As it stands right now, here’s the rule for what happens to a disqualified player’s position:
“If a player does get disqualified from a game, their position in the game is considered open. Any interference caused by player error (for example, tilt throughs or accidentally playing out of turn) in that position will have no additional consequences to the offending player. Any activity played in that open position will be considered void.”
This implies that the open position is just that- open. There is no playing out of turn, there are really no rules for the open ball. Any activity played is void. Assuming the TD isn’t there to manage the open ball, or even if they are and someone else steps up first, whoever starts the ball can practice skill shots, right?
Why stop there though? If all activity played in that open position is considered void, why couldn’t a player keep playing it just for practice or to release locks or build a carryover jackpot or… really anything?
It seems to me that without guidance on what should be done to end this open ball, another player would be technically in the right to step up to an open ball and play the whole thing without repercussion as long as they didn’t violate any other player conduct rules. At best this might fall into some kind of unsporting conduct gray area. Am I missing something here?
I think the ruling on this should coincide with how illegal practice is defined. Extracurriculars like the pregame tilt are already included in the practice rule, and this should fall under that jurisdiction.
The “Practice Rule” is part of the SCS/PAPA Championship rules, I believe? That’s not in the standard IFPA tournament and league rules document.
Regardless - the DQ rule is explicit and explicitly overrides other rules:
Any interference caused by player error … will have no additional consequences to the offending player. Any activity played … will be considered void."
Player Error is defined in the same document as:
“A player error is any player action, purposeful or accidental, which affects the normal play or outcome of a game in progress.”
This makes it explicitly OK for a player to intentionally take over an open ball. Or - crazier - for the DQed player to intentionally give their ball to another player to practice with… right?
I would say no because any person that plays that dead players turn is violating the player error rule you just defined. I would think their actions are affecting the outcome of the game.
It appears to me that you’re correct, as the rule is written. I’m sure this wasn’t the intent, but the letter of the rule explicitly renders player error irrelevant with respect to the DQ’d person’s ball, meaning that there would be no rule to enforce against someone who decided to play the DQ’d player’s ball.
Hah- yeah. The universal “Don’t be shitty” rule absolutely applies.
Thing is, some people are shitty. When the rules imply being shitty not only isn’t a problem but say that there cannot be any consequences, that’s where people do shitty things.
@jrb is right though, and I like the TD approach of calling delay if needed under the current rules. Intentional Delay falls under player conduct rules and not player error, so it’s not quite as explicitly covered by the open ball rule as written. One could argue that playing such a ball is making progress of some kind so it’s not a delay, but that’s not going to fly.