Discipline

[Chris]

I live in a country area where the local bridge clubs are many klms apart - last year we formed a Directors' Group which meets every 3 months to provide self-education and peer support.

I had a phone call tonight from one member of the group who today made an incorrect decision at the table. Her decision was greeted with a temper tantrum from the player concerned - throwing of cards onto the table - and the player standing up in an aggressive manner which made Robyn feel physically threatened.

Robyn has agreed her decision was wrong - it wasn't earth shattering and a correction could have been made to the score later. (it was a simple revoke, trick not won by revoker, but a later trick taken = 1 penalty, but Robyn said no penalty). They do have an appeals process at the club in question.

My opinion is that this behaviour required immediate action - perhaps suggesting that the player leave the room until the end of the round, or end of the following round until she had cooled off. Would this be appropriate?

Robyn (the director) is currently writing a report to the committee of the player's home club but I am not sure whether expecting them to take action is the correct way to go.

Your opinion pls.

[Wingman]

The following ACBL procedures might be helpful-
go to- [url="http://http://www.acbl.org/play/zerotolerance.html"]

[Ed Reppert]

I don't recommend zero tolerance policies - they can be abused, and the laws already have procedures that can and should be used in these cases. As a guideline, the remedies mentioned in the ACBL's ZT policy may be helpful, but I think it's dangerous to make such things mandatory.

That said, I agree that immediate action was appropriate. An immediate "go outside and cool off" would probably work. "Sit down and be quiet!" might work too. If it didn't, a DP, and if necessary ejection from the event. If the player doesn't comply immediately with the TD's instructions, a DP or suspension for some period (I'd say 30 days for starters). The latter might require confirmation by club management.

I would not expect the person's home club to take any direct action, that's up to them. I would make it clear to this person that if he (she, I guess) comes back to my club, any behavior similar to what has happened, whatever the provocation, would result in an invitation to leave and never come back. If the TD doesn't own the club, that notice should probably come from club management.

[Nick Whitten]

I think just a DP for an apparent “first offence” will suffice. Include a warning that a recurrence may result in more serious action (such as suspension). Read out Laws 91A and 74B5. And make sure the impact of the DP is greater than that of the incorrect ruling

[Ed Reppert]

The incorrect ruling should be corrected, but that's separate from the disciplinary question. Law 82C (Director's Error) applies to the incorrect ruling.

[bluejak]

I would expect the club concerned to take action because the game needs TDs, and TDs who feel threatened will soon become ex-TDs. But disciplinary action at the time is considered best. Several problems that have reached the EBU's Laws & Ethics Committee would have been much better dealt with at the time in that Committee's opinion.

If the player was not at his home club - that is unclear to me - no, I would not expect his home club to do anything. But th club he was visiting can do something.