The NCAA Women’s Bowling Committee agreed to a number of modifications that will affect regular-season and championship play during its July 17-19 meeting in Seattle.

Beginning in 2007, regular-season competition guidelines will require that Baker matches include a minimum of four games to count under NCAA regulations.

Committee members believe that increasing by one the minimum number of games that compose a valid Baker match allows each team to use each lane twice, which the committee believes will make competition more consistent. To make the game easier for fans and television to follow, the group also agreed that each player must complete her frame before her opponent bowls the first ball of her portion of the frame. Previously, players alternated throws within the frame.

The committee also finalized the first printed NCAA rules book for the sport. While teams have been bowling under NCAA rules since last season, head coaches will receive the first printed rules book this fall. Teams abided by US Bowling Congress regulations before NCAA rules were adopted last year. To complement the rules book, a regular-season event management guide will be posted online to help event managers ensure that competitions follow NCAA procedures.

In action regarding championship play, the committee agreed to eliminate the seventh round and make the final-round match single elimination. The committee also adjusted the tournament format so that the "if necessary" match will be bowled before the championship match. Currently, the if-necessary match is played only if the team entering the final round through the winners’ bracket is undefeated and loses Round 6. The committee believes that the proposed format will be more television friendly while remaining true to the tournament’s double-elimination structure. Should the recommendation be approved by the Division I Championships/
Competition Cabinet, the new format would be in effect for the 2007 championship.

The committee forwarded a second recommendation to the cabinet that would modify the selection criteria by requiring teams to indicate on score reports whether matches were bowled in Baker or regular team format. In addition, the committee will add a strength-of-schedule calculation to the selection criteria. Members agreed that the criteria will remain the same for at least two years.

In other championship matters, the committee revised the equipment check-in process. Participants are allowed to register up to five balls for competition, and each will be visually inspected. To reduce the check-in time while maintaining quality control, all balls will continue to be visually inspected effective with the 2007 championship. The committee will weigh a minimum of two balls from a number of randomly selected participants.

The group also settled on a dress code for coaches during championship competition. During early rounds on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, coaches will dress in business casual attire. For the televised championship match, coaches are expected to dress in business attire.

Also during the regular season, the regional advisory committee chairs will submit to the national office names of schools who do not report their scores weekly. To ensure sponsoring institutions are familiar with reporting procedures and policies, the committee will offer a rules session via teleconference this fall as well as a review of the score-reporting system.

In other actions, the committee met with a representative of the National Tenpin Coaches Association and selected a site for the 2008 championship for consideration and approval by the championships cabinet.