I. League Affiliation 

A. Sunday Night Out (SNO) Bowling League is a United States Bowling Congress (USBC) certified league and is also a member of the International Gay Bowling Organization (IGBO). These league rules will govern league play. Any rules not covered in this format will be guided by the current USBC league rule book. The USBC Rule Book is available at www.bowl.com.

B. USBC certification/sanction fees are $34 per year (the USBC year is August 1 to July 31). This fee is due on the first night of league play of SNO’s first half in August (or January, if you did not bowl the Fall half starting in August).  Checks for USBC fees are to be made payable to Sunday Night Out (SNO) and we will pay the USBC association on behalf of the bowler.  

    1. Bowlers may also pay their sanction fee online at www.bowl.com. Please provide a copy of proof of payment to the League Secretary if you choose this option. You may send it via email or bring a copy to the league.
    2. If you bowl in another USBC sanctioned league and have already paid through this league, you are still required to complete the form for SNO. There is a section to complete and fill in the name of the league that you paid your sanction fee through. This information will then be verified at the local association, Central New Mexico USBC.

C. IGBO fees are based on the number of bowlers within the league. We pay this as a league once a year in October. For more information on the International Gay Bowling Organization, its tournaments, and the benefits of IGBO please visit www.igbo.org.

II. League Information 

A. SNO is a mixed/handicap league and bowls on Sunday nights at 6:00pm. Practice begins at 5:45pm.

B. Each team consists of a playing strength of four (4) members with up to two (2) alternates.

C. Standings based on a seven (7) point system each week. Two (2) points each game and one (1) point for total pins.

D. Management of the SNO league consists of a board of directors elected by the league annually and the team captains of the SNO league.

i. A league officer may not be a team captain.

ii. Board of Director positions are a one-year commitment – January through December.

1. Board positions will be voted on at the Awards Night in December.

2. Open Nominations: the nominee must be present to accept the nomination. The majority vote wins. 

3. The Team Captain of each team will vote on behalf of their team.

iii. In case of voting tie, the deciding vote will be cast by the President of the league.

III. League Schedule  

A. Fall schedule – August-December.

    1. The league does not bowl on the following Sundays: 
      Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving weekend

B. Spring schedule – January-May.

    1. The league does not bowl on the following Sundays:
      Superbowl weekend, Easter weekend
IV. Averages/Handicaps 

A. New bowlers will establish their first night of bowling.

B. Returning bowlers will use their league average from the previous season for the first night of the new half while they establish.

C. Handicap to be used is 100% of 225.

V. League Fees 

A. The weekly league fee is $18 per week. Each team member is responsible for paying weekly.

B. Team captains are responsible for collecting fees from each team member, placing into the pay envelope, FULLY completing the carbon payment sheet, including team captain signature, and turning it into the Secretary/Treasurer by the end of the first game, every week. Please do not write on the payment envelopes.  Bowlers may pay the full season up front, if they so wish.

C. Any bowler in arrears by two weeks will cause forfeiture of their team’s games. NO exceptions.

i. Bowler(s) in arrears more than two weeks may not bowl until all past due amounts are paid. 

D. If a team utilizes a substitute bowler, it is the responsibility of the absent bowler to pay the weekly fee, NOT the substitute. This does not apply to individuals listed as alternates on the team roster. Alternates are responsible for league fees when bowling.

E. Breakdown of weekly fee of $18.00:

    • Lineage: $14.10
    • Prize Fund: $3.20
    • Secretary/Treasurer: $0.40 
    • IGBO Fund: $0.10
    • Contingency: $0.10 
    • Rocky Mountain Regional: $0.05  
    • IGBO Rep Travel Assistance: $0.05  

F. IMPORTANT: The last two weeks of each session must be paid by the sixth week of each session.   

i. Section V.C. (above) applies.

VI. Prize Fund 

A. Awards and prizes awarded at the end of each half.

B. Position standings based on total points. All team positions to receive a payout based on approved prize fund.

C. Prize fund is based on the number of teams bowling the specific half.

i. A permanent prize fund was approved in 2014 and will be utilized every half.  Total payouts are based on the actual number of teams bowling.

D. Awards to be distributed are as follows:

    1. Team Handicap Series
    2. Team Handicap Game
    3. Team Scratch Series
    4. Team Scratch Game
    5. Individual Male Handicap Series
    6. Individual Female Handicap Series
    7. Individual Male Handicap Game
    8. Individual Female Handicap Game
    9. Individual Male Scratch Series
    10. Individual Female Scratch Series
    11. Individual Female Scratch Game
    12. Individual Male Scratch Game

i. Bowlers may only win in one prize category from the above list.

ii. For an individual to be eligible for an award, the individual must bowl two-thirds of the scheduled games for the season (10 weeks, or 30 games) as a regular member of a team.

iii. No substitutes are eligible for league awards.

E. Additional awards presented to bowlers are as follows:

    1. Highest League Average, Male
    2. Highest League Average, Female
    3. Most Improved Bowler, Male
    4. Most Improved Bowler, Female

i. Bowlers are eligible for these awards and awards from Section VI.D.

F. IGBO Awards may be presented each half based on the above categories, if available.

VII. Accounting of Fees 

A. All monies collected will be deposited into SNO’s league banking account by Thursday of each week.

B. Cash and/or checks accepted for league fees.  Checks are to be made payable to Sunday Night Out or SNO.

i. Any insufficient funds check will be assessed a fee of $25.00, in addition to the recovery of the original amount of the check. 

C. Rocky Mountain Regional fee is to be paid at the end of each half.

D. IGBO Representative Travel Assistance (Section V.E.) will be paid out at the end of every half (December and May), if the IGBO representative travels to an IGBO event.

i. Receipts or proof of travel to be provided to the SNO Secretary/Treasurer.

E. IGBO yearly association fee is based on the number of bowlers in league and will be determined at renewal in October of each year.

VIII. Team & Scoring Information 

A. Legal lineup consists of two eligible team members present at the beginning of the first game to avoid forfeiture.

B. Tardy bowlers permitted to bowl, provided the first bowler of the opposing team has not bowled the third frame in any game.

C. Absentee score recorded as the bowler’s average minus ten (10) pins.

D. If there is a vacancy on the team, that score will be 120 with a handicap of 105. 

E. Any team bowling unopposed (ghost team), or if an opposing team forfeits, must bowl at least the team average minus forty (40) pins per game in order to win the points.

F. Substitutes may be used in league play in place of an absent bowler.

i. Substitutes are not eligible for team and/or individual awards.

ii. Substitutes may not bowl in the last two weeks of league bowling/position rounds. 

G. ANY bowler or team withdrawing from the league must give a two-week notice to the team captain and/or league secretary/treasurer.  The resigning member(s) must pay league fees for two weeks.

IX. Pre-Bowling and Post-Bowling 

A. Pre-Bowling is permitted up to two weeks in advance of an absence.

B. One (1) Post-Bowl is allowed per each half.

C. Teams have one week (Sunday to Sunday) to make up the game.

i. If games are not completed in that time frame points are forfeited.

D. Post-bowling for Position Round is not allowed.

E. To plan for Pre-Bowling & Post-Bowling, please do the following:

i. Ensure that you are within the guidelines above.

ii. Make the arrangements with Silva Lanes @ 505.298.5583 to ensure that there is lane availability.

iii. Notify the League Secretary of the time and date via email, text, or website form: 

      1. snopresident1@gmail.com, or
      2. 505.975.1996 (Wendy) and/or
      3. 505.379.0069 (Gina), or
      4. abq-sno.org/pre-post-bowl

F. Any team failing to follow these guidelines on pre and post-bowling will forfeit those games.

REVISION HISTORY:
* As of the 2012/2013 season, these league rules have been permanently adopted.
* August 4, 2013: Approved by Executive Committee and returning team captains.
* August 4, 2014: Revisions approved by Executive Committee and returning team captains.
* August 2017:  Revisions approved by Executive Committee and returning team captains.
*August 2018: Revisions to reflect new bowling house, Silva Lanes.
* August 8, 2021: Revisions to include lineage increase to $14.10, and weekly fee increase to $18, and election of Justin Schultz to Secretary/Treasurer.
*December 2021: Updated to reflect election of Vickie Creek to League President.
* July 31, 2022: Updated to reflect USBC sanction fee increase to $34.
* August 8, 2022: Updated to reflect election of Wendy Crismore and Gina Belluso to co-Secretary/Treasurers, and Karen Coffey to Sergeant of Arms.
* December 2022: Correction to: Section IV. – Averages, previously voted on in the Winter 2021 half, but rules had not been updated.  Added: Section I. B. a & b; Section III – added additional verbiage to include weekends not bowled; Section VI. F, IGBO Awards.  

CLICK HERE FOR THE CURRENT USBC PLAYING RULES/RULEBOOK

2023 Officers and Administration

  • President: Vickie Creek
  • Vice President: Scott Till
  • Secretary/Treasurer: Wendy Crismore & Gina Belluso
  • Sergeant of Arms: Karyn Coffey
  • IGBO Rep: Sandy Roberts
  • Web/Social Media: Wendy Crismore

Please send all emails to: snopresident1@gmail.com