EBU Announcement & Alert Summary
Issued byEBUEnglish Bridge Union
Edition29 July 2024
In force from1 August 2024
StatusIn force
LanguageEnglish
A two-page summary of what English players announce and what they alert. Announcements apply only in the first round of bidding — the 1NT range, minor openings that may be short, the strength of two-level openings, Stayman, transfers (by naming the suit) and several responses. Below 3NT, artificial calls and calls with unexpected meanings are alerted; doubles have their own table.
Alerting at a glance
- Basic rule
- Below 3NT, alert artificial calls and natural calls with an unexpected meaning. On the first round, many common agreements are announced instead.
- How to alert
- Partner announces the meaning aloud or alerts.
- 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").
- Natural 1NT opening
- Announce the range, e.g. "12 to 14".
- Transfers after 1NT
- Announce the suit shown, e.g. "Hearts".
- Stayman
- Announce "Stayman".
- Doubles
- 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.
- High-level calls
- Above 3NT, calls are generally not alerted, but lead-directing passes are.
- Good to know
- Effective 1 August 2024. Also used by many clubs outside England.
More from English Bridge Union
| Document | Issued by | Edition | Official text |
|---|---|---|---|
| EBU Blue Book — permitted understandings and alerting | EBU | August 2024 | PDF ↗ |
| EBU White Book — technical matters | EBU | 2025 | PDF ↗ |
The world standard
| Document | Issued by | Edition | Official text |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBF Alerting Policy | WBF | Revised August 2022 | PDF ↗ |
This page is a summary written by Bridge Timer. The official text published by English Bridge Union is the only authoritative version.
← All rules & docsLink checked 2026-10-01 · source: English Bridge Union