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

[Roger Pewick]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <richard.hills at immi.gov.au>
To: <blml at rtflb.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: [blml] Pointing out who won the trick [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]


> 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

There is a lot to be said for treating players the same.  At the moment, I 
am having difficulty thinking of why declarer should be singled out and 
treated differently here.  My initial impression is that players [and 
directors] will confuse 'who' has the right to draw attention and who 
doesn't.

regards
roger pewick