It has been a long 6 months and we hope you are doing well. The good news is bowling centers are now open and getting ready for the 2020-21 league season. The LIUSBC has been working through the pandemic to ensure the new season opens smoothly.
As you are well aware there will be many changes when you go back to your center. The goal of this letter is to make you aware of the protocols now in place (updated by NYS often), and the new rules USBC has added to continue league competition through the pandemic.
Here are the latest updates from USBC:
• There will be no dues increase for the 2020-21 season.
• USBC is allowing league competition to be bowled on a single lane. All high score awards and averages will be recognized. Rules 106a, 106b, 320a and 320b, which states two lanes must be used for competition and bowlers must alternate lanes, has been waived for now.
• Bowlers will be allowed to use rubbing alcohol to clean their ball(s) during competition. This is the only exception to Rule 18 which restricts the use of liquid cleaners to clean the outer surface of the ball during competition.
• Bowling balls may no longer have an extra hole. All holes drilled must be used at release.
• Two-handed bowlers must have a marking inscribed on the ball where the palm rests.
• BLS has updated their software to allow for single lane competition. If your league uses this software, please make sure you download the latest update.
• During the pandemic, the LIUSBC Executive Board has been meeting regularly to ensure a smooth rollout for the fall season. We realize this year is going to present unique challenges and we are here to help. Please contact our office, via e-mail or phone, and we will be happy to assist you.
New York State has issued a list of protocols bowling centers must follow when they are open for business. Proprietors are still waiting for clarification on some of these rules, and until they are answered, each center will interpret the rules differently. The State is also updating these guidelines periodically so check with your proprietor on the latest rules. Our website lists the NYS Health Department Guidelines.
Here are the NYS Health Guidelines bowling centers must follow:
• Masks must be worn at all times including when on the approach.
• All food and drink must be delivered to the lanes.
• You cannot have an alcoholic drink without ordering food.
• Bowling centers are not allowed to exceed 50% of their maximum capacity. This may force centers to not allow “guests” during league play. Check with your center.
• Most bowling centers will be using every other lane, or every other pair, and split larger leagues into 2 shifts. It is up to each proprietor to determine what works best.
• Many centers have installed “dividers” between every lane & plan on using all of the lanes which will allow for leagues to alternate lanes against their opponent.
• Some leagues will use a shorter season or break up the season into segments. This will allow bowlers to choose when and how long they want to be a part of the league.
• NYS is constantly reviewing their protocols and guidelines for bowling centers. Please note this is a fluid situation and changes are anticipated on a periodic basis.
Most centers will meet with their leagues to discuss what is the best format and schedule for each league. Both centers and leagues must be flexible during these challenging times.
Here are the latest updates from the LIUSBC office:
• To protect the financial health of the LIUSBC we have streamlined our budget to protect the services we offer and guarantee your membership dues will be safe.
• The LIUSBC Annual Meeting is being postponed until 2021. All officers and directors will remain the same with a few possible additions.
• We are going to delay the announcement of our tournament schedule until we see how the pandemic progresses. Our hope is to begin running events in the first quarter of 2021, but this all depends on bowling center capacity and the spread of the virus.
• We are going to postpone the sweepstakes calendar for this year and hopefully bring it back next season. We have drawn all 100 winning numbers from the 2019-20 calendar and have posted them on our website; www.liusbc.com. If you have a winning number, please call our office so we can arrange a time to present you with your prize. Winning numbers will be accepted until December 31, 2020.
• If your league, or as an individual, sanctioned late (after February 15), we have delivered your calendar to the bowling center where you sanctioned. Check all of the sweepstakes numbers as we will accept all numbers drawn no matter when they were picked.
• We are still missing final averages from more than 100 leagues from last season. Please make sure your secretary has sent the final average list to our office as soon as possible.
• The LIUSBC highly suggests a league officer be responsible for sanctioning the league. If the league is run by the center make sure a league officers collects the sanction money.
The LIUSBC wishes you the best of luck this upcoming season. While this will be a challenging year, many of us will appreciate more than ever the great sport of bowling.
LIUSBC President -Anthony Martinez
LIUSBC Association Manager – Karl Nystrom
LIUSBC Executive Director – Steven Sanders