Sanctioning

1. The 2024 Palm Springs Desert Invitational Classic (PSDIC) is a USBC sanctioned tournament – USBC Certification Number XXXXX.  All participants are subject to the USBC rules and jurisdiction for the event.  The tournament is a mixed handicap competition and is by invitation only.
2. All participants must be a member of USBC and be able to provide proof of membership (current sanction card or signed statement from the League Secretary, verifying membership).
3. All participants must be a rostered member of an IGBO league, a substitute on an IGBO-member league with at least 21 games on that league within the prior year, a direct affiliate of IGBO, or a lifetime IGBO affiliate.  If the participant is not affiliated with IGBO as defined above, the participant must pay the $25.00 Direct Affiliate fee prior to bowling.  The participant shall have the opportunity to pay this fee at the time of registration. 

Event Participation

4. The tournament events shall be handicap events and are as follows: Singles, Doubles and Team. Optional Scratch Masters Event will also be offered.
5. Each participant shall bowl three (3) games per event and must enter all three events. Teams will consist of four (4) members comprising of any combination of men and women.  Doubles partners must come from the same team.
6. Each Participant may bowl only once in each event.
7. Professional bowlers, defined as any person who has been a “card-carrying” member of a professional bowling organization within the past twelve months, shall be permitted to bowl the PSDIC tournament as follows:
   
   1. Professional bowlers must be a rostered member of an IGBO league, a substitute on an IGBO-member league with at least 21 games on that league with the prior year, a direct affiliate of IGBO, or a lifetime IGBO affiliate.  If the Professional bowler is not affiliated with IGBO as defined above, the participant must pay the $25.00 Direct Affiliate fee prior to bowling.
   2. No more than one professional bowler in any four-player lineup.
   3. No more than one professional bowler in any two-player lineup.
   4. Each professional bowler shall be eligible to enter all handicap events and the Scratch Masters event.
   5. Professional bowlers MUST identify themselves at the time of registration.
   6. In the event that a professional bowler does not provide proper identification prior to bowling, they will be disqualified and forfeiture of all entry fees and prize winnings from this tournament.
8. Tournament management maintains the exclusive right to refuse or reject any entrant for any reason.
9. 8.a No unreasonable delay in the progress of any game is permitted per USBC Rule 11 – Forfeit/Delay of Game.  If a player or team during PSDIC tournament play refuses to proceed with a game after being directed to do so by a tournament official, the game or series shall be declared forfeited.

Awards and Prizes

9. All cash awards shall be based on the total pins plus assigned handicap for each event (except for the Optional Scratch and Scratch Masters events).
10. Awards will be given in the Handicap Division for the best Single, Doubles, Team, and Individual All Events. Individual All Events is defined as the nine (9) game total plus handicap of an individual bowler.
11. The award ratio for the handicap division shall be at a minimum of 1:10, except for Individual All Events, which shall be at least 1:25.
12. Prizes will be distributed in US Currency within thirty (30) days of the completion of the tournament, barring any protests. A tie in any position will result in the sum of the prizes being aggregated for the tied positions and divided equally by the number of ties for that placing.

Entering Averages and Handicap

13. Any bowler entering PSDIC must have an established ten-pin average acceptable to USBC. The following rules shall be used to determine the entering average.
    
    1. The 2023/2024 USBC STANDARD COMPOSITE AVERAGE, including both winter and summer leagues, with a minimum of 21 total games bowled.  Note: Bowlers should include their current composite average at the time the entry form is submitted.  The committee will check bowl.com for updated composite average prior to the tournament. PSDIC has opted out of USBC Rule 319A-2 (10 Pin Rule) for this tournament.
    2. If none of the above is available, the 2022/2023 USBC STANDARD COMPOSITE AVERAGE, including both winter and summer leagues, with a minimum of 21 total games bowled.
    3. If a bowler's IGBO/TAD average, based on 18 or more games in the past 12 months, is one (1) pin or more higher than their submitted average from A or B above, then the IGBO/TAD average will apply.  Note:  The TAD average dates are from October 23, 2023, through October 17, 2024, and will NOT include the 2023 PSDIC tournament scores.
    4. If none of the above is available, an entering average of 235 (See Rule 319b) will be used.
    5. Bowlers are responsible for verifying their own average, whether submitted by the bowler, the team captain, or others. If the submitted average is lower than required and results in a lower classification or more handicap, the bowler’s score is disqualified. If the submitted average is higher than required, prize winnings will be based on the submitted average. In the case of a team of two or more bowlers, the averages will be combined to determine if the correct total is higher or lower than the submitted total.
    6. If the USBC Standard Composite Average or TAD average is NOT available, then averages must be verified with one of the following documents and must be sent with the entry form.
       
       1. League sheet, signed and dated by a league Secretary;
       2. Letter from the League President or Secretary;
    7. Sport Bowling USBC Rule 201c will be applied. A bowler must submit and use their adjusted Sport Bowling league average utilizing the USBC Average Adjustment Scale located on bowl.com if this average is higher than their standard league average. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.
    8. A bowler is required to adjust their entering average if, during the 12-month period immediately preceding PSDIC, the cumulative average for all, but not less than, 21 tournament games in which the bowler has participated, exceeds the average used for entry by one (1) or more pins.  It is solely and entirely the bowler’s responsibility to submit this adjustment, in writing, before the end of the first frame of tournament play.  Failure to accurately report these scores shall be cause for disqualification and forfeiture of entry fees and prize winnings if discovered; regardless of whether the discovery is before, during or after tournament play.
    9. PSDIC has waived USBC rule 319(d) and does not require bowlers to report winnings from prior tournaments.
14. The handicap for the tournament shall be based on 90% of the difference between the bowler’s entering average (as determined above) and a scratch of 235. Negative handicaps shall NOT apply.
15. The tournament director(s) have the authority to adjust the entering average of any bowler or assign a provisional average pending verification (USBC rule 319e). Average adjustments will be applied as set forth under USBC rules. All average adjustments will be completed prior to his/her first ball. A bowler unwilling to accept an average adjustment is entitled to an event refund.

Attendance and Substitutes

16. It is solely and entirely the bowler’s responsibility to be present at the assigned lanes at the time of bowling. Each bowler shall have the total responsibility to arrive on time to bowl. Mechanical failures, transportation irregularities, improper directions and related reasons DO NOT alter the application of Rules 18 and 19 below (USBC rules will apply).
17. Complete doubles and team entrants must be present for bowling each event. It a team member is not present; the team may use an authorized substitute (Rule 19). If no substitute is available, a zero score will be used for the missing bowler or bowlers.
18. Late bowlers will begin bowling in the frame in which they are ready, with prior frames being scored as zero. No practice balls will be allowed for late bowlers.
19. Substitutes and replacement bowlers with an entering average of 235 or less are eligible to bowl at the discretion of the tournament director(s). Their entering average must comply with Rule 319. Substitutes must complete an entry form.
20. Bowlers will be allowed 10 minutes of practice before the singles and doubles events, and two (2) practice balls on each lane for the team event.

Entry Requirements

21. Entries must be submitted online at psdic.org, click SIGN UP NOW.  Entry fees will be invoiced through QuickBooks and must be paid within 7 days of receiving an invoice.  If an entry is not paid within 7 days, that entry may be discarded and/or not guarantee your shift preference.  A team’s shift spot is not guaranteed until all 4 bowlers have registered, and payment has been received.  Credit and Debit cards are accepted.  Entries shall be limited to the maximum of 224 bowlers. Once the maximum has been reached, you will be placed on a waitlist.  The entry deadline is October 1, 2024.  Entry acceptance will be based solely on the order in which they are received as they are timestamped.  Once an entry has been accepted, NO REFUNDS will be issued except as stated in Rule 15.     

    Additional fees are required to enter Scratch Masters and other optional events.  These fees may be paid with the entry fee or at the time of check-in at the tournament.  Any fees paid after October 1, 2024, must be completed on site at the tournament, credit and debit cards are accepted.

22. Any entry changes, after Oct 1, 2024, except for average changes may incur a $10 change fee.
23. Partial team entries will be accepted; however, partial teams may not be assigned the requested squad. The tournament director(s) or secretary(s) will make every effort to fill any vacancies.
24. If completing entry information for other bowlers on your team, please include correct bowler information for each entry, including address, email, phone number, USBC number and average.  It is the team captain’s responsibility to submit correct information at the time of entry submission.

Protests

25. Any claims of errors or disputes must be submitted in writing to a tournament director(s) or their appointed representative within seventy-two (72) hours of the error/dispute or prior to tournament prizes being paid; whichever occurs first.  The protesting bowler(s) or team and the tournament director(s) shall settle the dispute according to PSDIC and USBC Tournament rules.  The decision of Tournament management shall be final unless a written appeal is filed with USBC Headquarters within the time limits defined in USBC Rule 329.  If a protest or appeal is filed, tournament management will withhold all affected or potentially affected prized until the protest or appeal is fully resolved.

General

26. Any person attending and requiring special needs MUST notify the tournament director(s) in writing by
    October 1, 2024.
27. All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is courteous and respectful to others at all times.  Bowlers exhibiting any behavior that is disrespectful to anyone in the bowling house (e.g. verbal abuse, physical abuse, inappropriate language) will be disqualified from the competition and removed from the premises.  Other possible consequences can be, but not limited to, reporting of any incidents to IGOB and/or USBC.

Optional Scratch Masters

28. The Optional Scratch Masters, in conjunction with PSDIC 2024, is a separate optional competition open to all bowlers entered in PSDIC 2024.  Bowlers are assigned a division based on their entering average.
29. The tournament director may place a bowler into a higher division at their discretion.  Any adjustment to this type will be made before the entrant bowls any Singles, Doubles or Team event and will be based upon verified average information.
30. The nine (9) game scratch total from the tournament is used to determine the six (6) qualifiers and one (1) alternate for the competition.  Scores do not carry over.  In case of a tie for the 6th position, a 9^th and 10^th frame roll-off will determine the qualifier.
31. The six (6) qualifiers in ALL divisions will bowl one (1) match game against the other five (5) qualifiers and a final position match.  The winner of each match will receive a 30-pin bonus added to his/her score.  The loser will receive no bonus.  In case of a tie, a 15-pin bonus is awarded to both bowlers.  The top four (4) qualifiers after the six (6) games will bowl a pro-style match play roll-off.
32. A lane schedule will be given to each bowler at the time of check-in, showing which lane each bowler is to bowl on for each of the six (6) matches.  The final match is determined by position.
33. In the event of a tie during the stepladder finals, a 9th and 10th frame roll-off will determine the winner.
34. The match game competition will begin at 8:30 am on Sunday, October 20, 2024.  ALL Scratch Masters divisions will bowl at the scheduled time at Palm Springs Lanes.
35. Bowlers must check in by 8:00am, but no later than 8:15am.  Any bowlers not checked in by 8:15 am., will be replaced with alternates, forfeiting participation rights.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
36. Bowlers will be allowed ten (10) minutes of practice before the first match only.  No open bowling will be allowed prior to the Scratch Masters event.
37. Any claims of error in the roll-off competition must be submitted before the start of the next match.  In case of an error in the final match, any claims must be reported within one (1) hour after the end of the last match.
38. The Optional Scratch Masters payout will be 100% of the entry fees (less $15 for lineage, cost of lineage will be paid from Scratch Masters entry fee). The award ratio by division shall be at a minimum of 1 in 2 entries, with a maximum of 6 places paid in each division.
39. If fewer than 6 bowlers in any Division sign up for Optional Scratch Masters, the division will be cancelled and entrants will be given the option of having their fee refunded or moving up to the next higher division, except Division A.