Webmaster's note:

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the internet and social media have made it possible to have open discussions on 42 tournaments. The N42PA, established in 2005, sought to standardize the rules for competition in sanctioned tournaments without taking away “any control or traditions from existing groups.” This essentially sanctioned the various cultural playing styles in diversified areas without specifically defining acceptable variations from perceived traditional 42. In this regard, I asked Jeff Reed, co-founder and former director of the Austin 42 Club, to share his thoughts on Strength of Helping Hand (SOH) bids. Here are his comments (embedded from his website). Thanks for sharing, Jeff. - PP