Unsanctioned league...

[Ryster]

Joined my first unsanctioned league this summer. Well, it was basically the only league available that fit my schedule, and it so happens to be unsanctioned. It is, however, certified under that new Bowlero PBA League Certification mess which will be mentioned shortly.

First off, the league officers on this league are very hands on and attentive. That's great and I appreciate their efforts. No issues there.

My issues are with the way that rules are flat out ignored. Just because the league isn't USBC sanctioned doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. The league is a PBA certified league, and the PBA League Certification program has its own set of rules. Some of those mirror the USBC. However, Bowlero bungled the roll out of that program so poorly that 99% of bowlers in a PBA certified league don't know they are in one and don't know there are actually rules.

I know that people want to have "fun" when they bowl. I'm all about having fun bowling, too. Part of that is making sure the experience is organized and consistent for everyone. When everyone does their own thing and makes up their own rules, that's not fun.

And finally, can people simply be courteous and respectful of other people and their time? If you want to smoke outside or go to the bar between games, that's fine. But keep it under 5 minutes. When it stretches 10+ minutes that's a bit much. If you just want to smoke and drink with your friends, don't join a bowling league and make others wait while you smoke and drink.

Hopefully I can make it through this summer league and leave it far behind when it's over.

[boomer]

So - it's sanctioned, just not USBC sanctioned. It's PBA Certified - wouldn't that be equivalent?

I've bowled in unsanctioned leagues and they were not sanctioned by anyone; not certified by anyone. We had a rule-set that was voted on at the beginning of the season, and we stuck by them. We were a long-running league (called "Just-For-Fun") that started as a company league and . . . just outlasted the company, LOL. But it was cheap, sweeps were local and no-tap so that was fun . . . but it still wasn't the chaos you describe.

[Ryster]

Yes, since it isn't USBC sanctioned the PBA League Certification rules would govern. The league has 5 pages of by-laws, with the final by-law stating that any issues not addressed in the by-laws will be governed by the USBC and league officers. Yes, it's a real head scratcher to invoke the USBC in an unsanctioned league when it should be referencing the PBA League Certification rules.

Part of me wants to blow up the president and secretary's worlds and demand the by-laws be revised and PBA League rules be referenced. But then half the league would leave because their equipment wouldn't comply with the no balance hole rule which also exists under PBA league certification rules. That's not a fight I even want to start. Plus, with this being my first (and most likely only) year on the league, it isn't my place to do that when most of the other teams are returning from last season and prior seasons.

Chaos is the best overall way to describe the league. I literally almost threw 2 weeks dues at the treasurer the other night and walked out after game 1. Cooler heads prevailed and I realized the problems were more Bowlero's fault and the specific team we were bowling against more than the league as a whole. The funny thing is, I mentioned to my team how I was ready to walk out and their response was "Oooh! Let us know if you decide to do that, we will be right behind you! Paying the 2 weeks wouldn't bother us at all to get away from this league!" 🤣

[boomer]

LOL - take it as experience

[J Anderson]

Yes, since it isn't USBC sanctioned the PBA League Certification rules would govern. The league has 5 pages of by-laws, with the final by-law stating that any issues not addressed in the by-laws will be governed by the USBC and league officers. Yes, it's a real head scratcher to invoke the USBC in an unsanctioned league when it should be referencing the PBA League Certification rules.

Part of me wants to blow up the president and secretary's worlds and demand the by-laws be revised and PBA League rules be referenced. But then half the league would leave because their equipment wouldn't comply with the no balance hole rule which also exists under PBA league certification rules. That's not a fight I even want to start. Plus, with this being my first (and most likely only) year on the league, it isn't my place to do that when most of the other teams are returning from last season and prior seasons.

Chaos is the best overall way to describe the league. I literally almost threw 2 weeks dues at the treasurer the other night and walked out after game 1. Cooler heads prevailed and I realized the problems were more Bowlero's fault and the specific team we were bowling against more than the league as a whole. The funny thing is, I mentioned to my team how I was ready to walk out and their response was "Oooh! Let us know if you decide to do that, we will be right behind you! Paying the 2 weeks wouldn't bother us at all to get away from this league!" 🤣

In my experience most unsanctioned leagues derive most of their rules from USBC, or its predecessor’s rules. I’ve never been in own that would actually make it that blatant that they would include that last rule

[Ryster]

This is where Bowlero has failed with their PBA League Certification. Any league bowling in a Bowlero center is automatically certified under the PBA League Certification. A league at Bowlero may choose to be USBC sanctioned, at which point the USBC takes precedence over the PBA. If a league at Bowlero chooses not to be USBC sanctioned, then the PBA League rules take precedence.

I've had discussions with other bowlers in unsanctioned leagues at the same Bowlero where I bowl, and when it comes to rules they will make comments such as "not USBC sanctioned, no rules.". When I mention the PBA League rules, they respond "show me where this mysterious PBA League thing you talk about has rules.". I show them the rules, and they are mystified as to why the PBA League Certification exists if the rules are never presented at the league meeting. It's literally a total mess. Bowlero created this as a knee jerk reaction to the USBC, but all it has done is just create needless confusion.

And now the PBA League Certification is currently having their inaugural national tournament. You can about imagine what kind of disaster that is!

[Ryster]

Well, only four weeks left on this unsanctioned league. The experience has been just "ok". Last week it took us 2.5 hours to bowl 3 games, and there were only 6 bowlers on the pair. We were the last team finished by a good 20 minutes after everyone else and there were other pairs with 8 bowlers on their pair. It was aggravating.

In 30yrs of league bowling, this is the only league where I have contemplated leaving after the second game because of the behavior of the other team. However I stuck it out and finished the night

If asked today if I plan to return next season, I would probably say "not sure".

[boomer]

honestly, that happens on sanctioned leagues as well.

We have one team that, for some WEIRD reason, always finishes 20 minutes after everyone else, which is really strange considering how MANY strikes they throw. I mean. . . they are GOOD. Scary good. One of them (Dustin) had two 300's in the same night (finished with a 185 or something) and they don't stall. . .

We've had rambunctious teams, we've had rude teams (one just left mid-season to go to college in Iowa, which itself is weird. Only their son is attending, but mom and dad want to go too . . . which I wouldn't want but hey, different strokes, right? And the team that wanted to take up where they left off are rude as well - quit after one week when we told them they wouldn't get the previous team's point money. . .)

We learn to take teams as we get them.

Last night was one of our favorite teams to bowl against, even though Mike is a MONSTER. :)

[Ryster]

Yeah, the team we bowled is notorious for their disruptive behavior, leaving to smoke in between each game, not being ready when it is their turn, etc. You know it's bad when 8 on a pair can bowl their 3 games 20-30 minutes faster than a pair with fewer bowlers.

At least with sanctioned leagues there is the option of being able to fall back on "delay of game" rules if things get really bad. But there will be teams that are slow. We had a team on a sanctioned league that was always slow. The board approached them because they were impacting both the league and the actual center. The team responded with "We pay good money to bowl, and we are good bar customers. We will take as long as we want!" And they did just that for the rest of the season, typically finishing 45+ minutes after everyone else.

[boomer]

LOL - this team actually got letters from USBC when they went to the Open Nats about how slow they were! LOL

[Aslan]

I've never been a fan of non-USBC leagues...and some of the reasons are being mentioned here.

I'm not up to speed on the Bowlero/PBA issues with the USBC...but usually non-sanctioned leagues evolve for one of 3 reasons (or a combination thereof):

1. Bowlers are cheap...and the additional $25/year is just too much money.
2. Bowlers are mad about something the USBC enforced...usually a ban on equipment (balls, sanding balls mid-game, etc...)
3. The center they bowl at is so terrible that they'd never pass the even barely enforced rules related to USBC lane certification.

Why do I hate and prefer not to bowl in an unsactioned league?

1. If the league bowlers are too cheap to pay 48 cents per week to be sanctioned, better watch your bags and personal belongings...they might disappear as well. And realize, this is the environment that draws 'hooligans' and 'dipschmitz'...because they interpret "non-USBC sanctioned" to mean "we can do whatever we want".

2. Bowlers Pbich about the USBC doing nothing...right up until they do something...then bowlers ***** about that. It's a no-win situation. Rather than bowlers blaming Motiv and Storm for making balls that don't pass specifications (which is inexuseable if you follow simple manufacturing quality control procedures and/or aren't intentionally trying to cheat)...the bowlers are usually 50/50 between blaming Storm/Motiv and blaming the USBC for enforcing the rule(s).

3. The BPAA has the power; especially in an environment where centers are disappearing. The USBC has "tried" to approach lane/pattern integrity...but doesn't have NEAR the numbers necessary to inspect facilities in a robust fashion. Therefore, they continue to try 'versions' of the "honor system"....yet centers just don't care. While the better centers will keep their lanes and pins in good condition so they can host tournaments and PBA events; the vast majority will range in compliance between "somewhat" and "laughable".

[boomer]

I don't necessarily disagree - although I haven't seen belongings disappearing. We tend to police ourselves and realize that, really, nothing we have would be worth much to sell. Plugged balls aren't worth much. You steal a purse and you'll have a BUNCH of pissed bowlers chasing you down throwing 14-16 pound projectiles at you.

The non-sanctioned leagues I've bowled in generally were non-sanctioned only because they were kind of anti-establishment. Ask them WHY? and they were. . . meh - IDK - don't want to do all that extra paperwork (which . . . yeah . . . LOL)

Bowlero around here suck. Leagues are leaving them and coming to the few independents which is GOOD. Only problem there is that the independents are getting FULL so, when can I practice??? LOL - good problem to have I guess. But one big reason is that the independents are actually doing the RIGHT things. My center is putting out a consistent pattern (which of course people gripe about) and TRYING to do well by their bowlers. Is the pattern "right" - I don't know. It's generous but not overly so. It's fun and gets us involved - which is good.

But yeah - I don't have a lot of reasons why NOT to be sanctioned.

[J Anderson]

But yeah - I don't have a lot of reasons why NOT to be sanctioned.

Unfortunately, if a league is unsanctioned, the members don’t really need a reason to stay unsanctioned. They need a reason to become sanctioned. Usually it takes having at least one person to work hard at changing the status quo.

[Aslan]

Unfortunately, if a league is unsanctioned, the members don’t really need a reason to stay unsanctioned. They need a reason to become sanctioned. Usually it takes having at least one person to work hard at changing the status quo.

And there's the rub. Once a center starts doing unsanctioned leagues, no-tap leagues, "fun" leagues, "short season" leagues, etc...; then you rarely see them correct course. Like I said before, the USBC doesn't have the power to force the hand of a center as they might have 50 years ago. Centers rarely see, nor care about, the serious bowlers that are turned off by their non-sanctioned/anti-league approach. They focus on the less serious bowlers that need some "gimmick" in order to consider bowling at all. And to the center, it's all about getting people in the center, especially at non-peak times, and getting them ordering overpriced food/drink.

The only time I've ever heard the actual bowlers complain...is when someone bowls a 300 or 800 and they start asking about their "ring" or some type of award. Then they find out, not only are there no awards, but, technically their honor scores don't really "count". They might as well have bowled their 300 or 800 during a birthday party on a weekend or bowled it on a Nintendo Wii. Bowlers then quickly feel "jipped" as they finally have an honor score...but it doesn't "count". But, it's hard for even a good bowler to stand up during the league meeting and say, "I'd like to go sanctioned because I'm one of the few bowlers here that might shoot a perfect game this season (#mebrag), and I want accolades when it happens."

[Ryster]

Usually it's not the center promoting unsanctioned leagues. The members of the league vote to be unsanctioned because they see no value in the USBC. It's hard to fault the bowlers. Why would they pay $22-$25 for a USBC membership when the rewards are non-existent. Most bowlers have either already had a sanctioned 300, or don't think it will ever happen and don't care about the "once per lifetime" award.

We all know how thrifty bowlers tend to be. They don't want to pay even $1 more for their weekly league dues, let alone pay for a USBC membership that they see as worthless.

It isn't the USBC's place to tell proprietors how to run their business. Sure the USBC would love a more robust membership, but they can't force it. The proprietors are doing what they feel they need to do to fill lanes. If that means no-tap leagues, merchandise leagues, practice leagues, etc. More power to them if it keeps the doors open.

My center let all of their scratch leagues whither away. Now all leagues are handicap leagues. Fortunately we still have plenty of sanctioned leagues (I am bowling on two this fall; first time in well over a decade I am on two leagues).

The only way the USBC could demonstrate value would be to reinstitute all awards (all spare game, triplicate, 7-10, 250 game, 298/299/300 rings, etc.) In order to do that, sanctioning would have to go up to $100/yr (which is still a bargain at $2/wk) and that would spell the end of the USBC. Bowlers want more, but they don't want to pay for it. It's a Catch 22.

[Aslan]

The real conundrum is not, why bowlers should pay more for less...thats a symptom of the underlying conundrum...which is, how far can the USBC go to support the "sport", so that it becomes "legitimate". Legitimacy will drive the sport as a sport. Scores will come down...making honor awards possible. Granted, legitimacy would involve terribly unpopular (with casual bowlers) changes. Oil patterns would have to be standardized and spot checked. Bowling ball technology would have to move backwards...hurting the already struggling bowling ball manufacturers. Many casual bowlers will be lost...because bowling just isn't as fun if you can't strike as often and are a good bowler averaging 170. Even more centers could close or become high-priced "entertainment venues".

The 'sport' has lost letimacy. And, an organization (like the USBC) can't afford to give out exponentially more things/awards while making less than 50 cents/bowler/night in dues. The USBC was able to deal with the uptick in scores due to the oil patterns and ball technology, initially; by limiting the quality of the awards and limiting how many you could get in a lifetime...but that was a temporary fix as patterns got easier and ball technology keeps evolving.

It is what it is. I think the 2-handed bowling was a roulette bet...50/50 chance that it will even bring in more youth and reinvigorate the game...OR...be the final blow that empties leagues, closes centers, and reduces USBC sanctioning. Right now, I think the 2-handed conversion is going "okay". More youth bowling, more high school teams, uptick in college bowling popularity, etc... But, how much of that translates into the future of leagues? Still too early to tell.

[RobLV1]

In my 40 years of bowling, after moving to a different state, I am bowling in two unsanctioned leagues, for the first time ever. There are pluses and minuses. The biggest plus is that I am not supporting an organization that has totally failed to protect the integrity of the sport. On the minus side, while the league rules state that all USBC Rules should be followed unless superceeded by specific league rules (there are non), the fact is that most of the bowlers are totally unaware of USBC rules. I asked if there is a limit on the number of re-racks allowed, and I was told that they didn't know because no-one ever repacks. I'm sure glad I don't take this game seriously anymore! LOL