LAW 16 - AUTHORIZED AND UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION

1. Players' Use of Information
   1. A player may use information in the auction or play if:
      1. it derives from the legal calls and plays of the current board (including illegal calls and plays that are accepted) and is unaffected by unauthorized information from another source; or
      2. it is authorized information from a withdrawn action (see C); or
      3. it is information specified in any law or regulation to be authorized or, when not otherwise specified, arising from the legal procedures authorized in these laws and in regulations (but see B1 following); or
      4. it is information that the player possessed before he took his hand from the board (Law 7B) and the Laws do not preclude his use of this information.
   2. Players may also take account of their estimate of their own score, of the traits of their opponents, and any requirement of the tournament regulations.
2. Extraneous Information from Partner
   1. Any extraneous information from partner that might suggest a call or play is unauthorized. This includes remarks, questions, replies to questions, unexpected alerts or failures to alert, unmistakable hesitation, unwonted speed, special emphasis, tone, gesture, movement or mannerism.
      1. A player may not choose a call or play that is demonstrably suggested over another by unauthorized information if the other call or play is a logical alternative.
      2. A logical alternative is an action that a significant proportion of the class of players in question, using the methods of the partnership, would seriously consider, and some might select.
   2. When a player considers that an opponent has made such information available and that damage could well result he may announce, unless prohibited by the Regulating Authority (which may require that the Director be called), that he reserves the right to summon the Director later (the opponents should summon the Director immediately if they dispute the fact that unauthorized information might have been conveyed).
   3. When a player has substantial reason to believe that an opponent who had a logical alternative has chosen an action suggested by such information, he should summon the Director when play ends. The Director shall assign an adjusted score (see Law 12C1) if he considers that an infraction of law has resulted in an advantage for the offender.
3. Information from Withdrawn Calls and Plays
   When a call or play has been withdrawn as these laws provide:

   1. For a non-offending side, all information arising from a withdrawn action is authorized, whether the action be its own or its opponents'.
   2. For an offending side, information arising from its own withdrawn action and from withdrawn actions of the non-offending side is unauthorized. A player of an offending side may not choose a call or play that is demonstrably suggested over another by unauthorized information if the other call or play is a logical alternative.
   3. The Director shall assign an adjusted score (see Law 12C1) if he considers that a violation of C2 has damaged the non-offending side.
4. Extraneous Information from Other Sources
   1. When a player accidentally receives extraneous information about a board he is playing or has yet to play, as by looking at the wrong hand; by overhearing calls, results or remarks; by seeing cards at another table; or by seeing a card belonging to another player at his own table before the auction begins (see also Law13A), the Director should be notified forthwith, preferably by the recipient of the information.
   2. If the Director considers that the information would likely interfere with normal play he may, before any call has been made:
      1. adjust the players' positions at the table, if the type of contest and scoring permit, so that the player with information about one hand will hold that hand;
      2. if the form of competition allows of it order the board redealt for those contestants;
      3. allow completion of the play of the board standing ready to award an adjusted score if he judges that the extraneous information affected the result;
      4. award an adjusted score (for team play see Law 86B).
   3. If such extraneous information is received after the first call in the auction has been made and before completion of the play of the board the Director proceeds as in 2(c) or 2(d) above.