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Clock Rules loophole?

Posted By: Chuck Bower
Date: Friday, 7 November 2008, at 5:17 p.m.

4.3 ILLEGAL PLAYS. When a player has made an illegal checker play and the opponent wishes it corrected, he brings attention to the illegal play and hits the clock. The player makes a legal checker play, then hits the clock. If the opponent does not want the illegal play corrected, he picks up the dice and rolls (or doubles/redoubles).

I know that David Montgomery addressed this issue with his digital clock rules but this was many years ago and I think when I asked him more recently he had lost those rules. Here is a concern:

Player A has a tough decision to make and his reserve clock time is getting low. His free 12s is up. He makes an illegal move (to his advantage) and hits the clock. His opp (player B) notices the illegal play, announces such, and punches the clock. Now player A has an extra 12 free seconds to ponder his move. Worse yet, if there is a disupte over whether or not the actual move was in fact illegal, the clocks are centered, the situation is discussed, and (possibly) the director is called.

It doesn't even have to be so egregious. Player A could have accidentally made the illegal move but as the rules are written he will get an extra 12 s free time to ponder his decision.

Am I misreading/misunderstanding the US rules? How is this situation handled in Europe?

Messages In This Thread

• Clock Rules loophole?
  Chuck Bower -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 5:17 p.m.
  • Clock Rules loophole?
    Stick -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 5:24 p.m.
    • Clock Rules loophole?
      Bill Riles -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 6:19 p.m.
      • Clock Rules loophole?
        Stick -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 6:29 p.m.
        • Clock Rules loophole?
          Coolrey -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 6:38 p.m.
          • Clock Rules loophole?
            Stick -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 6:45 p.m.
            • Clock Rules loophole?
              Paul Weaver -- Saturday, 8 November 2008, at 10:14 a.m.
              • Clock Rules loophole?
                Jason Lee -- Saturday, 8 November 2008, at 10:35 a.m.
                • Clock Rules loophole?
                  Coolrey -- Saturday, 8 November 2008, at 7:15 p.m.
                  • Clock Rules loophole?
                    Jason Lee -- Sunday, 9 November 2008, at 1:05 a.m.
                    • Clock Rules loophole?
                      Matt Cohn-Geier -- Sunday, 9 November 2008, at 4:19 a.m.
                      • Clock Rules loophole?
                        Jason Lee -- Sunday, 9 November 2008, at 5:55 a.m.
              • Clock Rules loophole?
                neilkaz -- Saturday, 8 November 2008, at 5:24 p.m.
              • Clock Rules loophole?
                Bob Koca -- Saturday, 8 November 2008, at 9:04 p.m.
          • Clock Rules loophole?
            dc-ohio -- Sunday, 9 November 2008, at 12:45 a.m.
            • Clock Rules loophole?
              MFIC -- Tuesday, 11 November 2008, at 1:25 a.m.
    • Clock Rules loophole?
      Matt Cohn-Geier -- Friday, 7 November 2008, at 6:29 p.m.
  • Clock Rules loophole?
    Daniel Murphy -- Sunday, 9 November 2008, at 7:53 p.m.