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BGonline.org Forums
Elderly players and time clocks
Posted By: mamabear In Response To: Elderly players and time clocks (Marv Porten)
Date: Tuesday, 18 May 2010, at 6:14 p.m.
I have read this thread up to whatever time I've posted this, and have seen many thoughtful, constructive suggestions and ideas.
Of course Marv is referring to physical disability, not age per se here; it just happens that the player in question is quite elderly. So this thread is really about dealing with physical handicaps that prevent a player from playing as well as an equivalent person without the handicap. I think most of us are willing to take reasonable measures to accommodate such players.
I agree with the consensus here that some extra delay should be permitted, up to perhaps some maximum stated in advance and standardized across the ABT. I'd be happy with 18 seconds, but OK with as little as 15, as long as in either case the "designated roller" option was also permitted, and/or the use of baffle tubes or boxes if that helps.
The disabled player's opponent would also get the extra delay time with current technology, though in the future that might change. Regarding baffle boxes and tubes, I wouldn't require the non-disabled opponent to use them but would permit them the option if the disabled player is using them.
The "designated roller" option works if the player who needs help has a good friend who is willing to roll or them rather than play in the events themselves. Not everyone will have such a person available (perhaps a non-playing family member who for some reason wants to vacation in Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Detroit?) so I would feel better if that wasn't Plan A.
And regarding whether the disabled person could be accommodated mid-match, it really puts the director on the spot when someone's flag is about to fall and they want more time due to a disability that it may not be apparent to anyone even exists! Directors get put on the spot more than enough as it is, so I'd like to propose this compromise: the disabled player may ask for extra delay, but never extra reserve (never ever, any time!) mid-match if it is truly mid-match, that is, no more than half the maximum number of points in the match have been played. (i.e. at 4-1 or 3-3 in a 7 point match yes, but at 4-3 or 6-2 etc. no.) The idea being, if you are having problems you should be aware of them after a couple of games, not only when you find yourself in time trouble.
Directors could also discreetly, at the start of the tourney, ask players such as the one whose problems started this discussion whether they feel they need some extra delay time. Since there are relatively few players where this is an issue, I'm sure the directors could share the information among themselves and offer these players the help they need to level the physical playing field.
But regarding leveling the mental playing field by requiring some players be given extra reserve time too, I would say "No way," as have pretty much all the responders here. That would take a bite out of the integrity of backgammon as a contest of mental abilities, and would also defeat one of the purposes of clocks, the one about keeping tournaments running on schedule.
Before my final this weekend, someone suggested I ask about having no clock on it, since it wasn't holding anything up. This person meant well, just hoping to see a better played match because there would be no time pressure. But the director (Chiva) and his assistant (Rob) who recorded and transmitted the match have lives too, and shouldn't be kept there all night by the glacial-speed final that could sometimes result from such a policy. Spectators, too, have lives outside the game, and also planes to catch. Dorn and I finished with plenty of time remaining on our clocks, so we wouldn't have played that nightmare final, but why open the window? I told the person I think Mr. Miyagi has the answer: You either do clocks yes, or clocks no!
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