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

[Sven Pran]

> On Behalf Of 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?

Law 24 applies "during the auction" (1997) or "prior to the play period"
(2007)

Law 49 applies thereafter (during the play period).

Regards Sven