The teams are drawn and the new season begins
The sign-up sheet is full, the rule sheet is printed and the new league season starts this Saturday. Here is how the evening will run.
Four people, one team name and six Saturdays
I referee the league, and opening night is my favourite evening of the year. The room is full of people who have only just met, holding a slip of paper with a number on it and trying to look as though they are not nervous about the team that fate is about to hand them.
The draw itself is simple. I sort the sign-ups by the experience each person described, shuffle them into groups of four and make sure that every team contains someone who knows the controls and someone who knows the rules. After that, the teams choose their own names.
How the six weeks work
Each Saturday the teams attempt a set of cooperative challenges, some on the screens and some at the tables. The challenges are the same for everyone, and a team's result is measured against the game rather than against another team. A ladder is read out at the end of each evening, but it is there for conversation more than for glory.
Why nobody minds the ladder
There is nothing to win except honour, and that suits the room. The final is played on the last Saturday, the winning team's name goes on the league board by the tea corner, and the champions choose the game for one Friday night. Nobody pays to enter and nobody leaves with anything but a good story.
A few tips for the first week
- Pick a team name that you can say aloud without blushing; it will be read out every week.
- Let the quietest member of the team have the first turn at the controller, and mean it.
- Ask me about a rule the moment it confuses you, not after the round has finished.
- Stay for the tea afterwards; most of the plans for next week are made there.
If you cannot make a Saturday, tell your team early. Teams are used to a substitute, and a mentor will gladly step in for the evening so that nobody plays short-handed.
