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Laws

Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge - 1997 European Edition
as promulgated by
The World Bridge Federation
and approved by the
European Bridge League

Effective October 1997
Published and distributed by the
European Bridge League

Promulgating Body and Approving Bodies
Promulgating Body
The World Bridge Federation

Drafting Committee

Approving Bodies
European Bridge League
The Portland Club
The American Contract Bridge League

The Laws Committee of the
European Bridge League

The Portland Card Committee

The Laws Commission of the
American Contract Bridge League

The International Code
Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge - 1997

Preface to the European Edition

The Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge, 1997 ("the 1997 Code") was approved by the World Bridge Federation and the European Bridge League in Montecatini Terme, Italy in June 1997 and formally promulgated by the World Bridge Federation in Hammamet, Tunisia in October 1997, immediately prior to the 1997 Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup.
The 1997 Code supersedes the, previous, 1987 Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. Each National Contract Bridge Organisation (NCBO) which is a member of the European Bridge League has discretion as to the effective date when the 1997 Code is introduced, but in any event it must not be later than the end of the 1997/98 Bridge Playing Season of that NCBO.

The Copyright of the 1997 Code in all non-English speaking countries in Europe (other than Spain and Portugal) is vested in the European Bridge League. The Copyright in the area of the British Commonwealth past and present (other than the Western Hemisphere), the Continent of Africa, Spain, Portugal and all English speaking countries in the Eastern Hemisphere is vested in the Portland Club. The Copyright in the Western Hemisphere and in the Republic of the Philippines is vested in the American Contract Bridge League. Extracts from these Laws either verbatim or paraphrased are not permitted without the sanction of the Authority holding the Copyright.

Within those areas where the Copyright is vested in the European Bridge League, the League sanctions, without charge, the translation and verbatim reproduction of the 1997 Code both in written and electronic forms, provided the European Bridge League's Copyright is acknowledged.
European Bridge League

Montreux, Switzerland
October 1997

Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge - 1997
Interpretation of the Laws

The first Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge were published in 1928. There have been successive revisions in 1933, 1935, 1943, 1949, 1975 and 1987.

Prior to the 1987 Laws words such as may, should, shall and must were used without much discrimination. In 1987 they were rationalised, and the practice is continued in the current Laws. When these Laws say that a player "may" do something ("any player may call attention to an irregularity during the auction"), the failure to do it is not wrong. A simple declaration that a player "does" something ("….dummy spreads his hand in front of him…") establishes correct procedure without any suggestion that a violation be penalised. When a player "should" do something ("a claim should be accompanied at once by a statement…"), his failure to do it is an infraction of Law, which will jeopardise his rights, but which will seldom incur a procedural penalty.

In contrast, when these Laws say that a player "shall" do something ("No player shall take any action until the Director has explained…."), a violation will be penalised more often than not. The strongest word, "must" ("before making a call, he must inspect the face of his cards"), indicates that violation is regarded as serious. Note that "may" becomes very strong in the negative: "may not" is a stronger injunction than "shall not", just short of "must not."

A great deal of effort has been expended to make these Laws easy to use. References from one Law to another have been made more explicit. The hundreds of headings and sub-headings can help a Director find the section of a Law that is applicable to the facts of a case (these headings are for convenience of reference only; headings are not considered to be part of the Laws).