I'm bowling in a league with a cap of 650 (3 man).  A freakin scratch league at the highest scoring house in the city with a cap of 650.  If they don't raise the cap, next year it's gonna be a scratch league for 180 average bowlers.  Sounds kinda ridiculous to me.  I don't know what the point is of having a scratch league like that.  There are so many handicap leagues, and the few scratch leagues we get we won't be able to bowl in.
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The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from Shrek!

"Oh I'll find those stairs, I whip they butt too.  They won't know which way they going.  Give me a step right here and now, I'll step all over it, kick it to the curb.  I am the stair masta, I've masta'd the stairs."

Hamster Resurgence -- Why not find a 190 average bowler (or whatever avg it takes to reach the 650 when added to your and another scratch bowler's avg's)  who is enjoyable to bowl with and has the potential to improve over the season and invite him to join your team.  Perhaps someone just coming out of the YABA program.  Help him improve and you'll have a good shot at winning.  --  JohnP

Well you could go with the idea you have of taking the 215 avg X 4 =860, and say if anyone has a team average over that.

Then they lose however many pins they are over the cap.  

there usta be a scratch league in my town, and it ended up folding after a couple yrs, cuz it was always the same 2 or 3 teams that was winning everything cuz they would have 3 guys who would have a team avg around 660 or so.  and everyone else was left with the rest.

And every yr they tried putting a cap on the league, but everyone would complain, about it.  so finally the secretary of the league, just gave up and folded the league, without anyone knowing lol.

and this was two yrs ago.    and there wont be another scratch league in the association probably ever, cuz there isnt enough guys who want to bowl in a scratch league.
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" Lift Your Skirt Grab Your Balls and Learn How to Bowl "

Hey Mum,

I've run a few scr leagues in my time and I'd recommend you to try and keep it the same and try to make teams scramble for one or two guys.  But you've GOT to put in a rule for outsiders though or those with no avg, pro or not(a lot of good amateurs out there, if the money's good they'll come).  I'd suggest 230 or higher entering if you guys have a good shot.  This still allows a team to stack 3 guns and 1 weak, you'd have to evaluate whether or not that team can still walk with the league.  Basically, the whole idea is to PROTECT the current league bowlers and not just let strangers walk in and take your money.  You'll end up making a lot of bowlers mad and they just want to quit, seen it happen before.  Hope this helps...
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Rick Leong
Ten Pins Pro Shop
Track Pro Shop Staff
Vise Grip Staff

Mumzie: I bowl in a capped 635 trio. Format is individual match point and team match point, both at the game and series level, respectively. The league has been in existence for about 15 years, and has evolved facing many of the issues you have presented as follows:

1) Establishing the New Entering Average -- We've tried automatic set formulas ranging from a "league ending average + 5" to "league ending average - 5", and have not found a perfect solution. The unique mix of bowlers each year demands a more custom solution. We've settled on evaluating the situation on a yearly basis, starting with the league median average. If this results in more than 25% of the existing teams having to break up, we adjust the new entering average up to the magic number. At least for us, when more than 25% of the teams have to break up, many decide not to come back which just weakens the league. This has worked well the last two years.

2) Providing Opportunities for the Lower Teams -- No matter what you do, at least half the teams end up being non-competitive. Forming scratch teams is a combination of art and science, and a lot of bowlers just don't get it. Anyway, it's not healthy for these teams individually or the league as a whole to have this disparity. However, it universally exists, and if not dealt with these teams lose interest and many of these bowlers do not come back. To address this we've implemented 4 divisions based on entering team averages. So the top entering teams are placed in "A" and it goes downward from there into "B", "C" and "D". We maintain a traditional balanced schedule, but in each of the four position weeks, teams play against each other in their respective divisions. Then the 4 division winners play against each other for the overall round champion. At the end of the year, the round champions and the wildcards (based on points) roll off for the league championship. In some respects this is not fair to the top teams, but it gives everyone 'hope' for a chance to slip in. It seems to be an effective trade off.

I hope this helps. Good luck with the meeting.
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"You want the truth? -- You can't handle the truth! "

Our 5 man scratch league doesn't have an average cap or anything of the sort...  It is set up like this:  
The team bowling order is determined based upon average.  Lowest average is lead-off...and highest average is anchor.  For most of the teams, lead-off man ranges from 190-210.  Anchors typically range from 220-240.  League is bowled head-to-head.  Although it is possible to have one team run away (if 5 very high average bowlers came together), in the past few years..teams have been fairly even.  Thus the lower average scratch bowlers compete against the lower averages... and the higher averages compete against higher...   And there is competition within the team to better your position (moving down in the line-up).  Seems to work well for us.  

Just for comparison... our 5 man team is about middle middle top in combined average. (1070)

S^2
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The Bengals season has come to an end.  Achieved the .500 mark, so all was not lost.  Now we look forward to April...  Come on Chris Gamble

Edited on 2/17/2004 3:35 PM