Acol at BBO - Acol Club Ladder

There is an anomaly between the timing of matches and the publication of the Ladder -

The challenge must allow time for the Defenders to accept (4 days);

The challenge must allow time for the Defenders to get their pair together (a further 6 days);

Meanwhile, the Ladder is published once per week (on Monday).

Although a challenge can only be made against a team within the next 3 steps above the Challengers, it will often happen that the ladder changes before the arranged match can be played.

Challenges should be arranged against Defenders within the next 3 steps on the Ladder as shown on the latest published Ladder. Challenges should not be conditional upon any changes in the Ladder.

In all cases the arranged match should still be played, even if the Ladder has changed.
The affect on the ladder movement will be as follows :

If the Defenders are still within only 3 steps above the Attackers -
The normal rules will apply.

If the Defenders are now on a lower step than the Attackers -
The teams will swap roles - the Defenders will become the Attackers and the normal rules will follow.

If the Defenders are now more than 3 steps above the Attackers -
If the Defenders win the match, the normal rules will follow.
If the Attackers win the match they will move up the Ladder by only 3 steps (eg from step 9 to step 6) and
the Defenders will drop down to the step immediately below the Attackers.