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BGonline.org Forums
Unified rules: aspiration vs. reality in the USA
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: Unified rules: aspiration vs. reality in the USA (Rich Munitz)
Date: Thursday, 17 August 2017, at 1:03 p.m.
Rich, I think you have given a very clear and honest history of the situation. The USBGF has not wanted to dictate to the TD's that they must use a single rule set. Long time, established directors, such as Howard and Carol and Joe and others have done much for the game and the USBGF is not about to tell them they must use the USBGF or International Rules or not be supported and sanctioned. Each of them, and many players, feel very strongly about some of the individual rules and they insist that they will run their tournaments using the rules they think are best.
So the USBGF has decided to write a set of rules containing options for all of the rules that people find objectionable, one way or the other, and allowing each tournament director to pick from the menu.
So if that is the case, why not start with a set of rules that is in concert with the rest of the world instead of a set of rules that is just for the US? Why not use the European Rules, or a new set that is established with the world-wide community. And if Rory wants to have dice on the checkers, and you want to allow him to do that, and he puts it in his brochures and lets people know ahead of time, and you want to allow that, fine. And if Howard and Carol want to have non-legal moves, and do the same, fine. And if Joe Miller insists there will be no clocks, and he advertises this in advance fine.
But why create a whole new, separate set of rules for the US when you are going to allow exceptions anyway? All that does is create even more confusion FOR THE REST of the rules as they are written differently or even have different applications.
You say you are all for working toward a universal set of rules, so why not take that step now, instead of creating a barrier to making that happen? There is NO REASON for the USBGF to establish it's own rule set, particularly since those rules are not a requirement for tournaments to use them.
Now, I will tell you what I do like. I like that you have a short, simple set of rules and then a comprehensive guide to explain in greater detail how they should be applied and what happens if they are broken etc. etc. Rules should be basic, but TD's and advanced players should know exactly what the definition of proper shaking of the dice and a proper roll is, and what it means to unambiguously move the checkers, etc. Your committee has done a lot of good work. Share that with the rest of the world and get something adopted world-wide, and at least we have a good, common basis for the rules.
Eventually the players and the TD's in the US will accept the fact that they are better off, and the game is better off, with a single set of rules, EVEN IF they don't like a particular rule. And if one tournament doesn't want to use clocks, and another wants dice on the checkers, the players who like or don't like that can vote with their feet.
At some point, however, the basic rules of the game must be adhered to by all, and that will happen sooner if the rules are internationally-written and agreed to instead of just coming from a few folks on a committee in the US. And not only will the TD's respect and agree to the rules sooner, so will the players.
I will tell you that if I were a TD who didn't like a particular rule that has been adopted by the world-wide backgammon community, I would use that rule anyway for the continuity of the game, to support the world-wide backgammon community, out of respect for the game, and so that players would not blame me personally for rules they also might not like. This will happen sooner if the rules are universally accepted and used.
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