[Khrystyna]

Advice please

If, during a tournament you encounter chat comments that violate the zero tolerance rule, what does one do? My experience is that if you call the TD you are asked to copy them with the offending remarks and then given the COMMAND to play/bid . My dilemma: how does one try and copy and paste to the TD and proceed to play intelligently fast enough before being booted- which to me is being victimized twice. Surely the TD has immediate access to the log. It has happened that in ACBL tourneys I have noticed some TD's attend to the issue immediately either with a rebuke (which usually suffices) or removal of offender. They message the table that they will review log prior to any action.
Sounds professional to me.
However, in other tourneys often nothing happens if you manage to paste comments and play, still with the offending partner. Is the only solution to quit the tourney and perhaps be blocked from future ones or ask to be removed which the TD will usually do quite happily and this begs the question- why should the offender not be removed? Again an innocent player who simply wanted an enjoyable tourney being victimized twice and offender gets a new partner. Of course in an individual tourney the offender moves on and probably quite happily keeps victimizing.

[steve2005]

TD has access to chat log.
I've seen TD's give warnings or even booting someone pretty quickly so can't explain your experience especially in ACBL events.

[ggwhiz]

In order not to disrupt my game I once copied the chat after the tourney ended and e-mailed it to abuse@bridgebase.com. They don't tell you what they are doing about it but I haven't seen the guy since and they will eventually catch up to repeat offenders. It helps if you can capture a screen shot of it or be sure to include the event #, round and time info so they can access the full story.

For more flagrant violations I have never had less than prompt action by the ACBL TD's and on the rare occasion that it caused a missed board was awarded ave+.

[scarletv]

Unfortunately normal TDs have no access to chat, not to private chat and not to table chat. Only ACBL directors are authorised by BBO. BBO software is not very supportive to enforce zero tolerance. Reading private chat is a kind of violation of privacy and I would prefer that only works after a TD call and not generally. Without support by BBO software the TDs are mostly trying to do the best they can but that will work only in cooperation with the other players.

What can a normal TD do?

When the chat was open to the table I can find out by asking the other players. But that might take some time as not all players answer timely when being asked when they answer at all. So I will always ask the player to continue play while I am investigating as good as I can.
When I get the confirmation of other players it is easy for me. I will
1) remove the insulting player and
2) put him on my personal blacklist
3) Unfortunately there is no easy way to report to abuse by the TD

When opps do not answer or do not confirm or when the insult was done in private chat I try to make the insulting player confess that he was rude but that will not always work. But some are replying in the way "But see how he played or bid..." then I know the caller is right. When there is one word against another word what can I do as TD?
1) I mark the player and add a comment (who complained what complained)
2) I inform the calling player that he has to report the problem to abuse himself as I have no confirmation of what happened.
3) Sometimes I report the problem to abuse by sending the board to them but I have no clue if anyone is doing anything.
In case the same player is reported again in my tourney he will be blacklisted. But that is really a lot of documentation to find a player to be blacklisted very rarely.

I would really prefer an improvement here as rude players have to be removed from BBO when they are repeatedly violating the rules. My guess is that only a minority of complaints arrive abuse. This way of handling is not really satisfying but I don't see how I could do more. I would really appreciate if that procedure could be simplified as not every TD will invest the time to do all that step by step and the rude players will still be able to play in other tourneys after they are blacklisted from one or more hosts.

My advice if a TD asks you to play you better do. Else he will think you refuse and then he has no other choice but to replace you. I really try to avoid that but in the end the tourney has to continue and the player himself has the possibility to report rude behaviour to BBO when I as TD have not means to check it.

When you are asked to copy the chat here is how to do:
1) Mark the text of the chat
2) Press <Ctrl> + C to copy it
3) With <Ctrl> + V you can insert the copied text in the chat and send it to the TD or to abuse.
When not used to that do it at the end of the tourney and send it to abuse@bridgebase.com

[Khrystyna]

thank you scarletv for your informative reply. I now understand why ACBL TD's are so prompt in dealing with ZT issues and those of others tourneys are unable to access the chat log.They have a tougher road to hoe.

[Caitlynne]

It is a problem that does not appear to have a good solution because it places the burden of proper response on the Director and BBO directors typically do not understand the game well enough to attend be fair about adjustments and extra time allotments. It is unfortunate, but you if it helps, you have my sympathies.

[scarletv]

What does ZT has to do with adjustments and time allotments? And please explain more in detail where you think the TD`s understanding of the game is part of bad treatment.