Director, please

I am a local club director, and I admit that I sometimes bend the rules, partly because I know the players so well. I don't always enforce all the technicalities related to announcements and alerts if I think the "injured" pair should have known what a bid meant and/or protected themselves. I occasionally let a case of unauthorized information go by if novices are involved (although I try to counsel them later). To encourage claiming and speed up the play, I tend to resolve disputes in favor of the claimer, no matter what his skill level.

Is it permissible for me to make these judgments? If so, how should I handle situations where a more experienced pair insists that I follow the letter of the law? If I've made what I consider a "legal" ruling and they want to appeal, how should this be handled at a local club (where it's very difficult to find a knowledgeable, unbiased committee)?

Thanks for your answer.

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While we try to be gentle with inexperienced players, remember this: If a pair gets a bad score because of something illegal the opponents have done, it is just not fair at all for the Director to refuse to give them an adjustment that they deserve. I am afraid that American club Directors especially do this because of fear that they will upset the players who did something wrong and they will not come again. But they forget they are upsetting the other pair, who did nothing wrong, and know they have got a bad board unfairly. If you keep ruling against them, then they will not come again either! [To be fair, French Directors are much worse than American Directors at not giving adjustments! ]

Penalties are different. If an inexperienced pair does something wrong and it does not hurt anyone, do not penalize; just explain to them. This is except for revoke penalties, which are automatic and you must give. But you must make sure players get announcing and alerting right, for example, so explain each time and tell them you will not penalize them this time, but maybe next. Remember, inexperienced players become experienced. The worst ones are those who think the rules do not apply. They make everyone suffer. They learnt this way because of Directors who do not apply the rules.

But if an inexperienced pair misleads its opponents and misexplains, or does not alert, and they go wrong, why do you assume they should have known? Alerting is easy for inexperienced pairs because they do not play many things, and they must learn to alert the things they do play. If I was playing against a pair and the bidding went 1S by LHO, 3D by RHO, no alert, I would assume it was natural and pass. Why should I assume they are playing Bergen if they do not alert? If they are good enough to play Bergen, they are good enough to alert it. As for announcements, they rarely matter unless they are wrong: when someone opens 1NT, if his partner does not announce, everyone glares at him until he does! :)

As for claims, real novices never claim anyway. Just treat all claims fairly: if they are wrong, rule against them. But be careful. If a claim is correct really, just has been badly worded, then you allow it. But if it is declarer and he has forgotten an outstanding trump, the most common reason for bad claims, rule against him and do not worry.

If you do not rule against such people when they go wrong, they will get it wrong for the next 20 years, and I am afraid it will be your fault. If you do this, you are causing no end of trouble for yourself in the future, for this pair when they play in tournaments, and for their opponents whom you have mistreated.

As for appeals, if you are ruling wrong, I am not surprised that they wish to appeal. Just form an appeals committee from the better players, and do not worry about them being unbiased. But if you start ruling better and fairer, it will do good in the long run and you will not get appealed.

To sum up, rule fairly and accurately: never rule unfairly. But penalties, except revoke penalties, are a matter of judgment, so now you can be gentle with inexperienced players, but issue procedural penalties more freely to experienced players.