TD Duty
At this weekends competition, I was called to a table for an irregularity (Unauthorised Information). I asked the non offenders to call me back at the end if they felt there was damage. I was not called back, but on looking at the later result, it seemed to me very likely that they had been damaged.
As a TD, is my duty to take the practical approach and do nothing, or is there a legal requirement to advise the nonoffenders of the likely damage and advise them to request a Ruling?
Comments
81C3: The Director’s duties and powers normally include: to rectify an error or irregularity of which he becomes aware in any manner
Interesting! I suspect a lot of players who are unfamiliar with the procedure following UI may not readily understand the concept of damage. On this board, the nonoffenders gained a good score of 300, but when we disallow the bid potentially based on UI, they would gain a very good score of 1100 (It was Teams)!
So effectively, the TD when aware of an irregularity is allowed to use his own expertise (skill? initiative?) to apply bridge rectification law on behalf of the players!
Indeed. I generally make an assessment as to the level of understanding of MI/UI/Damage by the non-offenders, and say "call me back afterwards" or "call me back afterwards if you think you've been damaged" accordingly.
More a duty than allowed (IMHO). And it is knowledge and understanding of the law that is being applied, not bridge skill.
What I generally say is "what would you have done if there hadn't been UI/MI/An infraction?"
Then I make an assessment as to whether the player is being forthright, or (as so often happens) they are skewing their answer to whatever they think will be best for them. It requires some bridge skill but certainly not expert level.
I do the same as Jeremy, perhaps reserving "call me back if you think you've been damaged" to experts whose ability to discern damage is at least as good as my own. I would certainly coach novices into revealing how the infraction could have damaged them, and ask better players a few specific questions.
In my experience a lot of players (and some directors) are not very good at spotting the damage arising from UI in MI situations, and I think it's my job rather than the non-offenders' job to investigate that.