Since it’s a slow nite here at work, thought I would get your opinion on a new method of averages and making sandbagging a little harder.

ABC says you have an established average after 21 games.  OK, no problem with that, but lets always base the average off of the LAST 21 games.  In other words, after you finish a week, the secretary drop the oldest week out of the equation.  This would be a more accurate average than the running total we now use.

Here’s what I see every year in my leagues.  First night, everyone establishes a new average.  â€œSupposedly” a lot of the members of my leagues don’t bowl during the summer and forgot how.  It seems like they don’t remember anything about the game until the 2d or 3d quarter when they have enough games in that their average will only increase by maybe a pin or two.  Of course when its roll off time a lot of these guys look like professionals.  Nothing to lose, they are going to get to start a new average next year anyhow.

If the league used those last 7 weeks of league and carried it over to the next year, it would sure make sandbagging a little more difficult.  What are they going to do, throw off 4 out of the 7 weeks.  Sure won’t make the roll offs that way.

I’m going to try and get this into our league rules this year.  With this system, I wouldn’t mind giving up the 100% handicap.

--------------------
~~~SrK - Have balls, will travel

1st law of combat, "Bullets always have the right of way"

Another thing to take into consideration.  How many times have you had one of your lower average bowler shoot way over his head the first nite.  The team is then penalized for several weeks until his average drops back to normal.

With scratch leagues hard to find, I'm just trying to find an equitable way to let everyone compete.

Other than the secretaries THINKING it's more work, I can't find any drawbacks.  In my area, all the league sheets are done in house at the alley.  Simple to have the computer just compute the last 21 scores.
--------------------
~~~SrK - Have balls, will travel

1st law of combat, "Bullets always have the right of way"

I like this idea. I think you might be on to something. We would have to get an ABC rule on it or check if we could do that. Other than trying to get people to say yes, it sounds like a great idea.
--------------------
Apparently I ain't the only cat on the block who digs Cheeto's.

SrKegler--
     I like it.  It would not only help eliminate sandbagging just on the face of it, but if the weekly sheets carried both the season-long average and the most recent 21 game average for all to see, it could make for some scrutiny of certain bowlers and some interesting barroom conversation.

Shiv
--------------------
Listening to the monotonous staccato of rain on my desk top