This is a series of rule change submissions that I made on January 13, 2013 to BISFed in response to their draft changes. The international boccia rules change every four years, after the Paralympic Games. You can find my other submissions here. I am presenting them on individual pages, so that you can comment on each proposal separately.
BISFed Proposed change:
6.10.2 On the following cases, after all balls have been thrown, including any penalty balls awarded to either side, the referee will tell the person not to do it again, gives a friendly warning and does not award a violation:
Inappropriate communication;
Enters into the court without referee permission;
BC3 Sport Assistant turns into court without referee permission.
If any of these situations happen, and then that side asks the Referee for a measure, the Referee will not measure. If that side repeats the situation, the referee will give a warning according to rule 11.5.2.
My proposed change:
[My first choice is to entirely remove the clause. Otherwise, I propose the following.]
6.10.2 If after all balls have been thrown, including any penalty balls awarded to either side, and a side commits one of the following infractions:
Inappropriate communication;
Enters into the court without referee permission;
BC3 Sport Assistant turns into court without referee permission.
The appropriate violation or penalty will be awarded.
Justification:
The proposed change should either be removed, or the above should replace it. My proposed change cleans up the grammar, but also makes an important change to the substance of the proposed rule change. It is preferred that the new clause be removed completely.
A “friendly warning” does not belong in official rules. Something is either forbidden, or not.
I believe a penalty should be awarded for leaving the box when it is not a player’s turn, inappropriate communication and BC3 sport assistants turning too early – even if it is once all balls have been played (which is during the official measurement). I am open to these not being penalties at all though. What I am firmly against is friendly warnings.
