[blml] Zone 7 LC interprets Law 27 [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[Robert Frick]

This looks great to me, except for one thing I would worry about. It seems  
to be placing the burden of finding replacement calls satisfying 27B1(b)  
on the director. That would be seem to be a difficult task, and rather  
time-consuming. For example, I am not sure I would have found the  
replacement call of 3NT after the auction 1C - P - 1C(intended as opening  
bid).

Then my worry is that if the players later find a good replacement call  
that the director did not tell them about, that they will complain of  
director error. And I think the time-issue will be a problem even if this  
is not.

So, it seems to me that if you have a choice, the director's  
responsibility should be to explain the laws, not think of replacement  
calls.

I suspect that 27B1(b) was constructed with some replacement calls in mind  
(such as insufficient bids over 2NT and insufficient responses to  
Blackwood). At the club level, if the director just read the laws, a  
player might not realize that these were allowable. So at the club level,  
my current plan is to say something like, "You can replace your 2C bid  
with 3C and the auction will proceed as normal, or you have other options."

So the idea of the director suggesting (obvious) options seems good to me.  
(I don't know if that is needed at the tournament level.) The problem is  
making it the director's obligation to find them all.

Bob

>
> Summary of Zone 7 Laws Committee Law 27 interpretations
> by Arie Geursen, CTD New Zealand:
>
> Law 27B1(a)
> Not conventional and corrected by lowest
> sufficient bid in same denomination
>
> * As before, a player is still permitted to replace an
> insufficient bid with a bid in the same denomination at
> the lowest legal level without restriction provided that,
> in the opinion of the Director, neither the insufficient
> bid nor the substituted bid is artificial.
>
> * The auction continues normally and the information
> that the bid was intended to be natural is authorised
> to all players at the table and therefore Law 16D does
> not apply.
>
> Law 27B1(b)
> Corrected with a call that has the
> same, or more precise meaning.
>
> * In addition, players are also permitted to substitute
> other legal calls without restriction (even if they are
> artificial) provided that, in the opinion of the
> Director the selected call has:
>
> * the same meaning as the insufficient bid or;
>
> * a more precise meaning than the insufficient bid
> (i.e. the replacement conveys the same or more
> precise information).
>
> Law 27B2
> Corrected by any legal call not permitted
> under Law 27B1
>
> * Unless permitted under Law 27B1, if the
> insufficient bid is corrected by a sufficient bid
> or a pass, the offender’s partner must pass
> whenever it is his turn to call. Laws 23 & 26
> may apply
>
> Law 27B1 or B2
> Correct Procedure
>
> * In order for the Director to correctly exercise this
> discretion, he/she must first determine the
> offending player’s original intent at the time of the
> infraction and then investigate the pair's methods.
>
> * This will often entail quizzing the players away from
> the table and/or an examination of the pair’s system
> card. Only after these investigations should the
> Director then explain the options.
>
> Note that:
>
> * A truly unintentional action may be corrected via Law 25.
>
> * If the Director is unclear whether to allow the correction
> without restriction under Law 27B1(b), or to require the
> offender’s partner to pass throughout the remainder of the
> auction under Law 27B2, the Director is advised to err on the
> side of applying Law 27B1(b) but stand ready to apply 27D.
>
> * I.e. the inclination of the Director ought to be on obtaining a
> normal bridge result wherever possible.
>
> Law 27D
> Non-offending side Damaged
>
> * When you allow correction of an insufficient bid without
> restriction, you should always advise the non-offending side to
> call you back at the end of play if they consider that the
> outcome may have been different had the offender’s partner not
> had the assistance of the withdrawn bid.
>
> * If so, the score should be adjusted to the most likely
> outcome(s), had the insufficient bid not occurred.
>
> * Under no circumstances may any weight be given to the
> perceived benefit that might have accrued to the non-offending
> side if the Director had elected to bar the partner from the
> auction (even if it subsequently transpires, that it may have been
> the more appropriate action, i.e. it is not a Directors’ error).
>
> Law 27B3
> Replacement with a double not
> permitted under Law 27B1.
>
> Except as allowed for under Law 27B1, if
> the offender attempts to substitute a
> double or redouble for his insufficient bid,
> the double or redouble is cancelled and the
> offender must instead substitute a
> sufficient bid or pass. Now his partner must
> pass whenever it is his turn to call. Law 23
> and 26 may apply.
>
> Law 27B4
> Replacement with another Insufficient
> Bid
>
> If the offender attempts to substitute one
> insufficient bid with another insufficient
> bid, unless LHO accepts it, the 2nd call is
> cancelled and he must substitute a sufficient
> bid or pass (but not a double or re-double)
> and his partner must pass whenever it is his
> turn to call. Law 23 and 26 may apply.
>
> Law 27C
> Premature Replacement of an
> Insufficient Bid.
>
> If the offender attempts to replace his
> insufficient bid before the Director has
> ruled on rectification, LHO may still accept
> the insufficient bid otherwise the
> substitution stands and the Director either
> applies 27B1 or 27B2 to the substitution.
>
> *Note: This happens a lot
>
> Insufficient bid - Examples
>
> West East
> 1S   3S
> 4NT  4D
>
> If the Director is satisfied that East was
> answering Blackwood but at the wrong
> level, then East will be allowed to correct
> to 5D without any restriction.
>
> West North East
> 1D   1S    1H
>
> * If 1H was intended to show at least four hearts and enough
> HCP to respond, then a replacement of 2H is permitted
> under Law 27B1(a) without any further restriction.
>
> * Alternatively, if a negative double by East would
> systemically guarantee at least a four-card heart holding,
> then East could also replace the 1H with a double under Law
> 27B1(b) without restriction.
>
> * However, a pass would not convey a heart suit and
> therefore Law 27B2 applies, i.e. partner will have to pass
> whenever it is his/her turn to call and Laws 23 and 26 may
> also apply.
>
> West North East
> 1NT  2S    2D
>
> * If East's intention was to transfer to
> hearts (he did not see the 2S bid), then a
> replacement bid of 3H would not bar his
> partner.
>
> West North East
> 1NT  2D    2C
>
> * 2C was intended as simple Stayman. A Lebensohl-type
> cue bid replacement of 3D (asking about a
> four-card major) would now have the same
> meaning as the original insufficient bid and thus
> not bar West.
>
> * Alternatively, if the Director is satisfied that the
> player intended to bid 3C naturally, he/she allows
> that change without restriction under Law
> 27B1(b).
>
> West East
> 2NT  2H
>
> * If 2H was intended as a transfer, then a
> bid of 3H (still transferring) would permit
> the auction to continue without
> constraints.
>
> West North East
> 1S   2H    1NT
>
> * The substitution of 2NT is permitted without restriction under Law
> 27B1(a) if both 1NT and 2NT are natural.
>
> * The information that East's HCP range might well be different from that
> of an original 2NT response is authorised to both sides but Law 27D will
> apply if the offending side achieves a favourable result that would not
> have been possible without the infraction (such as stopping in 2NT when
> it makes only eight tricks if played by East).
>
> * The replacement of 1NT with 2NT also is permitted without restriction
> under Law 27B1(b) if the Director is satisfied that this was East's
> original incontrovertible intention.
>
> Insufficient Bid
> How to proceed at the table
>
> Summary:
>
> Most insufficient bids arise from either a failure to observe the call of
> RHO or a general confusion about the current level of the auction.
> Therefore, in applying Law 27, the Director should proceed as follows:
>
> 1. Remove the offender from the table and determine his/her original
> intent and the specific meaning of the intended call (take a peek if that
> avoids having to take the offender from the table every time).
>
> 2. Verify the general methods of the partnership and, if necessary,
> consult the offender's system card or any other system notes.
>
> 3. Determine the possible replacement calls available and their meaning.
>
> 4. Return to the table and explain all the options to the players
> (including that LHO has the option of accepting the insufficient
> bid as per Law 27A).
>
> 5. Allow the (fully informed) player to select a replacement call and
> then, based upon the investigations detailed in steps (1)-(3),
> apply either Law 27B1 or Law 27B2.
>
> 6. If Law 27B1 is applied, inform the non-offending side of their
> right to apply for an adjusted score at the end of play if they
> believe that the outcome of the board would have been different
> without the assistance of the insufficient bid.
>
>
> Best wishes
>
> Richard James Hills
> Graduates and Developmental Training Section
> Department of Immigration and Citizenship
> Telephone: 02 6223 9067
> Email: richard.hills at immi.gov.au
>
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