[blml] What is equity - added substance. [Long]

[Alain Gottcheiner]

gesta at tiscali.co.uk a écrit :
>
> +=+ And the principle is supported, of course, by Law 12B2.
>        Although the definition of the equity to be sought is inherent in Law 
> 12B1,
> this law does not in fact use the word. Instead it make a positive statement 
> of
> the objective of score adjustment whenever it is required and establishes 
> the
> correct present-day interpretation of 'damage'.  The word 'equity' does 
> appear
> in Law 12C1(c), but its more significant use is in Law 84D. It may be added
> that the laws always look on 'equity' as something to be sought after; they 
> are
> not so bold as to say it will necessarily be achieved - once there is damage 
> the
> Director's intervention aims to restore the balance between the sides but 
> the
> purity and pleasure of an uncontaminated table result, inclusive of its 
> potential
> for misjudgement and unforced error, is lost.
>                                                  

Let's call this the positivistic value of equity - a goal we know we'll 
never fully achieve but shall nevertheless aim at. This doesn't worry me.
Our advantage over positivistic scientists is that we know how to 
approximate : TFLB says that, when in doubt, the benefit should go to 
the NOS, and wer're given several methods to ensure that.

As for the uncontaminated result, a notion I appreciate, it's inherent 
to umpire's decisions in all sports that it can't be achieved : who 
knows whether the forward would have scored hadn't he been brought down 
; how many runs the batsman could have garnered, if any, had the ball 
taken the right direction ; whether a try would have ensued from the 
offensive without that offside position ?
Note that at rugby, the possible compensation from the penalty shot is 
smaller than the potential gain (penalty trials are rather uncommon), a 
mechanism which in some way resembles our weighted scores.


Best regards

   Alain