Normal is getting dressed in clothes you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car you are still paying for, in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes, the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.

Ellen Goodman

(Conduct and Ethics, Continued from page 213)

The director will approach your table and attempt to right whatever wrong has occurred. Situations that demand such a summons include clear improprieties such as opening leads out of turn, revokes, and hands with too few or too many cards in them. Other stickier situations include hesitations during the bidding, improper explanations of calls during the auction, or simply rudeness by one or another of the participants at the table.

Whatever the situation, the director is a friend to all four people, and will attempt in a courteous, business-like manner to clear up the problem to everyone's liking. It is important to remember that when someone calls the director at your table, he is not accusing you of anything. He is simply trying to protect himself, or to right a wrong or to simply restore equity to a difficult problem.

Directors are paid for their services whether we use them or not. Therefore, it is best to take advantage of their presence and use them when they are needed. Directors will give all the table members a chance to talk. You and your partner and your opponents should be certain to allow the director to do just that. There should be no cross-talk amongst the four of you. The director will ask you each to speak in turn starting with the one who actually called him to the table.

After everyone at the table has spoken, the director will determine the proper course of action. If it is necessary, he will make a ruling. Whatever he rules, it is the law. All four table participants are bound by his decision. If you feel the director has ruled improperly for the situation at hand, you are entitled to appeal the ruling to a committee.

You may not appeal a "matter of law" (e.g. the penalty for a revoke). You may only appeal matters of judgement or factual disputes.

A committee is generally held after the session and until such time as the committee is held, the director's ruling will stand. A committee is made up of bridge players (usually three or five), some with extensive table experience, and often some who are at your level. One of the committee members will chair the proceedings. These players will review the problem and the director's decision. They will ask questions of you and your partner as well as of your opponents and the director. It is their job to determine the facts and come up with a fair and equitable settlement of the actions. Committees are, for all intents and purposes, the final word on the subject. Committee members, generally speaking, are volunteers. They are people like you and me who are interested in promoting values of fair play in competition. They are donating their time to see that bridge decisions are decided properly within the framework of the ACBL guidelines.

The people are not perfect, but they never make a bad decision on purpose. They take the time to deliberate the facts and they try to come up with Solomon-like decisions. Some decisions will go your way and some will go the way of your opponents. Please try your best not to take their actions personally. The people involved are selected for their fairness and ability. Always remember that.

If you have any questions on conduct or ethics, address them to me, Suzi Subeck, at stansubeck@prodigy.net and I will see that they are included in either  print editions, on-line editions, or I will at least email you back individually.