[gnasher]

Playing with screens, someone on the other side of the screen calls the director. There is some whispered conversation with the director. The only part of the conversation that you hear is the director saying "You can't change it". From that you infer that somebody wanted to change their call. The auction tells you that the somebody was probably your partner.

Is this "Extraneous Information from Partner" or "Extraneous Information from Other Sources"?

[jdonn]

I vote other sources. Why should my partner or I be punished for the director being unable to keep his voice down?

[aguahombre]

Maybe it had nothing to do with partner's call, and the director was Pooltuna messing with you

http://forums.bridge...showtopic=34635

[gnasher]

Another question (and also a pathetic attempt to get my post moved to the top of the list so that some more people will answer it): should the director take steps to avoid this situation, such as by taking the other two players out of the room or by communicating in writing?

In case anyone is wondering, this isn't just a theoretical question. I'm told that this situation arose during the England Premier League last weekend, though so far as I know the director was unware that his words had been overheard.

[bluejak]

I expect the reason others did not answer this post is similar to the reason I did not: jdonn's answer seemed not only accurate but also complete.

Yes, it is better if the TD can avoid anything going across the screen, but it can be tricky.

[gnasher]

OK.

Presumably if you hear your partner saying that he wants to change his call, that's information "from partner"?

What if you don't overhear anything but know (from general experience) that the most likely reason for the director call is that someone wants to change their call? Is that again UI "from partner"?

This might seem a rather obscure line of questioning, but I can think of two occasions this year when it's come up - once in the Camrose and once in the Premier League.

[bluejak]

As you know, I am not keen on theoretical questions.

I cannot think of a way that you would know that a change of call was the most likely. I feel sure the only time this woudl happen would be because of something. That 'something' comes from partner, or it does not come from partner.

Or to put it another way, I treat each case on its merits.

[peachy]

jdonn, on Oct 6 2009, 10:41 AM, said:

I vote other sources. Why should my partner or I be punished for the director being unable to keep his voice down?

Agree.