Senior All Star Bowling Association

2321 E. Common St. #200

New Braunfels, TX 78130

800-682-2198

email address: jking68@attglobal.net

Website: www.sasba.com

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 nineteen years ago, there have been more than 600 events, which are now averaging in Texas more than 100 entries each. The membership has swelled to over 700 bowlers from 23 states. SASBA has two active regions.  The SASBA Southwest region holds tournaments in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. SASBA Southeast holds tournaments in Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama. Members may bowl in either or both regions.

The tournament entry fee is either $180, $190 or $230, depending on format and amount of added money and are USBC certified. There are several different tournament formats. One is a member-member event doubles event. There is a foursome mixed tournament, where many of the best women bowlers and younger men team up with our members. There are member-guest doubles tournaments, where a member can bowl with anyone regardless of age or sex (even another member). There are trio formats and 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 $10 for brackets and $5 per game for side pots. The brackets are cut 12.5% each and added to the general fund. This fund is used to cover expenses, buy equipment, and for added money into 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 with us to let us know that you are in town. Most centers will have a special practice price for SASBA bowlers. There will be a bowlers meeting, usually at 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Matters of importance will be discussed, so please be there.

On the regular singles 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 usually start at 8:45 a.m. Saturday, "B" squad will bowl at 1:30 to 2:30…after the lanes are dressed. Sunday, we normally start at 8:45 am. Squads will be determined by a blind draw, unless you have specific needs and can’t bowl one squad or the other (work, etc.) The finals will usually start at 1-2 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 9:00-9:45 am, with 8 straight games. Sunday morning, we start at 8:45 am, and then the finals will follow. There is no reoiling before the finals when there is one squad on Sunday morning.

One in three will cash, except in some of the $230 tournaments, where one in two cashes. First place will be at least $1000. Super Senior (60 and over) prizes will 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…and you can still get a check.

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.

PRACTICE COURTESY RULE: During practice, it is common courtesy to throw one shot at a time, not stand on the lane and wait to shoot your spare…as is common in many league practices. Your group can get a lot more shots in if they don’t have to wait on you to shoot your spare. If you want to shoot a 10 pin or some other spare near the end of practice, ask the person following you and he will usually consent, but it is his call.

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. It is allowed during the practice session. Cleaning balls is allowed as long as USBC certified cleaners are used.

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 additional places are paid under the finals cashers. If there are no paid spots under the finals, then a one-game roll off 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. After the age of fifty, it is great to have a sporting event on a world-class level that we can compete in. Come try a tournament or two to see if you like it.