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Home > The laws of the game

Some laws are as

 subtle as this

 magician pulling

 a rabbit from a hat.

The laws of the game

The laws we are describing her are those applicable to situations like leading from the wrong hand, bidding out of turn, giving unauthorized information to partner through body movements or hesitations, revoking etc. They are not the aids to bidding or playing, often referred to as laws, or rules such as the rule of eleven, the rule of nineteen, the principles governing your lead etc.

The most important thing to appreciate when it comes to the laws of bridge is the enormous difference between a friendly four playing at home with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, and the competitive game (often unfriendly) played in clubs or pubs or school premises. Playing at home with friends, a strict application of the rules is pointless. In a club where reputations are at stake and a tournament director is in charge, the laws must be enforced.

To players in their first year or so of playing bridge, an easy informality governs their game. Conversation at the table is commonplace and any suggestion that this might be unethical or giving your partner unauthorized information would be laughable. One measure of a player's early maturity is the appreciation that the bidding and play should take place without too many gratuitous remarks. While 'I don't know what to do' may be acceptable, 'Don't forget that my original lead was a club' is definitely not.

My advice regarding transgressions in your weekly 'kitchen-bridge' game (with one exception) is to disregard them and bid or play on normally. We all make mistakes and we must assume that they are not deliberate and that players are not seeking an unfair advantage. Someone bids out of turn--forget it and let the bid revert to the correct person. Someone plays out of turn--pick it up and let the play revert to the correct person. Someone makes an insufficient bid--forget it and let that person bid what they like. The one exception I would make is the revoke. A revoke is established when the offending side has played to the following trick. Before that, simply pick up the cards in that trick and replay it correctly. Once the revoke has been established, the play has usually become distorted and it is impossible to undo the error. The only sensible course of action if the revoke is by defenders is to cease play and award the contract to declarer. If declarer has revoked herself, abandon play with no score to either side. The revoke laws are too complicated to apply in a domestic environment.

Conventional bids are in a class of their own and usually merit some permissible discussion to establish whether or not your partner is playing Stayman or whether that 4NT bid is Blackwood or quantitative. Most domestic games restrict themselves to these two conventions.

The few laws that I will now enlarge on are included mainly for their general interest to players of all standards but also as a pointer to all players of the sort of ethical behaviour that will be expected when they start playing away from the domestic scene. I make no attempt to be comprehensive or exhaustive. There are many texts which cover the whole gamut of the laws in a very efficient manner.

By far the best introduction is 'The scope of the laws' given at the beginning of the International Code. I append this section below.

'The laws are designed to define correct procedure and to provide an adequate remedy whenever a player accidentally, carelessly or inadvertently disturbs the proper course of the game, or gains an unintentional but nevertheless unfair advantage'.

The object of the Proprieties (a separate section of the laws) is twofold: 'to familiarize players with the customs and etiquette of the game, generally accepted over a long period of years ; and to enlighten those who might otherwise fail to appreciate when or how they are improperly conveying information to their partner--often a far more reprehensible offence than a violation of the law'.

Some interesting laws

Review of the auction

Before the auction closes, a player is entitled to have all previous calls restated when it is his turn to call. After the auction closes, declarer or either defender may require previous calls to be restated. A defender's right to such review terminates when a member of his side has led or played to the first trick: declarer's right terminates when he has played to the first trick or when dummy has spread any part of his hand.

Explanation of a conventional call

Any bid which does not express the wish to play in the stated suit should be alerted by the partner of the caller (eg 2C after partner's 1NT, 4NT Blackwood etc). This alerting can be effected by taking an alert card out of the bidding box, if these are being used, or by the partner tapping the table to show that the bid is conventional. The maker of the conventional bid does not tap the table.

Partnerships are not allowed to have private undisclosed understandings.

Hesitations and the 'Stop' call

Partnerships who have progressed beyond the beginners stage must appreciate that long hesitations in the bidding followed by a pass give unauthorized information to partner and should be avoided. An ethical partner will be reluctant to bid after partner's long hesitation.

One situation that is unexpected and may therefore require more time than usual to determine the bid is when a player makes a jump bid e.g.1H-2S, or 1S-3C, or 2C etc. In these situations, at duplicate bridge, not rubber, the player making the jump bid is required to prefix the bid by the word 'Stop'. The next player is then required to pause for ten seconds before bidding, and this required hesitation cannot be misunderstood. Sadly, most players fail to observe this pause. It is worth noting that the purpose of the word 'Stop' is not to alert partner to this unusual bid.

It is not uncommon for inexperienced players to confuse the 'stop' and the table-tapping, and to be safe, they do both. Needless to say, they are wrong!

Immediate correction of a call

A player may substitute his intended call for an inadvertent call but only if he does so without pause. If legal, the last call stands without penalty.

Dummy's rights and limitations

Dummy may not participate in the play or make any comment on the bidding or play of the current deal. Dummy should try and prevent any irregularities on the part of declarer such as leading from the wrong hand, or failing to follow suit when it is possible that he holds a card of that suit. It is not helpful for dummy to point out an error once it has occurred.

A defender's rights

A defender may at any time attempt to prevent partner from revoking by e.g. saying 'Having no hearts partner'. ( Note that this law does not apply at Duplicate)

Exposure of declarer's card

Declarer is not subject to penalty for exposing a card. Declarer is not required to play any card dropped accidentally.

Exposure of a defender's card

The laws are very complex here. The best thing, at home, is to say 'Pick it up'.

Inspection of tricks

Declarer or either defender may require that the cards played to a trick be left exposed for all to see until the trick is quitted ie the four cards have been collected together and placed face down in a trick.

Declarer's claim

Any claim by declarer of the remaining tricks should be accompanied by an explanation of how these tricks will be taken. The benefit of any doubt should be given to the defenders.

Proprieties

The following acts should be carefully avoided and are considered breaches of ethics when committed intentionally.

1. A remark, question, gesture or mannerism which might convey information to partner or might mislead partner. (A sharp intake of breath, say, by partner,  following your opening lead).
2. A bid made with special emphasis, inflection, haste or undue hesitation. (The interrogative 3NT, say, with a rising inflexion in your voice).
3. A play made with emphasis, undue haste or unreasonable delay, when the act might convey information to partner or might mislead an opponent. (Hesitating with a singleton, say).
4. Any indication of approval or disapproval of partner's bid or play. (Applauding partner's lead, say)
5. Frequent review of the auction or play due to his own inattention. (Going to sleep at the table, say)
6. Looking intently at any other player during the auction or play. (I love your tan)
7. Detaching a card from his hand before it is his turn to play. This is not only against the proprieties but also very irritating and usually inspires in me the strong desire to play in a way, at almost any cost, which forces him to put that card back in his hand. This premature detachment is also very informative to the opposition, not least when the exponent does not prematurely detach a card.