Alerting above 3NT

[swanway]

English Bridge Union

 

I would appreciate some clarificatin regarding Regulation 5E4 in the EBU Orange Book.

 

Once the auction is above the level of 3NT, no calls are to be alerted except for:

 

(a) Artifical opening bids. (This regulation is clear enough)

 

(b) Lead-directing passes. (I am not familiar with this call. Can you please explain it?)

 

© Double or redoubles that are lead-directing but ask for the lead of a suit other than

the suit doubled (or redoubled). (Can this also be explained.)

 

What action should a Director take if players continue to alert bids above 3NT. Would you give them a procedural penalty if they continued to do it?

[RMB1]

Some people invert the obvious meaning of Pass/Double when opponents bid their suit,

so !H-3C(WJO)-4C(artifical slam try)-X says don't lead clubs and 1H-3C-4C-P says do lead clubs.

This latter sequence is a lead-directing Pass.

 

Some play think that to double a splinter to ask for the lead of that suit is pointless,

so they play it as asking for a lead of another specified suit, such as the suit above,

so 1H-P-4C(splinter)-X asks for a diamond lead.

This a lead-directing double asking for a suit other than the suit doubled.

 

If people alert bids above 3NT out of malice (because they don't like the regulation) they should be fined and there fines should escalate until they stop.

 

On the other hand, if people alert bids above 3NT because it takes them 5+ years to get used to a change in regulation they deserve sympathy not penalty.

 

If people alert bid above 3NT because it helps their bidding then they should be fined and any use of the unauthorised information from the alerts should lead to an adjusted score.