Bye Week Bowling League runs on 9 Pin No Tap rules. Here is everything you need to know before you step on the approach.

The Basic Rule
Knock down 9 or 10 pins on your first ball and it counts as a strike. No tap means you are not penalized for a near-perfect shot that leaves one pin standing.

How Scoring Works

• Scoring follows standard 10-pin bowling rules in every other way.
• 9 or 10 pins on your first ball = Strike. The remaining pin is swept and the next bowler steps up.
• 8 or fewer pins on your first ball = You roll a second ball to pick up the spare.
• Strikes and spares carry standard bonus pins from the next frames just like traditional bowling.
• A perfect game is still 300.

Game Format

• Teams register as a group of 4 but every bowler competes on their own individual score.
• Each player bowls three (3) games of 10 frames per event.
• Individual scores are calculated as the combined total across all three games.
• Combined scores are tracked and ranked across all players in your city.

How You Advance
The bowler with the highest combined score across three games in each city wins the city championship. One bowler per city earns a spot in the Bye Week Bowling League National Championship. The top individual scorer from all 32 cities meets at the Pro Bowl City to compete for the national title.

Tiebreaker Rule
If two or more bowlers finish the event with the same combined score across three games, a One Ball Rolloff determines the city champion. Each tied bowler rolls one ball on a fresh set of pins. The bowler who knocks down the most pins advances. In the event of a three-way or more tie, bowlers roll in order determined by BWBL staff and the highest single ball score advances. This process repeats until one city champion is determined. If a rolloff results in another tie, those bowlers roll again immediately until the tie is broken. All rolloff results are final.

A Few Things to Know
All bowlers must complete registration and check in before their scheduled lane time.

• Substitutions must be approved by BWBL staff before the event begins.
• Lane assignments are final once posted.
• BWBL staff and venue personnel have final authority on all scoring decisions.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct may result in disqualification without refund. Please review Community Guidelines.

Why 9 Pin No Tap?
We chose this format because it rewards good bowling while keeping the energy high for players of every skill level. Whether you are a seasoned league bowler or picking up a ball for the first time, 9 Pin No Tap gives every bowler a real shot at the top of the board.

Contact Us
If you have questions, feedback, or wish to report a concern regarding these How We Bowl, please contact our team at Support@thebwbl.com. We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a positive and inclusive community for everyone.