| |
BGonline.org Forums
Cube ruling #2
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: Cube ruling #2 (Barry Silliman)
Date: Thursday, 4 March 2010, at 12:05 p.m.
This is one of several rules that constantly causes problems and I hope will be clarified in the future.
Under the current rules, what you described may be interpreted very differently by different tournament directors.
The USBGF Rules and Ethics Committee is working on a Guide to the Rules that goes into detail what the intent of the rule is and how it should be applied, and hopefully, that can be used as a standard so that both tournament director's and players will know what should happen in cases like the one you described.
By the way, it is NOT our intent to change the rules...we have no authority to do that...but we do want to remove this kind of ambiguity by going into more detail about what should happen in situations like this, that come up all the time.
Some of the questions arise not so much out of knowing exactly what the rule is, but to what extent players should apply good sportsmanship themselves, and to what extent we should expect good sportsmanship (ethics) from each other.
So forgetting the rule for a second, if I had reached for the cube or done anything to indicate that I might be doubling, and then decided not to, I personally would feel like I've taken a shot at the other player and regardless of what the rules say, I would allow him to decide if he wants me to double or not. I would expect the same kind of courtesy and good sportsmanship from my opponent, and if he did not feel that way, after I explained to him my feelings about this, and after showing him the Guide which states that since there are no officials or referees that we expect people to be fair and courteous with each other as a major principle of play, then, and only then, would I call the TD if I felt he had taken a shot or unfair advantage of me.
No matter what the rules say, there will always be gray areas, and our hope is to instill a philosophy that tournament backgammon should be played by courteous gentlemen and ladies who have an obligation to be completely fair with each other.
With this idea inbedded in the Guide and encouraged to all players, we will have fewer problems like this; fewer decisions by the TD to settle differences, and, in my opinion, a much more pleasant and fun atmosphere for all of us to compete in.
| |
BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.