| |
BGonline.org Forums
USBGF Rules--My take--answering Art's question
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: USBGF Rules--My take (Art Grater)
Date: Wednesday, 19 October 2016, at 7:30 a.m.
Can you imagine playing chess, bridge, poker, or other major games played regularly around the world and the rules are different at each tournament. How confusing is that for the players? How horrible is that for spectators? How difficult is that for the tournament directors as a result of so many misunderstandings.
Picture a fairly new player to the game playing at his local club and tournaments and he finally decides to go to Monte Carlo (or Denmark or Vegas or wherever) and he sits down an loses a match because he didn't understand the implications of legal moves vs. the non-legal moves he was used to. Or he didn't realize his turn was over when he put his hand over the dice (as some tournament directors will call it). Even if a rule doesn't cost him the match, what if it just causes confusion and an argument and makes the tournament experience more stressful and less fun?
Like ALL other major sports and games, there needs to be an international ruling body; an international set of rules; and international standards, communication, sanctioning of events, protection for the players and for the organizers from abusive practices, and international recourse for blatant disregard for the rules and ethical standards of behavior.
The game is, thankfully, moving in that direction now that most major countries have federations, and I am sure someday soon we will either have an international federation or at least an international agreement between the federations to cooperate on these important matters.
Having a standard set of international rules certainly will not mean that everyone will approve of those rules. In fact, it will be clear that most of us will completely dislike a rule or two...impossible to please everyone. But at least we will know what the rules are going in, and what our obligations are to uphold the rules for ourselves and our opponents, and we will have a level, non-confusing playing field.
For the many years I have been playing I, and all my dear backgammon friends, have had to live by ambiguous rules; rules that did not clearly spell out what happens when a rule is violated; and by tournament directors who each had their own interpretation of how the rules should be applied. We are finally seeing clearer, more definitive rules, and again, even if we don't like some of the rules, at least we are far more confident that now we know what the rules and penalties are, and we can act accordingly.
To me it is not that important whether we allow a die on a checker to count or not...there are plusses and minuses of each. But I don't have to worry, every time I play, about finding out which of the rules applies to this tournament or this chouette and then have to clarify it with my fellow players and opponents. And the same is true for every other rule where there are differences from one place to the next.
I hope this sufficiently answers your question, but I will add one last point.
I have given several reasons, above, why it is better to have a single set of rules worldwide. Now, I challenge you, or anyone else, to make a strong case for having different rules all over the world. Without compelling reasons to the contrary, I think the conclusion is clear.
| |
BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.