Candlepin Rules
Candlepin is a variant of bowling which was invented in Worcester, MA. By whom is disputed, but this guy in Fitchburg told me the guy that invented it had arthritis and wanted to bowl. It is regional to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, with one location in Cincinnati for some reason.
How does it differ from standard 10-pin?
The ball is smaller and the pins are harder to knock down. You throw 3 balls instead of two, and the pins that have fallen down (the wood) stay on the floor and can be used to knock down more pins.
VIDEO
How does scoring work?
The same as 10 pin. You start with just calculating the pins that you’ve knocked down with 3 balls. If you get them all down with two balls (a spare) or god forbid one balls (a strike), you get bonus pins. On a spare, the amount of pins downed with your next throw will be added to your last frame. On a strike, its the amount of pins downed with the next two throws.
SCORING SHEET
Special League Rules
Our league is being specifically designed to be fun and low stakes. We will be using a 95% scaling system. In the first week, your team’s average over 3 games will be used as your fixed average. We then work in allotted points to each team as 95% of the difference between their average and the top team’s average. Those alloted points will be added to your score for each week of the regular season. The playoffs will do this again.
Standard rules including the deadwood line, the foul line, and dead pins due to gutter balls will not be in play in our league. Anyone being sassy about rules will receive sass back.
Prizes/Finances
This league is being organized on a not for profit basis. The coordinator will not be making money besides what is won in prizes.
The money paid for renting the lane will be used partially to pay for the rentals and the remainder will be put aside towards prize money. The goal is to organize it so that everyone who made it through the whole season will get prize money back and that any team that drops out part way through will not receive prize money.
In order to make this league as accessible as possible, we will also be attempting to incentivize people to sponsor players or teams. I will be doing this myself and if anyone felt able to that would be sweet. If a player or team is sponsored, the prize money they win will be split amongst the sponsors.
EDIT 10/23: The league members have actually decided instead to lower the per day price in favor of less prizes. The price is $16 for shoes and three strings, but $1.50 from each person goes into the pot for the “money ball bonus”. All finances available on the league spreadsheet.