Each chapter will be entitled to advance a percentage of its membership to the Championship Event.

League-sanctioned play is expected to be conducted both face to face, as described above and on-line, utilizing the services of the Brettspielwelt gaming site. In order to maximize membership and offer less-experienced players the opportunity to compete effectively against more experienced players, league-sanctioned play will be 'handicapped,' utilizing the IBGL Handicap System, granting Victory Points to lower-ranked players (the IBGL System is being designed by the man who has run every Puerto Rico tournament since 2002 at the WBC). The System will adjust as the season progresses to either raise or lower individual handicaps.

Interested participants may reach me here at The Geek or directly by e-mail (SkipM624@aol.com) with any questions. The IBGL Web site is expected to be up and running within the next two weeks.

oh boy...


it's about time.

An interesting idea indeed. You really need to get the website funcitoning as I've got tons of questions. Like who's behind it? What the fees? Have you got any sponsors involved? Blah blah blah. Info like this is what you need to get rid of the skeptic thoughts.

All valid points. .the people behind it are myself, handling basic league structure, rules and regulations; Jeff Bakalchuk, a site administrator with Brettspielwelt, who will be designing and operating the league's Web site and data base, as well as overseeing on-line play at BSW; and John Weber, GM of dozens of Puerto Rico tournaments for the Games Club of Maryland, the WBC and Euro-Quest, who is designing the 'handicap' system, using data he has amassed over the three years he has been running PR tournaments. John will also run the Championship Event. There is a lot of cross-referencing going on with the creation of this league with each of us providing valuable input toward the overall design of the finished product.
Fees - membership in the league is expected to be $20 per year. Per-game fees are still being calculated. We have looked at a variety of 'scenarios' that will fund the travel and prize pool, as well as pay the league's administrative costs.
Rio Grande Games will be helping us market the league through its Web site and e-mail newsletter. GAMA's executive director, Anthony Gallela, has agreed to assist us with the logistics of holding league-sanctioned matches during next year's Origins Convention (says he might join the league himself).
Before the league actually solicits membership registrations and fees on January 1st, it will have published its League Manual on the Web site. This Manual will contain every rule, regulation and operating procedure under which the league will conduct play for its proposed season.

This is exactly what I've been wanting to see for the past couple years. Keep us updated - and count me in!