When a player makes an insufficient bid the player next in rotation has the right to accept that bid. Players must not automatically make their bid sufficient. If the insufficient bid is accepted there is no penalty. If the insufficient bid is not accepted, then it must be corrected by a legal call.

If the insufficient bid defines a suit or suits or shows a balanced hand, then the player may correct the insufficient bid to the lowest sufficient bid that shows the same suit or suits or shows a balanced hand respectively. If this happens there is no penalty.

If there is a Comparable Call available, then the player may correct the insufficient bid to that call and there is no penalty.

If an insufficient bid is replaced by a sufficient bid that carries a different meaning, or a pass, the offender’s partner must pass throughout and there may be lead penalties.

When a player makes an insufficient bid the player next in rotation has the right to accept that bid. Players must not automatically make their bid sufficient. If the insufficient bid is accepted there is no penalty. ..........

When a player faces a card out of turn (or rotation) the TD must be called immediately. The card must not be retracted or replaced until the TD has given a ruling and should remain on the table for the TD to see. This applies both to opening leads out of turn and to leads made out of turn part way through a hand.

When an opening lead has been made out of turn declarer has five options which must be explained to him or her. They are:

1. Declarer can accept the lead and have his partner lay the dummy out before declarer chooses what card to play from his own hand.
2. Declarer can accept the lead and make his partner play the hand in which case the original declarer’s hand is laid out as the dummy.
3. Declarer can refuse the lead and insist that his left-hand opponent (LHO) leads the same suit.
4. Declarer can refuse the lead and insist that his LHO leads another suit.
5. Declarer can refuse the lead but give his LHO a free choice of lead. The wrongly led card must remain on the table and now becomes a major penalty card to be played at the first opportunity.

N.B. If either option 3 or 4 is chosen by declarer then the offender can put back the wrongly played card into his hand. The declaring side are not allowed to consult with one another if option 2 is being considered. The original declarer must make the choice by himself.

If a defender leads out of turn when the defenders partner should have led part way through a hand, then declarer can accept the lead if he so chooses or he can exercise similar options to  3, 4 or 5 above on the offender’s partner.

If a defender leads when it is declarer's or dummy's turn to lead, declarer can choose to accept the lead and play continues as normal. If declarer does not accept the lead the incorrectly led card becomes a major penalty card and must be played at the first legal opportunity.

If declarer leads out of turn from his own hand or from the dummy either defender can accept the lead or insist it be retracted. If the defenders don’t agree with one another then the defender immediately to the left of the mislead card gets priority.

When a player faces a card out of turn (or rotation) the TD must be called immediately. The card must not be retracted or replaced until the TD has given a ruling and should remain on the table for the TD to see. This applies both to opening leads out of turn and to leads made out of turn part way through a hand. ..........

Failing to follow suit in Bridge is known as a revoke and is one of the most common things to go wrong at the bridge table.  But what should happen if a revoke has been discovered or is suspected? Click on this article to read more, as players often get this wrong.

Everybody revokes once in a while (even you!), so following the correct procedure is important. As always, the tournament director (TD) should be called before anything happens. However please note, Dummy is not allowed to call the TD or draw attention to possible revokes by the opponents, until play has concluded.

Inspections of earlier tricks:

Players are not allowed to start inspecting (or ask to see) the quitted tricks of their opponents or their partner if they suspect, or know for certain, that a revoke has happened on an earlier trick. Revokes on earlier tricks are ‘established’ and must be dealt with by the TD at the end of the hand.

So, if you suspect a revoke has happened on an earlier trick, make a statement to that effect so that everybody keeps their quitted tricks in order until the end of the hand, whereupon trick inspections can take place. The hand must be played out in full and the TD must be called.

Corrections:

Established revokes cannot be corrected by the substitution of a legal card in the middle of a hand.

Inspecting the current trick:

Defenders and declarer are allowed to enquire about the current trick. If a player then realises that she has revoked, by inspecting her own card, she can correct it provided she, or her partner, has not played to the next trick. However, it is essential that the TD is called as the revoke card becomes a major penalty card and the opponents have the right to substitute their cards to that trick.  

Automatic redress? – not necessarily:

If a revoke has happened then, as the non-offending side, you don’t necessarily have an automatic redress. The TD will rule on this. For example, if the offender didn’t win the revoke trick and the offending side did not win any tricks after the revoke, there is no redress!

Redress – how many tricks, if applicable?

The TD will determine the size of the redress. It is usually one or two tricks. However, on rare occasions the TD may award a bigger redress. For example, if declarer is locked out of dummy as a result of the revoke, and there are tricks in dummy that she might otherwise have reached, the TD can allow for this.

Losing your rights:

It is important that you keep your quitted cards in the correct sequence and in the proper orientation until everybody has agreed the number of tricks made and whether or not there has been a revoke. If you gather up or muddle your cards before that, the director will most likely rule in favour of your opponents if a claim of a revoke is made against you.

Revoke Establishment:

A revoke becomes established when the offender or her partner plays to the next trick. As soon as that happens the revoke cannot be corrected. The hand must be played out to the end and the director called to make a ruling.

Failing to follow suit in Bridge is known as a revoke and is one of the most common things to go wrong at the bridge table.  But what should happen if a revoke has been discovered or is suspected? Click on this article to read more, as players often get this wrong.

Everybody revokes once in a while (even you!), so following the correct procedure is important. ..........