[blml] Categories of rule-breaker

[WILLIAM SCHODER]

There you go again, Mathias!  Trying to inject "common sense" into this 
thread.  If we do that, it goes away, and then what is left for us to 
posture over?  The English language? Most cheats that I have encountered 
over these many years were first suspected and brought to light by 
ex-spectators, discussions after the game, party room reviews of spectators, 
etc., and the like.  To read the law and twist the words to defend a 
ludicrous interpretation is probably what the games of BLML are mostly 
about. There's a world of difference between alleging that the words used in 
the laws could be misinterpreted (in this case it would need someone without 
any knowledge of the game of bridge), and taking a stance that is silly. I 
used to get all excited up over this kind of sophistic reasoning, but I've 
mellowed and found it better for my blood pressure to just laugh.

It's gratifying to find comments like yours and Tim's --  there's still hope 
for the game.

Kojak


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matthias Berghaus" <ziffbridge at t-online.de>
To: "BLML" <blml at rtflb.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: [blml] Categories of rule-breaker


> Nigel schrieb:
> >> [Nigel]
> >>
> >>
> >>> 3. Are ignorant of the rules. eg As a spectator, imagine that it's
> >>> OK for you to tell the director about an alleged infraction by a
> >>> player that you suspect of cheating.
> >>>
> >> [Tim West-Meads]
> >> Why do you say this sort of thing Nigel? The laws forbid the spectator
> >> to draw the attention of the players (or captains) to any irregularity.
> >> The law does not forbid a player from raising concerns privately with
> >> the TD. If you tell any TD in the UK (and probably elsewhere) you have
> >> seen something that you are worried may have been cheating he will ask
> >> you what you saw. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM!
> >>
> >
> > [Nige2]
> > Laws 75-76 is clear: Spectators are never allowed to broach any factual
> > or legal matter with the director. During  the round, a spectator may
> > not converse with a player. Directors, players and spectators retain
> > their roles when they encounter each other in the loo or anywhere else.
> > It seems that you may tell the director you are worried about something
> > only if it is has nothing to do with facts or laws.
> >
> > [TFLB L76B]
> > A spectator may not call attention to any irregularity or mistake, nor
> > speak on any question of fact or law except by request of the Director.
> >
> >
> >
>
> You do not remain a spectator for the rest of your life, do you? Even if
> you remain a spectator while recycling used drinks (which is not clear
> to me, but let us say so for arguments sake), there comes the time when
> the segment or the mach or the tournament ends, and without doubt you
> are no longer a spectator, a player, a director. So anyone is free to
> talk to anyone else, even if that would have violated a law while the
> tournament was in progress. And even if you did: Law 76 is about not
> giving someone an advantage or disadvantage because some kibitzer
> couldn`t keep his mouth shut, it is not about cheating. So what`s the
> problem with telling a director that you think someone cheats? Do you
> want to tell me that cheating may never be uncovered by a spectator? Be
> serious. Any TD will do whatever his SO calls for, and no comittee or
> governing body will say otherwise.
> I do not care for anything that can be read into the laws if you are
> willing to bend the language far enough. I care about what the rules are
> intended for, and I maintain that this intention can be determined with
> a little bit of common sense in at least 99% of cases, and the rest can
> be seen when one applies some logic.
> We all wish for clearer wording of TFLB, but we can manage quite well
> with what we have.
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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