Rulings - Introduction

Claims for no-contact, no-show, and other disputes are going to arise. As a dTD, your most challenging task is to resolve them. You will attempt to resolve them by referring to the Statutes and Handbooks and by discussion with the captains. If you've heard from only one captain, ask the other captain to comment on the matter. Remain as neutral, calm, and positive as possible.

You need to be very familiar with the Rules and the Handbooks. You will find yourself referring to the Rules often, so you might find it useful to have a printed copy handy.

When you find you have to make a ruling, make a judgment based on the Statutes, the Handbooks, and any advice offered by the Chied TD. Post your decision in the Game Forum: Summarize the pertinent facts as they have been presented to you; Cite the applicable Statute; and State your ruling. Inform the Chief TD, and refer the section, names of the teams and the players.

Examples of dTD Game Forum posts :

Two days have passed without any communication on this game. Just a friendly reminder that the contact deadline is tomorrow (Friday) at 10 pm FICS time.

It is now Player X's turn to respond, either accepting one of the offered times, or suggesting at least 3 alternatives.

Player X, are any of the remaining offers acceptable?

All TeamLeague scheduling is to be done using this forum, not server tells.

To minimize this confusion, please speak in terms of server times only.

Please stick to the facts in these Game Forum posts.

This game is ruled a forfeit win in favor of black, (no-show by white). - : +

This game is ruled a set game in favor of black. (lesser blame in scheduling) o : i

Does either captain have any further information or comments on this matter?

Does anyone know of any reason an action should not be recommended for apparent violation of players behavious code?

Avoid Posts With

Avoid disclosing personal information about players. For example, if you discover that a player is a child, or discover a player's name or gender, or other personal info, do not spread that knowledge. Better to refer to players using their handles.

Avoid behavior issues not already known to all those with access to that forum, or that might be further inflamed by your post. Ask the Conference Director how to communicate on these issues.

Avoid mentioning previous penalties. Treat these as confidential. It's up to the Chief TD, not the dTD or SecTD, to point out that a second forfeit for "player x" would result in a suspension.

Avoid long, grammatically complex sentences, college level vocabulary, or idioms that might not be widely known across age groups and cultures. Keep it simple Many of our players are very young, or have very limited English ability.

Avoid salutations to a group that assumes they are all male (e.g. "Gentlemen"). Contrary to common assumption, there are female chess players. Consider alternatives such as, "Leaguers".