The Laws of Duplicate Bridge 6

Grab a cup of tea and something to eat before you settle down to read these ones!

Law 16
Authorised and Unauthorised Information
A. Players use of information.
1. A player may use information in the auction or play if:
a) it derives from the legal calls and plays of the current board (including illegal calls and plays that are accepted) and is unaffected by unauthorised information from another source or;
b) it is authorised information from a withdrawn action or;
c) it is information specified in any Law or Regulation to be authorised or, when not otherwise specified, arising from the legal procedures authorised in these laws and in regulations (but see B1 following) or;
d) it is information that the player possessed before he / she took their hand from the board (Law 7B) and the laws do not preclude his / her use of this information.
2. Players may also take account of their estimate of their own score, of the traits of their opponents, and any requirement of the tournament regulations.
B. Extraneous information from partner
1. Any extraneous information from partner that might suggest a call or play is unauthorised. This includes remarks, questions, replies to questions, unexpected alerts or failures to alert, unmistakeable hesitation, unwonted speed, special emphasis, tone, gesture, movement or mannerism.
a) A player may not choose a call or play that is demonstrably suggested over another by unauthorised information if the other call or play is a logical alternative.
b) A logical alternative is an action that a significant proportion of the class of players in question, using the methods of the partnership, would seriously consider, and some might select.
2. When a player considers that an opponent has made such information available and that damage could well result he/she may announce, unless prohibited by the regulating authority (which may require that the Director be called), that he/she reserves the right to summon the Director later (the opponents should summon the Director immediately if they dispute the fact that unauthorised information might have been conveyed).
3. When a player has substantial reason to believe that an opponent who had a logical alternative has chosen an action suggested by such information, he/she should summon the Director when play ends. The Director shall assign an adjusted score (se Law 12C1) if he/she considers that an infraction of the law has resulted in an advantage for the offender.

C. Information from Withdrawn Calls and Plays
When a call or play has been withdrawn as these laws provide:
1. For a non-offending side, all information arising from a withdrawn action is authorised, whether the action be his/her own or their opponents.
2. For an offending side, information arising from its own withdrawn action and from withdrawn actions of the non-offending side is unauthorised. A player of an offending side may not choose a call or play that is demonstrably suggested over another by unauthorised information if the other call or play is a logical alternative.
3. The Director shall assign an adjusted score (see Law 12C1) if he/she considers that a violation of C2 has damaged the non-offending side.
D. Extraneous Information from Other Sources
1. When a player accidently receives extraneous information about a board he/she is playing or has yet to play, as by looking at the wrong hand; by overhearing calls, results or remarks; by seeing cards at another table; or by seeing a card belonging to another player at his/her own table before the auction begins (se also Law 13A), the Director should be notified forthwith, preferably by the recipient of the information.
2. If the Director considers that the information would likely interfere with normal play he/she may , before any call has been made:
a. Adjust the players’ positions at the table, if the type of contest and scoring permit, so that the player with information about one hand will hold that hand;
b. If the form of competition allows it, order the board re-dealt for those contestants;
c. Allow completion of the play of the board standing ready to award an adjusted score if he/she judges that the extraneous information affected the result;
d. Award an adjusted score (for team play see Law 86B).
3. If such extraneous information is received after the first call in the auction has been made and before completion of the play of the board the Director proceeds as in 2(c) or 2(d) above.
Law 17
The Auction Period
A. Auction Period Starts
The auction period on a deal begins for a side when either partner withdraws his cards from the board.
B. The First Call
The player designated by the board as dealer makes the first call.
C. Successive Calls
The player to dealer’s left makes the second call, and thereafter each player calls in turn in a clockwise rotation.
D. End of Auction Period
1. The auction period ends when, subsequent to the end of the auction, as in Law 22A, either defender faces an opening lead. (If the lead is out of turn then see Law 54). The interval between the end of the auction and the end of the auction period is designated the Clarification Period.
2. If no player bids (see Law 22B) the auction period ends when all four hands have been returned to the board.
3. When a call has been followed by three passes the auction does not end if any of those passes was out of rotation, depriving a player of his/her right to call. When this occurs the auction reverts to the player who missed their turn, all subsequent passes are cancelled and the auction proceeds normally. Law 16C applies to the cancelled calls, any player who has passed out of rotation being an offender.

Law 18
Bids
A. Proper Form
A bid designates a number of odd tricks (tricks in excess of 6) from one to seven, and a denomination. (Pass, double and redouble are calls but not bids).
B. To Supersede a Bid
A bid supersedes a previous bid if it designates either the same number of odd tricks in a higher ranking denomination or a greater number of odd tricks in any denomination.
C. Sufficient Bid
A bid that supersedes the last preceding bid is a sufficient bid.
D. Insufficient Bid
A bid that fails to supersede the last preceding bid. It is an infraction to make an insufficient bid (see Law 27).
E. Rank of the denominations – we all know these!
F. Different Methods
Regulating authorities may authorise different methods of making calls.

Law 19
Doubles and Redoubles
A. Doubles
1. A player may double only the last preceding bid. That bid must have been made by an opponent; calls other than pass must not have intervened.
2. In doubling, the player should not state the number of odd tricks or the denomination. The only correct form is the single word “double”.
3. If a player, in doubling, incorrectly states the bid, or the number of odd tricks or the denomination, he is deemed to have doubled the bid as it was made. (Law 16 Unauthorised information may apply).
B. Redoubles
1. A player may redouble only the last preceding double. That double must have been made by an opponent; calls other than pass must not have intervened.
2. In redoubling, the player should not state the number of odd tricks or the denomination. The only correct form is the single word “redouble”.
3. If a player, in redoubling, incorrectly states the doubled bid, or the number of odd tricks or the denomination, he is deemed to have redoubled the bid as it was made. (Law 16 Unauthorised information may apply).
C. Double or Redouble Superseded
Any double or redouble is superseded by a subsequent legal bid.
D. Scoring a Doubled or Redoubled Contract
If a doubled or redoubled bid is not followed by a subsequent legal bid, scoring values are increased as provided in Law 77.

Law 20
Review and Explanation of Calls
A. Call Not Clearly Recognised
A player may require clarification forthwith if he/she is in doubt what call has been made.
B. Review of Auction During Auction Period
During the auction period, a player is entitled to have all previous calls restated when it is his/her turn to call, unless he/she is required by law to pass. Alerts should be included when responding to the request. A player may not ask for a partial review of previous calls and may not halt the review before it is completed.
C. Review After Final Pass
1. After the final pass either defender has the right to ask if it is his/her opening lead (see Laws 41 and 47E).
2. Declarer or either defender may, at his/her first turn to play, require all previous calls to be restated (se Laws 41B and 41C). As in B the player may not ask for only a partial restatement or halt the review.
D. Who May Review the Auction
A request to have calls restated shall be responded to only by an opponent.
E. Correction of Error in Review
All players including dummy or a player required by law to pass, are responsible for prompt correction of errors in restatement (see Law12C1 when an uncorrected review causes damage).
F. Explanation of Calls
1. During the auction and before the final pass any player may request, at his/her own turn to call, an explanation of the opponent’s auction. He/she is entitled to know about calls actually made, about relevant alternative calls available that were not made, and about inferences from the choice of action where these are matters of partnership understanding. Except on the instruction of the Director replies should be given by the partner of the player who made the call in question. The partner of a player who asks a question may not ask a supplementary question until his/her turn to call or play. Law 16 may apply and the Regulating Authority may establish regulations for written explanations.
2. After the final pass and throughout the play period, either defender at his/her own turn to play may request an explanation of the opposing auction. At Declarer’s turn to play from either hand he/she may request an explanation of the defender’s call or card play understandings. Explanations should be given on a like basis to 1. above and by the partner of the player whose action is explained.
3. Under 1. and 2. above a player may ask concerning a single call but Law16B1 may apply.
4. a). If a player realises during the auction that his/her own explanation was erroneous or incomplete, he/she must summon the Director before the end of the Clarification Period and correct the miss-explanation. He/she may elect to call the Director sooner but he/she is under no obligation to do so. (For a correction during the play period, see Law75B2).
b). The Director when summoned applies Law 21B or Law 40B3.
5. a). A player whose partner has given a mistaken explanation may not correct the error during the auction, nor may he/she indicate in any manner that a mistake has been made. “Mistaken explanation” here includes failure to alert or announce as regulations require or an alert (or an announcement) that regulations do not require.
b). The player must call the Director and inform his/her opponents that, in his/her opinion, his/her partner’s explanation was erroneous (see Law 75B) but only at his/her first legal opportunity, which is:
i). for a defender, at the end of the play.
ii). for declarer or dummy, after the final pass of the auction.
6. If the Director judges that a player has based an action on misinformation given to him/her by an opponent see, as appropriate, Law 21 or Law 47E
G. Incorrect Procedure
1. A player may not ask a question if his/her sole purpose is to benefit partner.
2. A player may not ask a question if his/her sole purpose is to elicit an incorrect response from an opponent.
3. Except as the Regulating Authority allows, a player may not consult his/her own system card and notes during the auction period and play (but see Law 40B2 (b)).

Law 21
Misinformation
A. Call or Play Based on Player’s Own Misunderstanding
No rectification or redress is due to a player who acts on the basis of his/her own misunderstanding.
B. Call Based on Misinformation from an Opponent
1. a). Until the end of the auction period (see Law 17D) and provided that his/her partner has not subsequently called, a player may change a call without other rectification for his/her side when the Director judges that the decision to make the call could well have been influenced by misinformation given to the player by an opponent. Failure to alert promptly where an alert is required by the Regulating Authority is deemed misinformation.
b). The Director is to presume Mistaken Explanation rather than Mistaken Call in the absence of evidence to the contrary.
2. When a player elects to change a call because of misinformation (as in 1 preceding), his/her LHO (left hand opponent) may then, in turn, change any subsequent call he/she may have made, but Law 16C applies.
3. When it is too late to change a call and the Director judges that the offending side gained an advantage from the irregularity he/she awards an adjusted score.

Ross