How Does Reneging Work in Spades?

Renege - When a player has a card from the lead suit and can follow suit but does not. Reneging is considered cheating and penalized if proven occurred. If a team challenges reneging has occurred they must identify which book on the table the player did not follow suit.

What are the rules for reneging in spades?

The penalty for reneging varies. In most cases the team's contract is nullified, and the team's score is reduced by ten points for each trick bid. In some cases, reneging results in a three-trick penalty, meaning the team may still make contract but must take three additional tricks to do so.

What does breaking spades mean?

Breaking Spades – This means that someone has already used a spade to cut a book.