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Author Topic: Can you believe the ABC officials?  (Read 1298 times)

mumzie

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Can you believe the ABC officials?
« on: May 31, 2004, 08:51:54 PM »
We had a little rule issue at ABC during the 11:30 PM doubles squad. My partner didn't want to protest, so I didn't follow up, but be forewarned - whether I was right or wrong, officials don't have a clue what the rule book really says....

Here's what happened.

We were bowling unopposed - we were the only two people on our pair. I think it was the 7th or 8th frame of the second game of doubles.
My partner, who was bowling first, apparently bowled on the wrong lane, and got a strike. I followed him, and did the same.
Only after I bowled did I realize that the scorer didn't pick up either strike. I asked the official, and they said that "I've never seen that happen, and don't think it ever could." When I pushed the issue (not realizing we'd bowled on the wrong lane at this point), he told me we should just bowl it over.
Now - I remembered reading the "bowling on the wrong lane" rule, and remembered it saying that if ONE bowler bowled on the wrong lane, it had to be done over, but if the entire team (read both of us in this case) bowled on the wrong lane, the score stands.
My hubby had to hunt all over the place for a rule book (none of the officials had them), and sure enough, I was right. Meanwhile, while looking for the rule book, we bowled the frame over.
Isn't it amazing that
A) the officials don't have a clue..
and
B) we couldn't find a rule book anywhere???

Now - before you all say that I should have had one - I normally do, but I had a bottle of ball cleaner spill inside my bag a few days earlier, and the rule book was drying out in the truck.

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charlest

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Re: Can you believe the ABC officials?
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2004, 12:00:06 PM »
I have often wondered if those people there at the ABC are actually knowledgeable "officials" or just people hired to help out. The ones I encountered were almost always helpful and sympathetic, but rarely would I call them knowledgeable. That said, it would seem logical for each to have a copy of that small rules book or for their to be one "head official" for the the whole 48 lanes or 2, one for each block of 24 lanes.

Your problem has occurred so often, it is hardly an unknown one; in fact, I'd say I am surprised that they didn't just enter the scores for you.
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pagnouch

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Re: Can you believe the ABC officials?
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2004, 12:04:24 PM »
Here's another one for you. My first game of singles i left the bucket and picked it up, 9th frame l left the 4 pin picked it up. In the 10 frame i noticed that my score was not right. They had me for a foul in the first and tenth frame. I asked the monitor person to fix because i did not foul. I had 2 witnesses she said i had to file a protest which i did. The lane manager met with me after bowling and said it will stand. I said you mean that the machine can not be wrong? He said these are state of the art equip. with no problems. In the same breath he says they have had problems with the high end.
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mumzie

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Re: Can you believe the ABC officials?
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2004, 02:31:30 PM »
Chris - not my doing. The rule is in the book.
And if I were the opposing team captain, it would "only" happen once...

--------------------
Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.
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charlest

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Re: Can you believe the ABC officials?
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2004, 04:19:24 PM »
quote:
If there is a rule that says you can bowl on the wrong lane and keep your score just as long as your whole team does it, that is absolutely stupid.
-Chris Dilley


CHris,

You are twisting things out of proportion. The wording is such that it is not meant to be intentional. The point is most people just follow the person before them. The object of the rule is not to delay the game any more than is necessary. If the whole team bowls on the wrong lane, you just count everything
as it is bowled. Then you make the correction.
--------------------
"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."
"None are so blind as those who will not see."