| |
BGonline.org Forums
Rules...
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: Rules... (Steve Mellen)
Date: Saturday, 24 October 2009, at 3:15 p.m.
Steve, I agree with your thinking. The rules should be concise, direct and simple. If they are 30 pages long, NOBODY will read them.
If we just took the capricious handling of the cube rule and expanded it to cover all the possible things that could happen and the interpretations, that could be 5 pages long.
I do not advocate doing this. But here is what I do recommend and what is needed with the current rules:
1. Word the each rule in the best possible way to leave as little room for ambiguity as possible. 2. A rule should not only state what the rule is, it should state what happens if the rule is violated.
Then, IN ADDITION TO THE RULES, I recommend a "Player's and Director's Guide to interpretation and enforcement of the rules." This would be an explanation of what the "intent" of the rule is...why the rule is there, and what to do if some of the more common instances come up.
For example, if the "capricious" rule were written more clearly, it would say something to the affect that the player should make no statement nor make any movement or action that indicates that he might cube, and if he does, his opponent may require him to cube.
Now, even though this is much clearly, there will still be disagreements as to what was an "indication." So the guide might say that if he picks up the cube, he MUST double. He cannot simply put it back down. It might say that if he reaches for the cube, he must double, or it could say that in that case, it would be the option of his opponent to decide if he must double or not. And the guide might even go on to explain the reason for the rule. The idea that a player should not have a chance to see his opponent's possible reaction to a possible cube and use that information to decide whether to cube or not. Knowing the intention also helps players understand WHY they shouldn't do certain things.
This additional guide helps players know exactly what the rule is and what happens if violated. This also makes it easier for the tournament director, if called to rule, to make his ruling and be backed up with a written guide so that no player can feel like he was given a bad ruling.
One more quick example. We know that you can't cube on a Crawford game. But where does it say what happens if it is discovered after the match, or 3 games later? Why not spell it out in a guide so there is no question that all tournament directors and players know exactly what applies?
| |
BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.