Gary Gordon (813) 838-6870
Tournament Director
gary.gordon@ebtbowling.com

Elite Bowlers Tour News & Updates

The Elite Bowlers Tour has developed this page to update our bowlers with news and information in bowling that may or may not be directly about the EBT. Any information appearing on this page must be verified by the source and in most cases be authorized to appear here. As always, if you have questions about the information, please feel free to contact the webmaster, Gary Gordon at 813-838-6870 or the source of the information. Please note, this page is not used for advertising competitor tournaments other than USBC sanctioned events. Thank you.

Top Stories

  • Elite Bowlers Tour Regular Season Tournaments Resume Limited Events 08/13/2023
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The Elite Bowlers Tour, after serious consideration and requests by bowlers, will resume a limited event schedule in the 2023-2024 season.  As it stands currently, events will occur quarterly.  With a quarterly event season, no Champion of the Year will take place as 11 tournaments are needed to make the event viable.  Champions will still receive their champion shirts.  If the Elite Bowlers Tour decides to return to a full schedule, all champions who earned titles during the "off" season(s) will be able to compete in that event in the future.

 

  • Elite Bowlers Tour Regular Season Tournaments Coming to an End 7/10/2022
    Information to Our Bowlers
    Officially, the Elite Bowlers Tour will not be returning for its 15th year in the 2022-2023 season. Director Gary Gordon announced today that the EBT would cease regular tournament operations after the 2022 season in September. "It has been a good run and a successful tournament organization. For the past 14 years, watching the EBT grow from a local pot bowling event into a USBC-certified community tournament was no easy undertaking. However, increased job demands, increased research demands with my doctorate, and missing out on time with my sons needs to take priority," Gordon said. Bowlers, however, should stay in contact with the EBT Facebook and website for any new updates. The website and social media will remain active. While the EBT will not return as a regular monthly event, Gordon has not ruled out having special events from time to time. For this reason, bowlers should check to see if and when the next event will occur next season. In the meantime, bowlers are welcomed and encouraged to bowl the remaining events to finish the season strongly!

 

  • USBC Bowling Ball Restriction 03/29/2022
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has posted an official ruling on the exclusion of six (6) bowling balls that are USBC approved, but are excluded from USBC national events. Per the announcement, tournaments and leagues are permitted to continue the use of the excluded bowling balls beyond March 30, 2022 if they choose. Since the Elite Bowlers Tour is USBC certified, but is NOT a national tournament event, our events will continue to allow the use of the excluded bowling balls.

 

  • EBT Rule 3g Professional Restriction Under Review 11/18/2018
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The Elite Bowlers Tour rule 3g currently prohibits bowlers who have won a PBA/WTBA national title or those who are members of Team USA from participating in EBT events.  The rule was designed to prevent professional bowlers from battering the EBT and essentially winnin money from less experienced, amateur bowlers.  While this is still a concern, some bowlers have expressed the desire to be more inclusive of those bowlers who have won a national title, but are not professionals in the truest sense of the word.  The EBT tournament directors are examining a possible modification to the rule to allow the transient professional to participate, but exclude the true professional bowlers.  Look for a rule change in the coming months as we seek to have an enforceable rule that addresses the wishes of the bowlers and protects the integrity of the EBT.

 

  • EBT Incoming Average Rule Changes for the 2017-2018 Season 01/28/2018
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The Elite Bowlers Tour shall convert all incoming bowlers using the USBC Sport Average conversion chart. The reason for this change is to remain in compliance with our certiifcation and to ensure a fair adjustment when new bowlers or returning bowlers need to have an average.  Since the EBT oil patterns vary in difficulty from modified house to sport, the sport average was the most reasonable chart to use and is required by the USBC.  The EBT does not use typical house shots at any certified event.

 

  • EBT Rule Changes for the 2016-2017 Season 07/31/2016
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The Elite Bowlers Tour will be making changes to our official rules for the upcoming season.  These rules will affect COTY qualification and payout structures.  The EBT handbook will be updated with the new changes following the 2016 COTY event and an official email will be sent out.

 

  • EBT Planet Oil Patterns Have Been Released 06/26/2016
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The last of the EBT proprietary patterns have been released and are listed on the "Oil Patterns" tab.  The patterns include the 37' Mercury, 39' Venus, 41' Mars, 43' Jupiter, and the 45' Neptune.  Combined with the other 6 EBT patterns, the 11 EBT patterns are now available in 36', 37', 38', 39', 40', 41', 42', 43', 44', 45', and 46'.  Each pattern is distinctly different and they range from hard sport shorts to quasi house shots.  Bowlers are encouraged to take a look at the new patterns and see what each has to offer.  The new Planet Patterns will begin use in the 2016-17 season.

  • EBT Oil Patterns Conversion to Kegel Flex 07/19//2015
    Information to Our Bowlers
    Over the past several years, the Elite Bowlers Tour patterns have been written under the old rules of pattern design to make them compatible with older Kegel Kustodian oil machines. However, since the creation of Kegel Flex machines, oil patterns play truer and are more well-defined by the KOSI software programming. To accomodate this new technology, all six of the EBT oil patterns have been redesigned to meet the standards of the Flex machines and KOSI software. This should be important to our bowlers because the patterns will play somewhat differently than what they may be used to. So where we were able to get 3 loads of oil from 2L to 2R at 14ips for 5 feet, Kegel Flex machines dictate that same oil load entry to be 3.9 feet. While the mathematics behind this gets quite complicated, it means that all of our patterns will be shaped a little differently, but be truer to their original intent. Visit www.kegel.net for more information regarding Kegel Flex machines.

  • New EBT Patterns Released 03/29/2015
    Information to Our Bowlers
    They're here!!! The newest of the Elite Bowlers Tour proprietary patterns are officially being used and their stats are being collected. The all new 40' Milky Way, 44' Andromeda, and the 36' Pegasus (not yet used) have been sent to the various centers are ready for use in future in tournaments. So far, the Andromeda pattern is showing to be a real gem because even though it is longer, like it's sister Pan Handler pattern, the scores seem to hold up longer and are considerably higher than the other patterns. While this is encouraging, there still has never been an honor score (300/800) shot on an EBT pattern anywhere in the world by any amateur or professional bowler, and our patterns go back seven years and have been used numerous times! As of this date, Brett Childress is the closest with a 299 on the Pan Handler.

  • EBT Power Rankings 06/08/2014
    Information to Our Bowlers
    The Elite Bowlers Tour, beginning in the 2014-2015 season, will officially use the power rankings to give away a free entry into the Champion of the Year! The highest ranking bowler in each division, who has not already earned an exemption into the COTY will get the free entry! This means a bowler does not have to be the ranking winner per se, just the highest one in the list without an exemption. For example, if the 7th ranked player is the highest one on the list without a free entry, they will win it. It is to be assumed the winner of the power ranking will normally already have earned an expemtion, but not always! In the result of ties, discounted entry fees will be shared. Look for more information next season and keep track of your ranking......it just may be your free ticket into the COTY!