ALTRINCHAM BRIDGE CLUB
GUIDELINES FOR
DIRECTORS
April
2006
Altrincham
Bridge Club recognises and appreciates the sterling service provided by those of
its members who act as Directors.
The role of a Club Director is to make the session as pleasant as
possible for all the players. Any
member who acts as a Director is also an ambassador for our Club and the
committee would be grateful if they would act on the guidelines below.
It
is not essential for the Director to do the scoring, but he/she is responsible
for obtaining the services of a scorer & passing on to him/her the
travellers, the seating plan and the movement used.
The
procedure will vary slightly if “Bridgemate
“ scoring is in use –
there will be no travellers and probably no seating plan sheet.
There
will be differences on a Tuesday evening and you will be made aware of these.
HOUSEKEEPING PROCEDURE FOR THE DIRECTOR.
a) Arrive
early & check the availability of : boards / travelling score
sheets / seating plan sheet / bidding boxes / Howell cards / Law book.
b) Decide
on the final seating of players, the numbering of the tables and the movement
to be used.
c) Hand
out the boards and travellers and start passing round the seating plan sheet.
d) Welcome
all players, give out any announcements and make known the movement & the
number of boards to be played ( do not have a 4 board
sit-out). Request all players to
start play.
Allow
13 mins, 20 mins and 25
minutes for a 2 board, 3 board and 4 board round.
e) Request
all players to
“move please “. The appropriate time for doing
this is when the majority have finished the round and this is also an effective
way of getting the rest to speed up.
f) The
Director must be aware of the procedure for awarding an average minus for slow play - see below.
g) If
there is a relay, it is wise to check on the first move that the relay boards
have been moved correctly.
h) Announce
the last round and bear in mind that it is a Club rule that all play should
finish not later than 10.45pm.
Check that the seating plan has been completed.
i) At the end of
play, collect all the travellers and all the boards. On a Thursday, ensure that
all the loose table top equipment is put away. Pass the travellers & the seating
plan to the scorer.
WHEN YOU ARE CALLED TO
A TABLE.
a) Take
the Law book with you.
b) Approach
the table in a friendly manner and say “how may I help you ?
c) Listen
to the player who called you & do not allow any other player to speak until
he/she has
finished. Then do the same with the
other three players.
d) Never
allow yourself to be brought into an argument . NO debates ever!!
e) Make
your ruling known and do not alter it or attempt to support it. Inform a pair that they may
appeal if they wish & inform them of our Club procedure (see below).
) Sometimes
(eg. an established revoke) you will need to return
to the table for a final ruling, when the hand has been played out.
g) At
our Club, please call on the services of a more experienced Director, when you
think this will help, before giving a ruling.
h) Never
Direct & give a ruling at your own table. Call on a Director playing at another
table.
Should there be an appeal against your ruling, then
this will be decided at the end of the evening by another Director. At least one member of the pair making
the appeal must remain to present his/her case to the Director, or the appeal
becomes invalid. The decision of
the second Director is final.
If you are Directing on the understanding that you
will rule on only a few simple situations, then please call on the services of a more experienced
Director, as in point g) above.
THE NEED TO AWARD AN AVERAGE
MINUS FOR SLOW PLAY.
a) Never
give an average minus for slow play to a pair unless they have been warned for
slow play at a previous table.
b) Before
you give a first warning, you must be aware that the “slow” pair have had the full time
allocation. This means that you
must be certain that they have not been held up by a previous pair &
started the round
“late”.
Nothing infuriates a pair more than being held up & then being
called for slow play!
c) When
you think it appropriate, approach a table and say: “I am sorry, but the play at this
table is too slow. If I have to come to you again, I may very well give you an
average minus”
After
you have done this, you must allow the two offending pairs the full time
to complete the next round from when they start the round. The time wasted here (a few
minutes) has to be accepted by all players.
d) If
you have warned a pair & later decide that they are too slow on another
board, then go up to the table & give that pair an average minus.
Peter
Dawson.