WHITE BOOK 2004 EBU Tournament Directors' Guide Edited by ...

White Book – November 2003 – Chapter V
Example Suppose a player has bid 3, and now calls the TD and asks if he can
change it. The TD convinces himself that it was not a mechanical error
[which would mean that Law 25A would apply] and checks that the next
player did not call before this player called for the TD, or indicated he
needed the TD. If the next player has called then it is too late for Law 25B.
In that case the TD would warn the player’s partner about unauthorised
information and instruct the bidding to continue.
Suppose it is in time. The Law book is written in such a way that it
assumes that the player has made a change, or tried to. If, however, he is
only asking whether he can, the TD must explain the effects of a change,
then ask the player whether he wants to proceed with a change. He cannot
be forced to make a change if he has never said how he would change the
call. The TD should not ask the player what change he wants to make [and
certainly not why!] until he has decided whether to proceed with the
process. If he decides not to then as before the TD would warn the player’s
partner about unauthorised information and instruct the bidding to continue.
Now, suppose either that the player has indicated that he wants to go
ahead, or that he originally did change his call, or attempted to. Now is the
time for the TD to ascertain what change is proposed, and then go through
Law 25B again in detail, reading it to the players, to discover which part
applies on this occasion.
25.3 Law 25A [Correction of an inadvertent call] [WBFLC]
The attempt to correct must follow immediately the realisation of the mistake when
bidding boxes are in use.
For example, a player places a bidding card on the table, then gazes off into space.
Eventually, he looks down and sees it is not the card he intended. So long as he
attempts to change it now he is in time [if his partner has not subsequently called] even
if it is quite some time after the call was originally placed.
If LHO has called before this attempt to change he may withdraw it without penalty
[Law 21B]. The withdrawn call is unauthorised to the side who originally made the
wrong call but authorised to the other side [Law 16C].
[WBFLC minutes 2000-08-30#6]
25.4 Laws 25A and 45C4B [What is inadvertent?] [WBFLC]
What is inadvertent? Assume the player intends to do one thing at the moment he
reaches for the bidding box, or his pen or pencil if using written bidding, or for the
bidding board, or starts to speak. Then it is inadvertent if his attention is drawn in that
instant to some other matter and then he finds he has actually done something
different. His mind has switched away from what he was doing.
[WBFLC minutes 2000-08-30#7]
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