[gwnn]

Playing in a Howell tourney (of 2x8 tables) we forgot to turn the board by 90 degrees. The TD came and explained to us politely that we both (NS and EW) get a 0.25 MP penalty. Is this a legal action by him?

[G_R__E_G]

From the ACBL Club Director's Handbook:

"If directors feel a pair is careless in paying attention to the movement directions, they should issue a
procedural penalty following a warning for repeated violations for failing to sit in the proper direction.
A typical procedural penalty is one-quarter of the matchpoints available on a board."

So legal - yes, but if you'd not been warned before then it's a little harsh.

[mycroft]

1/4 MP penalty or 1/4 *board* MP penalty?
The former is a slap on the wrist. The latter is too, really, but could actually affect the results.

If it's the case I run into most often (6 table 3/4 Howell, 9x3 rounds), the people sitting N/S at tables 2 and 3 (the "stationary" tables where they switch to E/W occasionally - frequently they just turn the table 90 degrees rather than move), get told as I pass the boards out "Please watch the guide card for when you switch" every time - and I check them the first time. I also say in my move to Round 2 spiel "Please follow the guide cards. When you get to 2 or 3, make sure you're sitting the right way". So they were warned, not that anybody listens.

Hmm, I see rereading the OP it was an 8 table 3/4 Howell, 12x2 or 13x2. Same issue, I'm guessing - there are 3 "switch stationary" pairs in the 12x2, 2 in the 13x2.

Fixing it in the scoring is pretty easy, so it's not a big deal for running the game - but of course it does harm the balance. If it happens often - and it might - it might have become policy in that game that the penalties are enforced.

[gwnn]

No, sorry, 1/4 Board penalty. Well, actually, it might have been .25% from the aggregate score(26 boards) which is 6% from a board