VCC Rights/Responsibilities/Examples

All players, regardless of level or experience, have rights at the bridge table. They include:

To call the director when any question comes up, even if the opponents discourage you from doing so.
To express politely to both opponents and partners when a particular behavior is offensive to you or makes you uncomfortable.
To follow-up with C&E on any behavior issues at the bridge table, adhering to established C&E guidelines.
To decline to participate in any post hand discussion of bidding methods or play.

All players, regardless of level or experience, have responsibilities at the bridge table. They include:

To call the Game Director when any question comes up.
To respect the judgment of the Game Director, deferring any discussion/comments regarding a director decision to where they can be held privately.
To obtain the Game Director’s permission before making any general announcements at a game, and to abide by the director’s decision regarding the making of an announcement.
To understand the difference between intimidation and competitive play, and to behave accordingly.
To develop a sense of which players are receptive to spirited competition methods and which are not, and to behave accordingly.
To encourage one’s partners/team members to behave according to the zero tolerance guidelines, should a volatile moment occur during play.

Examples of commendable behavior are:

Being a good 'host' or 'guest' at the table.
Greeting others in a friendly manner.
Praising the bidding and/or play of the opponents and partner.
Demonstrating patience/encouragement when playing with/against lower level players.
Having two clearly completed convention cards readily available to the opponents.

Examples of behavior that will not be tolerated are:

Badgering, rudeness, insinuations, intimidation, profanity, threats or violence.
Making harsh or repeatedly negative comments concerning opponents' or partner's play or bidding.
Providing unsolicited lessons and analyses at the table.
Repeated or severe “nitpicking” of rules and/or convention card understandings, especially when playing with/against lower level players in a regular club game.
Public arguing/disagreeing with the director.
Making general announcements without the director’s permission.

November 2007