MindZine - Bridge

The Play, Part 1, The Procedure.
As for the auction, it is important to detail the correct procedure of the play, this area covers 5 laws starting with Law 41 'The Commencement of Play'.

As was discovered earlier, the end of the auction period is when the opening lead is faced, the procedure is for the correct defender to lead face down, with retraction only permitted with the directors permission, which will be given if an irregularity has occurred such as a correction to an explanation, or if it is not that defenders lead.

Reference to law 45 'Card Played' may be appropriate in case of a request for change due to either an inadvertent play or whether , by definition, the card was actually led. An important aspect of the requirement to lead face down is to give an opportunity for partner to ask questions without the suggestion of influencing a lead at that turn. As a side benefit, it stops a lot of opening leads out of turn occurring with the frequency of calls for the director for this infraction dropping from around 20% of calls to about 5%. Once this period has elapsed, the opening lead is faced and play commences.

Throughout the play, declarer and the defenders are allowed to find out what the final contract is, sometimes easy to forget in the heat of battle. Within this law is the hard to find requirement for Dummy's hand to be put down, in suits, in order of rank, in columns pointing lengthwise towards Declarer with trumps on the right. This procedure whilst seen as dictatorial, certainly resolves a lot of disputes.

Law 42, Dummy's Rights. Dummy plays an important role during the play, it is wise to stay at the table as there are many functions that need to be attended to. In addition to easing Declarers stress, the law gives Dummy certain absolute rights in addition to qualified rights which are retained providing he complies with the requirement of Law. The absolute rights, which can never be taken away, are:

1	Give information to the Director as to fact or Law
2	Keep track of tricks won and lost
3	Play Dummy's cards as directed

Whilst these rights do not appear to be that important, a side benefit is should the director be called over disputed tricks, he will most likely refer to Dummy's positioned cards as they are more likely to be correct with less distractions creating errors in placement.

The Qualified rights, which remain for the most part, are:

1	To question his Declarer, if he fails to follow suit
2	To prevent Declarer from committing irregularities
3	To call the director after the play to question or point out any irregularity

Dummy is NOT permitted to question Defenders, over possible irregularities, is NOT permitted to draw attention to other irregularities, is NOT permitted to tell declarer that he has a trick pointing in the wrong direction and is NOT permitted to initiate a call for the Director. A violation of any of the above would be referred to Law 90, 'Procedural Penalties'. This does not automatically mean a score penalty, it is the authority for the Director to impose such in the case of persistent flouting of instructions to the contrary.

There are more serious acts that can be committed by Dummy, these carry specific penalties. They are:

1	Exchanging hands with Declarer (a rubber bridge phenomena)
2	Going to watch Declarer play the hand
3	Deliberately looking at a Defenders cards

Penalties are, in addition to procedural ones: If he warns Declarer not to lead from the wrong hand, Defenders may select which hand leads. Any query re failure to follow suit establishes a revoke if applicable with the trick having to be corrected. Drawing attention to an irregularity of a defender cancels any penalties, however equity is still the name of the game and the Director should adjust if damage occurs.

Law 44, 'Sequence and Procedure of Play' reinforces what all bridge players know when it comes to leading, following suit, inability to follow suit, who leads to the next trick etc. No need to comment further.

Law 45 'Card Played'. This law defines for the Director how and when a card is played, the procedure again resolves a lot of arguments whilst the definition of when a card is deemed played assists in the determination of claims that a card was seen/on the table/held in the air etc as to whether the director rules it as 'Card Played'.

Law 45A deals with the play of a card, stating that it should be detached from the hand and faced on the table. Any dropping or accidental facing of a card is dealt with elsewhere.

Law 45B states the correct procedure when playing from Dummy and whilst it requires Declarer to only name the card, leaving the placement to Dummy, there is an out, giving the Declarer the right to pick up the card himself. It does state that playing Dummy's hand should only be done when necessary, yet I have never had an objection when Declarer plays Dummy as a matter of course. The requirement to name the card is far to frequently ignored, players risk claims of Dummy involvement or worse still, a misunderstanding as to which card was intended, when lazily calling 'Spade' or 'Hit it', or 'play' or 'whatever'. Much better all round to actually name the card.

Law 45C identifies the point in time when a card is deemed played by each of the three participants at the table. For the Defenders, when a card is held in any position that partner could have seen its face, the fact that the Declarer saw it is not the criteria . I always liken the claim of the position of the card to that of a fisherman trying to convince his audience as to the size of his catch, in regard to the angle that the card reached in the air. One side claiming 90 degrees, the other 20. I am pretty sure that by bisecting the angle will give a realistic answer. Claims also include 'I never saw it', 'I wasn't looking', again irrelevant, generally means the player saw it was a disastrous play.
Only the director can resolve the whether law considers the card played. For the Declarer, card must be played when held face up, touching or nearly touching the table or maintained in such a position as to indicate it has been played. I have used the actual wording of the Law as each word is relevant. The Declarer is in a slightly better position than a Defender because no information arising can be of benefit to his side. In the case where the director is asked to determine 'Card Played' I believe that an intended play is more likely to conform with the definition above, whilst an inadvertent play is more likely to succeed in a request for a change. For the play from Dummy, a card once deliberately touched with intent, named or otherwise designated is deemed played, there is an out if a clear inadvertency is apparent, with a change permitted to the intended play should this be appropriate. No change of mind would be considered, the example often given is when leading towards AQ in Dummy and calling the queen before noticing the King appearing on his left. An attempted change, however quick, would not meet with success. To complete the picture, any penalty card may have to be played, subject to Law 50 'Disposition of Penalty Card'

Law 45 continues with 'Card misplayed by Dummy'. There are times when Dummy mishears Declarers instructions and plays the card he thought he heard, the Defender blindly following Dummy's play, follows suit or discards if appropriate. The error in play can be corrected providing a member of each side has not yet played to the next trick.

The procedure is to effectively replay the incorrect trick. In many situations there is a dispute as to which card Declarer called for, to resolve this, ask each player which card they heard, a 50/50 split would encourage the Director to look further and consider the viability of the change, whilst a 75/25 would fail to convince the director that the card played was anything other than the card called. A fifth card played to a trick by a defender becomes a major penalty card unless it was clearly an intended lead, Laws pertaining to 'Leads out of turn, applying. If Declarer plays an extra card, it is just returned to the hand, unless there was a clear intention to lead it.

Law 45F covers the situation when Dummy plays a card before instructed to, a frequent occurrence but one that can turn nasty. Dummy's should never touch a card unless instructed to. If the Director is called, his determination would be based on whether Dummy did suggest a line of play to his Declarer or whether the line was automatic. If he so rules the former, play continues with an adjusted score given if the defenders were damaged.

Section 2 of 'The Play' covers irregularities in procedure and irregular leads and plays, Laws 46 to 60 subject offenders to varying degrees of penalties with very little discretion on the part of the director.

Law 46 is 'Incomplete or Erroneous Call of Card from Dummy', I suspect we are all guilty of failing to use the correct terminology when calling for a card from Dummy, using such words as 'High', 'Low', 'Win it' etc.

As I discussed in a previously, all misunderstandings can be so easily avoided if only players would get into the habit of naming the card they wished to play. Unfortunately, every time the director is called to rule, players get heated, resentment sets in and accusations of 'Win at any Cost' are bandied about. The Law states that if the Declarer calls 'High' or 'Low', the obvious intent and requirement is to literally comply with such instruction; The Law also considers the requirement when a call fails to identify which card is to be played when naming either a suit with no suggestion of rank or vice versa. In the former case, the lowest card of the suit is deemed played, whilst the latter requires the continuation of the suit as played to the previous trick, or otherwise any suit where the rank is in Dummy, Declarers choice. Any call for a card not in Dummy is cancelled. If Declarer says 'Play anything', either defender can nominate which card is played.

In a recent major event, a Declarer playing in a 6 level contract called 'small' at trick two after having lost the first trick, the problem was that he assumed his left hand Defender had continued the suit as led, which he was going to trump in hand, when in reality the Defender had switched and in playing small the Declarer was now going one down in a cold contract. If he had named the actual card, no problem would have occurred as the first requirement in playing from Dummy is to follow suit.

Law 47 is the authority for played cards to be retracted when certain events occur to the detriment of the non-offending side or to correct an irregularity. eg: to correct a failure to follow suit, or after a change of play as authorised by law, as when Dummy places a wrong card in the played position with an innocent defender following suit.

Other instances include when a Defender is wrongly informed it is his lead or if there is a correction to an explanation before any other player has played to the current trick.

Part 2 of this section starts on the second most frequent irregularity, namely 'Penalty Cards'.

Every Director is well versed in reciting the relevant passage of law yet there are a few hidden traps that require both implementation and investigation. Firstly neither Declarer nor Dummy can ever have penalty cards, Law considers that any time a card is exposed, before a legal entitlement, that there should be no area of advantage to the offending side, if there is, then a restriction or penalty is applied to theoretically redress the situation. So, if Declarer exposes any card, any advantage or information can only accrue to the Defenders. Should Declarer deliberately face his hand or show his cards, Law considers this to be a claim or concession and any dispute would be referred to the appropriate law.

Law 49 is headed 'Exposure of a Defenders Card', ignoring at the moment the aspect of a lead, any time a Defenders card is placed in such a position that partner could see its face, unauthorised information is available to partner and as such there has to be a correction process, initially designating the card as a 'Penalty Card'.

Law 50, 'Disposition of a Penalty Card'. As has been previously determined, any card(s) exposed by a defender becomes a penalty card, such card or cards MUST remain face up on the table until a penalty has been selected.

When the Director is called to the table the first enquiry should concern itself with how the card came to be exposed. There are thee aspects that need to be clarified, firstly, was it a lead? Secondly, was the exposure an accident or a deliberate act? If an accident, ie, dropped, then providing it was a non-honour (2 - 9), it becomes 'A Minor Penalty Card' as against any honour (AKQJ10) or any card deliberately faced being 'A Major Penalty Card. If more than one card, then the provisions of the latter apply. 'A Minor Penalty Card' is deemed to be of an insignificant nature and the penalty reflects this.

In essence, whilst the card must remain face up on the table, the player can treat the card as though it was in the hand with the only requirement of play being that he may not play another card of the same suit below the rank of an honour. There is no requirement whatsoever to play the card if on lead, in discarding or in following suit other than as stated in the previous sentence.

'A Major Penalty Card' is classified as a serious infraction, imparting significant unauthorised information to partner with a penalty that takes away any suggestion of an advantage.. In short, 'A Major Penalty Card' must be played at the first legal opportunity whether in leading, discarding or following suit, in addition should the offenders partner gain the lead whilst the card is faced on the table, the Declarer has an option of insisting or prohibiting a lead of that suit, with the prohibition continuing for as long as that player remains on lead.

If this option is taken up, the penalty card is replaced in the hand. Should the offender have more than one penalty card, the Declarer can nominate which card is played with the only obligation being the requirement to follow suit. Declarers sometimes feel hard done by when a Defender has a Major Penalty Card and is on lead, with such lead being of great disadvantage to Declarer, A Rueful Rabbit Syndrome. There is no recourse in this instance as the play of the penalty card is part of the legal process of the game whereby the offender is not in receipt of any area of unauthorised information and therefore cannot be further penalised. A case of 'that's the Way the Cookie Crumbles'.

Penalty cards also occur through exposed cards during the auction should the offender become a defender. The criteria applying to whether it is designated as 'Major' or 'Minor' applies as before. Should the offender become Declarer or Dummy, the exposed card is simply replaced in the hand. Have you ever been faced with 13 penalty cards? Every now and again, a player, believing he is Dummy, faces all 13 cards. Not good news!

Law 51 'Two or more Penalty Cards' with no upper limit now comes into force and the fun begins. At every turn of the offender to play, the law gives Declarer the right to designate any legal play of the remaining penalty cards. Every time the offenders partner is on lead, the Declarer can require the lead of a suit, or prohibit a lead of any suit or suits as exposed, however, if either of these options are selected, the offender picks up every card in the suit or suits named, thus reducing the penalty cards, often considerably. The Director will probably stay at the table throughout the play as the options listed above are fairly complex.

Law 52 deals with 'A Failure to Lead or Play a Penalty Card'. In the heat of battle it is easy to forget one's obligations as laid down by law and lead or play a card from hand forgetting that the exposed card should have been played to that trick. All that happens is, in effect, that the illegal play becomes a second penalty card, with Declarer given the option to select which of the two cards is played.

Part 3 of Section 2 covers 'Irregular Leads and Plays', herein lies the parrot fashion expounding of the opening lead out of turn options. Once a daily occurence, now, thanks to the requirement to lead face down, a fairly rare phenomenon. As in other like laws, whereby irregularities can be accepted if advantageous, any lead out of turn can be accepted, pounded theory goes along the lines that if a player is stupid enough not to know whose lead it is, then he is likely to have made a stupid lead.

A lead out of turn is not confined to Defenders, during the play, Declarers often lead from the wrong hand before Dummy has a chance to stop them. As an aside, Dummy's role is very important, as an alert Dummy can certainly prevent his Declarer from leading from the wrong hand which prevents any benefit to the defenders.

Once a lead from the wrong hand occurs, either defender or Declarer as the case may be, can accept the lead simply by either playing to the trick or making any statement to that effect. No consultation is permitted as any suggestion of this would void any requirement and would be treated as Unauthorised Information plus a breach of propriety.

Back to the opening lead out of turn. Every director has his pet way of expressing the law, many players are confused by the number of options and the volume of the Directors statement, not doing themselves justice in their selection of the play. My preferred line is to start off by emphasizing the option to accept the lead before starting on the other aspects. I believe that if you eliminate this option first, you then leave the player to concentrate on the remainder, with the resultant benefit that the selection is completed in far less time.

I am a strong advocate of self expression when it comes to imparting law, a Director who recites verbotem from the rule book either doesn't know the laws or hasn't enough confidence in his ability to get the message across.

Section 2 of part 3 deals with 'Other Irregular Leads and Plays', Law 57 to Law 60 embrace 'Premature Leads or Plays by Defender, Simultaneous Leads or Plays and Play after an Illegal Play'. The first of these has a drastic penalty; Beware, if you as a Defender lead to the next trick before partner has played to the current trick, or you play out of turn before partner has played, not only does your card become 'A Major Penalty Card' but also Declarer can require your partner to play either the highest or lowest card of the suit led or forbid him to play a card of any other suit.

The last paragraph of this law clarifies that it is procedurally incorrect for a Defender to play a card before Dummy even though there is only a singleton there or there is an automatic play. A Lead or play made simultaneously with another player's legal lead or play is deemed subsequent and catagorised as a 'Major Penalty Card' from this point on. When a player plays two or more cards to a trick, it is relevent whether or not all the cards were visable. if only one, then that card is played with all others returned to the hand; If more than one is visable, the player has the right to select which card he wishes to play with all others becomming 'Major Penalty Cards'. Should discovery not occur until a later time, the law of defective trick applies, Law 67.

Law 60 considers the consequences of 'Play after an Illegal Play' noting that any play by the non-offender after a lead or play out of turn negates any penalty whilst a play by the offender's partner may subject the side to further penalties.

Law 61, 'The Revoke', There is not a player on this earth who has not succumbed to the revoke, from beginners to World Champions, it strikes with gay abandon. In the old days a failure to follow suit was totally preventable with partners permitted to ask the question "Having no more partner". Nowadays only Dummy is permitted such latitude who should safeguard against a revoke by questioning his Declarer every time he failed to follow suit.

I find it difficult to comprehend why Dummy's decide at this crucial time to go for a smoke, cup of coffee or comfort break. The responsibility of keeping Declarer on the straight and narrow must be more important. Defenders are in a far less advantageous position with Law preventing them from querying a failure to follow suit by their partner unless you are (un)lucky enough to play in one of the Zones that permit the question, a right under Law 61B. High time that the world came to an agreement on this issue with players who are unused to the Law placed at a disadvantage when competing in other Zones or world events.

There is an allowance for Declarer to ask a Defender and a Defender to ask Declarer, this however does not necessarily permit inspection of quitted tricks with only the Director having the authority to establish whether a failure to follow suit has occurred. In a proportion of claims, a revoke has never occurred and in inspecting the alleged faulty trick, a player may have been able to establish the content, which he had forgotten!

A frequent scenario when a revoke occurs is cards all over the place, the unfortunate Director arrives at the table to find faced cards in abundance with all players at odds with each other. In order to restore a semblance of sanity, the first task is to restore the played cards to the sequence of play and discover approximately where the alleged failure to follow suit occurred. In many instances, it was either on the current trick or the one immediately preceding it; Here it is essential to determine whether or not under law, the revoke has been established or whether they are still in the period for allowable correction without penalty. It this is the case then the correction is mandatory with the faulty card, if Defender, left face up on the table as a 'Major Penalty Card', if Declarer, simply replaced in the hand.

If the faulty trick had been completed, members of the non offending side have the option to change their play providing the original play was made after the revoke. After a member of the non offending side elects to change their play, the same option is offered to the player on the left. The original card becoming a 'Major Penalty Card' if a Defender. Any revoke, whether established or not, on trick 12, must be corrected with no resultant penalty, in essence the two tricks 12 and 13 are simply replayed. There may be an area of unauthorised information to an offending side by seeing the change of play, in which case the Director may well rule an adjusted score under law 16.

Law 63 is headed 'Establishment of a Revoke', there are three defined times, the first and most relevant is when a member of the offending side leads or plays to the next trick; In other words a trick can be completed, Declarer leads to the next trick, Defender now realises an error and calls the Director, a change would be permitted as the correction is within the time allowed, no penalty. The other two establishment times revolve around a claim, concession or indication of a play to the next trick, again by a member of the offending side. Declarers often fall prey to this scenario, trumping a loser, then claiming still holding a card of the suit as led.

There is one other area of a so called effective establishment, as reported earlier, it is in most Zones, an infraction for Defenders to question each other over a failure to follow suit. Should they illegally do so, in any way shape or form, and the player had revoked, then the offending player is required to substitute a legal card with the penalty provisions of Law 64 now coming into force and the original played card becoming 'A Major Penalty Card'. A double Whammy!

Law 64, 'Procedure After Establishment of a revoke'. Once the Director determines that it is too late to correct a failure to follow suit or when the is a claim that a revoke occurred after the play has been completed, there is now a probable penalty to be imposed. Providing the claim of revoke is agreed to or proved, the Directors first line of questioning revolves around who won the offending trick.

In reality, the only way the offender can win a trick by revoking is by trumping, so the Director can even bypass this line of questioning if the contact is in No Trumps. If the offender illegally trumped then this trick is transferred. Presuming the offender did not illegally trump, just discarded, the information now required is whether the offending player won a subsequent trick with a card he should have played at the time.. If the answer is 'Yes', then this trick is transferred. (remember, this only applies if the offender did NOT win the revoke trick).

Directors should be careful to ensure that the players are aware that Declarer is a player in his own right and that any statement of 'He won the trick' does not refer to the winning in Dummy's hand. Just because Declarer plays Dummy's hand does not mean that tricks won from Dummy constitute any right of claim that Declarer won the offending or subsequent trick. Up to this point everything appears fair and equitable, after all, only a trick that has possibly been illegally won has been transferred.

To ensure that there is no suggestion of damage from a non-offending side in their thought processes during the play, the law further imposes a transference of one trick. Note the word transference, this correctly implies that one can only transfer tricks that the offenders win, on or after the infraction, with any tricks legally won before the revoke not being involved.

Law 64B covers the situations where penalties do not apply, they include the proviso so mentioned above that of if no tricks were won on or after the revoke trick. Also included in this law are the aspects whereby there is no penalty for a second or subsequent revoke in the same suit, a failure to play a faced card or by a failure to play a card belonging to Dummy. Elaboration is necessary on this last aspect as their is an impression that Dummy's can't revoke and anyway the Defenders should count Dummy's cards'.

I have yet to discover where in law it requires a defender to count anybody else's cards, please enlighten me if you can find it! In fact, Dummy can revoke by failing to play a card belonging to the hand, situations of how this can happen include two cards stuck together, a card falling on the floor going unnoticed etc. All law says is that there is no penalty for this as Dummy's hand is exposed for all to see.

To compensate for any damage caused through any of these non-penalty provisions, law 64C gives the Director the authority to award an adjusted score when either the penalty itself or a non penalty fails to compensate for the likely result on the hand. Examples of this are when a transference of 2 tricks is not enough, when the failure to play a card from Dummy either gives Declarer the contract or defeats a contract that should have been made. Both examples would be cause for adjustment.

With all laws there has to be a time frame for the claiming of of a penalty for an infraction, with revokes it is when a member of the non offending side calls on the next deal or after the round has ended, whichever comes first. Again equity would prevail if the non offending side has suffered damage, the time frame for this would depend on the regulation in force for the timing of appeals for that session. So remember, if when scouring through the hand record for the session, you discover a revoke that cost you your contract, call the director who, providing you are within the time frame will adjust the score once the revoke is either proved or agreed too by the opponents.

Part 4 of 'The Play' deals with 'Tricks', identifying the correct procedure for the placement and arrangement of tricks and finishing off with the law of 'Defective Trick'.

Law 65, 'Arrangement of Tricks' is purely procedural, whilst the majority of players conform to correct procedure, a failure to do so will not subject any dissenter to penalty. The problem arises in disputes whereby players who have conformed as per law will have an advantage over those that don't.

A Director called to settle an argument over ownership of tricks will rely heavily on those players whose cards are in an orderly row. In many instances disputes arise after one or more of the hands have been collected up, hopefully there will be at least one hand in position to assist in solving the dispute.

A few helpful hints which I have found useful over the years include:

1)	Check with Dummy first, with little else to concentrate on, Dummy is more likely to be correct than the other three players who have been engrossed in the play and susceptible to mistakes.
2)	Ask Declarer which tricks he lost, rather than won
3)	Ask a Defender which tricks their side won.
4)	If still in dispute, ask each player in turn, how many times they led and what did he lead. This last query often satisfies the most obstinate dissenter.
5)	If all else fails, a quick analysis of the hand will help to identify the most likely scenario.

I was involved in a decision a few years ago over a dispute of tricks in a 3 No Trump contract. At the conclusion of a 20 board match and comparing scores, a dispute surfaced with the Declarer claiming he had made 9 tricks, the Defenders claiming 5 tricks. Both sides were adamant.

In questioning the 4 players, the Dummy was convinced Declarer had made 9, nominated the lead and play to the whole contract. The Defender on Declarers left hotly disputed the play, including the stated opening lead, nominating his recollection of the play which was totally at odds with Dummy's line. Declarer supported Dummy, right hand Defender supporting his partner.

So I was faced with two claims, both totally differing in play, both logical and both leading to the two different results. In frustration, and unable to gain any concrete information to support either case, I awarded an artificial adjusted score of zero imps to both teams.

Law 66 'Inspection of Tricks. As a matter of Law, any player can inspect the current trick up until the player has turned his card face down. In addition, any player can look at his own card just played providing nobody has led to the next trick. During the play, once a trick is quitted, only the Director can look at that or previous tricks for the purpose whereby law needs to be addressed.

At the conclusion of play, any player has the right to inspect any trick but only for the purpose of querying a revoke or ownership of a trick. It is expressly forbidden for a player to touch any other players cards, however, he may request inspection for the purpose as stated above. Should an opponent deliberately mix his cards after such a request, he will find it difficult to refute any allegations of infractions should it be difficult to establish the facts.

Law 67, 'Defective Trick'. An omission to play before each side plays to the next trick is easily corrected, the offender just supplying a legal card. An extra card played is treated as a fifth card played and subject to Law 45E, 'Penalty Card'.

Once both sides have played to the next trick, the rectification is more complex, firstly the Director is required to find out where the irregularity occurred, then if an omission, the offender chooses a legal play with, holding a card of the suit, simply placing it in the played cards with no penalty; With no holding of the suit, he may play any card he chooses, but is subject to a one trick revoke penalty of Law 64 on the defective trick. In both of these instances, the ownership of the defective trick does not change. Should an offender have played too many cards to a trick, identification is paramount with the extra card(s) replaced in the hand; Should alternative play be available then Law requires the highest of the legal cards be played. Any card(s) replaced in the hand is deemed to have belonged continuously and failure to follow suit constitutes a revoke.

Part 5 of 'The Play' is 'Claims and Concessions'. An area of Law that generates a lot of discussion and a degree of angst.

A list of never's should be in every players vocabulary, namely: Never claim with trumps outstanding, never claim without giving a clear indication of the line of play and foremost, never concede as a defender, partners sometimes turn up with the unexpected.

The Law starts off by defining claims and concessions, continues with a requirement to clarify any claim and enforces the requirement that after any claim or concession PLAY CEASES. Under no circumstances will the Director allow play to continue or take any notice of play that occurred after the announcement. A claim is simply a statement of intent signifying that there is no point in prolonging play as the remaining play of the cards is automatic. Therefore, any statement, showing of the hand or similar, constitutes an intent to claim. Can be done by Declarer or either Defender.

A concession is very similar, dangerous to do as a Defender, but when obvious can definitely speed up play. Any Defender has the right to object to his partner conceding but unauthorised information would apply and any faced cards would become penalty cards. An objection by any player requires the presence of the Director who will rule to the appropriate part of law 70 or 71.

Law 69, Acquiescence in Claim or Concession'. Up until their side makes a call on the next board or before the round ends, acquiescence occurs providing nobody makes an objection.

This acquiescence may be withdrawn up until the correction period established within the regulations of the tournament, but only if acquiescence has been given in the loss of a trick which in fact was won, or in the loss of a trick that could not be lost by any normal play of the remaining cards. Normal includes careless or inferior but not irrational.

Law 70, 'Contested Claims'. The Directors role when a player queries the validity of a claim is to adjudicate equitably with any doubt given in favour of the non-claimer. Various guidelines are stated which assist in any determination ranging from getting the claimer to repeat and if necessary elaborate on any statement of claim, to an analyses of the remaining cards to see whether there is any doubt as to the outcome.

My approach is to ask the claimer what his intent was at the point of claiming, the initial response will set the scene for the resolution giving the Director a valuable insight into the thought processes of the player. The first requirement is for all hands to be faced, with any objections now re-heard in the light of any information gleaned through either seeing all four hands or any statement as made by the claimant. Very often the objection is now withdrawn. Should the side continue with their objection, normally due to an outstanding trump, the Director would award a trick unless the claimer mentioned that trumps still needed to be drawn or was aware of an outstanding trump or a trick would not normally be won if a progression of play had occurred.

Equity is the name of the game, just because a trump is outstanding does not mean an automatic trick reversal, bridge logic has to be in the equation.

Other situations where the director would give a trick to the opponents are, if the claimer changes course from an original line, with the original line failing or a play that requires an opponent to hold a particular card or cards, ie if a finesse is needed, not permitted to take it, if onside, not permitted the drop if singleton offside. This proviso is waived if a player has previously failed to follow to the suit or would subsequently fail to follow to that suit on any normal line of play.

Law 71, 'Concession Cancelled'. Once a concession occurs, it stands, however, within the correction period established in the regulations a player can withdraw a concession if he has conceded a trick that was won by their side or if a trick could not be lost by any legal play of the remaining cards.

Law 71B states the obvious, that if a contract made or went down, then the true result is reinstated.

Law 71C, 'Implausible Concession'. The Director will cancel the concession of a trick that cannot be lost by any normal play of the remaining cards up until the conceding side makes a call on the next board, or until the round ends.

Bridge Links:

Grenside Index

Laws Index

Main Bridge Index

Discuss this article on our
Card Games message board.

Chapter VI

The Play
PART I PROCEDURE
SECTION ONE CORRECT PROCEDURE

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 Law 47E2); 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 each may require a review of the auction, or request explanation of an opponent's call (see Law 20). Declarer or either defender may, at his first turn to play a card, require a review of the auction; this right expires when he 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 own turn to play.
C. Opening Lead Faced Following this question period, the opening lead is faced, the play period begins, and dummy's hand is spread. After it is too late to have previous calls restated (see B, above), declarer or either defender, at his 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 hand in front of him on the table, face up, sorted into suits, the cards in order of rank, in columns pointing lengthwise towards declarer, with trumps to dummy's right. Declarer plays both his hand and that of dummy.

LAW 42 - DUMMY'S RIGHTS

A. Absolute Rights
1. Give Information Dummy is entitled to give information, in the Director's presence, as to fact or law.
2. Keep Track of Tricks He may keep count of tricks won and lost.
3. Play as Declarer's Agent He plays the cards of the dummy as declarer's agent as directed (see Law 45F if dummy suggests a play).
B. Qualified Rights Dummy may exercise other rights subject to the limitations provided in Law 43.
1. Revoke Inquiries Dummy may ask declarer (but not a defender) when he has failed to follow suit to a trick whether he has a card of the suit led.
2. Attempt to Prevent Irregularity He may try to prevent any irregularity by declarer.
3. Draw Attention to Irregularity He may draw attention to any irregularity, but only after play of the hand is concluded.

LAW 43 - DUMMY'S LIMITATIONS

Except as specified in Law 42:
A. Limitations on Dummy
1. General Limitations (a) Calling the Director Unless attention has been drawn to an irregularity by another player, dummy should not initiate a call for the Director during play. (b) Calling Attention to Irregularity Dummy may not call attention to an irregularity during play. (c) Participate in or Comment on Play Dummy must not participate in the play, nor may he communicate anything about the play to declarer.
2. Limitations Carrying Specific Penalty (a) Exchanging Hands Dummy may not exchange hands with declarer. (b) Leave Seat to Watch Declarer Dummy may not leave his seat to watch declarer's play of the hand. (c) Look at Defender's Hand Dummy may not, on his own initiative, look at the face of a card in either defender's hand.
B. Penalties for Violation
1. General Penalties Dummy is liable to penalty under Law 90 for any violation of the limitations listed in A1 or A2 preceding.
2. Specific Penalties If dummy, after violation of the limitations listed in A2 preceding: (a) Warns Declarer on Lead warns declarer not to lead from the wrong hand, (penalty) either defender may choose the hand from which declarer shall lead. (b) Asks Declarer about Possible Irregularity is the first to ask declarer if a play from declarer's hand constitutes a revoke, declarer must substitute a correct card if his play was illegal, and the penalty provisions of Law 64 apply as if the revoke had been established.
3. If dummy after violation of the limitations listed in A2 preceding is the first to draw attention to a defender's irregularity, no penalty shall be imposed. If the defenders benefit directly through their irregularity, the director shall award an adjusted score to both sides to restore equity.

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 hand (unless he is subject to restriction after an irregularity committed by his 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 Law 65.)
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 is subject to restriction after an irregularity committed by his 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 player who has won the trick leads to the next trick.

LAW 45 - CARD PLAYED

A. Play of Card from a Hand Each player except dummy plays a card by detaching it from his hand and facing it on the table immediately before him.
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 himself.
C. Compulsory Play of Card
1. Defender's Card A defender's card held so that it is possible for his partner to see its face must be played to the current trick (if the defender has already made a legal play to the current trick, see Law 45E).
2. Declarer's Card Declarer must play a card from his hand held face up, touching or nearly touching the table, or maintained in such a position as to indicate that it has been played.
3. Dummy's Card A card in the dummy must be played if it has been deliberately touched by declarer except for the purpose of arranging dummy's cards, or of reaching a card above or below the card or cards touched.
4. Named or Designated Card (a) Play of Named Card A card must be played if a player names or otherwise designates it as the card he proposes to play. (b) Correction of Inadvertent Designation A player may, without penalty, change an inadvertent designation if he does so without pause for thought; but if an opponent has, in turn, played a card that was legal before the change in designation, that opponent may withdraw without penalty the card so played and substitute another (see Law 47E).
5. Penalty Card A penalty card, major or minor, may have to be played, subject to Law 50.
D. Card Misplayed by Dummy 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 (without penalty) a card played after the error but before attention was drawn to it; if declarer's RHO changes his play, declarer may withdraw a card he had subsequently played to that trick (see Law 16C2).
E. Fifth Card Played to Trick
1. By a Defender 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 Law 56 applies.
2. By Declarer When declarer contributes a fifth card to a trick from his own hand or dummy, there is no penalty 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 purpose of arrangement) without instruction from declarer. If he does so, the Director should be summoned forthwith. The Director shall rule whether dummy's act did in fact constitute a suggestion to declarer. When the Director judges that it did, he allows play to continue, reserving his right to assign an adjusted score if the defenders were damaged by the play so suggested.
G. Turning the Trick No player should turn his card face down until all four players have played to the trick.

SECTION TWO
IRREGULARITIES IN PROCEDURE

LAW 46 - INCOMPLETE OR ERRONEOUS CALL OF CARD FROM DUMMY

A. Proper Form for Designating Dummy's Card When calling a card to be played from dummy, declarer should clearly state both the suit and the rank of the desired card.
B. Incomplete or Erroneous Call In case of an incomplete or erroneous call by declarer of the card to be played from dummy, the following restrictions apply (except when declarer's different intention is incontrovertible):
1. Incomplete Designation of Rank If declarer, in playing from dummy, calls "high", or words of like import, he is deemed to have called the highest card: in fourth seat he may be deemed to have called for the lowest winning card of the suit indicated; if he directs dummy to win the trick, he is deemed to have called the lowest winning card; if he calls "low", or words of like import, he is deemed to have called the lowest.
2. Designates Suit but Not Rank If declarer designates a suit but not a rank, he is deemed to have called the lowest card of the suit indicated.
3. Designates Rank but Not Suit If declarer designates a rank but not a suit: (a) In Leading Declarer is deemed to have continued the suit in which dummy won the preceding trick, provided there is a card of the designated rank in that suit. (b) All Other Cases In all other cases, declarer must play a card from dummy of the designated rank if he can legally do so; but if there are two or more such cards that can be legally played, declarer must designate which is intended.
4. Designates Card Not in Dummy If declarer calls a card that is not in dummy, the call is void and declarer may designate any legal card. 5. No Suit or Rank Designated If declarer indicates a play without designating either a suit or rank (as by saying, ""play anything'', or words of like import), either defender may designate the play from dummy.

LAW 47 - RETRACTION OF CARD PLAYED

A. To Comply with Penalty A card once played may be withdrawn to comply with a penalty (but a defender's withdrawn card may become a penalty card, see Law 49).
B. To Correct an Illegal Play A played card may be withdrawn to correct an illegal or simultaneous play (see Law 58 for simultaneous play; and, for defenders, see Law 49, penalty card).
C. To Change an Inadvertent Designation A played card may be withdrawn without penalty after a change of designation as permitted by Law 45C4(b).
D. Following Opponent's Change of Play After an opponent's change of play, a played card may be withdrawn without penalty (but see Law 62C2) to substitute another card for the one played.
E. Change of Play Based on Misinformation
1. Lead Out of Turn A lead out of turn may be retracted without penalty if the leader was mistakenly informed by an opponent that it was his turn to lead (LHO should not accept the lead).
2. Retraction of Play (a) No One Has Subsequently Played A player may retract the card he has played because of a mistaken explanation of an opponent's call or play and before a corrected explanation, but only if no card was subsequently played to that trick. An opening lead may not be retracted after dummy has faced any card. (b) One or More Subsequent Plays Made When it is too late to correct a play, under (a) preceding, Law 40C applies.
F. Illegal Retraction Except as provided in A through E preceding, a card once played may not be withdrawn.

PART II
PENALTY CARD

LAW 48 - EXPOSURE OF DECLARER'S CARDS

A. Declarer Exposes a Card Declarer is not subject to penalty for exposing a card, and no card of declarer's or dummy's hand ever becomes a penalty card. Declarer is not required to play any card dropped accidentally.
B. Declarer Faces Cards
1. After Opening Lead Out of Turn When declarer faces his cards after an opening lead out of turn, Law 54 applies.
2. At Any Other Time When declarer faces his cards at any time other than immediately after an opening lead out of turn, he may be deemed to have made a claim or concession of tricks, and Law 68 then applies.

LAW 49 - EXPOSURE OF A DEFENDER'S CARDS

Except in the normal course of play or application of law, when a defender's card is in a position in which his partner could possibly see its face, or when a defender names a card as being in his hand, (penalty) each such card becomes a penalty card (Law 50); but see the footnote to Law 68 when a defender has made a statement concerning an uncompleted trick currently in progress.

LAW 50 - DISPOSITION OF PENALTY CARD

A card prematurely exposed (but not led, see Law 57) by a defender is a penalty card unless the Director designates otherwise. The Director shall award an adjusted score, in lieu of the rectifications below, when he deems that Law 72B1 applies.
A. Penalty Card Remains Exposed A penalty card must be left face up on the table immediately before the player to whom it belongs, until an alternate penalty has been selected.
B. Major or Minor Penalty Card? A single card below the rank of an honour and exposed inadvertently (as in playing two cards to a trick, or in dropping a card accidentally) becomes a minor penalty card. Any card of honour rank, or any card exposed through deliberate play (as in leading out of turn, or in revoking and then correcting), becomes a major penalty card; when one defender has two or more penalty cards, all such cards become major penalty cards.
C. Disposition of Minor Penalty Card When a defender has a minor penalty card, he may not play any other card of the same suit below the rank of an honour until he has first played the penalty card (however, he is entitled to play an honour card instead). Offender's partner is not subject to lead penalty, but information gained through seeing the penalty card is extraneous, unauthorised (see Law 16A). D. Disposition of Major Penalty Card When a defender has a major penalty card, both the offender and his partner may be subject to restriction, the offender whenever he is to play, the partner when he is to lead.
1. Offender to Play A major penalty card must be played at the first legal opportunity, whether in leading, following suit, discarding or trumping (the requirement that offender must play the card is authorised information for his partner; however, other information arising from facing of the penalty card is unauthorised for partner). If a defender has two or more penalty cards that can legally be played, declarer designates which is to be played. The obligation to follow suit, or to comply with a lead or play penalty, takes precedence over the obligation to play a major penalty card, but the penalty card must still be left face up on the table and played at the next legal opportunity.
2. Offender's Partner to Lead When a defender has the lead while his partner has a major penalty card, he may not lead until declarer has stated which of the options below is selected (if the defender leads prematurely, he is subject to penalty under Law 49). Declarer may choose: (a) Require or Forbid Lead of Suit to require the defender to lead the suit of the penalty card, or to prohibit15 him from leading that suit for as long as he retains the lead (for two or more penalty cards, see Law 51); if declarer exercises this option, the card is no longer a penalty card and is picked up. (b) No Lead Restriction not to require or prohibit a lead, in which case the defender may lead any card; the penalty card remains a penalty card.

LAW 51 - TWO OR MORE PENALTY CARDS

A. Offender to Play If a defender has two or more penalty cards that can legally be played, declarer designates which is to be played at that turn.
B. Offender's Partner to Lead
1. Penalty Cards in Same Suit (a) Declarer Requires Lead of That Suit When a defender has two or more penalty cards in one suit, and declarer requires the defender's partner to lead that suit, the cards of that suit are no longer penalty cards and are picked up; the defender may make any legal play to the trick. (b) Declarer Prohibits Lead of That Suit If the declarer prohibits the lead of that suit, the defender picks up every penalty card in that suit and may make any legal play to the trick.
2. Penalty Cards in More Than One Suit (a) Declarer Requires Lead of a Specified Suit When a defender has penalty cards in more than one suit, declarer may require15 the defender's partner to lead any suit in which the defender has a penalty card (but B1(a) preceding then applies). (b) Declarer Prohibits Lead of Specified Suits When a defender has penalty cards in more than one suit, declarer may prohibit15 the defender's partner from leading one or more of such suits; but the defender then picks up every penalty card in every suit prohibited by declarer and makes any legal play to the trick.

LAW 52 - FAILURE TO LEAD OR PLAY A PENALTY CARD

A. Defender Fails to Play Penalty Card When a defender fails to lead or play a penalty card as required by Law 50, he may not, on his own initiative, withdraw any other card he has played.
B. Defender Plays Another Card
1. Play of Card Accepted (a) Declarer May Accept Play If a defender has led or played another card when required by law to play a penalty card, declarer may accept such lead or play. (b) Declarer Must Accept Play Declarer must accept such lead or play if he has thereafter played from his own hand or dummy. (c) Penalty Card Remains Penalty Card If the played card is accepted under either (a) or (b) preceding, the unplayed penalty card remains a penalty card. 2. Play of Card Rejected Declarer may require the defender to substitute the penalty card for the card illegally played or led. Every card illegally led or played by the defender in the course of committing the irregularity becomes a major penalty card.

PART III
IRREGULAR LEADS AND PLAYS
SECTION ONE LEAD OUT OF TURN

LAW 53 - LEAD OUT OF TURN ACCEPTED

A. Lead Out of Turn Treated as Correct Lead Any lead faced out of turn may be treated as a correct lead. It becomes a correct lead if declarer or either defender, as the case may be, accepts it (by making a statement to that effect), or if the player next in rotation plays to the irregular lead, but see Law 47E1. (If no acceptance statement or play is made, the Director will require that the lead be made from the correct hand.)
B. Wrong Defender Plays Card to Declarer's Irregular Lead If the defender at the right of the hand from which the lead out of turn was made plays16 to the irregular lead, the lead stands and Law 57 applies.
C. Proper Lead Made Subsequent to Irregular Lead If it was properly the turn to lead of an opponent of the player who led out of turn, that opponent may make his proper lead to the trick of the infraction without his card being deemed played to the irregular lead. When this occurs, the proper lead stands, and all cards played in error to this trick may be withdrawn without penalty. (Law 16C2 applies to a defender.)

LAW 54 - FACED OPENING LEAD OUT OF TURN

When an opening lead is faced out of turn, and offender's partner leads face down, the director requires the face down lead to be retracted, and the following sections apply.
A. Declarer Spreads His Hand After a faced opening lead out of turn, declarer may spread his hand; he becomes dummy, and dummy becomes declarer. If declarer begins to spread his hand, and in doing so exposes one or more cards, he must spread his entire hand.
B. Declarer Accepts Lead When a defender faces the opening lead out of turn declarer may accept the irregular lead as provided in Law 53, and dummy is spread in accordance with Law 41.
1. Declarer Plays Second Card The second card to the trick is played from declarer's hand.
2. Dummy Has Played Second Card If declarer plays the second card to the trick from dummy, dummy's card may not be withdrawn except to correct a revoke.
C. Declarer Must Accept Lead If declarer could have seen any of dummy's cards (except cards that dummy may have exposed during the auction and that were subject to Law 24), he must accept the lead.
D. Declarer Refuses Opening Lead When declarer requires the defender to retract his faced opening lead out of turn, Law 56 applies.

LAW 55 - DECLARER'S LEAD OUT OF TURN

A. Declarer's Lead Accepted If declarer has led out of turn from his or dummy's hand, either defender may accept the lead as provided in Law 53, or require its retraction (after misinformation, see Law 47E1).
B. Declarer Required to Retract Lead
1. Defender's Turn to Lead If declarer has led from his or dummy's hand when it was a defender's turn to lead, and if either defender requires him to retract such lead, declarer restores the card led in error to the proper hand without penalty.
2. Lead in Declarer's Hand or Dummy's If declarer has led from the wrong hand when it was his turn to lead from his hand or dummy's, and if either defender requires him to retract the lead, he withdraws the card led in error. He must lead from the correct hand.
C. Declarer Might Obtain Information When declarer adopts a line of play that could have been based on information obtained through the infraction, the Director may award an adjusted score.

LAW 56 - DEFENDER'S LEAD OUT OF TURN

When declarer requires a defender to retract his faced lead out of turn, the card illegally led becomes a major penalty card, and Law 50D applies.

SECTION TWO
OTHER IRREGULAR LEADS AND PLAYS

LAW 57 - PREMATURE LEAD OR PLAY BY DEFENDER

A. Premature Play or Lead to Next Trick When a defender leads to the next trick before his partner has played to the current trick, or plays out of turn before his partner has played, (penalty) the card so led or played becomes a penalty card, and declarer selects one of the following options. He may:
1. Highest Card require offender's partner to play the highest card he holds of the suit led, or
2. Lowest Card require offender's partner to play the lowest card he holds of the suit led, or
3. Card of Another Suit forbid offender's partner to play a card of another suit specified by declarer.
B. Offender's Partner Cannot Comply with Penalty When offender's partner is unable to comply with the penalty selected by declarer, he may play any card, as provided in Law 59.
C. Declarer Has Played from Both Hands before Irregularity A defender is not subject to penalty for playing before his partner if declarer has played from both hands, or if dummy has played a card or has illegally suggested that it be played. A singleton in dummy, or one of cards adjacent in rank of the same suit, is not considered to be automatically played.

LAW 58 - SIMULTANEOUS LEADS OR PLAYS

A. Simultaneous Plays by Two Players A lead or play made simultaneously with another player's legal lead or play is deemed to be subsequent to it.
B. Simultaneous Cards from One Hand If a player leads or plays two or more cards simultaneously:
1. One Card Visible If only one card is visible, that card is played; all other cards are picked up without penalty.
2. More Cards Visible If more than one card is visible, the player designates the card he proposes to play; when he is a defender, each other card exposed becomes a penalty card (see Law 50).
3. After Visible Card Withdrawn After a player withdraws a visible card, an opponent who subsequently played to that card may withdraw his play and substitute another without penalty (see Law 16C).
4. Error Not Discovered If the simultaneous play remains undiscovered until both sides have played to the next trick, Law 67 applies.

LAW 59 - INABILITY TO LEAD OR PLAY AS REQUIRED

A player may play any otherwise legal card if he is unable to lead or play as required to comply with a penalty, whether because he holds no card of the required suit, or because he has only cards of a suit he is prohibited from leading, or because he is obliged to follow suit.

LAW 60 - PLAY AFTER AN ILLEGAL PLAY

A. Play of Card after Irregularity
1. Forfeiture of Right to Penalise A play by a member of the non-offending side after his RHO has led or played out of turn or prematurely, and before a penalty has been assessed, forfeits the right to penalise that offence.
2. Irregularity Legalised Once the right to penalise has been forfeited, the illegal play is treated as though it were in turn (but Law 53C applies to the player whose turn it was).
3. Other Penalty Obligations Remain If the offending side has a previous obligation to play a penalty card, or to comply with a lead or play penalty, the obligation remains at future turns.
B. Defender Plays before Required Lead by Declarer When a defender plays a card after declarer has been required to retract his lead out of turn from either hand, but before declarer has led from the correct hand, the defender's card becomes a penalty card (Law 50).
C. Play by Offending Side before Assessment of Penalty A play by a member of the offending side before a penalty has been assessed does not affect the rights of the opponents, and may itself be subject to penalty.

SECTION THREE
THE REVOKE

LAW 61 - FAILURE TO FOLLOW SUIT - INQUIRIES CONCERNING A REVOKE

A. Definition of Revoke Failure to follow suit in accordance with Law 44 or failure to lead or play, when able, a card or suit required by law or specified by an opponent in accordance with an agreed penalty, constitutes a revoke (but see Law 59 when unable to comply).
B. Right to Inquire about a Possible Revoke Declarer may ask a defender who has failed to follow suit whether he has a card of the suit led (but a claim of revoke does not automatically warrant inspection of quitted tricks - see Law 66C). Dummy may ask declarer (but see Law 43B2(b)). Defenders may ask declarer but, unless the Zonal organisation so authorises, not one another.

LAW 62 - CORRECTION OF A REVOKE

A. Revoke Must Be Corrected A player must correct his revoke if he becomes aware of the irregularity before it becomes established.
B. Correcting a Revoke To correct a revoke, the offender withdraws the card he played in revoking and follows suit with any card.
1. Defender's Card A card so withdrawn becomes a penalty card (Law 50) if it was played from a defender's unfaced hand.
2. Declarer's or Dummy's Card, Defender's Faced Card The card may be replaced without penalty if it was played from declarer's or dummy's hand , or if it was a defender's faced card.
C. Subsequent Cards Played to Trick
1. By Non-offending Side Each member of the non-offending side may, without penalty, withdraw any card he may have played after the revoke but before attention was drawn to it (see Law 16C).
2. By Partner of Offender After a non-offender so withdraws a card, the hand of the offending side next in rotation may withdraw its played card, which becomes a penalty card if the player is a defender (Law 16C).
D. Revoke on Trick Twelve
1. Must Be Corrected On the twelfth trick, a revoke, even if established, must be corrected if discovered before all four hands have been returned to the board.
2. Offender's Partner Had Not Played to Trick Twelve If a revoke by a defender occurred before it was the turn of his partner to play to the twelfth trick, and if offender's partner has cards of two suits, (penalty) offender's partner may not choose the play that could possibly have been suggested by seeing the revoke card.

LAW 63 - ESTABLISHMENT OF A REVOKE

A. Revoke Becomes Established A revoke becomes established:
1. Offending Side Leads or Plays to Next Trick when the offender or his partner leads or plays to the following trick (any such play, legal or illegal, establishes the revoke).
2. A Member of Offending Side Indicates a Lead or Play when the offender or his partner names or otherwise designates a card to be played to the following trick.
3. Member of Offending Side Makes a Claim or Concession when a member of the offending side makes or acquiesces in a claim or concession of tricks orally or by facing his hand (or in any other fashion).
B. Attention Is Illegally Drawn When there has been a violation of Law 61B, the revoker must substitute a legal card and the penalty provisions of Law 64 apply as if the revoke had been established.
C. Revoke May Not Be Corrected Once a revoke is established, it may no longer be corrected (except as provided in Law 62D for a revoke on the twelfth trick), and the trick on which the revoke occurred stands as played (but see Law 43B2(b)).

LAW 64 - PROCEDURE AFTER ESTABLISHMENT OF A REVOKE

A. Penalty Assessed When a revoke is established:
1. Offending Player Won Revoke Trick and the trick on which the revoke occurred was won by the offending player, (penalty) after play ceases, the trick on which the revoke occurred plus one of any subsequent tricks won by the offending side are transferred to the non-offending side.
2. Offending Player Did Not Win Revoke Trick and the trick on which the revoke occurred was not won by the offending player, then, if the offending side won that or any subsequent trick, (penalty) after play ceases, one trick is transferred to the non-offending side; also, if an additional trick was subsequently won by the offending player with a card that he could legally have played to the revoke trick, one such trick is transferred to the non-offending side.
B. No Penalty Assessed The penalty for an established revoke does not apply:
1. Offending Side Fails to Win Revoke Trick or Subsequent Trick if the offending side did not win either the revoke trick or any subsequent trick.
2. Second Revoke in Same Suit by Offender to a subsequent revoke in the same suit by the same player.
3. Revoke by Failure to Play a Faced Card if the revoke was made in failing to play any card faced on the table or belonging to a hand faced on the table, including a card from dummy's hand
4. After Non-offending Side Calls to Next Deal if attention was first drawn to the revoke after a member of the non-offending side has made a call on the subsequent deal.
5. After Round Has Ended if attention was first drawn to the revoke after the round has ended.
6. Revoke on Twelfth Trick to a revoke on the twelfth trick.
C. Director Responsible for Equity When, after any established revoke, including those not subject to penalty, the Director deems that the non-offending side is insufficiently compensated by this Law for the damage caused, he shall assign an adjusted score.

PART IV
TRICKS

LAW 65 - ARRANGEMENT OF TRICKS

A. Completed Trick When four cards have been played to a trick, each player turns his own card face down near him on the table.
B. Keeping Track of the Ownership of Tricks
1. Tricks Won If the player's side has won the trick, the card is pointed lengthwise toward his partner.
2. Tricks Lost If the opponents have won the trick, the card is pointed lengthwise toward the opponents.
C. Orderliness Each player arranges his own cards in an orderly overlapping row in the sequence played, so as to permit review of the play after its completion, if necessary to determine the number of tricks won by each side or the order in which the cards were played.
D. Agreement on Results of Play A player should not disturb the order of his played cards until agreement has been reached on the number of tricks won. A player who fails to comply with the provisions of this Law jeopardises his right to claim ownership of doubtful tricks or to claim a revoke.

LAW 66 - INSPECTION OF TRICKS

A. Current Trick So long as his side has not led or played to the next trick, declarer or either defender may, until he has turned his own card face down on the table, require that all cards just played to the trick be faced.
B. Own Last Card Until a card is led to the next trick, declarer or either defender may inspect, but not expose, his own last card played.
C. Quitted Tricks Thereafter, until play ceases, quitted tricks may not be inspected (except at the Director's specific instruction; for example, to verify a claim of a revoke).
D. After the Conclusion of Play After play ceases, the played and unplayed cards may be inspected to settle a claim of a revoke, or of the number of tricks won or lost; but no player should handle cards other than his own. If, after such a claim has been made, a player mixes his cards in such a manner that the Director can no longer ascertain the facts, the Director shall rule in favour of the other side.

LAW 67 - DEFECTIVE TRICK

A. Before Both Sides Play to Next Trick When a player has omitted to play to a trick, or has played too many cards to a trick, the error must be rectified if attention is drawn to the irregularity before a player on each side has played to the following trick.
1. Player Failed to Play Card To rectify omission to play to a trick, the offender supplies a card he can legally play.
2. Player Contributed Too Many Cards To rectify the play of too many cards to a trick, Law 45E (Fifth Card Played to a Trick) or Law 58B (Simultaneous Cards from One Hand) shall be applied.
B. After Both Sides Play to Next Trick After both sides have played to the following trick, when attention is drawn to a defective trick or when the Director determines that there had been a defective trick (from the fact that one player has too few or too many cards in his hand, and a correspondingly incorrect number of played cards), the Director establishes which trick was defective. To rectify the number of cards, the Director should proceed as follows:
1. Offender Has Too Many Cards When the offender has failed to play a card to the defective trick, the Director shall require him forth- with to face a card and to place it appropriately among his played cards (this card does not affect ownership of the trick); if (a) Offender Has Card of Suit Led the offender has a card of the suit led to the defective trick, he must choose such a card to place among his played cards, and there is no penalty. (b) Offender Has No Card of Suit Led the offender has no card of the suit led to the defective trick, he chooses any card to place among his played cards, and (penalty) he is deemed to have revoked on the defective trick -- he may be subject to the one-trick penalty of Law 64.
2. Offender Has Too Few Cards When the offender has played more than one card to the defective trick, the Director inspects the played cards and requires the offender to restore to his hand all extra cards, leaving among the played cards the one faced in playing to the defective trick (if the Director is unable to determine which card was faced, the offender leaves the highest of the cards that he could legally have played to the trick). A restored card is deemed to have belonged continuously to the offender's hand, and a failure to have played it to an earlier trick may constitute a revoke.

PART V
CLAIMS AND CONCESSIONS

LAW 68 - CLAIM OR CONCESSION OF TRICKS

For a statement or action to constitute a claim or concession of tricks under these Laws, it must refer to tricks other than one currently in progress . If it does refer to subsequent tricks:
A. Claim Defined Any statement to the effect that a contestant will win a specific number of tricks is a claim of those tricks. A contestant also claims when he suggests that play be curtailed, or when he shows his cards (unless he demonstrably did not intend to claim).
B. Concession Defined Any statement to the effect that a contestant will lose a sp