[Antrax]

Last board (MPs), we go down vulnerable for a bottom. One of the opponents told me they had a terrible session, so he doesn't mind scoring it as though we made.
I politely declined, but later couldn't figure out for myself whether the situation was legal \ ethical. It feels wrong (at least ethically), but it's difficult to argue with the fact they could've defended poorly on purpose, leading to the same result.
So, opinions?

[alphatango]

It's certainly illegal for you to accept:

Law 79A2 said:

A player must not knowingly accept either the score for a trick that his side did not win or the concession of a trick that his opponents could not lose.

Logically, it follows that it's improper for him to offer, I suppose. Also of relevance may be regulations which require contestants to "play to win", and there is Law 72A:

Law 72A said:

Duplicate bridge tournaments should be played in strict accordance with the Laws. The chief object is to obtain a higher score than other contestants whilst complying with the lawful procedures and ethical standards set out in these laws.

[Antrax]

Well, that seems to settle that. I didn't know it was illegal for people to purposely duck tricks or pitch aces, etc.

[alphatango]

It's perhaps a little more complex than that. In the situation you described, the hand had been played out, so you legally must not accept the score for a greater number of tricks than you actually made. If you had gotten to a position where the opponents still had, say, a master trump, and they tried to concede all the tricks, you once again must not accept.

However, if the opponents knowingly "duck[ed] tricks or pitch[ed] aces" during the play, that may be legal. First, of course, it may be a legitimate attempt to beat the contract (or increase undertricks, or decrease overtricks), erroneous or otherwise. Second, the opponents might reasonably believe that it is advantageous to their chances for you to achieve a higher score (perhaps qualifying for the next round in place of a stronger team/pair) or for them to achieve a lower score (perhaps, again, due to some quirk in the conditions of contest). That would, IMO, be legal within the parameters of L72A, although others might disagree.

I believe the ACBL has made the latter reasoning illegal through a regulation which requires contestants to attempt to achieve the highest score on each board. I could be wrong, though, so perhaps someone more familiar with ACBL-land can confirm.

[iviehoff]

Faking a result is seen as a very serious offence. A few years ago two teams in a Norwegian competition faked a match result that was convenient to them both, rather than play the match. The story came out, and severe sanctions were applied: world-class players were banned from competition for significant periods.

Whether it is legal to play deliberately badly in order to obtain a convenient result depends which jurisdiction you are playing in. ACBL don't like it, but some other places think it is a reasonable ploy.

[paulg]

Antrax, on 2011-May-17, 00:01, said:

Last board (MPs), we go down vulnerable for a bottom. One of the opponents told me they had a terrible session, so he doesn't mind scoring it as though we made.
I politely declined, but later couldn't figure out for myself whether the situation was legal \ ethical ....

I am more than a little concerned if anyone believes that falsifying a result could be legal.

As for the person suggesting changing the score, if proven then I'd be recommending a ban. I think it is that serious.

I would also seek to ban a player who deliberately played poorly to improve the score of his opponents in order to help them because he was having a bad session. This is very different from someone who deliberately plays poorly in order to improve their own chances of success - the legitimacy of 'tactical dumping' is often debated, as others have indicated.

[blackshoe]

alphatango, on 2011-May-17, 01:07, said:

It's perhaps a little more complex than that. In the situation you described, the hand had been played out, so you legally must not accept the score for a greater number of tricks than you actually made. If you had gotten to a position where the opponents still had, say, a master trump, and they tried to concede all the tricks, you once again must not accept.

However, if the opponents knowingly "duck[ed] tricks or pitch[ed] aces" during the play, that may be legal. First, of course, it may be a legitimate attempt to beat the contract (or increase undertricks, or decrease overtricks), erroneous or otherwise. Second, the opponents might reasonably believe that it is advantageous to their chances for you to achieve a higher score (perhaps qualifying for the next round in place of a stronger team/pair) or for them to achieve a lower score (perhaps, again, due to some quirk in the conditions of contest). That would, IMO, be legal within the parameters of L72A, although others might disagree.

I believe the ACBL has made the latter reasoning illegal through a regulation which requires contestants to attempt to achieve the highest score on each board. I could be wrong, though, so perhaps someone more familiar with ACBL-land can confirm.

Quote

ACBL General Conditions of Contest, Rev. Dec. 2009: Players are expected to play each hand to win at all times. No dumping is permitted even if such dumping may be in the contestant's best long-term interest.

[Antrax]

Quote

I am more than a little concerned if anyone believes that falsifying a result could be legal.

Obviously falsifying a result is problematic, but what happens if he offers to misplay a two-card ending? Or if he suggests to throw the board before anyone sees their cards? I wouldn't accept in any case, but I later got to wondering if (for instance) I should've reported this incident.
In retrospect I think it was just some kind of bad joke, means to express frustration or something, because apparently that opponent should have been well-versed with the rules.

[paulg]

Antrax, on 2011-May-17, 04:44, said:

Obviously falsifying a result is problematic, but what happens if he offers to misplay a two-card ending? Or if he suggests to throw the board before anyone sees their cards? I wouldn't accept in any case, but I later got to wondering if (for instance) I should've reported this incident.
In retrospect I think it was just some kind of bad joke, means to express frustration or something, because apparently that opponent should have been well-versed with the rules.

I must admit that I do struggle with understanding the kind of person who would offer to change a score or dump, especially to a stranger. I can only imagine that someone who knew me, and about to become an ex-friend, could ever do it.

However I do understand the frustration of having a poor session and saying, after misplaying another hand, that I hoped the good score was more use to you than it would have been to me. As you say, a bad joke, but very different from a deliberate action.

[Mbodell]

Antrax, on 2011-May-17, 04:44, said:

Obviously falsifying a result is problematic, but what happens if he offers to misplay a two-card ending? Or if he suggests to throw the board before anyone sees their cards? I wouldn't accept in any case, but I later got to wondering if (for instance) I should've reported this incident.
In retrospect I think it was just some kind of bad joke, means to express frustration or something, because apparently that opponent should have been well-versed with the rules.

In a club game it may be part of the social setting to make a joke about something like this. It is pretty common near me for people to ask folks "how are you doing?" when they arrive at the table in some of the club games around here, and then sometimes you'll get jokes along the lines of "Well to be fair to you guys, we'll give you a top too" or "I think you guys owe us a top this week from last week" or "Or night's already shot, so hopefully we give you a top this week and you can pay us back later". Maybe such social comments/jokes invite a bad situation, but I think there is something extremely different about a joke around that, and someone actually meaning it for reals.

[Antrax]

Oh, we make those jokes all the time, though usually post factum, after doubling a making game, making a terrible blunder on defense etc. At the time he made the offer I thought he was serious, but I later found out that contrary to their playing/bidding against us, they're actually a very experienced pair and he's a TD, so most likely it was an odd joke (or maybe he was just testing me, since I'm relatively new).

[RMB1]

Antrax, on 2011-May-19, 00:22, said:

... I later found out that contrary to their playing/bidding against us, they're actually a very experienced pair and he's a TD, so most likely it was an odd joke (or maybe he was just testing me, since I'm relatively new).

Either way, as an experienced player and TD playing a relatively new player, his remarks were ill-judged.