LAW 27 - INSUFFICIENT BID

  1. Acceptance of Insufficient Bid
    1. Any insufficient bid may be accepted (treated as legal) at the option of offender's LHO. It is accepted if that player calls.
    2. If a player makes an insufficient bid out of rotation Law 31 applies.
  2. Insufficient Bid not Accepted
    If an insufficient bid in rotation is not accepted (see A) it must be corrected by the substitution of a legal call (but see 3 following). Then:
      1. if the insufficient bid is corrected by the lowest sufficient bid which specifies the same denomination(s) as that specified by the withdrawn call, the auction proceeds without further rectification. Laws 26B and 16C do not apply but see D following.
      2. except as in (a), if the insufficient bid is corrected with a comparable call (see Law 23A) the auction proceeds without further rectification. Law 16C does not apply but see D following.
    2. except as provided in B1 above, if the insufficient bid is corrected by a sufficient bid or by a pass, the offender's partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call. The lead restrictions in Law 26B may apply, and see Law 72C.
    3. except as provided in B1(b) above, if the offender attempts to substitute a double or a redouble for his insufficient bid the attempted call is cancelled. The offender must replace it as the foregoing allows and his partner must then pass whenever it is his turn to call. The lead restrictions in Law 26B may apply, and see Law 72C.
    4. if the offender attempts to replace the one insufficient bid with another insufficient bid the Director rules as in 3 if the LHO does not accept the substituted insufficient bid as A1 allows.
  3. Premature Replacement
    If the offender replaces his insufficient bid before the Director has ruled on rectification, the substitution, if legal, stands unless the insufficient bid is accepted as A1 allows (but see B3 above). The Director applies the relevant foregoing section to the substitution.
  4. Non-offending Side Damaged
    If following the application of B1 the Director judges at the end of the play that without assistance gained through the infraction the outcome of the board could well have been different, and in consequence the non-offending side is damaged (see Law 12B1), he shall award an adjusted score. In his adjustment, he should seek to recover as nearly as possible the probable outcome of the board had the insufficient bid not occurred.