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Rules of play vs. irregularities

Posted By: Tom Keith
Date: Saturday, 16 August 2014, at 2:21 p.m.

In Response To: Impossible Ruling (phil simborg)

Phil, I think you are confusing two different types of rules.

First, there are the rules that define the nature of the game. Things such as how to set up the board, order of play, what constitutes a legal play, object of the game, and scoring. Many of these aren't even specified in the Tournament Rules -- they are simply referred to as the "commonly accepted rules of backgammon."

The other type of rules are there to handle irregularities, sort of "metarules." In a perfect world, there wouldn't be any irregularities and no need for these extra rules. But we are all human and occasionally slip up, perhaps by setting up the board wrong or accidentally making an illegal move. The rules for irregularities are there to provide a standard way of repairing the game when something goes wrong. Their purpose is to allow the game to continue in a manner that is fair to both sides. They are not there to give players an additional way to win.

Some rules for handling irregularities may involve a penalty -- a slight deterrent to encourage offenders to be more careful. And sometimes that penalty is at the option of the other player. But that doesn't change the fact that these are metarules. When you have an option to invoke a penalty as provided for in a metarule, you should do it because you think it is the right and fair thing to do. If you think the right and fair thing to do is to not invoke the penalty, then that is what you should do.

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