[blml] Pointing out who won the trick [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[richard.hills at immi.gov.au]

Ben Schelen wrote:

>Until the 1987 Lawbook Law 65 ended with: "Any player may request that
>a card incorrectly pointed be turned in the proper direction."
>
>So it seems no longer permitted.
>
>On the other hand there is Law 74C4: "commenting or acting during the
>auction or play so as to call attention to a significant occurrence,
>or to the number of tricks still required for success."

Queensland CTD Reg Busch wrote
(Australian Directors Bulletin, May 1995, page 20):

>>If you ask me to quote the Law which forbids this, I can't because
>>there isn't one.  However, there is a basic philosophy underlying the
>>Laws that players only have those rights which the Laws specifically
>>grant them.  If the Laws don't provide for a particular right, then
>>that right does not exist.
>>
>>The 1975 Laws actually included a law which said: "Any player may
>>request that a card incorrectly pointed may be turned in the proper
>>direction."  The 1987 Laws Committee made a considered and deliberate
>>decision not to include this right in the 1987 Laws.  In making this
>>change it was not necessary to include a law saying "Players may not
>>... etc".  All that had to be done was to drop the above clause from
>>the 1987 Laws.
>>
>>If dummy or a defender did alert partner to a card pointing the wrong
>>way, he has committed an infraction.  If the Director deemed that the
>>information may have affected partner's play, he may award an
>>adjusted score.  For example: Defenders need only one more trick to
>>defeat the contract, but the defender on lead has a trick pointed the
>>wrong way, so may believe that they need two defensive tricks.
>>Partner points out the error and now he cashes his Ace.  The Director
>>may well award an adjusted score.

Richard Hills:

I agree with the philosophy of Ben Schelen and Reg Busch.  It seems to
me that unlike other play irregularities (leads out of turn, revokes,
penalty cards etc) a card turned the wrong way need not be rectified
immediately, but instead rectification can wait until the end of play.

Indeed, waiting till the end of play is the policy that I always follow
as a defender when my pard has turned a card the wrong way, so as not
to create any _unnecessary_ UI for partner.

However, it seems to me that the apparent "legislation by omission"
policy adopted by the 1987 Laws Committee has been ineffective.

Some defenders assume that if Law 9 permits them to immediately draw
attention to a lead out of turn, then Law 9 also permits them (without
any adverse UI consequences) to immediately draw attention to an
incorrectly pointed card.

Therefore, I suggest that a new clause be added to the 2007 Law 65:

"During play, declarer may request that an incorrectly pointed card be
turned in the proper direction.  However, neither dummy nor defenders
may draw attention to an incorrectly pointed card during play, but may
do so after play of the hand is concluded.  If dummy or a defender
infracts this clause, the Director may adjust the score under Law 16."


Best wishes

Richard James Hills, amicus curiae
National Training Branch
02 6225 6285