What is the difference or benefit of a sanctioned league compared to a non-sanctioned league?

USBC will not recognize any special awards, like 300, 800, etc.

League rules are controlled by the house, which are more relaxed. Any issues, must be brought up to the house. Most houses usually don't really enforce allot of the rules anyways. For example, you can bring in a sub on position round or it's supposed to be a mixed league, but you have all men bowlers. One time on position round, the female bowler on our team couldn't make it, so I asked another person to come in. I forgot it was position round and that sub was a male. We won position round, but I realized my mistake. I brought it up to the house, which they said "Eh, it's only a summer league". I then brought it up to the other team and they said something similar. I know on our sanctioned league, someone would have raised a hooplah over it by the 2nd frame of the 1st game.

well besides the above, USBC also has rules as to who can hold an officer position and who cannot and how many of them can be on one team. So you dont' get one family controlling the entire league by virtue of officer votes if they even take votes. Of course non sanctioned leagues can be total dictatorships. No recourse. Rules can be changed half way through the league, league fees can be changed arbitrarily. People can be eliminated from a league based on "I don't like him/her". No recourse.

No a very important thing. USBC offers bonding and security for league funds. If the league funds were to be stolen and proper procedure taken USBC covers it. In a non sanctioned league there's nothing to keep the officers from just keeping the money and not paying out. Or saying "I lost it, someone broke into my car, house, briefcase, ect........" without somewhere to go with that.

USBC sanctioned leagues give you an official average with which you can go to nearly every tournament and bowl. Without an official average you are out of luck if you want to bowl.

But the main issue to me is that the controlling force behind the league politics are limited with USBC sancitioning.

Erin

These are rules that leagues make and are not USBC rules. A mixed league just means the league is opened to both genders but can be any combination of males and females. The leagues add the stipulations of at least one member of the opposite [censored]. The same is true of subs on position round, it's a league rule not USBC, it just happens that most leagues have that rule. Now if it was a league rule even being an unsanctioned league it should be followed.

So...if the league is sanctioned, does it cost more? Does everyone have to be USBC members to join? If my average is still low, is it better to not make the numbers official? heh

Also, you can't use a spinner release in a sanctioned league.

There's an annual sanction fee that you have to pay, roughly around $20. It's usually per region. For example, if you want to join another league in another town, but the same county, you don't have to pay the sanction fee for that other league. Just let the league secretary know that you're already in another sanctioned league. If it's a different region, you may pay a discounted rate.


Yes. The league secretary will give all the forms to be filled out.


It's up to you. I've seen guys who throw hard & fast one or especially 2 handed and think they're good, just because they can throw a strike who have an average around the 130's. When I first started in a sanctioned league back in 2004, I had a 156 average. I now have a 202 average. My major mistake were trying to force the ball to what it wasn't supposed to do, rather than letting it do what it was designed to do. I would have done better knowing about this forum allot sooner. The nice thing is, you can see your progress on the USBC website. If you do happen to roll a 300, 11 strikes in a row, 800 series, and I think a 900 series, it will be shown on the USBC website. It's allot nicer to brag about it to your friends or your bowling buddies. Otherwise, you would have to carry around a printout of your achievement.

FYI, a book average is your average in the USBC member books, which can also be looked up at bowl.com.


I didn't know that. I would assume that a sanctioned league didn't care how you through the ball. I've seen different types of releases from 1 to 3 fingers being used, 1 or 2 handed, a backup ball as their regular strike release, and even one that spins backwards first then rolls forward.

That has to be a joke. If not, the two-handed approach and straight shots for strikes would be banned as well. heh Though, I can imagine someone not wanting a spinner on their team due to doubting the effectiveness of the style.

(Ah, I just thought of something. Just like there is the plastic ball tournament, it might be interesting to have a straight-shot tournament. In that case, I wonder if the spinner would be allowed considering that it can travel straight, just like my Blue Dot even with some side rotation on it.)

You are correct, it is a joke .

If the non-sanctioned league has been around for a while or it was a sanctioned league that is just trying to make things cheaper then I'm sure it will be run just fine, but there is a risk that things won't be run as well because big brother isn't watching.