I have book averages for both hands. I booked 156 left and 194 right. I have been subbing in a league alternating between hands. I'll explain

week 1 - I bowled right handed all three games never switching to left hand

week 2 - I bowled left handed all three games never switching to right hand

week 3 - I bowled right handed all three games never switching to left hand


I continued this pattern for another 8 weeks.


Tonight I was told by the league secretary that I am not to switch hands anymore. That I am to stay subbing right handed. She told me (LOL) just like this "you're being watched from this point on". The league secretary and I recently worked at the same place and I'm currently suing the company for a wrongful termination. So any responses would be greatly appreciated. Just need to know if she is correct in what she is saying or if she is harassing me.

First off welcome to the site:


What i under stand the rules to be is that you may only change from right to left. If it is due to injury and officers in your league agree. Not 100% Sure. Erin probablly chime in and give you more insite to this.

If this is a USBC league you cannot switch hands from week to week without permission from the league. In otherwords, you need to have a league meeting and explain your reasoning for switching hands (you can't do it just because you want to) and then the league has to give you permission to use whatever hand you are asking about. But you cannot switch back and forth in the league during the season.

As an association director and office staff, we do have lists of people that are trying to do what you are doing. Because most do this with not the best intentions. And some have been suspended by USBC for doing so. So she is not harassing you at all. If you had been doing this is a league where I was bowling you would not have made it past three weeks of switching back and forth and probably in the process of having your card pulled.

Plus in tournaments, you use your highest average no matter what hand it is. So when we find people that do this, we always rerate them to their highest average for local tournaments.

Erin

I also want to extend a welcome to this site.

The information Erin gave is all correct and you are lucky that they haven't started the process of having your USBC card pulled, assuming this is a sanctioned league since you refer to book averages.

Of course the President of the league should have approached you about this, but in any case the secretary is correct you can only bowl either all right or all left handed. Since you started the season with the right hand you have to use that hand unless the Board of Directors, that's the League Officers and Team Captains, vote to allow you to switch due to some sort of injury, but it has to be real.

You would pull someones card for switching hands before league play? How do you know the person knows the rules as well as you do? I could understand if you told them of the rule and they decided to switch anyways. Well then by all means yank that puppy. But come on... I booked 156 left and 194 right last season and bowl 6 games a week (if i get picked up to sub). I don't do tournaments whatsoever. Far from a threat to anyone. Every night before I started bowling I would tell the opposing team which hand I was going with. They knew that I was not to switch...and so did I.
Pull my card? I didn't know...

Thanks for your response everyone

Some people would try to start the proceedings, others will give you the warning first. I don't have any power to pull someone's card and have never been a league officer and I would first advise them of the rule. That doesn't always work as some people get offensive and want to get unruly. I've seen it happen numerous times. Now you know the rule and apparently others didn't know it either, but ignorance of the rule is no excuse. Try going to court for a criminal or traffic offense and tell a judge that you didn't know that what you did was illegal.

Rules 118b, and 118e.

Absolutely I'd start process to have your card pulled because the way you described it you were doing this during league play, not before.

USBC has rules and the league has rules. The leagues have meetings prior to starting their league were rules and officers are voted on. All league players are supposed to attend this meeting. If you start the league late, then you have a team captain that is supposed to guide the team and keep it within the playing rules.

What is the saying? "ignorance of the rule is not an excuse". The rule books are given to the president and secretary and treasurer. Plus the center should have a copy. Plus they are on bowl.com The rules are easily available.

What you have done is worthy of having your scores made null and void and wins and losses recalculated and procedings for suspension. That the league allowed you to continue this for 8 weeks is somewhat typical of the laziness of league officers these days. You are lucky you were not in a more competative league. Now you know. Pick a hand and stick with for the season in league. If you need to change hands, usually due to injury, then a league vote must take place. If you want to open play using either hand back and forth that's your choice, but not in a USBC league.

Erin

Those are the rules. So she probably gave you a warning since she said you not to switch anymore and will be watching you. So if you do switch she will probably start t he proceeding to have your card pulled.

if you really do want to continue bowling with either hand, your only option is to join a 2nd league. then you can throw right handed in one, left in the other. (you would still have to use the higher average for tournaments regardless of which hand you use.)