INTERRUPTED PICK GOES BACK IN ITS SPOT (Article 59)

Commentary: When a player picks a tile from the wall and racking is interrupted by a call, the tile must be returned to its original spot. It is against the rules to bury the tile elsewhere in the wall even if it is seen.

Question from a Player: Several situations have arisen in our game where a player wants to bury a tile in an arbitrary position in the wall because all players have seen the tile. For example, a tile flips over, someone picks from the wrong end, or someone calls and a tile must be put back. Is this the correct thing to do?

Answer from the NMJL: You cannot place a tile in another/arbitrary position in the wall. You must keep the tile in the position it came from even it that tile has been seen by other players.

Source: National Mah Jongg League Bulletin (2021)