Law 21B
I have been considering the implications of Law 21B in situations where MI is revealed by the declaring side during the clarification period.
Under 21B1a, situations where the TD judges that the final call by the NOS "could well have been influenced by misinformation", he/she will allow the call to be replaced "without other rectification for his side". I read this as meaning that 16C1 applies, but does it also preclude any further rectification? The wording in 21B3 suggests that it does, but are there any situations when a TD might consider further rectification even when the NOS has chosen to change their final call and would it be legal to do so?
As far as I can see, 21B1a is the only place that reference is made to "other rectification" so I want to understand how this is different from the much more usual "further rectification".
Comments
What it's getting at here is there are no penalties to NOS for the withdrawn call. This certainly means 16C1, but also that nothing in Law 26 (Call withdrawn, lead restrictions) applies.
There is certainly the possibility of further rectification in favour of NOS. I see what you mean about 21B3, but there has still been an infraction and it is still possible that damage has been caused, even after a changed call.
21B1 is just a little added bit to try to allow a normal result without causing too many UI problems. 21B3 is, I think, trying to remind you that a replacement call is just one possible (part) rectification.
The more I look at 21 the more I think it isn't well worded, but that's not how the laws work. It would be ludicrous to expect a NOS player to decide whether to change a call if it meant no other rectification - he cannot possible know what his partner might have done differently, for example.
My understanding is that if you have the opportunity to change your final call, you don't get any other rectification for the effect misinformation could have had on that call (which makes sense: you're fully informed at the time you change the call). However, you still get rectification for any effect the misinformation had earlier in the auction (including knock-on effects in which you lack information that your partner would have given you at the time if your partner had been correctly informed).
Yes that makes sense.