2025-2026 CBC Thursday Night League Rules
Rules for 2025-2026 Season
This league is sanctioned by the Canadian Tenpin Federation (C.T.F.)
1. SCHEDULE & FORMAT:
a. Commences on Thursday Sept. 11th, at Richmond Hill Pro Bowl, 8:00P.M. Practice, 8:15PM. Scoring
b. A 32 week schedule will be used, 3 games a week, based on a regular league schedule.
NO BOWLING ON DEC 25, 2025
NO BOWLING ON JAN 1, 2026
NO BOWLING ON MAR 19, 2026 (MARCH BREAK)
c. Team Captain is responsible for fielding his team and for his/her team’s dues
d. The season will be 32 weeks long divided in 3 series of 10 weeks including a position round on each 10th week based on the current series standings. The 31st and 32nd week will be a position round based on the season standings but if 1st place is clinched before week 32 position round then 1st place team will play against last placed team; all other teams will move up to face each other (IE 2nd vs 3rd, 4th vs 5th etc.).
e. There will be 2 weeks of playoffs.
f. The first 32 weeks will determine the overall positions for which the main portion of the prize fund will be allocated… There will be no “tie breakers”.
g. Points:
i. 1 point per game vs. direct opponent H2H (head to head) ties will be broken with the carry over to the next H2H game (max. 9)
ii. 2 point per game for the team total pin fall (max. 6)
iii. 4 point for the final grand totals of the week (max. 4)
iv. 19 points will be the maximum amount of points obtained per week
h. DECLARED – roll-off must be used on the date the bowler specified (see line-ups & absentee scores for more information – section 6b)
i. ROLL-OFF scores are NOT allowed to be used in position rounds or playoffs, spares are allowed with a minimum of 12 games bowled.
2. BOWLING FEES:
a. Weekly Fees
i. $30 per bowler: $16.67 Lineage - $13.33 League/Prize funds - $90 per team. Cash only.
ii. The last 2 weeks of bowling and bowler/team arrears to be paid in full on the 30th week of bowling
b. CTF Membership Not Paid by the league. CTF Membership is mandatory and is $33. CBC membership fee is $10 per year, if you have paid through another CBC league this season, you will be exempt from this payment.
c. Arrears:
i. A limit of $60 has been set for any and all members… if you reach this limit you will not be allowed to bowl until money is in the envelope to prevent exceeding this limit. An absent score of 170 scratch (no-handicap) will be used for a member exceeding this limit (no declared scores will be allowed here).
ii. Any bowler who is removed from the league or that quits the league will forfeit any and all prize money.
3. PRIZE FUND:
a. Drawn up by the Executive by week 4
b. 1/2 of regular season games must be bowled to qualify for individual awards (i.e. 48/96 games)
c. Scratch awards effective from 1st day, handicap awards after completion of 12 games. Note that ROLL-OFF scores when used will not count towards handicap awards.
d. No spare bowler is eligible for individual awards.
4. AVERAGES:
a. Entering average shall be the highest league average for the past 12 months or last sanctioned average available.
b. New Bowler Rule - New members without a yearbook average or non-sanctioned league average will have their average calculated after each 3 games bowled for the first three weeks of the season (9 games). Cumulative average during that time.
c. Entering averages used for the first 9 games, then calculated weekly thereafter.
d. There will be a 10 pin drop rule - bowler’s averages can drop more than 10 in average, however they will not receive more handicap past the 10 pins dropped. (i.e. If a bowler enter with a 200 average, and averages 180 for the first half of the season, they will have a 180 average, but the handicap he/she will have is based on a 190 average)
5. HANDICAP:
a. Based on 80% of 220 for men and women, no cap.
b. Team handicap will be the total of the three bowler’s handicap present or absent in the line-up.
c. Individual handicaps on established averages will remain for the first 9 games and calculated thereafter (new bowlers after 3 games and used for the first 3 games)
6. LINE-UPS & ABSENTEE SCORES
a. Vacancy score
i. Individual absent score is -10 from average, handicap will be added appropriately.
ii. If declared scores are used on both teams, and the scores are used against each other, the match play points will be deemed a tie (i.e 1.5 points each). However, the team totals will still be calculated with the appropriate score with handicap to determine the team game points.
iii. Leaving after completing 1st or 2nd game gets the average of the games bowled for the remaining game(s) or average -10, whichever is LOWER.
iv. Failure to complete a game without cause – see C.T.F. rule 108b
v. NOTE: A team with all members absent is still considered able to win points based on their individual absentee scores
b. Declared scores (roll off)
i. Declared scores can be used if a bowler wishes to use a score to cover an absence on a specific date
ii. In a case where the bowler’s schedule changes and they already have a declared score, those scores MUST be used
iii. No regular bowler or spares can replace declared scores
iv. Bowlers who wants to declare their scores MUST get their scoresheet signed by the proper league executive with the scheduled date BEFORE they throw any ball for score that week
c. Spares
i. Spares are allowed and encouraged to be used when a bowler is absent.
ii. Spares can be anyone with a valid average to calculate handicap.
iii. New bowler(s) without a sanctioned average will follow the “NEW BOWLER RULE” to calculate handicap until 9 games are achieved as a spare – section 5c
iv. A spare can bowl for multiple teams throughout the year, but can only spare for one team per week
d. Late Bowlers
i. Bowlers must be prepared to bowl by 15 minutes after the completion of practice and arrows flashing (8:30PM) to catch up, after that team must use a vacant score – section 6a
ii. SKIP BOWLER option (at approval of opposing captain) may be used to speed up play when a bowler needs to be away from lane
e. Team Line Up – IE Head-to-Head choice:
i. The team will be aligned as per active bowler’s average order, from lowest to highest. I.E. The lowest average will lead off for the team, followed by the next highest average and the highest average bowler will “anchor” for the team.
7. DISPUTES:
a. All disputes will be brought to the attention of an Executive by the Team Captain at the time of occurrence. After the dispute has been reviewed, a resolution will be proposed at said time or by decision of the Board