League Starts Tonight

[grumpter]

I'm mostly excited but a little nervous as I have only been at this for 6 weeks (to the day). It's not nerves about performance but just the nerves of doing something I haven't done before (league play for bowling) and being paired up with 3 people I don't know. Do leagues usually get a few frames for practice or it is just show up and bowl? A few frames might help ease the excitement/nervousness a little bit.

As I was typing this I received an email that the Alley wants us to push back the start time by 1.5 hours to 8:30pm as they 'accidently' booked a party on our lanes. Ugh. Now I have an extra 1.5 hours of that excitement/nervousness to endure. Luckily I have a belated 'Xmas' party to attend after work. That should eat up a few hours and then I can always use the golf simulator to eat up some more time. Hitting some golf balls should help.

P.S. I assume playing music while bowling is not considered illegal? The reason I ask is it was 'illegal' according to the Rules of Golf until Jan 1 of this year. That didn't stop me from playing music while golfing.... except for league/tournament play.

[Amyers]

As far as warming up it can vary from league to league but most here have 10 minutes of open play to start you off before league starts so make sure your their a little early. Meeting new teammates is always an adventure.

Music can vary a lot. Some of my leagues it's not allowed period. One plays loud rock. I've seen about everything.

[boatman37]

Our league gets 10 minutes of warmups and a few really good bowlers just walk up and drop their first ball I guess just to stretch their arms or so see what the ball does. Not sure. Either way it's a pretty informal thing.
Our center plays music but you can barely hear it from all the other noise. If you want to play your own music your teammates and others around might not like it. We have a guy on our team that wears his headphones connected to his phone. He routes the cord up through his shirt so it doesn't get in his way but when he is at the table with us he pulls them out then pops them back in when he goes up for his turn.

Good luck!

[grumpter]

So then music is not illegal as far as the rules of bowling (though I understand a league may prohibit it)? I have Bone Conduction headphones so I can play music, no-one else can hear it and I can hear/converse normally. They seem like a pretty easy going bunch (everyone is in for a 1.5 hour late start on short notice tonight).

I was talking with one of my warehouse guys who I just found out bowls. He is saying something about a sanctioned bowlers card where I can go anywhere and pay only $2 per game?

[Amyers]

So then music is not illegal as far as the rules of bowling (though I understand a league may prohibit it)? I have Bone Conduction headphones so I can play music, no-one else can hear it and I can hear/converse normally. They seem like a pretty easy going bunch (everyone is in for a 1.5 hour late start on short notice tonight).

I was talking with one of my warehouse guys who I just found out bowls. He is saying something about a sanctioned bowlers card where I can go anywhere and pay only $2 per game?

If your wearing ear phones no one will care. it all varies by the house and the league. One of mine allows no music the other league plays loud stuff. generally the more serious the league is the less they allow music wise.

some leagues are sanctioned some aren't. You will have to talk to league secretary or president to find out. If they are you will be required to purchase a sanction card when you bowl. They vary in price by the area. Here $17-$20 dollars for the card plus league dues the card is good for a year. Some alleys offer a discount if you bowl league there price will depend on your alley.

[boatman37]

I pay 2.50/game when I'm practicing or just having fun

[grumpter]

League went well but I am TIRED today. By the time I got home and wound down I was only able to get about 4.5 hours of sleep. My teammates are about half my age, overly enthusiastic and fueled by alcohol. Only 1 of the 3 could be a potential problem if he doesn't tone it down just a little. I enjoyed the whole experience but he stepped over the line 3 times but luckily no-one in our league got too worked up over it even though they were a little annoyed at least twice. I can see it leading to problems if it continues.

There was no mention of a sanction card so I guess they are unsanctioned. Pretty informal but enjoyable. Looking forward to next week and a normal 7pm start time.

[chrono00]

If he keeps stepping over the line, give him a warning, then call the foul yourself. That takes out the other team getting annoying about it. Depending on the seriousness of league it might not Matter a ton.

Had a guy in summer league get a trash double when he slipped onto the lane and released it. Not like slide an inch over the line but like half his body on the lane. When trying to have the counter fix it, we were told since its summer its a “no foul” league. Which is complete bs. Like i get letting it slide if you just slide past a tad, but that was rediculous. And by the “no foul” rule, your essentially saying i can walk my ball down to the deck and just throw it from there since there are “no fouls”

[grumpter]

The line he stepped over was in relation to etiquette and sportsmanship. Monday morning we got an email that the league next to us were none too pleased which wasn't that unexpected. I half expected to get a complaint from the team we were playing against. This week they have us at the far end of the alley which is a good move. We are also playing against the team of the guy running the league which is another good move. I can't help but think the choice of opponent is not a coincidence.

[J Anderson]

The line he stepped over was in relation to etiquette and sportsmanship. Monday morning we got an email that the league next to us were none too pleased which wasn't that unexpected. I half expected to get a complaint from the team we were playing against. This week they have us at the far end of the alley which is a good move. We are also playing against the team of the guy running the league which is another good move. I can't help but think the choice of opponent is not a coincidence.

In leagues where the number of teams is known before the season starts, the schedule is set up according to a formula to try and make sure every team plays as many different teams as possible with the exception of having position rounds where 1 plays 2, 3 plays 4, etc. If that was the case it probably is just a coincidence. If the league secretary didn’t know the number of teams before the first night, he or she may have deliberately teaked things to put you away from the other league and on a pair where they can resond to any misbehavior promptly.

[chrono00]

The line he stepped over was in relation to etiquette and sportsmanship. Monday morning we got an email that the league next to us were none too pleased which wasn't that unexpected. I half expected to get a complaint from the team we were playing against. This week they have us at the far end of the alley which is a good move. We are also playing against the team of the guy running the league which is another good move. I can't help but think the choice of opponent is not a coincidence.

What was the behavior

[fordman1]

I am a little confused. When you say over the line do you mean he stepped over the FOUL line or was acting like a fool?

[J Anderson]

I am a little confused. When you say over the line do you mean he stepped over the FOUL line or was acting like a fool?

As I read the post it looks like he was acting likea fool. The only foul involved might be language.

[grumpter]

1) In warm-ups he did not wait for the lanes on each side to be clear. One of the players in the other league said something, in not the kindest way, and 'our' guy gave him a bit of attitude but from then on observed proper etiquette on that matter.
2) A few times he trash talked a guy on the team we were playing against. If they knew each other I would understand but they had just met. As more alcohol was added the trash talk escalated.
3) He tried to distract one of the other teams bowlers as the guy was preparing to make his approach. The guy from the other team did an amazing job of ignoring him.

He was a bit loud and animated but that part didn't bother me too much if done at the right time. I think he might have a bit of A.D.D. but not sure.

[chrono00]

Yea trash talk and distracting on purpose are definite problems. Some friendly trashy talk when you know everyone is fine.

As far as lane etiquette...its warm ups...get over it. I generally observe a lane curtesy during warmups, mostly out of habit, but i’ve Probably bowled at the same time as others a few times or had others do it to me. As long as it doesn’t happen during actual game play it doesn’t matter to me.

I would have more of an issue with number of turns taken in warmups. Most leagues I’ve done is one ball, strike, gutter, whatever, next guy up. If someone was taking two turns while everyone was taking one, then i’d Probably say something....unless it was a 10 pin leave, everyone asks to take the second shot at the ten pen occasionally lol

[grumpter]

The other league was in the middle of a game while we were in warm-ups.

[fordman1]

He should get a warning and the next time he does it he should be kicked out of the league. Play by the rules or you are out the door.
What a total a** H***.

[boatman37]

We have a guy that barely waits for you. I have seen near misses because a bowler gets off balance at the line and the other guy is just about to release his ball. Seems he waits till you are on about your 2nd or 3rd step then he starts. This is a veteran league bowler so he should know better. I did notice lately that he now releases his ball about 5' before the line now. Doubt there is any connection there as I don't see somebody changing their whole game just cause they didn't want to wait an extra 15 seconds. I know when we bowl next to him and we are both up I just step back and let him go. BTW-his average is about 207 even with him releasing the ball that far before the foul line

[grumpter]

He should get a warning and the next time he does it he should be kicked out of the league. Play by the rules or you are out the door.
What a total a** H***.

We, the team, already got a warning per my mention of the email Monday morning. It's a beer league, his first time playing in a league and he is young. I'm not ready to start calling him names that need asterisks. He is actually amusing when toned down a notch. If he can learn when and where things are appropriate he will be fine.

[fordman1]

There are rules and there are unwritten rules. You don't try to distract a bowler when he is starting his approach. I can not believe he wasn't expelled or in a fight. There is no way he could get away with that in either of my leagues.

[grumpter]

I'm glad I'm in a league that starting a fight didn't even cross anyone's mind. It's a beer league meant to be competitive but fun. Hopefully tomorrow night things are put in line with the player.

[grumpter]

My guys bowled much better tonight but by the third game our problem guy was messy, loud, obnoxious etc. Next week I am going to try to talk him into not starting in on the drinking until the second game and hopefully no shots until well into the 3rd game.

[mc_runner]

Good luck. That's not always an easy conversation to have, but it sounds like you... or someone... certainly needs to have it.