2008 (September) Changes in the Laws of Duplicate Bridge..

Break in Tempo.. a player may announce he is reserving the right to call the

director if damage arises from a contended break in tempo... if such is

contested by opponents.. the director is to be called immediately

Queries of any call..one may not ask a question solely for the benefit of his

partner.. if partner has asked.. you may not ask a supplementary question

until it is your turn.. Declarer's first turn to play is from the dummy, unless

accepting an opening lead out of turn..

Clarifification period.. that time between the end of the auction and the

facing of the opening lead.. during which questions regarding the bidding may be

asked.. (presumably you may ask only at your turn thereafter, subject to

the foregoing restrictions)

A substituted call after a "not unintended" call NOT accepted by LHO.. the

withdrawn call becomes unauthorized information to the partner..

An insufficient call, even if conventional, may be corrected in the same suit

at the lowest sufficient level without rectification (penalty) IF the correction

has the same or more precise meaning.. BUT the director may assign an adjusted

score if the outcome "may well have been different" and the non-offending side

was damaged.. NOTE: players should not substitute a call before the

director arrives, or the director will hold you to that call and apply any

rectification provided by law..

Pairs may not alter their methods by prior agreement based on a question,

or reply thereto, or following a corrected irregularity..

A player may consult opponents' convention card at RHO's turn to call..

An opening lead by declarer or dummy may not be accepted..

REVOKES.. if the revoking player won the revoke trick and the offending side

wins another subsequent trick.. the non-offending side gets two tricks.. if

the revoking player does not win the revoke trick and the offending side wins

another subsequent trick, the non-offending side gets one trick.. BUT the

director shall restore equity where the non-offending side would have won

more tricks without the revoke..

Where both sides have revoked, there is no rectification for either.. but the

director shall adjust the score to that result most likely had neither occurred..

Incorrectly pointing of played cards.. Declarer may require correction at

any time.. Dummy and Defenders right to do so expires when a lead is

made to the NEXT trick..

Play ceases immediately upon any claim BUT the director may use play

after a claim as evidence of probable play..

THE ABOVE IS A PARAPHRASING OF THE JULY, 2008 BULLETIN AND

IS AN UNOFFICIAL ATTEMPT AT CLARIFICATION.. Jerry Conkling