The English Bridge Union has made significant changes to the scheme of announcements effective September 1st 2022. This only applies to the EBU. So, if you play in any clubs or competitions playing to the EBU rules, you will be expected to use the Alerting and Announcing rules as explained below.

For the latest EBU 2022 Announcement click EBU Announcing and Alerting Rules

ANNOUNCING AND ALERTING SUMMARY
Opening Bid	Description	Announce	Alert	N/A
1 and 1	Non-forcing. Could be on fewer than 3 cards	"May be X” where X is 0, 1 or 2. Extend to "May be X and may have an outside 5-card (Diamond) suit" as appropriate
	Non-forcing, natural, 3 or more
	Other (forcing, strong, artificial)
1NT	Balanced	“12 to 14” (or appropriate range) and, if relevant, “may contain a singleton”
2	Strong, Acol, (Benji Acol, etc)
	Precision	“Intermediate”
2	Weak with diamonds	“Weak”
	Strong with diamonds	“Strong, forcing”  * or   “Strong non-forcing” *
	Other (Benji, Multi, etc)
2/	Weak with hearts/ spades	“Weak”
	Strong with hearts/ spades	“Strong, forcing”  * or  “Strong non-forcing” *
	Other (Lucas, Flannery, etc)
2NT	Strong, balanced
	Other meaning, including two-suited or forcing,

N/A: No Action, do not alert/announce
*The practice of making strong bids with hands of limited high cards must be clearly disclosed

Responses to 1NT or 2NT openings
Response	Description	Announce	Alert	N/A
1NT - 2 2NT - 3	Stayman (asking for 4 card majors, promissory or not)	"Stayman"
	5-card Stayman
1NT - 2 - 2 2NT - 3 - 3	Denies 4 card major
1NT - 2 2NT - 3	Transfer, showing hearts	“Hearts”
1NT - 2 - 2 2NT - 3 - 3	Completion of transfer
1NT - 2 2NT - 3	Transfer, showing spades	“Spades”
1NT - 2 - 2 2NT - 3 - 3	Completion of transfer
1NT - 2/3 2NT - 3/3	Natural, non-forcing
	Other Meaning
1NT - 2 New in 2022	Natural, non-forcing
	Transfer, showing clubs	"Clubs"
	Other meaning, including where clubs is one option
1NT - 2NT New in 2022	Natural, non-forcing
	Transfer, showing diamonds	"Diamonds"
	Other meaning

Responses to non-forcing one of a suit – all new in 2022
Response	Description	Announce	Alert	N/A
1 - 1	Natural
	Shows Hearts	"Hearts"
	Other meaning
1 - 1	Natural
	Shows Spades	"Spades"
	Other meaning
1 - 1	Natural
	Shows Diamonds	"Dianonds"
	Denies 4+ cards in a Majo	"No Major"
	Other meaning
1 suit - 1 NT	Non forcing, up to 10 HCP
	Non-forcing, can be > 10 HCP	"Up to n points”, or “Up to bad n points”
1 - 1 NT	Forcing, shows clubs	"Clubs"
	Forcing, shows diamond	"Diamonds"
1 suit - 1 NT	Other meaning, forcing
1 - 2	Not forcing (with clubs)
	Forcing, showing clubs
	Showing diamonds	"Diamonds"
	Other meaning
1/1/1 - 2suit (not a jump, not a passed hand)	Non-forcing
	Natural, forcing, not game-force
	Natural, game forcing	"Game Forcing"
	Not natural

ALERTING SUMMARY
Bids			Alert	N/A
above 3NT	Artificial suit bids on 1st round of the auction (for this purpose the first round of the bidding is the opening bid and three subsequent calls)
	Other bids
Action over Opponents’ calls up to and including 3NT
Opponents Call	Meaning of their call …	If your Double is …	Alert	N/A
A suit at any level	Natural	Take-out
		Anything else
	Does not show the suit (i.e. conventional or not natural)	Showing the suit doubled
		Anything else
A suit opening	Prepared, Phoney, Short or Nebulous 1 or 1 opening	Take-out
		Anything else
No trumps at any level	Natural or conventional	Penalty
		Anything else
Opponents Call	Meaning of their call …	If your redouble is …	Alert	N/A
Double	Any meaning	for business, shows strength: partner is expected to pass
		Partner is expected to remove, or some other specific meaning
Action over Opponents’ calls above 3NT
Opponents Call	Meaning of their …	Other Actions …	Alert	N/A
Above 3NT	Any meaning	Lead directing pass
		Lead directing double for a different suit to the one doubled
		Lightner double of, say 6NT, calling for a specific lead
		Lead directing redouble for a different suit to the one redoubled
		Any other pass, double or redouble

© The English Bridge Union 2013. Effective 1 September 2022 English Bridge Union, Broadfields, Bicester Rd, Aylesbury HP19 8AZ 01296 317200                  Email postmaster@ebu.co.uk