The ACBL Club Directors Handbook American Contract Bridge League 2990 Airways Blvd. Memphis TN 38116-3847 901-332-5586 www.acbl.org 2005 American Contract Bridge League 2990 Airways Blvd. Memphis TN 38116–3847 www.acbl.org Dear Prospective Club Director: Thank you for your interest in becoming an ACBL club director. The information contained in this manual should prove helpful both in passing the Club Director Test and in running local club games. If you want to take the ACBL Club Director Test for certification, you need to contact a unit official to make the necessary arrangements. The unit will appoint a monitor for you and will notify the ACBL of the person selected. Your monitor will receive the Club Director Test and instructions for administering it. You can also take the ACBL’s Club Director Course offered at NABCs and some regional tournaments. The test includes questions about Mitchell and Howell movements, the Laws, the most fre- quent rulings and ACBLscore commands. Three hours is an average time for completion. Please become familiar with ACBL’s web site, www.acbl.org. The material in this manual is updated there, and it is your responsibility to have the latest information. Usually, there are annual revisions of Chapters 4 and 5 of the ACBL Handbook of Rules and Regulations. Information on board regulations is sent to all club managers in the Club Managers Newsletter three times a year and posted on ACBL’s web site. It is important that you stay current with this material. We suggest that you obtain a hard copy of Duplicate Decisions or download it from the web site. It presents the laws in everyday language and will help you give good rulings. Using the ACBLscore computer program will enable you to run the best possible games and offer outstanding service to your players. If you have any questions or suggestions for improving this Club Directors Handbook, please direct them to [email protected]. Good luck! We hope you enjoy many pleasant years of directing. United States Canada Mexico Bermuda TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Letter ...................................................................................................................................... i Running a Club Game Tips for Running Really Good Bridge Games ................................................................................ 1 Run All the Games Your Club is Entitled to Run............................................................................ 3 ACBLscore.......................................................................................................................................... 11 Movements The Mitchell Movement................................................................................................................ 14 Variations of the Mitchell Movement...................................................................................... 15 More Variations of the Mitchell Movement............................................................................ 19 The Howell Movement.................................................................................................................. 20 Running Swiss Teams ................................................................................................................... 21 Swiss Team Movements.......................................................................................................... 23 Recommended Short Bridge Game Movements........................................................................... 27 Rulings ................................................................................................................................................ 30 When a Director Makes an Incorrect Ruling ................................................................................ 32 Common Rulings .......................................................................................................................... 32 Unauthorized Information - Law 16 ....................................................................................... 32 The Revoke (Laws 61 - 64)..................................................................................................... 33 Leads Out of Turn (Laws 53 - 57)........................................................................................... 35 Insufficient Bid (Law 27)........................................................................................................ 37 Calls Out of Rotation (Laws 28 - 34)...................................................................................... 37 Penalty Cards (Laws 45 - 52).................................................................................................. 40 Use of Bidding Boxes ................................................................................................................... 47 Huddles and Hesitations ............................................................................................................... 49 At Your Club Tips for Creating a Pleasant Game Atmosphere ........................................................................... 53 Setting the Stage at Your Club Game............................................................................................ 54 Dealing with Difficult Players....................................................................................................... 54 Active Ethics ................................................................................................................................. 54 ACBL Zero Tolerance Policy ........................................................................................................ 55 Dealing with Psychic Bids............................................................................................................ 56 Alerts and Announcements Overview....................................................................................................................................... 57 Alerts and Clubs............................................................................................................................ 57 Announcements............................................................................................................................. 59 Alerts, Announcements and Reviews of the Auction.................................................................... 60 Definitions..................................................................................................................................... 61 ii iii ACBL Regulations Skip-bid Warning .......................................................................................................................... 63 Slow Play ...................................................................................................................................... 64 Barring of Players ......................................................................................................................... 64 Tie-Breaking Procedures............................................................................................................... 65 Appeals ............................................................................................................................................... 66 Conventions ........................................................................................................................................ 68 Opening 1NT or 2NT with a Singleton............................................................................................... 71 Newcomer Program ............................................................................................................................ 72 Games for New Players and Students ........................................................................................... 76 Administration of Your Game Overview of ACBL Handbook Chapters 4 and 5.......................................................................... 82 Clubs and Club Regulations.......................................................................................................... 83 Frequently Asked Questions ......................................................................................................... 86 Stratifying Your Club Games .............................................................................................................. 87 Handicapping Your Club Games......................................................................................................... 90 Matchpointing..................................................................................................................................... 92 Bridge on Cruise Ships ....................................................................................................................... 99 Resources for Club Directors............................................................................................................ 101 iv v Running a Club Game There are many elements to running a good duplicate bridge game. This section starts off with some suggestions that have proven to be successful at other clubs. Tips for Running Really Good Bridge Games The games you run and the way in which you run them constitute the foundation of your club. Pay at- tention to the details. Observe the habits of your players and try to accommodate their wishes. Don’t tolerate bad behavior from anyone. If your games are well run and fun, your customers will be happy. Decide to be a club director who will