[blml] Disposition of minor penalty card fourth player in trick

[Peter Eidt]

From: "Hans van Staveren" 
> I just had a case here where some aspiring TD's were taught by one of
> our TD teachers that when you are fourth in a trick the minor penalty
> card penalty does not apply.
> 
> Example, South has the spade-7 as a minor penalty card. South also has
> the Spade A and 9.
> 
> Spade trick goes 2,3,8 and now South to play. According to current(and
> new) law South can choose between 7 and A. According to this teacher,
> being fourth to play South could play the 9. His idea undoubtedly is
> that since the minor penalty card only leads to signaling penalties
> that should not apply at the last hand in the trick.
> 
> Has this ever been discussed? I wonder how he got that idea.

Although I can imagine this (disturbing the signalling procedure) 
to be a true (and primary) point, it is (was) not worded as such in 
the Laws and IMHO it was never intended in the way your teacher tells
his
students. Therefore he should be told that he's teaching nonsens.

I regard the intend and wording of Law 50 C incontrovertible:
"When a defender has a minor penalty card, he may not play any other
card
of the same suit below the rank of an honour until he has first played
the penalty card, but he is entitled to play an honour card instead."

Peter Eidt
Warendorf, Germany