gordontd, on 2016-October-14, 00:58, said:
That law has two stated purposes: to check whether a revoke has occurred and to check on the number of tricks taken by each side.
After re-reading the law in question (66D) I have to agree that it allows the defenders to inspect each other's hands in search of tricks they might take in view of declarer's claim. It even seems to imply that the director need not be called. Not yet, anyway. Once they decide to contest the claim, they need to call the TD.
weejonnie, on 2016-October-14, 06:51, said:
I assume you mean 63AC
3. when a member of the offending side makes or agrees to a claim or concession of tricks orally or by facing his hand or in any other way.
However I can only interpret "orally or by facing his hand or in any other way" in terms of "makes or agrees to a claim or concession of tricks". The law would surely read
"When a member of the offending side faces his hand or agrees to a claim or concession of tricks orally or in any other way."
pran, on 2016-October-14, 07:38, said:
Surely not.
Law 63A3 is about making or accepting a claim or concession, not about facing his hand.
"Facing his hand is one of several alternative ways listed in which a player can make or accept a claim or concession.
Literally separating "faces his hand" from the rest of the paragraph can only create legal confusion.
I think weejonnie was suggesting that if the lawmakers intended that if a defender faces his hand he has accepted the claim willy-nilly, the law would have been worded differently than it is, in the manner weejonnie suggests. The way it is actually worded, if the defender is facing his hand for a purpose other than accepting the claim, he has not accepted it.