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BGonline.org Forums
An ethics issue raised in Paris?
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: An ethics issue raised in Paris? (Chiva Tafazzoli)
Date: Wednesday, 4 November 2009, at 11:57 p.m.
I applaud all of you for promoting good sportsmanship and fair play. What a wonderful concept. But it seems that we have very clearly written rules that, in your opinion of what is fair play, contradict that concept.
Again, while I applaud the motives, an extremely bad precedent has been set...basically that a very clear and specific rule is not going to be upheld if the tournament director thinks it is nicer and fairer not to uphold that ruling.
If a football player didn't really mean to be offsides, should the penalty not be enforced? If a baseball player meant to step on home plate but forgot, is he safe? Golf is a gentleman's game, but if you accidentally hit the ball with your club, it counts as a stroke.
Maybe we need to look at changing the rules, because if this attitude toward enforcement of the rules is what I am going to expect to see at tournaments, then I don't know, myself, whether to allow my opponent to correct a mistake or not, and whether I should expect him to allow me to do that.
This opens a huge Pandora's Box relative to the rules and enforcement. What my opponent makes only half his move and picks up his dice and then remembers he forgot to take the rest of his move? The rules say the move is over, but "good sportsmanship and fair play" say he should be able to correct his mistake.
How shall we play this game?
Clearly there are unusual circumstances, and surely the tournament director should rule in favor of fair play when that happens. If my opponent picked up his dice because the fire alarm went off or someone at the next table had a heart attack, I think it would be nice to let him correct the mistake in the interest of good sportsmanship and fair play. But if he was just careless and forgot, I would expect him to be held to the rules, just as I would expect others to hold me to the rules.
Should individual tournament directors decide what rules will be enforced and which will not be? I do not believe that is the intent of the fair play clause...that clause is to be applied when there are extenuating or questionable circumstances. I see none in the case sited: he left a checker on the bar and picked up his dice. The rules are clear.
Talk about fair play and good sportsmanship? How fair was that to Ray and his partner? If they had made that mistake, they would not even dream of asking to correct it--I know I wouldn't. We know the rules, and we know if we make a mistake we have to live by it. ESPECIALLY in the Open and Masters divisions where there is big money involved and where the players are supposed to be very experienced and supposed to know the rules.
I think this is an extremely dangerous precedent and does more to hurt fair play and good sportsmanship in the long run.
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