[Back In The Saddle]

Clark,

You're looking for a guiding philosophy on this, here's how I generally look at these situations. As a lawyer, I'm sure you can appreciate the parallels to the legal system and society.

Over the course of years, it has become necessary to address issues that have arisen. Usually it's because somebody figured out a way to gain an advantage that was deemed damaging to the game. So a rule is created to prevent that advantage. Like all such rules (and as far as I can tell, laws), the intent was not that everybody should suddenly change how they play the game, or that penalties for incidental infractions should be regularly assessed (that would also change the nature of the game). Only that people should not be able to take unfair advantage.

So when it comes to enforcement of rules that are not part of the game (like administrative stuff), let the spirit of the rule be your guide. If a person is obviously trying to gain an unfair advantage by breaking a rule, penalize them. If a person has innocently run afoul of the rule, while seeking no advantage, fix it and move on. The over-zealous, thoughtless enforcement of obscure rules and administrivia is as damaging to the game as over-zealous, thoughtless enforcement of analgous laws is damaging to society.