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illegal moves and clock rules

Posted By: Daniel Murphy
Date: Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 6:36 p.m.

In Response To: illegal moves and clock rules (bob koca)

Re (i) yes, that's a problem. No one's time should be running if there's no agreement that an illegal play has been made. Why not drop a note to the ABT Powers That Be and have them look at the better DBgF Rule 4.2.3.3, which says that you should

(1) First stop both clocks

(2) Point out and have Opponent accept that the play is illegal

(3) Then start Opponent's clock

Note that by stopping both clocks, you give up the right to accept the illegal play (since you need to do the thinking on whether to accept it or not on your own time).

DBgF Rule 4.2.3.3:

Accept/replay of illegal moves in matches played with the use of clocks. The player accepts an illegal move by rolling the dice or turning the cube. The player demands an illegal move replayed by stopping the clock and presenting the facts to the opponent. When the opponent has accepted the facts, the player shall restart the clock and the opponent shall replay the move.

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Re (ii) I don't see any need for an additional time penalty (which would be whatever time the player takes to correct the illegal move). Once the player's clock is started, if he corrects the play within 12 seconds or not, I don't care.

The waiting-for-the-clock to countdown seems like a time-wasting trouble to go for the two or three seconds it will probably take the player to make a legal move, anyway. Not worth the fuss.

Making an illegal play is not the same situation as picking up the dice prematurely. In the second case, the "countdown" serves a purpose: to get players to stop picking up the dice prematurely. But we don't have players going around making illegal moves in order to gain 12 seconds of free time in order to make a legal one (which they would get if the illegal move was rejected). No one (almost) makes illegal on purpose; a time penalty won't get occasional inadvertent illegal movers to reform (if a player is making illegal moves on purpose, there are other rules and penalties for that!)

And we surely don't want players having to summon the director whenever an illegal move has been played. We want the games to continue apace.

Stop both clocks, point out the illegal move, gain agreement, start opponent's clock -- that seems simple and fair.

Messages In This Thread

• illegal moves and clock rules
  bob koca -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 3:30 p.m.
  • illegal moves and clock rules
    Tom Keith -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 3:44 p.m.
    • illegal moves and clock rules
      Jason Lee -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 5:40 p.m.
      • illegal moves and clock rules
        Chuck Bower -- Monday, 28 April 2008, at 3:11 p.m.
        • illegal moves and clock rules
          Daniel Murphy -- Monday, 28 April 2008, at 8:22 p.m.
          • illegal moves and clock rules
            Jason Lee -- Monday, 28 April 2008, at 8:50 p.m.
            • illegal moves and clock rules
              Daniel Murphy -- Monday, 28 April 2008, at 11:25 p.m.
              • illegal moves and clock rules
                Jason Lee -- Tuesday, 29 April 2008, at 12:32 a.m.
          • illegal moves and clock rules
            Chuck Bower -- Monday, 28 April 2008, at 9:35 p.m.
  • illegal moves and clock rules
    Matt Cohn-Geier -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 5:16 p.m.
    • illegal moves and clock rules
      bob koca -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 5:30 p.m.
      • illegal moves and clock rules
        Matt Cohn-Geier -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 7:41 p.m.
  • illegal moves and clock rules
    Daniel Murphy -- Saturday, 26 April 2008, at 6:36 p.m.
  • this sounds like a great way
    garyo -- Sunday, 27 April 2008, at 4:59 p.m.
    • this sounds like a great way
      neilkaz -- Sunday, 27 April 2008, at 5:08 p.m.