spitmemphis.com - SPIT Rules

SPIT 2023 TOURNAMENT RULES
1. SPIT (St. Patrick’s Invitational Tournament) is an USBC certified tournament and maintains a Moral Support Certification for non-members of USBC. In part, the Moral Support Certification permits the use of FIQ recognized league averages and tournament scores to determine a bowlers entering average for the tournament. All participants are subject to the USBC rules and jurisdiction for the event. The tournament is a mixed handicap competition open to men and women by invitation only.
2. All participants must be a member of IGBO or qualify under the Moral Support Certification. If the participant is not a member of USBC, he or she must pay the appropriate participation fee of $5.00 in accordance to Rule 300C of USBC.
3. If the participant is not a member of IGBO, in any of its membership classes, he or she must become an IGBO Associate Member and pay the appropriate Associate Membership fee. The participant shall have the opportunity to apply for Associate Membership at the time of registration.
Event Participation
4. The tournament events shall be handicap events and are as follows: Singles, Doubles, Team and Individual All-Events. Optional Scratch and Scratch Masters events will also be offered.
5. Each participant shall bowl three (3) games per event and must enter all three events. Individual All Events will be the aggregate of all 9 regular games bowled during the Tournament. Any games not bowled during regular tournament play will be scored as zero for the purpose of All-Events. Teams will consist of four (4) members comprising any combination of men and women. Men and women will compete on an equal basis. Doubles partners must come from the same team.
6. Each participant may only bowl once in each event.
7. A professional bowler may not bowl in SPIT. A professional bowler is defined as any person who has been a “card-carrying” member of a professional bowling organization within the past twelve months preceding SPIT.
Awards and Prizes
8. All cash awards shall be based on the Total Pins PLUS assigned handicap for each event (with exception of the Optional Scratch Divisions). Awards will be given, in the Handicap Division, for the best Singles, Doubles, Team, and Individual All Events.
9. The award ratio for the Handicap Division shall be at a minimum of at least 1:8.
10. Special Awards shall be given for male and female, scratch & handicap for the Best Single Game (from any of the events), Best Three (3) Game Series (from any of the events). A participant cannot receive more than one special award. If the participant qualifies for more than one special award, the scratch award will take priority before handicap and series before game.
11. The award ratio for the Optional Scratch Divisions shall be at a minimum of at least 1:8 per division.
12. Prizes will be distributed via check payable in US currency within thirty (30) days of the completion of the tournament, barring any protests. A tie in any position will result in the sum of the prizes being aggregated for the tied positions and divided equally by the number of ties for that placing.
13. 100% of the entry fee from each division in the Optional Scratch Divisions shall be returned to that division and 100% of the entry fee shall be returned for Scratch Masters (less lineage for the games, unless a sponsor is found to offset the cost of the Scratch Masters lineage).
Entering Averages
14. Any bowler entering SPIT 2023 must have established a ten-pin average acceptable to USBC. The following rules shall be used to determine the entering average:
1. The league average as of January 31, 2023. If competing in more than one league, the bowler MUST submit the COMPOSITE AVERAGE of all leagues bowled, even if a league has less than 21 games bowled (example of computing composite average is available on www.bowl.com)
2. If “a” is not available, the 2021-22 book composite average from all leagues bowled.
3. If “a” or “b” Is not available, use the highest 2022 summer league composite average, minimum 21 games, providing the summer league meets USBC criteria.
4. If neither “a”, “b” or “c” is not available, use the composite 2020-21 season composite average
5. If none of the above is available, entering average shall be 225.
  The above averages must be verified by the use of:
  1. Online league verification sheet, or
  2. League standing sheet, signed and dated by a league officer
  3. Letter from league president or secretary
6. For individuals that have previously bowled in SPIT and anot currently in a league or bowled recently, you may contact the tournament committee for an average exception in which case we will research your last available bowl.com average for use in this event. Exceptions submitted and approved are at the discretion of the tournament committee and must be submitted with bowler registration.

15. If no average per rule 14, then the entering average shall be determined by the tournament committee.

16. Averages will be verified on leaguesecretary.com (or equivalent) and www.bowl.com database. Correct USBC number must be provided on entry form. Any averages that are unavailable or inaccurate on these sites must be noted in the comments section of entry form, with separate verification provided by the league secretary (letter or standing sheet as of February 1, 2023). It is the entrant's responsibility to supply complete and accurate information.

If a bowler has a current tournament average (comprised of a minimum of 21 games bowled during the 12-months immediately preceding the official start date of this tournament) that is one or more pins higher than their Entering Average, they must use the higher tournament average as their entering average. It is the bowler’s responsibility to report ALL tournament scores that are relevant in calculating their current tournament average. Failure to report this information may result in AUTOMATIC disqualification and loss of all prize winnings – subject to Tournament Management discretion.

17. The handicap for the tournament shall be based at 90% of the difference between the bowler’s entering average, as determined above, and a scratch score of 225. Negative handicaps shall not apply.
18. The tournament committee has the authority to adjust the entering average of any bowler. Average adjustments will be applied as set forth under USBC rules. All average adjustments will be completed prior to the start of each event. A bowler unwilling to accept an average adjustment is entitled to a full refund for that event.
19. USBC rules regarding the BOWLER’S responsibility to verify the accuracy of his/her entering average, whether submitted by the bowler, the team captain, or other, applies to all bowlers. Failure to use proper average shall disqualify scores if the submitted average is lower than the actual average, thereby resulting in a lower classification or more handicap. Prize winnings shall be based on the higher average if it is higher than the entering average.
Attendance and Substitutes
20. It is solely and entirely the bowler’s responsibility to be present at the assigned lanes at the time of bowling. Each bowler shall have the total responsibility to arrive in time to bowl. Mechanical failures, transportation irregularities, improper directions and related reasons DO NOT alter the application of Rules 21 and 22 below (USBC rules will apply).
21. Complete doubles and team entrants must be present for bowling each event. If a team member is not present, the team
may use an authorized substitute (Rule 26). If no substitute is available, a zero score will be used for the missing bowler or bowlers.
22. Late bowlers will begin bowling in the frame in which they are ready, with prior frames being scored as zero. No practice balls will be allowed for late bowlers.
23. Substitutes may bowl at the discretion of the tournament committee. Their entering average must comply with the rules previously stated. Substitutes must complete an entry form. USBC fees must be paid if applicable.
24. Ten minutes of practice will be allowed prior to each event.
Entry Requirements
25. The $125 entry fee is payable in US funds, made payable to SPIT. Personal Checks are only acceptable by January 31, 2023 after which the entry fee is payable by ONLY BY MONEY ORDER, CERTIFIED CHECK, CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL. An early bird entry fee of $115 is available through January 31, 2023. The standard entry fee deadline is February 28, 2023. After this date, a $10 late fee will be added to the entry fee. No entries will be accepted after March 6^th 2023. Entry fees must be paid by the March 6th deadline. All completed entries including payment will have consideration over unpaid entries. Entries can be made online or via paper. Paper entries are to be mailed to the SPIT tournament address:
SPIT
c/o Chris Funke
68 S Mendenhall Rd.
Memphis, TN 38117
PAPER ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN the deadline of March 1, 2023. Entries are limited to 152 bowlers. Once this maximum has been reached, a waiting list will be created. Entrants’ acceptance will be based on the order in which received. Once an entry has been accepted, refunds will only be issued at the Tournament Committee’s discretion.
30.00 Lineage
40.00 Banquet
0.75 IGBO
14.00 Trophies
5.00 Tournament Expenses
35.25 Prize Fund
125.00 Entry Fee
26. Partial team entries will be accepted and the tournament committee will make every effort to fill vacancies.
Scoring Errors
27. After a score has been recorded, it cannot be changed unless there has been an obvious error in scoring or calculation. Obvious errors must be corrected by a tournament official immediately upon discovery. Questionable errors must be reported to a tournament official within two (2) hours of the error, and will be decided by tournament committee. (USBC Rule 328).
Protests
28. Protests and appeals must be in writing, stating the grounds for the protest or appeal.
a. A protest involving eligibility or playing rules must be filed with the tournament management before tournament prizes are paid.
b. The decision of the tournament committee shall be final unless a written appeal is filed with the local association or USBC headquarters prior to tournament prizes being paid. Upon notification of a protest or appeal, tournament committee must withhold all affected prizes until the protest or appeal is resolved.
29. All other USBC rules will apply.
30. Any person attending and requiring special needs MUST notify the tournament management in writing.
31. The team captain MUST sign the entry form acknowledging he/she has read the rules.
32. Optional Scratch and Scratch Masters Events

Optional Scratch Competition will be offered to all participants using 5 divisions as determined by entering average (see Rule 17). An additional fee is required.
The Optional Scratch divisions shall be as follows:
1. Division A: Averages 195 and above
2. Division B: Averages 175 to 194
3. Division C: Averages 155 to 174
4. Division D: Averages 135 to 154
5. Division E: Averages 134 and below
Scores used for the Optional Scratch Competition shall be those games (without handicap) as bowled in the handicap events of the tournament.

Optional Scratch Rules
Optional Scratch entry fee is $20 for all divisions. Scratch scores (without handicap) from the handicap portion of the tournament will be used to determine winners. The winner of the optional scratch for each division shall be determined by the Highest Scratch All Events (from the nine game total of all three events). The award ratio for the Optional Scratch Divisions shall be at a minimum of at least 1:8 per division. 100% of the entry fee from each division in the Optional Scratch Divisions shall be returned to that division.
Scratch Masters Rules
Scratch Masters Entry fees varies by division as follows: A $50, B $40, C $35, D $30, E $25. Scratch scores from the first 6 games of SPIT (singles and doubles) will be used to determine the top 6 qualifiers in each division. In case of a tie for sixth place, the bowler with the highest three game series from any event will be the sixth bowler. Six bowlers must enter the division to conduct the Scratch Masters for that division. If six bowlers do not enter a given division, the event for that division will be cancelled and the entry fee for each bowler returned. Scratch Masters will be an Elimination Event. All bowlers from the same division will bowl on the same pair of lanes for each game. The bowler with the lowest score in each game will automatically be eliminated. Each game will subsequently have one less bowler, until the final game will be between the remaining two bowlers of that division. The highest score in the final game will determine the winner for the division. If a tie occurs for the lowest score, no one will be eliminated until the next game is bowled. The 2 bowlers with the lowest scores will be eliminated in that following game. If a tie occurs between the 2 finalists on the last game, a three-frame roll-off will occur (and subsequent frames if necessary) to determine the winner.
The Scratch Masters will start practice immediately starting after the Team Event on Sunday afternoon. Check in for qualifiers will be immediately after the Team Event. ALL QUALIFIERS MUST CHECK IN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING BOWLING THE TEAM EVENT, OTHERWISE HIS/HER QUALIFING POSITION WILL BE GIVEN AT THAT TIME TO THE HIGHEST QUALIFING ALTERNATE BOWLER IN-HOUSE. NO EXCEPTIONS. If a qualifying bowler does not check in on time but no alternates (who entered scratch masters in that division) are in-house and available to bowl, that bowler will still be allowed to bowl as long as he/she is in- house by the start of the first game. Once the first ball is thrown in competition, missing bowlers will not be allowed to join at that point. The two finalists in each division will earn the entire prize fund unless 13 or more entries for a division are submitted, in which case, a 1:6 distribution will apply.

Any bowler entering the IGBO Annual Tournament must use a ten-pin average acceptable to USBC. The following rules shall be used to determine the entering average:
a)	The league average as of December 31 of 2022 with a minimum of 21 games. If competing in more than one league, the bowler MUST submit the COMPOSITE AVERAGE of all leagues bowled, even if a league has less than 21 games bowled.
b)	If “a” is not available, use the 2021/2022 book average (minimum 21 games). If competed in more than one league, the bowler MUST submit the COMPOSITE AVERAGE of all leagues bowled, even if a league has less than 21 games bowled.
c)	If neither “a” or “b” is available, use the 2022 final summer league average (minimum 21 games). If competed in more than one league, the bowler MUST submit the COMPOSITE AVERAGE of all leagues bowled, even if a league has less than 21 games bowled.
d)	If neither “a”, “b” or “c” is available, a current season average (minimum 21 games) as of April 1, 2023 will be accepted. If competing in more than one league, the bowler MUST submit the COMPOSITE AVERAGE of all leagues bowled, even if a league has less than 21 games bowled.
e)	Non-certified bowlers shall use a minimum average of 130 and must submit all league averages and tournament scores (12-months immediately preceding the entry cut-off date) for possible average adjustment.
f)	If none of the scenarios above are applicable, then the entering average shall be equal to the Tournament Scratch Score (see Rule 19).
g)	The above averages MUST be verified using:

TAD (igbo.org), OR leaguesecretary.com, OR bowl.com, OR photocopy of book average with year noted, signed and dated by League Officer.
h)	Averages from “Sports Condition” leagues are not acceptable at any time.

2.	The Tournament Scratch Score will be set equal to the highest entering average (rounded up to the nearest 5) as of the entry cut-off date for the tournament. Should a substitution and/or bowler replacement be necessary after the entry cut-off date, the Tournament Scratch Score will NOT be affected.
3.	The per-game handicap for the tournament shall be based at 100% of the difference between the bowler’s entering average and the Tournament Scratch Score. Negative handicaps shall not apply.

USBC rules regarding the BOWLER’S responsibility to verify the accuracy of their entering average, whether submitted by the bowler, the team captain, or any other individual, applies to all bowlers. Failure to use proper average shall disqualify scores if the submitted average is lower than the actual average, thereby resulting in a lower classification or more handicap. Event placement and/or prize winnings shall be based on the higher average should the submitted average prove to be higher than the bowler’s actual average.

Average Adjustment

The tournament management has the authority to adjust the entering average of any bowler. Average adjustments will be applied as set forth under USBC rules. All average adjustments will be completed prior to the start of each event. A bowler unwilling to accept an average adjustment is entitled to a full refund for that event.

If a bowler has a current tournament average (comprised of a minimum of 21 games bowled during the 12-months immediately preceding the official start date of this tournament) that is one or more pins higher than their Entering Average, they must use the higher tournament average as their entering average. It is the bowler’s responsibility to report ALL tournament scores that are relevant in calculating their current tournament average. Failure to report this information may result in AUTOMATIC disqualification and loss of all prize winnings – subject to Tournament Management discretion.