ASPA RULES OFFICERS

We do have so called “Rules Officers”, who keep on dragging their feet towards rules reform. I suggested, in 2008 on this blog, the adoption of WESPA’s rule 3.9.2(c), commonly known as the ”open hand rule”. It was adopted by ASPA as rule 5.2 many years later in 2013. Inforcing the rule is almost totally neglected by tournament directors.

I have been asking for a further adoption of WESPA’s sensible rule no. 3.9.1, to replace ASPA’s ridiculous rule 5.1, which decides on the height of the bag when drawing tiles.  I asked on this blog, which is read by many ASPA players. I asked for the change on “Across the Board”, only to get an irrelevant response by another reader. I emailed my suggestion to about all of ASPA rules officers and had no response.

I never formally asked for any drastic reforms such as performing the calculation of scores outside play time. Such radical suggestion, regardless of its obvious merits, would raise all sorts of pedantic objections.

The role of rules officers in this organisation still baffles me. Is it just an honorary job on one of ASPA’s lists of dysfunctional officers?