Where on the USCF site do I find the official rules for cell phone penalties?
As far as I can tell, it’s not in the “Rule Changes Since Edition 5” PDF. Nor is it in the rulebook.
Also, where and how do I find Tim Just’s TD Corner column?
Excuse me in advance if I’m missing something obvious. Point me in the right direction, and I swear on a stack of rulebooks I’ll bookmark it and never bug you again–at least not about these two topics. Thanks!
TD Corner is no longer published. With the death of the supplement the column also bit the dust. In the near future I plan to simply start a Blog or perhaps just post a “TD Corner” type of column here on the Forums.
The rules for cell phone penalties are still in the Rules Committee and will be presented to the Delegates for approval at their 2009 meeting. I seem to remember that the committee was given the task of coming up with something by the 2008 Dallas Delegates and told to report back at this year’s meeting.
Tim,
What are the current rules regarding cell phones? Are they allowed to be on vibrate, with no ringing? Does the player have the right to answer the call away from the board? Alone? With TD supervision? I’m not so clear on this rule, as I have never had to enforce it, I don’t think.
You say the delegates will vote on penalties, but what exactly are the prohibitions at this point?
Tim will correct me if I’m wrong, I’m sure.
There’s nothing in the current rules that would prevent a player from having his phone on vibrate and taking (or making) a call while away from the playing area. He doesn’t need permission or supervision for this. However, some tournaments (especially large prizefund events) have much tougher rules.
Personally, I don’t think we need any added rules for NORMAL events. I think the rules committee went WAY overboard in their initial proposed rule. Hopefully they will have made it a little more reasonable by the time the delegates meet.
Cell phone usage and penalties at tournaments are currently up to the TD/organizer. The most common penalty is -10 minutes or half the time on the offending players clock, whichever is less. Some TDs consider only ringing worth a penalty. Other TDs hand one out if a player is talking on a cell in the tournament room. Still others… So there is yet no USCF standard or direct prohibition. Right now cell phone ringing and cell phone usage is probably still best taken care of using “20G. Annoying behavior prohibited.” Organizers and TDs should make it clear what their policy regarding cell phone usage is for each tournament.
I am amazed at the number of people that put their cells on vibrate and then think nothing of answering the darn thing in the tournament room, disturbing others?! IMHO, the cell phone culture has led to a society that allows us to impose our private world on the rest of humanity (“hey, my phone call is important because…!!”) while simultaneously not wanting another’s private world imposed on us (“Hey, I’m trying to play chess here!!!”).
I think I can understand some of their sentiment from the Rules Committee meeting in Dallas '08. When my wife called me during the meeting, somebody there practically went ballistic.
Thanks for the speedy answer. Ah, that explains why I can’t find the rule. There isn’t a rule yet. What? I get to make my own rule? 
But seriously, we will likely follow the below and read it off at the start of round one.
We are dealing with a serial offender and a language barrier, so the pre-round-one warning will not work. After he annoyed an entire roomful of players with his incoming call jingle, I had him hand over his phone and I put it on vibrate FOR HIM. Sheesh.
Didn’t it used to be on the old site somewhere? Is the archive of old columns out there somewhere in cyberspace?
Perhaps the most extreme case of ‘inappropriate use of a cell phone’ I’ve heard of was told to me by an attorney friend, who was in court when someone’s cell phone went off–in the jury box.
The judge was not amused, and the defense moved for a mistrial, which was denied.
I have suggested SEVERAL TIMES that we still need a ‘TD’ area on the website, along with one devoted to ratings and probably a few other subject areas that never got included in the new website structure, which would include an appropriate place for Tim’s column to resume. (I miss reading it too.)
The old columns (at least back to 2003) are available as PDFs at:
archive.uschess.org/tds/tdcornerindex.php
Here’s the column from 2003 that dealt with cell phones:
archive.uschess.org/tds/tdcorner1003.html
One of the things I’m hoping to do the next time I’m at the office is help set up a staff meeting at which we look at the website and discuss:
A. What do we have on the website today?
B. What do we need on the website in the future?
C. How do we get from A to B?
Bookmarked. Thank you.
I completely agree here. A cell phone conversation is no different than any other conversation – it shouldn’t happen AT THE BOARD DURING PLAY. I see nothing wrong with whispered words FAR away from the boards at a giant event, but normally I would say calls can only be answered OUTSIDE.
The rules used at CCA tournaments are just fine, IMHO, for big money events. Smaller, less formal, events can be a little more relaxed. So why did the rules committee come up with a monstrosity of a rule that could lead to somebody being forfeited at a casual tournament just because he left his phone on vibrate and looked to see who was calling? If Bill Goichberg never felt the need for such a rule at the biggest money events that he runs, why impose such a rule on EVERYBODY???
It has been my observation that what works for one organizer does not always work for another. What works well in one region of the country does not always work in another. That is one reason the rules appear to be so long and complicated; i.e., all those variations that accommodate every taste.
I am only one member of the Rules Committee, and not the Chair. So, IMHO: No rule(s) have been imposed thus far. Only a draft copy that asked the Forum users for input has been floated in public. Perhaps the copy presented to the Delegates will have some variations to reflect your concerns. We will have to wait and see.
BTW, my being allowed to author the TD Corner has been one of the great joys of my involvement in chess administration. I miss it too.
The facts that I remember are:
• The Committee was authorized by the delegates to pass rules on this issue.
• David Kuhn’s posting the new rules regarding noise/cell phone usage that had been enacted by the Rules Committee last summer. An effective date of 1/1/09 was given.
• A lot of discussion ensued. I even gave a complete rewrite. David Kuhn said he would get back to us on some issues, and he saw merit in a lot of the suggestions.
• At no time have these rules been officially retracted.
As far as I can tell, they do have official status since no official retraction has been given (if that is even possible to make). However, I recommend not following these rules at this time since Mr. Kuhns never did get back to us, and the rules have not been published prominently. I think he meant a retraction (if nothing else, evidenced by subsequent silence) even if none was officially given. Mr. Just’s stance seems to corroborate this take.
In the TD Corner archive above, I believe Bill made a verbal typo, or someone else made a written typo when it reports the following:
Announce and post the fact that cell pones, pagers, and all other such devices will be turned off or set to make no noise (vibrate). The offending player will LOSE 10 minutes of his or her own time. Or, if they have less than 10 minutes left in the time control they will lose half of their own remaining time.
This is/was suppose to say …“or if they have less than 20 minutes in the time control…” It doesn’t make sense to have 9 minutes, your cell goes off and you have 4.5 minutes left versus having 11 minutes left, your cell goes off and all of a sudden you are down to 1 minute left!
I made the CCA signs for cellphones, at least the ones used in the east coast and by Steve and am pretty sure they say less than 20 minutes remaining as less than 10 minutes doesn’t make any sense…Tim addressed this in a followup message when he said -10 minutes or half your time, whatever is less…but the old TD corner still quotes Bill inaccurately which could be confusing
Mike
Not an idle question, this actually happened.
A player has his cell-phone set to vibrate, and places it on the table next to his scoresheet. He gets a text message, the phone vibrates, so of course now makes a loud buzzing sound because of the contact with the table.
Should the standard penalties apply?
Yes, as most TD would instruct them to turn it off, or in case of an emergency, let them no. I got a new phone, and never read the instruction, and my new car developed problems in San Antonio, so I paid the penalty. I was happy to.
While we are on the subject, my thinking is that the USCF rulebook should have a list of approved electronic devices (clocks, MonRoi, digital boards, etc.), and the rule should say simply “no unapproved electronic devices”. Period. Off or out. No vibrate, no nothing. Any question about standby modes, then the test is if the batteries are installed. If you want to allow a rulebook exemption for doctors or whatever, then allow them to designate a deputy to carry the device, similar to disabled players.
It’s exceptions to that setup that would need to be posted at the tournament. For example, MP3 players are out unless the TD posts an exception. I expect most clubs and small tournaments would allow a lot of exceptions.
I agree that players may not be cheating (much) now. But tech moves fast, far faster than the rulebook could ever keep up. Plus it is bad for the rules when they change constantly, for many reasons. I think my setup covers all the bases, including an emulation of the status quo, with the minimum of language and confusion. The only rulebook changes over time would be the list of approved devices. It leaves the TD still in charge while giving him the authority to penalize some questionable device that nobody has ever heard of.
There, I’ve said my piece. I expect a lot of negative comments. I’m going to try hard not to care. If I remain silent, please do not interpret that as agreement.
yes, a vibrating buzzing cellphone on the table would be distracting and deserving of the penalty. One in the pocket that vibrates silently and the person leaves the room without any distraction is something different. I find it very annoying to see someone do this and start the conversation before they are out of playing room. One local player who was spectating had his cellphone go off and he was ejected. Now he shows me his cellphone when he arrives…
After winning 100 million in the lotto and building my 7 figure state of the art chess center, it would have European cell-phone blocking technology and a large sign "Cellphones do not work here, enter at your own risk." Yes, I know I'd be at war with the FCC but something good might come of it... last week on I-395 going into D.C, a woman sped by me going about 90. She was talking on the cellphone with one hand and doing her makeup in the mirror with the other. Don't ask how she was driving....Mike