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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 4 and 5 OF THE HANDBOOK JANUARY 2000
INDEX FOR HANDBOOK CHAPTER 4 AND 5 JANUARY 2000
CHAPTER.4 THE CLUB SANCTIONED BRIDGE GAME
V. GAME MOVEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.16&17
A. Pair Movements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.17
1. Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17
2. Howell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17
B. Individual Movements. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17
1. Rainbow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17
2. Shomate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17
C. Team Movements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17
SECTION THREE: GENERAL CLUB GAME REGULATIONS. . . CHAPTER.4 pg.17&18
I. MASTERPOINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
A. Net Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.18
B. Black Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
C. Silver Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
D. Red Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
E. Gold Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
F. Platinum Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.18
II. INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR CLUBS. . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
A. New Member Recruitment. . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
B. Newcomer Game Incentives. . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.18
C. Club Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.19
D. Reduced Price Memberships and Rates . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.19
E. Cooperative Advertising Program . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.19
III. GAME DIRECTOR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.19
A. Club Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.19&20
B. Non-playing Director. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.20
IV. OPERATION OF CLUB GAMES. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.20
A. Systems and Conventions . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.20&21
B. Seeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.21
C. Margin for Ranking Finishers. . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.21
D. Cash Prizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.21
E. Cancellation of a Regular Session . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.22
F. Club Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.22
G. Club Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.22&23
H. Disabled ACBL Members . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.23
I. Participation in Club Activities. . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.23
V. OTHER CLUB INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
A. Information for Travelers . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
B. Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
C. Club Supplies and Director Manuals. . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
SECTION FOUR: CLUB MASTERPOINT AWARDS . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
I. CALCULATING THE AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
A. Open Game Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24
B. Invitational - Restricted Game Awards . . CHAPTER.4 pg.24&25
C. Newcomer Game Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.25
D. Bridge Plus Game Awards . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.25
E. Awards for Tied Positions . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.25
F. Overall Awards for Club Games with
two or More Sections. . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.25&26
1. Pair awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.26
2. Handicap games . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.26
3. Class uniformity . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.26
4. Number of positions. . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.26
G. Series Games for Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.26
H. Board-A-Match and Knockout Teams. . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.26
II. ISSUING THE AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.27
A. Computerized Scoring. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.27
B. Non-Computerized Scoring. . . . . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.27
SECTION FIVE: CLASSIFICATION OF PLAYERS . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.27
I. HONOR TITLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.27&28
II. WALLET CARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.28
III. MASTERPOINT RACES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.29
SECTION SIX: CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS. .CHAPTER.4 pg.29
I. ALLOCATION OF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SESSIONS
A. Weekly Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.29
B. Non-weekly Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.29
II. SCHEDULING CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS. . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.29
A. Calendar Quarters Scheduling. . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.29
B. Playing Site Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.30
C. Playing Time Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.30
D. Two-Session Club Championships. . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.30
E. Regular Game With Different Club
Championship Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.30
F. Schedule Conflicts. . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.30
G. Back-to-Back Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.31
III. TYPES OF EVENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CHAPTER.4 pg.31
IV. SEEDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.31
V. AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.31
A. Awards to Members, New Members
or Non-Members by ACBL. . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.31&32
B. Computation of Club Championship Awards . . CHAPTER.4 pg.32
1. Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER.4 pg.32
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 17)
V. GAME MOVEMENTS
A movement is the method of progression during the game, indicating the
seat to be occupied and the boards to be played by each player at each
round. (For further information on movements, please contact the ACBL
Club Membership Department.)
A. PAIR MOVEMENTS
A club may conduct pair games of any legal size (two-and-one-half or
more tables) using either Howell or Mitchell movements When 14 or more
tables are in play, it is permissible to split the game into two
sections, with each section containing at least seven tables.
(Duplicated boards are desirable but not mandatory.)
The most commonly used pair movements are:
MITCHELL: This movement keeps the pairs in two groups, N-S and E-W, with
the aim of having all N-S pairs meeting all E-W pairs and playing all
the boards. Typically the boards move one table lower and the players
one table higher each round. There is a winner for each section for
both the N-S and E-W pairs with the highest score.
HOWELL: This movement produces one winner from a field in which all
pairs play each of the boards in play, with comparison in direct
competition with other pairs on approximately half of the boards, and
adverse comparison on the other boards.
B. INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENTS
A club may run individual games (two or more tables) with either Rainbow
or Shomate movements:
RAINBOW: This is a movement in which contestants are divided into groups
corresponding to their original starting directions, with separate
instructions for progressing to each group.
SHOMATE: This movement (also called an irregular rainbow) does not keep
the players in a particular group, thus allowing comparison across the
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 18)
C. TEAM MOVEMENTS
A board-a-match team game can be run with a regular board-a-match
movement, a Mirror movement, or any other approved movement. (SEE
CHAPTER.4, Section Seven for information on team events and team
SECTION THREE: GENERAL CLUB GAME REGULATIONS
The sanctioned duplicate game awards masterpoints to approximately 40% of
the contestants in each session. The number of masterpoints the game
awards depends on the number of tables in play and the conditions under
which the club conducts the game. The club must send to ACBL a monthly
Club Masterpoint Report and ACBL issues these points directly to the
player. A club's failure to issue the certificates or submit the report
can result in the suspension or loss of its sanction.
Masterpoints won in club games are as important as those won in any type
of tournament. All masterpoints carry about the same weight in the ACBL
The level of competition of events in which masterpoints are won is
denoted by four color variations: black, silver, red, and gold.
Netpoints are awarded for online play and are colorless.
Masterpoints won in events not qualifying for red, silver, or gold are
black points. Sanctioned club games and Unit games award black points.
C. SILVER POINTS
Silver points are awarded for events at sectional tournaments, including
newcomer games and side events. Progressive Sectionals and Sectional
Tournaments at Clubs also award silver points (SEE Chapter 6).
Regional tournaments and regional events at NABCS award red points
except for overall and section tops (SEE Gold Points below). Grand
National Teams (GNT) EVENTS and North American Pairs (NAP) events afford
players the opportunity to earn red points at their local clubs (SEE
Gold points are awarded for overall placings and section tops in
regional and NABC events where the top masterpoint limit is at least
750. Gold points may be given for special games, such as the Instant
Matchpoint Game, Grand National Team and North American Pair events (SEE
F. PLATINUM POINTS
Platinum points are awarded for NABC+ events and included the
national-rated senior and women's events with no upper masterpoint limit
but not the junior, flight B, or other restricted events.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 19)
II. INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR CLUBS
A. NEW MEMBER RECRUITMENT
Clubs can earn an upgraded club championship (sectional rated black
points) by recruiting 10 new members. The 10 new members need not be
recruited within any specific time period (for example, you could
recruit three new members in 1996, four in 1997 and three more in 1998).
The club manager will be notified when the club has recruited 10 new
members and will be sent a report form for this game. Payment will be
made on the monthly report at the same rate as regular club games.
Points will be issued by ACBL.
A maximum of two upgraded club championship games per session may be
held in one calendar year.
B. NEWCOMER GAME INCENTIVES
Clubs holding newcomer games (an upper masterpoint limit of not more
than 20) at the same time as an open, invitational or restricted game
may include the newcomer game tables when computing awards for the open,
masterpoint restricted or invitational game.
If a club chooses to run a flighted game, tables in any restricted
sections count toward club masterpoint awards for any unrestricted
section in play at that club during that session, (subject to the usual
restriction for a rating point game, that the maximum awarded shall be
1.50). If there are two or more unrestricted sections, they shall share
the credit for any other tables equally.
C. CLUB HIGHLIGHTS
ACBL is always interested in passing along helpful hints on club
operations. If you have a program you believe would be useful for other
clubs, send the idea(s) to us and we will consider publishing it in the
D. REDUCED PRICE MEMBERSHIP AND RATES
Club officials can offer a reduced price one-year membership to new
members. If an applicant is found to have been a member previously, the
membership fee will be pro-rated over a 6-month membership.
In addition, the club officials submitting the application and fee will
be eligible for the rebate on each reduced price membership. If this
member renews for the full price before expiration of the grace period
at the end of the reduced price membership, the club official will be
eligible for a second rebate. A third rebate is earned if the player
renews for another years. A $50 gift certificate for the ACBL store
will be earned for every 25 new members recruited by the club official
in a calendar year. Only club officials submitting their Social
Security number or Tax Identification number with the application will
be eligible for rebates and certificates.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 20)
E. COOPERATIVE ADVERTISING PROGRAM
ACBL will subsidize teachers, clubs and units who wish to use
advertising to recruit students for bridge lessons or to promote the
game. This subsidy will be 50% of the cost of the advertising program
up to a maximum of $250 per program per calendar year. Eligible media
are radio, television, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, outdoor,
yellow pages, flyers, handbills and statement stuffers. Contact the
ACBL Membership Assistance Department for further information.
III. GAME DIRECTOR
The person who actually conducts the games in a club is the director.
The director can be the club owner, the club manager, an employee of the
club, or an independent director hired for the sole purpose of directing
the game. It is advantageous to a club to have a director who is known
and respected by the patrons.
All club games must be directed by Club or higher rated directors. ACBL
regulations permit the use of a different director for every session.
A. CLUB DIRECTOR
To become a Club director one must pass a written examination. A
prospective director who wishes to take the examination must contact
ACBL. ACBL then sends the examination to an appointed monitor for
administration. To take the examination, the examinee must pay a fee to
the monitor. The monitor retains a portion of the fee and sends the
remainder to ACBL along with the completed examination.
While taking the test, the examinee may use any written material
available. Examinees should have the LAWS OF DUPLICATE CONTRACT BRIDGE,
the ACBL HANDBOOK OF RULES AND REGULATIONS, and a good director's manual
at hand during the examination.
Study packets are available through the ACBL Sales Department. You may
order and charge these on your credit card by calling 1-800-264-2743 in
the U.S. and 1-800-264-8786 in Canada. The packet contains sample
questions and other information pertinent to the exam.
On completion, the monitor returns the test to the ACBL Club Membership
Department for grading. Please allow at least 14 days for grading the
examination. ACBL sends cards to those who pass the examination.
Applicants failing the exam are notified by letter of areas to study to
prepare for retaking the exam.
B. NON-PLAYING DIRECTOR
It is preferable for a game to have a non-playing director. A
non-playing director can give more objective rulings concerning disputes
and infractions of bridge laws and regulations than one who is
personally involved in the session. Even when no rulings are called
for, the non-playing director can give more attention to maintaining the
quality of the game. Some special games require a non-playing Club or
higher rated director.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 21)
Non-playing directors are encouraged but not required for games having
not more than one section of 17 tables or less for the following special
events held at clubs or units: ACBL-wide International Fund Games,
ACBL-wide Charity Games, Junior Fund Games, Senior Pairs, World-wide
Pairs, ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint Games, Membership Games, NABC Fund
Raisers, GNT Fund Raisers, Club Appreciation Games, Sectional Tournament
at Clubs (STaC) games, the Canadian Olympiad, the COPC, the CNTC, the
North American Open Pair Club and Unit Qualifying stages, the North
American 49er Pairs the Grand National Team (GNT) Club and Unit
Qualifying stages, Unit Championships and Unit Charity Championships.
IV. OPERATION OF CLUB GAMES
ACBL grants a club game sanction on the condition that the club conduct
all game sessions in full compliance with ACBL regulations. These
regulations help maintain the technical level of all games and ensure
that masterpoints are issued under approximately equal conditions
everywhere. To retain a sanction, the sanction holder and the club
manager must observe both the letter and the spirit of ACBL regulations.
However, the regulations that follow are not meant to be restrictive.
Within the limits they establish, there is ample room for the development
of innovative, imaginative programs and services for club patrons.
A. SYSTEMS AND CONVENTIONS
ACBL retains the right to approve or disapprove any bidding or defensive
carding (lead or discard signal) convention for general use in
ACBL-sanctioned games. In exercising this right, ACBL has established
convention charts that list conventions permitted in games having
varying degrees of difficulty (SEE Appendix A).
A club manager can bar or allow specific conventions and can bar certain
conventions in newcomer games but allow them in open games. The types
of events for which this applies are club masterpoint games, club
championships, club charity events, ACBL-wide events, unit
championships, unit charity events, district charity events, and the
first level of play in the North American Pairs event. The Alert
procedure and the skip bid announcement are procedures used in
tournaments and are optional (and strongly encouraged) in club games.
When masterpoints are awarded for overall positions in several
locations, such as unit-wide games, STaCs, etc., all conventions in the
ACBL General Convention Chart must be allowed unless the conditions of
contest specify otherwise. Use of the Alert procedure is mandatory, and
the rules that govern skip bid announcements are applicable.
Occasionally special games, such as the GNT event, may be held in clubs.
In such a case the club manager must check the conditions of contest to
be sure to conduct the game in conformity with the rules.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 22)
ACBL recommends that clubs which are inclined to permit patrons to test
new or little known conventions or systems restrict such testing to one
of several scheduled game sessions. If experience indicates that the
majority of the club players welcome this policy, it can be extended
easily to other sessions. In any case, players must have the approval
of the director before using any convention not specifically authorized.
ACBL recommends that each club post a list of approved conventions in a
conspicuous place on its premises.
Seeding means specifically seating strong pairs (or weak pairs) in a
manner relative to the movement, so that every contestant plays against
a group of opponents of approximately the same strength. In a
one-section event, both directions should be balanced. In a
multi-section event, all fields should be balanced. In two-session
events, the balance should be maintained for both sessions.
If there is an active effort to seat all strong pairs in one direction
and the weak pairs in the other, the session must be classified as an
invitational/restricted game. Further, if all strong pairs are seated
in one section and all weak pairs in another, the strong section
qualifies as open, and the other section becomes
Seeding is not mandatory for any regular masterpoint games. All seating
may be random by luck of the draw or on a first-come, first-served
C. MARGIN FOR RANKING FINISHERS
Score adjustments, carryovers and raw scores will be rounded to two
decimal places, with .01 constituting a margin of separation for ranking
and masterpoints. Any margin between contestants will be sufficient
separation for purposes of qualification.
Many clubs consider the club masterpoints awarded to winners as
sufficient prizes. However, some clubs award free plays to future club
events to winning players. A few clubs award suitable prizes such as
ACBL scrip, trophies, or cash. When masterpoints are awarded, cash
prizes are not subject to any restrictions.
E. CANCELLATION OF A REGULAR GAME SESSION
Clubs must hold regularly sanctioned game sessions as provided on its
approved application. A club may not change a regularly sanctioned game
session to a different day or time, even temporarily, without prior ACBL
A club may cancel a regularly scheduled game session because of:
- Unusual weather such as a snowstorm, hurricane, or tornado alert
- A conflict with a higher rated event (optional - not required)
- Holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, New
Year's Day, and Christmas and other religious holidays
- Not enough tables for a legal game
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 22)
- In Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda, all statutory holidays, as well as
local, provincial, and national holidays
There are no game or table fees for sessions canceled for an approved
reason. The club must note the reason for a cancellation on the Monthly
Report Form. A club may not make up canceled games.
The club must post recap sheets for each game no later than the next
session of that game. Travelers, if used, must be available for player
review through the next session of that game. The club must retain the
recap sheets for at least three months. For club championships, the
club must retain the recap sheets for at least six months. A club
should retain game records or copies of the report for special events
until the players receive the appropriate awards from ACBL.
G. CLUB DISCIPLINE
Club management should deal promptly and fairly with all cases of
improper conduct that occur during an ACBL-sanctioned masterpoint game
in the club, including cases of unethical practices. The club manager
should either handle these situations personally or establish a standing
committee to review all disciplinary problems. Clubs holding
non-sanctioned games may deal with problems arising in these games as
The club manager can handle many behavior problems by discussing them
with the offenders, by issuing a warning, or declaring a period of
probation. In extreme cases or cases of repeat offenses, the manager
can bar the player from the club game for a stipulated period of time,
To bar a player, club management must notify the player in writing and
send a copy of the notification to the ACBL Club Membership Department.
The notification must include the player's name and player number and
the reason for the barring.
An open club game cannot bar players as a class or because of their
religion, political affiliation, race, national origin, physical
handicap, sexual orientation or proficiency at bridge. Club management
can exclude an incompatible partnership as a pair while allowing each to
play with other partners.
Unless a player's ACBL membership has been suspended or terminated by a
unit, a district, or ACBL, a club cannot bar a player from participating
in Grand National Teams or North American Pair events. It also cannot
bar a player from other clubs, sectional tournaments held at the club,
unit or district competitions, such as unit championships, charity
games, IMP games, and unit-or district-wide championships, even when
these games are played in a club that has barred the player from normal
club activities. Neither can the club place partnership restrictions on
such players for these events unless the unit, district, or ACBL first
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 24)
An open club can bar players from its regular club masterpoint games,
membership games, ACBL-wide games, club championships, charity and
international fund club championships, and other special events
specifically allocated to clubs as outlined above.
Tact is necessary when notifying a player that he or she is barred from
an open game. It is not necessary that the player be brought before a
committee or be granted a public hearing. The player should be told
privately by the club management and should be given the reason for the
If the player feels that his or her barring does not comply with these
regulations prohibiting barring players as a class, their religious or
political affiliations, race, national origin, physical disability, or
their bridge proficiency, he or she may appeal the barring sequentially
to the unit board, the district, and the ACBL Board of Directors. Until
the appeal is lodged and heard, the player remains barred unless
reinstated by the club.
H. DISABLED ACBL MEMBERS
An ACBL-sanctioned club game should make every reasonable effort to
enable a physically disabled member to participate. The overriding
philosophy is to accommodate the handicapped individual as long as such
accommodation does not unreasonably disadvantage a substantial portion
of the other players affected. The club should allow such players to
use special equipment, such as card holders, bidding boxes, special
playing cards (contact the ACBL Tournament Department for the approval
policy for special playing cards), etc. The club should also
accommodate such an individual when the handicap requires special
seating such as a stationary position.
I. PARTICIPATION IN CLUB ACTIVITIES
To stimulate participation, a club may require that players participate
in a specified number of previously held club masterpoint sessions to be
eligible to play in its club championships. The participation
requirement must be fully publicized in advance. A club may not impose
participation requirements on events that have a sectional or higher
rating; for example GNT, NAP, or ACBL-wide events. A club may not
impose this requirement on events sanctioned to units, even though the
games may be played in the club.
Visitors may be allowed to play in club championships without having met
the participation requirement. The term visitor is defined by the
governing body of the club and must be properly publicized.
V. OTHER CLUB INFORMATION
A. INFORMATION FOR TRAVELERS
ACBL members who intend to travel to other cities and want to play
bridge in those locations can contact ACBL by telephone (901-332-5586
ext. 223) to get information for specific areas. There is also a
listing (updated monthly) of bridge clubs on the ACBL home page on the
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 25)
Liability insurance is available for a fee to a club holding sanctioned
games. Contact the ACBL Club Membership department for more
C. CLUB SUPPLIES AND DIRECTOR MANUALS
The ACBL Sales Department sells the supplies necessary for all types of
tournaments and club games. A sales catalog is mailed each year to
every club with their packet of supplies. Call 1-800-264-2743 (U.S.) or
1-800-264-8786 (Canada) for further information.
SECTION FOUR: CLUB MASTERPOINT AWARDS
The size or denomination of a masterpoint award is determined by a
formula that takes into account the level of competition and the number
of tables. The club manager or the manager's authorized designee either
sends monthly Club Masterpoint Reports to ACBL for members who have won
I. CALCULATING THE AWARDS
Section awards for all games (open, invitational, restricted and
newcomer) are based on the number of pairs, teams or individuals in each
group. For example, an 8-table Mitchell movement is two groups of 8
pairs. A 5-table Howell movement is one group of 10 pairs. In a
Mitchell movement, a 1/2 table will be treated as though it were a full
table. For example, 7 1/2 tables would be 8 pairs in each group while a
5 1/2 table Howell is 11 pairs in the comparison group. Depth of awards
is 40% times the number of pairs in the comparison group, rounded to the
nearest whole number with .5 rounded up. For overall awards 1/2 table is
counted as a full table.
A. OPEN GAME AWARDS
Open games (SEE CHAPTER.4, Section Two-I.) award .10 MP per table for
first place in each group. The second place award is 70% of 1st, third
is 50% of 1st, fourth is 35%, fifth is 1/5 and sixth is 1/6, etc. This
applies to all open sections for pair, and individual games. Maximum
award is 1.50 masterpoints. (SEE Files MPPAIRS)
B. INVITATIONAL - RESTRICTED AWARDS
Invitational clubs (SEE CHAPTER.4, Section Two-II.) award .08
masterpoint per pair for first place in each group. Other placements
are based on the same percentages as for Open clubs. The maximum award
is 1.20 masterpoints. The same awards are used for men's/women's,
mixed, pro-am and senior games in both Open and Invitational clubs.
Awards for first place (per pair) in masterpoint restricted games are as
follows: Ranges between
0 - to any masterpoint restriction greater than 200 = .08
Stratified pairs may be conducted with two or three strata. The lowest
stratum may have any upper masterpoint limitation suitable for a club.
The lowest stratum must have at least five pairs. (SEE File MPPAIRS)
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 26)
C. NEWCOMER GAME AWARDS
First place section awards for Newcomer games per pair in each group
Other placements are based on the same percentages as for Open clubs.
The maximum award is 1.00 masterpoint. (SEE Files MPPAIRS, MPSWISS AND
D. BRIDGE PLUS GAME AWARDS
Award .03 per pair for first place. Other placements are based on the
same percentages as for Open clubs. Maximum Award is .50 masterpoint.
(SEE File MPPAIRS.)
E. AWARDS FOR TIED POSITIONS
When two pairs tie for the same position, the appropriate individual
masterpoint awards are determined by adding the masterpoints for that
position and the next lower position; the members of each pair then
receive half of that total. If three pairs tie for a position, the
masterpoints for that position and the next two lower positions are
added, and the members of each pair receive one-third of that total. In
the unlikely event that four or more pairs tie for the same position,
this mathematical procedure continues to the appropriate level to
determine the masterpoint awards for the members of each pair.
When there is a two-way tie for the last position awarding masterpoints,
the next lower award is calculated. This is added to the last place
award, and the sum is divided between the two pairs.
F. OVERALL AWARDS FOR CLUB GAMES WITH TWO OR MORE SECTIONS
Club games with more than one section may issue overall awards comparing
all the sections. Awards may not exceed 1.50 for Open clubs, 1.20 for
Invitational clubs and 1.00 for Newcomer clubs. Second place would be
75% of first, third 75% of second, etc. through a maximum of six places.
For example, for an open club:
Section A = 9 tables
Section B = 10 tables
19 x .10 = 1.90 reduced to 1.50 for first place
2nd place = 75% of 1.50 = 1.13
3rd place = 75% of 1.13 = .84
4th place = 75% of .84 = .63
PAIR AWARDS: Pairs receive their section awards or the overall award,
whichever is greater, but not both. For example, a pair whose section
award was 0.50 and whose overall award was 0.65 would be credited with
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 27)
HANDICAP GAMES: Pair and maximum award regulations also apply to
handicap games. An exception would occur if a pair earns only a section
award in the raw score computation and earns an overall award in the
handicap score. In this case the two would be added together.
CLASS UNIFORMITY: Pair and maximum award regulations apply only when
both sections are of the same class.
NUMBER OF POSITIONS: Overall awards may not exceed six positions.
G. SERIES GAMES FOR CLUBS
For Series games in clubs, four or more game sessions are required. The
masterpoint bonus to the winning player shall equal .02 times the number
of tables in play for all games in which he or she participated. This
bonus cannot exceed 1.5 masterpoints for an open game or 1.2
masterpoints for an invitational game. Second place earns 75% of the
award for first and third place earns 75% of the second place award.
Clubs may use their own methodology for determining winners.
a. The number of masterpoints earned at the series games
b. The best percentage score for all series games
c. Award 4,3,2,1 for 1st through 4th place scores for each game and
total such awards for the series to determine the winning
The club manager may specify a minimum number of game sessions played to
Clubs may wish to consider a proviso that eligibility requires
participation with a minimum of two or more different partners.
H. BOARD-A-MATCH AND KNOCKOUT TEAMS
Awards for board-a-match teams are 110% of awards for pair games.
Awards for knockout teams with three or more sessions can be found in
the file MPKOS. All match awards should be issued from the match award
charts. (SEE File MPKOS.)
II. ISSUING THE AWARDS
ACBL issues all masterpoint awards to ACBL members. Clubs must report
masterpoints won by its players on a monthly basis. Clubs using
ACBLscore can report the masterpoints to ACBL electronically, while clubs
not using ACBLscore must send their results to ACBL on the masterpoint
Masterpoint receipts should be given to new players who are not members
of ACBL and never have been, and to anyone else requesting them on a
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 28)
A. COMPUTERIZED SCORING
For scoring club games and maintaining financial and masterpoint
records, clubs (and units) can use ACBLscore, a software program
available from the ACBL Club Membership Department. This program can
score any type of pair, individual, or team movement and perform all the
computations necessary for running a duplicate game. For example,
ACBLscore can keep track of games, game sizes, and masterpoints won by
individuals over any period of time. It can print mailing labels and
produce a report (printout or diskette) of all ACBL members who have won
masterpoints in the club in any given month.
To use ACBLscore, a club must have an IBM-compatible computer with a
hard drive and a minimum of 640k RAM and a track-feed printer.
B. NON-COMPUTERIZED SCORING
Clubs not using ACBLscore must track the masterpoints won by their
players and report them to ACBL on a monthly basis. ACBL provides these
clubs with masterpoint reporting forms and club masterpoint receipts.
SECTION FIVE: CLASSIFICATION OF PLAYERS
ACBL's masterpoint plan appeals to members because it permits members to
know their approximate overall ranking relative to that of every other
member. Although a complete listing of the large number of ACBL members
is impractical, the honor titles that members earn as they achieve
various plateaus of masterpoint holdings serve as close approximations of
their overall standing. Lists of the top players in some categories and
masterpoint races are published in THE BRIDGE BULLETIN each year.
The honor titles and the masterpoints players must acquire to gain them
- ROOKIE-an ACBL member who has fewer than 5 full masterpoints recorded
- JUNIOR MASTER-a member who has at least 5 but fewer than 20
masterpoints recorded by ACBL. A Junior Master is eligible for most
- CLUB MASTER-a member who has at least 20 but fewer than 50 masterpoints
recorded by ACBL.
- SECTIONAL MASTER-a member who has at least 50 but fewer than 100
master-points recorded by ACBL, of which 5 must be silver.
- REGIONAL MASTER-a member who has at least 100 masterpoints recorded by
ACBL, of which 15 must be silver and 5 must be red or gold.
- NABC MASTER-a member who has at least 200 masterpoints recorded by
ACBL, of which 50 must be pigmented, with at least 5 gold, 15 red or
gold, and 25 silver.
- LIFE MASTER-a member who has 300 or more masterpoints recorded by the
ACBL, of which 100 must be pigmented, with 50 silver, 25 gold, and 25
red or gold. A member who held no red masterpoints or fraction thereof
prior to January 1, 1969, is required to possess at least 50 red and
gold masterpoints, of which at least 25 must be gold. Any new member
or player in an inactive status for six months or more after January 1,
1999 will be required to earn 50 black points to become a Life Master.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 29)
- GOLDEN AGE MASTER-a member who is age 70 or older and has at least 300
masterpoints of any color recorded by ACBL, or a member who is at least
80 years old and has at least 100 masterpoints of any color recorded by
ACBL. On application to ACBL, an eligible member will be designated
Golden Age Master and sent an appropriate certificate and wallet card.
- BRONZE LIFE MASTER-a Life Master who has at least 500 masterpoints
recorded by ACBL.
- SILVER LIFE MASTER-a Life Master who has at least 1,000 masterpoints
recorded by ACBL.
- GOLD LIFE MASTER-a Life Master who has at least 2,500 masterpoints
recorded by ACBL.
- DIAMOND LIFE MASTER-a Life Master who has at least 5,000 masterpoints
recorded by ACBL.
- GRAND LIFE MASTER-a Life Master who has at least 10,000 masterpoints
and has won a North American Bridge Championship with no upper
masterpoint restriction or an Open Team Trials or its equivalent or a
Women's Team Trials or its equivalent or any of the following WBF
events: Bermuda Bowl, Venice Cup, Rosenblum Cup, McConnell Cup, Open
Pairs, Women's Pairs, Olympiad, Women's Team Olympiad, Mixed Pairs
prior to 1990 or Mixed Teams prior to 1990.
II. WALLET CARDS
When members graduate from the rank of Rookie and are entitled to the
honor title of Junior Master, they receive appropriate wallet cards from
ACBL. The cards identify players as ACBL members with sufficient skill
and experience to be titled Junior Master. Junior Master players may use
this title as long as they are members in good standing or until they
earn the right to a higher ranking title.
When members who have earned the rank of Junior Master advance to the
next plateau, they again receive wallet cards designating their new
status. Golden Age Master wallet cards are sent when requested by a
district, unit, or club official.
This step-by-step recognition continues until the members receive the
title of Life Master. Then ACBL awards them Gold Cards (gold colored),
which announce that they are Life Masters of the American Contract Bridge
League. ACBL also sends these members Life Master Certificates.
III. MASTERPOINT RACES
ACBL gives official recognition to the winner(s) of the most masterpoints
in a calendar year by members in several different categories. These
masterpoint races include the ACE OF CLUBS, where recognition is given to
players through the rank of Grand Life master who earn the most
masterpoints in club games, and the MINI-MCKENNEY, where players in each
masterpoint category who win the most masterpoints are recognized. ACBL
also keeps a record of the MINI-MCKENNEY winners for each unit.
SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR, YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR, JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE
YEAR, SECTIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR, CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER OF THE YEAR,
BARRY CRANE TOP 500, and ANNUAL TOP 100 for each of the Bronze, Silver,
and Gold Life Master categories are the other masterpoint races
recognized by ACBL.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 30)
SECTION SIX: CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Every club that conducts its sanctioned games in full compliance with
ACBL regulations is entitled to a number of annual club championship
games. The number of such games depends on the number of regular games
When a club conducts two or more levels of play at the same time (for
example, open and newcomer games), it must conduct its club championships
for all levels simultaneously.
I. ALLOCATION OF CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SESSIONS
Each regularly scheduled weekly game is entitled to four club
championship sessions per year. These may be scheduled as four
one-session club championships, two one-session championships and one
two-session championship, or two two-session championships (SEE
CHAPTER.4, Section Six-II.C and Six-II.D).
B. NON-WEEKLY CLUBS
A regularly scheduled club game held at a frequency other than weekly is
entitled to one session with club championship rating for each 12
meetings of its regular game. In all other respects, ACBL regulations
for the use of the club championship sessions by non-weekly games are
the same as they are for weekly games.
II. SCHEDULING CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
When scheduling club championships a club must comply with a number of
A. CALENDAR QUARTERS SCHEDULING
A club must hold each of the four club championship sessions for one
weekly game during a different calendar quarter of the year, except for
an event it conducts in two sessions. A club may not carry over a club
championship from one year to the next for the purpose of conducting a
two-session event (SEE D. following).
B. PLAYING SITE CHANGES
A club may change the playing site of a club championship session from
that of its regular game to accommodate increased attendance or the
serving of refreshments. To change the site the club must obtain prior
written approval from the unit that has jurisdiction over the area in
which the championship is to be held.
C. PLAYING TIME CHANGES
Once a year a club may hold a one or two-session club championship at a
time other than that of the game it represents. To do so, the club must
obtain written permission from all other clubs holding sanctioned games
within a 25-mile radius that hold games on that day of the week.
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 31)
D. TWO-SESSION CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
Conducting a two-session club championship uses two of the four
quarterly club championships allocated for the year, whether they are
played in two consecutive sessions in different quarters (last session
of the quarter and first session of the next quarter) or in one quarter
(afternoon-evening play-through). For example, a club game sanctioned
for Saturday afternoon may operate a two-session club championship on
two consecutive Saturday afternoons. When the consecutive days fall in
the same calendar quarter, the club must forgo a championship event in
some other quarter.
Once a year a club may schedule a two-session event on a day other than
that for which it is sanctioned. For example, a club sanctioned for a
Wednesday session may conduct the two-session event on Saturday
afternoon and evening. The club must obtain written approval from all
other Saturday clubs within a 25-mile radius, even if the club is itself
sanctioned for either Saturday afternoon or Saturday evening. The club
must forgo a club championship event in another calendar quarter if it
makes use of this option.
If a club is sanctioned for Saturday afternoon and evening, it could
hold a two session club championship all in one day. One club
championship session would be charged against each sanctioned game
E. REGULAR GAME WITH DIFFERENT CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TIME
If a club holds its club championship on a day for which it is not
sanctioned to hold its regular sessions, and it has the written
permission of other clubs holding sessions at that time, it may still
hold a club masterpoint game on its regular day. The club must note the
occurrence of both games on the Monthly Report Form, attach all written
permissions to it, and submit appropriate payment with the form.
F. SCHEDULE CONFLICTS
A club may not conduct a club championship when a sectional or
higher-rated event is in progress within 25 miles of the playing site.
At its discretion, however, the club may hold its regularly scheduled
club masterpoint games while a higher-rated event is taking place in the
community (SEE CHAPTER.4, Section Four, IV.E for rules on allowable
cancellation of club games).
G. BACK-TO-BACK PLAN
In areas in which two or more clubs are sanctioned to hold games
simultaneously, attendance at some clubs may drop if one of the clubs
stages a club championship. To prevent this, the unit having
jurisdiction may adopt and enforce a back-to-back plan, under which all
clubs in the playing area holding games during the same session must
schedule their club championships in direct competition with each other.
Use of this plan is optional with the unit.
III. TYPES OF EVENTS
A club may conduct a club championship as any type of standard
individual, pair, or team event. An individual event can be run so that
each compass direction is a distinct comparison group or can be run as an
open individual (SEE Section Two-V).
CHAPTER.4 (PAGE 32)
Pair or team events can be run as regular open events (may be stratified
or handicapped), or with the following gender, masterpoint, or age
- MEN'S PAIRS/TEAMS-all participants must be male.
- WOMEN'S PAIRS/TEAMS-all participants must be female.
- MIXED PAIRS/TEAMS-all pairs must be composed of one male and one female
- UNMIXED PAIRS/TEAMS-all pairs/teams must contain either two male or two
- MASTER PAIRS/TEAMS-at least one member of each pair/team must have a
minimum number of masterpoints.
- NON-MASTER PAIRS/TEAMS-all players must have fewer than a specified
number of masterpoints.
- JUNIOR PAIRS/TEAMS-all players must be under 26 years of age.
- SENIOR PAIRS/TEAMS-all players must be 55 years of age or older.
Regular masterpoint games generally are not seeded, but all events with
club championship or higher rating should be seeded. For example, club
charity championships, International Fund club championships, membership
tournaments, ACBL-wide, district-wide, and unit-wide games should be
seeded (SEE Section Three-IV,B).
A club seeding committee or the game director usually seeds club
championships, normally at the time the entries are sold.