This rule would not apply to "Team games". I am a freebie player and have played very few games with someone I have played before and I always have the max four games going.
In an effort to diminish the effectiveness of "secret diplomacy" and/or "multi's" accounts, I suggest that there should be a waiting period of games played before being allowed to play a game with the same person with some exceptions... like 1 vs. 1 or Tournament play, ect...
It sounds like their names were written down in a notebook with a comment, *Secret Diplomacy. If a moderator took the time to log in their names, then it is logical that the moderator ...