Okay:
In regards to handicap, As Capt Archer said in Star Trek Enterprise (Cease Fire episode): "someone once defined a compromise as a solution that neither side is happy with."
There is no truly fair handicap, Just the one everyone agrees to compromise on.
Going with ALL USBC sanctioned leagues being scratch. personally I wouldn't mind. But most likely sanctioned leagues would soon disappear as bowlers left for un-sanctioned leagues.
The lower averages would leave first for the un-sanctioned handicap leagues, which would then grow in size and prize money. The scratch bowlers left in the sanctioned leagues would soon follow, Because their leagues are now shrinking and bleeding money.
This is what happened to the sanctioned scratch leagues that we use to have in the past, The money dried up and the handicap leagues were huge with a lot prize money, so the scratch bowlers joined the handicap leagues figuring easy wins. Then the complaints about handicap began and are still on going.
Having divisions is okay in tournaments, But I doubt very much ever work for all leagues. Plus requiring every USBC sanctioned center to offer at least enough leagues to accommodate one league per division that would take up the entire center's lanes on one night That would never happen.
Also divisions would suffer basically the same problem as scratch and handicap leagues did. You would most likely have one division that was bigger than the rest, This would most likely be the division with the ave. joe bowler middle of the road averages.
The high average bowlers would want to be in that league or stay in that league because it would have all the money. Average management would then become rampant. Of course you would also be dividing up families and friends that want to bowl together.
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