Password Security Policy Question

["L. Adrian Griffis" <dt26453 () dstsystems com>]

I am aware of a company that has instituted a policy that limits a
specific character in people's passwords to being a numeric character.
Personally, I am confused at this policy.  It seems to me that
placing such a specific limit on a specific position in a password
simply reduces the number of guesses that someone would have to try
in a brute force attack.

Does anyone out there know if there is any theoretical basis for
believing that a policy to limit a specific character position
in passwords to a numeric character will enhance security.  If not,
does anyone know how such a misunderstanding might have occurred?

Adrian