Suggested Club-level appeal protocol

[VixTD]

A typical evening game at my local club (easily the largest and busiest in the county) doesn't resemble those described so far. We might have five, six or seven tables of largely mediocre players and an unqualified volunteer TD who would very quickly find themselves out of their depth if anything like an appeal were to come up.

 

About two years ago we had our first appeal for a long time. (I wasn't present on the night, but I had to pick up the pieces afterwards.) Luckily we had two players of national standard present who were familiar with the appeals process and not involved in the dispute. They roped in a third experienced player and conducted the appeal.

 

When the outcome didn't favour the appellant the club committee received a letter detailing how the appeal was flawed because two members of the committee were regular teammates of the defendants, the director had spoken harshly to someone or other, and half-a-dozen other reasons, and demanding it be reheard.

 

After an investigation the committee concluded that the appeal might not have been ideal, but had been conducted properly and was valid, so its decision would stand. But we also decided that if an appeal was going to cause this much aggro when conditions were so favourable (a reasonable TD, sufficient players of experience present, etc.) we would no longer convene a committee from among players on the night. Our new procedures are:

 

• 
   
  
• The player informs the TD of their wish to appeal.
  
• The TD completes an appeal form with comments from the players and a £5 deposit* from the appellant.
  
• The form is passed on to me to ensure it is properly completed.
  
• I forward the form to our county referee (or another of the EBU panel referees if they're unavailable) for consideration.
  

Any member of the club committee (there's usually one present) is asked to check that this has been followed, lend a sympathetic ear and offer reassurance to any aggrieved party that the case will be considered etc.

*Deposits are normally £20 or £30, but the EBU Laws and Ethics Committee considered a token amount more appropriate for club games.

 

I expect it will be several years before this gets used, but at least we have a procedure.

[gordontd]

*Deposits are normally £20 or £30, but the EBU Laws and Ethics Committee considered a token amount more appropriate for club games.

The trouble with larger amounts for club appeals is that then ACs are very unlikely to keep the deposit, even when they should.

[nige1]

In the OP case, if a player at the ruling-table is TD, he should delegate his authority to somebody else and recuse himself from further involvement in this case -- including consultation and the handling appeals. If nobody present is qualified and unbiased, then he should phone somebody, as VixTD suggests. That justice be seen to be done is important e.g. At Reading Bridge Club, against all advice, a TD gave a ruling at his wife's table -- with a predicable result.

[Oof Arted]

In the OP case, if a player at the ruling-table is TD, he should delegate his authority to somebody else and recuse himself from further involvement in this case -- including consultation and the handling appeals. If nobody present is qualified and unbiased, then he should phone somebody, as VixTD suggests. That justice be seen to be done is important e.g. At Reading Bridge Club, against all advice, a TD gave a ruling at his wife's table -- with a predicable result.

 

 

Serves him jolly well right :D

[Vampyr]

At Reading Bridge Club, against all advice, a TD gave a ruling at his wife's table -- with a predicable result.

 

If you can't give rulings at the tables of spouses, friends, partners, teammates, illicit lovers etc then you can't serve as TD at your local bridge club.

[RMB1]

If you can't give rulings at the tables of spouses, friends, partners, teammates, illicit lovers etc then you can't serve as TD at your local bridge club.

+1

 

Even at a national level in the EBU, there is no absolute prohibition; the only restriction is this.

The L&EC considered a hand where a TD had gone to a table to give a ruling where a blood relative was involved. It was understood there were times when this could not be avoided (e.g. the TD was the only one present). A different TD should attend the table whenever it is practicable to do so.

 

I have been a member of four different county associations, with friends in each. If I could not rule at tables involving those counties it would tough for me to TD at any of the county representative national events.

[Trinidad]

The trouble with larger amounts for club appeals is that then ACs are very unlikely to keep the deposit, even when they should.

At the club, we don't take a deposit for an appeal. We do keep records of the appeals and do give appeal without merit warnings. If the AC would get the impression that a player is making too many frivolous appeals he will be warned that the next AWM will lead to a suspensions of his right to appeal. This hasn't happened yet.

 

As an aside, we did have a situation where we forbid a player to even call the TD (or appeal). The reason was that this player was going through a rough time with mental and social problems, and that he wouldn't be able to behave himself in the discussions with the TD or the opponents. So, he was allowed to ask his partner to call the TD, explaining to him why he thought that was necessary. Partner would decide whether the TD should be called (to the best of my knowledge he always did) and the troubled player would keep his mouth shut or simply leave the table.

 

This was important since the player could continue playing bridge at our club. Bridge played an important role in his life (and still does) and probably helped him to overcome his difficulties. If we wouldn't have taken this measure we would have had to suspend him alltogether and that would not have helped him.

 

Rik

[mycroft]

I thought the deposit for any appeal, club or otherwise, in England was "cost of one pint for each member of the AC" and if the deposit was kept, well...

[RMB1]

I thought the deposit for any appeal, club or otherwise, in England was "cost of one pint for each member of the AC" and if the deposit was kept, well...

 

In the past, this was what it cost the DIC to get a committee together.

 

These days, retained deposits have an account code at the EBU and the whole thing is on an entirely different footing ...

[lamford]

At Reading Bridge Club, against all advice, a TD gave a ruling at his wife's table -- with a predicable result.

The context of that sentence suggests you meant "predictable", unless you were deliberately employing a Malapropism for humorous effect.