During the career of any bridge player, there will
come the time when due to inattentiveness, a lapse of memory, or an oversight, the
bridge player will make in incorrect call or bid. In order to rectify this situation
when it arises, it is always mandatory and best to call the director and have the
director explain the situation, the remedy, and the options open to all four bridge
players at the table.
A situation has occurred at the bridge table
which has interrupted the normal procedure, and the Laws of Duplicate Bridge have
been established to cover these situations. No bridge player at the table should
instruct the others as to the Laws or quote the options open to the offending side
or non-offending side. This is the reason there is a director, and he alone should
clarify the situation according to the Laws of Duplicate Bridge.
Below are the Laws of Duplicate Bridge covering
a bid out of rotation, which every bridge player should read and know. The more information
a bridge player has, the better he/she can cope with situations, which arise at the
bridge table.
LAW 30: PASS OUT OF ROTATION
When a player has passed out of rotation
(and the call is canceled, as the option to accept the call has not been exercised
- see Law 29):
A. Before Any Player Has Bid
When a player has passed out of rotation before
any player has bid, (penalty) the offender must pass when next it is his turn to
call and Law 72B1 may apply.
B. After Any Player Has Bid
1. At RHO's Turn to Call
After any player has bid, when a pass out of rotation
is made at offender's RHO's turn to call, (penalty) offender must pass when next
it is his turn to call (if the pass out of rotation related by convention to a specific
suit, or suits, thereby conveying information, the lead penalties of Law 26
may apply).
2. At Partner's Turn to Call
(a) Action Required of Offender
After any player has bid, for a pass out of rotation
made at the offender's partner's turn to call, (penalty) the offender must pass whenever
it is his turn to call, and Law 72B1 may apply.
(b) Action Open to Offender's Partner
Offender's partner may make any sufficient bid,
or may pass, but may not double or redouble at that turn, and Law 72B1 may apply.
3. At LHO's Turn to Call
After any player has bid, a pass out of rotation
at offender's LHO's turn to call is treated as a change of call and Law 25 applies.
C. When Pass Is a Convention
When the pass out of rotation is a convention,
Law 31, not this Law, will apply. A pass is a convention if, by special agreement,
it promises more than a specified amount of strength, or if it artificially promises
or denies values other than in the last suit named.
LAW 31: BID OUT OF ROTATION
When a player has bid out of rotation (and
the bid is canceled, as the option to accept the bid has not been exercised - see
Law 29):
A. RHO's Turn
When the offender has bid (or has passed partner's
call when it is a convention, in which case section A2(b) applies) at his RHO's turn
to call, then:
1. RHO Passes
If that opponent passes, offender must repeat the
call out of rotation, and when that call is legal there is no penalty.
2. RHO Acts
If that opponent makes a legal bid, double
or redouble, offender may make any legal call; when this call
(a) Repeats Denomination
repeats the denomination of his bid out of rotation,
(penalty) offender's partner must pass when next it is his turn to call (see Law 23).
(b) Does Not Repeat Denomination
does not repeat the denomination of his bid out
of rotation, the lead penalties of Law 26 may apply, and (penalty) offender's
partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call (see Law 23).
B. Partner's or LHO's Turn
When the offender has bid at his partner's turn
to call, or at his LHO's turn to call if the offender has not previously called
, (penalty) offender's partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call (see Law 23
when the pass damages the non-offending side), and the lead penalties of Law 26
may apply.
An illegal call by RHO is penalized as usual.
Later bids at LHO's turn to call are treated as changes of call, and Law 25
applies.
LAW 32: DOUBLE OR REDOUBLE OUT OF ROTATION
A double or redouble out of rotation may
be accepted at the option of the opponent next in rotation (see Law 29), except
that an inadmissible double or redouble may never be accepted (see Law 35A if
the opponent next in rotation nevertheless does call). If the illegal call is not
accepted, it is canceled, the lead penalties of Law 26B may apply, and:
A. Made at Offender's Partner's Turn to Call
If a double or redouble out of rotation has been
made when it was the offender's partner's turn to call, (penalty) the offender's
partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call (see Law 23 when the pass
damages the non-offending side).
B. Made at RHO's Turn to Call
If a double or redouble out of rotation has been
made at offender's RHO's turn to call, then:
1. RHO Passes
If offender's RHO passes, offender must repeat
his out-of-rotation double or redouble and there is no penalty unless the double
or redouble is inadmissible, in which case Law 36 applies.
2. RHO Bids
If offender's RHO bids, the offender may in turn
make any legal call and (penalty) offender's partner must pass whenever it is his
turn to call (see Law 23 when the pass damages the non-offending side).
LAW 33: SIMULTANEOUS CALLS
A call made simultaneously with one made by the player whose turn it was to call is deemed to be a subsequent call.