Alerting compared
What to alert, what to announce and what to leave alone — 7 rule books side by side. Playing abroad or at an international event? Check here first, then read the official text.
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| Topic | WBFWorldWBF Alerting Policy | EBLZonalEBL Alerting Policy | 🏴EBUEnglandEBU Announcement & Alert Summary | 🇩🇪DBVGermanyTournament regulations (DBV) | 🇬🇷EOMGreeceFair play and the alert procedure | 🇳🇱NBBNetherlandsAlerting regulations (NBB) | 🇺🇸ACBLUnited StatesACBL Alert Procedures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic ruleWhat has to be alerted | Alert artificial calls; natural calls are not alerted. Also alert calls with special meanings or based on special partnership understandings, non-forcing jump shifts, and non-forcing new-suit responses by an unpassed hand to a one-level opening. | Alert conventional calls; natural calls are not alerted. Also alert calls with special meanings, non-forcing jump shifts and non-forcing new-suit responses by an unpassed hand. | Below 3NT, alert artificial calls and natural calls with an unexpected meaning. On the first round, many common agreements are announced instead. | — | Alert conventional calls. When a simple alert would mislead, make a "special alert". | Alert any bid the opponents might understand differently without a warning. What needs an alert partly depends on the opponents' level. | Natural calls are not alerted; artificial calls are. Some common agreements are announced instead. |
| How to alert | — | — | Partner announces the meaning aloud or alerts. | — | The partner of the player who made the call takes the alert card from the bidding box and shows it. | Partner shows the alert card; with no bidding box, knock on the table. | Partner says "Alert" (or shows the alert card). |
| AnnouncementsCalls explained aloud instead of alerted | No announcements. | No announcements. | Yes, first round only: the 1NT range, 1♣/1♦ that may be short ("May be two"), strength of two-level suit openings, Stayman, transfers, and several responses ("Natural, non-forcing", "Forcing"). | Yes — "Sofortauskunft" (immediate explanation): for some calls the partner states the meaning straight away instead of alerting. | — | — | Yes: the 1NT range, transfers, forcing or semi-forcing 1NT responses, and minor-suit openings that may be short ("Could be one"). |
| Natural 1NT opening | Natural — not alerted. | Not alerted when it suggests a balanced or semi-balanced hand (without screens). | Announce the range, e.g. "12 to 14". | — | — | — | Announce the range, e.g. "15 to 17". |
| Transfers after 1NT | Artificial — alerted under the general rule. | Conventional — alerted. | Announce the suit shown, e.g. "Hearts". | — | — | — | Announce the suit shown, e.g. "Spades". A bid showing either of two suits is alerted. |
| Stayman | — | — | Announce "Stayman". | — | 2♣ Stayman after partner's 1NT opening is not alerted. | — | — |
| Doubles | Alerted when they have a special meaning (the policy covers passes | Without screens: never alerted. | First round: alert penalty doubles of suit bids and non-penalty doubles of a natural 1NT. Later: takeout and penalty doubles are not alerted. Unexpected meanings are alerted at any stage. | — | — | Not alerted unless the main rule applies. | Below 3NT: alert unless the meaning is one of the listed standard ones. Doubles of 3NT or higher are never alerted. |
| High-level calls | No separate rule for high-level calls. | Without screens: nothing at the four level or higher is alerted, except conventional calls in the first round. | Above 3NT, calls are generally not alerted, but lead-directing passes are. | — | — | — | — |
| Pre-alertsBefore the round starts | — | — | — | — | Pre-alert variable 1NT ranges and unusual but permitted weak openings, at the one or two level. | Point out special agreements before each round and hand over two completed system cards. | Required when a system has a one-level opening that is artificial or forcing (e.g. "We play a strong club"). |
| Behind screens | An alert on one side of the screen but not the other is not automatically an infraction. | The three no-alert exceptions apply only without screens; behind screens the general rule applies. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Good to know | Applies to WBF championships only; zones and national federations keep their own rules. | Applies to EBL championships; national federations in Europe keep their own rules. | Effective 1 August 2024. Also used by many clubs outside England. | International events in Germany use the EBL alerting rules. Online events follow the DBV online regulations. | — | The opponents may forbid alerting for the rest of the round — the pair that forbids must still alert. | Also applies in Canada and Mexico. Current text effective 16 February 2026. |
A dash means our summary does not cover that point — it does not mean "no alert". These are short summaries in our own words; the official texts (linked in each column) always prevail, and many clubs and events set their own rules. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
← All alerting documentsChecked 2026-10-01