[jillybean]

Which law, regulation, whatever dictates when bidding cards should be returned to the box?
thanks

[pescetom]

Certainly no law.
Nor any regulation over here at least.
I often liken our regulations to swiss cheese.

[blackshoe]

jillybean, on 2026-February-11, 10:06, said:

Which law, regulation, whatever dictates when bidding cards should be returned to the box?
thanks

Bidding boxes and their use are not addressed in the law. The entirety of the ACBL Bidding Box Regulations seems to be (from Appendix G to the Conditions of Contest):

Quote

Appendix G
Special Conditions for the use of Bidding Boxes and Screens
Appendix G 1 Revised 11/17/2022
These Conditions of Contest (CoC) may not be changed during the course of an event.
Lack of knowledge does not constitute cause for exemption.
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.

The EBU has:

Blue Book §3M3 said:

End of the Auction
At the end of the auction the calls should remain in place until the opening lead has been faced and all explanations have been obtained, after which they should be returned to their boxes. If the hand is passed out then the passes are immediately returned to their boxes. Calls made using cards are treated under the laws in the same way as spoken calls. For example, Law 25A applies to changing an unintended call made using a bidding card; see section 8.25 in the White Book.
Some players do not always complete the auction properly by laying a pass card on the table in the pass out seat. Usually this does not cause a problem. When a player acts in such a way as to indicate they have passed and an opening lead is faced and dummy is revealed, they have passed. An action may be deemed by the TD to be a pass (e.g. general ‘waft’ of the hand, tapping cards already there, picking up the cards).

I like the EBU's better, but the ACBL cannot now adopt it because doing so would violate the "not invented here" rule.

[pescetom]

 blackshoe, on 2026-February-11, 18:12, said:

Bidding boxes and their use are not addressed in the law. The entirety of the ACBL Bidding Box Regulations seems to be (from Appendix G to the Conditions of Contest):



The EBU has:



I like the EBU's better, but the ACBL cannot now adopt it because doing so would violate the "not invented here" rule.

The FIGB only says that calls are made when the bidding card is placed on the table (which is at least clear, if not ideal) and that both extracting a single card and extracting a block of cards are admissible methods. Nothing about when to return the cards to box. I too approve the sensible EBU rule of end of questions about auction.

[jillybean]

NA have adopted the habit of scooping up bidding cards after the 3rd pass card hits the table.

I like FIGB saying that extracting a single card is ok, it would avoid me to have to nicely tell my opps that "this is how I bid", its ok! Yes, the cards will be replaced in the correct order.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-February-12, 10:59, said:

NA have adopted the habit of scooping up bidding cards after the 3rd pass card hits the table.

Most of Italy too. But if you accompany "a moment, please" with sufficiently eloquent hand gestures the cards will remain on the table.

Another procedural issue that most regulations treat scantily is how to use the Alert card.

[blackshoe]

In NA we're supposed to tap the Alert Strip. I haven't seen an Alert Strip in about ten or fifteen years.

Also I would suggest that Jilly's "NA have adopted the habit of scooping up bidding cards after the 3rd pass card hits the table" is incorrect. Need to replace "after" with "before".

[pescetom]

blackshoe, on 2026-February-12, 13:15, said:

I would suggest that Jilly's "NA have adopted the habit of scooping up bidding cards after the 3rd pass card hits the table" is incorrect. Need to replace "after" with "before".

Spotted that too of course, but decided not to throw stones in a glass house

blackshoe, on 2026-February-12, 13:15, said:

In NA we're supposed to tap the Alert Strip. I haven't seen an Alert Strip in about ten or fifteen years.

Here we are supposed to use the Alert card, but exactly how is not described.
Nor is there any description of how one should make an Announcement.
I made a suggestion a few years ago, will try again this year.