This tournament is prepared, planned, organized, and hosted by the Formosa International Bowling Classic Organizing Committee, and is sanctioned by the Chinese Taipei Bowling Association (CTBA), Asian Bowling Federation (ABF), and International Bowling Federation (IBF). The tournament will be conducted in accordance with the latest rules and regulations promulgated by IBF.
This tournament is open to participants from all countries and associations. Overseas participants must obtain a consent form signed by their respective associations. Under special circumstances, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any participant.
1. Date and Venue
(1) Date:May 6th to May 10th, 2026
(2) Venue:Dong Dong Bowling Center, Taoyuan (No. 8, Alley 83, Lane 115, Section 3, Chenggong Road, Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City)
2. Divisions and Eligibility
(1) Open Division:
All bowlers approved by their respective national associations are eligible to participate.
(2) Spinner Division:
All spinner bowlers approved by their respective national associations are eligible to participate.
(3) Graded Division:
All bowlers with an average score not exceeding (and including) 195 are eligible, provided they meet the following qualifications:
- Must not be a member of any professional league.
- Must not have served as a national team member (for local bowlers) in any Championships or Opens, World Youth Championships, or Asian Youth Championships from January 1, 2022, onwards.
- Must not have placed in the top 3 or ranked in the top 16 in the All-Events category in any of the 2025 National championship (for local bowlers).
- Must not have placed in the top 3 in any opens graded divisions from January, 2022, onwards.
- Participants must obtain a score verification document signed by their respective association to confirm their average score does not exceed (and includes) 195.
(4) Youth Division:
Any bowler aged 22 or under (born on or after January 1, 2004) is eligible.
(5) Senior Division:
Any bowler aged 50 or over (born on or before December 31, 1976) is eligible.
(6) Women Division:
All female bowlers participating in the Open Division are automatically eligible for this division without an additional entry fee. Prizes will be awarded based on the rankings in the Open Division Finals. If there are insufficient finalists, prizes will be awarded to the highest-ranked bowlers from the Qualifying round in descending order.
(7) Cross-Division Participation:
If a bowler is eligible for multiple divisions, they may register for cross-division participation. Refer to Point 8 for entry fees.
3. Handicap
(1) General Handicap:
Female bowlers, bowlers under 18, and bowlers 55 or over will receive 6 pins per game.
(2) Senior Division Special Handicap:
Bowlers 55 or over receive 6 pins per game. Bowlers 60 or over receive 8 pins per game, with an additional 1 pin for each year of age thereafter (e.g., 61+ receives 9 pins, 62+ receives 10 pins, etc.). This handicap applies only to the Senior Division and does not accumulate with other divisions.
4. Qualifying and Desperado Rules
(1) Qualifying:
A total of 3 days of competition. 5 games per day, for a total of 15 games.
(2) Desperado:
This event is only for the Open and Graded Divisions. It will be held after the final qualifying squad. A 1-game competition. The top 3 finishers in their respective divisions will advance to the finals.
5. Finals Rules
(1) Open Division:
a. Advancement (from Qualifying):
A total of 54 bowlers will advance, allocated as follows:
- (a) Seeded (Bye to Round 2):6 bowlers, top 3 ranked Local bowlers from Qualifying and top 3 ranked Overseas bowlers from Qualifying.
- (b) General Advancement (To Round 1):45 bowlers, bowlers ranked 1st to 45th from Qualifying (excluding the 6 seeded bowlers).
- (c) Desperado (To Round 1):3 bowlers, top 3 finishers from the Desperado squad.
b. Finals Format (Consists of 3 rounds):
(a) Finals Round 1 – 8 games:
- i. Competitors: 48 bowlers (45 General + 3 Desperado).
- ii. Advancement: The top 26 finishers advance to Round 2.
(b) Finals Round 2 – 8 games:
- i. Competitors: 32 bowlers (Top 26 from R1 + 6 Seeded bowlers)
- ii. Advancement: The top 6 finishers advance to Round 3.
(c) Finals Round 3 (Stepladder Finals):
- i. Competitors: Top 6 finishers from Round 2.
- ii. Format: Bowlers ranked 4th, 5th, and 6th play one game. The winner advances, the winner of Match 1 plays the 2nd and 3rd ranked bowlers in one game. The winner advances, the winner of Match 2 plays the 1st ranked bowler in one game. The 1st ranked bowler has the right to a re-match (one additional game) if they lose the first game. The final winner is the Champion.
(2) Spinner Division:
a. Advancement (from Qualifying):
The top 32 finishers from Qualifying (based on total score) advance to the finals.
b. Finals Format:
8 games
- (a) Competitors: All 32 advancing bowlers.
- (b) Ranking: Final rankings are determined by the 8-game total score.
(3) Graded Division:
a. Advancement (from Qualifying):
A total of 32 bowlers will advance, allocated as follows:
- (a) Top 29 finishers from Qualifying (based on total score).
- (b) Top 3 finishers from the Desperado squad.
b. Finals Format:
8 games
- (a) Competitors: All 32 advancing bowlers (29 General + 3 Desperado).
- (b) Ranking: Final rankings are determined by the 8-game total score.
(4) Youth Division:
a. Advancement (from Qualifying):
A total of 24 bowlers advance from Qualifying (based on total score) as follows:
- (a) Top 6 ranked Overseas bowlers.
- (b) Top 6 ranked Local bowlers.
- (c) The next top 12 bowlers excluding the top 6 Local and top 6 Overseas bowlers.
b. Finals Format (Consists of 2 rounds):
(a) Finals Round 1 – 6 games:
- i. Competitors: All 24 advancing bowlers.
- ii. Advancement: The top 4 finishers advance to Round 2.
(b) Finals Round 2 (Stepladder Finals):
- i. Competitors: Top 4 finishers from Round 1.
- ii. Format: Bowlers ranked 4th, 3rd, and 2nd play one game. The winner advances. The winner of Match 1 plays the 1st ranked bowler in one game. The winner is the Champion.
(5) Senior Division:
a. Advancement (from Qualifying):
The top 24 finishers from Qualifying (based on total score) advance to the finals.
b. Finals Format:
6 games
- (a) Competitors: All 24 advancing bowlers.
- (b) Ranking: Final rankings are determined by the 6-game total score.
6. Squad Times
The Organizing Committee has the right to re-allocate squad times and reserves the right to open additional squads.
7. Check-in Time
The check-in counter will generally open one hour before each scheduled squad and close 15 minutes before the start of competition. Check-in must be completed by the bowler in person and cannot be done by others. If a bowler fails to check in personally within the stipulated time, their participation in that squad will be canceled, and the Organizing Committee has the right to not refund the entry fee.
8. Entry Fees
(1) Qualifying Fees:
- a. Open Division: NT$10,000
- b. Graded Division: NT$8,000
- c. Spinner Division: NT$7,000
- d. Senior Division: NT$4,000
- e. Youth Division: NT$3,500
- f. Open Division + Graded Division: NT$14,000
- g. Open Division + Spinner Division: NT$13,000
- h. Open Division + Spinner Division + Graded Division: NT$18,000
- i. Spinner Division + Graded Division: NT$11,000
※ Bowlers registered for Open, Spinner, or Graded Divisions only need to add NT$2,000 to register for the Senior Division.
※ Bowlers registered for Open, Spinner, or Graded Divisions only need to add NT$1,000 to register for the Youth Division.
(2) Finals Fees:
- a. Open Division: NT$5,000
- b. Spinner Division, Graded Division: NT$3,000 each
- c. Senior Division: NT$2,000
- d. Youth Division: NT$1,500
(3) Desperado Fees:
- a. Open Division: NT$2,000
- b. Graded Division: NT$1,500
9. Early Bird Discount
If a bowler completes registration before February 15, 2026, they will receive a NT$1,000 discount on their entry fee. If registering for Open Division + Graded Division + Spinner Division at once, the discount will be NT$2,000.
10. Score Verification
It is the responsibility of the bowler or their coach to verify the correctness of each game's score and to sign the official score confirmation sheet after the squad ends. Once the confirmation sheet is signed by the bowler or coach, the score is confirmed and cannot be changed. If the official score confirmation sheet is not signed by the bowler or coach, the score is also deemed correct.
11. Competition Delays
(1) If the normal flow of the competition is affected by equipment failure, the Tournament Director or their authorized personnel may decide to move the competition to another pair of lanes. The competition must resume from the point of interruption.
(2) If scores are deleted or lost due to equipment failure or power outage, and cannot be retrieved or recalled, the bowler shall restart that game. However, scores already entered into the official record shall be counted.
(3) If more than one game that cannot be recorded is lost, that squad will be voided and rescheduled.
(4) If only one frame is not recorded, the bowler shall resume play from the last frame bowled.
12. Equipment Registration and Illegal Actions
All participants are responsible for inspecting their bowling balls for compliance with weight and eligibility standards before competing. If a bowler's ball is found to be non-compliant at any time during the tournament, the bowler will be disqualified from the entire event, and any prize money or rankings earned in this event will be forfeited. If the Organizing Committee determines the use of a non-compliant ball was intentional, the Committee may report it to the ABF Executive Committee for additional penalties.
13. Ball Rules
According to the rules announced by IBF, all balls cannot have balance holes. A ball may have a maximum of five finger holes, and all finger holes must be used for every delivery. As per USBC approved ball regulations, the following two balls are not permitted in this tournament:
- (1) Purple Hammer manufactured in 2016-2017 (Serial numbers starting with 6 or 7).
- (2) Storm Spectre.
14. Ball Surface Rules
Altering the ball surface is only permitted between squads, during the official practice time of each squad, and after practice but before the competition begins. Altering the ball surface is not permitted during a game or between games. If the surface is altered during a game, the ball may not be used for the subsequent games of that squad, and that game will be scored as 0. If the surface is altered between games, the ball may not be used for the subsequent games of that squad.
15. Tie-Breaking Procedures
(1) In the event of a tie in the Qualifying round:
The ranking will be determined by the highest single-game score of all tied bowlers. The bowler with the higher game score will be ranked higher. If a tie still exists after this comparison, the highest single-squad total score will be used. If a tie still exists, the tied bowlers will play a one-game roll-off. The bowler with the higher score will be ranked higher. If the tie persists, a one-ball roll-off will be conducted repeatedly until the tie is broken. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to decide when the roll-off will be held.
(2) In the event of a tie in the Finals:
The tied bowlers shall conduct a one-ball roll-off. The bowler with the higher pinfall will be ranked higher. If the tie persists, the one-ball roll-off will be repeated until the tie is broken.
16. Cheating
Any bowler found to have violated rules or cheated regarding scores, eligibility, or any other aspect will be immediately disqualified from the entire competition, and any awards already received in this event will be forfeited. The incident will be reported to the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) and the bowler's respective national association. When in doubt, please consult the Organizing Committee to resolve any issues first.
17. Foul
If a bowler commits a foul during competition (such as stepping on or crossing the foul line), even if the foul detector fails to activate, the Tournament Committee reserves the right to rule the delivery a score of zero or disqualify the bowler. This decision may be based on clear objective evidence, such as video replay or eyewitness testimony. The Committee's decision shall be final and not subject to appeal.
18. Dress Code
(1) Male bowlers are not permitted to wear shorts, tank tops, sleeveless shirts, jeans, or hats during the competition.
(2) Female bowlers are not permitted to wear tank tops, sleeveless shirts, jeans, or hats during the competition, but they are allowed to wear shorts or skirts.
(3) Only attire meeting the standards (polo shirts, round-neck jerseys, mock-neck jerseys, etc.) and bowling shoes are permitted during the competition.
19. Protests
(1) Protest on Scoring:
Must be submitted in writing to the Organizing Committee within 12 hours after the squad ends. Protests during the Stepladder Finals must be submitted to the Organizing Committee before the awards ceremony. Protests submitted after the awards ceremony will not be accepted.
(2) Protest on Foul:
Must be reported to the lane staff before the next ball is delivered by the next bowler. Protests made after the next ball is delivered will not be accepted.
(3) Protest on Eligibility:
Must be submitted in writing to the Organizing Committee within 24 hours after the squad ends. Protests during the Stepladder Finals must be submitted to the Organizing Committee before the awards ceremony. Protests submitted after the awards ceremony will not be accepted.