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Welcome to
the Morris County NJ USBC Website
Based
in Morris County, New Jersey,
We
provide a United States Bowling Congress presence in 7 premier bowling
centers in Northwest NJ, which include Morris, Sussex, and Warren
Counties.
Our
goal is to encourage and support the sport of bowling, both Youth and
Adult. Encourage sportsmanship and camaraderie. This site was developed to keep you informed of what is happening
in the Morris County NJ USBC. Our services and activities are listed,
just click on the buttons to the left to view the respective
information, or just read on to see current news and other interesting
information about local and national events in the sport.
2025-2026 Morris
County NJ USBC Honor Roll
2024-2025 Morris County NJ USBC Honor Roll
(sorry, incomplete)
2023-2024 Morris County NJ USBC Honor Roll
2024-2025 season Morris County Average Book
2023/2024 Season Morris County Average Book - All 4 combined
2023-2024 Winter Average Book
2024 Summer Average Book
2023-2024 High Averages - Ascending Order
2024 Summer High Averages - Ascending Order
Attention Winter League Secretaries
Please be
diligent in submitting your paperwork, which includes LEAGUE
SANCTION, bowler sanction, Local award
forms, and possibly National awards forms. (300/800/11 in a row etc) Remember, part of the reason your bowlers pay
local sanctioning to be eligible for
national and
county awards, and not
submitting award forms is doing your bowlers an injustice!! Their
accomplishments deserve recognition! You were
voted in to be your leagues liason to the USBC (both local and
national), so dont let your bowlers accomplishments go unnoticed,
and unrewarded!!
Again, if you need assistance, you lane rep is here to
help, and Debbie is a mere
email away. There were multiple instances of bowlers not
receiving honor score recognition because the required paperwork was
not submitted timely. We don't want this to occur this year! My name
is Jim Testa. I am in Rockaway Mondays and Thursdays, I am in
Hanover Wednesdays and Boonton Fridays. I see Debbie almost every
Monday evening, and would be happy to hand her your completed
paperwork in person.
PLEASE DO NOT HOLD ON TO AWARD PAPERWORK.
TURN IT IN TO THE ASSOCIATION MANAGER AT LEAST MONTHLY!!!
Attention parents
and youth bowlers.
The 2026 Morris
County NJ USBC
Youth Scholarship Program is accepting applications!!
The Emma P Hendrickson, Charles A Edwards,
Marilyn Kalnas, and Albert Gonsiska Jr
Scholarship Awards are sponsored by the Morris County NJ USBC
and are BOWLING based scholarships. Additional considerations are
scholastic and community service based. To be eligible, applicants must
be a Junior or Senior in High School AND be a current
certified/sanctioned member of the Morris County NJ USBC for a
minimum of three (3) years. He or she must have compiled a Morris
County NJ USBC certified bowling record, Have Morris County
Tournament participation, solid scholastic aptitude, and school
and/or community involvement. The recipient can not have competed at
any time, in a professional bowling tournament (this does not
preclude competition as an amateur in a Pro-Am). Previous
recipients of this scholarship are not eligible to re-apply.
A $1000 scholarship will be awarded to each of the Emma P Hendrickson,
Marilyn Kalnas'
Scholarships (Female Applicants) and $1000 to each of the Charles A Edwards,
Albert Gonsiska Jr
Scholarships (Male Applicants). Scholarship awards shall be placed
into the USBC Smart Program.
To apply for the 2025 Emma P Hendrickson, Marilyn Kalnas, Charles A Edwards,
or Albert Gonsiska Jr
Scholarships, download, Print, and Fill out the
Application Here
Applications for the 2026 scholarship
programs are being accepted.
But HURRY!! Application deadline is April 15th 2026!
2025-2026 Bowling
acheivment awards
Bowlers, below is a
list of Awards given out by the Morris
County USBC Association.
This is a list of achievements in the Morris County
Association through January 2026. If your name is on this list, and
you have not received an award, talk to your leagues secretary. These are local only awards.
National awards are listed on
bowl.com
I have found many
of the same questions being asked year to year so I have compiled
some of the more common secretaries questions
here, with answers from the USBC playing rules booklet.
Upcoming Morris County Tournaments
The
Morris County Womens 600/500 Tournament
has completed.
Unofficial standings are posted. Congratulations to all
participants.
Tournament Date: Sunday
November 9th, at Boonton Lanes
The 55th Annual
Adult Jr Rolloff has completed.
Unofficial scores and standings are posted. Please note,
standings are not official until tournament chair has verified
scores.
Tournament date Sunday February
8th, 2026 at BelPike Lanes
Monitor
the Tournament Scores here.
The 81st Annual
Womens Championship Tournament
Tournament Dates:
Saturday March 21 Squad at 9:30am, Sunday March 22
squads at 9:30am, 12:30pm and 3:30pm, Sunday March 29th squads at 9:30, 12:30 and
3:30 at BelPike Lanes, Belvedere, NJ.
The 62nd Annual
Youth Tournament
Tournament Date
March 28th and 29th, squads at 9:00am and 12:00pm at Sparta Lanes,
Sparta NJ.
The Annual Morris County Open
Tournament
The largest and most competitive Morris County Tournament. The 89th
Annual Morris County Open Tournament. Is being held Sunday
April 12th, squads at 8:30, 11:30 and 3:30 and Saturday/Sunday April
18th and 19th 2026, Squads 8:30, 11:30am and 3:30pm, at Rockaway
Lanes, in Rockaway, NJ
The 10th Annual Morris County Doubles Tournament
Saturday and Sunday May 16th
and 17th, Squads at 9:00am and 12:00pm at Oakwood Lanes ,
Washington, NJ
The 2nd Annual Royal Doubles Tournament
Sponsored by Rockaway Lanes!
Tournament Date: Sunday May
31st at 9:00am at Rockaway Lanes, Rockaway NJ
The 11th Annual BVL Charity Tournament
Tournament Date Saturday 7/18
squads at 2pm, Sunday July 19th squads at 9:00am and 1:00pm at
Rockaway Lanes, Rockaway, NJ
NJ State USBC Upcoming Tournaments:
80th Annual Women's Tournament
Saturday April 11th and 18th, and Sunday April 12th and 19th
At
Westbrook Lanes, Brooklawn, NJ
Hurry, Entries close March 25th!!
Morris
County Bowling News:
Congratulations to the Morris
County NJ USBC Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees.
Click for some photos of the banquet
Congratulations to "Wheres Joey" out
of Hanover Lanes
for putting up the team score of
1122 on Feb 11, 2025, which placed first in the USBC National Team
Score relative to scores rolled in certified competition between
August 2024 and July 2025.
Their 1122 score placed first
NATIONALLY in the 3
man and 1 women team game category!
Wheres Joey is from left to
right: Paul (PJ) Adams, Jen Drury, Justin Puchalski, and James
Ocasio
Where's Joey 1122 first place score was:
James Ocasio - 300, Jennifer
Drury - 278,
Justin Puchalski - 300 and Paul (PJ) Adams - 244
Fantastic Bowling
Team!
Why
should I sanction with the USBC?
The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) is the national governing
body for the sport of bowling. The USBC's mission is to provide
resources, services, and standards for the sport. The USBC
consistently updates, interprets, and enforces the playing rules,
for USBC league and tournament competition. The Morris County NJ
USBC Association, is the local bowlers liaison to the national
governing body. We can assist you with understanding the rules and
specifications as they apply to the sport of Bowling, and ensure
your bowler statistics are recorded in the national bowler database.
Sanctioned leagues help promote fairness and integrity in the sport.
By adhering to specific rules and regulations, sanctioned leagues
ensure that all bowlers have an equal opportunity to compete and
succeed. Additionally, as a sanctioned Morris County USBC bowler,
you may be eligible for local achievement awards, and as a USBC
sanctioned bowler, honor scores will be recorded in the national
bowler database.
To become sanctioned, bowlers can fill out a USBC membership
application form, pay a sanction fee, handing the completed form and
applicable fee in to you league or competition official to be
submitted to the local association, or you can go to the USBC
website and
sanction online.
Please note: If applying online, your local association is
Morris County, New Jersey.
Association # - 86884
2024-2025 Yearly Membership Dues are $27.00
USBC Sanction:
$15.00, Morris County Local: $12.00
Bowlers sanctioned out of
county, must be sanctioned in Morris County to compete in leagues
and tournaments in Morris County. This is a $12.00 (local only)
sanctioning fee. All bowlers must complete Morris County USBC
sanctioning cards for every league they bowl and/or sub in.
2025-2026 Official USBC Rules Handbook
2023/2024 Season Morris County Average Book all 4 combined
Winter 2023-2024 Book
Summer 2024 Book
High Average Winter 2023-2024 Book
High Average Summer 2024 Book
Well there you go!!
Now there is no dispute. Bowlers are
smarter!
Looking for a previous featured article?
They are all saved, and can be viewed by
clicking here!
USBC
National News!
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by Chad Murphy - USBC Executive Director
A FUTURE FOR THE SPORT - 2025 RECAP, 2026 PREVIEW
Hello, we hope everyone enjoyed a happy and healthy 2025
as we set our sights on 2026. When we review 2025, we
saw another outstanding year for our sport and USBC.
Participation trends in our tournaments continue at a
tremendous pace, membership is holding steady and
engagement and enthusiasm at all levels of the
association remain high. This is all due to the work,
passion and determination of our association volunteers
and proprietors across the country, for whom we are
extremely thankful.
Read Chad Murphy's State of the association
2026 article
here
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The 2025 USBC Survey
about the proposed banning/restrictions/usage of urethane bowling
balls has been released. And can be
read here.
USBC introduces
tiered certification levels and program updates for bowling centers
May 8th 2025, LAS VEGAS –
The United States Bowling Congress unveiled the new tiered
certification structure for bowling centers and updates to its
certification program during the 2025 USBC Convention and Annual
Meeting. These changes aim to provide greater clarity, reduce costs
and streamline the inspection process for centers nationwide.
Read the full story here!
11/9/23 - ARLINGTON, Texas
– The United States Bowling Congress has released its most recent
scoring research report related to string pinsetters. The report
concludes there is no statistically significant difference between
the scoring pace of USBC-certified string pinsetters and traditional
free-fall machines.
Read more
Please note USBC specific
equipment specifications and
changes as of 8/1/2020.
Note as of 8/1/2022
COVID rules are no longer in effect and shall not apply to any
league or competition.
Did you know? A little bowling 101
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How to Throw a
Strike in Bowling - Part 2
Learning how to throw a strike in bowling is crucial for
improving your overall score. Whether you are a
beginner, a casual player, or someone with a bowling
average of 135-140, delivering your ball into the pocket
consistently will increase your strike potential. This
is the second installment in a three-part series,
re-focusing and expanding on the issues covered in part
1:
Pocket Location
Initial Alignment
Alignment Adjustments
Understanding Initial Alignment
In the previous article, we covered pocket location.
Now, let’s discuss how to properly align yourself for a
strike shot.
The bowling arrows are positioned approximately 15 feet
beyond the foul line and are arranged in a triangular
formation. For right-handed bowlers, the first arrow is
about 5 inches from the lane’s right edge. The second
arrow is on the 10 board from the right. Left-handed
bowlers should follow the same pattern on the opposite
side. The center arrow aligns with the 20 board,
directly in line with the head pin and the five pin at
the pin deck, approximately 60 feet from the foul line.
The pocket is located just 2.5 boards right of the
fourth arrow on the 17.5 board.
Why Initial Alignment Matters
Many beginner bowlers roll the bowling ball from random
positions, leading to inconsistent results. Without a
proper system for alignment and adjustments, progress is
difficult. Most bowling centers apply lane oil in a
pattern that can help guide alignment. The heaviest
concentration of oil is usually between the second arrow
on the right and the second arrow on the left, extending
about 20 feet past the foul line. Although oil patterns
vary by location, the second arrow is a reliable
starting point for pocket alignment.
Techniques for Different Delivery Styles
If you throw a straight ball, aim from the 6 or 7 board
past the foul line toward the second arrow (10 board)
and into the pocket at the 17.5 board. Your sliding
bowling shoe should end up around the 11 or 12 board
upon release.
For bowlers with a modest hook, position yourself around
the 13-14 board past the foul line and aim toward the
second arrow. Your slide shoe should cover the 19 board,
with the ball progressing toward the break point
two-thirds down the lane before hooking into the pocket.
Power players with a high-revolution shot and strong
hook will need a wider angle. These bowlers typically
start farther left, sending the ball toward the second
arrow before allowing it to hook aggressively into the
pocket.
Common Adjustments
Bowlers who use "backup" shots or extreme hook
deliveries may need to adjust their angles
significantly. Working with a certified bowling
instructor can help refine initial alignment strategies.
Proper alignment is crucial for striking consistently,
and minor tweaks can make a significant difference in
results.
Conclusion
Developing a proper initial alignment strategy is
essential for improving strike potential. Many bowlers
struggle due to inconsistency in their starting
positions. Using lane oil patterns and targeting arrows
will help create a repeatable approach that leads to
more successful pocket hits. Beginners and seasoned
bowlers alike benefit from a structured approach,
adjusting positioning based on delivery style.
As you refine your alignment, practice different
starting positions and observe how your ball reacts on
the lane. Keep a record of your results and make small
adjustments as needed. Lane conditions may change over
time, requiring modifications in positioning and
targeting.
While precision is important, flexibility is key.
Developing an adaptable approach to alignment will allow
you to adjust based on lane oil conditions, ball
characteristics, and your personal technique. Consider
taking
professional coaching sessions to further refine
your alignment and targeting.
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If you have any suggestions, comments or requests, please email the
Association Manager at
morriscountynjusbc@gmail.com.
Contact Information
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