One of the things that separates us from the other tourney and ladder groups we've seen in the zone is our almost total lack of “rules” for conduct. In the beginning, only one rule seemed reasonable -- “Play Fair” -- but to make things work more smoothly (and because we figured an entire web-page with only two words on it would look pretty silly) we implemented a few more:
Play Fair! Do whatever it takes to make sure that the game is fairly played. The four people at the table can usually decide what would be fair in any given situation. If your ops have the problem, try to do as you would hope they would do if the situations were reversed.
Be Nice!
Be considerate of others. Remember that most of us have very busy schedules, and if you can’t play a scheduled game on time it's likely that you’re inconveniencing others, no matter how nice they are about it. Since we play 3 games per match-up, try not to schedule other ladder games or tournaments which might conflict.
Have Fun!
Remember that the primary reason the Teapot League exists is to foster FRIENDLY play. Treat the other people around the table (including friends who stop by to kibitz) as you would if they were guests in your home. Be gracious and hospitable. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt -- suspicion has no place in a gathering of friends.
Communicate!
Because the entire schedule is already available, there is no excuse for delays in contacting ops, and we encourage all teams to plan ahead. If one member of the team will be unavailable, it is a good idea to arrange for a sub to play in that person’s stead. It is always permissible to play games ahead of schedule. 
Schedule and Play in a Timely Fashion!
It is the responsibility of each captain to initiate communication with opponents. Communication should be initiated by midnight Sunday in the scheduled match week. If there is no response from an opposing team to a request for scheduling by midnight Tuesday ONE game will be forfeited by the opponents. If you are having problems getting a response from opponents, please notify LittleTeapot.
The match MUST be scheduled and played no more than one week late, or the games will be forfeited. The decision regarding which team gets awarded the forfeits will be made on a case-by-case basis by LittleTeapot (who will also grant extensions on a case-by-case basis).
1) Each captain should communicate with his or her partner BEFORE any attempt to schedule. Once you know times when you and your partner are available to play, write to the other team, using the email link for that team and making sure to copy your partner. If you use Internet Explorer as a browser, you may use the automated facility (see pink teabag link at the top of the homepage) instead; unfortunately, this facility does not function for Netscape users. The captain of the team receiving the scheduling note should consult his or her partner before accepting one of the offered times or making an alternate suggestion.
2) Include teamnames and week in the title of your letter
"THE MISFITS VERSUS THE KNOW-NOTHINGS WEEK 3" for example.
3) Be clear what the final agreement is: "We are confirmed for Tuesday night February 3rd at 8 eastern" for example.
4) Copy all four players and ScheduleTeapot@aol.com on all correspondence.
5) AOL USERs ONLY: There is a glitch with AOL mail which causes the characters "%20" to be prepended to email addresses. It doesn't happen to all AOL users and nobody knows how to fix it. Consequently, you must take care to check the email addresses that appear in your Send To Box. If there is a %20 in front of somebody's address, remove it.
Show Up!
Each team is allowed a fifteen minute grace period from the specified start time. This grace period should be used by the person whose partner is absent to find a substitute. You may ask anyone to substitute, although you should avoid asking league members who are in your own division. since this would put them in a position which might be a conflict-of-interest. If a substitute cannot be found and the match must be rescheduled, the team which was present will be awarded ONE win by forfeit. Please send notification using the POST RESULTS link on the web page. In the event that one team does not appear for a match, notify LittleTeapot IMMEDIATELY by ICQ, zone message, or (if all else fails) email. This will greatly facilitate problem-solving. Report!
Remember to report game results and scheduling plans to LittleTeapot, using the "Post Results" link provided on the web-page. Standings | About Us |