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This document is provided
courtesy of the
American Contract Bridge League
2990 Airways Blvd.
S
Memphis TN 38116–3847
901–332–5586
S
Fax 901–398–7754
NOTE: to view the latest revision of the
handbook go to ACBL
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR CHAPTER 5 OF THE
HANDBOOK JANUARY 2000
INDEX FOR HANDBOOK CHAPTER 5 JANUARY 2000
CHAPTER.5 SPECIAL UNIT
GAMES
SECTION ONE: UNIT CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.1
I. SCHEDULING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.1
A. Type of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.1
B. Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.1
C. Conflicts with Higher-Rated
Championships . . CHAPTER.5 pg.1
D. Game Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.2
II. SANCTION APPLICATION AND FEES. . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.2
III. DELEGATION OF SESSIONS . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.2
IV. STAFFING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.2
V. SCORING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.2
VI. MASTERPOINT AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . CHAPTER.5 pg.2&3
VII. SYSTEMS AND CONVENTIONS. . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.3
VIII.PRIZES AND TROPHIES. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.3
SECTION TWO: UNIT CHARITY GAMES . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.3
I. TYPES OF EVENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.3
II. BENEFICIARIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.3
III. SANCTION APPLICATIONS. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.3
IV. CHARITABLE DONATIONS . . . . . . . . . . .
. . CHAPTER.5 pg.3&4
SECTION THREE: ANNUAL EXTENDED TEAM GAMES . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.4
I. MASTERPOINT AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.4
II. SANCTION APPLICATION AND FEES. . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
III. CONDITIONS OF CONTEST. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
SECTION FOUR: UNIT-WIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
I. NUMBER OF ALLOCATED CHAMPIONSHIPS. . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
II. SANCTION APPLICATIONS. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
III. UNIT-WIDE CHAMPIONSHIP PLANNING AND
COORDINATION
IV. REPORTS AND SANCTION FEES. . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
V. COMPUTER-DEALT HANDS . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
VI. MASTERPOINT AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
VII. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.5
SECTION FIVE: ACBL-WIDE EVENTS. . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.6
I. TYPES OF GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.6
A. International Fund Games. . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.6
B. Charity Games . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.6
C. Special Games . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.6
II. SANCTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . CHAPTER.5 pg.6&7
A. Game Conducted By the Unit. . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
B. Joint Sponsorship By Two or More Clubs.
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
III. GAME REGULATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
A. Game Security . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
Hand record security; Hand analyses
B. Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
C. Number of Tables. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
D. Half Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
E. Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.7
F. Novice Sections . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.8
G. Invitational Sections . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.8
H. Masterpoint Awards. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.8
IV. NON-PARTICIPATING CLUBS. . . . . . . . . .
. . . CHAPTER.5 pg.8
CHAPTER.5
(Rev.02/00) CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 1)
__________________
SPECIAL UNIT GAMES
In order to furnish ACBL members with a
continuous program of
interesting, competitive bridge events, ACBL
has provided each unit
with a variety of bridge activities for single
or multiple sites.
SECTION ONE: UNIT CHAMPIONSHIPS
ACBL has allocated 16 unit championship
sessions per year to each
unit. Units may schedule these sessions at
their discretion. Units
prepare bridge competitions that are suitable
for their membership
size and for the size and location availability
of their playing
areas.
Clubs that conform with ACBL regulations, have
proved reliable in
submitting Monthly Report Forms and fees, and
have an adequate number
of tables may participate in these unit
championships. Clubs not
sanctioned to meet at the times of unit events
may be allowed to
participate in these events with unit approval.
I. SCHEDULING
A. TYPES OF EVENTS
Because of the wide variation in unit
membership size and the size
and locations of playing sites, ACBL permits
considerable latitude in
scheduling unit championship sessions. For
example, a unit could
hold a one-session unit championship each
month, thus utilizing 12 of
its 16 sessions. To use the remaining four
sessions, the unit could
hold a two session game, such as an election
party or a new members
party, twice a year. Units also could
schedule their unit
championship allocation as four-session unit
championships each
calendar quarter. The various events may
consist of any schedule of
games that might appeal to the unit
membership. For example, the
events could be mixed pairs, master pairs,
open pairs, or Swiss
teams.
B. FREQUENCY
Any schedule that does not interfere with
higher-rated championships
scheduled nearby is acceptable. However, in
order to offer a
well-rounded annual schedule, ACBL recommends
that the events be
spread throughout the year.
C. CONFLICTS WITH HIGHER-RATED CHAMPIONSHIPS
Regional and sectional tournaments have
priority for weekend dates.
Therefore, if there is a schedule conflict
with a tournament being
held in the same or an adjacent unit area, the
date of the unit
championship must be changed. In areas where
many sectionals are
held, units often can avoid schedule conflicts
by holding unit
championships on week nights in cooperation
with regularly scheduled
club games.
As soon as the regular tournament schedule is
complete, unit
officials should prepare a schedule of unit
championships. Units
should schedule these events early to help
affected clubs avoid time
conflicts when preparing their schedules.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 2)
__________________
D. GAME SITES
A unit may elect to hold its unit
championships in one central
location. This highlights the fact that the
games are unit
activities. It also gives the unit and its
board of directors an
identity insofar as newer members are
concerned.
Alternatively, a unit may schedule one or more
unit championship
sessions to be played simultaneously in
several different unit
locations, with each game site scoring as a
separate event. There is
no unit-wide overall masterpoint award, but
the entire game counts as
only a single session of the unit's
allocation. This is called a
"split" unit championship.
II. SANCTION APPLICATION AND FEES
The unit must complete and submit Form No. 505
U/SE, which is the
application for ACBL sanction of a unit
championship, to ACBL at least
30 days in advance of the event.
On completion of the tournament, the unit must
remit sanction fees
with the Unit Championship Tournament Report.
To meet the minimum
requirement the unit may add together fees from
two concurrent sites
of a split local.
III. DELEGATION OF SESSIONS
In some cases, cost or location considerations
may make it necessary
or advantageous for a unit to delegate some or
all of its allocated
unit championships to individual clubs or
groups of clubs. A large
unit, for example, which may include playing
areas that are remote
from the main concentration of its members, may
allocate one or more
of its championship sessions to various clubs
throughout the unit that
wish to participate. The unit would obtain the
sanction in this case,
but the clubs would physically conduct the
game. If such a
cooperative plan is not feasible, the unit may
allocate specific
events to specific clubs, distributing them in
such a way that every
club desiring to participate may sponsor or
co-sponsor at least one
unit championship event annually. PRECAUTIONS
MUST BE TAKEN TO INSURE
THAT NO ONE CLUB IS TREATED EITHER MORE OR LESS
FAVORABLY THAN ITS
COMPETITORS.
IV. STAFFING
The unit should employ a club or higher rated
director to run a unit
game. A playing director is permitted at unit
championships that do
not have combined site overall awards.
V. SCORING
Scoring by ACBLscore computer program is
preferable but not mandatory.
Traveling scores or pickup slips may be used.
VI. MASTERPOINT AWARDS
Overall and section masterpoint awards for unit
championships are
black points and are 85% of a sectionally rated
event. ACBL issues
all masterpoint awards for these events.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 3)
__________________
As soon as possible after the event is played,
but no later than 48
hours afterward, the director must report the
results on the form
provided. He or she must list the names,
player numbers, and place of
finish of all participants entitled to overall
or session awards.
For information purposes only, masterpoint
award charts appear on the
Open Pairs Report form. When championships are
held simultaneously at
different sites, ACBL issues overall and
section awards separately for
each site.
VII. SYSTEMS AND CONVENTIONS
The units must allow unit championship
participants to use all
conventions shown on the General Convention
Chart. If other
conventions are to be allowed, this information
must be advertised
prior to the event.
VIII.PRIZES AND TROPHIES
No cash prizes may be awarded at unit
championships. However,
merchandise, prize certificates, and ACBL scrip
may be awarded.
SECTION TWO: UNIT CHARITY GAMES
ACBL allocates to each unit up to four sessions
of sectional-rated
charity events per year. The units may operate
these events as
single-session or multiple-session games.
I. TYPES OF EVENTS
Units may hold any type of event that can be
completed during the
allotted sessions. In general, one or
two-session open pairs or
two-session Swiss teams attract the most
participants.
II. BENEFICIARIES
A unit must conduct its first charity event of
the year on behalf of
the ACBL Charity Foundation or the Canadian
Bridge Federation (CBF)
Charitable Fund. Also it may conduct its
second unit charity event on
behalf of one of these two beneficiaries or on
behalf of a local IRS
approved tax exempt charitable organization.
The unit must hold two
of the first three charity games for the ACBL
Charity Foundation or
the CBF charitable Fund. The number of
sessions a unit holds per year
on behalf of local charities cannot exceed the
number it holds for the
ACBL Charity Foundation or the CBF Charitable
Fund. The unit may
conduct a fifth charity game for the benefit of
the local chapter of
the ACBL-designated charity of the year.
All events that units conduct on behalf of
ACBL's Charity program
carry full sectional rating (SEE Chapter 8).
III. SANCTION APPLICATIONS
Units must submit sanction applications for
charity events on ACBL
Form No. CH 5 and must submit them to ACBL well
in advance. The units
must specify beneficiaries on the sanction
applications.
IV. CHARITABLE DONATIONS
There are no sanction fees for events that
units conduct on behalf of
the ACBL Charity Foundation or the CBF
Charitable Fund. There is a
minimum charitable contribution per table per
session.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 4)
__________________
ACBL charges a sanction fee per table for
events conducted on behalf
of local (IRS-approved or Revenue
Canada-approved) tax exempt
charitable organizations.
SECTION THREE: ANNUAL EXTENDED TEAM GAMES
In order to foster International Matchpoint
(IMP) play, ACBL grants
each unit the right to hold one or more annual
sectional-rated,
extended round-robin or knockout team-of-four
events in addition to
the 16 sessions of unit championships. ACBL
sanctions additional
extended team events based on unit membership
(SEE Table 5.1 below),
if the events run for three or more sessions.
I. MASTERPOINT AWARDS
An IMP event awards sectional-rated black
points when the event is
truly extended (no fewer than three sessions of
24 or more boards
each). Otherwise, the event carries only unit
championship rating.
II. SANCTION APPLICATION AND FEES
To apply for a sanction for an annual IMP game,
the unit must use ACBL
Form No.505 U/SE, which it must file with ACBL
at least 45 days in
advance of the event.
There is a per table per session sanction fee
which must be remitted
with the tournament report.
III. CONDITIONS OF CONTEST
Units must submit proposed conditions of
contest to ACBL for approval
together with the sanction application.
Table 5.1
Number of IMP team
sanctions
allowed based on unit
membership.
Membership Number of
Sanctions
0-1500 1
1501-3000 2
3001-4500 3
4501 and up 4
SECTION FOUR: UNIT-WIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS
A unit-wide championship is a game with unit
championship rating held
simultaneously at three or more locations
within the unit area, with a
minimum of five tables at each site. Two or
more units may combine to
hold a unit-wide game, also at three or more
locations but within the
joint area of both units. This game is to be
deducted from the
unit-wide championship allocation of each unit
(SEE I. below).
I. NUMBER OF ALLOCATED CHAMPIONSHIPS
A unit with 200 to 399 members is entitled to
hold one unit-wide
championship annually. A unit with 400 to 599
members may hold two
unit wide championships, and so on, up to seven
unit-wide
championships, one for each additional 200
members, per its fall
roster of the preceding year. If a unit holds
more than one unit-wide
championship during the year, it may schedule
them on the same or
different days of the week.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 5)
__________________
II. SANCTION APPLICATIONS
A unit must submit the sanction application for
a unit-wide
championship (ACBL Form No. 505 U/SE) at least
60 days prior to the
event and must specify on the application the
number of games sites it
intends to use.
III. UNIT-WIDE CHAMPIONSHIP PLANNING AND
COORDINATION
The unit supervises all preparations for
unit-wide championships. It
must provide for the staff to run the
championship and must furnish
the necessary computer-dealt hands (provided by
the ACBL Club
Membership Department) and other supplies. The
unit should arrange
for the game sites to be in clubs. In every
respect, the quality of
the game must meet unit standards. The unit
determines overall
ranking and reports the results to ACBL.
All clubs within the unit area are eligible to
participate in
unit-wide championships that are scheduled on
sessions for which the
clubs are sanctioned if they meet the following
criteria: (1)
anticipate having at least five tables, and (2)
conform to all ACBL
regulations.
IV. REPORTS AND SANCTION FEES
The unit receives, collates, and forwards to
ACBL complete reports
from all game sites along with appropriate
fees. The reports and fees
must be forwarded as soon as possible after
conclusion of the game;
they must be postmarked within ten days of the
date on which the game
was held.
V. COMPUTER-DEALT HANDS
Units must use computer-dealt hands purchased
from or authorized for
use by ACBL for all play in unit-wide
tournaments. This ensures that
the hands used are randomly produced under
strict security conditions.
All sites use identical hands.
VI. MASTERPOINT AWARDS
In unit-wide championships ACBL issues all
masterpoint awards. ACBL
bases these awards on the total number of
tables played throughout the
unit. Section awards vary according to the
number of tables in play
in each section.
Each site director must list on the tournament
report form the names,
player numbers, and scores of all session
winners and possible overall
winners. The site director must then mail the
completed form to the
unit-designated chairman within 48 hours of the
conclusion of the
game.
VII. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS
Generally, the same ACBL regulations apply to
unit-wide championships
that apply to other types of unit
championships. If there are any
differences, ACBL notes them and sends that
information to the units
along with the sanctions for the games.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 6)
__________________
SECTION FIVE: ACBL-WIDE EVENTS
ACBL-wide events are one-session game that have
a sectional open pair
rating. Most of these games utilize computer
generated hands. When
computer generated hands are used, they are
played simultaneously at
numerous sites through the entire ACBL
territory. Non-participating
bridge experts study these hands (but do not
alter them) and predict
the probable results from playing them. ACBL
publishes these
predictions and the analyses on which they are
based. This
information is available to all contestants on
completion of the game.
The two ACBL-wide Charity games and three
International Fund games are
week-long events with one day during the week
utilizing computer
generated hands. A club may hold one game
during the designated week
on any one of their sanctioned sessions. All
open games receive
sectionally rated masterpoints.
I. TYPES OF GAMES
Currently there are eight ACBL-wide games per
year, most of which are
held at club sites.
A. INTERNATIONAL FUND GAMES
Three ACBL-wide week-long events are conducted
to benefit the ACBL
International Fund. The first of these ends
on the Saturday
afternoon of Super Bowl weekend. If these
games are run by a club
(or clubs) in a unit, the unit may not
schedule any other bridge
event at the same time, except a sectional or
regional. Another week
ends simultaneously with the International
Fund game held at the
Summer NABC. The last of these weeks is
conducted (also usually at
clubs before July 1. The proceeds of the
International Fund games
help defray the expenses of players who
represent their countries in
international competitions.
The game directors must submit the tournament
reports to the ACBL
Accounting Department within 48 hours of the
conclusion of the games.
United States sites must include the donations
with the reports.
Canadian sites must send the donations to the
CBF representative.
B. CHARITY GAMES
Two ACBL-wide week-long events are conducted
to benefit charity and
end with the Spring and Fall NABCs. They are
separate and distinct
from unit charity championships. Conducting
an ACBL-wide charity
game does not qualify a unit or club to run a
charity championship
for a local beneficiary. However, the ACBL-wide
game does fulfill
the club's obligation to hold a charity game
for the ACBL Charity
Foundation.
All charitable donations and the tournament
reports must be sent to
the ACBL Charity Department within 48 hours of
the conclusion of the
games. Proceeds from Canadian games are
forwarded by ACBL to the
Canadian Charitable Fund. Proceeds from all
other ACBL-wide charity
games go to the ACBL Charity Foundation.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 7)
__________________
C. SPECIAL GAMES
Three other ACBL-wide special events are held
each year: the Senior
Pairs game in February, the World-Wide Pairs
game in June, and the
ACBL Instant Matchpoint game in September.
ACBL allocates all three
of these events to the clubs. Additional
information on these
special events is available from the ACBL
Special Events Department.
II. SANCTIONS
The ACBL Charity Department processes and
approves sanctions for
ACBL-wide charity and International Fund
games. On approval, this
department sends instructions for operating
ACBL-wide games to the
officials listed on the sanction applications.
A club need not be sanctioned for the night of
an ACBL-wide game in
order to participate, but if it is not, it must
obtain approval of the
application from a unit official. ACBL will
approve sanction
applications for clubs already sanctioned to
operate at the time the
ACBL-wide games are scheduled, unless the clubs
are delinquent in the
submission of ACBL reports.
A. GAME CONDUCTED BY THE UNIT
When no local club is holding a special game,
the unit itself may
conduct the game. The unit must apply for the
sanction.
B. JOINT SPONSORSHIP BY TWO OR MORE CLUBS
In the members' interest, a unit may request
that two or more clubs
jointly sponsor an ACBL-wide event. However,
no club may be forced
to cooperate in such a joint venture. When
joint sponsorship is
undertaken, the unit must obtain the sanction
and is responsible for
forwarding the receipts and tournament report
to the ACBL office.
III. GAME REGULATIONS
A. GAME SECURITY
HAND RECORDS: In addition to full instructions
and a copy of the game
regulations, the director receives copies of
the hands to be played.
The copies are enclosed in a sealed envelope,
which must remain
sealed until game time. At game time the
director opens the envelope
in the presence of a witness who verifies that
the envelope was not
previously opened and that it was opened at
game time.
HAND ANALYSES: A second sealed envelope
contains the hand analyses.
This envelope is plainly marked and must
remain sealed until the
conclusion of the game. A witness must verify
this opening.
B. DIRECTOR
The ACBL-wide game must be conducted by a club
or higher-rated
non-playing director. A playing director is
allowed for games of one
section with 17 or fewer tables.
C. NUMBER OF TABLES
For the participants to be eligible for
district and ACBL-wide
recognition, at least five full tables must be
in play.
CHAPTER.5 (PAGE 8)
__________________
D. HALF TABLES
To help avoid half tables, each game should
have a stand-by pair
available. If necessary this stand-by pair
may play free, but ACBL
permits only one such free entry. It allows
half-table games if the
sponsoring club or unit submits a copy of the
recap sheet with the
report.
E. DONATIONS
ACBL requires a minimum donation per player to
the appropriate ACBL
Fund for whose benefit the ACBL-wide game is
held.
F. NEWCOMER SECTIONS
A novice section (a newcomer is a player with
20 or fewer
masterpoints) may be run in conjunction with
open or invitational
sections or as an independent section. Awards
for newcomers are 40
percent of those issued in the open game. In
newcomer sections of at
least five tables, participants are eligible
for district and
ACBL-wide recognition. Other regulations,
including minimum
donations, are the same as they are for open
games.
G. INVITATIONAL SECTIONS
Invitational sections may be conducted
independently or in
conjunction with the open sections in ACBL-wide
games. Awards for
invitational sections are 80% of sectional
rating. In invitational
sections of at least five tables, participants
are eligible for
district and ACBL-wide recognition. Other
regulations, including
minimum donations, are the same as they are
for open games.
H. MASTERPOINT AWARDS
ACBL issues all masterpoint awards in
accordance with the sectional
formula for open pairs. It bases the awards
on the class of the game
and the number of tables in which the
participants played.
The game director must complete the report
forms and return them to
ACBL. He or she must include on the report
form the scores and
player numbers for all ranked pairs as well as
the percentage score
for the two highest ranking pairs.
IV. NON-PARTICIPATING CLUBS
A non-participating club may operate its
regular club masterpoint
game, even if an ACBL-wide game is being held
elsewhere in its area.
However, a club championship or a higher-rated
game may not be
scheduled for the same time as an ACBL-wide
game being held within a
25-mile radius of that club.
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