Grass Roots - General Information

The Grass Roots program of the American Cribbage Congress consists of local clubs, typically playing on a weekly basis. The Grass Roots season extends from September through May, for a total of 36 playing weeks. Clubs are grouped into geographic regions around the United States, and classified into three divisions. Division I clubs play every week, Division II clubs play twice a month, and Division III clubs play once a month. There are nearly 200 active Grass Roots clubs through the United States and Canada.

Each weekly gathering consists of a 9-game tournament, which generally runs about 3 hours long. After each game, the players record the results of their match on scorecards, to be tallied up at the end of the evening. Each player will report their game points (2 points for a win, 3 points for a skunk, 0 points for a loss), and their spread points (the number of points by which each game was won or lost). After all players have completed the tournament and tallied their scores, the club director will announce the winners and pay out prize money.

Membership in a Grass Roots club is open to anyone who wishes to join - the annual fee is $5 in addition to the $15 annual cost of membership in the ACC. To encourage new members, some Grass Roots clubs will pay for the Grass Roots portion of new membership. Grass Roots clubs are very welcoming of new players, and encourage anyone with an interest to attend a Grass Roots tournament as a visitor before becoming an official member. Weekly fees, which generally range from $5-10, are used to fund the prize money and pay for any club expenses. Official members are eligible to earn Grass Roots Points (GRPs) based on their weekly tournament scores. These Grass Roots Points are tallied up throughout the season to determine the club champion, and players can achieve various awards through lifetime accumulation of GRPs. The champions of each club are invited to the Grass Roots Tournament of Champions, held every September as part of the ACC's Grand National festivities.

In addition to regular weekly tournaments, each club is also encouraged to take part in the Grass Roots Regional and Grass Roots National tournaments that are held each year. These 18-game tournaments are conducted locally by each club, with each player's results being compared regionally or nationally, respectively. The Grass Roots Regional Tournament is held between September and December, and the National Tournament between January and April. As with the regular weekly tournaments, prize money and Grass Roots Points are available to be earned.

For more information about Grass Roots clubs in your area, check out our Grass Roots Club Listings page for clubs within Michigan, or visit the ACC's website for clubs throughout the United States. Then make plans to attend your local club. But, be prepared to have fun and meet lots of great new people!