Laws of Duplicate Bridge 12

Law 52
Failure to Lead or Play a Penalty Card
A. Defender Fails to Play a Penalty Card
When a defender fails to lead or play a penalty card as required by Law 50 or Law 51, he/she may not, on their own initiative, withdraw any other card they have played.
B. Defender Plays Another Card
1. a). If a defender has led or played another card when required by law to play a penalty card, declarer may accept such lead or play.
b). Declarer must accept such lead or play if he/she has thereafter played from either their hand or dummy.
c). If the played card is accepted under either a). or b). Any unplayed penalty card remains a penalty card.
2. If declarer does not accept the card illegally played or led the defender must substitute the penalty card for the card illegally played or led. Every card illegally led or played by the defender in the course of comitting the irregularity becomes a major penalty card.
Law 53
Lead Out of Turn Accepted
A. Lead out of Turn Treated as Correct Lead
Prior to the thirteenth trick, any lead faced out of turn may be treated as a correct lead (but see Law 47E1). It becomes a correct lead if either defender or declarer, as the case may be, accepts it by making a statement to that effect, or if a play is made from the hand next in rotation to the irregular lead (but see B). If there is no such acceptance or play, the Director will require that the lead be made from the correct hand (and see Law 47B).
B. Proper Lead Made Subsequent to Irregular Lead
Subject to Law 53A, if it was properly the turn to lead of an opponent of the player who led out of turn, that opponent may make his/her proper lead to the trick of the infraction without his/her card being deemed played to the irregular lead. When this occurs, the proper lead stands and all cards played in error to this trick may be withdrawn but Law 16C applies.
C. Wrong Defender Plays Card to Declarer’s Irregular Lead
If declarer leads out of turn from either hand , and the defender to the right of the irregular lead plays a card (but see B), the lead stands and Law 57 applies.
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/Her Hand
After a faced opening lead out of turn, declarer may spread his/her hand; he/she becomes dummy. If declarer begins to spread his/her hand, and in doing so exposes one or more cards, he/she must spread the 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/she must accept the lead and the presumed declarer then becomes declarer.
D. Declarer Refuses Opening Lead
Declarer may require a defender to retract a 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 55
Declarer’s Lead Out of Turn
A. Declarer’s Lead Accepted
If declarer has led out of turn from either hand then either defender may accept the lead as provided in Law 53 or require its retraction (after misinformation, see Law 47E1). If the defenders choose differently then the option expressed by the player next in turn to the irregular lead shall prevail.
B. Declarer Required to Retract Lead
1. If declarer has led from either hand when it was a defender’s turn to lead, and has been required to retract such lead per Law 55A, declarer restores the card led in error to the proper hand. No further rectification applies.
2. If declarer has led from the wrong hand when it was his/her turn to lead from either hand, and has been required to retract such lead per Law 55A, declarer withdraws the card led in error. He/she must lead from the correct hand.
C. Declarer Might Obtain Information
When declarer adopts a line of play that could have been based on information obtained through his/her infraction, Law 16 applies.
Law 56
Defender’s Lead Out of Turn
When a lead out of turn is faced, declarer may:
A. Accept the irregular lead as provided in Law 53, or;
B. Require the defender to retract the faced lead out of turn. The withdrawn card becomes a major penalty card and Law 50D applies.
Law 57
Premature Lead or Play
A. Premature Play or Lead to Next Trick
When a defender leads to the next trick before his/her partner has led to the current trick, or plays out of turn before his/her partner has played, the card so led or played becomes a major penalty card, and declarer selects one of the following options:
1. Require offender’s partner to play the highest card they hold of the suit led,or;
2. Require offender’s partner to play the lowest card they hold of the suit led,or;
3. Require offender’s partner to play a card of any other suit specified by declarer,or;
4. Forbid offender’s partner to play a card of another suit specified by declarer.
B. Offender’s Partner Cannot Comply With Rectification
When offender’s partner is unable to comply with the rectification selected by declarer (see A above), he/she may play any card, as provided in Law 59.
C. Declarer or Dummy Has Played
1. A defender is not subject to rectification for playing before their partner if declarer has played from both hands. However a card is not considered to be played from dummy until declarer has instructed (or otherwise indicated) the play.
2. A defender is not subject to rectification for playing before their partner if dummy has of its own volition prematurely selected a card before his/her RHO or has illegally suggested that one be played.
3. A premature play (not a lead) by declarer from either hand is a played card and if legal may not be withdrawn.
D. Premature Play at RHO’s Turn
When a defender attempts to play (not lead) to a trick at his/her RHO’s turn, Law 16 may apply. If his/her card can be legally played to the trick, it must be played at his/her proper turn: otherwise it becomes a major penalty card.