Rules
Handicap Tournament Rules
- The California Spring Classic, hereafter referred to as CSC, is sponsored by the California Spring Classic Association. The CSC is open to participants by invitation only. The CSC is a mixed handicap competition sanctioned by USBC, and will adhere to USBC Rules and Regulations. Any issues not covered by these or USBC Rules will be resolved by a Tournament Director. The CSC is a member of IGBO.
- All participants are required to hold current 2022/2023 USBC memberships.
- All participants are required to be either:
- A participant of an IGBO Member League
- An IGBO Direct Associate (the cost is $25 and allows you to bowl in any IGBO Tournament for one year)
- All bowling is at Forest Lanes in Lake Forest, California.
- The Handicap Tournament events shall be Team, Singles, and Doubles. Each participant shall bowl three games per event and must enter all three events. Teams shall consist of four members. Doubles partners must come from the same team. Each participant may bowl only once in each event.
- Each participant in the tournament must have an established average acceptable to USBC. Please submit the highest of A, B, C or D. If you have additional information you feel will help us determine a fair entering average for you, particularly if you have not bowled a league during the previous two years for any reason, please include an explanation in the Notes section when registering. If you don't have an average from A, B, C, or D, please select E and include any information helpful toward establishing an entering average for you in the Notes section. A score equivalent to the highest entering average will only be used in the event no averages are available and there is no reasonable method to determine a fair entering average for the bowler. The final decision regarding the determination of any bowler's entering average is at the sole discretion of a Tournament Director.
- A - Current League Average 1 as of December 31, 2022
- B - Current IGBO tournament average (TAD)2
- C - USBC 2021/2022 Average3
- D - USBC 2020/2021 Average3
- E - None, or an average equivalent to the highest entering average (currently 239)
1 Highest. Minimum of 21 games is required. Includes USBC sanctioned and non-USBC sanctioned leagues.
2 Minimum of 18 games is required during the one year period from April 1, 2022 to April 1, 2023.
3 Includes Standard, Sport and Challenge Averages. Sport and Challenge Averages converted to Standard using the
USBC
Conversion Chart If a Sports and/or Challenge Average exists, Final Entering Average will calculated as a weighted average of all
available USBC averages.
- Bowlers are required to adjust their entering average if, during the 12-month period immediately preceding CSC, the cumulative average for all, but not less than, 21 tournament games in which the bowler has participated, exceeds the average used for entry by ten (10) or more pins. It is the bowler’s responsibility to submit this adjustment, in writing, before the end of the first frame of tournament play. Failure to accurately report these scores shall be cause for disqualification and forfeiture of entry fees and prize winnings if discovered; regardless of whether the discovery is before, during or after tournament play.
- It shall be the responsibility of each bowler to verify their average, whether submitted by the bowler, team captain or others. Entering averages must be verified by either:
- USBC Averages listed on bowl.com
- IGBO TAD listed on tad.igbo.org
- PDF of League Standing Sheet(s) including league secretary's name and phone number.
- Failure to provide proper documentation or providing the wrong average shall disqualify tournament scores if the submitted average is lower than the actual average. In this instance, the bowler will forfeit their entry fee and any other prizes and awards, and will also be required to return all winnings from optional events. All prize winnings will be awarded on the submitted average if it is higher than the actual average. Entries received whose average cannot be verified will be considered incomplete and not considered for tournament entry until verified.
- USBC Rule (319c) permits a Tournament Director to assign a higher average prior to participation in each event. If the bowler is unwilling to accept the higher average, they are entitled to a full refund of their event entry.
- Bowler's handicap shall be 90% of the difference between the highest entering average (currently 241) and the bowler's average. Substitutions after the final determination of the highest entering average will not result in a change in the handicap values for the tournament. Negative handicaps will not apply.
- It is solely and entirely the bowler's responsibility to be present at the assigned lanes at the time of bowling. Late bowlers will start bowling in the frame they are ready, with prior frames scored as a zero.
- Complete doubles and team entrants must be present for bowling each event. If a team member is not present or injured, the pair or team may use an authorized substitute, if available, and approved by a Tournament Director. If the team member is injured and no substitute is available, a score equal ten pins less than the injured bowler's entering average may be used for Doubles and Team Events only, with approval of a Tournament Director. Injured bowlers are not allowed to re-enter the tournament.
- All bowlers must initial the scores on the recap sheet after each event. All scores may be verified against bowling center computers.
- All claims of errors or disputes must be made in writing to a Tournament Director no more than one (1) hour after completion of scheduled event.
- All entries must be completed online and be received no later than April 21, 2023, or when the maximum number of entries, 160 bowlers (40 teams) is reached. All entries are considered incomplete until full payment is received for the entire team and may be rejected to allow other paid teams to participate.
- The entry fee shall be $118 as detailed below. In addition to the $118 entry fee, bowlers not affiliated with IGBO, as defined in Rule 3, will be required to pay a $25 IGBO Direct Associate Member fee. All entries received after March 31, 2023 shall be charged a late processing fee of $20. Once an entry has been accepted, no refunds will be issued except as specified in Rule 10.
- Lineage $40.50
- IGBO Fee 75¢
- CSC Association Membership Fee $28.00 (entitles the member to attend the post-bowling social banquet)
- Administrative Fees $4.75
- Trophies $4.00
- Prize Fund $40.00
- All cash awards for the Handicap Tournament shall be based on the total pins plus assigned handicap for each event. The award ratio for Team, Singles and Doubles Events shall be at least 1:10.
- Prizes will be distributed via electronic check within 30 days of the competition of the tournament barring any protest. 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. It is solely the responsibility of the bowler to provide their proper email address when registering or at check-in such that any prizes can be delivered to them via email.
- The prize distribution for each of the events shall be equal to at least the following amounts based on the prize fund allotment multiplied by the number of entrants
- Team Event 50%
- Singles Event 20%
- Doubles Event 30%
- Optional Events may be operated by entities other than the California Spring Classic Tournament Committee. You are expected to follow all rules associated with each Event. Any disqualification from the Tournament may result in disqualification from any and all Optional Events as well. All Optional Events are scored on a best effort basis. The maximum liability resulting from any error due to bowler(s) and/or operator(s) of the Event shall be limited to the entry cost for that Event.
Scratch Classic Rules
- The Scratch Classic is an optional event open to all participants of CSC Handicap Tournament who pay the additional Scratch Classic fee for their associated division prior to the start of the Handicap Tournament.
- Divisions are based on a specified percentage range of the highest entering average of the Handicap Tournament participants as well as the number of participants. The division ranges of Scratch Classic are calculated in real time as bowlers register for the tournament, and are available on the tournament website. The final division ranges will be made available at check-in.
- Current divisions based on the existing registrants are:
- Division E (top 9%) - currently 215+
- Division A (top 17%) - currently 198 to 214
- Division B (top 24%) - currently 181 to 197
- Division C (top 32%) - currently 162 to 180
- Division D (balance) - currently 161-
- Qualification is based on the total of each entrant's scratch scores from the nine games of the Handicap Tournament. The top eight entrants per division (or all entrants if less than eight) when ranked by their total scratch scores from the Handicap Tournament will qualify to participate in the Scratch Classic. The bowlers who place below the lowest qualifying score will be considered alternates who can be eligible to participate in the Scratch Classic should the qualifying bowlers not check in.
- If there is a tie for the last qualifying position of a division of the Scratch Classic, there will be a one game roll-off to determine which bowler advances to the Scratch Classic.
- In the event that a division contains less than six participants, all entrants of that division may have their entry fee refunded and no further competition will be held or prizes paid for that division, or all entrants of that division may be assigned to the next highest division, at the discretion of a Tournament Director.
- All competition will be held at Forest Lanes in Lake Forest, California on Sunday, April 30, 2022. The competition will begin at 9:30am for all divisions. Bowlers must check in by 9:15am or will be disqualified and the first available alternate used.
- Each qualifier will bowl one match against each of the other seven qualifiers and a final position match. The winner of each match will receive 30 bonus pins added to their score. The loser will receive zero. In case of tie, 15 bonus pins will be added to each bowler's score.
- A lane schedule will be given to each bowler at time of check-in. This will list what lane each bowler is to bowl on for each of the seven matches. The final match is determined by position. The leader will draw for the first lane. All other positions will line up against the leader lane.
- Bowlers are allowed 10 minutes of practice before the first match. Bowlers are allowed two practice balls on each lane between the stepladder matches. No other practice is allowed.
- The highest four bowlers from the match game competition will advance to the finals, with bowler 4 against bowler 3, the winner versus bowler 2 and that winner versus bowler 1. No bonus pins will be awarded, and no carry over from the match game competition. If a tie exists during any game of the step ladder finals, a 9th and 10th game roll off will determine the winner to advance.
- Any claims of error in the competition must be reported before the start of the next match. In the final match, any claims of error must be reported within 15 minutes after the end of the final match.