2020-2021 ENTRIES, SCHEDULE, FORMAT & PRIZE MONEY
(Qualifying, bracket, event formats, schedule and prize money are all subject to change)

Bowl Canada is very happy to offer the Canada Cups ONLINE SHOOTOUT in every province and territory where the following requirements are met;

  • ALL fivepin and tenpin league bowlers bowling in a Bowl Canada member centre are eligible to enter
  • Bowlers must be nineteen (19) years of age or over at April 1st, 2021. Members of Youth Bowl Canada are eligible to participate if they meet all eligibility requirements
  • Entrants must be domiciled in Canada
  • Bowlers must enter at a Bowl Canada member centre where they bowl in a league (fivepin league for fivepin entrants and tenpin league for tenpin entrants)
  • Club 55 Cup entrants must be current members of the Club 55 program and meet the eligibility requirements listed here as well as the eligibility requirements of the Club 55 program and tournament
  • Travelling leagues are ineligible for entry and averages established in these leagues are excluded.

TEAM ENTRY (POA event):

  • Eligible bowling teams may purchase entries online
  • Bowl Canada Cup Fivepin Entry fee is $30 per team ($25 of which goes to the prize pool and is paid out 100%)
  • Bowl Canada Cup Tenpin Entry fee is $25 per team ($20 of which goes to the prize pool and is paid out 100%)
  • Club 55 Cup (fivepin) Entry fee is $25 per team ($20 of which goes to the prize pool and is paid out 100%)
  • Payment is accepted by credit card only and must be paid in full before scores can be submitted.

SINGLES ENTRY (Scratch event):

  • Eligible bowlers may purchase an entry online
  • Two Scratch Singles Shootout events are available; Fivepin Scratch Singles & Tenpin Scratch Singles
  • Entry fee in the Singles event is $20 per bowler ($18 of which goes to the prize pool and is paid out 100%)
  • Payment is accepted by credit card only and must be paid in full before scores can be submitted.

TEAM COMPOSITION:

  • The Bowl Canada Cup Fivepin Online Shootout will see 5-player teams compete
  • The Bowl Canada Cup Tenpin Online Shootout will see 4-player teams compete
  • The Club 55 Cup Online Shootout will see 4-player teams compete.

For all team events, teams may be comprised of all men, all women, or any combination of women and men. All bowlers must meet the eligibility requirements as above. For teams that bowl league with a different number of bowlers than the event team composition allows (example, 6-player teams), please read “Team Composition Suggestions” at the bottom of this page.

SCHEDULE (all dates subject to change due to Pandemic):

January 1: TEAM QUALIFYING AVERAGE DATE (see “AVERAGES” section below)
January 1: SCRATCH SINGLES AVERAGE DECLARATION DATE (for doe scores)
January 29 (10am Eastern): ENTRY PERIOD & PAYMENT DEADLINE (Team and Singles)
February 1 – 7: Week 1 Qualifying
February 8 – 14: Week 2 Qualifying
February 15 – 21: Week 3 Qualifying

February 22 – 28: Championship Round 1 (128 teams/singles – 8 brackets, 16 per bracket)
March 1 – 7: Championship Round 2 (64 teams/singles)
March 8 – 14: Championship Round 3 (32 teams/singles)
March 15 – 21: Championship Round 4 (16 teams/singles)

March 22 – 28: Finals Round – Quarter Finals – 8 teams/singles
March 29 – April 4: Finals Round – Semi-Finals – 4 teams/singles
April 5 – 11: Finals Round – Finals – 2 teams/singles

NOTE:

  • SCORES MUST BE ENTERED THE TUESDAY MORNING (BY 9am EASTERN) FOLLOWING THE CLOSE OF EACH WEEK/ROUND.
  • ADVANCEMENT TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND, AND NUMBER OF BRACKETS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND, MAY BE ADJUSTED ON AN EVENT BY EVENT DETERMINATION OF ENTRIES RECEIVED IN THAT EVENT.

AVERAGES – TEAM Qualifying Round

All 3 team events in the Canada Cups are scored on the Pins Over Average (POA) system, or 100% handicap. Averages to be used for each bowler to be determined as follows;

  • Bowlers shall enter the qualifying round using their highest league average (from all leagues in the bowling centre of entry) at January 1st, 2021 (21-game minimum)
  • Bowlers who do not have a 21 game average for the current season shall use their highest league average (from all leagues in the bowling centre of entry – 21 game minimum) from the previous season (2019-20).
  • Bowlers who do not have a 21 game average this season or last season shall use their highest average (from all leagues in the bowling centre of entry) at January 1st, 2021.
  • Any averages established in travelling leagues are excluded.

AVERAGES – TEAM Championship Round

At the conclusion of the 3-week Qualifying Round, advancing teams shall have their Averages re-rated. Team averages in the Championship Round shall be based on the team’s 3-week qualifying scores, and this new team “shootout” average shall be used throughout the Championship Round and the Finals.

AVERAGES – SCRATCH SINGLES Events (Tenpin and Fivepin)

Scratch Singles bowlers must report their averages for the purposes of Doe Score calculations. Averages to be reported at January 1st as follows;

  • Bowlers shall declare their highest league average (from all leagues in all centres) at January 1st, 2021 (21-game minimum)
  • Bowlers who do not have a 21 game average for the current season shall use their highest league average (from all leagues in all centres – 21 game minimum) from the previous season (2019-20).
  • Bowlers who do not have a 21 game average this season or last season shall use their highest average (from all leagues in all centres) at January 1st, 2021.
  • Any averages established in travelling leagues are excluded.

All eligible Teams/Bowlers will compete in a 3 week qualifying round, from which 128 Teams/Bowlers will advance to their respective Championship rounds as follows;

  • The top 16 teams/singles each week (3 weeks = 48 total), based on their 3 game POA TEAM TOTAL (or SCRATCH TOTAL for SINGLES) that week, shall advance to the Championship Round. Additionally, up to 16 Teams/Singles that may be tied for the last position each week shall also advance to the Championship Round, creating a maximum of 32 advancing teams/singles each week. Should the number of ties create advancement exceeding the limit of 32 in a week, the field will be cut to the 32 max advancement based on an analysis of the tied teams/bowlers, who shall be ranked based on high game of the week (POA for teams/Scratch for singles). Should the high game also be tied the next high game that week shall determine advancement…and should the tie continue it shall be broken by the remaining game bowled that week
  • The 48 qualifying teams/bowlers, plus ties (a maximum of 96 in each division), shall advance to the Championship Round, with the highest 3-game qualifying score (POA or Scratch) placed in the #1 seed position…the next highest taking seed #2, etc. until the advancing teams/bowlers (48 plus ties) have been seeded. Should there be a tie in determining seed placement, tied teams/bowlers will have their 9-game POA/Scratch scores compared, with the higher score taking the higher seed position

Once the top 48 teams/singles (plus ties) have been seeded based on their Qualifying Round accomplishments, the remaining positions in the Championship Round shall be awarded based on 9 game scores (POA for teams, scratch for Singles) throughout the Qualifying Round as follows;

  • The top 2 non-qualified teams/singles from each participating province/territory shall be seeded next in the Championship Round (exact number to be determined based on number of participating provinces/territories – expected to be approximately 12 to 24 teams/bowlers depending on the event)
  • Following all of the above, the remaining available seed positions shall be declared WILDCARD spots and filled based on the highest non-qualified 9 game scores through the Qualifying Round (expected to be approximately 40 to 60 wild card spots per event, depending on ties and number of participating provinces/territories).

IMPORTANT…At the sole discretion of the organizers: For each event, the number of spots in the Championship Round may be adjusted upwards or downwards based on entries to ensure each prize pool is as intended.  Should advancement to the Championship Round be adjusted, provincial/territorial seeding may also need to be adjusted accordingly.

Regular weekly league scores will be used for these Championships and scores must be reported online, prior to the deadline date & time by the Team Administrator (designated by the Team) or bowling centre staff/volunteer.

Pre-bowled scores are allowed (using House rules). Additionally, a 90% doe score will be used when a competitor misses league bowling and has not pre-bowled. For leagues that bowl more than 3 games each week, scores from the first 3 games bowled are to be used for qualifying.

Qualifying weeks begin on Mondays and conclude on Sundays. ALL SCORES MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE PRIOR TO THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY AT 9:00 am (EASTERN). ALL DEADLINES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED.

In each of the 3 Team events (Bowl Canada Cup Tenpin, Bowl Canada Cup Fivepin & Club 55 Cup Fivepin), and the two Singles events (Fivepin Scratch Singles and Tenpin Scratch Singles), a portion of every Entry Fee (see Team Entry and Singles Entry sections) will be diverted to that event’s Prize Pool.

Each event’s Prize Pool is built solely from Entry Fees paid for that event (example; The Club 55 Cup Prize Pool will be comprised of funds derived solely from Club 55 Cup entry fees…the Tenpin Scratch Singles prize pool will be derived solely from its entry fees, etc.).

100% of the Prize Pool in each event will be paid out.

In the case of all ties, prize money will be split between tied teams/singles evenly. Prize money will be mailed to applicable bowling centres at the end of the event.

The Canada Cups Championships have been designed to have bowlers competing on the team they like most…their own. Every team bowling in a Bowl Canada member centre league is eligible to enter, and because the team events are POA based ANYONE CAN WIN!

  • The Bowl Canada Cup Tenpin event is based on 4-player teams
  • The Bowl Canada Cup Fivepin event is based on 5-player teams
  • The Club 55 Cup (Fivepin) event is based on 4-player teams

If the number of bowlers on your team does not match up with the team composition as listed above, consider trying one of the following suggestions;

If your league team has too many players;

  • Consider using the two weeks prior to the start of the Qualifying Round as a pre-qualifier to get to the right number of team members
  • There’s always a possibility that one of a team’s members may be quite happy to sit out the event. Determine which team members may not be as interested in participating to whittle down to the right number so that elimination may not be required.

If your league team has fewer players than needed to fill a team in the event;

  • Promote the option that your team is looking to add a player (either from other teams in your league or, if required, from other leagues in your bowling centre). Bowlers who do not bowl in the Bowl Canada member centre where you are entering the event are not eligible to fill out your team
  • As an option, the bowling centre or league may conduct a pre-qualifier event to determine teams of the right number of players as required to enter.

Keep in mind that teams may be comprised of all men, or all women, or any combination of genders. Because the team events are all Pins Over Average (100% Handicap), all’s fair regardless of team composition.

#1 – The general playing rules and conduct rules of the Canadian Tenpin Federation (Tenpin) and the Canadian 5-Pin Bowlers Association (Fivepin) will be in effect where Bowl Canada rules are not specified.

#2 – All bowlers who compete in the Canada Cups Online Shootout (Team POA and Scratch Singles events) must abide by ALL rules of the Championship. Failure to comply with these rules may result in automatic disqualification.

#3 – A bowler may enter the Team event on more than one team, and may therefore qualify for the Championship Round more than once.

  • If the additional team(s) are in the same league as the first, the same league scores shall be used for all teams entered.
  • If the additional team(s) are in another league, each team shall use the scores from its own league for the event.

#4 – A bowler may enter the Singles event in every league in which the bowler competes. Scores from each league shall be tied to that league entry throughout the Qualifying, Championship and Final Rounds so that a bowler entered more than once shall have distinct scores each week for each entry.

#5 – Bowlers may participate in both Singles and Team events if they so choose.

#6 – Ties shall be broken to determine advancement or seeding positions as per the tie-breaking methods outlined. Should a tie remain in play after those methods have been exhausted, the Tournament Directors, at their sole discretion, shall determine further methods to be used to break the tie(s).

#7 – Bowl Canada reserves the right to authenticate the scores and averages of all participants in the event. Any falsification or misrepresentation of scores or averages, knowingly or unknowingly, may result in automatic disqualification.

#8 – Bowl Canada reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify or disallow any entry in the championship where it can be reasonably shown that a bowler’s average is inconsistent with the bowlers ability or past performance.

#9 – Substitution / Disqualification:

  • Substitutions shall not be allowed in the Canada Cups Online Shootout. Absent bowlers may pre-bowl, and if no pre-bowl score is available a doe score of 90% of the bowlers average (per these rules) may be used.
  • Should a bowler be disqualified at any stage of the championship, only the scores of the remaining bowlers on the team shall be counted (team continues to compete against its full roster average). No doe score shall be allowed for the disqualified bowler(s).

#10 – Cancellation & Refunds

Due to the pandemic, there may be situations in which a bowling centre is required by its local Health Authority to close its doors for a period of time.  Should this be the case during the Online Shootout;

A) Bowlers should pre-bowl, where possible, to get in the required number of games prior to the bowling centre closing its doors as required
B) If pre-bowls cannot be banked in time, bowlers/teams may cancel their entry in the event as follows;

  • If cancelling entry prior to Qualifying Week 3, and the team/bowler has not yet qualified for the Championship Round, Entry Fees will be refunded 100% and the affected event’s prize pool will be adjusted accordingly.
  • If cancelling entry prior to Qualifying Week 3, and the team/bowler has qualified for the Championship Round, the team/bowler will not be refunded but shall have earned the prize money from the first Championship Round, having forfeited the match.
  • Once Qualifying Week 3 has commenced, all entry fees are committed and refunds are no longer allowed.
  • Should a bowler/team in the Championship Round or Finals Round be unable to continue in the event, and not have any doe scores banked, the bowler/team shall forfeit their next match and shall be paid the Prize Money for that round, with the team/bowler they would have met in that round advancing.

#11 – In case of any dispute, the decision of the Bowl Canada Tournament Director will be final.