[blml] Law 25A

[WILLIAM SCHODER]

Eric Laudau writes:

> As I understand it, for a call to be considered "inadvertent" for L25
> purposes (for L25A to apply), the "mind" must be "present"; it is the
> (proper) connection between the mind and the hand, or the mind and the
> mouth, that must be "absent".  An absentminded intention is still an
> intention.
>
> ISTM that L25B exists for the specific purpose of providing some relief
> to a player who has bid "absentmindedly" rather than "inadvertently".


You are right in both of these paragraphs.  25B came about because Edgar 
(l990 Geneva, WBF) did not see his partner's opening of 1 spade on the 
bidding tray (screens in
use- tray not fully passed across) and passed with 10 HCPs 4 spades, and a 
singleton.  When the tray was moved after his opponent had passed, he 
discovered his MISTAKE.  He
now wanted to change his call, and the TD, in consultation with me, said no. 
This was protested to a committee of Rules and Regulations sitting jointly 
with the Laws Committee, since it addressed a matter of application of Laws 
and Regulations. The committee upheld the TD ruling.

Thereafter we now were faced with the "Bandaid" change of 25B giving those 
who are
absentminded, ill-informed by their own actions, lazy, and realizing, 
after-the-fact that what they had done was going to get them a big fat zero 
a chance to stem the bleeding to somewhere between zero and average minus. 
It goes along with the philosophy that you no longer need to suffer the full 
consequences of making mistakes in a game which is based on avoiding making 
mistakes.

Kojak



It started (nah -- continued and accelerated) the slide to always look for
something to fix bad biding, play, and bridge.