The conventions listed below must be allowed in all ACBL sanctioned tournament play (other than in events with
an upper restriction of 20 or fewer masterpoints and events for which the ACBL conditions of contest state
otherwise) and at club-level events with multiple-site overall masterpoint awards. Clubs have full authority to
regulate conventions in games conducted solely at their clubs.
DEFINITIONS
1.An opening suit bid or response is considered natural if in a minor it shows
three or more cards in that suit and in a major it shows four or more cards
in that suit. A notrump opening or overcall is natural if not unbalanced
(generally, no singleton or void and only one or two doubletons).
2.An overcall in a suit is considered natural if, by agreement, it shows four
or more cards in the denomination named.
3.A sequence of relay bids is defined as a system if, after an opening of one
of a suit, it is started prior to opener's rebid.
ALLOWED Unless specifically allowed, methods are disallowed

OPENING BIDS
1.ONE CLUB OR ONE DIAMOND may be used as an all-purpose opening
bid (artificial or natural) promising a minimum of 10 high-card points.
2.FORCING 1NT OPENING BID indicating a balanced or unbalanced
hand and a minimum of 16 HCP.
3.TWO CLUBS ARTIFICIAL OPENING BID indicating one of:
a)a strong hand.
b)a three-suiter with a minimum of 10 HCP.
4.STRENGTH SHOWING OPENING AT THE TWO LEVEL OR
HIGHER that asks for aces, kings, queens, singletons, voids or trump
quality and responses thereto.
5.TWO DIAMOND ARTIFICIAL OPENING BID indicating one of:
a)both majors with a minimum of 10 HCP.
b)a strong hand.
c)a three-suiter with a minimum of 10 HCP.
6.OPENING BID AT THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER indicating two
known suits, a minimum of 10 HCP and at least 5­4 distribution in the
suits.
7.OPENING NOTRUMP BID AT THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER
indicating at least 5-4 distribution in the minors.
8.OPENING THREE NOTRUMP BID indicating one of
a) a solid suit or
b) a minor one-suiter.
9.OPENING FOUR-LEVEL BID transferring to a known suit.

RESPONSES AND REBIDS
1.ONE DIAMOND as a forcing, artificial response to 1.
2.ONE NOTRUMP response to a major suit opening bid forcing one
round; cannot guarantee game invitational or better values.
3.CONVENTIONAL RESPONSES WHICH GUARANTEE GAME
FORCING OR BETTER VALUES. May NOT be part of a relay system.
4.TWO CLUBS OR TWO DIAMONDS response to third or fourth-seat
major-suit openings asking the quality of the opening bid.
5.SINGLE OR HIGHER JUMP SHIFTS AND/OR NOTRUMP BIDS AT
THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER to indicate a raise or to force to game.
6.ARTIFICIAL AND CONVENTIONAL CALLS after strong (15+
HCP), forcing opening bids and after opening bids of 2
or higher. (For this classification, by partnership agreement, weak two-bids must be
within a range of 7 HCP and the suit must contain at least five cards ­ See
#7 under DISALLOWED.)
7.ALL CONSTRUCTIVE CALLS starting with the opening bidder's
second call.
8.CALLS THAT ASK for aces, kings queens, singletons, voids or trump
quality and responses thereto.
9.ALL CALLS AFTER A NATURAL NOTRUMP opening bid or direct
overcall, EXCEPT for natural notrump opening bids or overcalls with a
lower limit of fewer than 10 HCP or with a range of greater than 5 HCP
(including those that have two non-consecutive ranges). See #7 under
DISALLOWED.

COMPETITIVE
1.CONVENTIONAL BALANCING CALLS.
2.CONVENTIONAL DOUBLES AND REDOUBLES and responses
(including free bids) thereto.
3.NOTRUMP OVERCALL for either
a) two-suit takeout showing at least 5­4 distribution and at least one
known suit (At the four level or higher there is no requirement to
have a known suit.) or
b) three-suit takeout (at least three cards in each of the three suits.)
4.a) JUMP OVERCALLS INTO A SUIT to indicate at least 5­4
distribution in two known suits and responses thereto.
b) SIMPLE OVERCALLS INTO A SUIT to indicate a minimum of 10
HCP, at least 5­4 distribution in two known suits and responses thereto.
5.TRANSFER RESPONSES/ADVANCES to overcalls where the call
shows length or values in the suit of the transfer.
6.CUEBID of an opponent's suit and responses thereto, except that a
cuebid that could be weak (fewer than 10 HCP) directly over an opening
bid, must show at least one known suit.
7.DEFENSE TO:
a) conventional calls (except see #9 RESPONSES and REBIDS above
and #7 under DISALLOWED below),
b) natural notrump opening bids and overcalls, except that direct calls,
other than double and 2 must have at least one known suit.
c) opening bids of 2 or higher.
8.Numbers 4 through 8 under RESPONSES AND REBIDS above APPLY
TO BOTH PAIRS.

DISALLOWED
1.Conventions and/or agreements whose primary purpose is to destroy the
opponents' methods.
2.Psyching of artificial or conventional opening bids and/or conventional
responses thereto. Psyching conventional suit responses, which are less
than 2NT, to natural openings.
3.Psychic controls (Includes ANY partnership agreement which, if used in
conjunction with a psychic call, makes allowance for that psych.)
4.Forcing pass systems.
5.Relay (tell me more) systems.
6.Opening one bids which by partnership agreement could show fewer
than 8 HCP. (Not applicable to a psych.)
7.CONVENTIONAL RESPONSES, REBIDS AND A CONVENTIONAL
DEFENSE TO AN OPPONENT'S CONVENTIONAL DEFENSE
after natural notrump opening bids or overcalls with a lower limit of
fewer than 10 HCP or with a range of greater than 5 HCP (including
those that have two non-consecutive ranges) and weak two-bids which
by partnership agreement are not within a range of 7 HCP and do not
show at least five cards in the suit.

CARDING
Dual-message carding strategies are not approved except on each
defender's first discard. Except for the first discard only right-side-up or
upside-down card ordering strategies are approved. Encrypted signals are not
approved. In addition, a pair may be prohibited from playing any method
(such as suit preference systems at trick one), when they are deemed to be
playing it in a manner which is not compatible with the maintenance of proper
tempo (much like dual message signals). This decision may be appealed to the
tournament committee.