Thursday - January 22, 2009

Bowling: Know the Rules and the Nuances

Rule 4a
“A delivery is made when the ball leaves the player’s possession and crosses the foul line into playing territory.”

A delivery takes place when a ball is released into fair territory, according to Rule 4a. Crossing the indefinite line including walls, flooring, posts and ball returns before a bowler is in position for the next delivery constitutes a foul. Conversely, a bowler who never releases the ball does not commit a foul. For example, if during the delivery, the bowler loses balance and steps into the lane but does not release the ball, no foul has been committed.

The important thing to realize is that the foul line is more than just that little electric eye down at the surface of the lane. It extends beyond your lane. It extends left to right beyond all the lanes. The foul line runs the entire length of the bowling center.

Anytime a player’s body encroaches on or goes beyond the foul line and touches any part of the lane, equipment or building during or after a delivery, it is considered a foul.

A ball is in play after a delivery until the same or another player is on the approach in position to make a succeeding delivery.

“Touches” is the key. You can deliver the ball in such a way that your hand passes through the air above the foul line. This is not a foul. But if you slide your foot across the foul line onto the surface of the lane it is a foul. If you stomp your foot in anger on the ball return channel cover between the lanes that is also a foul. If you make your throw, and you mess up the shot, and then run down the walkway beside the lanes and kick the wall, it is a foul. You can’t touch anything beyond the foul line.

“In play” is the second key. It’s your turn. You pick up your ball and make your approach. You let go of the ball and it rolls down the alley. You absolutely need to make a strike or else your team will lose the championship ... and you roll a 3. The gate comes down, the pin deck is cleared, the next half of the frame is set, your ball has come back in the ball return to the ball corral but you haven’t picked it up yet. It’s then that you realize that you’ve just lost the championship for your team, so you run off and give the side wall a kick. Ahead of the foul line but past the end of the last lane. You still have fouled. Because your first ball is still in play because you have not yet initiated the “succeeding delivery” by picking up your ball.

Rule 108a - leaving the game due to illness or injury

“When a player is unable to complete a game because of disability,injury or emergency, and another eligible player is not available, the team shall count the actual score for the frames bowled plus one-tenth of the league’s absentee score for each frame missed. (See Rule 118b for average information.)”

Regardless of how many frames were bowled, the bowlers actual score must be used and 1/10th of the bowlers absentee score for the remaining frames. So if the bowler did not bowl at all for the game they withdrew from, then the whole absentee score is used for that game. If they bowled 5 frames, then the actual scores bowled for those 5 frames are used, plus 1/10th of the bowler’s absentee score for each of the remaining 5 frames.

NOTE:  For computing score: Take actual score for frames bowled; credit 10 pins for a strike or spare in last frame bowled. Add 1/10 of league’s absentee score for each of the remaining frames. For example, if absentee score is bowler’s average less 10: Absentee score, 145; 1/10 of 145 = 14.5 X 3 frames = 43.5. Drop fraction and add 43 to actual score for 7 frames bowled. The fraction is dropped after the total amount is figured, and not from each frame.

Well, fine, great, but what if the bowler made marks? What if their last frame was a strike, which scores 10 plus the next two balls rolled? What if they only bowled 3 frames and earned a turkey (thress strikes in a row) and then pulled out because of injury?

The key is that strikes and spares are given extra scoring ability based only on the score of the next balls rolled by the bowler. If the bowler withdraws they get a fraction of their absentee score for each remaining frame specifically because they have NOT rolled any “next” balls. Thus a strike or a spare rolled in the last frame bowled will only count as 10. If the bowler bowls 2 consecutive strikes and leaves, they would receive 20 for the first strike frame and 10 for the second strike frame for a total of 30. For 3 consecutive strikes they would receive 30-20-10 for total of 60.

I had both of these situation occur at league this past Saturday.

A bowler - from that same team that has had all the other shenanigans this season of course - was injured and had to withdraw. Of course it was the one week I didn’t bring the rulebook with me. Since I wasn’t sure what to do, we asked the guy running the alley (nice guy, great bowler, not the sharpest knife in the drawer) what to do, and she convince him to used the “3 frames or less ‘rule’” that replaced her actual score with her absentee score, to which he agreed. Ok, fine, it’s over and done with ... but that was a crock. I checked things out with the USBC and what you see above is their response. There is no “3 frames or less” rule. What you bowl is what you bowl, and those scores never are replaced by anything.

The foul situation was similar, but for a different team. I did not know the “in play” part lasted as long as it does, so we let that one go as well. I figured “in play” ended when you ball hit the pins and the bar came down. My best advice: don’t take it so seriously. Unless you’re getting a paycheck out of it bowling is a game. And be a decent sport, or at least grow the hell up and control yourself. Don’t go kicking the walls and chairs like a baby.

Posted by Drew458     on 01/22/2009 at 05:42 PM   
Filed Under: • Bowling Blogging •  
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