The Tournament Director has full authority to make any decisions necessary to resolve issues or problems that occur during any Ace Point League Tournament. The Tournament Director's decisions are FINAL for that particular Tournament, and not subject to later reversal.

When dealing with disputes, Tournament Directors are asked to always first make the attempt to reprimand players in private via Instant Messenger or on the regular Yahoo room message service. Private reprimands are suggested so as to avoid additional players and Members becoming involved in the dispute and inflaming the situation even further.

Before closing Check-In, Tournament Directors are asked to never remove a player who has registered for a Tournament without that player's prior knowledge, consent, and approval. Tournament Directors may not "penalize" players via this method. It is the responsibilty of Ace Point Administration to determine and designate any and all penalties which may be appropriate remedies for infractions, disputes, and Rules violations.

• Only Exception to this Rule: With the consent of tem_sat or tia_elena_1, Tournament Directors may choose to remove Members who consistently refuse to Report their Tournament Match Losses as a means of a short-term penalty. Only the Tournament Director for said Tournament may remove Members under this Rule and no other Head Tournament Director may act on his or her behalf.
• Compliance: To avoid this penalty, Members may: 1. Report their Tournament Loss to the Tourney Page, or, 2. Request in the Lobby or via private message service, that the Tournament Director please report the Loss on the Member's behalf. Members will be given ample time to Report their Tourney Match Losses and will not be penalized for not announcing their Losses in the Lobby, as this is considered a courtesy, and not a rule.
• Grounds for Possible Removal: After 3 violations and subsequent warnings and reprimands, the Member will receive warning of possible removal from future tournaments. The suggested number of future Tournaments from which said Member would be removed, is: one (1). Should special circumstances apply, Administration reserves the right to modify that number dependant upon the frequency and total number of offenses within a 90 day period. After 90 days have expired, all past violations shall be cleared from Member Records.
• Note: Members who need Director assistance in Reporting Match Results on their behalf, are encouraged to simply make their request in the Lobby or via private message service. Should the Member have experienced a connection problem, or some sort of problem outside of the Member's control which was the cause of the Unreported Tourney Match Loss, the Member is asked to please notify the Tournament Director and, upon notification, the Member will be excused from any violation under this rule.

All Ace Point League Members may play in any and all Tournaments of their choosing. Should they have sufficient Ladder Bux in their Account to accomodate any entry fee and meet any qualifications necessary for entry (T.O.C or Director's Invitational), they are welcome in all scheduled Ace Point Tournaments. Qualified Members may not be refused entry by a Tournament Director to any Tournament under any conditions.

Ace Point League Tournaments will start on time and registered players are expected to refer to the Tournament Page, determine who they play, and commence their match immediately upon the announcement by the Tournament Director that "pairings are up."

Players are expected to treat the Tournament Directors and other players with common courtesy and respect. Comments and/or player names that are lewd, inflammatory, provocative or attacking are not welcome in Ace Point. Players are asked to respect the unique individuality that each of us brings to the backgammon table. Some players like to chat and make comments such as "nr", however, others maintain a more focused concentration and may prefer to play in silence. Either way, accept the situation and act accordingly.

Player disputes should be immediately brought to the attention of the Tournament Director. Rude or abusive behavior during tournaments will not be tolerated and may lead to immediate penalties. Continuous complaints of a player's behavior may result in that player being banned for a period of time at the discretion of Ace Point Administration.

Should a dispute between players get out of hand, players may NOT make a public derogatory statement toward an Ace Point Tournament Director or another Ace Point Member. Ace Point considers the lobby chat area where the Tournament is being held and any other forum supported by Ace Point to be a "public area". All disputes are to be handled in private via Instant Messenger, the regular Yahoo room message service, via email, or at a game table. In addition, the act of scandalizing, criticising, or denouncing another Member, Administrator, or Director's decision within a public forum supported by Ace Point, shall be cause for immediate and severe penalties. This shall include the mass mailing to private Member email addresses, Head Tournament Directors, or to any personal address list composed of Ace Point Members, for the sole purpose of degrading the reputation of a specific Member(s) or of Ace Point itself. Any and all appealed decisons shall be limited to the parties directly involved.

Players are particularly cautioned against making accusations that another player is cheating by the use of some type of computer program. Consulting, when not explicitly allowed under the rules of a tournament such as a doubles or team tournament, is NOT acceptable. Any form of communication, signaling, or messaging by either player or any kibbitzer which would affect checker play, cube action, future checker plays, future cube actions, and, thereby, affect the outcome of the match, will not be tolerated. If any Member commits this type of offense, the penalty is major and severe and in addition, the TD may ask for the match to be restarted, if necessary, due to undue influence and distraction. Any assistance via the use of "bots", i.e. Snowie, GNU, etc., books, match equity tables, or any such written guides will not be allowed in any League match. If the player has specific facts about cheating, or a complaint about another player's behavior or ethics, Ace Point requests that the player contact the Tournament Director immediately and privately.

Either player may invite his or her opponent, however, if there is an unlikely occurrence of a dispute between players as to who hosts the table, the higher seeded player invites the lower seeded player.

Players are prohibited from leaving a game table without completing or resigning the match. Repeated offenses will lead to discipline.

Early Resigns: It is against the generally accepted rules of tournament backgammon to resign a specific number of points when the outcome of the game is still in substantial doubt. If a player is reasonably likely to be gammoned, but their opponent resigns for single stakes, their opponent is not acting fairly. If any players are reported as having made a practice of this behavior, the offending players may be removed from the Ace Point League Tournament.

• U.S. Backgammon Tournament Rules: "4.9 COMPLETION. Games must be rolled to completion, unless ended by a pass of a double or redouble, or conceded in no-contact positions as single game, gammon or backgammon losses. No game may be canceled and replayed, or settled. Matches must be played to the appointed length." Settlements and concessions in non-contact play are against the rules in match play.

Redoubling Past DMP: Should a player redouble his or her opponent beyond Double Match Point (DMP) with the intention of getting their opponent to drop the cube and prematurely end the match in progress, the offending player shall be given one (1) warning and upon their second or further offense, shall risk disqualification from the Ace Point League Tournament and forfeiture of the match. In cases of First offenses only: should the opponent have accidentally dropped the redouble and prematurely ended the match, the match may be restarted and restored to the current score PRIOR TO the redouble past DMP. Accidents, misclicks, misjudgement of match score, and/or lack of knowledgeable cube handling will normally be forgiven for first offenses. In cases of 2nd or further offenses: the offending player will risk disqualification from the Ace Point League Tournament and forfeiture of the match, regardless of whether or not the illegal redouble was accepted or rejected by their opponent.

• Example:
  5-Point Match
  Match Score: 2-2
  Current Cube Value: 4
  The cube may not be turned to 8 or higher.

• Example:
  7-Point Match
  Match Score: 4-1
  Current Cube Value: 8
  The cube may not be turned to 16 or higher.

• Example:
  3-Point Match
  Match Score: 1-1
  Current Cube Value: 2
  The cube may not be turned to 4 or higher.

Players are prohibited from leaving a game table without completing or resigning the match. Repeated offenses will lead to discipline.

Forcing Forfeit on any player in an Ace Point League Tournament or Non-Tournament Match will automatically disqualify the offending player and award the win to the player receiving the loss, regardless of score or board position at the time of the Forced Forfeit.

Should a player's roll be skipped due to a connection issue or some uncontrollable event, the player must IMMEDIATELY summon the Tourament Director to the table BEFORE clicking "Roll Dice" upon his next roll. The Tournament Director is instructed to give the player whose roll was skipped two options: (1) Continue match play or, (2) restart the match at the current score. Should the player whose roll was skipped not notify and summon the Tournament Director prior to clicking "Roll Dice" upon his next roll, the skipped roll will stand and he will not have the option of restarting the game in progress unless his roll is skipped again.

• Note: Administration reserves the right to reverse this ruling upon review of the gained or lost equity as a result of the skipped dice roll. If necessary, Snowie or GNU analysis of the position will be performed so as to determine a fair and equitable decision.

• WARNING: Players will risk penalties and possible disqualification should they be found to be taking advantage of this rule in any way.

Ace Point understands that sometimes a player may have a bad connection or some other problem that interferes with the player's responsibility to play at a reasonable speed. However, when this occurs, it negatively affects the other players as well as the Tournament Director. If a player begins to lag the field significantly at any point in an Ace Point League Tournament, the Tournament Director will notify the player that they are behind and are expected to play as quickly and diligently as possible until caught up. Typically, this will occur when players are at least one full round behind the rest of the field. The Tournament Director, at their discretion and best judgement, may elect to impose a time limit on individual matches, or on matches that are delaying the tournament. If the Tournament Director is able to determine which player is causing the delay, due to slow play and/or connection problems, that player will be given one warning to speed up to reasonable pace. If the player continues to be the cause of the delayed match, the Tournament Director may elect to disqualify the offending player. If both players are at fault and the cause of tournament delay, the Tournament Director may choose to impose a time limit for match completion. The suggested time limit is 10 minutes to complete the match in progress. After the time expires, should the match still remain unfinished:

• Tied Score: In cases of a tied score, other than DMP (Double Match Point), the Tournament Director shall award the win to the player with the lowest pip count upon expiration of the 10 Minute Clock.

• Ahead in Match Points: In all other cases, other than DMP (Double Match Point), the Tournament Director shall award the win to the player who is ahead in match points upon expiration of the 10 Minute Clock.

• DMP (Double Match Point):
  1. Should the unfinished match be at DMP at the time of the commencement of the 10 Minute Clock, both players will be allowed reasonable extended minutes to complete the final game.
  2. Should the cube have been turned to create DMP during the 10 Minute Clock, both players will be allowed reasonable extended minutes to complete the final game.

• Note: Estimated Match Completion Times. 3-Point Matches should be completed within 15 to 30 minutes. 5-Point Matches should be completed within 20 to 45 minutes. 7-Point Matches should be completed within 30 to 60 minutes and may not extend past 70 minutes without a timer.
• WARNING: Players will risk penalties and possible disqualification should they be found to be taking advantage of this rule in any way. The Tournament Director is asked to remain present at the table during the during the 10 Minute Clock.
• Teams Tournaments: Consulting strategy is allowed and encouraged in all Ace Point Teams Tournaments. However, should the overuse of consulting cause an inordinate amount of delay between moves, the Tournament Director may institute one warning to the Team causing the delay and notify them that they are expected to play at a reasonable pace and should limit consulting to only difficult moves and cube actions. Should the offending team continue to be the cause of substantial delay of match play, the Tournament Director may elect to enforce the disqualification option.
• Please Note: Both Players and Tournament Directors MUST consider not only the pace of play but also the current value of the cube when determining whether or not to apply the Ace Point Slow Play Policies against any match at issue. Ace Point stands on the opinion that very often lack of timely doubling is typically the cause for substantial delays in Tournament match progression. The Tournament Director may enforce the disqualification option should the cause of the delayed match be due to a player (the trailer) not doubling post-Crawford. Under no circumstances may the Tournament Director influence or advise a player (the trailer) of "mandatory" or "delayed mandatory" cube actions while the match is in progress.

Losses are to be reported promptly to the Ladder before starting to play another Ace Point match. Ace Point Members are encouraged to attempt to contact Administration or any Senior Director of Administration via Yahoo Instant Messenger or AP Live Support to promptly facilitate unreported matches.

• Unreported Match Link: Should an Administrator not be available, please do the following:
  
  If your opponent fails to report a loss promptly (within 15 to 30 minutes after match completion), use the Unreported Match form. (Please include the date of the match to assist Administration in verifying the information.)
  
  
• Please Note: To clarify, Members are NOT allowed to habitually wait 24 hours prior to reporting their match losses. Any Member who makes a practice of delaying match reports will risk penalties.

Players are not allowed to boot Tournament Directors or other Ace Point Members from the game table. It is considered rude behavior and will not be tolerated. The player may risk penalties for continued abuse of this rule.

Should a player have a checker or more than one checker on the bar and claim to not be able to "see" their roll upon their turn, they may request to their opponent, "please let me see my dice roll." However, the request of "allowing" the player to "see" their dice rolls is nothing more than a courtesy and may NOT be considered a rule. Players are warned not to argue with their opponent due to not being able to "see" their rolls and are also instructed NOT to call the Tournament Director to the gaming table to settle this issue. There will be no penalties issued for a player who claims his opponent did not let him or her "see" their dice rolls. If it is helpful to either player, the suggested action is to turn the Auto-Pass feature off when on the bar and for the opponent to please wait a few seconds for the dice to stop before hitting the "Roll Dice" button. Tournament Directors are instructed to give warning of a Delay of Match Play should they be called to the gaming table for a dispute under this issue. Players who repeatedly cause Delay of Match Play and resulting disputes under the issue of "Not Seeing Their Rolls" may risk penalties.

Should a player expose a checker due to the accidental use of the Auto-Bear Off feature and not ask for an undo prior to their opponent hitting "Roll Dice", the play shall stand as is. Players are suggested to always allow the undo request if offered by their opponent. Under the general rules of Tournament Backgammon, after a player has passed his dice, his play will stand as is, however, Ace Point takes the position that if the player has not hit "roll dice", he is suggested to ALWAYS allow the undo request if offered by his opponent. This is clearly not meant to be a formal rule but more of an act of good sportsmanship and, therefore, there is no penalty or possible forfeiture of the game or match should this not occur. We suggest to all Members that they may elect to turn the Auto-Pass feature off while playing, so as to avoid any accidental passing of dice before they have made the play of their choice.

If, by accident and not with the intention to deceive, another person in the Member's household takes over the keyboard and continues match play within a Tournament or Non-Tournament Match, as soon as the opponent and/or Tournament Director are aware of such actions, the match should be restarted at the current score which occured prior to the 2nd player taking over for the Member. Ace Point does not allow substitution of game play by persons within the Ace Point Member's household or by persons other than the Ace Point Member themself.

Suggested conduct for both online and offline Match Play written by Phil Simborg:

Do's:

1. Always greet your opponent in some friendly manner. You can just say hi, shake hands, wish them luck, wish them a good match, tell them where you are from, or whatever...but don't just sit down and start rolling the dice.
2. When a match is over, always say goodbye. Or thanks for playing, or whatever you are comfortable with. You don't have to say "good match" if you don't believe it was, but if you are the loser, congratulations and best wishes in the rest of the tournament or on line is a reasonable goodbye.
3. When you double, place the cube gently in the center, and say double. If you take, put it on your side and say "take". If you drop, be sure to put the cube in it's proper place and say "drop" or "pass" clearly.
4. Both parties should keep score, and you should announce the score or acknowledge your opponent's announcement of the score, after each game. If it is a Crawford game, announce that at the start and take the cube off the board.
5. Always shake your dice at least three times and roll them out. Do not shake while your opponent is playing or thinking about a play.
6. Be quiet and still while your opponent is thinking or playing.

Don'ts:

1. Do not point out your opponent's luck, or lucky rolls, either during or after a match. Whether you mean to or not, pointing out your opponent's luck suggests that he is winning or has won due to that luck and not due to his skill. Even if he was unbelievably lucky, it's poor form and bad sportsmanship. And most players fail to see their own good luck as well as the many bad rolls the opponent probably got too. Most players also forget that the better you play, the luckier you seem to be, because you are set up for more good rolls and protected against more of the bad rolls. When a player tells me how lucky I am just after I've beaten him, I say, "Yes, I was lucky to play someone who played so much worse than me."
2. Do not call your opponent's bad rolls, or your own good ones. It's irritating and capricious.
3. Do not handle the doubling cube unless you mean to double. In fact, this could even be, consciously or unconsciously, a form of cheating...you reach for the cube and see if the opponent reaches for the score sheet or reached to take the cube...or simply check out his reaction.
   
4. Do not roll until your opponent has clearly picked up his dice. Rolling too soon, or just as he's picking up his dice, can only create conflict as to whether or not the roll counted, or whether or not the player had truly finished thinking about his play. And quick rolling unfairly rushes the opponent into playing.
5. Do not laugh, chortle, or giggle when your opponent gets a really bad roll, and do not rejoice when you get a really good one. (Paul Franks and Dougie Roberts can often be heard exclaiming a resounding "yes" just about every time they come off the bar with doubles and hit their opponent.) It's irritating and not nice.
6. Don't play like a turtle. It's fine to sit and think about a really tough play or cube decision. Even the top experts need time to consider all the variables. But if you have a simple choice between two plays early in the game, taking more than a few seconds to make the choice is really inconsiderate. We all agree that longer matches are fairer (the better player is more likely to win), but we are often discouraged from having longer matches because some people just take too long. It ruins the fun, as well as the fairness of the game. If I had an hour to look at every move, I am sure I would make less mistakes. But it would be a horrible game to play or watch. (When playing on the internet, it is particularly unsportsmanlike to take a long time, as that time could be used to run the position through a computer program such as Snowie or Jellyfish. Even if that's not done, it's not fair to make your opponent have to worry about that. If you must take a break, choose a time when you are unlikely to be thinking of doubling, then take a break before rolling the dice, not after.)
7. Do not engage in conversations with kibbitzers or people at the next table. Don't talk on your cellphone, listen to headphones, or anything else but give your full, polite attention to the match.
8. If you wish to stop and copy a board position for later analysis, ask your opponent if they mind first. Do it quickly and don't do it too often.
9. Do not say "nice roll" or "good game" after every good roll and after every game. Complimenting your opponent's rolls is just another way of telling him he's lucky. If you want to compliment him on a play, or cube decision, or well-played game, on exceptional occasions, or after the match is over, that's fine.

Have you experienced any of the above? Of course you have. Is it because your opponent is a bad sport? Not always. Often, people just don't realize that these things are offensive or bothersome. Maybe tournament directors can make this article available to participants as a reminder, and I hope to see a copy posted with some of the internet servers for reference.

Ace Point League Tournaments will start on time and registered players are expected to refer to the Tournament Page, determine who they play, and commence their match immediately upon the announcement by the Tournament Director that "pairings are up." If players have not started match play for Round 1 or Round 2 (both players having received Byes in Round 1), the Clock will start at the Tourney Start Time (Close of Check-In).

The Cumulative minutes allowed are a total of 15 minutes and unlimited boots.

• 5-Point Swiss Format Tournaments: The Cumulative minutes allowed are a total of 15 minutes and unlimited boots in early rounds only, 15 minutes and unlimited boots shall be allowed in the Final round.

The Cumulative minutes allowed are a total of 15 minutes and unlimited boots.

The Cumulative minutes allowed will be at the discretion of the Tournament Director and within reason so as not to cause an inordinate amount of delay. The suggested Cumulative time allowed will be 15 to 20 minutes and is dependant upon the progression of the rest of the tournament. The total amount of suggested allowed boots is 4.

Players who have timed out will be awarded a loss in an Ace Point League Tournament and the corresponding standings will be advanced by the Tournament Director. The remaining opponent will be given the option to save or cancel the match in progress, if the match has been commenced.

A player is considered to be booted when he/she is unable to continue the game play. Players who are booted, frozen or those who are not listed in Advanced Avenue as being available to play, will be clocked immediately upon notification by their opponent to the Tournament Director or upon announcement by the Tournament Director. If Match Play has commenced, the Clock will start at any time in any Round of an Ace Point League Tournament. The Tournament Director keeps the clock time and his or her decision is final.

In all Ace Point League Tournaments, the Loser reports his or her loss to the Lobby and to the Tourney Page. To report a loss to the Tourney Page, click on the "Report" link on the corresponding Tourney Page. Players who continually refuse or make a habit of not reporting their Tournament Match losses may be penalized and/or removed from future Tournaments at the decision of the Tournament Director, but only with prior consent from tem_sat or tia_elena_1.

• Compliance: To avoid this penalty, Members may: 1. Report their Tournament Loss to the Tourney Page, or, 2. Request in the Lobby or via private message service, that the Tournament Director please report the Loss on the Member's behalf. Members will be given ample time to Report their Tourney Match Losses and will not be penalized for not announcing their Losses in the Lobby, as this is considered a courtesy, and not a rule.
• Grounds for Possible Removal: After 3 violations and subsequent warnings and reprimands, the Member will receive warning of possible removal from future tournaments. The suggested number of future Tournaments from which said Member would be removed, is: one (1). Should special circumstances apply, Administration reserves the right to modify that number dependant upon the frequency and total number of offenses within a 90 day period. After 90 days have expired, all past violations shall be cleared from Member Records.
• Note: Members who need Director assistance in Reporting Match Results on their behalf, are encouraged to simply make their request in the Lobby or via private message service. Should the Member have experienced a connection problem, or some sort of problem outside of the Member's control which was the cause of the Unreported Tourney Match Loss, the Member is asked to please notify the Tournament Director and, upon notification, the Member will be excused from any violation under this rule.

If under extreme emergency, either player must leave while an Ace Point League Tournament Final is in progress, the final must be completed and reported to the Tournament Page within 24 hours of the time of the saved Match. This rule shall be at the discretion of the Tournament Director in conjunction with the Remaining Finalist. Should both players agree that this is an acceptable option and agree and confirm to reschedule the match within 24 hours, the Final Match may be saved at the end of any game and resulting score noted. The Tournament Final shall then be restarted with or without witness by the Tournament Director. Clock Rules and Boot Rules will not be in effect. Should either player not be present within 30 minutes of the agreed completion date and time, the remaining player will then immediately email the Tournament Director and, upon confirmation by said Tournament Director, shall be awarded the win and corresponding standings will be advanced. In ALL cases of agreed delay of Tournament Final, Tournament Directors are asked to inform tia_elena_1 and/or tem_sat so that they may be made aware of the details of the delayed Tournament closing. In addition, Tournament Directors are also asked to relay all details regarding an incompleted Tournament Final to Adminstration PRIOR TO advancing standings and closing said Tournament. The option of Delayed Final applies to Tournament Finals only, under no cases may a Semi-Final or early round Match be postponed or delayed.

• Tournament Win Via Time-Out: Should a player win a Tournament due to a time-out by his opponent in the Tournament Final, the Tournament Director is asked to please NOT close the Tournament for a period of 24 hours. The 24 hour period does not in any way reverse the remaining player's decision to decline the delayed final, but allows for additional time should the remaining finalist elect to change his decision and decide to play the match. Under no circumstances shall a player who elects to decline a delayed final, be held at fault or be criticised for their choice, and under no circumstances shall the Tournament Director be criticised for following the Tournament clock rules and declaring the non-playing member "timed-out." Tournament Directors are asked to please notify tem_sat or tia_elena_1 when a Tournament Closing has been delayed for this reason.

Ace Point Members who are within the Top 5 on the Rung Ladder will be limited to ten (10) Non-Tournament Match per day between the same user throughout the ENTIRE Rung Ladder. Members are allowed an unlimited amount of Matches between other Members, or between the same user, within all Ace Point Tournaments.

Ace Point Members are allowed to play up to 4 Non-Tournament Matches per day between the same user who is not within the Top 5 of the Rung Ladder at the time of the Reported Match. Members are allowed an unlimited amount of Matches between other Members, or between the same user, within all Ace Point Tournaments.

Ace Point Members who are within the Top 10 on the Rung Ladder MUST report 1 Ladder Match every 5 days, or they will be automatically reduced in Rung to #11, in Rung Order. Any Tournament or Non-Tournament Match reported within the 5-Day Period, will easily and simply allow those players within the Top 10, to comply with this rule.

Anyone caught cheating in any way, for example reporting matches that did not happen, giving "free ups", "rotating", or reporting matches out of the order in which they were played so as to push another player down the Ladder, will receive 7 days in the Penalty Box the first time it happens and kicked off the Ladder for a second offense. Any player within the Top 5 of the Rung Ladder who refuses or habitually avoids playing their defense (i.e. putting their Rung at risk) or refuses to play others within the Top 5, for a period of 7 days or more, will risk severe penalties and an immediate reduction in Rung. The amount of the Rung Deduction will be in accordance with the severity of the offense. Administration will issue warning(s) to said player or players, and if there is no considerable improvement in fair play, the penalty will be enforced with or without prior notification.

• Mandatory Rung Defense Match: Administration reserves the right to intercede in certain cases of Rung Defense Avoidance, and facilitate the scheduling of a match between the two Members at issue. In cases of dispute, the higher ranked player shall choose the match points.

All Ace Point Administration, Staff, and entire Membership are asked to review the Case's MyLeague Terms of Use regarding recruitment and spamming. In short, Ace Point's Head Administrator is responsible for the actions of the Ace Point Membership. Please do not violate any of the MyLeague Terms of Use as it will be to the detriment of all involved.

• Penalties: Violations of the Case's MyLeague Terms of use are to be taken seriously and the penalties are severe. Members who have violated these Terms will risk penalties ranging from warnings, box time, or, under severe cases, immediate termination of their Ace Point League Membership, with or without prior notice. Ace Point encourages Multi-League membership under the guidelines of the Case's MyLeague Terms of Use, and takes the position that all Case's MyLeagues should thrive and make every attempt to maintain mutual respect between Administrators and Members alike.