Would you bowl in a league like this?

[swingset]

My brother and I were talking the other day by phone. He travels and used to be a very good bowler. He was lamenting the sad state leagues were in where he lives, and wishing there was a better place for him to bowl and more time. It got us talking about things, and since the "Dying sport" thread, I think it inspired me and we dreamed up what we think would be a really cool league that addresses some of what's wrong with the modern game. I don't think one answer can fix everything, certainly not tournaments or the PBA, but I think a new take on the "fun" leagues might shake things up for houses and bring in bowlers who are on the fence or shut out of being able to join leagues.

Here's the main ideas behind this league.

10 week league, ran quarterly. Spring, summer, fall, winter. This allows people to pick and choose their time of the year without a long commitment. Also allows you to bowl 9 months out of the year, or 6, or 3...with several weeks in between the leagues.

2-man teams, mix of men or women. This allows ease of establishment. Much easier to find one partner than 3, and much easier to do if you're not tied to having 2 women, or 1, or whatever. This also favors bowlers who can't find any partners...super easy to build teams out of single bowler stragglers, only need one more person to make a team. If you have 4 buddies that bowl, this is not a detriment....you make 2 teams of your 4 friends, and even bowl against each other. Have 6 guys? Great, 3 teams.

Fast paced, 2 on 2 action. Some people like to socialize (which my league will address, in a way), but then others get bored and find the 4 and 5 man team leagues dull when you bowl, in actuality, very little. This will be quicker paced, you'll get more bowling in, and in a shorter amount of time. You'll get more bang for your buck, read on.

Competitive, but designed to downplay unfriendly competition. This is where I think this league might be revolutionary, or different from most in that it combines elements of scratch leagues, elements of tournaments, elements of fun and social leagues and even gambling leagues.

So, here's the format...bear with me, it's not that complicated.

The first three games of the league are USBC-sanctioned 2 on 2 scratch games. No handicap, so that elminates one sticking point of leagues. Oh, but that'll discourage new bowlers or the not-so-good right? Well, not necessarily....because there's essentially nothing on the line. The 10-week scratch doubles portion of the league offers nothing in prizes, no cash, no perks. Bragging rights only. You're bowling for a pat on the back and some self-respect, but remember it's built to downplay unfriendly competition. If you are a great team, congrats you win. If you're not so good, you're a mid-pack league and you have something to work for. If you're a lousy team, well it wasn't about winning money anyway.

So, you've bowled 3 games, but that didn't take long at all. What now? Well, how about we bowl two more but with a twist? Now is where the fun comes in...and the money.

Your lineage is paid weekly, and the remainder of the dues are paid each week into a pot. When you pay, you also draw out a number from a bowl. At the end of your 3 game sanctioned league games, you look at your number and it will correspond to a lane. You move to that lane (waiting for all lanes to clear, here's a good chance for socializing and BS about what's coming next). Someone else on the league has drawn the same lane as you, as well the two numbers from your opposing lanes. So, for the next two games you are paired with a random bowler, as is your competition.

You bowl these last two games in baker format - but by the ball not by the frame, with your new "teammate". You roll every other ball, in a game against two other bowlers doing the same. If your partner strikes, you roll the next frame's opening ball. If you leave a split, your partner shoots to pick it up or vice versa...until the game is completed. Then, you bowl a second game the same style. Essentially, in a league night, a single bowler will roll 4 games of bowling in a normal league night, but racking up 5 games of scores.

The idea behind this 2-game bonus is to mix things up, but it also has a real and positive social effect on a league of mixed bowlers. You will, every week, be forced to meet & get to know the rest of the league...either as a partner, or an opponent. Someone you were trying desperately to beat a game ago is now your ally...and it will be interesting and challenging to bowl their first ball, or clean up their frames. You'll work together with someone who you might not have even talked to in a traditional league, and I think it will make the league more fun, more social, and deter the bickering and discord of competition (while still competing just the same). Yes, I can imagine some bowlers initial apprehension at being paired with strangers, but I think these are nerves that would be calmed and the fun might even come in your team comparing how you're doing with your "new" partners, or winks or nods across the lanes checking out who your wife got saddled with, verses your team, whatever. In any case, I think it would add a whole new layer to your typical league...and would seldom be dull.

It's also a good mini-clinic for bowlers. Think about it. If you're good, you're on a new pair with an unknown bowler or someone whose style doesn't match your own. That's a challenge, on many levels. It's also a great way to help new players, and for the new or intermediate guys it's a great chance to play weekly with someone whose skill is better than yours, to play up to their game, to learn from them, and all under the shelter of a goof-off game instead of cutt-throat competition. I think it would inspire bowlers to be better, and for better bowlers to welcome other bowlers to a more serious game.

So where does the cash come in? Well, here again is a change to the traditional long, wait-all-winter-for-not-much payout. This will pay bowlers each week, in interesting and fun ways. If the center is able, colored pins could be mixed in to the baker games to allow cash prizes for strikes with colored pins. Or, a "bingo" style board could be revealed after the games are completed for payouts...let's say a board with 140, 183 and 245 on them gets revealed. Any team that hit these numbers as their final game score would win cash prizes. Or, teams with the most spare conversions would win a cash prize, or highest game with fewest strikes, or maybe a "surprise" cash payout for standing. One week it pays $200 to the winning team. The next week $200 to the 7th ranked team, maybe the next week $200 to the last place team. You never know. I haven't flushed out all the potential awards here, but the idea is to make these last games fun, light-hearted and more like a casino than a tournament. Maybe even dividing the weekly pot into two sums, payouts (for small cash prizes like I listed) and a large 50/50 that's drawn each week.

I think this also compliments the ADD generation a bit more than the long standing, somewhat stale league format that doesn't seem to appeal to many bowlers. A short league, fast paced play, cash payouts, and more flexibility with team and skill would certainly be something I'd sign up for in a heartbeat. I have to think I'm not alone, so you tell me - would you bowl in a league like this? I am thinking very hard about putting something like this together, if I can get some help locally from the more established bowlers. What do you think?

Vote in the poll if you like.

[Judy clemons]

i would be willing to give it a go.

[bowl1820]

Commenting on all this long post all at one time would be time consuming. So I'll start here with this part.

You bowl these last two games in baker format - but by the ball not by the frame, with your new "teammate". You roll every other ball, in a game against two other bowlers doing the same. If your partner strikes, you roll the next frame's opening ball. If you leave a split, your partner shoots to pick it up or vice versa...until the game is completed. Then, you bowl a second game the same style. Essentially, in a league night, a single bowler will roll 4 games of bowling in a normal league night, but racking up 5 games of scores.

That has nothing to do with a baker format, it's called a "Scotch Doubles" format a lot places have leagues and tournaments that do it.

If you want a league idea

Try a "Team versus Field" format, this one rarely seen.
In this your team plays all the teams in the league at one time. Here you receive points (usually 1) for each team you beat in the league.
Example: If your league has 12 teams, the maximum amount of points per game you could win is 11.

[J Anderson]

Definitely worth trying. I love the idea of ten week seasons. I've been hearing people complain that 36 weeks is too long for at least 20 years. I'm not thrilled about the doubles format. It is great for those who take their bowling seriously, letting them get into a rhythm and keep their focus. Those who are more socially oriented may be frustrated having to bowl three games before getting a chance to chat. I think the mixer idea is cool but I think my wife wouldn't like it. I'm not a gambler. While I am willing to 'bet' the money that I pay into a prize fund that I'll bowl well enough to get a good chunk of it back, to bet on matching some random number isn't something I'd normally do.

Ohio's a bit too far for me to travel every week, even if it is only a 10 week season, otherwise you could sign me up now.

[bowl1820]

Here's the main ideas behind this league.

10 week league, ran quarterly.
Scheduling is okay, there are leagues that use variation of this now. We have a senor league here that does basically this.

2-man teams, mix of men or women.
Fast paced, 2 on 2 action.
Okay that's called a Doubles league, they typically have a 4 game format already.

Competitive, but designed to downplay unfriendly competition.
A doubles league using a 4 game format (3 scratch and 1 scotch doubles game).

We had a 3 men scratch league here that used almost the same format 3 games followed by a Baker game.

Your lineage is paid weekly, and the remainder of the dues are paid each week into a pot
leagues that do this now.


When you pay, you also draw out a number from a bowl.
Drawing for lanes assignments has been done, I cant remember the name of the formats that used right off hand. But it's not unheard of, though you run the risk of having to bowl the same team multiple times or some teams not at all depending on how the draw goes.

This will pay bowlers each week
There are leagues that do this now, mostly the ones that use short schedules.

So where does the cash come in? etc. etc. etc.
There are already colored pin leagues (these are unsanctioned league though, do to colored pins being illegal to use in sanction games.)

And of course most all of those payouts are being use in the weekly "Jackpot/Moonlight/Pot'O Gold etc." bowling done at a lot of house's.
Which is basically what you are suggesting a Jackpot bowling league. Which I think we had around one time.

(Note: 50/50's you have to look out, many states/counties have gaming laws that 50/50's can violate and you can get arrested. Also 50/50's ran by a sanctioned league can violate USBC gambling rules)

I guess what I see is none of this is really new. It's being done in one forum or another now or has been done.

[mxjosh]

I'd do it as a fun league but I wouldnt give up my main scratch league if they fell on same night. The reason i would only bowl it as a fun league is that the randomness of the awards would undermine all the work i put into bowling. I'd prefer to be rewarded however delayed, for my accomplishments. U may get bowlers like me who are paired up with their wives who are not very good cause they wanna bowl socially. But im not sure I see it pulling good bowlers away from the more traditional boring format.

It could attract new bowlers if they werent overwhelmed by the complexness of it. Or if u get a couple competitive people that are not patient with new bowlers. Could make people feel like high school again. "Great, I got paired with so and so, im not gonna do good tonight."

[Perrin]

There is a local league that does something similar.

Each lane has 2 people assigned. A-B-C-D
Game 1 A is teamed with B
Game 2 A is teamed with C
Game 3 A is teamed with D

Everyones scratch and handicap series is calculated.
Game 4 High handicap series is partnered with Low handicap series.

each player get 5 points per team win. and point for total handicap 4 game team series (4-3-2-1)

a person can win from 1 to 24 points in this format. It's alot of fun and very social no point messing with someone when they will be bowling with you next game or next week.

[swingset]

That has nothing to do with a baker format, it's called a "Scotch Doubles" format a lot places have leagues and tournaments that do it.

Interesting, never seen any around me do it hence my ignorance...but ok it has a name so that's easier to do than explain it.

[swingset]

Definitely worth trying. I love the idea of ten week seasons. I've been hearing people complain that 36 weeks is too long for at least 20 years. I'm not thrilled about the doubles format. It is great for those who take their bowling seriously, letting them get into a rhythm and keep their focus. Those who are more socially oriented may be frustrated having to bowl three games before getting a chance to chat. I think the mixer idea is cool but I think my wife wouldn't like it. I'm not a gambler. While I am willing to 'bet' the money that I pay into a prize fund that I'll bowl well enough to get a good chunk of it back, to bet on matching some random number isn't something I'd normally do.

I wouldn't consider it gambling, per se, most leagues are lineage+league fees. In this the lineage is kept by the house, the rest that would normally go towards a banquet prizes or cash outs is given as prizes each week on the spot. This is to encourage weekly participation, and discourage cutt-throat competition to "cash out".

Again, not for everyone this isn't an idea for serious leagues but to get more people into leagues who might otherwise not bowl. Having prize money nearly guaranteed to go to someone else doesn't usually get the new league bowlers or the casual guy looking to move up a huge incentive as far as what his weekly dues buys him.

My interest is much more in trying to get more people bowling than satisfy those super serious few who are already entrenched, but I also realize I have to appeal to both - on some level. I am not proposing a league like this to replace traditional scratch leagues, or tournaments, or even social leagues for people who want to sit and gab for 4 1/2 hours, but I know that bowlers like me exist because I talk to them online or at my local house, and they're wanting something different.

[swingset]

To clarify some things:

Okay that's called a Doubles league, they typically have a 4 game format already.

A doubles league using a 4 game format (3 scratch and 1 scotch doubles game).

Mine isn't a 4-game format, it's a 3-game doubles with your normal team plus a 2-game scotch doubles...with who you draw.

I guess what I see is none of this is really new. It's being done in one forum or another now or has been done.

You're telling me that parts of my idea are already being done. I know some of that, and figured the rest. I'm not trying to reinvent the game of bowling, just put together a league that eliminates many of the problems normal people have with joining them....time, pace, long waits, no hope to earn prizes, difficulty in finding partners, etc.

If someone has done a league like this, not vaguely like it but the same format, then I am glad to hear that my idea is a retread. Hell, point me to the house that it's done at....I might move there.

The prize/payouts are nothing I'm setting in stone, and in fact I'd love to hear more ideas on how to make the "extra" part of the league work in that regards. 50/50's are done here regularly, I'm not sure of the legality but they have been running unimpeded for years.