What is rules lawyering?

[Gillig]

What does this term mean?

 

[psychup2034]

What does this term mean?

Rules lawyering is making an argument by the literal meaning of a written rule, without consideration for what the spirit of the rule is.

For example, let’s simplify the timing rules in Pokemon and say that players have 15 seconds to make a decision about what card to play from their hand. A rules lawyer would be someone who calls a judge over at the 16th second to try to get their opponent penalized for stalling, without consideration for what the game state is.

The spirit of the rule is to prevent stalling. If the player who’s taking a bit longer to make a decision is down in prizes and has a tough decision to make, then they’re not trying to stall by taking the 15+ seconds. They just have a tough decision to make.

Rules lawyering in Pokemon can draw you a penalty.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a player to be rules lawyering. For example, there was a judge at a top 4 tables in worlds that issued a double warning to both players because both players were taking a relatively long time to make decisions on their turns. While by the letter of the law, both players fell in the definition of “slow play,” the judge had failed to consider the fact that those to players were playing sudden death at a top 4 table in worlds and were under a lot of pressure. The spirit of the rule is to prevent players from stalling, not to prevent players from thinking out their moves in some of the most important minutes of Pokemon they will play in their lives.

 

[tutti]

It means arguing about the rules and how they apply, usually to gain a benefit for yourself or a friend. It's a way to make winning the game your main goal, rather than it being second to having fun playing it. It's usually frowned upon when playing most games among friends (for good reasons), but for highly competitive games like Pokémon TCG, it can actually be an important skill set to have, as it helps you recognise and catch those small errors that you might otherwise not have.

 

[psychup2034]

It's usually frowned upon when playing most games among friends (for good reasons), but for highly competitive games like Pokémon TCG, it can actually be an important skill set to have, as it helps you recognise and catch those small errors that you might otherwise not have.

Corrected for accuracy below.

It's usually frowned upon when playing most games among friends (for good reasons), but for highly competitive games like Pokémon TCG, it can even get you a game loss.

7.6.2. Major
Players are expected to behave in a respectful manner to all attendees and staff of a Pokémon TCG event. Players who don’t behave properly need to be reminded to with the issuance of a penalty. Infractions in this category have a direct impact on event operation or cause a small degree of emotional distress to those around them.
Examples of Unsporting Conduct: Major include:

• Leaving a large amount of garbage in the tournament area.
• Failure to comply with the instructions of the event staff.
• Engaging in gamesmanship/rules lawyering.
• Attempting to manipulate a match through intimidation or distraction.
• Refusal to sign a match slip.
• Making legal plays which have no effect on the game in progress to manipulate the time remaining in a match.
• Playing slowly to manipulate the time remaining in a match.

Recommended Starting Penalty:
Tier 1: Game Loss
Tier 2: Game Loss

 

[tutti]

Hence it being a good skill set to have, not use. Being used to looking for mistakes and errors makes you better at catching them, even when you're not playing the rules as a game.

 

[psychup2034]

How is trying to gain an advantage on technicalities a good skill to have unless your goal is to be unsportsmanlike?

Being attentive to detail means that you’re careful about looking for small mistakes and errors. Rules lawyering means you’re trying to be a pain the ___.

I find it kind of scary that people would think that rules lawyering is a good skill to have.

 

[Biggie]

Hence it being a good skill set to have, not use. Being used to looking for mistakes and errors makes you better at catching them, even when you're not playing the rules as a game.

You are talking about the benifits of having good rules knowledge. I think everyone agrees that knowing the rules is a good thing, but there is a big difference between that and being a "rules lawer".

Being good at the rules helps you play the game.
As you said, it helps you prevent and spot errors and mistakes. This is good because it is up to both players to avoid a broken game state.

Being a rules lawer involves trying to game the system.
Purposely trying to create a situation where you earn a prize card penalty in order to take advantage of a card like Twins is more gamesmanship, but I have heard players be so bold as to try and "correct" a judge who did not rule as they expected/wanted by quoting the Penalty Guidelines at them. I would consider that Rules Lawering.

I hope that helps.

 

[tutti]

Fair enough. Sorry for arguing.