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Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on.

Posted By: Michael Petch
Date: Tuesday, 3 September 2013, at 1:07 a.m.

In Response To: Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on. (John O'Hagan)

I agree, I have posted as such on the USBGF FB page as to the things that make no sense and that I think it is a joke.

What has me curious though is how strict the rules are supposed to regarding the side of the board the dice land on, BUT they don't say anything about there being an exception when a single baffle box is used. Although the old USBG rules make no mention of baffle boxes and alternate rolling methods, the new Simborg/Horton/Bower rules do.

Regarding the new rules they declare that the rolls must come off on the right side of the board. But often people play with one baffle box and it is kept to one side of the board for the duration of a game (I have seen where they may alternate the side between games, as one can see in many of the streams). The new rules make no allowances for this rule to be broken, nor does it say that *each* player is required to use a box. As well, the Meyer dice tube never allow the dice to actually come into contact with the surface.

Personally I think the new rules that were generated should make a potential exception to the "Dice rolling" rule because there is a clause "Players may not agree to allow their opponent to roll on the wrong side or to change the rolling rules in any way". One baffle box would imply that the players agree that one of them will be rolling on the wrong side.

As well the Meyer dice tube prevents the dice from landing flat on the playing surface. They may land flat but are not able to land on the surface itself. There is an exception in the new rules that allow a TD to alter the landing on the playing surface by introducing the "On checker" clause that may be decided by the TD. But nothing mentions the fact that some dice generation methods don't allow the rules to be adhere to 100%.

Messages In This Thread

• Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on.
  Michael Petch -- Monday, 2 September 2013, at 11:43 p.m.
  • Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on.
    Michael Petch -- Monday, 2 September 2013, at 11:52 p.m.
    • Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on.
      John O'Hagan -- Tuesday, 3 September 2013, at 12:20 a.m.
      • Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on.
        Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 3 September 2013, at 1:07 a.m.
        • Backgammon appeal and ruling about what side of board to roll on.
          Michael Petch -- Tuesday, 3 September 2013, at 1:25 a.m.