score change cheater

[thwacking]

We had a guy change his score tonight. He was questioned about it by the other team when they saw him do it without giving the courtesy of informing the other team captain which we always have done. Most score corrections are initiated by the other team's captain making eye contact with the person but this change was deliberately done in the 10th frame when the other team was not paying attention to what was happening. At the time, it would have been easy to make it look like he was watching recaps of his game instead of tinkering with the outcome. But since he got nailed changing a 9 to an X, his team had to vacate all three wins, the cheat will be suspended a minimum of two weeks, and his reinstatement after that will depend on a league vote. Also, he has been disqualified from receiving any postseason awards, and at most may receive the last place level "prize money" (less $50 for remaining dues outstanding) which is essentially forfeiting any increases which he may not have been entitled to.

I have two questions.

His team will have a vacant during the suspension, but not sure about using his blind score there (215 with HDCP) during the suspension for two weeks, but then will have an automatic 225 if he is not allowed to return after that because this would constitute a roster change. And the team should really not have to be punished for his cheating. Our league rules allow for teams with a vacant to have no penalty if the roster position is permanently vacated, so I think I'm scoring that correctly. Just making sure our league rules jive with usbc's prescribed manual.

I hate to be in this position because in my entire 8 years of sanctioned bowling I have NEVER had to blacklist anyone for rulebreaking but this is not something they teach in the usbc training manual. Do I have to call up usbc and let them investigate and issue down the excommunication of sanctions? Or does this guy get off with a warning for first time offenders, suspension from our league, and is allowed to join summer leagues if he wants?

[bowl1820]

In this your best bet is to email the rules dept. and ask how to handle the situation.

For Rules of the game and disputes: Email address is rules@bowl.com

[Blacksox1]

Wow this guy is some piece of work. I hope thwacking gives him a strong punishment. Please update the thread with new progress.

[Hampe]

Wow...not sure about USBC rules, but it does seem wrong to punish the team for something the guy did. Do they have a sub they could put in for the guy while he's suspended? That seems the most fair to me; suspend the guy two weeks but let the team play with a sub. I wouldn't punish the team until a second infraction of the rules.

[thwacking]

Wow...not sure about USBC rules, but it does seem wrong to punish the team for something the guy did. Do they have a sub they could put in for the guy while he's suspended? That seems the most fair to me; suspend the guy two weeks but let the team play with a sub. I wouldn't punish the team until a second infraction of the rules.

Thanks for the suggestions. Subs are eligible but if no one steps in, a vacancy will be used. The 10 pin penalty was not for the infraction itself, but for the normal procedure used when a vacancy is created by a missing member of the team. The team has accepted.