2015 ACBL Handbook of Rules and Regulations

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Note: The ACBL Handbook as of 2015. For the most recent information, please refer to the Codification.

Foreword

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. Membership 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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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

Appendix Gfor Current Prices and Fees

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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 Requirements
  2. Unit Privileges
  3. Unit Activities
  4. Loss of Unit Status and Privileges
  5. Voluntary Dissolution of a Unit
  6. 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. District and Unit 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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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. Newcomer Games
  4. Special Fund Games
  5. Other Club Games
  6. 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: 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. Membership Games
  7. Other Frequent Club Events

SECTION SIX: CLUB TEAM EVENTS

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

SECTION SEVEN: CLUB-UNIT RELATIONSHIPS

How Masterpoints Are Awarded

Masterpoint Charts

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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

SECTION TWO: UNIT CHARITY GAMES

  1. Types of Events
  2. Charity Game Beneficiaries
  3. Sanction Applications

SECTION THREE: ANNUAL EXTENDED TEAM GAMES

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

SECTION FOUR: UNIT-WIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS

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

SECTION FIVE: ACBL-WIDE EVENTS

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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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
  6. Electronic Equipment

SECTION TWO: REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS

  1. Tournament Allocation
  2. Regional Tournament Conditions
  3. Scheduling of Regional Tournaments
  4. Tournament Conflict
  5. Sanction Fee
  6. Conventions
  7. Regional Tournament Types
  8. Tournament Coordinator Duties
  9. Masterpoint Awards
  10. Starting Times

SECTION THREE: SECTIONAL TOURNAMENTS

  1. Tournament Allocation
  2. Scheduling of Sectional Tournaments
  3. Sectional Tournament Types
  4. Tournament Sanctioning
  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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

Appendix H – Roles and Responsibilities of Tournament Sponsors and DICs

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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. Honorary and Memorial Funds

SECTION TWO: ACBL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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.  Bridge Bulletin Advertising
  3. Membership Records

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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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. Duties and Responsibilities

SECTION FIVE: ETHICAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

  1. Membership
  2. Appointment
  3. Duties and Responsibilities

SECTION SIX: ACBL DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE

  1. Membership
  2. Appointment
  3. Duties and Responsibilities

SECTION SEVEN:GUIDELINES FOR UNIT AND DISTRICT DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES

Appendix G for Current Prices and Fees

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List of Appendixes