2007 WBS Member Rules and Point SystemUpdated November 29 2007 15:52:41

1.The World Billfish Series (WBS) rules, regulations and awards are independent from those of each WBS Official Event (Tournament.) In no way whatsoever do the WBS rules affect the outcome of an individual Tournament. Any WBS-sanctioned Tournament angler (WBS Angler) dispute(s) with a Tournament must be taken up by that angler with that Tournament. All Tournament decisions are final.

2. The WBS is comprised of six (6) divisions of billfishing competition: Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Gulf Coast, Caribbean, Pacific and South Pacific. Each division includes up to twelve (12) tournaments.

3. The WBS World Tour™ competition year commences on January 1st and concludes on November 30th each year.

4. A participant must fish a WBS-sanctioned tournament to be eligible for WBS points, qualify to enter the WBS Grand Championships (GC) or to win any WBS-sponsored prizes.

5. WBS Anglers compete in Tournaments to earn points to place in a division to qualify to enter the GC. Divisional winners compete for the World Champion of Billfishing™ title at the GC, taking place at the end of each WBS competition year.

6. The WBS reserves the right to refuse or revoke WBS membership to or WBS divisional points standings from any person.

7. The Top Angler from each Tournament, as identified and recognized by each Tournament, will receive an automatic invitation to the GC.

8. The top ten WBS Anglers from each division of the WBS may qualify to enter the GC. [These top ten do not include the Top Angler(s) from each Tournament(s) who automatically receive an invitation to the GC.]

9. WBS Anglers are responsible for any personal fishing permits and/or visas required to fish in a Tournament's state or country. All laws must be adhered to at each Tournament venue.

10. WBS Anglers may compete in more than one division. If a WBS angler places in more than one division, that angler will qualify to enter the GC for the division where the most points were scored and relinquish the GC qualifying slot(s) in the other division(s) to subsequent WBS Angler(s).

11. If circumstances arise rendering a WBS Angler's boat being fished in a Tournament inoperable, the WBS Angler may switch to another boat providing the tournament rules allow for the same and the tournament director/committee member is notified prior to fishing aboard a different boat. Please note that doing so may affect a WBS Angler's points, see WBS Registration and Points below.

12. If a Tournament is canceled for any reason and is rescheduled on the dates of another Tournament in that same division during that competition year, WBS points may not be assigned for that Tournament.

13. By becoming a WBS Angler, you accept these WBS rules. WBS Anglers must always abide by the rules of the Tournaments.

1. WBS Anglers must be tournament-registered anglers to receive points for each Tournament. Each angler is responsible for following the registration rules at each Tournament.

2. All anglers competing at a WBS Tournament will earn points for that division. However, point standings ties will favor the WBS Anglers Club member (see rule 13).

3. WBS assigns 50 Participation Points to WBS Anglers at each Tournament fished.

4. WBS Catch Points (Catch Points) are assigned to current WBS Anglers for releasing and/or weighing any legal tournament recognized billfish as follows:

• 400 points — Released Blue Marlin or Black Marlin
• 250 points — Released Swordfish
• 125 points — Released White Marlin or Striped Marlin
• 75 points — Released Sailfish or Spearfish
• 1 point per pound — Boated, legal, tournament-qualifying billfish

5. WBS Anglers will incur a 200 negative point penalty for any undersized billfish weighed during a Tournament.

6. Catch information is gathered from each Tournament's official catch log. The official time on a Tournament's catch log for a WBS Angler's release or boating of a billfish will be used in the event of a WBS placement tie. Any WBS angler catch information not found on the Tournament catch log, weigh or release forms will not be assigned WBS Catch Points.

7. Any catch that is disqualified on a tournament's official log will not be eligible for WBS points.

8. For each tournament that an angler fishes outside his/her division, an additional fifty (50) Participation Points will assigned within the division in which an angler has accrued the highest point total. For example, if an angler fishes three (3) of the seven (7) tournaments in the Southeast Division and also fishes one (1) tournament in the Gulf Coast Division, the angler will receive an additional 50 points towards his/her Southeast Division point total.

9. A WBS Angler must fish in at least one of the six (6) WBS divisions — Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Gulf Coast, Caribbean, Pacific or Pacific Rim — to qualify for the GC.

10. Protests concerning the assignment of WBS points must be received in writing and be accompanied by a $500.00 cash protest fee. The written protest and fee must be delivered to a WBS Staff Member at the Tournament or sent to the WBS business offices—protest must be postmarked by the first business day following the Tournament in question. If the protest is found invalid, the $500.00 protest fee will become the property of the WBS; otherwise, the protest fee will be returned to the protester.

11. Disqualification by a Tournament nullifies any WBS points earned in that tournament and puts the WBS Member at risk of having his or her membership privileges revoked.

12. In the event of a current standings tie, the superseding place is given to the WBS Anglers Club member, whose membership was current prior to the first fishing day of the tournament in question. If a tie still exists, the WBS Angler who fished the most Tournaments within that division shall be deemed the winner. If a tie remains still, places are determined by the WBS Angler who reached the number of Catch Points first, based on the official Tournament release or boated time(s).

13. In the event of a year-end divisional tie, rule 12 shall be used to break the tie. In the event a tie remains still, the WBS Angler with the most cumulative points across all divisions accrued up to the time that the division with the tie in question ends shall be deemed the winner. If a tie remains, revert to rule 12. Further ties will be won by the WBS Angler with the most cumulative points for the previous year and then the WBS Anglers Club Member who joined first.

14. Prizes: Top Anglers of WBS-sanctioned events will receive a Top Angler Award Plaque and a two year invitation to the Grand Championship; Divisional Winners will receive the WBS Marlin Trophy and a five year invitation to the Grand Championship.

1. Qualifying Anglers and Prizes (anglers should be current WBS Anglers Club members):
WBS World Champion of Billfishing: Receives lifetime invitations to GC;
WBS Ambassador Award Winner: Receives lifetime invitations to GC;
Divisional Winner: Receives 5-year qualifying exemption;
Top Angler of a WBS-sanctioned Event: Receives 3-year exemption;
Divisional Qualifier (top ten in divisions): Receives 2-year exemption.

2. The WBS reserves the right to refuse or include invitation to the GC to any angler, as deemed necessary by the Tournament Committee.

3. The WBS Rules Committee will make all final decisions on any discrepancies that arise during the tournament.

4. Trophies & prizes are awarded to the 1st place WBS Anglers in each of the six (6) WBS divisions during the WBS Grand Championship. Divisional Winners will receive the WBS Marlin Trophy. The WBS Grand Champion will receive a larger version of the WBS Marlin Trophy, the Grander Marlin.

5. WBS Anglers are responsible for all fees associated with entering, fishing, lodging and traveling to and from the WBS Grand Championship.

6. Recipients of a WBS prize(s) which require compliance with IRS reporting procedures must provide name, address and social security number before receiving the prize(s).