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BGonline.org Forums
The Little Rules Matter
Posted By: Jason Lee
Date: Tuesday, 25 January 2011, at 1:45 a.m.
Chuck Bower: I like Justin's response best, and Jason's implication.
Why is it so difficult to follow the rules? If rules are superfluous, why is so difficult to get them changed?
I continue to struggle badly with this. I don't know how to ask my opponents to please follow the little rules. It doesn't seem fair, because I follow them all as best I can, and when I discover I have a bad habit that goes against a rule, I really try to correct it.
I played a guy in New York who seemed to do it all.
- If he cocked his die on the opening roll, he would put the die back into his cup and roll without shaking. I called him on it about four times.
- He CONSTANTLY would pick up the dice before I punched the clock.
- He routinely would use two hands to move checkers, in the vein of the thread I posted the other day.
- Here's the one I'm more pissed about in a weird way, because I didn't really know it happened until I saw the video (I had taped the match). If he accidentally rolled a die off the table, while I was out of sight retrieving his lost die, he'd swap one of his spare dice from a tray in his board into the game, and put the one that hit the floor back into the tray. I thought something was weird about the way he was dealing with the dice, but the video showed it all. It's just dice, I have no reason to suspect he was cheating, but he did this crap when I wasn't looking. I almost feel violated.
There's other stuff the people do that's just not right. Picking up your own blot that's about to be hit, or otherwise touching the checkers or dice when it's not your turn.
I've posted stuff like this before. Somehow I end up feeling like the bad guy if I call people on it, like I'm being petty. People actually *do* get somewhat indignant if I say, "Could you please not touch the checkers when it's my turn?"
I played another guy in New York who was jumping the gun on picking up the dice before I hit the clock. He'd either actually pick them up, or make a motion to do so. Finally I said to him, "I'm feeling a little rushed when you do that." He had the reaction I wish more people would have. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I'm new to the whole clock thing... I was messing up in my last match too. I'll try to do better." The guy was actually very contrite and knew he was doing things wrong. He remained a little jumpy the rest of the match, but was clearly trying to change his behavior. A+ to him.
So I guess what's getting me down is the righteous indignity of those who break the little rules and (a) don't make ANY effort to change their behavior and (b) get their feathers ruffled when they're actually called on it.
I *know* the answer, you've all told me. I'm going to have to put aside those dumb feelings of being the bad guy and just tell people, in a nice way.
So, THAT'S my New Year's Resolution for backgammon. I'm probably going to go play the Pittsburgh tournament, and I resolve to not let any little shenanigans go by the wayside. I'm going to be really nice, but firm. When it comes to improper actions with the dice in a clocked match, if it's not a clock newbie, then I'm going to exercise my rights under Rules 4.1 and 4.2 of the USA clock rules.
And here's the important part: I'm going to ask that you all join me. We have the Legal Moves Club -- I joined up, and now there's a new club in town: The Little Rules Matter Club. Join me. Our mandate will be to politely but firmly insist that our opponents follow all those little rules all the time. We will be nonconfrontational, respectful, considerate and helpful to those who lack experience, but we will firmly enforce these rules, all the time. The good news is... the rules are on our side!
JLee
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