How ACBL Disciplinary Hearings Work
A plain-language, high-level orientation to ACBL's disciplinary process, pointing to the Code of Disciplinary Regulations as the authoritative rulebook.
This article gives a high-level, plain-language orientation to how ACBL handles discipline. It is not a substitute for the rules — the authoritative rulebook is the Code of Disciplinary Regulations (CDR), whose stated purpose is to provide a fair hearing to every person charged with a disciplinary infraction.
The broad shape of the process#
- An incident is recorded. Anyone may file a player memo with the National Recorder to put an incident on record. A memo is not itself a complaint but may become evidence.
- Charges may be brought. When warranted, formal charges are filed. Hearing reports are indexed by the date charges were filed.
- A hearing is held. A disciplinary body hears the matter under the procedures set out in the CDR, which is designed to give the person charged a fair hearing.
- A decision and sanction. Outcomes are documented in a panel report, published among the hearing reports.
- Appeal. The CDR provides for appeals.
Where to go next#
- Rules and rights in detail: Code of Disciplinary Regulations
- Current statuses: the Under Discipline and Resigned-with-Pending-Charges lists
- Sanction meanings: the Disciplinary Status Standards
The specific procedural steps, timelines, and bodies involved are defined in the CDR and are not restated here to avoid misstating the regulation.