Tournament Directors'
Guidelines
ROLE OF THE
DIRECTOR
The
role of the Tournament Director is to:
· ensure that rules are
strictly observed.
·
supervise the progress of the tournament.
·
enforce any decisions made to resolve disputes.
·
impose penalties for any fault or infraction of the
rules.
·
report any serious incidents to ASPA/CASPA.
With
regard to rules and etiquette the overarching principle is that the
Tournament
Director’s decision is final.
DOCUMENTS
REQUIRED FOR TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS
- Tournament Directors Guidelines (TDG) (this document)
- National Rules (link)
- Etiquette Document (link)
- Basic Rules ('box lid rules')
- Local variations to National Rules (if
applicable)
- Protocols
The TD must be conversant
with all these documents to enable satisfactory resolution of disputes.
BEFORE THE
TOURNAMENT
- Remind the
players that, if they have any questions/disputes etc during a game,
they must ask for adjudication immediately.
- Players with disabilities may
need special consideration re seating position, ensuring ease of
movement, good
lighting etc. Players with specific problems may require the assistance
of a
scribe/helper. Ensure scribes/helpers do not advise the player with the
disability in any way.
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES
The
objective is to ensure resolution
with fairness to all players involved and with due regard to the rules
in
force.
If
the players have failed to neutralize the clock the TD must do so
immediately.
Petty issues can lead to
heated disputes. The TD may need to explain the ruling clearly and
tactfully to
calm the situation.
The TD must also consider the fairness
of the ruling to all other
players in the tournament.
RESOLUTION
OF RULE BREACHES
It is mandatory to take the
Rules to the table. You may also need to take some of the documents
listed
above to show the relevant rulings.
In many cases the breaching
of a rule will be an obvious mistake/omission that can be easily
rectified.
However, any deliberate attempts at deception amount to cheating and
need to be
dealt with immediately, firmly and fairly – see penalties below.
If acceptable resolution of
the problem is not obvious, consult with the State Rules
Representative, State
President or any other experienced person. Regardless of the advice
received,
the TD’s decision is final - the players have no right of appeal.
RESOLUTION
OF ETIQUETTE BREACHES
Minor Breaches of
Etiquette:
- Should be drawn to the attention of the player
concerned.
- Refer the player to the relevant point in the
Etiquette document.
Major Breaches of
Etiquette:
- If the player’s behaviour is offensive or
dangerous, penalties for offences should be outlined as below, and
enforced if necessary.
SUGGESTED PENALTIES
- Make an adjustment to the score.
- Make an adjustment to the time.
- Declare a game lost by a player and won by
the opponent (see “forfeits” below)
- Issue a formal warning that additional
penalties will be imposed for further breaches
- Ask a player to leave the room immediately
- Expel a player from the tournament.
- Report the matter to the State Committee for
further consideration/action
FORFEITS
- Regardless of whether the offending player is
winning or losing, record the scores of that game as a win to the
opponent.
- Scores should reflect a level similar to
those of other players in the same section.
- A spread of +1 may be considered adequate,
but a larger margin may be awarded at the discretion of the TD.
PERSONAL ABUSE
TDs need not tolerate
personal attacks from players. Appropriate punitive measures might include
forfeiting the next
game, or exclusion from the remainder of the tournament, or reporting
the
matter to the relevant State Association for consideration.
Adopted August 2007
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