[arepo24]

What can be done with a player who consistently doesn't play until the Director is called and only then plays a card -- particularly when the time is so close that the last hand cannot be played because of her?

[Left2Right]

I agree. Slow play seems like an exaggerated nuisance since you can't see your opponent and can't smile a sweetly, clear your throat, and murmur "Did you know you're it?" like one can do in person. So I suggest the following.

• Don't play in a speedball event. It's pointless to pay money to continue being tortured. [This is my choice.]
  
• Do call the director rather than nagging your opponent. The director can do something substantial; you can't.
  
• Don't wait too long to summon the director. Just the director call might activate your opponent.
  
• Remember who's playing. I used to play in these timed events with partners who were slow due to age. I could tell; the opps couldn't.

Finally, nag BBO! If there is one feature that could speed up these events, it would be a "slow on average" score. The computer could automatically record the length of time a declarer or defender takes versus the length of time that is fair, then compute a "slow on average" score. When a consistently slow player exceeds some fair limit for use of time over a meaningful span*, the computer could temporarily disqualify the slow player from signing up for a timed event (indicating why, of course). This prohibition could even age out over time** so that a slow player could rejoin the fray, subject to being disqualified again for more slow play.

The computer has all the information it needs to accomplish this: the time it becomes your turn to bid or play; the time you do so, etc.

And yes, some smart person somewhere would have to make a policy decision on how much use of time is normal and what "slow on average" looks like.

* Example: ten events or three weeks, whichever comes first.
** Example: Play detail records older than 21 days could be deleted and a new "slow on average" score computed.

[msdily]

great answer Left2Right!

[Left2Right]

And another thing: Once a "Slow On Average" score becomes a tried and true thing, it might be eminently practical in other contexts as well.

Currently, hosts can exclude players who are "new" or who have an insufficient board completion percentage. "Slow On Average" would be a great addition to this mix (in my terrifyingly humble opinion).

[arepo24]

Thanks Left2Right:
Thanks for your post. Some interesting things to think about.

I am appalled by the outright on purpose ops who know my partner has 2 minutes to finish the hand yet take their time so that it's frustratingly impossible to complete the round.

I have also encountered a particular player, usually playing opposition, who so often refuses to play that during that quarter I know we will never get to play out 3 hands. Even calling the Director doesn't help because of all the time it takes to get a substitute player. It is so unfair to the declarer.