[jillybean]

When I play in an ACBL event I am aware that there are certain "Conditions of Contest" that I must abide by.
When I look up the event on the ACBL tournament listing, or on the flyer, there is no link to CoC.
Where would I find the CoC for a tournament I want to attend?

What is happens if I violate one of the CoC?

[mycroft]

If you're looking for things at a tournament (clubs are different, and the ACBL basically can only "make recommendations", except where it comes to "thou shalt not award our Holy Masterpoint unless thou dost..." Of course, the clubs will have CoCs themselves), I'd start by going to the ACBL web site and clicking on "Tournaments".

Then, in that page, you might look for "Conditions of Contest". Or notice that it's right at the top of the page, under "General Information".

There you might find about 40 of them, almost all of which relate to specific NABC+ events. But there's a column for "General Conditions", where there's a CoC for "All events", one for "Pairs", and one for each of the various types of Team events.

There's also the Appendices, again, most of which apply to specific events, but includes useful information like "bidding box regulations" and "online play regulations".

As for what happens if you violate them; well, sometimes it's in the CoC. Sometimes it's a disciplinary matter, so the COD applies. Sometimes, you can't really "violate" them - they're instructions to directors. And sometimes, I bet it's just a general "yep, you don't get to do this, but it didn't cause a problem this time. Please stop though."

[blackshoe]

mycroft, on 2025-March-17, 11:02, said:

Of course, the clubs will have CoCs themselves

The clubs around here don't actually publish any regulations. If the club's regulations differ from the ACBL's the only way you find out about it is when the director rules against you. And you'll have no warning if he changes his mind later.

[blackshoe]

Re: where to find CoC.

1. www.acbl.org
2. click on "menu"
3. under "helpful information" click on "tournaments"
4. fourth down in the list that pops up, click on "conditions of contest".

If you're actually at a tournament, don't expect to find copies of any regulations available for players. You'd have to do the search above on your own -- or maybe find a friendly director to do it for you. Good luck.

[jillybean]

I have played in Clubs, Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals and never came across CoC's, and as far a I know, it was never a problem. I ask because I am following a discussion OTOS regarding the NABC Platinum Pairs and the illegal opening of 1nt with a stiff J, and I wanted to read the CoC.

These lucky players get to play Multi, as do those of us who play in the Reisinger but they do not get to open 1nt with a stiff J. Well, they do but they shouldn't.

[mycroft]

When I worked in Toronto, there was a binder on every Director's table, that had all the CoCs of the relevant events, the Convention charts, the Alert Procedure, various forms (appeal, recorder, ruling,...), SAYC cards and the like.

I always have a copy of the CCs and the AP in my bridge bag (but they could easily be out of date, because I always use the ones I've downloaded and have on my computer. At least once a tournament, I look at those; at least once a year, I show (or print off the relevant section for) a player. Sometimes they even ask to look! I will admit, I don't have a direct desktop link to the CoCs, because it's so rare that we have to use any of the parts that aren't "obvious"(*)

(*) but my last tournament, we had to look up what happens when the first place qualifier in a Soloway KO has half their team off due to illness. And there were at least two things that mattered there. And I had to look up what happens when a three-qualify-two in a KO has everyone go 1-1, and two teams are equal net IMPs. As always, "never" never means NEVER in bridge.

[Coelacanth]

jillybean, on 2025-March-17, 16:59, said:

I have played in Clubs, Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals and never came across CoC's, and as far a I know, it was never a problem. I ask because I am following a discussion OTOS regarding the NABC Platinum Pairs and the illegal opening of 1nt with a stiff J, and I wanted to read the CoC.

These lucky players get to play Multi, as do those of us who play in the Reisinger but they do not get to open 1nt with a stiff J. Well, they do but they shouldn't.

The regulations about opening 1NT with a J-or-lower singleton are part of the Convention Charts and not part of the Conditions for any specific event. See item 6 under Disallowed Opening Bids on the Open+ Chart.

The Convention Charts, and similarly the Alert Procedures, are sort of an addendum to the General Conditions of Contest.

[jillybean]

Coelacanth, on 2025-March-25, 19:43, said:

The regulations about opening 1NT with a J-or-lower singleton are part of the Convention Charts and not part of the Conditions for any specific event. See item 6 under Disallowed Opening Bids on the Open+ Chart.

The Convention Charts, and similarly the Alert Procedures, are sort of an addendum to the General Conditions of Contest.

Yes, there was a little thread drift, CoC allow Multi in the Ressinger and Platinum Pairs, the CC does not allow opening 1nt with a stiff J, but it happened.

[barmar]

Coelacanth, on 2025-March-25, 19:43, said:

The regulations about opening 1NT with a J-or-lower singleton are part of the Convention Charts and not part of the Conditions for any specific event. See item 6 under Disallowed Opening Bids on the Open+ Chart.

But which level of convention chart is in force is part of that event's CoC.

[Coelacanth]

barmar, on 2025-March-26, 10:02, said:

But which level of convention chart is in force is part of that event's CoC.

Yes, but we include that only for extra clarity. Chart usage is defined globally in the chart.

[pescetom]

Just for clarity, is it forbidden to have a stiff J but not a stiff spot card?
If so that might be a reasonable agreement, although I struggle to see why the J should be forbidden as either an agreement or a deviation from such.

After a belated read of the initial discussion, I have to say that I see nothing unusual or untowards in clubs adding their own restrictions to the regulations of the RA, so long as they respect the Laws (and discuss with their Directors). You think Multi is too difficult to defend against in local tournaments? Fine, you are probably right. You think properly disclosed agreements to open unusual distributions as 1NT are difficult to defend against? I think you are wrong, but it is your right. You think that as a club you have the right to forbid unusual distributions opened as 1NT? I think you are violating the Laws.

[jillybean]

ACBL

2 **NATURAL**
h. A NTopening bid that contains no voids, no more than one singleton, which must be an ace, king, or queen, and that does not contain 10 or more cards in two suits combined.


https://web2.acbl.or...tion-charts.pdf

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2025-March-26, 18:36, said:

ACBL

2 **NATURAL**
h. A NTopening bid that contains no voids, no more than one singleton, which must be an ace, king, or queen, and that does not contain 10 or more cards in two suits combined.


https://web2.acbl.or...tion-charts.pdf

Fine, and as a RA (or too big not to be) ACBL has the right to designate certain agreements as special agreements, and perhaps even to forbid deviations from legal agreements which would be forbidden if agreed. But I don't see where the Laws allow them to delegate to a club the power to forbid certain deviations (such as "a small singleton is tolerated but a singleton J is not ").

[jillybean]

Correct, Clubs can do what they like. IMO, it's very confusing when we have these variations of unpublished rules, or exceptions to the Laws.
But that's ok, we are all just having a good time playing "Bridge"

pescetom, on 2025-March-26, 16:03, said:

After a belated read of the initial discussion, I have to say that I see nothing unusual or untowards in clubs adding their own restrictions to the regulations of the RA, so long as they respect the Laws (and discuss with their Directors). You think Multi is too difficult to defend against in local tournaments? Fine, you are probably right. You think properly disclosed agreements to open unusual distributions as 1NT are difficult to defend against? I think you are wrong, but it is your right. You think that as a club you have the right to forbid unusual distributions opened as 1NT? I think you are violating the Laws.

This is a much bigger question.

[mycroft]

Who is saying "a small singleton is okay, but the J isn't"?

Even the Usual Suspects on the Other Site (and the reasons for the other name for that site) are saying "whaddayamean, this hand with the Q would be okay, but with the Q in one of my good suits, and the 7 there instead, it's not legal? It's Clearly The Right Call."

And, yakno, if we had decided the same thing the EBU did, where "NT with a singleton is allowed if clearly marked on the card and included in the Announcement", I'd be pretty fine with that. But I'm not History, and this is another one of History's rules.