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Frequently Asked Questions
JBT events are unlike most other junior tournaments, so take a
moment to read through these questions and answers so you'll know about everything we have
to offer!
Q: How does the entry fee work again?
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A: For the
$33 'basic
entry' in a standard format event ($31 if you prepay), a bowler is playing for the
plaques and the points we offer.
Points are important because the top point scorers at the end of the season get to bowl in our year end Invitationals and Touring Players' Championship, which have enormous prize funds and
help determine our year-end awards. More on points below. There are also
four 'optional scholarship
programs' that give you ways to earn scholarship money with us that day:
-Position
scholarship- $7: Based on your final standings
in that event. If you win the event AND enter this optional, you'd
receive the top prize, which is guaranteed at $200 minimum. 1 out of 6 entrants receive a prize.
-High games-
FREE: The top 5 games of the day will receive extra points!
- 50 Clean Jackpot-
FREE:
Stay clean (no opens) through the first 5 games
of any JBT event and become eligible for the 50-clean Finals held at the
2009 TPC!
-Brackets- $2 each: Brackets work just like brackets
in adult bowling. 8 person brackets run games 2-4 in the qualifying round,
with each bracket winner receiving a $15 scholarship.
Prepaying bowlers receive a $2
discount per event.
So, your entry fee can be anywhere
from $31 on
up, depending
on what you want to enter. Each optional is separated into scratch and handicap
divisions just like the tournament, and all awards fees are returned 100%-
often a lot more than 100%.
Pick up the 'JBT
Scholarship Programs' sheet available at each tournament for more information. |
| Q: Is there a dress code? |
| A: YES. And there's two levels:
1) To bowl a JBT event, you must have a collared shirt or bowling
related t-shirt (like a league t-shirt). You can wear shorts or
long pants, but if you wear shorts, they can't be denim or
basketball-type shorts. No hats or tank tops either. if
you're not sure, don't wear it. If you're not in dress code, you
can't bowl the semifinal round.
2) If you're in PBA-compliant dress, meaning a collared (or mock
turtleneck) shirt with your name on it, and long slacks (or 'nice'
skirts, shorts, capris, whatever for the girls), you get an extra 10
points on your season point total. This can add up if you bowl
with us a lot, so it pays to look your best!
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| Q: Tell me more about points. |
| A: Every event we run awards points based on your
performance in each event. In a standard event, you get 10 points
for showing up (and not being disqualified), and 100 additional points for winning,
80 for 2nd, 70 for 3rd,
etc... Some events are announced as double point events, and the Invitationals and TPC are triple point events. Wearing a
"name shirt" and slacks earns you an extra 10 points.
You earn additional points if you lead after a round of an event, or roll
one of the five highest games of the event in your division.
Each of our five conferences maintains its own point list, which
you can check on at the "Stats & Scholarships" section of this website. The top
point scorers at the end of the season (varying by Conference and division from
15 to 48) qualify
for each Conference's Invitational tournament. Plus,
the top 5 point scorers in each division receive a bye into the finals
of the Invitationals, which is a huge bonus and a guaranteed
scholarship. The Invitationals have a big prize fund, so
they're not to be missed.
We also keep a combined All-Conference point list for bowlers that
travel to bowl JBT events the most often. The top 60 bowlers in combined
all-conference points, plus anyone finishing in the top 20 in a
division's final point list, qualify for the season-ending Touring
Players' Championship, our most prestigious and elite event. Watch
for details on the 2009 TPC as the season develops.
Also, the points lists are major factors in determining our year-end awards such as Bowler of the
Year, Rookie of the Year, and All-Star team.
Thus, every point is valuable- get every pin- and point- you can! |
Q: Am I good enough for the JBT?
|
A: YES!!!! Any age and any average can and does do
well in the JBT- that's what the handicap division is for. Bowlers
with averages under 100 regularly enter and succeed in our events. Any
age youth bowler may compete- we have 8 year olds, for example, that love playing against
the big boys and girls. Don't miss out on the JBT because of a misconception that you're
not good enough- YOU ARE!!! |
Q: Explain the formats again?
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A: Our regular season tournaments
run under a few different formats to keep things fresh for our
regulars. They use the 'standard format' unless otherwise
noted. Here's a breakdown of our formats:
Standard
Format: There are 2 divisions,
scratch and handicap. Bowlers choose to enter one or the other. In each
division, bowlers roll 5 games across ten lanes. The top 50% of each division
advance to the semifinals. The semis consist of three additional games, with the
scratch bowlers doing match play. After the 8th game, the top 5 bowlers in each
division advance to a stepladder finals. If there are more than 50
entries in
a division, the top 8 bowlers will advance to the stepladder finals.
'PBA' Format: The
handicap division remains the same as standard fomat. In scratch,
you bowl the same 5 game qualifying round, then cut to the top 16 bowlers
regardless of entries (8 if 20 or less entries). Then, bowlers
compete in best 2-of-3 head-to head matchplay, with the #1 seed playing
the #16 seed, #2 playing #15, etc. The winners play in another best
2-of-3 round. The winners then play a one game match, and those 2
winners play a one game title match.
Survivor Format: In
this format, 'you don't have to be the best,
you just have to not be the worst'. Both divisions bowl the 5 game
qualifier, and the cut is to the top 50%. The top qualifiers receive
byes through early Survivor round(s), so you can't be eliminated right
away. In the survivor rounds, an
equal number of bowlers are put on each pair. You then bowl one
game. The LOWEST score on each pair is eliminated. Surviving
bowlers are then reshuffled, and another game is bowled, again with the
LOWEST score on the pair eliminated. Play continues until there is
only one survivor- the champion!
Drop-or-Not Format: A
new format for 08-09, this format is the same as our standard format,
except it is a six-game qualifier, and you may DROP any one game you wish
from that round to form a 5-game total. The gimmick is that you have
to state at the time you bowl
the game you wish to drop that you want to drop it! So, strategy and
luck will figure in here. If you don't drop any of the first 5
games, you don't bowl game six. Round by round point bonuses will
not be given. All other details remain the same as standard format.
Mega-matchplay
Format: The handicap division format is unchanged
from the standard format. In scratch, you still bowl the 5 game
qualifier and cut to the top 50%. However, in your 3-game
semifinals, you bowl EVERY other semifinalist in a match EVERY game.
So, if 20 people make the cut, you bowl all 19 of them every game.
Thus, if you have the high game in the semifinals, you'd go 19-0 in your
matches that game and receive 19x10 bonus pins. This is a
super-exciting take on our normal match
play!
Mulligan Format: The
format is the same as Standard Format, except that in the scratch
division, every bowler gets 3 'Mulligans', literally a do-over. Make
the cut and get an extra one, and making the finals gives you one
more. As bowlers, we always say 'man, I wish I had that shot over'--
now you do!
Nerve-wracker
format: This format is just like the PBA format,
except in the matchplay portion, if the match is tied 1-1 after two games,
you go immediately to a one-shot rolloff-- thus the wracked nerves!!
Scratchplay format:
We use this format where possible at scratch-only
events. The format is just like PBA format, except each game in the
qualifying round is also a head-to-head match with 30 bonus pins for a
win. Exciting!
We're always keeping things lively
with new formats, so be ready!
We also have a few events each year with
still more different formats,
such as our Doubles Classic, Pro-Ams, our Invitationals, the TPC, and more.
These formats are always explained on separate entry blanks.
Each event also offers our included and optional scholarship
programs. |
Q: What average is good enough for the scratch division?
|
A: We suggest that 180 is the borderline number to start
thinking about entering the scratch division, but there is no required number. Any
bowler can compete in whichever division they choose. For example, we have 190+
bowlers competing in the handicap division, and a few 175 and lower averages in the scratch
division. There are pros and cons either way. The choice of division is the
bowlers'. |
Q: Do I have to bowl all the
tournaments?
|
A: NO! You can bowl wherever
and whenever you choose. We have bowlers that just bowl one or two stops a year, and
some who bowl every stop. The advantages to bowling more include more chances at
scholarships, more experience on varying conditions, and more chances to earn points to
qualify for our Invitationals and TPC. Plus it's just good fun to bowl, dangit!!! |
Q: How do I know what place I'm in?
|
A: We keep track of the standings
after every game- you'll quickly see that we're very into our stats! Scoreboards are usually located near the tournament desk, as well
as bracket standings, high game standings, and all sorts of other information. A
tournament official will be happy to help you read the scoreboard, or fill out your
scorecard. Also, elsewhere
on this website are all our season and career statistical categories, all
time records, and more. We love our stats! |
| Q: So how much can I win? |
| A: Lots! Check our "Stats &
Scholarships" page for
current and career scholarship charts. We now have over 150 bowlers
with at least $1,000 in scholarships. We award an average of over $1,800
per tournament, and awarded over $280,000 in scholarships last year alone. True, we're not cheap to bowl in, but we also believe
we award more scholarship money per bowler dollar spent than any other
junior bowling organization IN THE WORLD. So get in on the fun,
and get your piece! |
| Q: What lane conditions are used? |
| A: Our motto is simple: be ready for any lane
condition at any time! Over the course of the season, you'll hit a
complete spectrum of lane conditions, some easy, some hard. Lane
conditions are not pre-announced (unless otherwise mentioned).
Prepare to be versatile! Check out
the Lane Conditions section of the website for more info. |
If you have any other questions about
how the JBT works, feel free to email us at this site, or call or write any time. We
hope to see you soon!
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