How often does your team bowl against an absent/blind team?

[NewToBowling]

For a full season (32+ weeks) I'm sure there are going to be times where your opponent is absent. Around the holidays, etc.

How often does this occur?

Honestly, I bowl league because I want to bowl against an opponent. I really don't like bowling league with just our team there.

Our Wednesday league we have already bowled two weeks w/o an opponent. I believe we are on week 12 or 13. Hopefully we don't have many more of these.

[bowl1820]

For a full season (32+ weeks) I'm sure there are going to be times where your opponent is absent. Around the holidays, etc.

How often does this occur?

Honestly, I bowl league because I want to bowl against an opponent. I really don't like bowling league with just our team there.


It hasn't happened to us too often, maybe once or twice at most a season off and on.

bowling a team that's short one or two players has happened more often.

[foreverincamo]

We have a ghost team this year, yet we haven't bowled it yet. Our rules are in order to win a team must bowl within 90% of its team game average. Usually bowl a team that's gone a couple times a season due to holidays or golf vacations. I don't like it much

[ep1977]

In doubles leagues I've had it happen a couple of times and I loved it as it was a quick night. In 4 vs 4 leagues it has never happened to me. The closest was a team only had 2 guys as they had 2 brothers in Vegas together and there sub was also unavailable.

[zacks]

If I had my way, I wouldn't allow make-ups or pre-bowls. Bowl on league night or forfeit. Of course, that's not realistic so that will never happen except in very competitive leagues.

We do have a rule that you must notify 48 hours ahead of time if you are going to make-up. Most leagues you just have to notify the house (so it's basically not enforced since one could say, "I talked to so and so" and so and so never remembers), one of my leagues you must notify the other team's captain (which I like because it holds accountability and my team will know we aren't bowling anybody beforehand).

I did witness a team in one of my "notify the house" leagues threaten to protest a teams make-up scores because they had asked the house on league night if the other team had called to say they were making up to which the answer was "no". Of course the team making up said they called, but didn't know who they talked to, so nothing could be verified. I would have been behind the team threatening to protest, but with the he-said-she-said and the fact that one of the bowlers said he would have tried harder (cough...sandbagging?) I thought there was no merit to throwing out the other teams scores. That team ended up accepting the results, and I suggested the rules be enforced and if someone calls, the house needs to put a note in the league file. I'm sure it will keep happening.

[drlawsoniii]

My league has a rule that if there's a pre-bowl the entire team must pre bowl.

[J Anderson]

For a full season (32+ weeks) I'm sure there are going to be times where your opponent is absent. Around the holidays, etc.

How often does this occur?

Honestly, I bowl league because I want to bowl against an opponent. I really don't like bowling league with just our team there.

Our Wednesday league we have already bowled two weeks w/o an opponent. I believe we are on week 12 or 13. Hopefully we don't have many more of these.

Both of my leagues this season have an odd number of teams so I'll running into the blind frequently. One league tends to have a lot of people who miss bowling without getting a sub, but there is no pre or post bowling. The other one does have a few teams that like to pre-bowl before going on vacation.

[foreverincamo]

Our league voted in individual bowl-outs. USBC says the whole team must bowl out, but the league voted against it. I could have bowled out for the week I missed but didn't because it was a " round robin " night and we were in first and played the number 2 team. I didn't think it was fair to bowl out because if I got lined up and no one was there to alter my line or change my pace, I could throw a hi series and it didn't seem fair.
Our league takes 10 pins off your average as the score to use. We lost 5 points and won 2 that night and are now in 2nd place. My teammates weren't happy with me but it felt like it could cause some friction.

[AlexNC]

In a league with an odd number of teams so their is one week we bowl the vacant spot. Otherwise, we haven't had any weeks where a team didn't show or pre bowled.

[mc_runner]

When we have an odd number of teams, it usually works out once per half. There is no prebowling in one league, the other I'm in does it by person - although it's a very casual league. I can't remember a time when a whole team didn't show/prebowled against us but I know it has happened.

[LOUVIT]

I've heard pf pre-bowling. Is there where a person can bowl anytime before the league if they can't make it on league day? I honestly don't think it's that good of an idea. I for one know I bowl better when I'm alone and a much faster pace. Isn't this true for a lot of us?

[fordman1]

Lou prebowling is when a team or individual knows ahead of time that they won't be able to be there on bowling night and asks to prebowl. I don't know of many leagues that let individuals bowl post or pre it is always teams or nothing.

Someone mentioned bowling out. When we bowl out it is because something happened and they have to leave early or have to go to work before the normal ending time of the league. Usually say the last five frames or even the last game. They bounce back and forth between lanes after a bowler has bowled. The others on both teams should keep bowling just let the person jump in front every frame.

[LOUVIT]

Fordman, my league offers individual pre bowling, somone just has to be there to watch... That's what I feel is an advantage, fast pace and easier atmosphere IMO

[collinwho]

I've heard pf pre-bowling. Is there where a person can bowl anytime before the league if they can't make it on league day? I honestly don't think it's that good of an idea. I for one know I bowl better when I'm alone and a much faster pace. Isn't this true for a lot of us?

I usually bowl worse when I try to bowl on my own. If I'm pre-bowling alone, I have a tendency to rush things. Additionally, there is less time to recover between shots so I'm much more likely to follow up a bad shot with another bad shot. On a normal league night, the time between shots sitting a bull****ting with other bowlers is great for compartmentalizing each shot.


Lou prebowling is when a team or individual knows ahead of time that they won't be able to be there on bowling night and asks to prebowl. I don't know of many leagues that let individuals bowl post or pre it is always teams or nothing.

Individual pre-bowling is pretty common around here. It isn't allowed in every league, but it is allowed in a lot of them. Especially for winter leagues.

[LOUVIT]

I usually bowl worse when I try to bowl on my own. If I'm pre-bowling alone, I have a tendency to rush things. Additionally, there is less time to recover between shots so I'm much more likely to follow up a bad shot with another bad shot. On a normal league night, the time between shots sitting a bull****ting with other bowlers is great for compartmentalizing each shot.



Individual pre-bowling is pretty common around here. It isn't allowed in every league, but it is allowed in a lot of them. Especially for winter leagues.

Well as I said in a few other threads I have a woman on my team that seems to be there for a social event and not to bowl. her name is up there and the lane is empty and when she gets her ball she will look around for a while before she throws the ball. I am a person with no patients for that. There's plenty of time between shots to BS....Even when I bowl alone I sit after 2 frames I have respiratory issues and a bad back and she is still too slow for me lol . We are the last team out every week even if there's blinds....Grrrrrrr

[J Anderson]

Fordman, my league offers individual pre bowling, somone just has to be there to watch... That's what I feel is an advantage, fast pace and easier atmosphere IMO

Here is the USBC rule on Pre and Post Bowling:
Rule 111 – Pre-bowl/Postponements
111a. Types
Types of pre-bowls and postponements:
1. Bowling in direct opposition.
2. Team unopposed bowling: Permitted, unless the league adopts a rule prohibiting this type of
competition.
3. Individual unopposed bowling:
a. Adult leagues: Prohibited, unless the league rules state otherwise.
b. Youth Leagues: Permitted, unless the league rules state otherwise.
111b. Reason
A league cannot adopt a rule that would have the effect of not permitting any pre-bowling/
postponements. The league must grant a pre-bowl/postponement when the team is unable to field a
legal lineup for the following reasons:
1. Some of its bowlers are participating in the USBC Championships, state or local association
championship tournaments or attending an annual meeting.
2. There is sufficient cause.
3. An emergency situation.

Unless my league had a written rule expressly allowing unopposed individual pre-bowling, I would protest if any one were to do it.

[JasonNJ]

My Wed Mixed league allows pre-bowling and I usually pre-bowl about 2 or 3 times each year because of scheduled vacations and stuff. No one watches but my center confirms the scores for the league and I'm not allowed to make any corrections to the score unless I tell the front desk first.

[Jekyll & Hyde]

i know my one team will only bowl it at least 2x in 36 weeks season

[collinwho]

Oh, I can totally understand that. Yes, I like how team bowling slows me down a bit, but slowing down too much is also a big problem.

[LOUVIT]

My league is this afternoon and I feel like crap. I wish I pre bowled this week....lol