The 2024 ABC US Open Championship

Where? Palazzo di Bocce | 4291 Lapeer Road, Lake Orion, MI

When? Check-in Thursday September 12th between 6:30-9:00 p.m. or Friday September 13th between 8:00-9:00 a.m. | Games Friday, September 13th between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.| Saturday, September 14th, between 9:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Format: 4 on 4 (1 alternate accepted per team), ABC Open Rules, Seeding games played to 9, Group and Bracket games played to 12, two divisions: Gold & Silver

Schedule (Subject to Change)

Thursday, 9/12

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Silver Check-in

6:30 PM - 10:30 PM - Silver Group Play

7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Exhibition Matches (Fundraiser for North American Team - more info to come)

5:00 PM - 11:00 PM - Courts 1-3 open for Group Practice

Friday, 9/13

7:45 AM - 8:30 AM - Gold Check-in

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Complimentary Lunch

8:30 AM - 6:30 PM - Silver Group Play resumes, Gold Group Play

6:30 PM - 10:30 PM - Gold and Bronze Bracket Play begins

Saturday, 9/14

8:30 AM - Gold and Bronze Bracket Play resumes

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM – Complimentary Lunch

12:00 PM - Silver and Brass Bracket Play begins

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM - World Qualifiers

Approximately 7:00 PM - Silver, Bronze, and Brass Championships

Approximately 8:00 PM - Gold Championship

Format

GOLD

Instead of Round Robin this year, we will be starting with our CBI-inspired, Cutthroat Group Play format, followed by TWO double elimination brackets (Gold and Bronze).

CBI / Cutthroat means teams are pre-selected into Groups of 4. They then play through their group as follows: 1v2, 3v4, WvW, LvL, WvL

Mostly, this provides a clear cut top 2 teams and bottom 2 teams. With this format, we avoid messy tie-breakers and meaningless games. Of course, it does mean one less Group Play game for half of the teams, which is part of the reason we are expanding bracket play to double elimination.

If it sounds confusing, think of it like this: if you don’t lose two games in group, you advance. If you don’t lose two games in bracket, you win.

Finally, adding to the true National vibes this year, we are constructing the groups from Regional Pods (shout-out Big E, Lone Star Open). So each pod will consist of one team from the MIDWEST REGION (Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City), one team from the OHIO/PA REGION, one team from the NEW YORK/CT REGION, and one team from either the DET/CAN REGION or one team from the CALI REGION.

On Wednesday, August 21, we will first randomly draw the Regional Match-ups (e.g. the first region drawn will be Team 1 in each Group, the second region drawn will be Team 2, etc) and then the groups. .

The final cash and prize payout structure is still being worked out, but we at least know that Gold Champs will receive $8,000 🤑

It’s ambitious but it’s somehow all coming together!

SILVER

A lot less complicated. We have six groups of five. All teams will play a Round Robin within their Group, and the top 2 teams from each Group will enter a Double-Elimination Bracket, while the remaining teams will head to a Single Elimination Brass Bracket. Cash and Medals for Top 4 in Silver, and additional prizes for Brass Winners.

Format: 4 on 4 (1 alternate player accepted per team), USBF Open Rules, Seeding games played to 9, Pod and knockout games played to 12, two divisions: Gold & Silver

Rules and Clarifications

We will be playing according to the ABC Open Rules, written HERE

Foot fouls - The foot referenced in the rules is clearly stated as the front foot.

You have 13’ to run before releasing. Please do not make this an issue! If a team issues a foot foul complaint, one of our Supervisors will be instructed to watch the next several rolls, and pull the ball, if they deem it a penalty.

Court Supervisors - Games are expected to be played and completed without dedicated officials. However, we will have various Court Supervisors available at all times to arbitrate disputes, assist with measurements, and move games along. Dedicated Court

Supervisors are: Andy Zimmerman, Peyton Bockholt, Scott Sanville, Lydia Wills, and Patric Gerstmayr.

Volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to step and give them breaks, or provide additional sets of eyes.

Pace of Play - We ask that all teams limit on court conferencing and play with a reasonable pace of play. We will not enforce a limit to “team meetings” but request that your team limits “meetings in the middle” to two or three times per game. If a team is playing egregiously slow, or a game is taking longer than an hour, our Court Supervisors have been instructed to put that team/game on the clock. We only had to do this twice last year, and our expectation is not to have to do this once this year.

Play with respect towards our tournament logistics, and this won’t be an issue.

All Group Play and Gold and Silver Matches will be played to 12 points. All Bronze and Brass Matches will be played to 10 points.

More on divisions:

Silver Division - backyard champs, good at bocce but great at drinking beer, one of the more feared foursomes in your bar league, known to be pretty good at most things, thrill seekers, gamers, I will try anything once-ers, current and future best friends of the Palazzo bartenders.

Gold Division - club champs, experienced players, own your own balls - maybe even your own shoes, traveled to tournaments before, social league players ready to take the leap, teams who performed well in the Silver last year and are ready to make the leap.

How much? $500 per team

What you get:

• Each team will play a minimum of 6 games over the two days, maximum of 11
• Each player gets entry into the American Bocce Skills Challenge (2 divisions) with a chance to win great prizes
• Welcome Party and Practice on Thursday, September 12th
• Lunch buffet included on Friday & Saturday
• Team gift bags and giveaways
• Raffle
• Optional late night hotel bar hangs
• Bigger Cash Prizes - Cash Prizes for Top 8 Teams
• Drink specials to be announced!
• Enhanced multi-cam live streams for the finals

What Else? Bocce's best weekend features over 60 teams from coast to coast, at America's bocce palace - Palazzo di Bocce. Our 4th Annual ABC Open is a must on the Tournament Circuit. Once again, we're aiming to raise the bar, with the support of the UBA, the Bocce Broadcast Network, and more collaboration from bocce communities across the country. Register early to hold your spot.

We are 100% committed to delivering a topnotch tournament for all players. For questions, additional details, or sponsorship / promotional opportunities please email