1. This tournament is certified by the United States Bowling Congress (#4022) and shall be governed by USBC rules.
2. Dates of district level qualifying are February 20 & 21, 2010. If an individual who qualified cannot participate in the state/zone competition, replacements will be eligible based on order of finish in district competition.
3. Advancement ratio from district level to the state level is at least 1 for every 7 entries per handicap division, or any fraction thereof, including last place ties. Advancement ratio from district level to the state level is at least 1 for every 3 entries per scratch division, or any fraction thereof, including last place ties. In all cases at least one individual per division shall advance.
4. Advancers out of the league level must remain in the division they qualified in during all subsequent levels. If a bowler advances out of league level in more than one state, the bowler must declare one state to continue competing before the next competition level. Participation in any level of competition past the league level in more than one state will result in automatic disqualification.
5. Competition will take place on March 27 & 28, 2010 at AMF Des Moines, 3839 E 14th St, Des Moines IA (phone 515-265-0315).
6. Entry closing date is December 7, 2009. A tournament entry form for each qualifier containing the bowler’s name, address, telephone number, date of birth and national ID number must be postmarked by this date and mailed to the state tournament director, Margo Townsend, at the address listed at the end of these rules. Entries will not be accepted if a division has been crossed out and another circled. A new entry form must be prepared and submitted.
7. Divisions are based on the participant’s age as of August 1, 2009. Athletes must choose the division in which they will compete. ***Bowlers in the 12 and above age division who have an entering average of 211 or higher MUST compete in the Scratch division. *** Athletes are not mandated to be USBC Junior Gold members to enter the Scratch Division. However, athletes must be Program Members or be eligible and buy membership prior to advancement to the USBC Junior Gold Championships. Competition shall be conducted in the following divisions: 11 and Under Girls, 11 and Under Boys, 12 and Above Girls Handicap, 12 and Above Boys Handicap, 12 and Above Girls Scratch and 12 and Above Boys Scratch.
8. The tournament format shall be 3 games on one pair of lanes for the 11 and under divisions. Bowlers in the 12 and above handicap divisions shall bowl 6 games across 2 pairs of lanes. Bowlers in the 12 and above scratch divisions shall bowl 6 games across 6 pairs of lanes.
9. There is no additional entry fee for the state level of competition. All fees are paid at the district level
10. All bowlers must wear suitable attire. Suitable attire includes dress skirts, dress slacks, dress shorts or dress jeans (no holes!) and shirts containing no reference to alcohol, tobacco, drugs or profanity. It is strongly recommended that bowlers wear the official USBC Youth jersey for the district and state competitions. No exposed undergarments or midriffs will be allowed. No hats or caps will be worn. Entrants will not bowl if proper attire is not worn. The Tournament Director will make final determination of attire. No smoking or alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the center for the duration of the tournament.
11. No substitutes will be permitted once athletes have started tournament play. However, replacements may be used for bowlers not present 10 minutes prior to the squad time as stated in Rule 2. Replacements must be from order of finish from prior level of competition (i.e. the same division and same district as to the absent bowler).
12. Competitors shall be allowed 2 practice balls on each of their starting lanes.
13. If no replacement has been made, bowlers arriving late shall begin play and the score shall count beginning with the frame then being bowled. Missed frames shall be credited with a zero. Frames may not be made-up. A bowler not present to bowl when it's their turn will be credited with a zero for that frame.
14. Bowlers shall use their highest current certified league average, minimum of 21 games, as of March 1, 2010. If the minimum has not been met, the bowler will present a league standing sheet or average sheet closest to the date of competition. All averages must be verified by a league standing or average sheet. If the standing sheet or average sheet is not received at least 10 days prior to the state level, the bowler(s) affected will be assigned the 3 game average they established at the district tournament.
15. Handicap shall be 100% of the difference between the bowlers' average and 210.
16. Only bowlers and tournament officials shall be permitted in the settee area.
17. Ties affecting advancement to the USBC Junior Gold Championships will be broken by a one game roll-off. Should a tie still exist, it will be broken by an additional 9th and 10th frame roll-off (refer to rule 326a). Ties not affecting advancement will not be subject to a roll-off. The affected scholarships will be added together and divided by the number of tied bowlers. In the case of a tie for the last scholarship position, duplicate scholarships will be presented. In the case of a medal position, duplicate medals will be awarded.
18. Claims for errors in scoring or general playing rules must be made to the tournament director before the awards are presented. Questionable errors shall be decided upon by the tournament director. All other protests must be confirmed in writing to the tournament director before the awards are presented. Under this rule, each protest must be specific in itself.
19. Symbolic awards will be given as follows: each state participant will receive a memento. Scholarship winners in all 6 divisions will receive a certificate. Medals will be given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in all divisions.
20. Scholarships will be given as follows: 1 for every 10, or any fraction thereof, in all 6 divisions, with a minimum of three scholarships per division. Scholarships will be held in the SMART Fund (Account # 8521).
21. The first place winners and runners-up of the 12 and above Girls and Boys Scratch Divisions will advance to the 2010 USBC Junior Gold Championships on July 10-16, 2010 in Indianapolis, IN. They must be USBC Junior Gold members to advance (the advancer must meet the 175 or higher average for males or 150 average or higher for females and have a USBC Junior Gold membership or purchase a USBC Junior Gold membership prior to the championships.) USBC will waive the $150 entry fee for these athletes. These athletes will compete for additional scholarships available to all athletes at the championships, as well as other prizes and awards. All U.S. citizens are vying for a spot on USBC Junior Team USA 2011 to represent the United States in national and international competition. If the Scratch Division Champion or runners-up are unwilling or unable to become a USBC Junior Gold member and will not advance to the Championships, the athlete will still retain the state/zone scholarship, but the berth to the Championships will be awarded to the next eligible athlete. ** The Iowa Pepsi USBC Youth Bowling Championships will donate the proceeds from the bowling ball raffle to the 4 Qualifiers to help defray the cost of their expenses to attend the USBC Junior Gold Championships. The amount will be divided equally among all qualifiers who attend and bowl in the tournament.**
22. Eligible advancers must agree to bowl in the USBC Junior Gold Championships, or, failing to do so, agree to waive all rights. Replacements will be selected based on the order of finish in their division at the state/zone level. Replacements will incur all costs associated with changing the airline ticket, if applicable. If the eligible advancer decides not to attend the USBC Junior Gold Championships, the state/zone scholarship won may be withdrawn. This decision will be made by the Iowa Pepsi USBC tournament committee.
23. All matters not covered by these rules and regulations shall be determined by the Iowa Pepsi USBC Youth Championships Tournament Committee. The National Pepsi USBC Youth Championships Tournament
Committee reserves the right to accept or reject any participant.