Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Mossy is at issue with a ruling at Nationals

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I would have NO problem letting my opponent go to the bathroom. I understand that if you have to go you have to go.

From a player's point of view, I don't think it is disruptive. In fact, a few minutes without my opponent there doing something would give me extra time to think about my strategy and even just relax.
 
Seena doesn't stall. He wasn't wearing a watch, and in the second game of the finals the game was completed with 30 seconds left on the clock. I can name you quite a few players in this game who I'm certain would not have seen game three in Seena's shoes. He isn't a staller.

Regardless, the issue is moot if the judge simply a) pauses his stopwatch til the player gets back, or b) records how much time that player was gone and gives them an extension equal to the time gone. I know that in between matches the players shuffle up their decks for at least 2-3 minutes-- you could simply even just have a judge shuffle the deck while the player is using the bathroom and then return without even a break in play.

Regardless Steve, I'm sure that when you left for the bathroom during War of the Worlds it didn't help the aliens to defeat Tom Cruise. Leaving for a bathroom break during a match helps your opponent to win. Losing a game that you're up 5-0 in is lame, and NOT sotg.
 
While the rule as written is probably a little too harsh, it is an important rule to have.

In basketball, for example, if the momentum of the game is going against you and you start getting overrun, you can call timeout to try to disrupt the opponets flow and get back in control of the game. We don't have timeouts, but what's to prevent a player who feels the game getting out of control from calling for a bathroom break and using that time to consider strategy, catch a breather, etc (I know Seena wasn't doing that - it's just an example).

Also, if the judges are having to juggle potentially dozens of players all coming and going during a round, (thinking more of swiss) it would make running the tournament very difficult.

Maybe the rule should be that once the round starts, both players must stay at the table unless the judge explicitly permits one player to leave, and that a time extension can be given at the judges discretion?
 
From my point of view, as a Judge, what this really comes down to is a question of need. The rules of the game should be, and for the most part are, designed to facilitate playing the game of Pokemon. We set matches up so players have time between rounds for things like bathroom breaks, we break for lunch, and if the tournament goes long into the night, we break for dinner. I question why we need to disrupt the flow further by allowing players an unscheduled break whenever they feel the urge so to speak. As I have watched the discussion unfold, my position on this is leaning toward not allowing unscheduled breaks for things that can certainly be accomodated within the current structure of breaks.

BDS
 
Moss Factor said:
I'm sure that when you left for the bathroom during War of the Worlds it didn't help the aliens to defeat Tom Cruise.
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Based on his recent interviews, I think the aliens defeated Tom Cruise a long time ago. :rolleyes:
 
If Tom Cruise can "land" Katie Holmes, in my book, he can probably defeat the aliens.
:biggrin: :tongue:
 
bulbasnore said:
I think maybe PUI have talked about exceptions for the 10- at judge discretion. Everyone else should take a break at the end of the prior match. As a TO I'm more than happy to hold a match start in finals for a player who lets me know he/she is going to the head. As a player I'm not happy to have my opponent get up in the middle of elimination rounds for any less than catastrophic reason.
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Lok at it this way. What happens if you go to sudden death and finish your match. It means you have less then 5 minuts to get to a bathroom and back. If your late for your next match thanks to it you may be get a penality. I think this ruling should be changed for small bathroom break if you really need it.

You and steve p have great points that it does throw off the opponents game but if you need a bathroom and its full which is very rare its gonna be impossible to get back in time for the next round. I really hope POP does something with this rule soon.
 
Sure it MAYBE throws the opponent's game off (which I don't buy because there is a break between every game for shuffling, etc, anyways, so what kind of disruption is a bathroom break REALLY creating?), but I really think the contrary is much more serious. Someone having to choose between going to the bathroom and playing the game? Not sotg. Your opponent getting a HUGE advantage in a typically short-time game 3? Not sotg.

I seriously don't even understand how this is debatable. It seems so clear cut its not even funny =\
 
True,

Like i said in my earlier post about this subject, its kinda inhumane to force someone to feel pain or go in their pants for a tournament...come on here people? How is this debatable??? The no potty break thing isn't just not sotg, its INHUMANE!!!

Nuff Said

Tom
 
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You guys are making it sound like we are asking you to sit through the entire tournament without a break. We are talking about 30 minutes in Swiss and most likely less than an hour in Match Play. :rolleyes:

BDS
 
Debateable? Certainly.

Contrar Matt. I can't believe you feel so strongly that bathroom breaks are an exception to the rule. Maybe for 10-under or for the medically challenged (they'd probably be wearing Depends anyway).

60-90 minutes is a bit long for some, especially after dinner, to go without a potty break. I like M45's idea of having a 5-minute break during a 60/90-minute match. But for 30-minute swiss rounds, well, I'd say "There is no bathroom!"
 
Certainly for 30-minute swiss rounds there will be no break. Also, I do not think there should be breaks DURING a game. In between games would be the only times I would think a trip to the WC (shout out to my homies across the pond with the WC reference) wouldn't affect the flow or tempo of the matchup and would certainly be reasonable.
 
I fullheartedly agree with Moss here. I don't see why a player having to go to the bathroom should cause such a serious penalty. I usually go to the bathroom every other swiss round, and that's alot. It's to relieve myself of nerves, water, and wash my face so i dont get a mizing migraine mid tournament. However, just because I do this doesn't make me immune to a sudden sensation where i absolutely need to go pee or i'm gonna wet myself. Everyone gets them, they're natural, and we shouldn't be penalized for being unlucky in that situation. I've been very lucky to have gotten those sensations at the end of matches for the most part, but i can't imagine having to survive 30-45 minutes in a matchplay round, it seems inhumane really :( The 10-'s aren't the only ones that receive these urges, even well prepared players do at times. There's really no reason not to extend a time limit in a match by 5 minutes in the case of an emergency, because thats really what it is, an emergency. Put yourself in the shoes of the person who needs to go to the bathroom and imagine having to decide between a bladder and advancing in a tournament.
 
Lets review: is the only case the opposition has against my argument that time extensions should be given to players who have to go to the bathroom is that a "hot" player would get out of his "zone?" Or is it that he can "just hold it?"

Because honestly I don't think that giving the other player a GAME WIN if time expires is adequate compensation for another player spending 3-5 minutes to use the bathroom. How is somehow "disrupting the flow" of the match (when there is a break between games anyways!) such an offense that a player up 5-0 will lose the game as a result of time running out.

I'd like to see what POP feels about this, because I honestly don't get how you could think about this situation any other way.
 
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Hmm. I must agree that this ruling is just wrong. I, being a girl, feel that they should up the time to 5 min. Who knows what could happen if people go for only 3 min. They might just run out w/ their pants not pulled up because they don't want a game loss. That would not be cool. There is children around.
 
nah matt, my own reasoning is more about the abuse that could occur. The same argument you're presenting here could be made about a player who needs more than the short break between rounds to use the bathroom, then show up late.

I'm not against players requesting time extensions for bathroom breaks and judges obliging them. But it should NEVER end up in the rulebook as some kind of players' rights. The abuse of such a right could be a potential nightmare for organizers and judges.

The rule is there to prevent abuse. Judges may waive that rule on a case-by-case basis, but the players should NEVER assume judges will waive the rule. JMO.

BTW, congrats on your success in CAN.
 
Honestly, I just say people start going in their pants, after a few smelly Top cuts PUI, will have to start allowing people to go to the bathroom when they ask to..

tA: "I'll attach my scramble and knock you out, and btw do you smell that?"
Moss: "Sorry, I had to go to the bathroom, and I didnt want a penalty"
tA: *VOMITS*
 
TrainerJL said:
Based on his recent interviews, I think the aliens defeated Tom Cruise a long time ago. :rolleyes:
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Either that, or an alien has eaten Tom Cruise and then cleverly disguised itself as him... :wink:

TheAnswer3 said:
Honestly, I just say people start going in their pants, after a few smelly Top cuts PUI, will have to start allowing people to go to the bathroom when they ask to..

tA: "I'll attach my scramble and knock you out, and btw do you smell that?"
Moss: "Sorry, I had to go to the bathroom, and I didnt want a penalty"
tA: *VOMITS*
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Now THAT belongs in the strategy section! :cool:
 
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