BOWLING RULES

(revised 11/16/2021)revised items in red

1. Teams will consist of 4 bowlers, but may bowl with less. At least 1 bowler must be on your official Club Sport roster. The same bowlers must bowl all match(no substituting bowling in during the match). For the playoffs all bowlers must be on your roster. All bowlers, including added players, must sign the roster waiver BEFORE the final game of the season in order to be eligible to play in the tournament. If a player is not signed in on the roster by then, they are not eligible for the tournament. Substitute bowlers are NOT allowed in the tournament.
2. Teams will play scheduled opposing team head to head on side by side lanes and will cross bowl (one frame on one lane, the next on the other)..
3. Each bowler will have a handicap that is 90% of the difference of 220 pins and their average. Example: a bowler with a 143 average will have a 69 handicap(220-143 x 0.9) which will be added to each game Averages above 220 will carry a 0 handicap. Bowlers who have bowled in the league in the last year will have their previous season average/handicap carry over to start the new season. New bowlers will establish on their first night bowling. Handicaps are based on a rolling average that includes the last season bowled and the current season.
4. Substitute bowlers must specify on the score sheet who they are bowling for, and the substitute's games will be handicapped at 10 pins below the handicap of the bowler they are substituting for and capped at a net score of 220. If substituting for a bowler who has not yet established a handicap, they will get 80 pins handicap added to their score but cannot exceed 220 net(score plus handicap).
5. 3 games will be bowled, each worth 2 points and 2 points will be awarded for total pinfall. In case of ties the point shall be split, each team earning 1 point.
6. If a team only has less than 4  bowlers on any night, a blind score recorded for the absent bowler. Bowlers will blind out at  their average minus 10 pins plus their handicap for each game. For teams that do not have a full roster of 4 bowlers, vacant spots will be scored at 120+90 pin handicap. Absent bowlers who do not have an average established yet will be scored at 120+90 pin handicap.
7. Late bowlers have until the last bowler finishes the 3rd frame to arrive in order to be counted for a game. There is no pre or post bowling for bowlers who cannot make the scheduled league time.
8. Each team will be responsible for recording and totaling scores on the provided hard copy score sheet. TEAMS MUST TURN IN THE SHEET TO THE LEAGUE COORDINATOR AFTER THEIR MATCH.       

Scoresheet example:

9. VACANT TEAM: If the league has an odd number of teams, each week a team will have to bowl against a VACANT team.  The team bowling against the VACANT team will bowl at 110 per bowler plus 90 pins of handicap(800 per game net score). No team will bowl against VACANT more than once per season.
10. Seven weeks of regular season play will be followed by an 8th week of playoff format.

1. SEEDING:

1. Playoff seeding will be decided by:

1. Total points for the season
2. Total pinfall for the season
3. Total points against common opponents
4. Total pinfall against common opponents
5. Coin flip

2. PLAYOFF FORMAT(Through Fall-2 2021)

1. Each match is 2 games worth a total of 6 points.(2 points for each game and 2 points for total pinfall.)
2. If each team has the same number of points after the two games the tiebreaker will go to the team with the highest scratch game.
3. Seed #1 will play seed #4 and seed #2 will play seed #3 in the semi-finals
4. The winning teams will play a final in the same format.
5. The losing teams will play a consolation match in the same format.

3. Playoff Format(starting Fall 3 2021/Winter 2022)

1. Playoff will be weeks 7 and 8.
2. The league will be broken into brackets of 4 teams (1-4, 5-8, 9-12,13-16 etc.).
3. If the league is not divisible by 4 the last bracket may be 3, 5 or 6 teams.
4. Week 7 will be semi-finals for each group and week 8 will be finals and consolation for each group.
5. The playoff matches will be the same format as regular season matches.
6. If teams split 4–4, the highest total pinfall will determine advancement.
7. If teams are tied in match points and total pinfall, the higher seeded team advances.
8. League upper division champs will be determined in the 1-4 bracket, lower division in the 5-8 bracket.
9. If there is a bracket of 6 teams, the finals match will be determined by match points in semi finals, then pinfall in semi-finals. The third semi-final winner will then play the top semi-final loser(match points, pinfall) in the 1st consolation match and the two lower scoring semi-final loser will play in the #2 consolation match.
10. Only rostered bowlers can have scores counted for the 1-4 and 5-8 brackets. If rostered bowlers are absent, they will be blinded out at their standard blind score. Pacers are allowed to bowl in their place but their scores will not count in the total.
11. Rostered bowlers have to have bowled at least one week of the regular season(weeks 1-6) to be eligible to count scores in the playoffs

11. Teams that do not make the top two brackets still bowl in weeks 7 and 8 and can have substitute bowlers if needed.  
12. Season end High Game, High Average and High Series prizes will be based on a minimum of 9 games bowled.
13. For leagues with cash payouts, the payouts will be made on the final night of the season. Teams that do not show up will forfeit their portion of the prize fund. Tiebreaker will be the highest total pinfall for the match.

BOWLING ETIQUETTE TIPS:

• Be ready to bowl when it is your turn
• Don't go up onto the approach if a bowler on an adjacent lane is aiming or taking their shot
• The bowler on the right should bowl if both reach the approach at the same time.
• Stay off the approach while you wait
• Step back off the approach after making each delivery
• Refrain from using abusive language or obscene gestures
• Play to win but be gracious in defeat. Bowling is both a sport and a recreation that you should enjoy regardless of the score. Be a good loser as well as a good winner...and most of all, have fun!