Useful Directing Tips

Most Bridge clubs will have a Director to make sure a session goes well and to make a judgment if anything goes 'wrong'. What happens though when a Director is not present? Someone has to 'stand in' and do the Director's job to the best of their ability.
Here are some Useful Directing Tips which may prove useful. They are given with kind permission of John Beard, Bridge Holiday Organizer, 13, De La Hay Avenue, Milehouse, Plymouth, Devon.
Number of Boards in Play
If, when playing, you want to know how many boards your room has played just see which boards are in play on table one.
If you are a playing Director try and play at table number one, then you have got it at your finger tips and will not forget the skip round etc..
Number of Rounds Played
Again go to table number one and with two board rounds divide the highest number by 2 or three board rounds divide the highest by 3.
Sharing Boards
Normally, for an even number of tables, place the boards to be shared between Table 1 and the highest table.
Try not to get the slowest players in the room playing N/S on these tables - if they are then move them to another table.
The Relay should be placed at the halfway point. Put North at the halfway table where these boards are going into play in charge of ensuring they are in the right order.
Director Calls
Try to have to hand the most likely offences for which you may be called to the table to rule against.
Opening leads out of turn
For opening leads out of turn there are 5 options:
1) Declarer may accept the lead and Declarer goes down as dummy and dummy plays the hand.
2) You may accept the lead and dummy goes down and you play the hand in the normal way.
3) Demand that suit lead from the partner but the card exposed goes back into the offender's hand and he/she can play any card he/she likes.
4) Forbid that suit to be led from the partner and, until he/she has lost the lead, he/she cannot lead that suit. Againn the card led goes back into the offender's hand.
5) The card stays on the table and the correct person to lead any suit he/she likes including the suit led but the incorrect card must be played at the first legal opportunity.
Bid out of turn before auction
Remember it is different in 2nd position.
Bidding reverts to Dealer and if Dealer passes then there is no penalty and bidding carries on as if nothing happened. If Dealer makes a positive bid and the offender repeats the suit at the first legal level then his/her partner must pass for one round and one round alone but can bid anything he/she likes on the second round.
In 3rd and 4th position then the partner must pass whenever it is his/her turn to bid but the offender can bid anything he/she likes.
Lead penalties could apply.
Bid out of turn during auction.
Positive bid must be made good at the next legal level then there is no penalty but the player next to bid can always accept the bid by just bidding or saying that he/she will accept it.
Pass out of turn.
Must pass when it is their next turn to bid. There could be a lead penalty.
Revoke.
A revoke is not established until the offending side has played to the NEXT TRICK. The offenders can give away 2 tricks if the card wins the trick or if the card he/she should have played wins a subsequent trick. If not then only 1 trick. 0 tricks are given if, after the revoke, the offending side does not win that trick or take any further tricks after the revoke. Remember that they cannot revoke on the twelfth round.
Wrong number of cards.
Get somebody who has played the hand to put it right.
Board cannot be put right.
If in doubt always cancel the board, never try to let them play the board as this only leads to trouble. However, give the non-offending players (the people who cannot play the hand) average plus 10%.
Curtain Card.
If there is an error on a curtain card ask everyone at the table to ensure their own is correct and if all are correct, then ask the person with the incorrect card to put it right. However, if there are other discrepencies pass the board back to the previous table and ask them to put the curtain card right.

Just a little more to come!