[jillybean]

ACBL
You are called to the table and told the following

The auction started PASS PASS. Player in 3rd seat pulled a pass card out of the bidding box and concealed the pass card behind the cards held in hand,thought for 15 seconds, reached for the bidding box, removed the 1C card, which was placed on the table and then returned the pass card to the bidding box.

[mw64ahw]

Can the ACBL really make Laws; maybe rules and regulations? Semantics maybe country dependent, but I thought Laws are reserved for sovereign states and their legislative bodies. On the basis perhaps the rulebook is inadmissible?

[pescetom]

 mw64ahw, on 2026-February-24, 01:50, said:

Can the ACBL really make Laws; maybe rules and regulations? Semantics maybe country dependent, but I thought Laws are reserved for sovereign states and their legislative bodies. On the basis perhaps the rulebook is inadmissible?

The Laws are made by WBF for the whole world, although ACBL likes to pretend they are ACBL Laws.

The twist is in how the regulations of an RA (like ACBL) about use of bidding box interact with the Laws.

Unfortunately some RAs (like FIGB) say that the call is made only when the bidding card is placed on the table: so now we are not in L25 as the Pass was never made. I would handle it as if the player had said "I'm tempted to Pass, but..." and then bid 1C. A 73B penalty for brazen illegal supply of information and then stay at the table with L16 ready to judge potential use of the UI.

Not sure how it works in ACBL.

[blackshoe]

Pretty much same way as in FIGB.

COC, App. G said:

BIDDING BOXES (no screens)
1. Players must choose a call before touching any card in the bidding box. A call is considered made when a bidding card is removed from the bidding box and held touching, or nearly touching, the table — or maintained in such a position to indicate that the call has been made.
2. Once a call has been made, the provisions of Law 25 (parts A and B), as written, govern changes of call.