1. COMPETITION
This tournament is a USBC\IGBO sanctioned handicap tournament and is open to men and women by invitation only. All USBC\IGBO rules apply except as noted in rules below.
A. Events are Singles, Doubles and Teams. The Teams and Doubles events will be held on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The Singles event will be held on Sunday, September 3, 2023.
B. Competition in each event will be limited to one time.
C. Tournament will consist of three games in each event.
D. Doubles pairs and Teams may be composed of all men, all women or mixed. Men and women will compete on an equal basis.
E. The Show Me St. Louis Tournament Management reserves the right to rescind tournament invitation to individual(s) for not reporting all their tournament scores and the name of the league(s) with averages and number of games bowled.
F. The Show Me Saint Louis Classic is not a national USBC tournament so there will be no ball restrictions other than the Storm Spectre and the elimination of balance holes instituted by USBC, on August 1, 2020.
2. ELIGIBILITY
A. Participants who are not USBC members can qualify, prior to participation, by paying the appropriate associate membership dues OR by paying a $5 participation fee (USBC Rule 300c).
B. Participants who are not IGBO members can qualify, prior to participation, by paying the appropriate associate membership dues OR by paying a $5 participation fee.
C. All participants must be at least 21 years of age. Transgender participants will compete as their valid ID designates. Tournament Management reserves the right to check identification to verify date of birth and gender.
D. There shall only be 1 (one) PBA Card member per team.
3. HANDICAP & PAYOUT RATIO
A. Handicap (per game) will be 90% of the difference between the bowler's Entering Average and 230. Negative handicaps shall not apply.
B. Payout ratio will be 1:6.
4. ENTERING AVERAGE
The Entering Average used will be based on the following priority:
A. 2022-2023 USBC Standard Composite Average of 21 or more games shown on Bowl.com as of August 22, 2023
B. 2021-2022 USBC Standard Composite Average of 21 or more games shown on Bowl.com as of August 22, 2023
C. The highest 2020-2021 league average (minimum 21 games) for bowlers without a USBC Standard Composite Average.
D. The highest 2019-2020 league average (minimum 21 games) for bowlers without a USBC Standard Composite Average.
E. For bowlers without any USBC Standard Composite Average or league average (minimum 21 games), the Entering Average shall be equal to the highest, verified USBC Standard Composite Average for the SMC tournament as of August 22, 2023, not to exceed 230.
F. USBC Rule 319a/2 (10 Pin Rule) shall not apply.
5. AVERAGE ADJUSTMENTS (RERATING)
A. If a bowler has a current composite Tournament Average (comprised of a minimum of 21 games bowled between September 2, 2022, through August 22, 2023) that is higher than their composite Entering Average (as outlined in Rule 4), they must use the composite Tournament Average as their Entering Average.
B. If a bowler has a current composite Tournament Average (comprised of 20 games or less bowled between September 2, 2022 through August 22. 2023 will be recalculated with the composite Tournament Average (i.e., # of pins and # of games) with the USBC Standard Composite Average.
C. 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.
D. Tournament Management has the authority to adjust the Entering Average of any bowler as set forth under items noted above (i.e., 5A, 5B, and 5C) and 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.
E. Reporting of previous tournament winnings (USBC Rule 319d) will not apply
6. AVERAGE VERIFICATION
It is each bowler’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of their own average, whether originally submitted by the bowler, a team captain, or others. Valid means of verification are:
A. USBC Standard Composite Average (posted on BOWL.COM), or
B. League standing sheet(s), signed, and dated by a League/Tournament Officer, or
C. Signed and dated letter from League/Tournament President or Secretary specifying average, pins, and number of games bowled.
D. Failure to use the correct average may disqualify the score if submitted average is lower than the correct average, thereby resulting in a lower classification or more handicap. Prize winnings will be based on the submitted average if it is higher than the correct average. (USBC Rule 319a/3).
7. ENTRY FEE
The entry fee is $100 (US) per bowler if postmarked or submitted electronically by August 07, 2023.
The entry fee will be $115 (US) per bowler if postmarked or submitted electronically from August 08, 2023, through August 22, 2023.
Entry fees must be in the form of money order, certified check or online through PayPal and are to be made payable to Show Me Classic.
Mailed applications and fees are to be sent to:
Show Me Classic, P.O. Box 968, St. Louis, MO 63101
ENTRY FEE DISBURSEMENT
Bowling Fees $27.00
Prize Fund $43.50
Banquet $25.00
Awards & Tournament Expense $4.50 Total Entry Fees $100.00
8. SCRATCH MASTERS (optional)
A. All bowlers will have the option to participate in Scratch Masters based on their entering average.
B. Entry into the Scratch Masters event must be submitted before that bowler throws their first ball of any game for tournament competition.
C. The Scratch Masters competition will be held on Sunday, September 4th, with a starting time of approximately 1 hour after the completion of the team event to allow for lane dressing.
D. The divisions for Scratch Masters will be:
Division A Averages 200 and above – Entry fee $50
Division B Averages 175-199 – Entry fee $40
Division C Averages 150-174 – Entry fee $35
Division D Averages 149 and under – Entry fee $30
E. The six game scratch total from the Team and Doubles Handicap Tournament events will be used to determine the six qualifiers and two alternates for the competition. These scores will not carry over to the Scratch Masters competition. The list of qualifiers will be posted after the Team event verification at the lanes, on the SMC tournament website, and the tournament SMC Facebook page.
F. In the event of a tie for the sixth qualifying position, the bowler with the highest scratch game from Teams or Doubles play will be awarded the sixth position. Other bowler(s) will be classified as alternates.
G. Bowlers must check in 15 minutes prior to the scheduled shift.
H. A bowler who has not checked in 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start will be disqualified and replaced with the next available alternate.
Stepladder Competition
A. Bowlers are allowed 10 minutes of practice before each match.
B. Each match will be composed of one game. All matches in each division will be bowled on the same pair of lanes.
C. Competition will be as follows:
Match 1 - .6th Place Qualifier versus 5th Place Qualifier
Match 2 - .Match 1 winner versus 4th Place Qualifier
Match 3 - .Match 2 winner versus 3rd Place Qualifier
Match 4 - .Match 3 winner versus 2nd Place Qualifier
Match 5 - .Match 4 winner versus 1st Place Qualifier
If a tie exists during any game a 9th and 10th frame roll off will determine the winner of that match
D. Prize Fund
- A. If there are 6 or more bowlers in a division, the top 6 bowlers in the division will participate Pay-outs will be for 1st and 2nd place minus line fees.
- B. If there are 5 or less bowlers in a division, all participating bowlers in the division will participate in a smaller single-elimination tournament. Pay-out will be for 1st Place minus line fees.
9. NO-TAP TOURNAMENT (optional)
A. The fee to participate in the optional No-Tap Tournament event is $20 per bowler payable in advance or at the start of the NoTap Tournament.
B. The No-Tap Tournament will be held on Friday, September 1, 2023, from 5 PM to 9 PM at the tournament house (Concord Lanes).
C. This event will be divided into Optional Scratch Divisions established by all tournament participants. Three game Scratch Series scores will be used for awards.
D. Payout ratio will be 1:6 per division minus line fees.
10. PROTESTS
All decisions of the tournament director are final unless an appeal is made in accordance with USBC Rule 329