Face Down Leads

It has been a requirement under Law 41A for about forty years that the opening lead is face down. Sticking to this reduces out of turn opening leads by about 95% (in theory). You won't have led out of turn until the      card is actually faced.  In addition if one player leads face down and the other (wrongly) faces his card the director will require the face down lead to be withdrawn (Law 54).

My opponent told me it was my turn to lead when I asked.

Law 47El allows a lead under these circumstances to be withdrawn without penalty. When the director arrives at the table this may be one of the first points that he establishes.

I've faced my card. May I put it back in my hand?

Once the dummy has been exposed (even if it is only one card), it is too late. It can be done with the director's permission if dummy has not started to go down although there may be unauthorised information (Law 41). One case where you may be able to withdraw your card might be if you have led and then dummy corrects a wrong explanation of the bidding before putting down his hand.

What are the options for declarer after an opening lead out of turn?

There are five, which is one good reason why it is essential to have the director at the table. Law 54 covers this.

Declarer may:

*   Choose to spread his hand and become dummy. If he starts to expose his hand he will become dummy whether he likes it or not.

*   Accept the lead, play the hand and the second card to trick one is played from his hand and the last from dummy.

*   Reject the opening lead and require a card of the same suit from the correct leader.  

*   Reject the opening lead and require a different suit to be led. Both for this option and also the previous one, this ban on a suit continues until the leader has lost the lead, i.e. he can't cash an ace and then play the offending suit.

*    Reject the lead, allow a free choice of lead but then the illegally faced card
is a major penalty card to be played at the first legal opportunity.

Note it is the declarer's decision as to which of these options he wishes to take. No conferring!