American Contract Bridge League

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The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) is a governing body for contract bridge in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. [1] It is the largest such organization in North America having the stated mission "to promote, grow and sustain the game of bridge and serve the bridge-related interests of our Members." Its major activities are:

Contents

As of 2025, it had more than 130,000 members. [2]

History

The ACBL was created in 1937 by the merger of the American Bridge League and the United States Bridge Association in 1937. At that time, its bridge tournaments were open only to white people, with the American Bridge Association running tournaments in which black people were allowed to play. In 1967, the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) removed the final obstacle to ACBL membership for African-Americans when it included in its by-laws a rule that no person could be denied membership because of race, color, or creed [3]

Headquarters

A not-for-profit organization, the ACBL was founded on December 23, 1937 in New York City and later moved its company headquarters to Greenwich, Connecticut, then to Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 [4] and to Horn Lake, Mississippi in 2010. [5] It has a full-time staff of about 60 employees in Horn Lake, plus about 160 tournament directors throughout the country. The headquarters also houses the League's Museum, Library and League's Hall of Fame. [4]

North American Bridge Championships (NABC)

Three times a year, in the spring, summer, and fall, the ACBL holds the North American Bridge Championships (NABC) using the duplicate bridge method of scoring, which greatly reduces the element of luck in competition. The NABC typically extends over eleven days and includes many different events. The location of the NABC is rotated among major cities and is attended by thousands of players.

Masterpoints

For many, the most significant role of the ACBL is its sanctioning of club games and tournaments to award masterpoints. Players who finish at or near the top in ACBL-sanctioned events are awarded specified numbers of masterpoints, which are recorded by the League. Many players value the increase in their masterpoint totals as a measure of their success at the game. Unlike the Elo rating system developed for chess, the masterpoint system is strictly one of accumulation; players' masterpoint totals never decline (except as a penalty imposed for an ethics violation).

Education and support

Members receive the monthly Bridge Bulletin magazine.

In addition to the Laws of Duplicate Bridge (named Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge until 2008), the ACBL offers many other training and information resources at its official website including software supporting education and play of the game,

The ACBL has also published the ACBL Bridge Series, a series of books written by Audrey Grant and designed to teach the game to beginners, as well as to help more experienced players review and expand upon their knowledge of the game.

Total Club Table Count

YearTotalOnlineClub
20133,129,056942,0402,157,016
20143,154,5651,007,8562,146,709
20153,190,8391,058,1492,132,690
20163,164,1561,041,6042,122,552
20173,154,6841,081,2062,073,478

Districts

The ACBL consists of 25 Districts. Each District elects a District Director (DD) who serves a three-year term on the ACBL Board of Directors. Clicking on the district number brings up the web site for that District. Clicking on the Report brings up the District Director report.

DistrictAreaDirectorDD Report
1 Eastern CanadaLeo Weniger Reports
2 Ontario, Manitoba, BermudaPaul Janicki Reports
3 Eastern New York (not New York City), Northern New JerseyCarlos Munoz Reports
4 Central New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Southern New Jersey Joann Glasson Report
5 Western PA, Eastern OH, Western NY, Western MD, Northern West VASharon Fairchild
6 Washington, DC, Virginia & MarylandMargot Hennings Report
7 North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia & Eastern TennesseeBob Heller Report
8 St. Louis, Northern Indiana, Central and Southern Illinois & PaducahGeorgia Heth Reports
9 Florida and Puerto RicoJay Whipple III Reports
10 Mid-South Bridge ConferenceRuss Jones Report
11 Kentucky, Western Ohio, Central Indiana & West VirginiaAJ Stephani Report
12 Most of Michigan, Northwestern OhioDennis Carman Reports
13 Chicago, Wisconsin & Upper MichiganSuzi Subeck
14 Iowa, Minnesota, North & South Dakota and NebraskaSharon Anderson
15 Southwest Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Western Arkansas & Northern TexasPhyllis Harlan
16 Most of Texas, All of MexicoPaul Cuneo
17 Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern NV, Eastern Utah, West Texas, WyomingBonnie Bagley Report
18 Western Canada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, UtahClaire Jones Reports
19 Alaska, Washington State, British ColumbiaMarv Norden
20 Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Nevada & HawaiiMerlin Vilhauer
21 Northern California and part of Northern NevadaJacqueline Zayac Reports
22 Southern CaliforniaDavid Lodge Reports
23 California: Los Angeles CountyKevin Lane
24 New York City and Long IslandAlvin Levy
25 New EnglandBob Bertoni Reports

See also

References

  1. ↑ "American Contract Bridge League" . Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  2. ↑ https://www.acbl.org/about-acbl/
  3. ↑ Bridge Guys website on ABA history
  4. 1 2 DeSoto Times Tribune: Horn Lake gets $3 million project
  5. ↑ ACBL Bridge Bulletin, August 2010, page 9.
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