Hi, I am currently a bowler in a youth bowling league. We don't bowl for money. We bowl against each other the entire league and divide the league into two halves with the winners of each half rolling off for first place overall. Today, my team played the second place team for first place. We had to win one game to finish first this half. In the fourth frame of the second game, one of the members on the other team fouled and bowled a strike, but no foul registered. Nobody said anything about the foul, so I asked our league coordinator (who is my mother) to check the foul lines. As it turns out, they were not on. We then went to the league coordinator for the bowling alley who said that they could not turn the foul lines on in the middle of our bowling.
I went back to bowling, but the young man fouled again and it did not register. So, I went back to the coordinator and had the lights turned on. Our teams tied the second game and lost the other two, meaning we lost this half of the season.
My question is this; My parent is the coordinator for this league, would it be wrong for me to dispute the set of games because the foul lights weren't on? Or, should I let sleeping dogs lie go for third? If I try to dispute the games and we end up rebowling them, some of the league members or parents may think that my parent just gave me special treatment.
What should I do?
Well, now you know that the foul lights can be turned on at anytime during bowling. One thing I have always done is that during practice,I slide my foot thru the foul line to make sure it is working.
The time to protest was immediately after the foul and ask for a score correction (both times). If no one else saw the foul and the bowler did not own up to it, then the person would have thrown a provisional ball and the league board would decide which score would count.
Somebody will probably jump on me for this, but in my opinion it's too late now.
Thank you for replying!
When he fouled, I'm sure everyone watching saw it, because he stepped in the gutter, but the kids were 11-12 and my team was all 17+, so I doubt they would say he fouled now, especially since they would probably lose if they said so. I wasn't sure whether anything could be done now or not and technically it's not that big of a deal. I mean sure, I would like to have won, but it is just a game and all I'd get is a bigger trophy.
I will definately be checking each week to make sure the foul lines are on from now on though!
cicada49,
I won't be jumping all over you. I agree with what you wrote.
Haven't seen you on the forums for what seems like a coon's age. Hope all is well, Vince.
