The Shelby County Bridge Club
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Hi John,
We agree with your interpretation.
Rick Beye
Inactive hide details for John Randall <letsplaybridge@riverchasebridge.com>John Randall
<letsplaybridge@riverchasebridge.com>
Hi,
When our players visit the other large local club in our area they are being told a) that dummy cannot
tap the table, make a hand motion or verbally tell declarer that the lead is in dummy, not in hand; and
b) that dummy may not ask an opponent to see a card not clearly played, or turned quickly.
I've been instructing our players differently: with regard to a) Law 42B(2) allows dummy to "try to
prevent any irregularity by declarer" which includes warning against leading from the wrong hand.
Clearly dummy can't point to a card or indicate a line of play, but letting partner know where the lead
is located should fall under this rule. With regard to b) Law 42A(2) allows dummy to follow the play,
including inspection of the current trick. If dummy can't see the card, she is allowed to ask what card
was played.
Am I correct on this?
Thanks,
John Randall
Shelby County Bridge Club
http://www.riverchasebridge.com
We agree with your interpretation.
Rick Beye
Inactive hide details for John Randall <letsplaybridge@riverchasebridge.com>John Randall
<letsplaybridge@riverchasebridge.com>
Hi,
When our players visit the other large local club in our area they are being told a) that dummy cannot
tap the table, make a hand motion or verbally tell declarer that the lead is in dummy, not in hand; and
b) that dummy may not ask an opponent to see a card not clearly played, or turned quickly.
I've been instructing our players differently: with regard to a) Law 42B(2) allows dummy to "try to
prevent any irregularity by declarer" which includes warning against leading from the wrong hand.
Clearly dummy can't point to a card or indicate a line of play, but letting partner know where the lead
is located should fall under this rule. With regard to b) Law 42A(2) allows dummy to follow the play,
including inspection of the current trick. If dummy can't see the card, she is allowed to ask what card
was played.
Am I correct on this?
Thanks,
John Randall
Shelby County Bridge Club
http://www.riverchasebridge.com
Rules of the game
Laws 5-16
Laws Governing Irregularities
Law 5—Assignment of Seats: The Director assigns an
initial position to each contestant. Having selected a
compass direction, a player may change only with the
permission of the Director. In a Howell movement a player
should pick two compass directions to play; i.e. South &
East.
Law 6—Shuffle & Deal: A cut may be offered or
requested. The cards are to be dealt into 4 separate
hands, preferably clockwise. (not required)
There may not be a re-deal because no player has bid.
The Director has the discretion to allow a re-deal.
Law 7—Control of Boards and Cards: Each player shall
count his cards before play and each player does shuffle
and restore his original 13 cards to the board.
No player should touch any cards other than his own during
or after play except by permission. (“May I see your hand?”)
Law 8—Sequence of Rounds: …at rounds end, the North
player is responsible for moving the boards just completed
at his table to the proper table for the next round.
Law 9—Procedure following an irregularity: Any player
may call attention to an irregularity during the auction,
whether or not it is his turn to call.
Declarer or either defender may call attention to an
irregularity during the play period. Dummy may not call
attention to the irregularity until after the play of the board is
concluded.
Dummy may try to prevent declarer from committing an
irregularity.
No player shall take any action until the Director has
completed his explanation regarding the irregularity.
Law 10—Assessment of Rectification: when the laws
provide an option, the Director must explain fully all the
options available. The player who has the right to select an
option may not consult partner in making a choice.
The Director may allow or cancel any decision made by the
players without his instructions.
Law 11—Forfeiture of the right to rectification. The
right to rectify an irregularity may be forfeited if either non-
offender takes action following the irregularity before calling
the Director. e.g., 1NT-1C-pass--!
Law 12—Director’s discretionary powers. Some laws
have no specific penalties; e.g., a player may not inspect a
quitted trick; a player may not handle an opponent’s cards,
a review of the auction must be given by an opponent of the
player requesting it. However, was there damage? If so,
the Director must provide equity. Damage occurs when an
innocent side obtains a lower table result than they would
have if the infraction had not occurred.
The non-offending side receives the most favorable result
that was likely without the irregularity.
When an irregularity makes it impossible to obtain a valid
result, the director awards an artificial adjusted score based
on which players were responsible for the irregularity.
Directly at fault = 40% (average minus)
Partially at fault = 50% (average)
No way at fault = 60% (average plus)
Law 13--Incorrect Number of Cards. If the incorrect
number of cards is discovered before a player with an
incorrect number of cards has made a call, and no player
will then have seen a card belonging to another player's
hand, the Director should consult with players who have
previously played the board.
When one or more of the players with an incorrect number
of cards makes a call on the board, and the Director
determines that the deal can be corrected and played
normally with no change of call, the deal should be played.
Law 14--Missing Card. If during the play period a missing
card is found, it is restored to the missing hand. A card
restored to a player's hand is deemed to have belonged to
it continuously. It may become a penalty card and failure to
have played it may constitute a revoke.
If a missing card that should have been played earlier in
order to follow suit is restored to dummy, failure to play that
card constitutes a revoke, although no rectification (penalty
trick(s) is awarded. However, Law 64C requires the
Director to provide equity.
If one of dummy's cards is obscured, as by being stuck
behind another, and the discrepancy goes unnoticed for
some time, and its absence is found to have damaged the
defenders, an adjusted score may be in order for failing to
display dummy properly. The player who is dummy is
responsible for the proper display of his hand.
Law 15--Play of a wrong board. When it is a board not
designated for them to play, and a pair plays more boards
than the rest of the field, the score stands and the scores
are factored. If the error is discovered during the auction,
an attempt should be made to save the board. The Director
seats the proper pair and a new auction begins. Players
must repeat any calls they made previously. If any call
differs in any way, the Director must cancel the board.
Law 16--Authorized and Unauthorized Information.
Players are authorized to base their actions on information
from legal calls and plays, and from illegal calls and plays
that have been accepted; and from the mannerisms of their
opponents. No player may base a call or play on other
extraneous information.
What is extraneous information? After a player makes
information available to his partner by an action such as a
remark, a question, a reply to a question, an unmistakable
hesitation, unusual speed, special emphasis, tone, gesture,
movement, mannerism, an unexpected alert or failure to
alert or any other action that suggests a call, lead or play of
play, THE PARTNER MAY NOT CHOOSE FROM AMONG
LOGICAL ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS ONE THAT COULD
HAVE DEMONSTRABLY BEEN SUGGESTED OVER
ANOTHER BY THAT EXTRANEOUS INFORMATION.
Timing: if the Director is called before the recipient of the UI
takes action, he should instruct the recipient to ignore the
information and tell the opponents to call him back after the
play if they feel the opponents have gained an advantage.
When a player feels an opponent has taken action that
could have been suggested by such information, he should
call the Director when play ends. The use of the word
"demonstrably" is intended to remove from consideration
logical alternatives that are not obviously suggested over
another by the unauthorized information.
Decision tree:
1. Was there unauthorized information available?
Was there a huddle? If yes, proceed.
2. Were the opponents damaged? If yes, proceed.
3. Were there logical alternatives to the call chosen by
the partner of the huddler/UI?
4. Could the extraneous information demonstrably
suggest the call chosen over a likely less successful
logical alternative? Is it obvious? If yes, proceed.
5. Assign an adjusted score.
Laws 5-16
Laws Governing Irregularities
Law 5—Assignment of Seats: The Director assigns an
initial position to each contestant. Having selected a
compass direction, a player may change only with the
permission of the Director. In a Howell movement a player
should pick two compass directions to play; i.e. South &
East.
Law 6—Shuffle & Deal: A cut may be offered or
requested. The cards are to be dealt into 4 separate
hands, preferably clockwise. (not required)
There may not be a re-deal because no player has bid.
The Director has the discretion to allow a re-deal.
Law 7—Control of Boards and Cards: Each player shall
count his cards before play and each player does shuffle
and restore his original 13 cards to the board.
No player should touch any cards other than his own during
or after play except by permission. (“May I see your hand?”)
Law 8—Sequence of Rounds: …at rounds end, the North
player is responsible for moving the boards just completed
at his table to the proper table for the next round.
Law 9—Procedure following an irregularity: Any player
may call attention to an irregularity during the auction,
whether or not it is his turn to call.
Declarer or either defender may call attention to an
irregularity during the play period. Dummy may not call
attention to the irregularity until after the play of the board is
concluded.
Dummy may try to prevent declarer from committing an
irregularity.
No player shall take any action until the Director has
completed his explanation regarding the irregularity.
Law 10—Assessment of Rectification: when the laws
provide an option, the Director must explain fully all the
options available. The player who has the right to select an
option may not consult partner in making a choice.
The Director may allow or cancel any decision made by the
players without his instructions.
Law 11—Forfeiture of the right to rectification. The
right to rectify an irregularity may be forfeited if either non-
offender takes action following the irregularity before calling
the Director. e.g., 1NT-1C-pass--!
Law 12—Director’s discretionary powers. Some laws
have no specific penalties; e.g., a player may not inspect a
quitted trick; a player may not handle an opponent’s cards,
a review of the auction must be given by an opponent of the
player requesting it. However, was there damage? If so,
the Director must provide equity. Damage occurs when an
innocent side obtains a lower table result than they would
have if the infraction had not occurred.
The non-offending side receives the most favorable result
that was likely without the irregularity.
When an irregularity makes it impossible to obtain a valid
result, the director awards an artificial adjusted score based
on which players were responsible for the irregularity.
Directly at fault = 40% (average minus)
Partially at fault = 50% (average)
No way at fault = 60% (average plus)
Law 13--Incorrect Number of Cards. If the incorrect
number of cards is discovered before a player with an
incorrect number of cards has made a call, and no player
will then have seen a card belonging to another player's
hand, the Director should consult with players who have
previously played the board.
When one or more of the players with an incorrect number
of cards makes a call on the board, and the Director
determines that the deal can be corrected and played
normally with no change of call, the deal should be played.
Law 14--Missing Card. If during the play period a missing
card is found, it is restored to the missing hand. A card
restored to a player's hand is deemed to have belonged to
it continuously. It may become a penalty card and failure to
have played it may constitute a revoke.
If a missing card that should have been played earlier in
order to follow suit is restored to dummy, failure to play that
card constitutes a revoke, although no rectification (penalty
trick(s) is awarded. However, Law 64C requires the
Director to provide equity.
If one of dummy's cards is obscured, as by being stuck
behind another, and the discrepancy goes unnoticed for
some time, and its absence is found to have damaged the
defenders, an adjusted score may be in order for failing to
display dummy properly. The player who is dummy is
responsible for the proper display of his hand.
Law 15--Play of a wrong board. When it is a board not
designated for them to play, and a pair plays more boards
than the rest of the field, the score stands and the scores
are factored. If the error is discovered during the auction,
an attempt should be made to save the board. The Director
seats the proper pair and a new auction begins. Players
must repeat any calls they made previously. If any call
differs in any way, the Director must cancel the board.
Law 16--Authorized and Unauthorized Information.
Players are authorized to base their actions on information
from legal calls and plays, and from illegal calls and plays
that have been accepted; and from the mannerisms of their
opponents. No player may base a call or play on other
extraneous information.
What is extraneous information? After a player makes
information available to his partner by an action such as a
remark, a question, a reply to a question, an unmistakable
hesitation, unusual speed, special emphasis, tone, gesture,
movement, mannerism, an unexpected alert or failure to
alert or any other action that suggests a call, lead or play of
play, THE PARTNER MAY NOT CHOOSE FROM AMONG
LOGICAL ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS ONE THAT COULD
HAVE DEMONSTRABLY BEEN SUGGESTED OVER
ANOTHER BY THAT EXTRANEOUS INFORMATION.
Timing: if the Director is called before the recipient of the UI
takes action, he should instruct the recipient to ignore the
information and tell the opponents to call him back after the
play if they feel the opponents have gained an advantage.
When a player feels an opponent has taken action that
could have been suggested by such information, he should
call the Director when play ends. The use of the word
"demonstrably" is intended to remove from consideration
logical alternatives that are not obviously suggested over
another by the unauthorized information.
Decision tree:
1. Was there unauthorized information available?
Was there a huddle? If yes, proceed.
2. Were the opponents damaged? If yes, proceed.
3. Were there logical alternatives to the call chosen by
the partner of the huddler/UI?
4. Could the extraneous information demonstrably
suggest the call chosen over a likely less successful
logical alternative? Is it obvious? If yes, proceed.
5. Assign an adjusted score.
Comments and/or Rulings
I would advise players who use the five-pile or
two/three-at-a-time methods to discontinue the
practice. The second time I would require a re-deal.
The third time I would ask the player not to shuffle/deal
the cards in the future.
The yellow traveler slip states at the bottom of
the page "Count your cards before and after."
It is considered VERY rude to look at someone's cards
without asking permission.
Dummy may attempt to prevent an irregularity by
declarer (play from the correct hand) but cannot use
similar hand motions to indicate a line of play;
especially picking up a card before declarer calls for it.
COUNT YOUR CARDS!!! This is the most difficult
situation a director faces during any game. Invariably,
two tables are disrupted to the point where both tables
fall behind in play; too much information spills out (the
contract, specific cards in specific hands, people can't
remember,etc). PLEASE COUNT YOUR CARDS
BEFORE AND AFTER EACH HAND.
...is deemed to have belonged to it continuously.
That means declarer can't go back and replace a
quitted trick to replace card that should have been
played earlier.
NORTH!! You play your boards in ascending sequence
and your opponents in descending sequence. Please
verify your opponents and boards before beginning
EVERY round. The Director can issue a 1/4 board
penalty against the NS for allowing the wrong people or
boards to be played. What's a quarter of a board?
Depending on the raw score of the board it would
certainly mean an Average minus if the score was
average with the others.
I would advise players who use the five-pile or
two/three-at-a-time methods to discontinue the
practice. The second time I would require a re-deal.
The third time I would ask the player not to shuffle/deal
the cards in the future.
The yellow traveler slip states at the bottom of
the page "Count your cards before and after."
It is considered VERY rude to look at someone's cards
without asking permission.
Dummy may attempt to prevent an irregularity by
declarer (play from the correct hand) but cannot use
similar hand motions to indicate a line of play;
especially picking up a card before declarer calls for it.
COUNT YOUR CARDS!!! This is the most difficult
situation a director faces during any game. Invariably,
two tables are disrupted to the point where both tables
fall behind in play; too much information spills out (the
contract, specific cards in specific hands, people can't
remember,etc). PLEASE COUNT YOUR CARDS
BEFORE AND AFTER EACH HAND.
...is deemed to have belonged to it continuously.
That means declarer can't go back and replace a
quitted trick to replace card that should have been
played earlier.
NORTH!! You play your boards in ascending sequence
and your opponents in descending sequence. Please
verify your opponents and boards before beginning
EVERY round. The Director can issue a 1/4 board
penalty against the NS for allowing the wrong people or
boards to be played. What's a quarter of a board?
Depending on the raw score of the board it would
certainly mean an Average minus if the score was
average with the others.
Go to Auction--Rules 17-20