By Laws

AMENDED FSBL BY-LAWS [AUGUST 28^TH, 2011]
RATIFIED ON SEP 9th, 2012

1.       The name for this bowling league shall be:  Fealofani Samoa Bowling League (FSBL).

2.       The league officers shall consist of the President and Secretary.   The election of officers must be conducted during the end of the season “awards ceremony” in which a quorum is present.  The officers are to be elected by a simple majority vote of the league membership.

3.       A quorum is defined as three-fourths of the “Regular Members” of the FSBL.

4.       A “Regular Member” is defined as a fee paying bowler who is a member in any of the FSBL teams and is responsible for all bowling fees.  Substitutes are not fee paying members and are therefore not required to pay bowling fees.

5.       All rules and policies of the FSBL must be voted on and approved by a simple majority vote during an official league meeting in which a quorum is present.

6.       The FSBL will adopt the ABC and WABC rules except for areas where the FSBL has specified its own.  Such specified rules are referred to as “Excepted Rules” and will be applied only upon approval of the FSBL.  In situations where a conflict might arise between the ABC rules and the “Excepted Rules,” the Excepted Rules will supersede.

7.       There will be a league uniform that will consist of a collar shirt bearing on the back the name “Fealofani Samoa Bowling League.”  Each team will be free to choose the color of their shirt and to add their team name and/or person’s name on the front.  [Note: This rule has been suspended per a decision reached during the league meeting on August 21, 2005.]

8.       Regular Members are required to wear their team uniform during all “league bowling.”  Failure to do so will result in the person being fined by $2.00 for each violation.  Substitutes are exempted from this rule.  [Note: This rule has been suspended per a decision reached during the league meeting on August 21, 2005.]

9.       While each team requires only 3 “regular” members, it may list as many “regular” members as it wants.  A bowler listed as “regular” member cannot play as a “substitute.”

10.   In the event a team has only 2 members at the start of the season, the team may choose to use a substitute or a “Vacant” bowler to complete the team.  The Vacant bowler will carry a per game average of 120 pins plus handicap.

11.   No new substitutes will be allowed after the end of the 2^nd round of bowling.  Only those persons whose names appear in the Substitutes List by the end of the 2^nd round and have played a minimum of 3 games will be allowed to play the duration of the season.

12.   A substitute bowler can play in any team at the pleasure of the receiving team only when a regular bowler is absent or incapacitated [Amended August 28^th, 2011]

13.   No substitute bowler can play in the place of a regular bowler while the regular bowler is present except in the case of an illness or injury.  Such an illness or injury will be considered at the discretion of the League Officers.

14.   A substitute can bowl in the place of a regular bowler who is arriving late.  Once the substitute has begun bowling, the late bowler must wait until the start of a new game before entering.

15.   There will be no “substitutes” allowed during “Position” rounds.

16.   There will be no “substitutes” allowed during “Championship roll-off.”

17.   If a regular bowler is late, the team can choose to start bowling using a “blind score” which is calculated by taking the late bowler’s current average less 10 pins until he/she arrives or use a substitute.  If the team opts to take a blind score, the bowler who arrives late must wait until the start of a new game before entering unless he/she arrives before the end of the 4^th frame, in which case he/she can enter the game immediately.

18.   Once league playing has officially started (approximately 3:10 p.m., Sunday, unless otherwise announced by the officers), a team with NO regular member present can be late up to the end of the 4^th frame of each game, unless a request was made and granted by the League Officers.  The League Officers must inform the opposing team of such a request prior to or at the start of the league.  If at the end of the 4^th frame of each game and there is still no one present, all games will be declared “forfeit.” [Amended August 28^th, 2011]

19.   A team must have at least one Regular Member present in order to bowl.  When there is only one Regular Member present, he or she may take the absent scores for the other two who are absent or use one or two substitutes or use a combination of both to complete their team lineup.

20.   Requests for “make up” games must be agreed upon between the two opposing teams and must be submitted to the League Officers at least three (3) days before the scheduled date of bowling.  Such requests for make-up games must be approved by the League Officers. There will be no more than 6 make-up games per team i.e. two make-up games per round. All league rules will apply during make up games. [Amended August 28^th, 2011]

21.   All make up games must be completed by Friday, after the day they were suppose to bowl, unless otherwise approved by the League Officers.  Failure to do so by any team(s) will result in a forfeit of all the games. [Amended August 28^th, 2011]

22.   The “Foul Line” will be honored at all times of league bowling.

23.   Profanity is strictly disallowed and will not be tolerated during all league bowling and meetings.  Violation of this rule will be punishable by a fine of $10 for each violation.  Repeat violation of this rule may result in suspension or banishment from the league.

24.   Violent and/or un-sportsmanlike actions are strictly disallowed and will not be tolerated during all league activities.  Some examples of such actions include but not limited to fighting, use of angry un-welcomed language or gesture, and cause of damage to property.  Violators will be suspended immediately for the remainder of the season up to one year or banished from the league.

25.   Prior to the end of the 2002 season, the league membership agreed that a perpetual award/plaque would be established to document the names of each season champion team.  The season champion team’s name and the year of the season will be listed on the perpetual plaque.

26.   The league further agreed in 2002 to enter subsequently in the perpetual plaque the names of each of the season champions from past seasons since the start of the Fealofani Samoa Bowling League.

27.   To determine the season champion, the 1^st place winners “only” from each round of bowling will enter into a special “roll off” of 3 games and the team with the most combined total pins over 3 games will be declared season champion.  If there is a tie in the number of total pins at the end of 3 games, the teams who are in a tie will play a single game (1 game – 10 frames) tie breaker and the team with the highest total pins will be declared winner.  This process will continue until the tie has been broken.

28.   In the event there is a tie for 1^st place at the end of a round, the teams in a tie will play a single game or 10-frames tie breaker and the team with the highest total pins will be declared winner.

29.   In the event that a single team wins 1^st place in all the rounds of bowling at the end of the season, there will be NO special “roll off” and such a team would be declared “season champion.”

30.   Only Regular Members will qualify to receive an “individual award.”  To be considered for an individual award, a regular member must have bowled a minimum two-thirds of the total games in the season.