[Back In The Saddle]

One theory of adult learning divides learners into two broad categories: depth-first and breadth-first. Breadth-first learners instinctively want to know a little bit about the entire array of topics. Depth-first learners tend to take concepts one at a time and drive all the way to the bottom of each subject before moving to the next. Understanding your learning style can help you devise a better strategy for learning the rules. I'm a depth-first learner, and here's what's worked for me:

• Read the rulebook. Start with chapter 4. If I were going to do flash cards, I'd make them about this chapter. It forms the basis for most everything else.
• Read the casebook too. Try to answer the cases before you read the rulings. When you miss one, go back to the rules book and re-read that section.
• Take the rules exam every year. In Utah, Part I is open book, taken at home. I research every question and note the rule(s) reference(s) right on the test. Not only does it help me pass the test, but it gets me deeply into the rules. Take your annotated test with you to early association meetings. When people begin discussing the test, join in. Share what you've learned and note things you learn from them.
• Read this forum regularly. Learn who the knowlegable rules people are and pay attention when they weigh in on a question. Understanding how they think about the rules is even more valuable than what they think about them.
• Find a reason to research the rules. Start a study group. Offer to write a rules article for your association newsletter. Pick a question that somebody has posted on the forum and answer it. But don't just dash off a one-liner from the top of your head; dig through the rules book and case book to find the actual answer. Then post the answer along with the citations. But be prepared, other posters may disagree with you. And they may be right.
• Work lots of games. Just when you think you know a rule cold, you'll see something that generates entirely new questions and angles you hadn't considered before.
• Beware of veterans and clinicians. Not every great official knows the rules well. Be knowlegable enough to know when that respected veteran is giving you bad interpretations. There's no need to disrespect them, or even acknowledge that they're mistaken. But you should be aware when you're given suspect rules information. When in doubt, take what they've told you as a starting point and do the research.
• Did I mention work lots of games? The rules are dead. The rules are lifeless. The rules are meaningless. It's only when you put them into the context of a game that they come to life and aquire meaning. Knowing the rules is only the first step. Knowing how to apply them to the game is your goal.
• Understand that not every question can be answered by the rules book. Some of the most interesting discussions we have here are about situations where this is no clear ruling. Understanding all sides of an argument will aid your ability to reason about the rules.
• Keep an open mind. It can be a bit of a rude awakening when somebody challenges your understanding of a rule and you realize that they may well be right, but it's part of the learning process.
• Realize that it takes time. You can't do it all in one frantic burst of activity. It will take consistent effort over your career to truly master the rules.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Good judgement comes from experience. And experience? Well that comes from poor judgement.
• Learn to love exhaustive lists. It's not, strictly speaking, necessary. But it's often useful.