[blml] Difference in wording between law 24 and law 49 and consequences

[Hans van Staveren]

Law 24 states:
When the Director determines, during the auction, that because of a player's
action one or more cards of that player's hand were in position for the face
to be seen by his partner,

Law 49 states:
Except in the normal course of play or application of law, when a defender's
card is in a position in which his partner could possibly see its face

It seems that under Law 49 a card is ruled exposed a bit sooner than in Law
24.

A case just arose here where during sorting the hand a player(with an arm in
a cast) dropped the Spade Jack open on the floor, seen by his RHO. Director
was called and might not have handled things too well, but it looks like
everybody sort of agreed the offenders partner had not actually seen the
card, although had he tried he could well have.

In TD courses in general with Law 49 we rule that if a player holds a card
such that has partner could have seen it, had he looked, that the card is
played.

My feeling is that the less strong wording of Law 24 would lead to the
ruling in this case that the player could just pick up the card.

Opinions?


Hans van Staveren