1.)The Alamo City Tournament (ACT), beginning on Friday, January 17, 2025, and running through Sunday, January 19, 2025, is an IGBO-affiliated tournament, open to anyone over the age of 18 by invitation only. The tournament will be a mixed handicap competition, certified by USBC, and adhering to USBC rules. Participation is limited to 44 teams of four (4) participants of any gender identity, and there is no average cap for this tournament. The Tournament Directors have the right to refuse any entry submitted and will resolve any issue that is not covered by the following rules and/or USBC rules.

2.) CERTIFICATION: Pursuant to Rule 300c, all participants of the Tournament must be USBC members and provide proof of membership (I.D. card or signed statement from League Secretary). Non-USBC members may qualify for entry by paying a participant fee of $10.00 to become tournament certified. Participants who pay the participation fee are not eligible for USBC awards. If the participant is not a member of IGBO, he/she/they must pay a $25.00 Associate Membership fee. The fee MUST be paid online before the start of the event as IGBO no longer recognizes paper applications.

3.) TOURNAMENT EVENTS: The Tournament shall consist of Handicap Singles, Doubles, Teams, and Individual All Events Competitions. The number of games per bowled event shall be three (3). All bowlers shall compete on an equal basis in Handicap and Scratch Events. Doubles partners must come from the same team. Bowlers are permitted to bowl only once in each Tournament event.

4.) ENTERING AVERAGE: Any bowler entering the Alamo City Tournament must establish a ten - pin average acceptable to USBC, excluding USBC Sport and PBA Experience leagues or any league that promotes itself as having more difficult lane conditions. The following rules shall be used to determine the entering average.

A. ACT will use a combination of the bowler's current IGBO TAD Average of at least 18 games (tournament scores considered will be bowled from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024) and the bowlers 2023-2024 USBC Standard Composite Average of at least 21 games or more. 

B. If no IGBO TAD Average exists, the 2023-2024 USBC Standard Composite Average of at least 21 games or more will be used.

C. If no 2023-2024 USBC Standard Composite Average exists, bowlers will use the highest current league average of at least 21 games or more.

D. If no current league average exists, bowlers will use the 2022-2023 USBC Standard Composite Average.

E. If none of the above exist, bowlers will enter the tournament using a scratch score of 225.

F. The Alamo City Tournament does not recognize a 10-pin rule (USBC rule 319a.2), however, the tournament directors reserve the right to re-rate at the beginning of any tournament event.

5.) HANDICAP: Each bowler's tournament handicap shall be based upon 90% of the difference between the highest entered average in the tournament and the bowler's entering tournament average.

6.) OPTIONAL SCRATCH COMPETITION: The Optional Scratch competition event fee shall be twenty-five U.S. Dollars ($25.00) per person. 100% of the Optional Scratch entry fee will be paid out back to the event. Optional Scratch entry fees MUST be paid at registration. There will be six divisions in the Optional Scratch competition. Optional Scratch event scores shall be based on all scratch scores bowled in the nine (9) games comprising the Handicap Tournament. Cash position prizes for the Optional Scratch competition will be awarded for HIGH SCRATCH GAME, SERIES, and ALL-EVENTS scores bowled by participants in each Division, who have paid the Optional Scratch entry. Only one (1) award can be won per participant. Optional Scratch shall pay a minimum of 1 in 10 entries in each Division.

DIVISION A: AVERAGE 0 – 149
DIVISION B: AVERAGE 150-164
DIVISION C: AVERAGE 165-179
DIVISION D: AVERAGE 180-194
DIVISION E: AVERAGE 195-209
DIVISION F: AVERAGE 210 & ABOVE

7.) SCRATCH MASTERS: On Sunday, after the completion of the Singles Event, the Scratch Masters competition will begin (approx. 1:30 PM start time). The tournament will take all 9 scratch games bowled during the singles, doubles, and team events. The top 8 bowlers in the 6 divisions, determined by average, will qualify for the Scratch Masters event. The Scratch Masters division and cost for entry are detailed below:

DIVISION A: AVERAGE 0 – 149 ($30.00)
DIVISION B: AVERAGE 150-164 ($35.00)
DIVISION C: AVERAGE 165-179 ($40.00)
DIVISION D: AVERAGE 180-194 ($45.00)
DIVISION E: AVERAGE 195-209 ($50.00)
DIVISION F: AVERAGE 210 & ABOVE ($55.00)

Each Scratch Masters division will pay out 100% of the monies collected. THE LANES WILL NOT BE CONDITIONED BEFORE THE SCRATCH MASTERS COMPETITION BEGINS. The following are the rules for the event:

A. All bowlers will receive 10 minutes of practice. Bowlers may practice on all lanes allocated for their division.

B. Round 1. All 8 bowlers will bowl 1 game on the same pair of lanes. The 4 highest scores bowled will move on to round 2 of the competition with the lowest 4 scores being eliminated. The 4 lowest scoring bowlers will all be paid out an equal amount.

C. Round 2. The remaining 4 bowlers will bowl 1 game 1 pair to the right of the previous lanes that were bowled on. The top 2 highest scores bowled will move on to the championship match with the 2 lowest scores bowled being eliminated. The 2 lowest scoring bowlers will be paid out an equal amount.

D. Championship Match. The two remaining bowlers will bowl a best out of three match. This is not for a total pins set. The bowler with the highest qualifying score in the previous round will decide which of the 2 pair of lanes that were bowled on will be used for the championship match, in addition, they will decide which bowler will bowl first. At the end of the best 2 out of 3 match one bowler will earn the Scratch Masters title in their division and the other will receive second place. Splitting the prize and foregoing bowling is not allowed. All bowlers making the top 8 will at least win their entry fee back.

E. All ties will be broken by a 9th and 10th frame roll off.

F. If there is a tie for 8th place at qualifying, the bowler with the highest scratch set during singles, doubles and team events will qualify 8th place.

G. All other rules and adjustments are determined by the tournament official running the scratch masters event.

8.) FEES / REFUNDS: The Tournament entry fee shall be one hundred and twenty (U.S.) Dollars ($120.00). Tournament entry fees MUST accompany the Tournament entry. Once payment has been processed, no refunds will be allowed without the approval of the Tournament Directors. Petitions for refunds must be made in writing, including the reasoning for the refund, and presented to a Tournament Director. Tournament spots are not guaranteed until the spot is paid for.

9.) ENTRIES / VERIFICATION: Tournament entries shall close on December 31, 2024 or when all 176 individual spots have been filled and paid for, whichever comes first. The tournament will only accept online payments for all entries. Entries shall be processed in the order in which they were submitted. Partial team entries shall be accepted and the Tournament Directors shall make every effort to fill the vacancies, provided that all necessary information has been submitted for verification. It is each bowler's responsibility to verify the accuracy of their average, whether submitted by them, their team captain or others.Failure to submit proper average verification will result in disqualification of all positions and prizes, if the correct average is discovered by the Tournament Committee to be higher than the submitted average. If the correct average is discovered to be lower than the submitted average, the submitted average shall continue to be used to award positions and prizes. Average corrections can be made by the bowler up to the start of practice for the Doubles Event.

10.) CHECK-IN TIME & PRACTICE BALLS: Check - in time for all bowlers is thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of their scheduled event(s) each day. Team Captains will check - in for the Team Event, after all bowlers are present. Bowlers shall have ten (10) minutes of practice on the assigned lanes prior to each event.

11.) LATE BOWLERS AND SUBSTITUTIONS: It shall be the sole responsibility of each bowler to be present at the assigned lane at the time of bowling. Each bowler shall have the responsibility to arrive in time to bowl without regard to transportation irregularities, improper directions, mechanical failures, or any other reason. Late bowlers shall begin bowling in the frame in which they are ready with prior frames scored at zero (0). If a team member is not present, the team may use an authorized substitute per event. If no substitute is available, a zero (0) score will be used for the missing bowler. Substitutes will be allowed at the discretion of the Tournament Director(s) after meeting with the Team Captain. Substitutes must complete an entry form prior to bowling and adhere to all tournament rules.

12.) PRIZES: Each event will have its own prize list, with at least 100% cash return for all prize fees. Team, Doubles, and Singles Events shall pay a minimum of 1 in 8 entries. Individual All Events will pay a minimum of 1 in 10 entries. All monies will be mailed out within thirty (30) days. A tie in any position will result in equal division of prizes.

13.) PROTESTS: A protest or appeal involving eligibility or playing rules must be filed with the Tournament Management, the local association or USBC by a participating bowler within 72 hours of the close of the tournament. The protest or appeal must be in writing and the grounds for the protest or appeal briefly stated. An appeal regarding the decision of the Tournament Management or local association may be made to USBC. The decision of USBC is final and binding on all involved parties. Prizes for the positions affected will not be distributed until the protest or appeal is resolved.

14.) EQUIPMENT RULE: Bowling balls must be USBC approved and drilled, meeting all USBC requirements. Balls must have also been released and available to the public for purchase by the start of ACT 2025 on January 17, 2025. Pre-release and test bowling equipment is not allowed.