What if a tile in the wall is seen or knocked over?
By Jerry Chen. Checked and updated November 1, 2026
Short answer: put it back
Put it back exactly where it was. The order of the wall must be kept, even if everyone saw the tile.
The detail
Do your best to restore the original order of the tiles. Nothing else happens.
Pushing out a wall is different. If a wall is pushed out before the previous one is used up and someone picks from it, both the player who pushed it out and the player who picked are dead. If someone picks from a wrong wall, that player is dead and play continues on that wall.
Sources
These follow standard National Mah Jongg League rules. House rules vary; agree on them before you play.
Related questions
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- What happens when the wall runs out?
- What happens to a dead hand?
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- Can you put a tile back after picking it from the wall?
- Can you use a joker in a pair?
- Can you discard a joker?
- Can you call a discarded joker?
See more questions in The wall, the complete rules, or all 52 rule questions.