So I have been talking back and forth with the USBC about rule 118b. It deals with two handed bowling and " normal delivery." The bowling center I work for has numerous two handed bowlers, and it has brought to our attention that the rule reads as follows, "The bowler has changed or deviated from their normal delivery which is a violation of Rule 118b. This rule provides a penalty of forfeiture of the individual’s/team’s game in which this action occurred." So it clearly states that there is an idea of a normal delivery. So I emailed the folks at the USBC to find out what constituted a normal delivery and what the line was for when that bowler leaves the normal delivery spectrum. Needless to say I have got the shiftiest answers that have no legitamcay behind them and no one at the USBC will answer how or why or what criteria was used to declare some actions non normal and some normal. After lengthy talks they have yet to fully answer a question or give a straight definition of what is constituted by the normal delivery of a given bowler. The whole reason this conversation started was because as the rule reads in the book, one can and does clearly make the case that a bowler using a two handed delivery who then uses a single handed delivery would be going outside their normal delivery when they switch. The USBC seemed to disagree, they feel that even though the entire footwork, swing, release, and approach are different it is still a normal delivery for that bowler even though they have recognized it as being different. So I asked if a bowler could throw one shot regular under hand and then over hand, still only using one hand, this they felt was not normal delivery for said bowler, so when I asked how that was more different then the two handed bowler, I got the typical mom response of "it just is," which I am summing up from their just blatant repetion of my question without actualy answering it. So I proceeded to ask about a bowler that throws one handed and then throws his next shot one handed under his legs, that too they felt was also in violation. So I then asked where the line, or definition of the normal delivery was that they are using to put things into context, they answered that they have no definition. However they did say that any person that has two hands on the ball at the release is in forfeiture, so I asked how is one supposed to check, I told him that there are many bowlers I have watched with two hands that I know for certain keep both hands on the bowl even through the release, he assured me i was not seeing things correctly. I would really like to know what is so hard about getting a straight answer from them, this is the third or fourth time i have attempted to verify rules for my league bowlers and have got nothing out of the organization that is funded by the bowlers and supposed to be working for the bowlers.
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