CHARLESTON MISTAKE RESULTS IN A RESTART (Article 83)

Commentary:  Since a game doesn’t officially begin until East discards their 14th tile, if an issue arises during the Charleston that cannot be corrected fairly or that affects the game’s integrity, throw in all the tiles and restart the game.

Question from a player:  What happens if a mistake is made during the Charleston? For example, a player has too few or too many tiles. Is the player’s hand dead?
 
Answer from the NMJL:   You may not call the player’s hand “dead” because the game does not officially begin until East throws the first tile. All hands must be thrown in and the walls broker and the game starts over.

Source:  Mah Jongg Made Easy (2024 page 14 Other Tips and Rules for the Charleston bullet 1)