25/26 ACL CLEVELAND SIGNATURE OPEN

• Registration will be ACL Digital Wallet ONLY.  Cash will NOT be accepted for event registration. 
• The Open is limited to 512 amateur players, unless otherwise stated. NO Refunds will be given once online registration closes (2 Days Prior to Event Start Date). Players will not be allowed to transfer their registration to another player.
• An AMATEUR player is any player who has not signed a contract with the ACL. 
• ACL Open points will be awarded for Singles and Doubles going towards Open standings. 
• ACL Local points will be awarded for all other tournaments. 
• Register by using the “Register” link above. Players must have an ACL player account to register. 
• Make sure to be aware of your CPI on your account to know which Blind Draw and Singles tier to sign up for. 
• Memberships can be purchased through the player portal under "My Account". 
• Make sure the information in your player profile is correct, especially your cell phone number and email for important information. 
• Activate push notifications before attending the event to receive court assignments & bracket links. 
  •  Push Notifications Tutorial 

• Online registration closes 2 days before the event. After that, players can sign up in person at the director's table if spots are available. Walk-up registration ends 1 hour before the tournament starts, with no registrations accepted in the final hour.
• Only one player should register a team for Open Doubles, but all players must register for Singles individually.
• All games will be played until 21. 
• P.E.P (Player Engagement Points) - Will be awarded using the points table found in the player guide.
• You may not participate in multiple events simultaneously. If you check into a Blind Draw while still competing in another event, you will be removed from your current event and required to play in the Blind Draw.

NOTE: The late registration charges and the $10/day cover charge built into registrations will not be added to the payout structure.

ACL Officiating & Fair Play Initiative

As part of our commitment to the ACL Fair Play Initiative, we are proud to provide certified officials at our ACL Signature and Open events. Our goal is to ensure a fair, transparent, and high-quality competitive environment for every player on the boards.

Role of the Officials:

You will see ACL Officials in various roles throughout the venue:

• Roaming Officials: These officials move throughout the floor to provide general assistance, answer rule clarifications, and ensure smooth gameplay.
• Dedicated Officials: Specific officials are assigned to livestream/broadcast courts and Pro brackets to manage the high pace of play.
• Officials-in-Training: You may see staff learning the ropes; we appreciate your cooperation as we grow our officiating team.

When to Seek Assistance:

If a situation arises during your match that requires a ruling—such as bags touched in play, out-of-sequence throws, or foot fouls—please take the following steps:

1. Locate a Roaming Official: Wave down a nearby official for an immediate ruling.
2. Visit the Director’s Table: If an official isn’t visible, head to the main table to request that an official be dispatched to your court.
3. Staff Support: If a certified official is currently unavailable, a Tournament Director or designated staff member will step in to act as the official for your ruling.

Requesting a Full-Match Official:

Players have the right to request a dedicated official to oversee their entire match (subject to availability).

• Player-Driven Requests: To maintain the integrity of the game, requests for an official must come from a player currently in the match. (Spectator Policy: We kindly ask that spectators refrain from requesting officials for matches they are not playing in. We want to ensure players are fully aware and in agreement when an official is brought onto the court.)
• Fair Use & Conduct: While we respect every player’s right to a fair match, we ask that this privilege is not overused or abused. Requesting an official should be based on a genuine need for oversight rather than as a tactic to disrupt an opponent’s rhythm or target specific players.
• Official Discretion: The Head Official or Tournament Director reserves the right to deny or limit repetitive requests if they are deemed to be outside the spirit of the ACL Fair Play Initiative or are intentionally delaying the tournament schedule.

Note: Our officials are here to help! Whether you are a Pro or a first-timer, feel free to engage with them if you have questions regarding the ACL rulebook or specific gameplay scenarios.

Pro Signature Breakdown 

• Pro Signature Brackets: 
  • Includes Pro Singles and Pro Doubles
  • Double-elimination Stack brackets
  • Top 100 automatically entered & seeded
  • Earn pro points and payouts
    *See Pro Guide for full points and payout tables

Qualifier Breakdown -

Entries:

• $100 - ACL Pro, ACLW, ACLS, ACLJ
• Each distinction will be separated for qualifiers 
• Awards placement in the Pro Singles and Doubles Brackets 

Eligibility Note:

• Once a player qualifies for the Pro Signature Main Brackets through the qualifier, they are no longer eligible to compete in Open Singles or Open Doubles for that event.
• Players who do not qualify for the Pro Main Brackets remain eligible to participate in Open divisions.

Structure: ACLW, ACLS, ACLJ

• 5 games rounders
• Top 20 players from Rounders advanced to the Pro Brackets (excluding Top 100) - Seeded by Pro Points, followed by rounders if player has no eligible pro points
• Top 20 will participate in a Single Elimination Bracket for bonus points and payouts - Seeded by Rounders
• Single elimination bracket plays on Sunday morning - finals will have the potential of being aired on ESPN/ESPN+ for ACLW,ACLS,ACLJ 

Structure: ACLPro

• 5 game rounders
• Placement in Main Brackets seeded by Pro Points, followed by rounders if player has no eligible pro points
• Approx 60 Players will qualify for the Main bracket

Qualifier Payouts: ACL Pro, ACLW, ACLS, ACLJ  

• Min. $1,000 prize pool per division or 50% of entries, whichever is greater

Structure: ACL College 

• Top 2 in Collegiate Singles with a Platinum Membership qualify for both Pro Signature Brackets 

Top 100 Blind Draw:

• Free Entry
• $4,000 Guaranteed Payout
• Double-elimination Bracket
• 16 - Round Limit

Structure: 

• ACL Doubles Rounders is a Progressive Round Robin format:
  • All teams are put in a pool. 
  • 6 rounds will be played by each team
  • First-round match-ups will be randomly chosen
  • Each round after players will be matched up against another team with the same or similar record. 
    • EX: 1-0 teams will play 1-0 teams. 2-1 teams will play 2-1 teams, or similar. 
  • All games will be played until 21.
  • After the last round, players will be seeded and teams will be divided into four groups: Tiers 1-4 
  • Players will then receive a double elimination bracket that determines which level they were placed in. 

• Teams will be distributed to brackets by these percentages, these may slightly vary based on rounders
  • 35% to Tier 1
  • 25% to Tier 2 
  • 25% to Tier 3
  • 15% to Tier 4
    
    

Payouts: All entries will be combined for a 60% payout of entries. The additional door charges will not be added to the payout structure.

• Tier 1 Payouts  + Trophies for 1st & 2nd place 
  • 70% Payout
  • 1 Place for every 6 Teams

• Tier 2 Payouts  + Trophies for 1st & 2nd  place 
  • 30% Payout
  • 1 Place for every 5 Teams

• Tier 3 Prizing  + Trophies for 1st - 3rd place 
  • 1st: (2) Elite Boards + (1) 25/26 Season Doubles Open Entry + (2) Open Winner Jersey’s
  • 2nd: (2) Sets of Pro Bags + (2) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 3rd: (2) T-Shirt + (2) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 4th: (2) T-Shirt + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • T-5th: (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry

•  Prizes for Tier 4 + Trophies for 1st - 3rd place 
  • 1st: (2) Set of Comp Boards + (1) c + (2) Open Winner Jersey’s
  • 2nd: (2) Set of Comp Bags + (2) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 3rd:  (2) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 4th:  (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry

Note:
*Jersey’s will be ordered and shipped post event
*Free Open Entries are only valid for the 25/26 ACL Open Season.

Structure:

• • Tier 1 Singles: CPI 0.00 - 12.00 (Formerly Pro/Open) 
  • Tier 2 Singles: CPI 0.00 - 8.25 (Formerly Advanced)
  • Tier 3 Singles: CPI 0.00 - 7.25 (Formerly Competitive)
  • Tier 4 Singles: CPI 0.00 - 6.25 (Formerly Intermediate)
  • Tier 5 Singles: 5.25 and below (Formerly Novice): Will include a 2 game Round Robin Warm-Up

• All players MUST play in the skill level shown on their player profile or play up. 
• You may only play one singles event at a time, there can be no overlap. 
• 1, 2, or  4 Double Elimination Brackets
• Winners of Brackets will play Single Elimination Final Bracket

Singles Payouts: All entries will be combined for a 60% payout of entries. The additional door charges will not be added to the payout structure.

• Tier 1:Payouts + Trophies for 1st and 2nd
  • 70% Payout of Tier 1 Entries
  • One place paid for every 6 Players
• Tier 2: Payouts + Trophies for 1st and 2nd
  • 30% Payout of Tier 2 Entries 
  • One place paid for every 5 Players 
• Tier 3 Prizes + Trophies for 1st - 3rd place 
  • 1st: (1) Elite Boards + (1) 25/26 Season Doubles Open Entry + (1) Open Winner Jersey’s
  • 2nd: (1) Sets of Pro Bags + (1) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 3rd: (1) T-Shirt + (1) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 4th: (2) T-Shirt + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • T-5th: (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
• Tier 4 Prizes + Trophies for 1st - 3rd place 
  • 1st: (1) Set of Comp Boards + (1)c + (1) Open Winner Jersey’s
  • 2nd: (1) Set of Comp Bags + (1) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 24/25 Season Open Entry
  • 3rd: (1) T Shirt + (1) Jersey’s from ACL Shop + (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
  • 4th: (1) 25/26 Season Open Entry
• Tier 5 Prizes + Trophies 1st and 2nd 
  • 1st: 25/26 Season Open Entry 
  • 2nd: T-Shirt

*Jersey’s will be ordered and shipped post event
*Free Open Entries are only valid for the 25/26 ACL Open Season.

Structure: 

All players MUST play in their designated CPI level with three Blind Draw divisions offered: 

Tier 1 : CPI: 7.25 thru 12.00 (Formerly Pro/Advanced)

Tier 3: CPI: 6.25 - 7.25 (Formerly Competitive)

Tier 4: CPI: 1.00 - 6.25 (Formerly Intermediate/Novice)

* You may not participate in multiple events simultaneously. If you check into a Blind Draw while still competing in another event, you will be removed from your current event and required to play in the Blind Draw.

Payouts:

• Tier 1: Trophies for 1st and 2nd 
  • 70% payout
  • One place paid for every 6 Teams

• Tier 3: Trophies for 1st -3rd  
  •  60% payout
  • One place paid for every 5 Teams

• Tier 4: Trophies for 1st - 3rd
  •  50% payout
  • One place paid for every 4 Teams

Format:

• Double Elimination Bracket 

Payouts:

• Trophies for 1st and 2nd
• 70% of Entires 
  • One place paid for every 6 players

College and High School Doubles

Format:

• Double Elimination Bracket 
• 12 Round Limited
• A minimum of three teams must be present in order to run these events
• For High School Doubles, players on each team must be in grades 6-12 and do not need to be from the same district, but will only receive one championship entry for which all players must be from the same district
• For College Doubles, players on each team must follow eligibility requirements as outlined on the ACL College page, the must be from the same school

Payout: 

• Trophies for 1st and 2nd
• 50% of entries 
  • One place paid for every 4 teams
• Winners of each division will get a free team entry into the NCCC or NHSCC, at a $250 Value

College Singles

Format:

• Double Elimination Bracket 
• 12 Round Limited
• A minimum of three players must be present in order to run these events

Payout: 

• Trophies for 1st and 2nd
• Top 2 with a Platinum Membership qualify for both Pro Signature Brackets 
• 50% of entries 
  • One place paid for every 4 players
• Winner  will get a free team entry into the NCCC, at a $250 Value

Amateur-only Crew Cup

Format: 

• Double Elimination Tournament 
• 14 Round Format

Payout: 

• Trophies for 1st 
• 60% Payout
• 1 Place for every 5 Teams

Sit-n-Go’s

• 16 Players per bracket 
• $10 Buy In - Single Elimination
  • 1st: $80 team
  • 2nd: $40 team
• $20 Buy in - Single Elimination
  • 1st: $160 team
  • 2nd:  $80 team
• $50 Buy in - Double Elimination
  • 1st: $300 team
  • 2nd: $200 team
  • 3rd: $100 team