Tuesday Business League Rules
1. The League
shall consist of no more than fourteen teams.
2. The League
is to be sanctioned with the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and all
bowlers must fill out a sanction card and pay the USBC dues before bowling their
first series of the season. With the
exception of the rules contained in this document, USBC rules shall govern this
League.
3. A scheduled
three (3) game series is considered a competition meeting.
4. Bowling cost
will be $15.00 per bowler, $75.00 per team, per competition meeting. $51.75 per team will be the lane fees. $25.25 per team will be deposited in a
certified banking institution as league prize money. The withdrawal of prize monies shall require
two of the following signatures: President,
Vice-President, and/or Secretary-Treasurer.
Sponsor’s fee of $40.00 per team must be paid by October 24, 2009
5. Secretary
fee is $50.00 per team, plus office expenses, to be paid out of the prize money
at the completion of the season and only after the secretary has submitted (a.)
the final averages to the Lake-Geauga Bowling Association Secretary and (b.)
the books have been audited.
6. No team account
may fall more than $75.00 in arrears.
All team members are responsible for team arrears. Teams who are more than $75.00 in arrears
will be fined $5.00 each and every week that they are in arrears. Returned checks, including any service fees,
are the responsibility of all team members.
7. Championship
competition will consist of 32 competitions between August and May of each
bowling season. Specific meeting dates
are to be finalized by a Board of Directors meeting prior to the start of the
season, and must be approved by a majority vote of The Board of Directors.
8. The Board of
Directors shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer,
and the Team Captains.
9. The season
shall consist of two (2) sixteen (16) week halves. There will be two position rounds per half,
after the seventh and after the fifteenth competition meeting of each
half. In the event that there is a tie
for position, total pins, including handicap will constitute the tie breaker.
10. There shall
be thirty (30) points awarded per competition meeting. Each Game will have nine (9) points awarded,
which consists of 5 head-to-head points and 4 team points. Finally there will be three (3) points awarded
for total pins.
11. The active
team roster shall be limited to eight (8) bowlers. All team rosters must be set before the thirteenth
meeting (November 17, 2009). After this
date, no bowler may be added to the roster without unanimous approval of the Board of Directors.
12. To qualify
for individual prizes, a player must have bowled 63games.
13. Members of the Tuesday Business League may not
simultaneously participate in another league.
14. A team’s handicap
will be determined by 90% of the difference between the team’s average and
1100 with a 100% back spot for averages over 1100. In the case a team has less than a full line
up of five bowlers for a competition meeting the following shall apply:
A.) the actual
average of the absentee bowler with the MOST games bowled shall be used for the
determination of the handicap. That
bowler’s average, minus ten (10) pins, shall be used as the score for each
game.
B.) a team with
less than five members on their roster shall use 150 for the handicap and the
score for the game. A bowler must have
bowled at least three games in the current season and be sanctioned with the USBC
in order to have his/her average used as an absentee score.
C.) Individual
Handicap is 90% of the difference between the bowler’s average and 220.
15. Individual starting averages will be
determined in the following order of precedence for all individuals:
A.) Last year’s average in this league (21 games or
more)
B.) Highest
average in the last three (3) years in the Lake-Geauga Bowling Association
C.) Highest
average from another Association, if verifiable, or
D.) For bowlers
with no average, their average will be determined after their first complete
competition series.
Averages will not change for the first three (3) weeks or nine (9) games for
each returning bowler and bowlers with a book average. Averages will be recalculated weekly for all
new bowlers.
16. Shadow balls
may be thrown during the House designated time period, only (one ball per lane
on a rotating basis). There shall be no
resetting of pins during the shadow bowling period. The rotation may continue until the House
resets the lanes for league play.
Bowlers, who wish additional practice before the shadow bowling period,
may do so on lanes that are not designated for league use.
17. Starting time
is 6:45 P.M. for competition. Shadow
bowling shall begin at 6:30 P.M. A team
must have a legal lineup of at least three (3) bowlers at the beginning of the
competition. Lane courtesy shall consist
to one (1) bowler on either side. The
bowler to the right has preference when two (2) bowlers step up at the same
time.
18. A
substitute bowling date and time may be arranged by any team, scheduled to bowl
each other, at their convenience, within a seven (7) day period prior to the
scheduled match. The league secretary
must be notified of any substitute date.
If a league officer is not present during the bowling match, the teams
must provide a printed copy of the three (3) game series from the House, which
must be presented at the next scheduled competition night, along with the
weekly bowling fees. Otherwise, the
games will be considered forfeited for both teams. The league officers and the captains of the
teams shall mediate any dispute in arranging the makeup time or date.
19. If necessary,
a league meeting may be held. There must
be a quorum of the Board of Directors. A
quorum shall be declared only if there is at least 75% of the Board
present. Only the Board of Directors may
vote. (Exception: All league members may vote at the August
Organizational Meeting and at the Election of Officers Meeting at the end of
the season. A meeting may be called at
the discretion of any league officer provided that there is notification to all
members of the Board of Directors.
20. League rules
may be added, deleted, or modified during the season by 100% representation and
vote of the Board of Directors. Changes
may not be retroactive. Any other vote
(USBC override or sanction change) will require a 75% approval of the Board of
Directors.
21. Loud,
boisterous, profane, and non-sportsmanship behavior will be subject to League,
House, and ABC rules. Unless specifically
covered by League, House, or USBC rules, the rules of good sportsmanship and
fair play shall govern. All flagrant or
outright cheating will result in immediate expulsion from the League and will
be reported to the Lake-Geauga Association and the USBC by the league
secretary. The expelled bowler will also
forfeit all prize money. Bowlers who
improperly withdraw from the League shall forfeit all prize money.
22. Trophies
shall consist of Sponsor and Individual trophies for the League Champions, High
Game, High Series, and High Average. The
trophies will be supplied by the House.
23. In
addition to the regular duties of the office, the Vice President will be
responsible for the organization of the Awards Banquet, which shall be held no
later than two weeks after the season ends.
24. All disputes
will be mediated according to the following steps and time schedule: A.) By the League secretary or other League
officer in the absence of the secretary.
All disputes must be resolved before the recap sheet is turned into the
secretary. B.) By a meeting of the Board of Directors before
the next scheduled competition night.
C.) By written correspondence
from the Lake- Geauga Association Secretary prior to the next competition
meeting after the meeting of step B.
D.) By USBC, in writing,
following the decision that was rendered in step C.
25. The point
leaders of each half will meet in a roll off on the Tuesday following the 32nd
week of competition to determine the League Champion. The championship match winner will be
determined by the same method as the weekly competition. If the championship match ends in a 3.5 to
3.5 tie, a fourth game will be bowled to determine the winner. The traditional doubles tournament will be
contested concurrently with the championship match. Ties for either half will be broken by a one
(1) game sudden roll off on the same night ending the half.
26. Bowlers,
arriving tardy for the first game, have until the first ball is thrown in the
fifth frame to begin bowling. For any
subsequent game, a tardy bowler may bowl if the game has not begun. This rule may be waived, in the event of
inclement weather, by the Board of Directors.
27. Prize lists
for each half will be drafted by the third week and will be voted upon by the
Board of Directors no later than the first competition meeting in November.
28. Any 50/50
raffles must be documented and all monies kept in the League’s bank account and
a separate record be kept. The League
President, Vice-President, and Secretary must sign the signature card. All withdrawals will require two signatures.
29. Ball
cleansers will be restricted to those on the ABC approved list.
30. Sexually
explicit cards are prohibited while in the House.
31. In the event
that a team must bowl unopposed due to a forfeit or bye situation, the team
will not earn the game points if they are more than 50 pins below their team
average. The team must earn at least four
game points to earn the 3 points for series. The individual game point is won when bowling
not more than 9 pins below the bowler’s average and 1\2 point is won when
bowling exactly 10 pins under average.
Glossary: USBC
– United States Bowling Congress
Secretary - Secretary/Treasurer
House - Freeway Lanes of Mentor
League –Tuesday
Business League