[blackshoe]

barmar, on 2019-July-06, 19:17, said:

unless you have a neurological condition, your hands don't operate of their own accord.

Maybe, maybe not. This looks like a medical opinion — one which I'm certain I'm not qualified to give.

[Vampyr]

sanst, on 2019-July-06, 01:21, said:

What if you’re the only director available, especially when it’s clear that the player involved didn’t see the card on the table properly? Don’t you take the disabilities of your opponents in account?

blackshoe, on 2019-July-06, 17:13, said:

In your case you were the playing director. If no one else is available to make a ruling at your table, then you make it.

The laws don't mention disabilities, but they do give the director wide latitude. I don't disagree with a ruling that a case falls under 25A because of a player's disability — so long as it's made by the director.

If the player does have a disability, then this has probably happened before. If not, then he was simply distracted. But he pulled the card out of the box and put it on the table. It doesn’t matter why, unless he has a disability which causes his limbs to move of their own accord.

barmar, on 2019-July-06, 19:17, said:

I think Lamford's intent was that you're shocked at which card was on the table, not that a card was there at all.

Lamford and I are not one and the same. But anyway, this call was not inadvertent. It was a mental slip.

Quote

The way we usually express this is that we allow a slip of the fingers, not a slip of the mind. If you absent-mindedly pull a card out of the box, that's a slip of the mind -- unless you have a neurological condition, your hands don't operate of their own accord.

Ah right, hadn’t got to this last part yet, but yes,

And anyway, if there is only one person available to be playing director, then the club should send more members on the director course. It is not fair for one person to have to take on most of the burden anyway. Some clubs train directors with private seminars, often given by Lamford or me or both.

But some directors aren’t qualified, and learn through experience. This works pretty well so long as there is someone on jane to help if a tricky situation comes up.

[Vampyr]

blackshoe, on 2019-July-06, 19:41, said:

Maybe, maybe not. This looks like a medical opinion — one which I'm certain I'm not qualified to give.

Well, in any case the disability would be pretty obvious, and would actually make it nearly impossible for the person to play bridge. But the OP (EDIT: oops I meant sanst)didn’t mention this.

Anyway the rulings were both appalling.