Photo: Brian Levine Media

2026 / 27 Season

How itworks

The Federation is an alliance of bowlers who want the excitement of team bowling with a real league structure around it. Franchises, conferences, monthly tour stops, standings. Here is the whole thing, start to finish.

The unit

Twelve is the minimum, not the limit

Twelve bowlers go out at every tour stop. Nobody makes all of them, so a franchise that carries exactly twelve is one holiday away from bowling short. Add as many friends as you like.

12the minimum to found a franchise, and the number that bowls at each stop
6 + 6six scratch bowlers, six handicap bowlers, in that twelve
3 × 4teams on the day: scratch, handicap, and a hybrid of both

The $650 founds a roster of twelve and covers their jerseys. Almost every franchise grows past that, because depth is what lets you field twelve on a Sunday when work, travel and life get in the way. The cap above the founding twelve is set by your district presidents. Your average decides which half you bowl in: a bowler at or above the basis receives no handicap and bowls scratch, and below it handicap is calculated from your average. The basis and the percentage are set by your conference and published in its by-laws.

100% of the prize fund goes back to bowlers

The Federation does not take a cut of the prize fund. Every dollar put in at a tour stop is paid back out to the people bowling.

Getting started

From nothing to your first tour stop

Start or join

Start a franchise as its owner, or take a roster spot on one that already exists. Either way you are a member from that point.

Find your twelve

Twelve is the minimum, so gather more than that if you can. You want scratch bowlers and handicap bowlers both, because every lineup is six of each.

Get your jerseys

Send your design direction and logos at checkout. You get three virtuals to review, then four to six weeks of production.

Bowl

Your conference assigns you a district and a calendar. Most months you meet at a tour stop and bowl other franchises.

The money

What it costs and what it covers

Start a franchise

$650 / 12 people

Covers your first twelve team jerseys and the founding roster's first year of membership, and places the franchise in a regional conference.

Additional jerseys beyond the first twelve are $60 to $70 each, depending on logos and style.

Start a franchise

Join a franchise

$60 / year

For bowlers taking a roster spot on a team that already exists. Your membership runs for the season.

Not sure which team yet? Put your name forward and we will find you one.

Find me a team

What it does not cover

Tour stop entry, monthly team dues and extra jerseys are separate. Those amounts are set by your conference and published in your region's by-laws.

Read your by-laws before you commit a roster. They are the authority, not this page.

Mid-Atlantic by-laws
Competition

What you get to bowl in

Every month

Tour stop team matches

  • Twelve from your roster bowl
  • Format and cost set by the district presidents
  • The full prize fund is returned to bowlers
Through the year

Federation tournaments

  • Singles, doubles, baker and team
  • Open to you because you are a member
  • Sanctioned and unsanctioned events
Across the season

Standings

  • Results carry from stop to stop
  • Every franchise starts on zero
  • Formats and side events vary by region
No conference near you

We help pay for the first four teams in a new region

If you want to start a franchise somewhere the Federation has no region yet, BowlersMart covers a portion of the franchise fee for the first four teams in that region. That brings the first twelve jerseys down to $40 each, $480 in total.

This one is a conversation, not a checkout. Talk to Cliff and he will tell you what is possible where you are.

(478) 397-9425 [email protected]
Still wondering

The questions we actually get

Do I need a certain average to join?

No. There is no qualifying average and no tryout. Your average decides whether you bowl scratch or handicap and, if you bowl handicap, how much you receive. It does not decide whether you are accepted. Every franchise needs six of each, so both halves are always short somewhere.

What if I do not have an average yet?

You can still join. Your conference by-laws set out how an entering average is established and what you bowl until you have one. Ask your conference before your first stop so there are no surprises on the sheet.

What does being on a team actually get me?

You can compete in all Federation sanctioned and unsanctioned events: your conference's tour stops, and the Federation tournaments that run through the year.

Who runs my region?

Your conference. The district presidents set tour stop formats, entry costs and the roster cap above the founding twelve. Your region's by-laws are the authority on all of it, and they are published on this site.

How many bowlers can a franchise have?

Twelve is the minimum, not the limit. Add as many friends as you like. Most franchises carry well beyond twelve on purpose, because twelve bowl at every stop and nobody makes all of them, so depth is what keeps you from bowling short. The cap above the founding twelve is set by your district presidents.

I do not have twelve people. Can I still play?

Yes. Join an existing franchise instead of starting one. Teams lose players every season and are usually looking, and you do not need to know anybody already on the roster.

How long do jerseys take?

Allow four to six weeks from the moment you approve the design. You get three virtuals to review; revisions beyond the third are $65 each. Start early enough to have them before your first tour stop.

Am I still a USBC member?

You need to be. Membership is open to bowlers who are current USBC members in good standing, and keeping that current is your responsibility. A bowler suspended by USBC is not eligible to participate.

Any average belongs here

Start a franchise, take a roster spot, or put your name forward and we will find you a team.

Join the Federation