Dec 13, 2009 By Gary George for The 6 min read

It is fun every now and then to hit the USBC rulebook. It is generally a surprise to most folks what the rules really say. And, it actually makes me laugh when I hear someone spouting off about a rule and then when you confront them with the rulebook, they slink off into the shadows. Here is one subject that keeps popping up all over the county. Check yourself.

QUITTERS: The past month or so has been a rough time for bowling leagues. Men and women join up to bowl, get put on teams, and then quit. It happens everywhere and it happens every season. It seems to me though that the toughest part for league officers and team captains is being able to separate the legal from the moral when it comes to handling the perpetrators. The USBC and the league can enforce what is legally wrong, but they have no say whatsoever about what is morally wrong.

There is absolutely nothing more agitating in this sport than someone who says they are going to bring a team into the league or they are going to bowl on a team, and then after a week or two, they just disappear. It messes up the prize money, and certainly sticks it to their teammates.

So, lets say Mr. Bo Ling tells everyone he is going to join the men’s league. The first night he doesn’t show up. As a matter of fact, he never shows up. The league requires all members to pay their last three weeks dues in advance at the beginning of the season. Many league officers feel this fellow owes the league money, but is he actually a member of the league if he has never come to bowl? Check this out:

USBC RULE: 101. Membership Fee Payment Requirements

“To be eligible to bowl in a USBC league, a bowler must complete an individual membership application in each league the bowler participates in, then pay or show proof of payment of USBC dues and the required association membership fees before, for Adult membership, completion of the bowler’s first series.”

So theoretically this fellow owes nothing to anyone. His not coming to bowl is a moral problem, not a legal one.

But what if he shows up and bowls a night or two and then decides not to come back? And, let’s assume he paid his bowling fees when he did bowl. Is he responsible to the league for anything?

USBC RULE: 114a. Procedure for Withdrawing

“Members of a league may withdraw from a league during a season. But, if a team or individual must withdraw, the following procedure is to be followed:

Two weeks notice must be given along with sufficient cause for resigning.

1) A team shall give notice to the league secretary.

2) A member resigning from a team shall give notice to the captain and the league secretary.

And, the resigning member(s) must pay league fees for two weeks if the bowler is not replaced within that period.

If proper notice and sufficient cause is not given, all franchise, prize and any other money for which the team or individual may have been eligible will be forfeited, unless the league’s board determines otherwise. In addition, the member(s) shall be subject to suspension of USBC membership.”

Notice here that the USBC calls this a “withdrawal” and specifies that the player must pay up to two weeks. It also clearly states that is the condition so long as the player is not replaced.

But, here is the real kicker about Mr. Bo Ling. What about that last three weeks that he was supposed to pay up front? According to this rule, he doesn’t owe it. The most a league can get from a “withdrawn” player or “quitter” is two weeks. He is legally responsible for two weeks, but only morally responsible for those last three.

The third situation we face is when the player bowls a week or two, and then doesn’t tell anyone that he is quitting until maybe 4 or 5 more weeks go by. Or, in some cases, the player bowls, but does not pay the fee each week. How can that be addressed?

When we read down through Rule 115b, here are the important parts that we find:

USBC RULE: 115b. Nonpayment of Fees and/or Improper Withdrawal

“When a league member is accused of failing to pay league fees and/or withdrawing without sufficient cause, the league must try to resolve the matter. If the matter is not resolved, the following procedure shall apply:

A complaint shall be submitted, in writing, to a league officer or supervisor/official. Within one week after receipt, the president/supervisor should schedule a meeting of the league’s board of directors. The meeting should be held at the earliest possible date. Also, the league must provide written notice and a copy of the complaint to the individual(s) charged. And, it shall notify the individual of the date, time and place of the meeting, as well as his/her right to attend and offer a defense.

There must be an accounting of arrearages, including dates and amounts, whether the accused was present or absent when the arrearage occurred and, the date of replacement (if applicable).

A two-thirds vote of the board members present and voting shall be required.

1) If found not guilty (two-thirds vote not achieved), the charges are dismissed.

2) If found guilty, the local association or USBC Headquarters is to be furnished with a copy of exact date(s) each defendant is being charged for. The bowler may not be charged for more than six sessions.”

The essence of this means that under the most serious of conditions, the action to retrieve overdue bowling fees from a “quitter” requires a specific meeting of the league’s Board which consists of the officers and all the team captains, and a vote must be taken to determine if the “quitter” actually owes the fees. And, most importantly, the “quitter” must be apprised in writing of this meeting

Then, if found guilty by two-thirds vote of the board, the most that the league can claim is 6 weeks.

So, while the USBC allows league officers to correct a legal wrong, it cannot help any of us faced with the moral issues of a “quitter”. That, I am afraid, must be left to a much high court.

BOWLING NEWS: Uniontown resident Gary George writes a weekly bowling column for the Herald-Standard. If you have any bowling news, contact George, a member of the Professional Bowlers Association since 1997, via email at probowler48@aol.com or fax at 724-438-7290. Information is welcome from all area bowling establishments