Laws of Duplicate Bridge 10

Law 41
Commencement of Play
A. Face Down Opening lead
After a bid, double or redouble has been followed by three passes in rotation, the defender on presumed declarer’s left makes the opening lead face down. The face-down lead may be withdrawn only upon instruction of the Director after an irregularity (see Laws 47E and 54); the withdrawn card must be returned to the defender’s hand.
B. Review of Auction and Questions
Before the opening lead is faced, the leader’s partner and the presumed declarer (but not the presumed dummy) each may require a review of the auction , or request explanation of an opponent’s call (see Law 20F2 and 20F3). Declarer or either defender may, at his/her first turn to play a card, require a review of the auction; this right expires when he/she plays a card. The defenders (subject to Law 16) and the declarer retain the right to request explanations throughout the play period, each at his/her own turn to play.
C. Opening Lead Faced
Following this Clarification Period, the opening lead is faced, the play period begins irrevocably, and dummy’s hand is spread (but see Law 54A for a faced opening lead out of turn). After it is too late to have previous calls re-stated (see B), declarer or either defender, at his/her own turn to play, is entitled to be informed as to what the contract is and whether, but not by whom, it was doubled or redoubled.
D. Dummy’s Hand
After the opening lead is faced, dummy spreads his/her hand on the table, face up, sorted into suits, the cards in order of rank with lowest ranking cards towards the Declarer, and in seperate columns pointing lengthwise towards Declarer. Trumps are placed to Dummy’s right. Declarer plays both hands.
Law 42
Dummy’s Rights
A. Absolute Rights
1. Dummy is entitled to give information, in the Director’s presence, as to fact or law.
2. Dummy may keep count of tricks won or lost.
3. Dummy plays the cards of the dummy hand as declarer’s agent as directed and ensures that dummy follows suit (see Law 45F if Dummy suggests a play).
B. Qualified Rights
Dummy may exercise other rights subject to the limitations stated in Law 43.
1. Dummy may ask Declarer (but not a Defender) when he/she has failed to follow suit to a trick whether Declarer has a card of the suit led.
2. Dummy may try to prevent any irregularity.
3. Dummy may draw attention to any irregularity, but only after play of the hand is concluded.
Law 43
Dummy’s Limitations
Except as Law 42 allows:
A. Limitations on Dummy
1. a). Dummy may not initiate a call for the Director during play unless another player has drawn attention to an irregularity.
b). Dummy may not call attention to an irregularity during play.
c). Dummy must not participate in the play, nor may he/she communicate anything about the play to Declarer.
2. a). Dummy may not exchange hands with Declarer
b). Dummy may not leave his/her seat to watch Declarer’s play of the hand.
c). Dummy may not look at the face of a card in either defender’s hand.
B. If Violation Occurs
1. Dummy is liable to penalty under Law 90 for any violation of the limitations listed in A1 and A2.
2. If dummy, after his/her violation of the limitations listed in A2:
a). Warns Declarer not to lead from the wrong hand, either defender may choose the hand from which Declarer shall lead.
b). Is the first to ask Declarer if a play from Declarer’s hand constitutes a revoke, Declarer must substitute a correct card if his/her play was illegal, and the provisions of Law 64 then apply as if the revoke had been established.
3. If dummy after his/her violation of the limitations listed in A2 is the first to draw attention to a defender’s irregularity , there is no imediate rectification. Play continues as though no irregularity had occurred. At the end of play if the defending side has gained through its irregularity the Director adjusts only its score, taking away that advantage. The declaring side retains the score achieved at the table.
Law 44
Sequence and Procedure of Play
A. Lead to a Trick
The player who leads to a trick may play any card in his/her hand (unless he/she is subject to restriction after an irregularity committed by his/her side).
B. Subsequent Plays to a Trick
After the lead, each other player in turn plays a card, and the four cards so played constitute a trick. (For the method of playing cards and arranging tricks see Laws 45 and 65 respectively).
C. Requirement to Follow Suit
In playing to a trick, each player must follow suit if possible. This obligation takes precedence over all other requirements of these laws.
D. Inability to Follow Suit
If unable to follow suit, a player may play any card (unless he/she is subject to restriction after an irregularity committed by his/her side).
E. Tricks Containing Trumps
A trick containing a trump is won by the player who has contributed to it the highest trump.
F. Tricks Not Containing Trumps
A trick that does not contain a trump is won by the player who has contributed to it the highest card of the suit led.
G. Lead to Tricks Subsequent to First Trick
The lead to the next trick is from the hand in which the last trick was won.
Law 45
Card Played
A. Play of Card From a Hand
Each player except dummy plays a card by detachiing it from their hand and ‘facing’ it on the table in front of them.
B. Play of Card From Dummy
Declarer plays a card from dummy by naming the card, after which dummy picks up the card and faces it on the table. In playing from dummy’s hand declarer may, if necessary, pick up the desired card themself.
C. Card Deemed to be Played
1. A defender’s card held so that it is possible for his/her partner to see its face is deemed played to the current trick (if the defender has already made a legal play to the current trick, see Law 45E).
2. Declarer is deemed to have played a card from his/her hand if it is:
a). Held face up, touching or nearly touching the table; or
b). Maintained in such a position as to indicate that it has been played.
3. A card in the dummy is played if it has been deliberately touched by declarer except for the purpose either of arranging dummy’s cards, or of reaching a card above or below the card or cards touched.
4. a). A card is played if a player names or otherwise designates it as the card to be played (but see Law 47).
b). Declarer may correct an unintended designation of a card from dummy until he/she next plays a card from either his/her own hand or or from dummy. A change of designation may be allowed after a slip of th tongue, but not after a loss in concentration or a reconsideration of action. If an opponent has, in turn, played a card that was legal before the change in designation, that opponent may withdraw the card so played , return it to his/her hand, and substitute another (see Laws 47D and 16C1).
5. A penalty card, major or minor, may have to be played (see Law 50).
D. Dummy Picks Up a Non-designated Card
1. If dummy places in the played position a card that declarer did not name , the card must be withdrawn if attention is drawn to it before each side has played to the next trick and a defender may withdraw and return to his/her hand a card played after the error but before attention was drawn to it; if declarer’s RHO changes his/her play declarer may withdraw a card he/she had subsequently played to that trick. (see Law 16C).
2. When it is too late to change dummy’s wrongly placed card (see above) the play continues normally without alteration of the cards played to this or any subsequent trick. If the wrongly placed card was the first card of the trick, then the failure to follow suit to that card may now constitute a revoke (see Laws 64A, 64B7 and 64C). If the wrongly placed card was contributed to a trick already in progress and dummy thereby has revoked, see Laws 64B3 and 64C.
E. Fifth Card Played to Trick
1. A fifth card contributed to a trick by a defender becomes a penalty card, subject to Law 50, unless the Director deems that it was led, in which case Law 53 or 56 applies.
2. When declarer contributes a fifth card to a trick from their own hand or dummy, it is returned to the hand without further rectification unless the Director deems that it was led, in which case Law 55 applies.
F. Dummy Indicates Card
After dummy’s hand is faced, dummy may not touch or indicate any card (except for the purpose of arrangement) without instruction from declarer. If he/she does so the Director should be summoned forthwith and informed of the action. Play continues. At the end of the play the Director shall award an adjusted score if he/she considers dummy suggested a play to declarer and the defenders were damaged by the play suggested.
G. Turning the Trick
No player should turn his/her card face down until all 4 players have played to the trick.