[lamford]

A player, with no previous bad behaviour, walks out from the weekly duplicate with 7 boards to play. His partner tells the chairman that the leaving player was annoyed by his defence on the previous board. Nothing more, nothing less, as Alice might say. Unplayed boards were scored 60%-40% against the pair in question.

What action should be taken by the club? Is the first step to write to the player for comments?

[axman]

lamford, on 2025-June-11, 07:08, said:

A player, with no previous bad behaviour, walks out from the weekly duplicate with 7 boards to play. His partner tells the chairman that the leaving player was annoyed by his defence on the previous board. Nothing more, nothing less, as Alice might say. Unplayed boards were scored 60%-40% against the pair in question.

What action should be taken by the club? Is the first step to write to the player for comments?

Two things come to mind. Well, three things.

1. Damage (whatever it is) can't be undone.
2. There is an expression about cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.
3. This is personal to A player.

[hrothgar]

lamford, on 2025-June-11, 07:08, said:

A player, with no previous bad behaviour, walks out from the weekly duplicate with 7 boards to play. His partner tells the chairman that the leaving player was annoyed by his defence on the previous board. Nothing more, nothing less, as Alice might say. Unplayed boards were scored 60%-40% against the pair in question.

What action should be taken by the club? Is the first step to write to the player for comments?

Hypothetical 1: The player just received a text that their partner had a heart attack and is being brought to the hospital

Hypothetical 2: The player rage quit based on a bad defense

I think that the club should respond very differently in these two cases... So, yeah, talking to the individual seems like a good first step.

Presuming that the individual rage quit...

Ban them for sixth months.

[jillybean]

60%40%

I would hope that the player would contact me or the club owner and offer an explanation or apology, whatever is appropriate.
Failing that, I'd call and inquire, initially from a place of concern.

[paulg]

Although my local club is not affiliated to the EBU, its constitution is based on the EBU Model Constitution (with permission) and this has a schedule for handling disciplinary matters.

It's never been tested, but it looks like it will flow a lot easier if there is a formal complaint to start the process. After that a conduct committee is likely to ask the alleged offender for their comments and it will decide whether there is a case to answer. If there is, then it may offer a verbal warning, which if accepted would be the end of the matter.

The club cannot suspend anyone without going through a more detailed and lengthy process.

[pescetom]

In our RA this is a very simple matter: by regulation, the player is deferred to national level discipline and will receive a suspension of several months.
The club has nothing to do with it, although in practice the Director may receive pushback both before and after following due procedure.

[pilowsky]

lamford, on 2025-June-11, 07:08, said:

... His partner tells the chairman that the leaving player was annoyed by his defence ...

So basically we don't know anything.