Participants must be members of the USBC and hold a current membership card or purchase one at the tournament for $26.
The tournament will be certified by the USBC and will be conducted under the rules and regulations of that organization except as modified herein by these Tournament Rules. No youth bowlers are permitted.
Competition will be conducted in two (2) separate divisions of play – an Open Division that is open to all bowlers and a Women’s Division open to just women bowlers. Women bowlers MUST specifically enter Women’s events to be eligible in that division (designate on separate entry form). All rules, events, fees, and formats will be identical in both divisions except as noted otherwise.
The team event will be bowled on one (1) pair of lanes with 10 minutes of practice allowed. The teams will be composed of five members. The doubles event will be bowled on one (1) pair of lanes with 10 minutes of practice allowed. The singles event will be bowled on the same pair of lanes with no practice allowed. The doubles event will be bowled before the singles.
Bowlers may enter the team event unlimited number of times, providing that not more than three members of the original team bowl on any subsequent entry. A bowler’s first score in the team event will count towards both All Events totals.
Doubles and singles must be entered together and not as separate events. No split entries. No bowler will be permitted to enter more than once in the doubles and singles events.
The winner in each of the events will be declared the Southwest Bowling Association Champion. Trophies will be awarded to the winners of team, doubles, singles, and handicap and scratch All Events.
There will be one cash prize for each eight (8) entries in every event.
For 2024 tournament, all Open and Women’s Division team entries will also be automatically entered in a separate competition called the Cash Bonus Weekend conducted on the first weekend only. These entrants will compete for $1000 in additional prize money, $500 payable to highest handicap team score, $300 to 2nd place, and $200 to 3rd place. Additionally, the highest placing Women’s team will receive a prize equivalent to their team entry fee, unless they qualify for one of the top three places. All entrants and scores will also compete in the normal tournament competition in their respective divisions. This event is a single competition open to entrants from both Open and Women’s Divisions.
The tournament shall include competition in team, doubles, singles, and designated optional virtual events.
Event fee will be $35 per event (Prize fund $14.00 – Bowling Fee $9.75 Expense/Admin Fee $11.25). Entry fee must accompany entry applications. Event prize funds shall be returned 100%. No entry fee will be refunded except when entry application is rejected.
Bowlers entering all three events may participate in Handicap All Events prizes by paying a fee of $5.00 or Scratch All Events for $10.00. Bowlers may enter either or both All Events.
Regular team entries are also eligible to enter the optional Scratch Team event by paying an additional $10 per bowler ($50 per team).
Bowlers entering the Doubles/Singles event may also enter the optional virtual events designated Scratch Singles ($10), Senior Handicap Singles ($5), Senior Handicap Doubles ($5 per person), 6-game handicap combine ($10), and 6-game scratch combine ($10). Bowlers entering Senior Singles and/or Doubles must show date of birth in appropriate block on entry form and be 55 years old by January 1st. In Senior Doubles both contestants must be 55 years old.
Handicap All-Events and Scratch All-Events, as well as the additional optional events, shall be broken down as 80% prize fund and 20% expenses. Prize fund shall be returned 100% in each event. Each optional event competition will be conducted in the respective Division, either Open or Women’s, dependent upon the entrant’s Doubles/Singles entry.
No entry will be accepted unless accompanied by the entry fee. No entry fee will be returned after February 1, 2024.
Handicap for team, doubles, and singles will be 80% of 220 based on a 3-game series.
It shall be each bowler’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of average.
Failure to use the proper average or make a correction prior to, or at the time of, bowling shall disqualify the score if the submitted average is lower than the actual average. Otherwise prize winnings will be based on the submitted average if it is higher.
The entering average of contestants shall be their highest certified fall-winter, summer league, or standard composite average (minimum 21 games) for the immediately preceding season. Bowlers without a certified, qualifying average shall use their January 1, 2024 average, or current average at the time of bowling, in that preference order, provided it is based on a minimum of 21 games. All others will bowl with a 220 average. See following steps for example:
Use bowler’s highest USBC book average of 21-games for 2022-23 season (highest of fall OR summer OR standard composite average). If NONE,
Use bowler’s highest 21-game average in a certified league as of January 1, 2024. If NONE or LESS than 21 games,
Use bowler’s highest 21-game average in a certified league at date of participation (current average). If NONE,
Use 220 average.
The “10-pin increase” rule (USBC Rule 319a2) is in effect in this tournament and is based on a bowler’s average as of January 1, 2024. Use of the “10-pin increase” rule, January 1st entering average rule, or current entering average rule will all require average verification with league standing sheet.
The Executive Director of the Southwest Bowling Association or the designated Tournament Manager reserves the right to rerate the average of any bowler entering based upon information available to the Southwest Bowling Association. Any rerating under this rule must be made prior to the time the bowler participated in the Tournament. (USBC Rule 319c & 319e).
All bowlers shall be responsible to check themselves in and obtain lane assignments via the bulletin board set up for that purpose. All bowlers for all squads scheduled to be on the floor shall be posted outside the tournament office.
Bowlers in all events shall check themselves in 45 minutes prior to squad time.
No change in team or doubles line-ups will be permitted even though substitutions are involved. Substitution changes and corrections must be reported to the Tournament Manager at least one (1) hour prior to the time scheduled to bowl.
A substitute shall be eligible for All Events prize money only if they bowl all three events in the SAME division.
Early reservations may be made in writing, by fax or by telephone.
The entry deadline is February 1, 2024 at midnight.
If payment for reserved entries has not been received on or before January 15th, the reservations will be declared void and will be used to accommodate the next request received for that date and times.
All entry confirmation letters will be provided by email unless specifically requested otherwise.
