1. General League Information

• A team must have a minimum of 6 players on the roster.
• League games consist of 2 games bowled per night for 7 weeks in a 9 pin no-tap format.
  • 9 Pin No-Tap means that 9 pins knocked down on the first roll of each frame counts as a strike!
• In case of severe weather, official word about cancellation will be emailed/texted between 4:00 pm & 5:00 pm

2. Pregame

• Practice bowl will begin 10 minutes before game time. 
  • BE ON TIME! 
• All players must be wearing their designated OSSO team uniform.

3. Scoring and League rules

• HAVE FUN!!!
• ALL BOWLERS will have set average & handicap at the end of first 2 games bowled.
  • This allows for the great players & not-so-great players to compete & contribute to their teams success! 
  • For those new to bowling, base average & handicap can be somewhat confusing…but don’t worry, just bowl & have fun!
• Handicap: Shall be 90% of 200 base average for all members of the league.
• Absentee Score: Whenever a bowler is absent and games are not pre or post bowled, their score will be their average minus 10 pins and receive the same/established handicap.
• Vacancy Score: Whenever a team does not have at least 6 players, a vacancy score shall be assigned to the team at 100 per game.
• Team Points: Each team can earn up to 3 points per week awarded by the score (with handicap). 
  • One point shall be awarded for each game won (2 games/night) & one point for the total series (with handicap).
  • Game points are all 6 player scores from each team/game bowled.
  • Series point is awarded by using top 6 handicap series totals of each team.
• Championship week will be on week 7. 
  • The top 2 teams after week 6 will compete head to head for the championship.
  • Teams participating in the championship match must have all 6 bowlers present with no vacancy. 
  • The rest of the teams will be matched up randomly.

4. Bowling Poker:

Bowling Poker:  is a side game common & beloved by OSSO Bowling leagues and can be played weekly amongst individual players. 

Participation is entirely optional…but you might want to bring cash if you do want to participate!

• Objective

  • Score bowling pins to build the best 5-card poker hand by the end of the game.

• Setup

  • Each player (or team) starts with no cards.
  • Standard poker hand rankings apply (pair, two pair, straight, etc.).
  • Decide before starting if this is individual or team-based.

• How You Earn Cards

  • Strikes & spares earn cards.
  • Cards are drawn randomly from a standard deck.
  • Common Format (most popular):
    • Strike = draw 2 cards
    • Spare = draw 1 card
    • Open frame = no card

• Hand Rules

  • Players may hold up to 5 cards total.
  • If you earn a card while already holding 5:
    • You may replace one card with the new draw.
  • Cards can be kept hidden or face-up (your call).

• End of Game

  • After the final frame, players form their best 5-card poker hand.
  • The best hand wins.

5. OSSO Code of Conduct

• Lighthearted trash talking is permitted.
• Players who instigate and / or use personal profanity, such as "F*** You" will receive a warning.
  • A second event with the same player(s) will result in an ejection for those involved.
    • Repeat offenses by the same player(s) will result in a suspension. 
    • The duration of the suspension will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the severity of the incident.
• Racial slurs, hate speech, or discriminatory language of any kind will result in immediate ejection, complete suspension, and removal from the league.
  • Individuals who engage in this behavior are not welcome back.
  • This applies to players, spectators, and anyone involved with the game.
• Any act of physical violence - including fighting, shoving, or intentional aggression - will result in immediate ejection, complete suspension, and removal from the league.
  • Individuals who engage in this behavior are not welcome back.
  • This applies to players, spectators, and anyone involved with the game.
• If there is a dispute about a score or a rule, a Captain may ask for a meeting with the opposing Captain and the League Coordinator/Official to discuss the dispute. 
  • If a judgement call goes in your team's favor when it shouldn't have, your Captain CAN and SHOULD speak up to the correct call. 
• A player(s) arguing with or being disrespectful to the officials will receive a warning.
  • A second event with the same player(s) will result in an ejection for those involved.
    • Repeat offenses by the same player(s) will result in a suspension. 
    • The duration of the suspension will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the severity of the incident.
• Remember that we are a SOCIAL SPORTS LEAGUE that values FUN and COMMUNITY above all else.
  • As a result, we must acknowledge that we are all imperfect people playing an imperfect game, and that wrong calls will inevitably be made.
  • These errors should be accepted with grace.
• Our goal is to create a FUN and INCLUSIVE environment for ALL players while always striving for fairness.