They serve at least two different audiences and are produced by two different authorities.
There are lots more that 3 books. As well as the Law Book, the WBF produces alert and system regulations, and conditions of contest for its own world championships. The EBU has general regulations (for knockout and league competitions) and general conditions for trials; each trial and knockout/league competitions has specific conditions; other competitions have regulations in the competition programme.
The laws book is the laws - those that apply worldwide.
The white and blue books are EBU publications that apply to EBU tournaments, although other organisations can (and many do) use them.
The white book covers a number of technical matters, including BB@B, scoring, penalties as well as the EBU's interpretation of certain laws.
The blue book covers primarily bidding system regulations, but also alerting and announcing and bidding box regulations.
Back to your question:
The laws book is separate because it has a different publisher and audience.
The white and blue books are separate (I assume) to make it easier to manage / find things.
Another reason the Blue Book and White Book are separate is that the information in the Blue Book is important to players (e.g. to know what to alert and what systems they can use), whereas the information in the White Book is primarily useful for Directors. It's not uncommon to consult the Blue Book while developing a system, to know whether it's legal in EBU events; the White Book information is much less relevant to a typical player.
@ais523 said:
Another reason the Blue Book and White Book are separate is that the information in the Blue Book is important to players (e.g. to know what to alert and what systems they can use), whereas the information in the White Book is primarily useful for Directors. It's not uncommon to consult the Blue Book while developing a system, to know whether it's legal in EBU events; the White Book information is much less relevant to a typical player.
Is there a reason the blue and white books are given anonymous names? Would it help if they were called something like the Player's System Guide and the TD's Handbook
The Blue Book is called "EBU PLAYER HANDBOOK" and the White Book is "Technical matters". People seem to find it easier to remember them by their colour-coded names.
I still use the nice shiny, solid, cover from 2013 when it was "Handbook of EBU Permitted Unserstandings" - back in the days when the EBU actually printed books.
Interesting to wonder what colour the law book will be in 2027 - we have had red and yellow the last two - so we might get Blue
People seem to find it easier to remember them by their colour-coded names.
I don't remember which is which until I look at them. Once you know what they are then the colour is a convenient one-syllable shorthand - just because it's easier to refer to them by their colours, doesn't mean people remember the colours.
The Blue Book is called "EBU PLAYER HANDBOOK" and the White Book is "Technical matters".
These titles only appear on the front page of the documents themselves, but are not used on the EBU website:
@weejonnie said:
Interesting to wonder what colour the law book will be in 2027 - we have had red and yellow the last two - so we might get Blue
Before red was blue, and before that green. So the likelihood is either some new colour (purple?) or back to green. Blue is unlikely while we have a different Blue Book (which we didn't the last time the law book was blue).
In the 1980s there was "Year Book of the Laws & Ethics Committee" covering material from the Blue Book and Chapter 1 of the White Book - more than half was concerned with "licences" for agreements. It was printed on yellow paper - but was not "The Yellow Book".
At some point the "licences" for agreements was separated into a separate booklet - the Year Book remained on yellow paper, the new booklet was on green paper (but not "The Green Book").
In the 1990s/2000s, there was one book "Handbook of EBU Directives and Conventions" printed on white paper with an orange cover.
By 1998, the layout was changed to something like the current layout and the title was "Orange Book 1998 - Handbook of EBU Directives and Permitted Conventions"; still printed on white paper with orange cover.
In 2013, the cover became white, with the title in a blue rectangle. The title was "Blue Book - Handbook of EBU Permitted Understandings".
In 2024, the format/layout remained the same. The title was "Blue Book - EBU Player Handbook".
A slimmed down Orange Book (the "Tangerine Book") was produced for a while alongside the Orange Book.
The White Book grew from two sources and is now a reference for TDs and tournament organisers in many countries.
In the 1980s. clubs and counties had a ring binder of instructions for TDs on scoring and tie splitting (current White Book chapter 2/3/4) and example rulings taken from write up of appeals. It was updated by issuing new pages - sent out by post from the EBU. The ring binder cover was yellow, and the pages were on yellow paper.
At some point (I am looking for details), Grattan Endicott and David Stevenson produced a commentary on the laws, quoting the current law book (1987?) on one page and commentary on the facing page. This was handback A4, bound in black with white pages. (Sometimes the "Black Book",)
The White Book combined the commentary and the scoring procedures. Like the commentary, it was order by law number - all the scoring procedures were included under Law 80. I think it was always the "White Book".
The White Book was restructured. with sections numbered by law number but with other material in section above 100. The title in 2004 was "White Book 2004 - EBU Tournament Directors' Guide". There were two versions: one complete book (195 pages) with an off white-cover and white pages; and three separate booklets on yellow/green/blue paper.
In 2013, the law-numbering arrangement was changed, with the law-related commentary moved to the end. The primary source was the PDF on the website - but printed as A4 or A5 on white paper. The content included some player information (chapter 1) and the title became "White Book - Technical Matters"
Comments
They serve at least two different audiences and are produced by two different authorities.
There are lots more that 3 books. As well as the Law Book, the WBF produces alert and system regulations, and conditions of contest for its own world championships. The EBU has general regulations (for knockout and league competitions) and general conditions for trials; each trial and knockout/league competitions has specific conditions; other competitions have regulations in the competition programme.
Because they cover different things.
The laws book is the laws - those that apply worldwide.
The white and blue books are EBU publications that apply to EBU tournaments, although other organisations can (and many do) use them.
The white book covers a number of technical matters, including BB@B, scoring, penalties as well as the EBU's interpretation of certain laws.
The blue book covers primarily bidding system regulations, but also alerting and announcing and bidding box regulations.
Back to your question:
The laws book is separate because it has a different publisher and audience.
The white and blue books are separate (I assume) to make it easier to manage / find things.
Jeremy
Another reason the Blue Book and White Book are separate is that the information in the Blue Book is important to players (e.g. to know what to alert and what systems they can use), whereas the information in the White Book is primarily useful for Directors. It's not uncommon to consult the Blue Book while developing a system, to know whether it's legal in EBU events; the White Book information is much less relevant to a typical player.
What ais523 said
Is there a reason the blue and white books are given anonymous names? Would it help if they were called something like the Player's System Guide and the TD's Handbook
The Blue Book is called "EBU PLAYER HANDBOOK" and the White Book is "Technical matters". People seem to find it easier to remember them by their colour-coded names.
I still use the nice shiny, solid, cover from 2013 when it was "Handbook of EBU Permitted Unserstandings" - back in the days when the EBU actually printed books.
Interesting to wonder what colour the law book will be in 2027 - we have had red and yellow the last two - so we might get Blue
I don't remember which is which until I look at them. Once you know what they are then the colour is a convenient one-syllable shorthand - just because it's easier to refer to them by their colours, doesn't mean people remember the colours.
These titles only appear on the front page of the documents themselves, but are not used on the EBU website:
Perhaps the new Regulation Committee will look into making the names more descriptive as you suggest.
Before red was blue, and before that green. So the likelihood is either some new colour (purple?) or back to green. Blue is unlikely while we have a different Blue Book (which we didn't the last time the law book was blue).
The EBU "Blue Book" - a history
In the 1980s there was "Year Book of the Laws & Ethics Committee" covering material from the Blue Book and Chapter 1 of the White Book - more than half was concerned with "licences" for agreements. It was printed on yellow paper - but was not "The Yellow Book".
At some point the "licences" for agreements was separated into a separate booklet - the Year Book remained on yellow paper, the new booklet was on green paper (but not "The Green Book").
In the 1990s/2000s, there was one book "Handbook of EBU Directives and Conventions" printed on white paper with an orange cover.
By 1998, the layout was changed to something like the current layout and the title was "Orange Book 1998 - Handbook of EBU Directives and Permitted Conventions"; still printed on white paper with orange cover.
In 2013, the cover became white, with the title in a blue rectangle. The title was "Blue Book - Handbook of EBU Permitted Understandings".
In 2024, the format/layout remained the same. The title was "Blue Book - EBU Player Handbook".
A slimmed down Orange Book (the "Tangerine Book") was produced for a while alongside the Orange Book.
The EBU White Book - a history
The White Book grew from two sources and is now a reference for TDs and tournament organisers in many countries.
In the 1980s. clubs and counties had a ring binder of instructions for TDs on scoring and tie splitting (current White Book chapter 2/3/4) and example rulings taken from write up of appeals. It was updated by issuing new pages - sent out by post from the EBU. The ring binder cover was yellow, and the pages were on yellow paper.
At some point (I am looking for details), Grattan Endicott and David Stevenson produced a commentary on the laws, quoting the current law book (1987?) on one page and commentary on the facing page. This was handback A4, bound in black with white pages. (Sometimes the "Black Book",)
The White Book combined the commentary and the scoring procedures. Like the commentary, it was order by law number - all the scoring procedures were included under Law 80. I think it was always the "White Book".
The White Book was restructured. with sections numbered by law number but with other material in section above 100. The title in 2004 was "White Book 2004 - EBU Tournament Directors' Guide". There were two versions: one complete book (195 pages) with an off white-cover and white pages; and three separate booklets on yellow/green/blue paper.
In 2013, the law-numbering arrangement was changed, with the law-related commentary moved to the end. The primary source was the PDF on the website - but printed as A4 or A5 on white paper. The content included some player information (chapter 1) and the title became "White Book - Technical Matters"