Rules Discussion: Passing

From NASPAWiki

This is an experimental page giving a nonnormative discussion concerning ambiguities in the rules about passing your turn.

Uncertainty about whose turn it is

On January 14, 2011, John Robertson posted to naspa-tcd:

Su is playing Brenda. Su makes her play properly and hits the clock starting Brenda’s time. Some time goes by. For some reason, Brenda doesn’t think it’s her turn. She sees her clock running, hits it, and says to Su, “Oh, it’s your turn.” Su corrects Brenda and says to her, “No, it was your turn.” The question is did Brenda effectively pass her turn by starting Su’s clock.

Subsequent discussion was split concerning whether Brenda’s action constituted “mistakenly starting” the clock as described in the rules, which would have entitled her to get her turn back; or it was a deliberate action and therefore should be interpreted as a pass and loss of turn.

The question has been referred to the Rules Committee.