A no brainer. A “USCF certified TD” is not subject to any oversight by USCF when directing a non-USCF event. I direct non-USCF events all the time - and occasionally, and for good reasons, make rulings that would never pass muster by the TDCC, or the Rules Committee. Sometimes, that’s the whole point of not sanctioning the event through USCF.
In fact, I don’t even bring a USCF rule book to non-USCF events. What would be the point? Those rules simply do not apply. Ratings are the least of your worries when you play in a non-USCF event.
Note that it’s possible for an event to be USCF-sanctioned, but not USCF-rated. In those events, my comments above do not apply.
If Tim Just makes a bad call in a baseball game, can the opposing team file a complaint with USCF?
On the subject of having more TDs (and not losing those who are certified): TDs are chess players before they are TDs.
It can be difficult to convince chess players to give up a day playing chess at a tournament so they can learn to be a director. Yes, I know: you can play and direct at the same tournament; however, you cannot play, direct and learn to be a good TD at the same tournament. I’ve learned the most while working with and observing more experienced TDs at larger tournaments.
I learned how to back-room direct from a USCF Senior TD…at large unrated scholastic tournaments. Everyone’s path is different, and all kinds of places can be good training grounds.
I’ve found that the tournaments in which I can play and direct, I have never had to make rulings. That being the adult crowd in this area knows each other and the rules well enough that we TD’s here have it easy. (That and the fact there are a handful of club TDs at any given tournament).
The only tournaments where I have had to make rulings or adjudications on games have been scholastics.
(I haven’t figured out how to play and direct in one of those yet) :mrgreen:
I think every chess player should spend a day following a TD around to see what it’s like. That way they would have a greater appreciation of the difficulty and complexity of tournament directing. I have often joked around with other TDs about requiring players to take a test to become a certified tournament player. I’m not talking about having this discussion at scholastic events. I had this discussion with a few directors at the World Open a number of years ago. I’m amazed at what players don’t know about the rules.
Seasoned chess “pros” too. Just this past weekend a female titled player was amazed when we ruled on a valid 3-time repetition claim. She thought that moving her queen to different squares in between the repeated position that lead to the claim would avoid the draw. I also had the same thing a couple of years ago in Vegas with a GM who again couldn’t believe it was a draw - I was in fact the 2nd TD he appealed the decision to (chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1199861511.shtml).
Sometimes I think titled players know less about the rules then us ordinary folk. I recall dealing witha dispute in the National High School Championship where a player made a move, took his hand off the piece, picked it up and moved it somewhere else. The opponent complained. When I asked the player if he had done what his opponent claimed, he said yes. I told him he had to play the original move. Easy decision.
Later on I have an irate coach yelling at me, that I made the wrong decision. The coach claimed that the player hadn’t completed the move because he had not pressed the clock so he could move the piece anywhere he wanted. This was before the words determined and completed had been added to the rules. I explained the rule, and he seemed satisfied with my answer. I was thinking to myself that the coach must be a random teacher who is the chess club adviser and doesn’t know tournament rules. It turned out the coach was an 1800+ player playing in the class tournament being held at the same time.
It’s not just chess players that don’t understand rules, it’s everybody. I’m constantly amazed at football players that don’t understand the calls – they’re paid millions and they don’t even understand the rules. Or the professional golfers that have to ask for help – or worse, think they understand the rules and make a mistake (they get forfeited if they turn in a signed score card with a mistake on it – a mistake could cost them BIG money).
And it’s not just athletes. I’ve run across teachers that don’t understand math or science (but “teach” it). And don’t even get me started about drivers that don’t understand the simplest rules of the road.
I think the professional golfers understand the rules pretty well. It’s just that, with so much at stake, they chose to let an official make the call, rather than risk an error themselves. And if the ruling is wrong, it’s the official’s fault, not the player’s fault. That’s a calculated manuever.
My sixth grade teacher tried to tell us that 0.33 was less than 0.3 because hundredths are smaller than tenths. Nobody in the class believed me, everybody seemed to take her side. Eventually the second-smartest kid in the class joined my side, and we eventually convinced the teacher.
My fourth (or fifth) grade teacher was introducing the class to division and stated that the number 3 could not be divided by the number 2. Apparently I looked at her like she was insane because when she saw me staring at her she paused and said “…evenly”.
