Competitors, Resentment and Rules!

Stuart discussed the Failure to manage the game:

This thread generated a hell of a list that supports his point that failures to manage the game properly will generate resentment that WILL have to be dealt with or you risk loosing competitors.

For example,
I (MS) argue that Rules that YOU don’t understand or bother to learn WILL generate resentment in your competitors!

For example, Would you play baseball with someone who never bothered to learn the rules of the game and circles the bases third to first? What’s different about sailing?

How about, Do you or don’t you fly a flag when someone breaks the rules?

How about this frequent Skippers meeting instruction, “Settle it on the water cause the Protest meeting is next Tuesday at 11 PM in Timbuktwo”!

How about this question... Can you or can you not back up into someone?

(Since the rule was changed in 2000... Don't you think that competitors who do stay current with the rules would resent someone who simply won't learn the rules of the game they play... even after 5 years?) If the back up rule is obscure just think about your opinion of people screaming at you when THEY are barging! I certainly resent it!

Do you retire when you infringe the rules and come out ahead? If not... you WILL generate a great deal of resentment.

Do you think you generate resentment when you fail to play by the rule where you are expected to police yourself and penalize yourself for what turns out to be an unfair advantage?

How about a round of bumper boats...

Mind you... the ISAF has been on a 10 year binge to simplify the rules to be as clear and common sensical as possible and they change them slightly every 4.

Is the competition about gaming your opponent, trash talking, cheating or getting away with stuff that the judge didn't see?.... (That would generate a lot of resentment in my world.) (Junior program directors deal with this crap all of the time.... A Connecticut Club had to build a PR campaign with posters to encourage kids to race honorably)

How about the requirement to write adequate Sailing Instructions... Note the hell to pay over the F18 Sailing Instructions and Wind strength ... I sensed a LOT of resentment on that one and it caused me to modify all of MY Sailing Instructions.

How about the RC starting a race on the time schedule they published... announced and kept despite the laggards who are screwing around on the beach... AND THEN THE BOZO'S COME AND BITCH ABOUT THE RACE COMMITTEE TO ME AND THEN TO THE RC! (Had this one at this years Alter qualifier)

How about the Equipment Rules where days must be spent certifying equipment... If you don't do it, or overlook the need to establish a set of operative rules crap happens. ... The winner may ALWAYS be resented for skirting the rules. (see the BS over a previous Hobie Wave championship and the use of Hobie 16 stiff rudder blades)

See the Tornado Class and the mandate to Solve their mast issue or loose Olympic status... Cause people were operating just on this side of the rule but certainly not in the spirit of the competition.

So I agree with Stuarts point about the need to manage the competition to minimize resentment. I believe that these things matter to you as a competitor because you want a level playing field to compete on and you RESENT IT when they are screwed up, ignored, or minimized.

Now... If we you are about the buisness of running a sailing club... these rules issues about the game are of little relevance because at the heart of your club involves social behavior... and not competitive behavior.

Probably the only rule that applys is don't spill the beer!

Mark