Bridge is played at the CLUB for the enjoyment of all but in accordance with the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge 1997 and the Directives of the English Bridge Union as set out in the Orange Book. The Rules and Ethics do not replace them, but set out in simple terms for the benefit of members, a number of points which can cause confusion.

All member are asked to take note of the following points.

1: Rules. The rules lay down the correct procedure of the game and also the procedures for dealing with irregularities. When any irregularities occur the Director should be called; by doing so does not in any way imply censure, but it ensures that the decision he/she makes, takes account of all players not just those directly involved.

2: Dealing. It is quite illegal to deal the cards in other way than one by one. The legal way of increasing the interest in the hand is by thorough shuffling. The boards should then be left in the centre of the table during play.

3: Convention Cards The CLUB will allow conventions up to and including Level 4 to be played. Every player should fill in a Convention Card or the front of his/her score card to show (properly described) the conventions being used, and have it available on the table. You must ensure the systems and conventions shown are permitted, and each pair should have matching cards which, of course, may be looked at by the opposition during bidding but NOT by you. The Towcester Bridge Club Score card will be printed with a basic ACOL system shown on the cover page. If you do not display a Convention Card of your own, then you are obliged to play within the system described. Failure to do so may cause the Director to rule against you in the event of a bidding problem.

4: Bidding Boxes A call is regarded as made when a Bid or Pass card has been taken out of the bidding box with apparent intent. The player is obliged to make up his/her mind before he/she touches any Bid or Pass card in the box. Do not fiddle with the box - you may pass unauthorised information. If you pull out the wrong card by mistake, then you can change your bid only when ALL the following conditions are fulfilled.:

         a) You have inadvertently taken out the wrong bidding card (e.g. another card
         has stuck to the one you wanted to take out
         b) You correct, or attempt to correct, your mistake without pause for thought as
         soon as you realise what you have done, and
         c) You partner has not yet called after the mistake.

NOTE: You cannot take advantage of this rule if you bid as a result of a misapprehension (such as forgetting your system or failing accurately to notice the auction so far.

5: Alerting The purpose of alerting is to draw your opponents attention to any call by your partner that may have a special meaning. A bid that has any meaning other than its natural meaning (i.e. conventional), must be alerted by the bidder's partner showing the appropriate card from the bidding box. Alerting is compulsory at all levels of bidding. The detailed rules of alerting are as laid out in Section 5 of the Orange Book. An explanation must NOT be given unless asked for.

6: Bluff bids or play (Psychic Bids) Players have a perfect legal right to bluff by departing from what is on their card, but it becomes if done frequently, especially if a particular type of bluff is repeated, or if the partner's response give indication of NOT taking the bid at face value. (i.e. indicating unauthorised information). Systematic psyching of any kind is not permitted and must be reported to the Committee.

7: Stop Bids Any jump bid must be prefixed by the "Stop Card". The next player MUST then pause (c.10 seconds) before bidding or passing.

8: Questioning opponents system A player has the right to ask for an explanation of opponents system of bidding and play but persistent questioning of every detail can amount to harassment and may improperly alert the questioner's partner.
           Before asking consult their Convention Card
           The right to ask questions is not licence to do so without consequences

To do so when there is no intention of bidding should be avoided as that unauthorised information is not inadvertently passed t your partner. It is recommended that all questions where you are "No Bidding" are deferred until the auction is over and you are about to lead, or your partner's lead is face down on the table. This sis the more ethical approach and eliminates time wasting during the auction. Seek information about your opponents system before bidding commences, particularly the 1 NT range, slam bidding methods and leads and discards. Do not question a bid out of turn as to could pass unauthorised information. Wait for your turn to ask a question.

9 Undue emphasis in bidding and play This, or any other such action is obviously quite wrong. If any remark or gesture is inadvertently made, the partner should make the strongest effort possible not to be influenced.            Partners should not look at each others faces

10 Hesitations You are allowed to think about your calls if you need to do so but, if you hesitate markedly this may give your partner an ethical problem. If you take a long time over a bid you partner knows that you had alternatives to the call you eventually choose but he/she must ignore everything except the call you finally made. A hesitation does not prevent you partner from bidding but he/she may not choose an option which may have been suggested by the knowledge that you had a problem. If your partner hesitates and the Director thinks that the hesitation could have influenced your call then he/she will rule against you unless he thinks your action would have been taken by 70% of similar standard players without the hesitation. Hesitations are worse if you fiddle with the bidding box whilst you are thinking as that may well tell your partner not just that you have a problem but what it was. Always then bid smoothly and without comments.

11: Opening lead The face down lead may not be withdrawn unless, on the instruction of the director, to correct an infraction.(Like a wrong explanation during the auction, or because the lead is from the wrong hand).

12: Played card A player may not of his own initiative withdraw a card that he has played (e g wrong defender makes lead). If an irregularity has occurred the Director must be called. A card is played if it has been named as played or if it has been touched in dummy with intent to play or if it is a defenders card held so that the other defender might have seen its face or if it is a declarer's card face up on or near the table.

13: Declarer's lead from wrong hand Comes under the foregoing rules and in addition neither declarer not dummy should draw attention to an attempt to lead incorrectly. The director must be called.
(NOTE: dummy may warn declarer to stop him/her from leading from the wrong hand but it must be done before the lead is made)

14: Play of dummy Dummy must not, at his own initiative, play a card from dummy. An exception may reasonably be made for a singleton but even so it must not be played out of turn. Declarer must nominate the card to be played.

15: Deliberate hesitation in play Deliberate hesitation when there is nothing to hesitate about is unethical. A player who genuinely needs time to think about future tricks is advised do so when he has played to the current trick face down.

16: Turned card Once all cards are turned down from the previous trick they may not be faced again except:           a) There is a genuine doubt about that trick or           b) after a revoke has been established and is under review by the Director.
Cards may be reviewed by refacing and by declarer/defender only if their own card is still face up.

17: Finished board Cards and curtain cards of a completed board should not be touched without the opponents permission and with great care. Preferably they should not be touched at all. It is illegal to touch the cards of any other player - even with their permission!

18: Before play
          a) Count your cards before looking at them!
          b) NS should check that that they have the correct boards and they are presented in the correct orientation
          (remember that in general, on the first round, the highest numbered board will be table number times number of boards to be played and then North/South will play them sequentially)