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THE PLAY
CORRECT PROCEDURE
LAW 41
OPENING LEAD, REVIEW, QUESTIONS
 After the auction closes *
declarer's LHO makes the opening lead. After the opening lead, dummy
spreads his hand in front of him on the table, face up, sorted into
suits, the cards in order of rank in columns pointing lengthwise
towards declarer, with trumps, if any, to dummy's right. Declarer
plays both his hand and that of dummy.
Declarer, before making any
play, or either defender at his first turn to play, may require a
restatement of the auction in its entirety.
After it is too late to have
previous calls restated, declarer or either defender is entitled to be
informed what the contract is and whether, but not by whom, it was
doubled or redoubled.
Either defender may require an
explanation of the partnership understanding relating to any call made
by an opponent (see Proprieties 4),
but only at that defender's own turn to play. Declarer may at any tune
require an explanation of the partnership understanding relating to
any call or play made by a defender.
* After the final pass, either defender has
the right to ask if it is his opening lead.
LAW 42
DUMMY'S RIGHTS
Dummy is entitled to give
information as to fact or law, but may not initiate the discussion;
and provided he has not forfeited his rights (see Law
43) he may also
 (a) ask declarer (but not a
defender), when he has failed to follow suit, whether he has a card of
the suit led.
(b) try to prevent any
irregularity * by declarer.
(c) draw attention to any
irregularity, but only after play is concluded.
* He may, for example, warn declarer against
leading from the wrong hand.
LAW 43
DUMMY'S LIMITATIONS
Dummy may not participate in the
play (except to play the cards of dummy's hand as directed by
declarer), or make any comment on the bidding, play, or score of the
current deal; and if he does so,
Law 16
may apply. During play, dummy may not call attention to an
irregularity once it has occurred.
Dummy forfeits the rights
provided in (a), (b) and (c) of Law 42 if he
exchanges hands with declarer, leaves his seat to watch declarer play,
or, on his own initiative, looks at the face of a card in either
defender's hand; and if, thereafter,
(a) he is the first to draw
attention to a defender's irregularity, declarer may not enforce any
penalty for the offense.
(b) he warns declarer not to
lead from the wrong hand, (penalty) either defender may choose the
hand from which declarer shall lead.
(c) he is the first to ask
declarer if a play from declarer's hand constitutes a revoke, declarer
must substitute a correct card if his play was a revoke, and (penalty)
unless Law 64(d) applies, one trick is
transferred to the defending side.
LAW 44
SEQUENCE AND PROCEDURE OF PLAY
The player who leads to a trick
may play any card in his hand. * After the
lead, each other player in turn plays a card, and the four cards so
played constitute a trick.
In playing to a trick, each
player must follow suit if possible. This obligation takes precedence
over all other requirements of these Laws. If unable to follow suit, a
player may play any card. *
A trick containing a trump is
won by the player who has contributed to it the highest trump. A trick
that does not contain a trump is won by the player who has contributed
to it the highest card of the suit led. The player who has won the
trick leads to the next trick.
* Unless he is subject to restriction after
an irregularity committed by his side.
LAW 45
CARD PLAYED
Each player except dummy should
play a card by detaching it from his hand and placing it, face up, on
the table where other players can easily reach and see it. Dummy, if
instructed by declarer to do so, may play from his hand a card named
or designated by declarer. *
A card must be played
(a) if it is a defender's card
held so that it is possible for his partner to see its face.
(b) if it is a card from
declarer's hand that declarer holds face up, touching or nearly
touching the table, or maintains in such a position as to indicate
that it has been played.
(c) if it is a card in dummy
deliberately touched by declarer except for the purpose of arranging
dummy's cards or of reaching a card above or below the card or cards
touched.
(d) if the
player who holds the card names or otherwise designates it as the card
he proposes to play. A player may, without penalty, change an
inadvertent designation if he does so without pause for thought; but
if an opponent has, in turn, played a card that was legal before the
change of designation, that opponent may, without penalty, withdraw
any card so played and substitute another.
(e) if it is a penalty card,
subject to Law 50.
A card played may not be
withdrawn except as provided in Law 47.
* If dummy places in played position a card
declarer did not name, the card must be withdrawn if attention is
drawn to it before each side has played to the next trick, and a
defender may withdraw (without penalty) a card played after the error
but before attention was drawn to it (see Law 47).
LAW 46
PARTIAL DESIGNATION OF A CARD TO BE PLAYED FROM DUMMY'S HAND
When declarer instructs dummy to
play a card from dummy's hand, as permitted by Law 45,
but names only a suit or only the rank of a card, or the equivalent,
without fully specifying the card to he played, declarer must complete
his partial designation. Dummy must not play a card before declarer
has completed Isis partial designation.
LAW 47
RETRACTION OF A CARD PLAYED
(Club Law 47)
A card once played may be
withdrawn only
(a) to comply with a penalty, or
to correct an illegal play, or to correct the simultaneous play of two
or more cards (see Law 58); if a defender's card
that has been exposed is withdrawn under this subsection, it becomes a
penalty card (see Law 50); or
(b) after a change of
designation as permitted by Law 45(d), or
(c) after
an opponent's change of play, to substitute a card for one played
*, or
( d) to
correct a play * after misinformation by an
opponent. A lead out of turn may be retracted without penalty if the
leader was mistakenly informed by an opponent that it was his turn to
lead.
* The offending side must not base any
subsequent plays on information gained from such a withdrawn play.
PENALTY CARD
LAW 48
EXPOSURE OF DECLARER'S CARDS
Declarer is not subject to
penalty for exposing a card, and no card of declarer's or dummy's ever
becomes a penalty card. Declarer is not required to play any card
dropped accidentally.
When declarer faces his cards
after an opening lead out of turn, Law 54
applies. When declarer faces his cards at any other time, he may be
deemed to have made a claim or concession of tricks, in which case
Law 68 applies.
LAW 49
EXPOSURE OF A DEFENDER'S CARDS
Whenever a defender faces a card
on the table, holds a card so that it is possible for his partner to
see its face, or names a card as being in his hand, before he is
entitled to do so in the normal course of play or application of the
law, (penalty) each such card becomes a penalty card ( Law
50). *
* Exposure of a card or cards by a defender
who is making a claim or concession of tricks is subject to
Law 70.
LAW 50
DISPOSITION OF A PENALTY CARD
A defender's card is a penalty
card when prematurely exposed. It must be left face up on the table
until it is played or until an alternate penalty has been selected.
A single card below the rank of
an honor and exposed inadvertently (as in playing two cards to a
trick, or in dropping a card accidentally) becomes a minor penalty
card. Any penalty card of honor rank, or any card exposed through
deliberate play (as in leading out of turn, or in revoking and then
correcting) becomes a major penalty card; when one defender has two or
more penalty cards, all such cards become major penalty cards.
When a defender has a minor
penalty card, he may not play any other card of the same suit below
the rank of an honor until he has first played the penalty card.
(However, he is entitled to play an honor card instead of the minor
penalty card.) There is no further penalty, but the offender's partner
must not base any subsequent play on information gained through seeing
the penalty card.
When a defender has a major
penalty card, such card must be played at the first legal opportunity,
whether in leading, following suit, discarding or trumping. If a
defender has two or more penalty cards that can legally be played,
declarer may designate which is to be played. The obligation to follow
suit or to comply with a lead or play penalty takes precedence over
the obligation to play a penalty card, but the penalty card must still
be left face up on the table and played at the next legal opportunity.
When a defender has the lead
while his partner has a major penalty card, declarer may choose to
impose a lead penalty at this point: he may require that defender to
lead the suit of the penalty card or may prohibit that defender from
leading that suit (a prohibition continues for as long as he retains
the lead). If declarer does impose a lead penalty, the penalty card is
picked up at once. If declarer does not, the defender may lead any
card; but the penalty card remains a penalty card. The defender may
not lead until declarer has indicated his choice.
LAW 51
TWO OR MORE PENALTY CARDS
When a defender has two or more
penalty cards in one suit, and declarer requires or prohibits the lead
of that suit, the defender may pick up every penalty card in that suit
and may make any legal play to the trick.
When a defender has penalty
cards in more than one suit, declarer may prohibit the defender's
partner from leading every such suit or require him to lead one such
suit, but the defender may then pick up every penalty card in every
suit required or prohibited by declarer and may make any legal play to
the trick.
LAW 52
FAILURE TO LEAD OR PLAY A PENALTY CARD
When a defender is required by
Law 50 to play a penalty card but instead plays
another card, he must leave the illegally played card face up on the
table and
(a) declarer may accept the
defender's lead or play, and must do so if he has thereafter played
from his or dummy's hand, but the unplayed penalty card remains a
penalty card; or
(b) declarer may require the
defender to substitute the penalty card for the card illegally played,
in which case the illegally played card becomes a major penalty card.
LEAD OUT OF TURN
LAW 53
LEAD OUT OF TURN ACCEPTED
Any lead out of turn may be
treated by an opponent as a correct lead. It becomes a correct lead if
an opponent accepts it by making a statement to that effect, or if
that opponent next to play plays a card to the irregular lead. *
However, the player whose turn
it was to lead - unless he Is the offender's partner - may make his
proper lead subsequent to the infraction without his card being
treated as played to the irregular lead. The proper lead stands, and
all cards played in error to this trick may be withdrawn without
penalty.
* When such a play is made by a defender who
is not next to play after the irregular lead, Law 57
applies.
LAW 54
OPENING LEAD OUT OF TURN
When a defender makes the
opening lead out of turn,
(a) declarer may accept the
irregular lead as provided in Law 53. Dummy's
hand is spread in accordance with Law 41, and the
second card to the trick is played from declarer's hand; but if
declarer first plays to the trick from dummy's hand, dummy's card may
not be withdrawn except to correct a revoke.
(b) declarer must accept the
irregular lead if he could have seen any of dummy's cards (except
cards exposed during the auction, subject to
Law 23).
He is deemed to have accepted the irregular lead if he begins to
spread his hand as though he were dummy and in so doing exposes one or
more cards; declarer must spread his entire hand, and dummy becomes
declarer. *
(c) declarer may accept the
irregular lead by spreading his hand and becoming dummy; his partner
becomes the declarer.
(d) declarer may require the
defender to retract his irregular lead (except as provided in (b)
above), and then Law 56 applies.
* If cards are so exposed from both
declarer's and dummy's hands, the player who was regularly to become
declarer remains declarer.
LAW 55
DECLARER'S LEAD OUT OF TURN
(Club Law 55)
When declarer leads out of turn
from his or dummy's hand,
(a) either defender may accept
that lead as provided in Law 53.
(b) either defender may require
declarer to retract that lead. Then,
| (i) |
if it was a defender's turn to lead, declarer
restores the card led in error to his or dummy's hand, without
penalty. |
| (ii) |
if declarer has led from the wrong hand when it
was his turn to lead from his or dummy's hand, he withdraws the card
led in error; he must lead a card from the correct hand. |
| (iii) |
if declarer adopts a line of play that could have
been based on information obtained through his infraction, the
offenders should redress the damage in accordance with
Proprieties 1.
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LAW 56
DEFENDER'S LEAD OUT OF TURN
When a defender leads out of
turn,
(a) declarer may accept that
lead as provided in Law 53.
(b) declarer may require the
defender to retract that lead; the card illegally led becomes a major
penalty card (see Law 50 - note that lead
penalties are provided).
IRREGULAR LEADS AND PLAYS
LAW 57
PREMATURE LEAD OR PLAY BY A DEFENDER
When a defender leads to the
next trick before his partner has played to the current trick, or
plays out of turn before his partner has played, (penalty) declarer
may
(a) require offender's partner
to play his highest card of the suit led; or
(b) require offender's partner
to play his lowest card of the suit led; or
(c) prohibit offender's partner
from playing any card of one different suit specified by declarer.
Declarer must select one of
these options, and if the offender's partner cannot comply with the
penalty selected he may play any card, as provided in
Law 59.
When, as a result of the
application of the penalty, the offender's partner wins the current
trick, he leads to the next trick, and any card led or played out of
turn by the other defender becomes a major penalty card ( Law
50).
A defender is not subject to
penalty for playing before his partner if declarer has played from
both hands; but a singleton or one of two or more equal cards in dummy
is not considered automatically played unless dummy has played the
card.
LAW 58
SIMULTANEOUS LEADS OR PLAYS
A lead or play made
simultaneously with another player's legal lead or play is deemed to
be subsequent to it.
If a defender leads or plays two
or more cards simultaneously, and if only one such card is visible, he
must play that card; if more than one card is exposed, he must
designate the card he proposes to play and each other card exposed
becomes a penalty card ( Law 50).
If declarer leads or plays two
or more cards simultaneously from either hand, he must designate the
card he proposes to play and must restore any other card to the
correct hand. If declarer withdraws a visible card and a defender has
already played to that card, such defender may, without penalty,
withdraw his card and substitute another (see
footnote to Law 47).
If the error remains
undiscovered until both sides have played to the next trick,
Law 67 applies.
LAW 59
INABILITY TO LEAD OR PLAY AS REQUIRED
A player may play any otherwise
legal card If he is unable to lead or play as required to comply with
a penalty, whether because he holds no card of the required suit, or
because he has only cards of a suit he is prohibited from leading, or
because he is obliged to follow suit.
LAW 60
PLAY AFTER AN ILLEGAL PLAY
A play by a member of the
non-offending side after his RHO has played out of turn, and before a
penalty has been imposed, forfeits the right to penalize the offense.
The illegal play is treated as though it were in turn (but
Law 53 applies to the player whose turn it was).
If the offending side had a previous obligation to play a penalty card
or to comply with a lead or play penalty, the obligation remains at
future turns.
When a defender plays after
declarer has been required to retract his lead out of turn from either
hand, but before declarer has led from the correct hand, the
defender's card becomes a penalty card ( Law 50).
A play by a member of the
offending side before a penalty has been imposed does not affect the
rights of the opponents and may itself be subject to penalty.
THE REVOKE
LAW 61
FAILURE TO FOLLOW SUIT - INQUIRIES CONCERNING A REVOKE
Failure to follow suit in
accordance with Law 44, or failure to lead or
play, when able, a card or suit required by law or specified by an
opponent in accordance with a penalty, constitutes a revoke. Any
player may ask a player who has failed to follow suit whether he has a
card of the suit led, and may demand that an opponent correct his
revoke, except that dummy * may ask of
declarer, but not of a defender. (A claim of revoke does not warrant
inspection of quitted tricks, except as permitted in
Law 66.)
* Unless he has forfeited his rights, as
specified by Law 43.
LAW 62
CORRECTION OF A REVOKE
A player must correct his revoke
if he becomes aware of it before it becomes established (see
Law 63). To correct a revoke, the offender
withdraws the card he played in revoking and follows suit with any
card. A card so withdrawn becomes a major penalty card ( Law
50) if it was played from a defender's unfaced hand. The card may
be replaced without penalty if it was played from declarer's or
dummy's hand * or if it was a defender's
faced card. Each member of the non-offending side may, without
penalty, withdraw any card he may have played after the revoke but
before attention was drawn to it (see footnote to Law
47). After a non-offender so withdraws a card, the hand of the
offending side next in rotation may withdraw a played card, which
becomes a major penalty card if played from a defender's hand.
On the 12th trick, a revoke,
even if established, must be corrected if discovered before the cards
have been mixed together. If the revoke was committed by a defender
before his partner has played to the 12th trick, and if offender's
partner holds cards of more than one suit, (penalty) declarer may then
require the offender's partner to play to that trick either of the two
cards he could legally have played.
* Subject to Law 43. A
claim of revoke does not warrant inspection of quitted tricks except
as permitted in Law 67.
LAW 63
ESTABLISHMENT OF A REVOKE
A revoke becomes established
when the offender or his partner leads or plays (whether legally or
illegally) to the following trick, or names or otherwise designates a
card to be so played, or makes a claim or concession of tricks orally
or by facing his hand. The revoke may then no longer be corrected
(except for a revoke on the 12th trick - see Law 62),
and the trick on which the revoke occurred stands as played.
LAW 64
PROCEDURE AFTER ESTABLISHMENT OF A REVOKE
(Club Law 64)
When a revoke has become
established,
(a) if the offending player *
won the trick on which the revoke occurred, (penalty) that trick and
one of any subsequent tricks won by the offending side are transferred **
to the non-offending side (if no subsequent trick was won by the
offending side, only the revoke trick is transferred).
(b) if the
offender's partner won the trick on which the revoke occurred,
(penalty) that trick is transferred ** to the
non-offending side and if the offending player himself won a
subsequent trick with a card that could legally have been played to
the revoke trick one additional trick (but no more) is transferred **
to the non-offending side.
(c) if the non-offending side
won the trick on which the revoke occurred, and if the offending side
won any trick after the revoke, (penalty)
| (i) |
the first such trick is transferred**
to the non-offending side, and |
| (ii) |
if the offending side won two or more tricks
after the revoke, any of which was won by the offending player with
a card he could legally have played to the revoke trick, an
additional trick is transferred** to the
non-offending side. |
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(d) there
is no trick penalty for the established revoke if
| (i) |
the offending side did not win either the trick
on which the revoke occurred or any subsequent trick; or if |
| (ii) |
the revoke was a subsequent revoke in the same
suit by the same player; or if |
| (iii) |
the revoke was made in failing to play any card
faced on, or belonging to a hand faced on, the table, including a
card from dummy's hand; or if |
| (iv) |
attention was first drawn to the revoke after all
players had abandoned their hands and permitted the cards to be
mixed together; or if |
| (v) |
the revoke was on the 12th trick (see
Law 62). |
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N.B. When any established
revoke, including one not subject to penalty, causes damage to the
non-offending side insufficiently compensated by the law, the
offending side should, under Proprieties 1,
transfer additional tricks so as to restore equity.
* If declarer revokes but wins the trick on
which the revoke occurred in dummy, subsection (b)
applies.
** For the scoring of transferred tricks, see
Law 77.
TRICKS
LAW 65
COLLECTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF TRICKS
The cards constituting each
completed trick are collected by a member of the side that won the
trick and are then turned face down on the table. Each trick shall be
identifiable as such, and all tricks taken by a side shall be arranged
in sequence in front of declarer or of one defender, as the case may
be, in such manner that each side can determine the number of tricks
it has won and the order in which they were taken.
LAW 66
INSPECTION OF TRICKS
Declarer or either defender may,
until a member of his side has led or played to the following trick,
inspect a trick and inquire what card each player has played to it.
Thereafter, until play ceases, quitted tricks may be inspected only to
account for a missing or surplus card. After play ceases, the tricks
and unplayed cards may be inspected to settle an allegation of a
revoke, of honors, or of the number of tricks won or lost. If, after
an allegation has been made, a player on one side makes verification
of the allegation impossible, as by mixing the cards or merging the
tricks, the issue must be decided in favor of the other side.
LAW 67
TRICK EITHER APPROPRIATED IN ERROR OR DEFECTIVE
A trick appropriated by the
wrong side must, upon demand, be restored to the side that has in fact
won it *.
A trick containing more or fewer
than four cards is defective. When one player is found, during play,
to have fewer or more cards than all the other players, the previous
tricks should be forthwith examined, face down; if a defective trick
is discovered, the player with a correspondingly incorrect number of
cards is held responsible. The defective trick is inspected face up
and
(a) until the responsible player
has played to a subsequent trick, the defective trick is rectified as
follows:
| (i) |
if the offender has failed to play a card to the
defective trick, he adds to that trick a card he can legally play.
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| (ii) |
if the offender has played more than one card to
the defective trick, he withdraws all but one card, leaving a card
he can legally play. |
| (iii) |
the non-offending side may, without penalty,
withdraw any cards played after the irregularity and before
attention was drawn to it (see footnote to Law 47);
but the offending side may not withdraw cards that constitute legal
plays, and any cards they withdraw may become penalty cards (Law
50). |
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(b) after the responsible player
has played to a subsequent trick, the ownership of the defective trick
cannot be changed and
| (i) |
if the offender has failed to play a card to the
defective trick, he forthwith faces and adds a card to that trick,
if possible one he could legally have played to it. |
| (ii) |
if the offender has played more than one card to
the defective trick, he withdraws all but one card, leaving the
highest card he could legally have played to that trick. A withdrawn
card may become a penalty card (Law 50); such a
card is deemed to have belonged continuously to the offender's hand
and failure to have played it to an earlier trick may constitute a
revoke. |
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* If calls have been made on a subsequent
deal, see Law
78.
CLAIMS AND CONCESSIONS
LAW 68
DECLARER'S CLAIM OR CONCESSION OF TRICKS
Declarer makes a claim or a
concession whenever he announces that he will win or lose one or more
of the remaining tricks, or suggests that play be curtailed, or faces
his hand. Declarer should not make a claim or concession if there is
any doubt as to the number of tricks to be won or lost.
LAW 69
PROCEDURE FOLLOWING DECLARER'S CLAIM OR CONCESSION
(Club Law 69)
When declarer has made a claim
or concession, play is temporarily suspended and declarer must place
and leave his hand face up on the table and forthwith make a
comprehensive statement as to his proposed plan of play, including the
order in which he will play the remaining cards.
Declarer's claim or concession
is allowed, and the deal is scored accordingly, if both defenders
agree to it. The claim or concession must be allowed if either
defender has permitted any of his remaining cards to be mixed with
another player's cards; otherwise, if either defender disputes
declarer's claim or concession, it is not allowed. Then, play
continues.
When his claim or concession is
not allowed, declarer must play on, leaving his hand face up on the
table. At any time, either defender may face his hand for inspection
by his partner, and declarer may not impose a penalty for any
irregularity committed by a defender whose hand is so faced.
The objective of subsequent play
is to achieve a result as equitable as possible to both sides, but any
doubtful point must be resolved in favor of the defenders. Declarer
may not make any play inconsistent with the statement he may have made
at the time of his claim or concession. And if he failed to make an
appropriate statement at that time, his choice of plays is restricted
thereby:
(a) if declarer made no relevant
statement, he may not finesse * in any suit
unless an opponent failed to follow in that suit before the claim or
concession, or would subsequently fail to follow in that suit on any
conceivable sequence of plays.
(b) if declarer may have been
unaware, at the time of his claim or concession, that a trump remained
in a defender's hand, either defender may require him to draw or not
to draw the outstanding trump.
(c) if declarer did not, in his
statement, mention an unusual plan of play, he may adopt only a
routine line of play.
If declarer attempts to make a
play prohibited under this law, either defender may accept the play
or, provided neither defender has subsequently played, require
declarer to withdraw the card so played and substitute another that
conforms to his obligations.
* For these purposes, a finesse is a play the
success of which depends on finding one defender rather than the other
with or without a particular card,
LAW 70
DEFENDER'S CLAIM OR CONCESSION OF TRICKS
(Club Law 70)
A defender makes a concession
when he agrees to declarer's claim, or when he announces that he will
lose one or more of the remaining tricks.
A defender makes a claim when he
announces that he will win one or more of the remaining tricks, or
when he shows any or all of his cards for this purpose. If
(a) the claim pertains only to
an uncompleted trick currently in progress, play proceeds normally;
cards exposed or otherwise revealed by the defender in making his
claim do not become penalty cards, but
Law 16,
Unauthorized Information, may apply to a claimer's partner.
(b) the claim pertains to
subsequent tricks, play is temporarily suspended; the claimer must
place and leave his hand face up on the table and make a comprehensive
statement as to his proposed plan of defense. The claim is allowed and
the deal scored accordingly if declarer agrees to it. If declarer
disputes the claim, the defenders must play on with the claimer's hand
face up on the table. Those cards do not become penalty cards.
However, declarer may prohibit claimer's partner from making any play
that could be suggested to him by seeing the faced cards.
LAW 71
CONCESSION WITHDRAWN
A concession may be withdrawn
(a) if a player concedes a trick
his side has, in fact, won; or if declarer concedes defeat of a
contract he has already fulfilled; or if a defender concedes
fulfillment of a contract his side has already defeated. (If the score
has been entered, see Law 78.)
(b) if a trick that has been
conceded cannot be lost by any probable sequence of play of the
remaining cards, and if attention is drawn to the fact before the
cards have been mixed together.
(c) if a defender concedes one
or more tricks and his partner immediately objects, but
Law 16
may apply.
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