Software & hardware

Bridge Scoring Software

Table Tops

Templates & movements

Compscore

Running Teams Events in Club Sessions

Personal Scorers

Templates can be found on the ABF Website

Table Numbers

This table number with duplicate scorer template was provided by the Port Stephens Bridge Club.

Table Number and Duplicate Scorer

Behaviour guidelines

Many clubs will have had the unpleasant experience of disruptive players ruining other members’ enjoyment.

A two part approach to dealing with bad behaviour is recommended:

  1. Promote fair play and being a good sport. Prevention is better than cure!
  2. Set up complaint handling and disciplinary procedures for dealing with bad behaviour. People may need training so that roles and procedures are understood.

1. Promotion of fair play

Promotion activities can include:

  • communicating simple fair play messages via banners, posters, stickers, messages on web-sites
  • distributing education brochures about fair play
  • instituting a good sports award to present from time to time.

Clubs may decide to adopt a code of conduct. A simple version of a code of conduct is below. Clubs can:

  • attach the relevant code of conduct to membership/registration forms and make it a condition of membership
  • write an article in a newsletter about appropriate behaviour, focusing attention on the code of conduct
  • attach the code of conduct to the club’s notice board
  • include the code of conduct or education brochures on the club’s website

2. Complaint handling and disciplinary procedures

There are several steps in resolving complaints. Taken together, they can be considered a step-by-step guide for managing complaints about bad behaviour.

The first step is often complaint self-management where the person with the complaint tries to resolve the problem directly by talking with the other person involved. Self management of complaints can quickly resolve many lower level and ‘accidental’ issues.

If this does not work, informal or formal procedures are necessary.

All unresolved complaints about bad behaviour should be reported to a Director, the club Recorder (if the club has one) or a club administrator. It is best if the report is a written report and lists the name of the complainer and full details of the behaviour. Without full details it is difficult to ensure procedural fairness for all parties. Disciplinary action may initially involve a simple gentle warning, but it could also include suspension, expulsion or require the person to participate in a counselling session.

Informal Procedures

The emphasis here is on resolution, not substantiation. Informal procedures are appropriate when:

  • allegations are less serious or allegations are admitted
  • complainant prefers an informal option
  • behaviour has been observed rather than formally reported.

Informal procedures are based on observation, counselling, mediation and education.

Formal procedures

The club’s constitution and/or by-laws should contain a formal procedure for the discipline of members who breach codes of conduct. Once the club has adopted rules about disciplinary procedures it is entitled to apply and enforce these rules.

If your club does not have disciplinary procedures contained in its rules, it’s advisable you seek legal advice about serious complaints. In addition you are welcome to ask Bridge NSW for advice.

From complaint to outcome, a formal process usually follows this path:

  • A formal complaint – usually in writing.
  • An investigation to determine substance i.e. the facts followed by a finding or a report with recommendations to the club’s management.
  • Sometimes conciliation/mediation.
  • An appropriate outcome. The outcome may involve counselling or education or more formal sanctions but must be in line with the club’s constitution. A formal procedure must also include an appeals process to ensure procedural fairness.

Training and Further Information

Training in handling complaints may be useful for clubs, directors and administrators. The Australian Sports Commission has a comprehensive free Complaints Handling on-line training course.

 Australian Sports Commission – Play by the Rules

Appendix: Example Code of Conduct for Players

XXX Club Code of Conduct

  • I will be polite and courteous at all times
  • I will respect other people’s rights to have different opinions or ways of thinking
  • I will conduct my game in a proper, mature and inoffensive manner
  • I will assist new members and guests and try to show patience and understanding.
  • I will at all times abide by the Ethics Code and rules of my Bridge Club, Bridge NSW and the ABF.

Psyche kit

What is the problem with psyches?

Why do players become upset when their opponents psych against them?

Even though genuine psyches are legal, and indeed sometimes backfire on the psycher, players who are the victims of a successful psyche often are upset by what they sometimes view as an unfair tactic. It doesn’t help the situation when the psycher chooses this time to gloat. Problems may arise where:

  • Inexperienced players may be confused and discouraged by tactics they don’t understand.
  • Repeated psyches may establish undisclosed partnership understandings, and ultimately lead to unethical non-disclosure. (Bluntly, cheating.)
  • Also, once a psyching pattern becomes an understanding, it is subject to systems and alerting regulations e.g. a practice of light openings in third seat non-vulnerable. Players need to make sure they follow the system regulations and alert/disclose everything they should.

What is a psych?

The Laws of Duplicate Bridge define a psychic call as “A deliberate and gross misstatement of honour strength or suit length.” The key word is “gross.”

If you forget the meaning of a call or make a call with 12 points when your partnership agreement calls for a maximum of 11, it is not a psych. If you are playing five-card majors and open the bidding with one spade on a four-card holding, it is not a psych. Laws of bridge specifically allow psyches.

Law 40 says:

C. Deviation from System and Psychic Action

1. A player may deviate from his side’s announced understandings always provided that his partner has no more reason to be aware of the deviation than have the opponents. Repeated deviations lead to implicit understandings which then form part of the partnership’s methods and must be disclosed in accordance with the regulations governing disclosure of system. If the Director judges there is undisclosed knowledge that has damaged the opponents he shall adjust the score and may award a procedural penalty.

2. Other than the above no player has any obligation to disclose to opponents that he has deviated from his announced methods.

What can clubs do about psyching problems?

Clubs may wish to provide mechanisms and support to ensure people who psyche do so within the rules and obligations of sportsmanship.

If psyching is a problem clubs may wish to provide:

  • education for players
  • a mechanism for the recording of psyches to establish a pattern of behaviour so that further action against offenders can be taken
  • counselling and other disciplinary measures for players who offend.

Education

Players need to be informed early in their bridge careers about the legal and social dangers of psyching. These warnings should be repeated from time to time. The best vehicles for this are bridge bulletins, regional newsletters and directors.

Suggested reporting requirements

For any action for psyching to be taken against any player it is important to establish a pattern of bad behaviour.

This may be done by means of a Psych Register. In general this would be held by the club manager or director.

In best practice, all psychs should be reported twice – once by the psycher and once by the side psyched against. Penalties should be assessed if the psycher fails to report a psych.

Policing can be organised through tournament organisers and club directors. Invite people psyched against (not the psycher) to report and ask psychers to respond.

In practice directors etc may receive reports from victims of psyches and ask the psycher to fill in psyche report.

Sometimes it is clear that the partner of the psycher has bid in such a way as to allow for the possibility that partner has psyched – no other interpretation of the call seems to make much sense. Bidding to cover the possibility that your partner psyched indicates at least an implied understanding which is clearly in violation of the Laws. The director should make an adjustment to repair the damage, possibly give a procedural penalty, and deliver a stern warning to the offenders.

Counselling and other disciplinary actions

If it appears that a pattern of bad behaviour has been established, the club’s managers or committees may need to raise the problem formally or informally with the offender. Before any formal action is taken it is vital that the pattern of behaviour is established so as to afford the psycher procedural fairness.

The club should then undertake counselling, and further action if this is not successful. Any formal action must be undertaken according to the club’s own constitution, procedures and rules.