[blml] Illegal convention - ACBL

[Steve Willner]

Here's Mike Flader's reply to my question about use of an illegal 
convention in ACBL play.  He replied fairly quickly, but because of ACBL 
email peculiarities, his message got dumped in my spam bucket, and I've 
only just now dug it out.

The original question concerned team play, and Mr. Flader's first 
paragraph describes the actual ruling we received.

> I suspect that there are a number of things that the table director
> could do when a partnership is playing an illegal convention.  One
> solution is to prohibit the convention from being used in the future
> and, since the board was not played at the other table, require a
> redeal.
> 
> If the board had been played at the other table, a redeal is not going
> to be the best solution.  Perhaps the best way to deal with a hand that
> has been played at the other table is to allow the offender's opponents
> to discuss what defenses they wish to use for the illegal convention
> and permit the board to be played.  If it turns out that there is still
> damage as a direct result of the offender's using an illegal
> convention, then, an adjusted score can be given.   Of course, the
> director tells the offenders to take the convention off their card.