I have a quick question for anyone in the know.  This year our Thursday night league used the Kegel Challenge shots.  I was told by one of the workers at the Alley, that next year we won't be able to do that again, unless we declare ourselves a Sport League.  (apparently this was mandated from AMF/Bowlmor Management.  Of course you never know about such things). 

My contention is that I thought the definition of a sport shot was a ratio of less than 3 to 1.  The Kegel Challenge shots are in the range of about 4 to 1 (more or less). 

Is there a clear definition here?  Or can you declare any shot a sport shot and pay the extra money required to sanction it as a sport league?

I think the issue comes from having a more difficult shot and not registering the league as such.  The issue may be bowlers establishing lower averages for handicap purposes and by having the league labeled and run as a "Sport Shot League" there is less of an issue.  Sport shot averages have an additional number of pins that would be added for handicap purposes in non sport shot tournaments (but most know this already).

My guess is once the league is run as a sport shot league (with appropriate inspections) the number of participants will be reduced or the shot will revert to THS.

You can declare it a sport league without being sport certified.  Sport leagues are generally accepted to be tougher patterns, you'll find most people won't care TOO much whether it's actually sport certified or not, but it's a better descriptor to people who may be signing up without knowing it's going to be a tougher shot.  I think that's all they're getting at is that they don't want someone to sign up thinking it's a house shot and then get pissed that the shot is "different" or that it "sucks." 

it amazes me how much people will complain about $10 dollars over the course of multiple weeks. I really don't understand these guys that walk around with a six ball roller and $1000 bucks invested in balls and then complain about the USBC or sport league dues.

Ours is called a "challenge" league
and its listed that way on bowl.com
i report this for tournaments im in.
The state tournament here in Wisconsin looked at me funny when i mentioned that
that had nothing to say about it, i was already higher that if i would have used a sport adjusted average, but i expected some kind of response

And - sport certified leagues have to run tapes after every league session
something very few places are willing to do as its a PITA

Ours were done before we bowled and if the tapes were not in compliance for a sport pattern, then all the bowlers had to sign a waiver stating that we were not eligible to win any sport awards, before we started the league bowling. 

It should be a major concern when a league puts out a Sport shot without actually certifying as a Sport league. That allows bowlers to establish a certified average less than their THS ability without actually sandbagging, and that would certainly allow some bowlers a big advantage in handicap competition, especially if they bowl only in such a league.

It should be a major concern when a league puts out a Sport shot without actually certifying as a Sport league. That allows bowlers to establish a certified average less than their THS ability without actually sandbagging, and that would certainly allow some bowlers a big advantage in handicap competition, especially if they bowl only in such a league.

i am in 1 of those leagues your reference, (well technically, not all the patterns are sport compliant) So, its a challenge league, its for people who want to get better.
typically, we have a short,medium and long pattern and then NATS
teaches you to play different parts of the lane.
i would say that most of us bowl another night or more and have a higher THS average
i haven't heard of anyone in that league over the course of 4 years ever mention that.
And its listed on bowl.com as a challenge league
i reported my challenge league average to my state tournament officials and they looked at me funny, they said, "whats your last years high average?"
I bowl scratch anyways, so it was a moot point