ACBL Handbook of Rules and Regulations (2011 Revision)

Foreword

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 - ACBL GOALS, ORGANIZATION, AND ACTIVITIES

SECTION ONE: MEMBERSHIP

1. Eligibility
2. Categories of Membership
3. Processing the Membership
4. Discipline of a Member
5. Member Meetings
   

SECTION TWO: ACBL ORGANIZATION

1. Board of Directors
2. Bylaws and Bylaw Amendments
3. Board of Governors
4. ACBL Districts
5. ACBL Units
6. Sanctioned Bridge Games
7. Administration
8. ACBL Charity Foundation Corporation
9. ACBL Education Foundation
10. ACBL Laws Commission
    

SECTION THREE: CONFERENCES

SECTION FOUR: INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Overseas Clubs
2. The World Bridge Federation

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 2 - THE MASTERPOINT PLAN

SECTION ONE: RECORDING MASTERPOINTS

1. The Player Number
2. Issuing Masterpoints
3. Reinstating Masterpoints
4. Masterpoints from Non-ACBL sources
   

SECTION TWO: MASTERPOINT AWARD PIGMENTATION

SECTION THREE: MASTERPOINT AWARD REGULATIONS

SECTION FOUR: MASTERPOINT HONOR TITLES

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 3 - UNIT REGULATIONS

SECTION ONE: JURISDICTION

1. Boundaries
2. Transfer or Division of a Unit
   

SECTION TWO: REQUIREMENTS, PRIVILEGES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Minimum Unit Rquirements
2. Unit Privileges
3. Unit Responsibilities
4. Unit Sanctioned Games - Club-type games; Unit championships; Unit-wide games; Unit charity game; Extended team event
   

SECTION THREE: UNIT STRUCTURE

1. Membership
2. Membership Dues/Service Fees
3. Board of Directors
4. Unit Officers
5. Standing Committees
   

SECTION FOUR: ELECTIONS

1. Democratic Process
2. Types of Elections
3. Proportionate Representation
4. Election of National Representatives
   

SECTION FIVE: UNIT BYLAWS

SECTION SIX: INSURANCE AND TAX STATUS

1. Insurance
2. Tax Status
3. Local Taxes
   

SECTION SEVEN: MEMBERSHIP LISTS

1. Unit In-And-Out Report
2. Annual Roster
   

SECTION EIGHT: DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

SECTION NINE: UNIT/CLUB RELATIONSHIPS

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 4 - THE CLUB SANCTIONED BRIDGE GAME

SECTION ONE: ACBL CLUB MASTERPOINT GAME SANCTION

1. Eligibility
2. Sanctioned Game Provisions
3. Cost of a Sanction
4. Obtaining a Sanction
5. Sanctioned Club Game Requirements
   

SECTION TWO: TYPES OF CLUB MASTERPOINT GAMES

1. Open Game
2. Invitational/Restricted Game
3. Novice Games
4. Special Games
5. Game Movements
   

SECTION THREE: GENERAL CLUB GAME REGULATIONS

1. Masterpoints
2. Incentive Programs for Clubs
3. Game Director
4. Operation of Club Games
5. Other Club Information
   

SECTION FOUR: CLUB MASTERPOINT AWARDS

1. Calculating the Awards
2. Issuing the Awards
   

SECTION FIVE: CLASSIFICATION OF PLAYERS

1. Honor Titles
2. Wallet Cards
3. Masterpoint Races
   

SECTION SIX: CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AND SPECIAL EVENTS

1. Allocation of Club Championship Game Sessions
2. Scheduling Club Championships
3. Types of Events
4. Seeding
5. Awards
6. Charity
7. Club Championship
8. International Fund Club Championship
9. Membership Games
10. Other Frequent Club Events
    

SECTION SEVEN: CLUB TEAM EVENTS

1. Types of Events
2. Scheduling Club Team Events
3. Club Championship Team Games
   

SECTION EIGHT: CLUB-UNIT RELATIONSHIPS

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 5 - SPECIAL UNIT GAMES

SECTION ONE: UNIT CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Scheduling
2. Sanction Application and Fees
3. Delegation of Sessions
4. Staffing
5. Scoring
6. Masterpoint Awards
7. Systems and Conventions
8. Prizes and Trophies
   

SECTION TWO: UNIT CHARITY GAMES

1. Types of Events
2. Beneficiaries
3. Sanction Applications
4. Charitable Donations
   

SECTION THREE: ANNUAL EXTENDED TEAM GAMES

1. Masterpoint Awards
2. Sanction Application and Fees
3. Conditions of Contest
   

SECTION FOUR: UNIT-WIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Number of Allocated Championships
2. Sanction Applications
3. Unit-wide Championship Planning and Coordination
4. Reports and Sanction Fees
5. Computer-dealt Hands
6. Masterpoint Awards
7. Technical Regulations
   

SECTION FIVE: ACBL-WIDE EVENTS

1. Types of Games
2. Sanctions
3. Game Regulations
4. Non-Participating Clubs

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 6 - TOURNAMENTS

SECTION ONE: NORTH AMERICAN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS(NABCs)

1. Operations
2. Schedule of Events
3. Convention Charts
4. Smoking Policy
5. Zero Tolerance Policy
   

SECTION TWO: REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

1. Tournament Allocation
2. Scheduling Regulations
3. Tournament Conflicts
4. Sanction Fee
5. Conventions
6. Regional Tournament Types
7. Tournament Coordinator Duties
8. Masterpoint Awards
9. Starting Times

SECTION THREE: SECTIONAL TOURNAMENTS

1. Tournament Allocation
2. Sectional Tournament Types
3. Tournament Sanctioning
4. Scheduling Regulations
5. Masterpoint Awards
6. Starting Times
   

SECTION FOUR: EVENTS AND RESTRICTIONS

1. Type of Event
2. Kinds of Event
   

SECTION FIVE: TOURNAMENT REQUIREMENTS

1. Facility
2. Equipment/Supplies
3. Instructions for Sectional/Regional Sanction Form; Permissible Event Types and Restrictions

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 7 - GENERAL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

SECTION ONE: ADVANCE ARRANGEMENTS

1. Site Selection
2. Tournament Budget
3. Tournament Dates
   

SECTION TWO: TOURNAMENT ORGANIZATION

1. Tournament Correspondent
2. Tournament Chairman
3. Tournament Directors
4. Director in Charge(DIC)
5. Tournament Staff
   

SECTION THREE: TOURNAMENT PROCEDURES

1. Tournament Entry Sales
2. Seeding
3. Starting Events on Time
4. Duplication
5. Opening Announcements
6. Length of Sessions
7. Closing Announcements
8. Intermissions and Breaks
9. Spectators
10. Rulings and Penalties
11. Player's Right of Appeal
12. Appeals Committees
13. Conduct and Ethics Matters
14. Correction and Appeal Periods
15. Tournament Recorders
    

SECTION FOUR: TOURNAMENT PROMOTION

1. Advertising
2. Bulletin Calendar
3. Sponsorship
4. Publicity Materials
5. Post Tournament
   

SECTION FIVE: POST TOURNAMENT FINANCES

1. Monies Due ACBL
2. Monies Due Sponsor

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 8 - ACBL FOUNDATIONS

SECTION ONE: ACBL CHARITY FOUNDATION CORPORATION

1. Origin and Purpose
2. Composition
3. Foundation Expenses
4. The Canadian Charitable Fund
5. Charity Club Championships
6. Charity Unit Tournaments
7. Charity Games at Sectionals
8. Charity Games at Regionals
9. District-wide Charity Games
10. ACBL-wide Charity Games
11. ACBL Performance Recognition Plaques
12. Honorary and Memorial Funds
    

SECTION TWO: ACBL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

1. Composition
2. Grants
3. Educational Foundation Programs
4. Honorary, Memorial Fund and Other Requests

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 9 - ACBL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

SECTION ONE: ACBL TEACHER PROGRAMS

1. Teacher Development
2. Bridge Teaching Materials
3. Teacher Publications and Support Tools
4. Teacher Incentives
5. ACBL and ABTA
   

SECTION TWO: UNIT/DISTRICT LIAISON PROGRAMS

SECTION THREE: NEW PLAYER PROGRAMS

1. New Player Publications
2. The Junior Program
   

SECTION FOUR: ACBL TELEVISION BRIDGE PROGRAMS

1. The Bridge Class
2. Play Bridge With Audrey Grant
3. Play Bridge With Audrey Grant - Part II
4. Bridge Brush-Up
5. Bridge At Sea With Audrey Grant

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 10 - SERVICES

SECTION ONE: SUPPLIES, PROMOTIONAL, AND INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS

1. Supplies for Sectionals and Regionals
2. Club Supplies and Director Manuals
3. Pamphlets and Player Aids
4. Hand Records for Club and Unit Tournaments
5. Prize Awards
   

SECTION TWO: SERVICES

1. Promotional Services
2. The Bridge Bulletin Advertising
3. The Bridge Bulletin Supplements
4. Membership Records
5. Insurance

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top

CHAPTER 11 - DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

SECTION ONE: ACBL RECORDER SYSTEM

1. The Recorder
2. National Office of Recorder
3. Office of Recorder
   

SECTION TWO: DISTRICT/UNIT DISCIPLINARY BODIES

1. Appointment
2. Duties and Responsibilities
3. Operations
   

SECTION THREE: DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES AT TOURNAMENTS

SECTION FOUR: ACBL APPEALS AND CHARGES COMMITTEE

1. Membership
2. Appointment
3. Duties and Responsibilities
   

SECTION SIX: GUIDELINES FOR UNIT AND DISTRICT DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

Current Prices and Fees See Appendix G
Back to top