[blml] Muiderberg with changes in 3th hand

[Koen Grauwels]

Hello,

Following bidding at local club MP's game in Belgium. Brown conventions are 
not allowed according to the club rules.

P-(P)-2S-(DBL)
(3C)-All pass
2S: Alerted and explained: Muiderberg (5 card S and 4 card minor and 5 till 
10 points), but can have variation in 3th hand; example given: can e.g. only 
have 4 card S.
3C: Alerted and explained: pass or correct
2S opener had 5=2=3=3 distribution. I asked this here before and if I 
remember correct then 2-suit opener where one of the suits can be shorter 
then a 4-card is a brown convention according to ACBL rules.
After the bidding and before the play opps dispute the bidding. They say 
that this bidding where variations are possible is not allowed. "You can't 
just bid anything you want."
3C was going -2 and 4H for the opps would make. At the other tables most 
pairs were in 4H.
The above happened at another table and my opinion was asked about this case 
at the end of the evening (I was backup TD).
I told the TD that I could not really give my opinion because I also opened 
2S on this hand. At our table opps reached 4H and TD was not called (opps 
didn't even notice I had 5=2=3=3).
==========================
Questions:
1. Am I correct that opening 5=2=3=3 as weak hand with S and a minor suit is 
a brown convention according to ACBL?
2. If this is a brown convention for ACBL is it then automatically a brown 
convention in Belgium?
2b. If not: Is it a brown convention in Belgium? (Herman?)
3. How do you rule if it is a brown convention and if brown conventions are 
not allowed in the club?
- Is there an automatic ruling? e.g. 60/40, Max for opps (4H contract)?
- Does the ruling depend on opps cards; eg if it is clear that they should 
still have reached 4H like they did at my table?
- Opps are not really harmed that 2S opener has no 4 card minor. Does that 
matter?
4. While asking my opinion the TD found that I also opened 2S on this hand.
- Should/can the TD change my score on this hand (suppose that we also ended 
in 3C)?
- Should/can the TD note this fact to take this into account if I would do 
this aggain in the future?

Thanks,
Koen