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BGonline.org Forums
Ed O'Laughlin--New Interview-- Regarding rules and ethics
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: Ed O'Laughlin--New Interview-- Regarding rules and ethics (Carter Mattig)
Date: Tuesday, 4 January 2011, at 1:42 a.m.
This debate, in my opinion, is being misinterpreted completely. It is not the intent of the Rules of Ethical conduct to give the USBGF the right to second guess or turn over a ruling of a tournament director. If a tournament director decides a match is forfeited, or a player gets a penalty point, or whatever, subject to any appeal made to the rules committee appointed by the tournament director, that decision is final.
The purpose of the Standards is to provide all players, and the tournament director, with some basic guidelines as to what is and is not appropriate behavior. These guidelines will actually make the tournament director's job much easier, as he can point to them and say that foul language, abusing people, cheating, hustling, etc. are explicitly forbidden and the USBGF backs the tournament director in penalizing this behavior. Further, since the tournament director has no authority outside of his own tournament, the USBGF can take additional action against players who disregard reasonable rules of conduct.
At the same time, players are entitled to have a place to appeal (since the USBGF is an association of and by the players) if they feel their rights are violated and they are not given, for example, a fair venue. If a player can show that a tournament director, for example, lets open players in the advanced division, is that fair? If a tournament makes an arbitrary decision to change the payouts or the rake without informing people ahead of time, and it is not fair to the players, now the players might appeal to the USBGF and the USBGF might ask the tournament director to make restitution, or take care not to do it again, or might decide that it's members should not support future tournaments by people who do these things. Right now, with the excellent tournament directors we have, we don't see these issues, so it is a moot point, but having a place to appeal and question is what EVERY player's association for every sport or game provides its players, and that's exactly what the USBGF is.
NOBODY from the USBGF or anywhere else has the right to overturn or even get involved in a tournament director's decision, and nothing in the Standards of Ethical Practice gives the USBGF that right.
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