LAW 54 - FACED OPENING LEAD OUT OF TURN

When an opening lead out of turn is faced and offender's partner leads face down, the director requires the face down lead to be retracted. Also:

A. Declarer Spreads His Hand

After a faced opening lead out of turn, declarer may spread his hand; he becomes dummy. If declarer begins to spread his hand, and in doing so exposes one or more cards, he must spread his entire hand. Dummy becomes declarer.

B. Declarer Accepts Lead

When a defender faces the opening lead out of turn declarer may accept the irregular lead as provided in Law 53, and dummy is spread in accordance with Law 41.

1. The second card to the trick is played from declarer's hand.

2. If declarer plays the second card to the trick from dummy, dummy's card may not be withdrawn except to correct a revoke.

C. Declarer Must Accept Lead

If declarer could have seen any of dummy's cards (except cards that dummy may have exposed during the auction and that were subject to Law 24), he must accept the lead.

D. Declarer Refuses Opening Lead

Declarer may require a defender to retract his faced opening lead out of turn. The withdrawn card becomes a major penalty card and Law 50D applies.

E. Opening Lead by Wrong Side

If a player of the declaring side attempts to make an opening lead Law 24 applies.


Law 53 - LEAD OUT OF TURN ACCEPTED  Law 53 - LEAD OUT OF TURN ACCEPTEDtop of page Law 55 - DECLARER'S LEAD OUT OF TURN  Law 55 - DECLARER'S LEAD OUT OF TURN