Rule 1. Ethics and General Conduct
a.
Above all, the game of cribbage is to be played with sportsmanship, friendliness and fairness. The American Cribbage Congress insists on ethical play whether live or on the internet. Players must abide by the ACC Rules of Cribbage and the ACC Code of Ethics. Players who violate ACC rules or guidelines are subject to disciplinary action, which can include suspension, expulsion from the ACC and permanent disqualification from all ACC events. Members witnessing behavior in violation of ACC rules or guidelines are duty-bound to report it to the TD, the ACC Internet Commissioner (
accjudgetest@gmail.com) and/or the ACC Ethics Committee Chair (
ethics@cribbage.org).
b.
Players must abide by the Terms of Use and/or Code of Conduct of each Internet site hosting an ACC sanctioned tournament. The ACC is a guest of each of the playing sites and players agreed to follow their guidelines when they created their username. The ACC does not have ownership of the playing sites used for Internet tournaments.
c.
An "unacceptable behavior" policy is in effect for occurrences such as, but not limited to: foul language in the lobby or PMs, refusing to comply with TD directions, leaving tournaments early, ethical issues, etc. During an ACC tourney, the TD of that tournament has the right to warn, mute and/or DQ any player in their tourney. Internet TDs are required to report such incidents in writing to the ACC Internet Commissioner. If there is an ethics violation, that may be reported to the ACC by any member.
⚠️ Disciplinary Process:
- First Offense: Warning email sent outlining unacceptable behavior.
- Continued Violations: 30-day suspension from all ACC internet tournament play.
- Subsequent Violations: 2- to 3-month suspension. Requires a written reconciliation plan to the Commissioner.
- Final Step: Indefinite ban from all future ACC Internet tournaments.
Note: If you are suspended from any ACC division (Internet, Weekend, or Grass Roots), you are suspended from all sanctioned play.
d.
The ACC considers any attempt to gain an unfair advantage through exploitation of the technology of online cribbage to be unacceptable and grounds for suspension or expulsion. Examples of such practices include:
- Hacking Internet host sites and client software
- Using illicit programs to peek at or manipulate dealt or cut cards
- Tampering with an opponent's computer or Internet connection
- Deliberately disconnecting from the host site while a game is in progress
- Presenting a false online identity, including impersonating another member
- Allowing the use of a certified username by someone other than the registered ACC member
- Using shills or multiple identities to manipulate game and tournament results
- Disrupting online communications
- Fraudulently reporting game or match results
Rule 2. ACC Internet Tournaments
a.
Official ACC Internet tournaments are authorized by the ACC Internet Commissioner and announced in advance by the ACC, either electronically or in print. Events not meeting these criteria are not sanctioned by the ACC, and the ACC neither accepts responsibility nor claims jurisdiction over them. Players are responsible for verifying that the online event they are participating in is authorized by the ACC.
b.
ACC Rules for Internet Play shall be in effect at all official ACC Internet tournaments unless an explicit exception has been granted by the ACC Internet Commissioner and announced in advance by the ACC. Additional rules for a specific event may be imposed by the tournament director with the approval of the ACC Internet Commissioner.
c.
Every ACC TD at eCrib+ and GameColony will run the current rules of play at the host site. The rules will be run a couple of minutes before the start of the tournament, and are the responsibility of each player to read, in case there are changes or updates. The rules at each site must be approved by the ACC Internet Commissioner and the VP of Competition of the ACC Board of Directors.
Rule 3. Player Certification
a.
To compete officially in (free) ACC Internet tournaments and earn Internet Rating Points (IRP), players must be ACC members in good standing and must be certified by the ACC Internet Registrar for Internet play. Players become certified once they have certified their usernames using the certification form.
ACC membership dues must be paid and current, along with confirmation of this from the ACC Membership Secretary. Players that have allowed their yearly ACC membership to expire will not earn IRPs past the end of the second month following the lapse.
b.
A username (also known as handle, nickname, screen name) is a player's public identity at an internet host site. To facilitate player identification and reduce the likelihood of reporting errors, the ACC discourages the use of multiple underscores and other non-alphanumeric characters that are difficult to read and may promote recording errors. Since many members already have established usernames, players are allowed to use any socially acceptable username permitted by the host site, though ACC records will be maintained by member number. Members may change their username a maximum of once per ACC season: August through July.
c.
The ACC member must play in the correct username that was set up by the player, and the proper name certified for each site. This is the player's responsibility as playing in a mismatched name will result in IRPs being awarded to the name that the tournament was played in, not certified in. We discourage you from using your ACC number as a username as it results in much confusion during match assignments because they are too similar. However, you are encouraged to use the exact same username if you play at multiple sites so that you don't play in the mismatched name by mistake and lose IRPs at any playing site.
Rule 4. Usernames and Confidentiality
a.
The culture of anonymity associated with some sectors of the Internet is not compatible with the standards of accountability and professionalism espoused by the ACC. Accordingly, the ACC does not guarantee the confidentiality of members' names. Tournament results and IRP standings will be published on the Internet and in Cribbage World, and players will be identified by their real name instead of, or in addition to, their username.
b.
A player must use only one username for all ACC tournaments at a particular Internet host site. This username must match in all operations, including certification, play, reporting and communications with the ACC.
c.
No player may play in an ACC Internet Tournament at GameColony with a token in the username. Example: $playerone. You need to register a username that has no tokens or remove the tokens from the name registered.
GameColony Information →
d.
At GameColony only - Tournament Directors cannot play in ACC Internet Tournaments with the username they use as a TD. They must register a username that is different from their TD username.
Rule 5. Player Activity
a.
Players are free to participate in as few or as many online tournaments as they desire, though after they reach an annual tournament quota they can no longer earn IRPs that season.
b.
Players participating in an ACC online tournament cannot simultaneously participate in other online games. It is a strikeable offense at eCrib+ to leave any tournament before completion in order to then play in an ACC tournament.
Rule 6. Pace of Play
Tournament participants are expected to maintain a brisk pace of play. Allowance will be made for occasions where a difficult decision demands extra thought, but players who excessively slow the pace of play due to inattention to the match, substandard Internet connections, or not following TD directions to resolve issues, will be subject to sanctioning by the TD and/or the ACC. Note that specific time limits may be imposed by any hosting site.
Rule 7. Game Settings
a.
Where the host site permits, the first dealer of the second and subsequent games in a match shall be the loser of the previous game.
b.
Additional rules on game settings and joining table may be in effect for play at any host site.
Rule 8. Boots/Disconnects
a.
Internet conditions and computer crashes occasionally cause players to lose contact with the host site while a game is in progress. Players should make every reasonable effort to ensure that their computer is secure, and that their Internet connection is fast and reliable. Players with erratic computers or Internet connections are asked to refrain from entering tournaments until the problem is resolved.
b.
Attempting to gain an advantage by deliberately disconnecting from the host site during a game is considered a serious breach of ethics and may be punished by forfeit, suspension or expulsion. The ACC compiles statistics on disconnects to track players who boot excessively.
c.
More specific rules concerning boots/disconnects may be in effect for play at any host site.
Rule 9. Additional Provisions for Play at Gamecolony.com
a.
Players must follow the directions of the TD on configuring game settings and joining tables.
b.
Tournament participants must be signed up prior to the start of the running of the rules. The rules are run five (5) minutes before the scheduled start time. Once the Tournament Director has begun running the rules, they are not allowed to add participants to the tournament. This is to provide the TDs the opportunity to verify that they have accurately entered all participants and to ensure the tournaments start at the scheduled time.
c.
Table Options - The player who creates the table will set the table options as follows:
- Rated Game: Box must be unchecked
- 6 Card: Must be selected (dot in the selection)
- Time per Move: Must be set at 20 seconds
- On Invitation Only: Box must be unchecked
- Ladder Game: Box must be unchecked
- Ticket Box: Must remain grey (No tickets may be wagered during ACC Internet Tournaments!)
d.
Reporting Game and Match Results: A player who wins a match will report the result in the following manner: **** Winner name over Loser name **** or **** Winner name / Loser name ****. Failure to report a win within 5 minutes will result in a disqualification from the tournament.
e.
Boots/Disconnects:
(1) Players who disconnect from the host site while a match is in progress forfeit that match if they:
- Fail to return within five minutes
- Disconnect two times in the same match
- Disconnect three times in the same tournament
(2) The opponent of a player who disconnects during a match shall announce the boot in the manner prescribed by the TD. If the boot occurs with either player on fourth street, the non-booting player should note this fact and capture a screen shot of the game table for verification purposes.
(3) When a player returns from a boot, the option to restore the game in progress must be selected. The non-booting player shall inform the TD that the match has restarted.
