[CQ-Contest] Stability of Red Card vs Yellow Card

[kr2q at optimum.net]

First, my usual disclaimer.  The following text is not, in any way, meant to represent the
thinking or actions of any contest committee with which I may be associated.  These are
MY thoughts.

Second, I would like to point out that, for me, Yellow Card and Red Card are BOTH
disqualifications.  It is unfortunate (IMHO) that YC RC designations were adapted because
in most of the world, a YC is a "warning."  The truth is, prior to YC and RC options, the 
CQWWCC only used "DQ" to disqualify an entrant.  The truth is, that some violations that 
qualified for DQ in the "old" days are now issued a Yellow Card.  For me, that is still a
disqualification.  There seems to be universal acceptance that RC = DQ, but not so much,
if at all, that YC also = DQ.  This is not helped when WRTC requires 2 x YC for it's DQ.
For me, a DQ is a DQ, whether it be YC or RC.  YMMV (obviously)

It would be really nice to have "black and white" criteria for what is a Yellow Card violation and
what is a Red Card violation.  I say that is extremely difficult to do. It all "depends" on the 
exact circumstances.

In this country (USA), we have speed limits on our roads and highways.  If the posted limit
is 65mph (miles per hour) and you are going 70mph, you have violated the rules.  Is that
worthy of (a) nothing, (b) a warning, (c) a summons (ticket), (d) loss of your driving privileges?  
Lots of possible answers.

Let's say I am driving from NJ to OH and I am traveling at 65mph.  I get "stuck" behind some
traffic in Columbus Ohio, but when I have a chance, I hit the accelerator and tear out at
85mph.  As it happens, Ohio's finest are sitting there waiting for me.  I get pulled over.
I am told that I was going 85mph in a 65mph zone.  Am I guilty?  Should I get a summons?
Should I argue that I just drove 7 hours at 65mph and I only got caught going 85mph for (say)
3 minutes?  How should the police react?  Did I break the rules or not?

Let's talk about rubber clocking.  Should the degree of rubber clocking matter in terms of
being "awarded" a Yellow or Red Card?  

If I make over 5000 QSO's and I rubber clock for 1 mult, what should happen?  Well, it is 
CLEAR that I violated the rules.  Should I get a YC or RC or a warning or nothing?

What if I make over 5000 QSO's and I rubber clock for 3 mults, then what?  YC? RC? Letter?
Nothing?

What if I make over 5000 QSO's and I rubber clock 6, or 8, or 10, or 20, or 30 mults?  All
of these are clearly a RULES violation.  I'll go one step further and say that all of them were
also VERIFIED using the SDR files made during the contest and all of them are CONFIRMED to
be rubber clocked?  This is OBVIOUS.  Someone went out of their way "fix" their log.  I mean,
it is clear that these are/were intentional activities.  

Now let's talk about the guy with just one incident of rubber clocking.  Should it matter that
the rubber clocking was for just 1 minute (moved the time by 1 minute in order "fit in" to the
10 minute rule)?  What does this single incident deserve?  I bet a lot of folks would say either
"nothing" or "maybe a warning letter."  I'm also sure some might say RC.

Now let's say that it is 2300z on day 2 of the contest.  So far, the log has been 100% clean.
But at 2300z, we find a rubber clock event for a new mult.  But the time is not shifted by only
1 minute.  It is not even shifted by 2 minutes.  In fact, it is shifted NINE minutes!  Is shifting
the time by 9 minutes "more serious" than 1 minute?  Does the fact that there is only ONE
rubber clock event and that it took place at 23z on day 2 matter?  How would you react? 
Would you treat a "single rubber clock even where the time was shifted by 1 minutes at 
2300z on day 2" differently than if the same single even at 23z on day 2 was shifted by nine
minutes?  Think about it.  These events and decisions might not be so "black and white."

And in closing, my usual disclaimer.  The preceding text is not, in any way, meant to represent the
thinking or actions of any contest committee with which I may be associated.  These were
MY thoughts.  I hope these words cause additional thinking.

de Doug KR2Q