Some people play bridge for fun, some for the competitive aspect and others for combinations of the two.

The Goderich Bridge Club wants everyone to enjoy playing at our club.

Our games are sanctioned by the ACBL and must therefore abide by the rules established by the ACBL.

There are good practices we want all players to follow so everyone enjoys playing at our club.

Please be aware of the following rules and practices.

The Director

The Director seals with all law and rule infractions and tries to run a smooth pleasant game.

Players should not feel frightened or embarrassed to call for the Director when an irregularity occurs.

Players should not attempt to make their own rulings.

When an irregularity occurs, (e.g. bid/lead out of turn, insufficient bid), call the Director.

To be courteous, tell the other players at your table that you’d like to call the Director, then raise your hand and say the word “Director please”.

Once the Director has been called, play must stop and the cards left as they are.

When Director arrives at the table, only the person who has called the director should explain the issue.

The Director will ensure that each player gets an opportunity to explain their side of the issue and they should be allowed to do so without interruption by the others.

If you disagree with the Director’s ruling, politely tell the Director that you’d like to discuss it after the game.

All participants

The start of the game is a busy time for the Director as he/she tries to determine the number of tables there will be and the kind of movement to be used, so please arrive at least 10 minutes early to the game.

Please wait for the Director to give the OK before starting the first hand in case change are necessary.

Don’t move from one table to the next until the Director calls the round.

Greet your opponents in a friendly fashion at the start of each round.

If your partner or an opponent acts in an unfriendly, critical, or threatening manner, call the director ASAP.

Our Club has a Fragrance Free Policy - do not use scented products such as perfumes, hairspray or aftershave.

North is responsible for turning the boards and others should not touch the boards without North's permission, but North may designate South as responsible for handling the boards.

Each partnership should have at least one completed accessible convention card - if the partnership has two convention cards, they must be identical.

An opponent may access your card at any time during the bidding or play, but you may not access your own card while a hand is being bid or played.

Finish all the boards in a round before you discuss a hand that you have played.

Please be quiet if you are finished a round but others are still playing.

At the end of a game, please help to put away tables, bridgemates, boards, bidding boxes and table cards.

The Bidding

During the bidding and play, you are not entitled to any memory aids.

The cards should not be taken out of a board until at least one of the opponents is at the table.

When you have removed your cards from the board, count them before looking at them.

Make sure it is your turn to bid before doing so.

Pause briefly before bidding/passing (1, 2, 3) – do not pass quickly because your hand is weak.

Talking while holding cards in not allowed, except for bridge-related alerts and announcements.

Commenting about your hand during bidding or play is not acceptable for dummy or defenders.

If you make a bid (e.g. Open 2♠) the opponent whose turn it is next to bid, may ask your partner what your bid meant - your partner must answer, you may not.

If you don’t know or aren’t sure what your partner’s bid means, do not speculate - simply say that you don’t know what it means.

If your partner has given a mistaken explanation, you may not correct it during the bidding.

If you end up defending, you must wait until play ends to correct partner’s incorrect explanation.

If you end up declaring, you must correct the explanation before the opening lead is made.

Do not touch the bidding box until you’ve decided what bid to make. Moving your hand back and forth between possible bids gives your partner information to which he/she is not entitled.

Decide what bid you want to make, take it out of the bidding box, look at it to make sure you’ve pulled out the one you intended, and then place it on table.

Never make remarks, gestures, or facial expressions during the bidding that show that you do not understand your partner’s last bid, you don’t like it, or that your own bid is based on indecision - your partner is not entitled to this information and it may mislead the opponents.

When you make an insufficient bid, it is not your right to simply make it sufficient - the Director must be called as there are situations in which a call cannot simply be made sufficient.

Never pick up your bid cards before the auction has ended - if you pick up your bid cards before your partner’s last bid, it appears that you are telling your partner to pass.

A psyche is defined as a bid that grossly misrepresents the strength or distribution of one’s own hand. Even a mistake can be a psyche, if it grossly misrepresents the strength or distribution of the hand.

Repeated use of psyche bids is illegal – report all psyche bids to the Director at the completion of the hand.

Mechanical Bidding Error

South bid 1♥, West passes or bids or doubles, and you as South then realizes that you meant to bid 1♠ - you have accidently pulled the wrong card – what are your rights?

You may stop the bidding if your partner has not yet passed or bid.

You should call the director, who will examine your hand.

If the bid you made accidently is not appropriate for the hand, you will be allowed to change it.

You then correct the bid, clarifying that the first bid was a mechanical error.

Your LHO may now change his/her pass or bid or double, or repeat her original call.

Your partner may not infer anything from the original misbid.

East and West may infer what they want to from your original bid or his/her partner's first call.

Alerts and explanations

Alert all bids that require an alert. When an explanation is asked for, do not simply respond with the name of the convention, but rather explain what the bid shows (or asks).

You may only ask for an explanation of a bid when it is your turn to bid or prior to your play to the first trick.

To ask for an explanation for the purpose of making sure your partner understands is unethical.

As Declarer or Dummy, if your partner has failed to alert an alertable bid, it is your obligation to inform the opponents after the auction ends and before the opening lead is made.

As Declarer or Dummy, if your partner alerts a bid that was not alertable or provides an explanation of a bid which is not as per your convention card, it is your obligation to inform the opponents after the auction ends and before the opening lead is made.

As a Defender, if you make either of these mistakes, it is your obligation to inform the opponents after the play of the hand is completed.

When any of these situations occur, if your opponents are not advanced players, you should add to your explanation “If you feel you were damaged, you should call the Director.”

Play of the hand

When you are on opening lead, detach a card from your hand, lay it face down on the table, and ask if there are any questions – you may not lead a different card if a question is asked.

A review of the bidding may be requested by each player at his\her turn to play to the first trick.

After the first trick, a player, at his\her turn to play, may only ask what the contract is and if it was doubled.

Make your opening lead before writing down the contract.

A card is ruled played by a defender if it is held in a manner that partner could have seen it.

A card is ruled played by declarer if it is held face down touching or nearly touching the table.

If declarer plays a card from the incorrect hand, either Defender or the Dummy may point this out.

A lead from the wrong hand can be accepted by either Defender.

When playing from dummy, Declarer should state the rank and the suit of the card he\she wants. These exceptions apply:

       Naming the suit implies the lowest card in the suit.

       Naming the card (the Queen) implies the same suit as previous

       Continue implies playing the highest remaining card in the same suit

       Saying “Play” implies the lowest card of the suit led

 Saying “Win it” tells dummy to win the trick with the lowest card possible.

Declarer may change mistaken designation of a card from dummy if he/she does so without pause for thought.

Dummy doesn’t reach for a card until declarer calls for it.

Do not detach a card from your hand until it is your turn to play, do not touch a card until you have decided which one you want to play, do not touch one card then move your hand to another, and do not pull up one card, push it back and then pull up another card.

To prevent a possible revoke, when a defender or declarer fails to follow suit, that player’s partner may immediately inquire, “No spades?” for example.

Once all the cards played to any trick have been turned face down on the table, you cannot ask to see what cards were played to that trick.

Suggestion: do not turn your card over until the trick winner does so.

You may ask for confirmation as to which hand won the trick to ensure a lead is made from the correct hand.

If a player places a card the wrong way down on a completed trick (vertical vs. horizontal showing a trick as won or lost), his/her partner may advise them of the mistake, but only if he/she does so before the next lead is made.

Dummy may only remove and play a card when directed to do so by Declarer. Dummy must not reach towards a card in anticipation of which card will be called for by Declarer.

When Declarer calls for a card, Dummy must never make a remark, gesture, facial expression or hesitation questioning that call.

Once a claim has been made, play of the hand must stop, unless a Defender asks that play continue. If the claim is invalid or uncertain, call the Director. If there is trump outstanding and declarer makes no mention of pulling trump, call the Director.

When the final card has being played and scoring is taking place do not fold up your cards until all players have agreed on total tricks taken.

When play is over, each player should shuffle his/her cards and returns them to the correct pocket.

North is responsible for entering the score on the bridgemate, but must have it checked by West before continuing on to next board.

Bridge is a timed event. The ACBL has suggested that boards be bid and played in an average of 7 minutes. Please try to play at a proper pace so as to not to keep the other tables waiting to change rounds.