American Contract Bridge League
The American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) is the largest bridge organization in North America. It promotes the game of bridge in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Bermuda.
The ACBL, a non-profit organization, was founded in 1937. As of 2005 it had 160,000 members. Members receive The Bridge Bulletin magazine, but for many of them, the most significant role of the ACBL is its sanctioning of club games and tournaments to award masterpoints. If an event has the ACBL sanction, then the highest-finishing players are awarded specified numbers of masterpoints, which can be recorded with the ACBL. Most players value the the increase in their masterpoint total 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. A player's masterpoint total can never decline.
Besides The Bridge Bulletin, other ACBL publications include formal laws for bridge, the ACBL Bridge Series of lessons for beginners, and free instructional software. The organization also sells supplies that are useful in conducting bridge events. It certifies bridge teachers.
Three times a year, in the spring, summmer, and fall, the ACBL holds the North American Bridge Championships (NABC). The NABC extends over eleven days and includes many different events. The location of the NABC is rotated among major cities. Each is typically attended by several thousand players.
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