[blml] How do you deal with this mess?

[Guthrie]

[David Barton]
I received a phone call to give a ruling from a team match being 
played privately. The auction had gone
1N(1) _X(2) _P(3) P
2C
XX(4) _P(5) _P    2C
X     AP
(1) 12-14
(2) Penalty
(3) Alerted - forces partner to redouble (to play or single suited escape)
(4) Momentarily confused about his agreements, 2C is removed from the 
bidding box. Before it is placed on the table his LHO asks about the 
alert of the pass. Coming to his senses he correctly explains the
agreement, returns the 2C to the bidding box and substitutes redouble.
(5) "Reserves his Rights" before passing.

Result was 2C minus 4 for 1100 penalty.

Regulations state "A call is considered to have been made when the 
call is removed from the bidding box with apparent intent." It was 
accepted that the 2C was removed "with intent".

Do you allow the result to stand? What is the basis for your ruling?

{nige1]
I hope that John Probst and Adam Beneschan are wrong.

When opener changed his bid from 2C to XX, the next player "reserved 
his rights". In a private match, played at home, can you treat this 
this as the attempted equivalent of a director call?

Had a director been called at this point, wouldn't he rule that the 2C 
bid must stay because it was a slip of the *mind* not of the *hand*?

In order to rule to keep the final result -- 2CX-4 by the other side 
-- IMO, you have to judge that the change of call was "condoned"; but 
was it really condoned?

I hope that the director would be allowed to scrap the board - without 
penalty - since both sides were at fault for not asking for a ruling 
after the *original* irregularity.