[TMorris]

At matchpoints if a table has started bidding a board but is significantly behind the rest of the room is the director allowed to stop them playing the board at that time (and let them play it at the end time permitting)? If so which Law allows this.

[RMB1]

The power to cancel or postpone play of a board is given by Law 81C1:

Quote

The Director (not the players) has the responsibility for rectifying irregularities and redressing damage. The Director’s duties and powers normally include also the following:
1. to maintain discipline and to ensure the orderly progress of the game.

It is not considered good practice to cancel a board after the players have started to play it.

[TMorris]

RMB1, on 2016-October-02, 08:05, said:

The power to cancel or postpone play of a board is given by Law 81C1:


It is not considered good practice to cancel a board after the players have started to play it.

Thanks Robin

[sanst]

RMB1, on 2016-October-02, 08:05, said:

The power to cancel or postpone play of a board is given by Law 81C1:


It is not considered good practice to cancel a board after the players have started to play it.

Why?
Usually you allow a limited amount of time for the boards, e.g 15 minutes for 2 or 28 for 4. If some players use more time and the TD allows that, these players have an advantage over the others, which goes contrary to my idea of fairness. If possible I keep an eye on the progress of the tables, there is a signal 5 minutes before the end of the round, but if they are still playing after the end, I don't hesitate to stop the play. If you let the play continue, these players not only have an undue advantage, they next players to play at that table have less time.

[blackshoe]

If the director had instructed the players not to start any new boards (a common instruction) before these players started this board, he might give both pairs a disciplinary penalty for failure to follow the TD's instructions. If they started it before that instruction, no penalty for that, but if fault can be identified, somebody might get a procedural penalty for slow play.

[RMB1]

> It is not considered good practice to cancel a board after the players have started to play it.

sanst, on 2016-October-02, 09:04, said:

Why?

If it is known that a TD can cancel a board once started, it leaves open that the possibility that once a player knows he is getting a bad board, they will prolong play or delay completion of the board until the TD cancels the board and the player escapes their bad score.

[sanst]

RMB1, on 2016-October-02, 10:39, said:

> It is not considered good practice to cancel a board after the players have started to play it.

If it is known that a TD can cancel a board once started, it leaves open that the possibility that once a player knows he is getting a bad board, they will prolong play or delay completion of the board until the TD cancels the board and the player escapes their bad score.

and be awarded a 100% PP (Law 90B2). Since you should find out what caused the slow play, you can be certain that the NOP will make clear who was the culprit.

[Vampyr]

sanst, on 2016-October-02, 16:05, said:

and be awarded a 100% PP (Law 90B2). Since you should find out what caused the slow play, you can be certain that the NOP will make clear who was the culprit.

Yes but you will have no idea whether they slowed the play on purpose.

It is a pity that several other people will be delayed when a pair play a round slowly. You should be lenient to those who have had to start the round late, and keep an eye on the slow pair. Take away a board later if they cannot catch up.

[lamford]

sanst, on 2016-October-02, 16:05, said:

and be awarded a 100% PP (Law 90B2). Since you should find out what caused the slow play, you can be certain that the NOP will make clear who was the culprit.

I agree with Robin. The arriving pair might have been late, the first board might have been slow for both sides, or the player might now be in a difficult contract. Proving that he played slowly deliberately would be impossible, and I don't think a board should ever be removed after the auction has started.

[Trinidad]

sanst, on 2016-October-02, 09:04, said:

Why?
Usually you allow a limited amount of time for the boards, e.g 15 minutes for 2 or 28 for 4. If some players use more time and the TD allows that, these players have an advantage over the others, which goes contrary to my idea of fairness. If possible I keep an eye on the progress of the tables, there is a signal 5 minutes before the end of the round, but if they are still playing after the end, I don't hesitate to stop the play. If you let the play continue, these players not only have an undue advantage, they next players to play at that table have less time.

There is another reason. The easiest way to understand this is to simply assume that the boards are shared. At table 1 they play boards 1-4 in that order, on table 2 they play 3-4, then 1-2. Suppose that board 2 takes a lot of time (13 minutes), whereas board 4 is a claimer (or a passout), taking 1 minute.

A minute before the end of the round, the players at table 2 are on trick 8 of board 2. To the TD, this looks good. At table 1, where they have already played the difficult board 2, they are about to start on board 4. To the TD, this looks bad and he stops the board. However, if he would have let things be, both tables had finished play on time.

In my opinion, the best way to deal with slow play is to let everybody finish their board and then penalize the slow tables. They way to go about that is to ask the players whether either of the pairs consider themselves at fault for the slow play. If so, they will get the slow play penalty (which may be a warning, or something hefty). If no one admits guilt, both sides get the slow play penalty.

The club where I play (with playing TDs) has a dedicated "slow play officer". She is a tough lady, who usually is one of the first to finish the round. When time is up, she checks whether someone is late. Anybody who is late, will be warned for the first offense of the evening (13 rounds of 2 boards) and penalized for the second (10% of a board for offense 2, 20% for number 3, etc.). She calls the round when the last table has finished. Because of this policy, slow play is pretty rare.

Rik

[blackshoe]

Played in a club game today. No clock. The director never called a round. I guess we're still in round one.