The Shuffler has arranged with FSA State Tournament Director Glenn Monroe to answer your questions relative to The Rules!! Thus the title: “What’s The Rule?”

If You have a question you would like answered, send it to Glenn at: gamonroe@gmail.com

Unless otherwise stated, the most recent rules and regulations of the Florida Shuffleboard Association shall be used to answer all questions.

1. When playing on beaded courts, it is ok after the frame has started and at least one of my disks has been shot, for my opponent to swirl a disk outside of his starting area (“kitchen”)  in order to pick up more beads onto his disk and/or to change the placement of the beads. 
   
   The answer to your question involves two separate rules and a judgement call.

Rule C.4 says, “It is common practice with players to jockey or slide the playing disc backward and forward to see if there is sand which might interfere with the disc sliding evenly.  No penalty is to be called on this practice if the lines are touched or crossed while jockeying.”

Article 11.a states, “Once a match begins, no changes in the court shall be made except as authorized by the Tournament Director…”.

So, a judgment would be required to determine whether the jockeying of the disc into the 7 area was to locate an impediment on the court or was to redistribute the beads on the court. If the reason were to locate a foreign object on the court, it is permissible and there is no penalty.  If the reason were to redistribute the beads, it would be a violation of Article 11.a and a 10-Off penalty should be imposed.

1. During a game, my partner shot a disc that came up short of where he intended. He asked me what the number of that disc was, but my opponent said I couldn’t tell him. Why not?
   
   Had that been in practice, there would have been no problem. However, once the game begins, it becomes coaching under Rule C.12, “Any remark or motion to their partner which indicates coaching their play is prohibited.” The reason it is considered coaching is that the question alerts the player’s opponent that the speed of the disc in question is different than the others. In this case, he is telling you that the disc is slower than the rest of the set.