How to Join Bowling Tournaments

Some things old are new again. Bowling was a popular sport in the 1950's and then again in the early 80's. Bowling lost its glitter only to be recently rediscovered . If you're an experienced player interested in competing, local or national bowling tournaments give you that opportunity.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Check with local bowling alleys to see what tournaments they offer for your skill level. They may offer handicap, scratch and singles or doubles tournaments. Alternately, you can check with bowling organizations, such as the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), for regional and national tournaments. Decide which one you'd like to enter.
2. See if you are eligible to enter. Some of the tournaments are for pro bowlers that are in the P.B.A., and some require that you be an amateur.
3. Find out whether the tournament you're interested in entering is governed by the rules of the USBC. If so, download a copy of the rules from the USBC website.
4. Understand that the tournament may require that you belong to the USBC. The USBC was formed when the American Bowling Congress (ABC), the Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC) and Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA) merged.
5. Know that you will have to have paperwork. All tournaments require an entry form. If you're entering a handicap tournament, you also need proof of your average.
6. Consider how much money you need to enter. Some entry fees are nominal and others steep.

Tips & Warnings

• A scratch tournament is where the score of your opponent and your score are compared exactly as they are. A handicap tournament takes into account the bowler's average and gives extra points for a low average. In this type of tournament, a poorer bowler has a chance to beat a far superior bowler.