Questions about the recent changes in the Laws of Bridge? In the list of documents below, each Law is broken down individually, highlighting the differences between the 2007 and 2017 versions. You will also find a series of videos—where our top Tournament Directors evaluate the most important changes—and a list of additional resources.
- Definitions
- Index
- Law 1 — The Pack
- Law 2 — The Duplicate Boards
- Law 3 — Arrangement of Tables
- Law 4 — Partnerships
- Law 5 — Assignment of Seats
- Law 6 — The Shuffle and Deal
- Law 7 — Control of Boards and Cards
- Law 8 — Sequence of Rounds
- Law 9 — Procedure Following an Irregularity
- Law 10 — Assessment of Rectification
- Law 11 — Forfeiture of the Right to Rectification
- Law 12 — Director’s Discretionary Powers
- Law 13 — Incorrect Number of Cards
- Law 14 — Missing Card
- Law 15 — Play of a Wrong Board
- Law 16 — Authorized and Unauthorized Information
- Law 17 — The Auction Period
- Law 18 — Bids
- Law 19 — Doubles and Redoubles
- Law 20 — Review and Explanation of Calls
- Law 21 — Call Based on Misinformation
- Law 22 — Procedure After the Bidding Has Ended
- Law 23 — Comparable Call
- Law 24 — Cards Exposed or Led Prior to Play Period
- Law 25 — Legal and Illegal Changes of Call
- Law 26 — Call Withdrawn, Lead Restrictions
- Law 27 — Insufficient Bid
- Law 28 — Calls Considered to be in Rotation
- Law 29 — Procedure After Call Out of Rotation
- Law 30 — Pass Out of Rotation
- Law 31 — Bid Out of Rotation
- Law 32 — Double or Redouble Out of Rotation
- Law 33 — Simultaneous Calls
- Law 34 — Retention of Right To Call
- Law 35 — Inadmissible Calls
- Law 36 — Inadmissible Doubles and Redoubles.
- Law 37 — Action Violating Obligation to Pass
- Law 38 — Bid of More Than Seven
- Law 39 — Call After the Final Pass
- Law 40 — Partnership Understandings
- Law 41 — Commencement of Play
- Law 42 — Dummy’s Rights
- Law 43 — Dummy’s Limitations
- Law 44 — Sequence and Procedure of Play
- Law 45 — Card Played
- Law 46 — Incomplete or Erroneous Call of a Card From Dummy
- Law 47 — Retraction of Card Played
- Law 48 — Exposure of Declarer’s Cards
- Law 49 — Exposure of Defender’s Cards
- Law 50 — Disposition of a Penalty Card
- Law 51 — Two or More Penalty Cards
- Law 52 — Failure to Lead or Play a Penalty Card
- Law 53 — Lead Out of Turn Accepted
- Law 54 — Faced Opening Lead Out of Turn
- Law 55 — Declarer’s Lead Out of Turn
- Law 56 — Defender’s Lead Out of Turn
- Law 57 — Premature Lead or Play
- Law 58 — Simultaneous Leads or Plays
- Law 59 — Inability to Lead or Play as Required
- Law 60 — Play After an Illegal Play
- Law 61 — Failure to Follow Suit – Inquires Concerning a Revoke
- Law 62 — Correction of a Revoke
- Law 63 — Establishment of a Revoke
- Law 64 — Procedure After the Establishment of a Revoke
- Law 65 — Law 65 – Arrangement of Tricks
- Law 66 — Inspection of Tricks
- Law 67 — Defective Trick
- Law 68 — Claim or Concession of Tricks
- Law 69 — Agreed Clam or Concession
- Law 70 — Contested Claim or Concession
- Law 71 — Concession Cancelled
- Law 72 — General Principles
- Law 73 — Communication
- Law 74 — Conduct and Etiquette
- Law 75 — Mistaken Explanation or Mistaken Call
- Law 76 — Spectators
- Law 77 — Duplicate Bridge Scoring Table
- Law 78 — Methods of Scoring and Conditions of Contest
- Law 79 — Tricks Won
- Law 80 — Regulation and Organization
- Law 81 — The Director
- Law 82 — Rectification of Errors of Procedure
- Law 83 — Notification of the Right to Appeal
- Law 84 — Rulings on Agreed Facts
- Law 85 — Rulings on Disputed Facts
- Law 86 — In Team Play or Similar
- Law 87 — Fouled Board
- Law 88 — Award of Indemnity Points
- Law 89 — Rectification in Individual Events
- Law 90 — Procedural Penalties
- Law 91 — Penalize or Suspend
- Law 92 — Right to Appeal
- Law 93 — Procedures of Appeal
Videos
| Subject | Law | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Claims and Concessions | Law 68 and 70 |  |
| Comparable Call | Law 23 | |
| Comparable Calls – Similar Meaning | Law 23A1 | |
| Comparable Calls – Subsets | Law 23A2 | |
| Comparable Calls – Same Purpose | Law 23A3 | |
| Pass out of Rotation | Law 30 | |
| Bid out of Rotation | Law 31 | |
| Subject | Law | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Double or Redouble out of Rotation | Law 32 | |
| Awarding an adjusted score | Law 12C | |
| Lead restrictions after a withdrawn call | Law 26 | |
| Wrong Board | Law 15 | |
| Legal and Illegal Changes of Call | Law 25 | |
| Mistaken Explanation – Mistaken Call | Law 75 | |
| Laws Dealing with the Revoke | Laws 61-64 | |
ACBL Seminar (video)
An edited version of this seminar has been created as two separate video files, each lasting approximately one hour. Viewing both videos completely and sequentially will provide a thorough review of the most important changes to the Laws of Duplicate Bridge that became effective in September 2017.
The index below will allow the viewer to identify the elapsed time location in the videos of various topics of interest. The index will also facilitate returning to where one stopped when it was not convenient to view the entire video at one sitting.
Part One
- 0:00 Introduction and Overview
- 2:37 Law 68 – Claims and Concessions
- 11:45 Law 23A1 – Definition of Comparable Call – Same or Similar Meaning
- 32:08 Law 23A2 – Definition of Comparable Call – Subset
- 39:37 Law 23A3 – Definition of Comparable Call – Same Purpose
- 43:25 Law 23 – Directorial Procedure in Handling Comparable Call Situations
Part Two
- 0:00 Information about Club Director Support by Telephone
- 4:20 Law 23C – Comparable Call – Damage to the Non-Offending Side
- 6:18 Law 30 – Pass Out of Rotation
- 16:30 Laws 31 and 32 – Bids Out of Rotation; Doubles Out of Rotation
- 23:12 Law 27 – Insufficient Bids
- 29:06 Law 26 – Call Withdrawn, Lead Restrictions
- 37:00 Law 25 – Legal and Illegal Changes of Call
- 44:05 Law 12C – Awarding an Adjusted Score
- 58:11 Law 64 – Procedure after an Established Revoke
