American Contract Bridge League facts for kids
The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) is a big group that helps organize and promote the game of contract bridge in North America. This includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. It is the largest organization of its kind in North America. Their main goal is to help bridge players and make the game grow.
The ACBL does many important things:
- They approve games at local bridge clubs and bigger events.
- They train bridge teachers and people who run games.
- They hold big tournaments called the North American Bridge Championships (NABC).
- They offer learning materials and help for players.
- They have a system called masterpoints to track how well players do.
- They make sure everyone plays fairly and ethically.
As of 2018, the ACBL had more than 165,000 members who love playing bridge.
Contents
History of the ACBL
The ACBL was formed in 1937. This happened when two older groups, the American Bridge League and the United States Bridge Association, joined together. For a while, their tournaments were only open to white people. Another group, the American Bridge Association, held tournaments where black people could play. In 1967, the ACBL made an important change. They added a rule to their official papers that said no one could be stopped from joining because of their race, color, or beliefs. This made the ACBL open to everyone.
ACBL Headquarters
The ACBL is a not-for-profit organization. It started on December 23, 1937, in New York City. Over the years, its main office moved several times. First, it went to Greenwich, Connecticut. Then, in 1971, it moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Finally, in 2010, it settled in Horn Lake, Mississippi.
About 60 people work full-time at the headquarters in Horn Lake. Plus, there are about 160 tournament directors who work all over the country. The headquarters building also has a special museum and library for bridge. It is also home to the League's Hall of Fame, which honors the best bridge players.
North American Bridge Championships (NABC)
Three times a year, in the spring, summer, and fall, the ACBL hosts the North American Bridge Championships (NABC). These are very big tournaments. They use a special way of scoring called duplicate bridge. This method helps to reduce how much luck is involved in the game. It makes the competition fairer.
The NABC usually lasts for about eleven days and includes many different types of bridge events. The location of the NABC changes each time, moving to major cities across North America. Thousands of players attend these exciting events. For example, the Summer Nationals in Washington, DC, in 2009, had 14,115 tables played over the 11 days.
Masterpoints System
For many bridge players, the most important thing the ACBL does is approve club games and tournaments where players can earn masterpoints. If a game or tournament is approved by the ACBL, the players who do well are given a certain number of masterpoints. These points are officially recorded with the ACBL.
Most players really like to see their masterpoint total grow. It's a way to measure how successful they are at the game. Unlike some other ranking systems, like the one used in chess, the masterpoint system is all about adding up points. A player's masterpoint total almost never goes down. It only decreases if a player gets a penalty for breaking rules about fair play.
Learning and Support
ACBL members get a monthly magazine called the Bridge Bulletin. This magazine shares news, tips, and stories about bridge.
The ACBL also provides many other ways to learn and get information. They publish the Laws of Duplicate Bridge, which are the official rules for duplicate bridge. Their official website also has lots of resources, including computer programs that help with learning and playing the game.
The ACBL has also published a series of books called the ACBL Bridge Series. These books were written by Audrey Grant. They are designed to teach the game to people who are just starting out. They also help more experienced players review what they know and learn new strategies.
See also
- ACBL Hall of Fame
- American Bridge Association
- List of American bridge players
- List of Canadian bridge players
- List of Mexican bridge players
- List of bridge governing bodies
- North American Bridge Championships
- Canadian Bridge Federation
- United States Bridge Federation
- 0-10,000 Fast Pairs
- 0-10,000 NABC Pairs
