jillybean, on 2023-June-01, 15:08, said:
Ok, I'm at another game , I'm playing, not directing.
We had 6 tables set up, one pair is a no show one pair is late.
Movement was changed to 5.5 tables with a phantom. Table 6
Round 2 table 1 BM says sit out
I am asked if I can help, phantom is set as EW but EW are moving, NS is phantom
We are into round 3, is there anything we can do to rescue the game?
I have suggest we use travellers when the BM says sit out and see if we can switch it together later
My sympathy goes to the director. As a friend once said “directing is like herding cats”.
My thoughts are that where possible I always get the scorer to do a screen print of the movement so that I have something to refer to, just in case!
I don’t know the precise movement being used but I will assume a 6 table Mitchell with pair 12 the phantom pair.
If pair 6 in round 1 put their numbers/names in on table 6 BM then their names will be allocated to the North South Pair (6). There should be no option to enter the East West Pair details. So for the rest of the movement they are still pair 6 as far as the scoring program and the Bridgemates are concerned. After the end of Round 2 gently guide them back to North South according to the places they have been allocated at table 6.
Next ask Pair 1 on Table 1 why they didn’t call the director when they were unable to enter the result for the first board (Board 5) or even Board 6 or Board 7 or Board 8. After the game I would suggest to Pair 1 & Pair 6 that they perhaps aren’t suited to being North South and probably ban them from those seats for three weeks.
Next, have a break from play and take time to think. Tell the room that there is a problem and you need them to wait quietly.
Round 1 has been scored correctly and is in the BM and Scoring program (As far as we are aware!).
Round 2 we have Pair 1 playing Pair 6 on Boards 5 to 8 and according to Law 15 those scores should stand. However, they are not scheduled to play one another so we have to alter those in the scoring program after the game. Pair 1 and 6 must give the scorer the results of those boards.
Pair 6 should have played Pair 11 on Boards 1 to 4! So why didn’t Pair 11 scream out that they had no opponents?
Round 3 Pair 6 are due to play Boards 5 to 8 against Pair 10 but that can’t happen now.
So the quick and easy bit is to allocate 60%/60% for boards 1 to 4 for pairs 6 & 11 on the table 6 BM.
Tell everyone to play Round 3 and on Table 6 for boards 5 to 8 allocate 50%/50%. Let Pair 6 and Pair 10 play a “friendly” for Boards 5 to 8 understanding that the scores don’t count. The 60/60 and 50/50 is just to get the BM moving on to the next round.
Rounds 4; 5 & 6 should be ok (but keep an eye on Pair 6! Tell the rest of the room what you are doing
At the end of the session help the scorer to change Boards 1 to 4 from Pairs 6 N/S and 11 E/W to Pair 10 N/S and 11E/W and leave the 60/60 score (Law15B). Now go to Boards 5 to 8 and change Pairs 6 N/S and Pair 10 E/W to Pair 1 N/S and Pair 6 E/W and insert the correct scores rather than the 50/50 that is there.
I would publish the scores as they are and say it is the best that I can do. Not sure that there is sufficient to say there is enough boards switched to give a one winner rsult. Whatever you do will look a little odd but given how some pairs have no idea how to follow a movement then I doubt they will “see” the oddity. If you are not content then you could just see if you can change it to a one winner Mitchell without any switches but I can’t see that working. It is just the best of a bad job.
I know this is well after the event but it will help when it happens again in the near future.
By the way how was this resolved at the time?
And yes I have had to do something similar and the best thing is that you don't show any panic whatsoever!