[Barry]

I appreciate at big tournaments that the director needs to be called in a more formal way. but is it really necessry in smaller clubs. How often have we heard the word' Director' shatter the atmosphere. It could almost be replaced with the words 'Stop thief'. The director arrives at the table to see a timid or inexperienced player quaking in his boots saying 'I didn't mean to revoke and I have n't been well lately'. Why can't we use the first name of the director What about calling out 'Janet, Jim, Mary Raju'. It is much more friendly and less intimidating.

Just an observation!

[Vampyr]

At many club games the players don't know who is the director for that session! Perhaps in this matter, as in many others, one little word will go a long way. "Director please" is my preferred way to call the director.

[campboy]

I would avoid addressing a director by name unless I was certain the opponents knew him also; giving the impression that you are on friendly terms with the director can lead to ill-feeling if the ruling goes in your favour. For similar reasons I would avoid calling players by name as TD.

[Phil]

"Director please"

The Director is a person of respect and should be treated as such. First names are not OK.

The tone necessary to call the Director needs to be loud enough for them to hear. If the game is so noisy that they cannot hear you at a reasonable pitch, then I would suggest flagging down a caddy or getting up from your seat and summoning one.

[blackshoe]

tone ≠ volume. You can be loud enough for the director to hear without sounding like you're accusing somebody of something. You can be quiet and sound like you are accusing.

"Director, please" in a pleasant tone and a loud enough voice is the right way to do it.

[Sadie3]

I prefer being called Sharon...but I answer any calls by any name...and approach the tables with a smile. ...but then, who am I? Just a small friendly rural club director.

[JoAnneM]

"Director, please" is the right call. Give club players the respect that they deserve by requiring them to play like sanctioned bridge players. Club players who venture to larger tournaments and who have played in a club that teaches the Laws are well prepared for tournament play, even if it is something as simple as how to call the Director.

[Free]

Using first names? Why not wistle him to your table and call him Barky? Using first names is disrespectful and gives your opps the impression that you know him well, in which case your opps will be very suspicious if they get a ruling against them.

I don't see anything wrong in calling the TD the director, whoever it is. Adding the word "please" may suggest you're only consulting him. Nothing wrong with this.

[Codo]

I do not care much about paranoid people, so I won't care about players who think that the director cheats just because we know each other by name.

So if I call him Barky all day, I may do so in the club too.

I am really surprised to hear that it is disrespectful to call someone by his name.

[jnichols]

There may be several people named John playing in my game, and I don't answer every time I hear my name. But I do every time I hear "director". Sometimes even when they weren't calling me. They appologize for bothering me, but I don't think it is a problem.

[RMB1]

Players call me "Robin" when they want boards, or want to know when the next session starts. Of course, mine is a relatively uncommon name - but Mike, Gordon, David will have the same effect.

Sensible players know not to use (first) names when calling the director for disputes if the opponents do not know the director as well.

Who is "Barky", I am sure no one has called me that.

Robin "Barky" Barker

[dburn]

RMB1, on May 4 2010, 11:33 AM, said:

Players call me "Robin" when they want boards, or want to know when the next session starts.

If, of course, they want a major wrong to be righted, they call for Batman.

[Vampyr]

Codo, on May 4 2010, 10:13 AM, said:

I do not care much about paranoid people, so I won't care about players who think that the director cheats just because we know each other by name.

So if I call him Barky all day, I may do so in the club too.

I am really surprised to hear that it is disrespectful to call someone by his name.

It's not paranoia, and no one thinks that anyone is cheating. But calling the director by his first name does make some people uncomfortable. Perhaps you don't care about people personally, but you might care whether they keep coming back and providing you with a duplicate game.

[Codo]

Vampyr, on May 5 2010, 11:09 AM, said:

It's not paranoia, and no one thinks that anyone is cheating. But calling the director by his first name does make some people uncomfortable. Perhaps you don't care about people personally, but you might care whether they keep coming back and providing you with a duplicate game.

So if I understood you right, you think that this will happen:

1. I call for the director and say "Mathias" (the name of one of our usual TDs)
2. An opponent feals uncomfortable, because I call him Mathias. He does not feal uncomfortable because he think that Mathias will do me a favour, but because....?
3. They stop comming to the club and do not play bridge anymore because of this incident.
4. This behaviour is not paranoid, ergo normal.

Did I understood you right?

If so, our definition of paranoid and normal differ. And I have no understanding for this way of thinking, actually just compassion.

[mjj29]

Codo, on May 5 2010, 03:08 AM, said:

1. I call for the director and say "Mathias" (the name of one of our usual TDs)
2. An opponent feals uncomfortable, because I call him Mathias. He does not feal uncomfortable because he think that Mathias will do me a favour, but because....?
3. They stop comming to the club and do not play bridge anymore because of this incident.

No, they feel uncomfortable because the fact that you are on first name terms suggests that he might be more likely to believe your side of the story than theirs. I don't know how often this happens and I guess it's probably more of a problem in large events than clubs. After all, in a small club I expect everyone to be on first name terms with everyone else, including the directors.

[Codo]

So these guys think that a TD gives his pals a better ruling?

And this happens espacially in the big events with the golden Tds?

I have not met the golden TDs from your country, but I would swear that Peter, Gunti, Mathias, Christian et al will never rule in my favour just because I know them well.

What is normal for you is paranoid for me.
If someone would just THINK that our good TDs would rule in that way, I would see this as an insult opposite the TDs we have. They are human, they sometimes even make mistakes. But surely "never" because they are biased pro their friends.

Anyway, I think we should just agree to disagree.

[WellSpyder]

Codo, on May 5 2010, 07:26 AM, said:

I would swear that Peter, Gunti, Mathias, Christian et al will never rule in my favour just because I know them well.

Indeed. And those who know well the top TDs in England would, I am sure, know that the same is true here. But we are by assumption specifically talking about those who do not know the TDs well, and for them it is only human nature if they get a ruling that they are unhappy with to wonder about whether the TD's perspective has been affected by knowing the other pair...

[Rossoneri]

WellSpyder, on May 5 2010, 02:07 PM, said:

Indeed. And those who know well the top TDs in England would, I am sure, know that the same is true here. But we are by assumption specifically talking about those who do not know the TDs well, and for them it is only human nature if they get a ruling that they are unhappy with to wonder about whether the TD's perspective has been affected by knowing the other pair...

Quite right!

[FrancesHinden]

I normally just shout "Oi, Pigs" at the top of my voice and it seems to work OK.

[RMB1]

FrancesHinden, on May 5 2010, 09:26 PM, said:

I normally just shout "Oi, Pigs" at the top of my voice and it seems to work OK.

It should certainly stop the opponents worrying the TD will be biased to rule in your favour.