Senior All Star Bowling Association

Website: www.sasba.com

Revision dated: 5/24/2006

EBONITE SENIOR TOUR

SASBA Bowlers Information Sheet

What is SASBA? A non-profit corporation owned by its members, formed to conduct scratch bowling tournaments for bowlers fifty and older, to promote the sport of bowling, and to aid its sponsors in promoting their businesses. SASBA's first tournament was in Rosenberg, Texas, April 1990 with 33 entrants. Since that first tournament, over fifteen years ago, there has been more than 400 events. The membership has swelled to over 700 bowlers from 23 states. The tournaments are USBC certified with $160 entry (annual championship and special tournaments excepted). There are also doubles tournaments. One is a member-member event. There is a foursome mixed tournament, where many of the PWBA touring pros team up with our members. The remaining are member-guest tournaments, where a member can bowl with anyone regardless of age or sex (even another member). The bowling year is capped off with our annual team tournament. Any member who has qualified by bowling in earlier events can bowl with other members in a team/individual match play format. The computer picks the teams based on averages during the year.

Brackets and side pots are available during the tournaments for those bowlers who want more action. Entry fee for these are $15 for brackets and $5 per game for side pots. The brackets are cut $15 each and added to the general fund. This fund is used to cover expenses, buy equipment, and for added money into doubles and other special format tournaments.

There is a $20 sweeper with five or six squads on Friday before most every tournament. Some hosts will run a Pro-Am on Friday night. This will require volunteers to bowl in the Pro-Am. The tournament schedule will be posted at the desk when you arrive. Please check your name to let us know that you are in town. Most centers will have a practice special price for SASBA bowlers. There will be a bowlers meeting, usually at 8:15 or 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Matters of importance will be discussed, so please be there.

On the regular format, bowlers will be divided into two squads. Each squad will bowl an 8-game qualifying block on Saturday. The field will be divided in half by score and both groups will bowl four more games of qualifying on Sunday morning. "A" squad will bowl at 8:45 a.m. Saturday; "B" squad will bowl at 2 pm after the lanes are dressed. Sunday, we will start usually at 8:45 am. Squads will be determined by a blind draw, unless you have specific needs and can’t bowl one or the other (work, etc.) The finals will start at 2 p.m. Sunday (after re-oiling) with 8 match games. The number of bowlers taken to the finals depends on the number of entries. When entries are low and lanes allow, we bowl all on one squad. The first shift is at 9:45 am, with 8 straight games. Sunday morning, we start at 8:45 am, and then the finals will follow.

One in three will cash, except in the annual championship, where one in two cashes. First place will be at least $1000. Super Senior (60 and over) prizes will be usually be awarded to some non-cashing Super-Seniors. Special prizes will be awarded to some high block non-cashers on Sunday. If you bowl badly on Saturday, it is common courtesy to show up on Sunday. You might learn something.

COURTESY RULE: SASBA's bowling courtesy rule works great when everybody follows it. First, be ready to bowl when you are up. When a bowler has rolled a ball on your pair, you must wait for a bowler on the pair to the left and the pair to the right to roll a shot, then it is your turn. If you don't understand it, please ask. Once you're used to it, you will agree that it is the best courtesy rule in use.

BOWLING BALLS: Any USBC approved balls are OK. Plugged balls are OK. SASBA reserves the right to check any ball. Sanding or polishing balls after play has started will not be tolerated.

DRESS CODE: All contestants should have a shirt with their name on the back while bowling. Slacks only, no jeans or shorts and no headgear. The dress code applies to guests also.

ENTRY: Please get your entry in early. If you have to scratch because of an emergency, your entry will be credited toward a future tournament. No entries will be accepted after the players’ auction is completed.

LANE CONDITIONS: SASBA bowls on the house’s tournament shot. We ask proprietors to try to achieve parity between the left and right side. Some will be easy and some will be tough. It's up to the house.

TIEBREAKER PROCEDURE: In the case of a tie for the last spot in the finals of the tournament, high last game will break the tie if more places are paid under the finals cashers. If there are no paid spots under the finals, then a one-game rolloff will be used to break the tie.

SASBA MEMBERS: Our members are the greatest! We are having fun! We have made many new friends and so have our wives and girlfriends. It is great to have a sporting event on a world-class level that we can compete in, past the age of fifty.