Monday Goodtimers Bowling League - Fall 2026
The League
Mondays @ 6:30pm -- Lucky Strike Sterling
Schedule
The League begins on August 24, 2026 and ends January 4, 2027. Assuming no change in schedule*, the awards meeting will be held on January 11, 2027. Anticipated League holidays are Labor Day on September 7th, Christmas week on December 21st** and New Year's week on December 28th**
*Dates are subject to weather and center events beyond the league's control. **Dates are mandated by Lucky Strike.
League Officers
The League President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary can be reached by sending an email to mondaygoodtimers@yahoo.com.
League Board of Directors
Consisting of the officers and team captains, shall manage this league.
League Bylaws
The League: The Monday Goodtimers league is divided into two segments. Each segment will have its own league champion, and prizes will be awarded at the end of each segment. Segment I (Monday Goodtimers – Fall) runs for 18 weeks. Week 18 will be a fun night that begins with the awards meeting for Segment I and continues with non-competitive bowling for all league members (usually this is a night of “no-tap” bowling, but can be changed per suggestion and board of directors vote).
Teams: Each team in the league will consist of a four-player lineup. Team rosters will be limited to six players. The names and contact information for all players, as well as any changes in the roster during the season, are to be reported by the team captain to the league secretary before a player competes. The league will not accept new teams after the third session of bowling.
League Fees: League fees, which must be paid by each player each session, shall be $25.00, of which $18.00 covers the cost of bowling, $0.50 is for the secretary/treasurer’s salary, and the balance of $6.50 will be placed in the league account for the prize fund. Games may be forfeited by any team whose participating players are not current in league fee payments. League fees must be paid within two weeks of any given session. League fees for the last two weeks of the league and the fun night (three weeks total), must be paid by the 10th week. Money beyond the cost of bowling for the fun night goes towards the prize fund. The secretary/treasurer’s salary will be paid at the completion of the league schedule.
Sanctioning: This league will be sanctioned with USBC. Membership applications will be distributed on the first night of bowling and must be filled out by all team members, regardless of having gained membership elsewhere. Membership fees for those gaining membership through this league must be paid before completion of a player’s first session. The one-time USBC membership fee for all players is currently $28.00. Memberships must be paid online at bowl.com. This membership will be good through the summer league of 2027.
Points and Standings: Team position standings will be determined via points. The league will determine wins and losses with scores that include handicap. Each session, a team can win two points for each game and two points for total pins. A tie results in a split of the points, one point to each team. In the event of a team being unable to play or make up all of its games, league standings will be determined by winning percentage.
Prize Fund: A committee appointed by the league vice president shall prepare three prize lists and submit them for approval by the full league membership by the 5th week of the league. The prize list will contain awards for the following: team awards according to the final standings of the league; team awards for high scratch series and high handicap series; team awards for high scratch game and high handicap game; individual awards for men’s and women’s high average; individual awards for men’s and women’s high scratch series and high handicap series; and individual awards for men’s and women’s high scratch game and high handicap game. In the event no list receives a majority of the votes, the list receiving the least votes will be dropped and a new vote taken until one list receives the majority. Only regular league members who have contributed to the prize fund and have bowled at least two-thirds of the scheduled games are eligible to receive individual awards. Except for the high average and league standings awards, an individual or team cannot receive more than one award. This will result in the second-place for any award receiving he first-place award, or the third-place and so on if the higher-ranked player or team has already received an award. In the event of a tie for any award, all tied players will receive an even split of the award.
Averages: Bowler averages will be set after a bowler’s first three games, whether the bowler starts on the first night or later in the segment.
Handicap: Handicap for all players will be 90% of the difference between a player’s average and a scratch figure of 220.
Minimum Legal Lineup: One player must be present before the completion of the first frame of each game. Substitutes will be allowed for regular sessions of bowling. Regular members present, pre-bowl scores, substitutions and vacants count toward a legal lineup. Players who arrive late may enter the game before the completion of the 5th frame by the opposing team’s last bowler. Players arriving after this time will be marked as absent for that game. If a team does not have another team member or substitute to take an absent player’s place, that player’s absentee score will be used. An absent player’s score is their current average -10 pins for each game.
Vacant: If a team starts the season with less than four players, or is reduced to three players or less during the season, they insert a Vacant player into the lineup until a fourth regular player joins the team. The vacant player has a scratch average of 120, which is also used to determine handicap.
Pre-bowling and Post-bowling: Players must notify a league officer of their intention to pre-bowl and what weeks they are pre-bowling for ahead of time if at all possible. This must also be stated clearly on any score sheets turned into the center. Pre-bowling is allowed on an individual basis, except for position rounds or playoffs. Pre-bowling as a team is allowed, but the team captain must give the opposing team captain notice, and the opposing team is allowed to pre-bowl against at the same time. Post-bowling is only allowed for teams joining after the start of the league or under circumstances voted upon as needed by the league board of directors.
Position Rounds and the Lockout Rule: There will be position rounds bowled on the 9th and 17th sessions. During these sessions, the schedule will be determined by the current league standings. On the last night of bowling, if the first-place team cannot be overtaken in the standings by any other team, the lockout rule will be in effect and the first-place team will bowl the last-place team, then the second-place team will then bowl the third-place team and so on. Substitutes will not be allowed on position rounds or playoffs. A player must have an established league average to bowl or be used in the lineup on position rounds or playoffs. Pre-bowls are not allowed for position rounds or playoffs (unless the player is bowling in a national tournament that week, per USBC rules).
Forfeits and Unopposed Bowling: When bowling in a known forfeit situation or when scheduled against a non-existent team (in the case of an odd number of teams in the league), the team must bowl at least the team average less 40 pins (10 per player) to earn the points for each game. (ex: A team’s handicap total is 700. They need at least a 660 to win each game.)
Withdrawing from the league: If an individual or team must withdraw from the league during the season, two-week’s notice is required if at all possible, and league dues are required to be paid for those two weeks in advance if at all possible.
The league will follow any other rule not covered in these bylaws as found in the USBC rulebook.