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General Laws Governing
Irregularities
LAW 9
- PROCEDURE FOLLOWING AN IRREGULARITY
| A. |
Calling Attention
to an Irregularity |
| 1. |
During
the Auction Period |
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Unless
prohibited by Law, any player may call attention to an irregularity
during the auction, whether or not it is his turn to call. |
| 2. |
During
the Play Period |
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(a) |
Unless
prohibited by Law, declarer or either defender may call attention
to an irregularity that occurs during the play period. |
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(b) |
Dummy
(dummy's restricted rights are defined in Law
42 and Law 43) |
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|
(1) |
Dummy
may not call attention to an irregularity during the play but
may do so after play of the hand is concluded. |
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|
(2) |
Dummy
may attempt to prevent declarer from committing an irregularity
(Law 42B2). |
| B. |
After
Attention Is Called to an Irregularity |
| 1. |
Summoning the
Director |
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(a) |
When to Summon The
Director must be summoned at once when attention is drawn to
an irregularity. |
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(b) |
Who May Summon Any
player, including dummy, may summon the Director after attention
has been drawn to an irregularity. |
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(c) |
Retention of Rights
Summoning the Director does not cause a player to forfeit any
rights to which he might otherwise be entitled. |
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(d) |
Opponents'
Rights The fact that a player draws attention to an irregularity
committed by his side does not affect the rights of the opponents. |
| 2. |
Further Bids
or Plays |
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No player shall
take any action until the Director has explained all matters
in regard to rectification and to the assessment of a penalty. |
| C. |
Premature
Correction of an Irregularity |
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Any
premature correction of an irregularity by the offender may
subject him to a further penalty (see the lead penalties of
Law 26). |
LAW 10
- ASSESSMENT OF A PENALTY
| A. |
Right to
Assess Penalty |
| The
Director alone has the right to assess penalties when applicable.
Players do not have the right to assess (or waive) penalties
on their own initiative. |
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| B. |
Cancellation
of Payment or Waiver of Penalty |
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The Director may
allow or cancel any payment or waiver of penalties made by the
players without his instructions. |
| C. |
Choice after
Irregularity |
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1. |
Explanation of
Options |
| When these Laws
provide an option after an irregularity, the Director shall
explain all the options available. |
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2. |
Choice among
Options |
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|
If
a player has an option after an irregularity, he must make his
selection without consulting partner. |
LAW 11 -
FORFEITURE OF THE RIGHT TO PENALISE
| A. |
Action by
Non-Offending Side |
| The
right to penalise an irregularity may be forfeited if either
member of the non-offending side takes any action before summoning
the Director. The Director so rules when the non-offending side
may have gained through subsequent action taken by an opponent
in ignorance of the penalty. |
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| B. |
Irregularity
Called by Spectator |
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1. |
Spectator Responsibility
of Non-Offending Side |
| The right to penalise
an irregularity may be forfeited if attention is first drawn
to the irregularity by a spectator for whose presence at the
table the non-offending side is responsible. |
| 2. |
Spectator Responsibility
of Offending Side |
| The right to correct
an irregularity may be forfeited if attention is first drawn
to the irregularity by a spectator for whose presence at the
table the offending side is responsible. |
| C. |
Penalty
after Forfeiture of the Right to Penalise |
|
Even after the right
to penalise has been forfeited under this Law, the Director
may assess a procedural penalty (see Law
90). |
LAW 12
- DIRECTOR'S DISCRETIONARY POWERS
| A. |
Right to Award
an Adjusted Score |
| The
Director may award an adjusted score (or scores), either on
his own initiative or on the application of any player, but
only when these Laws empower him to do so, or: |
| 1. |
Laws Provide
No Indemnity |
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The Director may
award an assigned adjusted score when he judges that these Laws
do not provide indemnity to the non-offending contestant for
the particular type of violation of law committed by an opponent. |
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2. |
Normal Play of the Board
Is Impossible |
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|
The Director may
award an artificial adjusted score if no rectification can be
made that will permit normal play of the board (see Law
88). |
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3. |
Incorrect Penalty
Has Been Paid |
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|
The Director may
award an adjusted score if an incorrect penalty has been paid. |
| B. |
No Adjustment
for Undue Severity of Penalty |
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The Director may
not award an adjusted score on the ground that the penalty provided
in these Laws is either unduly severe or advantageous to either
side. |
| C. |
Awarding
an Adjusted Score |
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The last round of
a session, and the session itself, ends for each table when
play of all boards scheduled at that table has been completed,
and when all scores have been entered on the proper scoring
forms without objection. |
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1. |
Artificial Score |
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|
When, owing to an
irregularity, no result can be obtained, the Director awards
an artificial adjusted score according to responsibility for
the irregularity: average minus ( at most 40% of the available
matchpoints in pairs) to a contestant directly at fault; average
(50% in pairs) to a contestant only partially at fault; average
plus (at least 60% in pairs ) to a contestant in no way at fault
(see Law 86 for
team play or Law 88
for pairs play). The scores awarded to the two sides need not
balance. |
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2. |
Assigned Score |
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|
When the Director
awards an assigned adjusted score in place of a result actually
obtained after an irregularity, the score is, for a non-offending
side, the most favourable result that was likely had the irregularity
not occurred or, for an offending side, the most unfavourable
result that was at all probable. The scores awarded to the two
sides need not balance and may be assigned either in matchpoints
or by altering the total-point score prior to matchpointing.
|
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3. |
Unless Zonal
Organisations |
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specify otherwise,
an appeals committee may vary an assigned adjusted score in
order to do equity. |
LAW 13
- INCORRECT NUMBER OF CARDS
When the Director
determines that one or more pockets of the board contained an incorrect
number of cards, and a player with an incorrect hand has made a
call, then when the Director deems that the deal can be corrected
and played normally with no change of call, the deal may be so played
with the concurrence of all four players. Otherwise, the Director
shall award an artificial adjusted score and may penalise an offender.
If no such call has been made, then:
LAW 14
- MISSING CARD
| A. |
Hand Found
Deficient |
| before Play Commences
When three hands are correct and the fourth is found to be deficient
before the play period begins, the Director makes a search for
any missing card, and: |
| 1. |
Card
Is Found |
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If a
card is found, it is restored to the deficient hand. |
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2. |
Card Cannot Be
Found |
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|
If a card cannot
be found, the Director reconstructs the deal, as near to its
original form as he can determine, by substituting another pack. |
| B. |
Hand Found
Deficient Afterwards |
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When three hands
are correct and the fourth is found to be deficient after the
play period begins, the Director makes a search for any missing
card, and: |
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1. |
Card Is Found |
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|
(a) |
If a card is found
among the played cards, Law
67 applies. |
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|
(b) |
If a card is found
elsewhere, it is restored to the deficient hand, and penalties
may apply (see 3., following). |
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2. |
Card Cannot Be
Found |
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|
If a card cannot
be found, the deal is reconstructed as nearly as can be determined
in its original form by substituting another pack, and penalties
may apply (see 3., following). |
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3. |
Possible Penalties |
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|
A card restored
to a hand under the provisions of Section B of this Law is deemed
to have belonged continuously to the deficient hand. It may
become a penalty card (Law
50), and failure to have played it may constitute a
revoke. |
LAW 15 -
PLAY OF A WRONG BOARD
| A. |
Players Have
Not Previously Played Board |
| If players play
a board not designated for them to play in the current round: |
| 1. |
Score Board as
Played |
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The Director normally
allows the score to stand if none of the four players have previously
played the board. |
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2. |
Designate a Late Play
|
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|
The Director may
require both pairs to play the correct board against one another
later. |
| B. |
One or More
Players Have Previously Played Board |
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If any player plays
a board he has previously played, with the correct opponents
or otherwise, his second score on the board is cancelled both
for his side and his opponents, and the Director shall award
an artificial adjusted score to the contestants deprived of
the opportunity to earn a valid score. |
| C. |
Discovered
during Auction |
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If,
during the auction period, the Director discovers that a contestant
is playing a board not designated for him to play in the current
round, he shall cancel the auction, ensure that the correct
contestants are seated and that they are informed of their rights
both now and at future rounds. A second auction begins. Players
must repeat calls they made previously. If any call differs
in any way from the corresponding call in the first auction,
the Director shall cancel the board. Otherwise, play continues
normally. |
LAW 16 -
UNAUTHORISED INFORMATION
Players are authorised
to base their calls and plays on information from legal calls and
or plays, and from mannerisms of opponents. To base a call or play
on other extraneous information may be an infraction of law.
| A. |
Extraneous
Information from Partner |
| After a player makes
available to his partner extraneous information that may suggest
a call or play, as by means of a remark, a question, a reply
to a question, or by unmistakable hesitation, unwonted speed,
special emphasis, tone, gesture, movement, mannerism or the
like, the partner may not choose from among logical alternative
actions one that could demonstrably have been suggested over
another by the extraneous information. |
| 1. |
When Such Information
Is Given |
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When a player
considers that an opponent has made such information available
and that damage could well result, he may, unless the regulations
of the sponsoring organisation prohibit, immediately announce
that he 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). |
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2. |
When Illegal Alternative
Is Chosen |
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|
When a player has
substantial reason to believe that an opponent who had a logical
alternative has chosen an action that could have been suggested
by such information, he should summon the Director forthwith.
The Director shall require the auction and play to continue,
standing ready to assign an adjusted score if he considers that
an infraction of law has resulted in damage. |
| B. |
Extraneous
Information from Other Sources |
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When a player accidentally receives unauthorised information
about a board he 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 own table before the auction begins,
the Director should be notified forthwith, preferably by the
recipient of the information. If the Director considers that
the information could interfere with normal play, he may: |
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1. |
Adjust Positions |
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|
if the type of contest and scoring
permit, adjust the players' positions at the table, so that
the player with information about one hand will hold that hand;
or, |
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2. |
Appoint Substitute |
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|
with the concurrence of all
four players, appoint a temporary substitute to replace the
player who received the unauthorised information; or, |
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3. |
Award an Adjusted Score |
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|
forthwith award an artificial
adjusted score. |
| C. |
Information
from Withdrawn Calls and Plays |
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A call or play may
be withdrawn, and another substituted, either by a non-offending
side after an opponent's infraction or by an offending side
to rectify an infraction. |
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1. |
Non-offending
Side |
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For the non-offending
side, all information arising from a withdrawn action is authorised,
whether the action be its own or its opponents'. |
| 2. |
Offending Side
|
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For the offending
side, information arising from its own withdrawn action and
from withdrawn actions of the non-offending side is unauthorised.
A player of the offending side may not choose from among logical
alternative actions one that could demonstrably have been suggested
over another by the unauthorised information. |
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