BTW, this was copied off the PBA website.

Hose

what they ended up doing, intentionally or unintentionally, is in fact the correct procedure.  Shooting the spare would constitute a provisional ball, an allowable occurrence when a scoring question is involved.  If no one saw the pin fall or get knocked down by the rack or sweeper, it would be impossible to determine why the pin was not reset automatically.  The correct thing to do is to call a league meeting to determine the correct solution.  Neither solution in this case could be considered wrong.

Hose and Peri

I agree that the  circumstances of a mother and son may be questionable, however the provisional ball and meeting to determine the correct score at a later time is the correct decision no matter who is bowling.  I've seen many bowlers turn and walk away after leaving a solid 8, 9, or 10 pin and then have the pin fall without them seeing it.  I have covered the 4,6,7,10 split and never saw the ball hit any of the pins although I was fortunate enough to have someone else witness it.  If no one actually saw what caused the pin to fall, we will never know exactly what happened.  The only assumptions that can be made is that the rack knocked the pin down if there is a mutual agreement that the pin was moved far enough off spot so that the pin setter could not properly pick it up.  Other than that, only a psychic could tell you what happened.

A provisional ball is allowed anytime there is a dispute over a foul, legal pinfall, or a dead ball and agreement cannot be reached by the two team captains or a tournament official. The protest is then referred to the league board of directors or the tournament management committee for a decision.  If necessary, the matter can be be brought to the local association or ABC for a determination. (rule 10, ABC general playing rules)

Hose  - The provisional is actually the respotting of the ten pin and the subsequent spare conversion.  The determination that had to be made is if the first delivery actually resulted in a strike or if in fact the ten pin remained and the provisional ball resulted in the spare.  There does not appear to be a dispute over the fact that a legal first ball was executed, merely the result.

Peri  -  you're right, logic would dictate that the best solution is the the issue of correct scoring be brought up immediately.  However, in any situation where a judgement (correct pinfall in this case) may be protested, the protest/appeal may be filed within 15 days of the series having been bowled.  This often happens when someone reads through a rule book after the fact and suddenly finds a rule that may apply.  Often, the appeal process works quite well since the league will make the decision rather than just one individual making the call.

It's unfortunate that the two main individuals are mother and son.  If they had not been related, the situation might have been a little more clear cut.  Also, there still seem to be several facts missing that could contribute to the decision.  From the limited information available here, it appears that the correct procedures were followed and ultimately the correct, although questionable, decision was made.  In any situation like this it is best to get as much specific information as possible prior to holding a league meeting to vote on an outcome.