Shiyonofuji's Upside Down Hoshitori -- udh.seisa.de

First, if you haven't already one, create yourself a shikona (ring name). It should be Japanese sounding and not exceed 13 letters.

Then select the thirteen Makuuchi rikishi -- plus two alternate (back-up) selections -- you expect to have the fewest wins this basho. You should arrange them carefully as not every loss will count the same. There are 39 points per day possible: A loss can add one up to six points to your score. So put those rikishi who might have a very bad record in high slots.

Then submit your entry (one per person). Deadline will be 12pm JST on the first day of the basho. You may change it as often as you want, the last one counts. Late entries won't be accepted.

The total number of points accumulated by your thirteen choices will be your score, and the highest score wins. The points are converted into an equivalent record, which will determine your banzuke position in the next tournament (see promotion grid at the end of this page).

Your selections are supposed to be active on the first day (*) but not necessarily on any other day of the basho.

Later absences will count as a loss (the Sumo Kyokai does so, so do we).
If one/more of your selections isn't listed on the day 1 pairings, he/they will be replaces by the alternate/s. The alt/s will take the place of the not-starter/s. (There will not be a moving-up of those who are behind the non-starters! If your 6-pointer drops out, the alt will take this slot.) Alt #1 takes the highest opened slot, Alt #2 the second highest.
If you shouldn't have enough alts to fill up spots which became empty, the empty one/s will count as 15-wins zensho.

You may of course submit a new entry if you don't like how the alt/s "took over" your lineup -- the UDH deadline is more than 40 hours after the announcement of the first day pairings.

There is a javascript entry checker to make sure that you won't enter a rikishi twice. If you manage to enter a rikishi twice or more often (deactivated js or any other way) the lower one/s of the multiple entries will be deleted and you will start with less than thirteen rikishi and less than 39 points per day.

(*) Q: Why "supposed to"?

A: In March 2002, Towanoyama dropped out on the first day by fusen. It was decided that -- despite he wasn't active literally -- he was according to the rules of the game. He collected 15 losses for his choosers.

Yusho tiebreakers at the end of the basho:

If two or more players are qualified for the yusho, the one with the highest number of losses wins.
If drawn, the one who had most days with 39 points. If tied, the one with most 38 points. And so on.
If still drawn, the one who had the earliest 39 points of all candidates during the tournament. If tied, the earliest 38 points. And so on.
If still drawn, the remaining candidates will be asked to send in a paper-scissors-stone tie-breaker.

Missing a tournament:

Missing one will be treated as "kosho" (absence without affecting the rank).
If you are absent consecutively, the first absence won't change your rank yet. Every further one counts as 0-15 and you will be demoted accordingly.
After re-entering the game and playing at least one basho, you can miss again one.
If a player is consecutively absent for four basho, he will be retired. (This is just to prevent an overflow of the game's database. You may of course come back after fading this way.)

Newcomers enter at Maegashira 16. Players who reach Juryo 16 will be allowed to retire and reincarnate as Maegashira 16.

Changing shikona is okay, but can only change your luck, not your rank. If you do so, please report the change. It is impossible to overview all the names and persons who are behind.

The Promotion Grid

After every basho the final score will be converted into a UDH equivalent, reaching from 15-0 down to 0-15.

The yusho winner gets a 15-0. The others are converted in relation: To get k wins, you will have to be better than k/15th of the players. Making a kachi-koshi (more wins than losses in your equivalent score) will result in a promotion, a make-koshi (fewer wins than losses) will always result in demotion.

  R  
  A                   N U M B E R   O F   W I N S
  N  +----------------------------------------------------------------
  K  | 15  14  13  12  11  10  9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1   0
 ----+----------------------------------------------------------------
 Oe  | Y   Y   Y   Y   Oe  Oe  Ow  Oh  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  
 Ow  | Oe  Oe  Oe  Oe  Oe  Ow  Oh  Oh  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  
 Oh  | Oe  Oe  Ow  Ow  Ow  Ow  Oh  Oh  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  Ok  
 Ok  | Ow  Ow  Ow  Ow  Ow  Ow  Oh  Oh  Sz  Sz  Sz  Sz  Sz  Sz  Sz  Sz  
     |
 Se  | Ow  Ow  Oh  Oh  Oh  Se  Sw  Sh  Ke  Kw  M1  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  
(Sz  | Ow  Ow  Oh  Oh  Oh  Oh  Sw  Sh  Ke  Kw  M1  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5)  (**)
 Sw  | Ow  Se  Se  Se  Se  Sw  Sw  Sh  Kw  M1  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  
 Sh  | Oh  Se  Se  Sw  Sw  Sw  Sh  Sh  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  
 Ke  | Se  Se  Se  Sw  Sw  Sw  Sh  Sh  M1  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  
 Kw  | Se  Se  Sw  Sw  Sw  Sh  Sh  Ke  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  
     |
 M1  | Se  Sw  Sw  Sw  Sh  Sh  Ke  Kw  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  M9  
 M2  | Sw  Sw  Sw  Sh  Sh  Ke  Kw  M1  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  M9  M10 
 M3  | Sw  Sw  Sh  Sh  Ke  Kw  Kw  M1  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  M9  M10 M11 
 M4  | Sw  Sh  Sh  Ke  Kw  Kw  M1  M2  M5  M6  M7  M8  M9  M10 M11 M12 
 M5  | Sh  Sh  Ke  Ke  Kw  Kw  M1  M2  M6  M7  M8  M9  M10 M11 M12 M13 
 M6  | Sh  Ke  Ke  Ke  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M7  M8  M9  M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 
 M7  | Ke  Ke  Ke  Kw  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M8  M9  M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 
 M8  | Ke  Ke  Kw  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M9  M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 J1  
 M9  | Ke  Ke  Kw  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 J1  J1     
 M10 | Ke  Ke  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 J1  J1  J1  
 M11 | Ke  Ke  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M12 M13 M14 M15 J1  J1  J1  J1  
 M12 | Ke  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M13 M14 M15 J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  
 M13 | Ke  Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M14 M15 J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  
 M14 | Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M15 J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  
 M15 | Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  
 M16 | Kw  M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  J1  
 J1  | M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  J2  J2  J2  J2  J2  J2  J2  J2  
 J2  | M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  J3  J3  J3  J3  J3  J3  J3  J3  
 J3  | M1  M2  M3  M4  M5  M6  M7  M8  J4  J4  J4  J4  J4  J4  J4  J4  
 J4  | etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc
 ----+----------------------------------------------------------------

(**) Players at Sz ("Seki-zeki") rank have been demoted from Ozeki after two make-koshi.

Ozeki and Yokozuna promotions have additional requirements.

Ozeki promotion:

34 wins in three consecutive basho
kachi-koshi in all of these three basho
at Komusubi or Sekiwake rank in these three basho

Ozeki re-promotion (at Sz):

10 or more wins in the basho following the demotion

Yokozuna promotion:

39 wins in three consecutive basho
at ozeki rank in these three basho
at least 11-4 in every of the there basho
at least one jun-yusho ever

A Yokozuna basically has to decide by himself when it's time to retire. He is responsible for upholding the honour of this rank. If the yokozuna does not live up to this standard, there are automatic demotion procedures (to M16) if any of the following happens:

three consecutive make-koshi (an absence in between does not count as make-koshi but will also not break the series)
more than three make-koshi in the last six basho
less than 45 wins in the last six basho (an absence prolongs span to seven basho, any further absences count as 0)

Last but not least: The Special Honours

The following achievements will be mentioned specially in the final results:

UDH basho winner (YUSHO)
UDH basho runner-ups (JUN-YUSHO)
Best Maegashira (HIRA-SHO)
Best Newcomer (SHIN-SHO)
Best Juryo (RYO-SHO)

Jun-yusho is awarded to the two runner-up players, the Sansho can be given to more than one player. Latter ones will only be awarded if the candidates manage to get their kachi-koshi (more wins than losses).

As the title suggests, these prizes are just honors and usually not combined with a material prize. Of course you, the list members, can donate a prize that can be given to the yusho winner or to whom ever you want to.

(*)	Q:	Why "supposed to"?
	A:	In March 2002, Towanoyama dropped out on the first day by fusen. It was decided that -- despite he wasn't active literally -- he was according to the rules of the game. He collected 15 losses for his choosers.