Last weekend kicked off the first American Cornhole League (ACL) open of the year as well as the 2023-2024 Pro Team Draft in Rock Hill, SC. Professional Cornhole players, competitive players and spectators traveled from all over to take part in the fun and excitement that kicked off the 2024 Season. It was an intense weekend of cornhole, competition & fun with friends both new and old!

The ACL has 16 Open events scheduled for the 2023-2024 season. An Open is a competitive cornhole tournament organized by the American Cornhole League designed to provide cornhole players of all skill levels with an opportunity to compete in a structured and organized environment to earn points for the season. The BYOB policy is in place and all players must use approved ACL Stamped pro cornhole bags. Here are some key features of ACL Opens:

Inclusivity:

ACL Opens are typically open to players of various skill levels, from beginners to professional players. They include divisions for different skill levels, ensuring that everyone has a chance to participate and compete against others of similar abilities.

Various Formats:

These events often feature a variety of tournament formats, including singles, doubles, teams, blind draw, double-elimination, and round-robin. The specific format may vary from one event to another.

Points & Rankings:

Players who participate in ACL Opens have the opportunity to earn ACL points based on their performance. The number of points earned depends on factors like the event played and player's finish in the event. Points contribute to a player's ranking within the ACL.

Prizes & Recognition:

ACL Opens offers cash, trophy and other incentives for wins / ranking to top-performing players. Winning an ACL Open can bring recognition within the cornhole community.

Community & Networking:

These events provide an opportunity for cornhole enthusiasts from all over to come together, share their love for the game, and connect with other players. They generate a sense of community within the cornhole world and you will get the encouragement and competition you may not find at local events.

OPEN #1 RESULTS:

The 2023-2024 American Cornhole League Draft was held on Saturday night and each year the ACL takes things up a notch! The teams are split into 2 divisions, 4 regions, 16 teams. The American Division includes the North & South Region. The National Division will include the West & Central Regions. The 16 teams will go head to head during the regular season in 10 round games. The top 2 teams from each region will face off during the single elimination playoffs at the 2024 ACL World Championship.

This year there was a rule change for this season that says ONLY the individual games matter toward the record where as in previous years if you won an overall series contributed to the team score. Another change this season is that along with the team manager & captain, 5 additional slots were pre-filled and selected by the team captain from the previous season. Teams can only have 1 U18 player on the roaster at any time. Players can be released as free agents or traded with the exception of the Team Captain and the first 2 draft picks of each team of the season.

The draft lasted 10 rounds filling up the 16 slot team roster with 2 additional slots that can be filled by any Elite Player from an affiliate state.

Not all teams have released full rosters yet so come back next week for an introduction to the 2024 Pro Team Gladiator AND get an update of the draft results for the 16 ACL Teams!  

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