Team USA

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Team Selection

TEAM USA QUALIFYING
All United States Bowling Congress members have an opportunity to earn a spot on Team USA by competing in the USBC Team USA Trials/U.S. Amateur Championships.

USBC Team USA 2026 will consist of at least 12 men and 12 women from the 2026 Team USA Trials/U.S. Amateur Championships.
  • The top four (4) age-eligible male and top four (4) age-eligible female finishers in the 2026 USBC Team USA Trials, based on ranking points.
  • Two (2) additional men and two (2) additional women will be selected from the pool of players that compete at the 2026 Team USA Trials by the National Selection Committee (NSC).
  • The U.S. Amateur champions. If the champions have already earned a spot, or are not age eligible, it will be awarded to the next-highest qualifier based on ranking points.
  • The remaining members will be selected by the National Selection Committee based on one’s resume which must be submitted on or before Dec. 31, 2025. Entry or intent to participate is required in order to submit a resume. A waiver may be granted for excused absences beyond the athlete's control, when communicated in advance. Those eligible to submit resumes are:
    • Individuals who are in the top 25 of either the PBA or PWBA points list from the 2025 season.
    • Any Team USA member in the past five years (Junior Team USA not included).
    • Any Junior Team USA member from the last two years that were on a travel competition team.
U.S. AMATEUR ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for the U.S. Amateur portion of the event, one must not meet the following definition of a professional:

Men’s Division – A “professional” is defined as anyone who currently holds a professional PBA card, has held one in the preceding calendar year or who has ever won a professional title as a member (national, regional or senior).

Women’s Division – A “professional” is defined as:
  • Anyone who currently holds a professional PBA card.
  • Anyone under the age of 60 who meets the following criteria:
    • Has won a PWBA national title regardless of professional status at the time of winning, within the past 10 years (2016-2026); and/or up through their first day of competition at the Team Trials.
    • Has won a PWBA major title regardless of professional status at the time of winning, within the past 20 years (2006-2026).
    • Has finished in the top 30 on the PWBA National Tour points list at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
The process for determining Team USA allows for the selection of the country's top professional bowlers while also granting the opportunity to any USBC member a chance to earn a spot.

STANDARDS FOR SELECTION OF AT-LARGE TEAM MEMBERS
The National Selection Committee is charged with selecting those athletes who are most likely to create the strongest USBC Team USA. It has the latitude to consider any qualifications and criteria that it believes would be helpful in creating the strongest team, such as the following:
  • Performance, which includes all international competitions, as well as any USBC tournament or certified collegiate bowling tournament within the previous three years.
  • Physical Game, which includes, but is not limited to, the many physical elements that comprise an athlete's game, such as approach, arm swing, timing, release versatility (changing rotation and lay-down point) and speed control. It also includes, but is not limited to, the ability to play different angles, shoot spares, change equipment and adjust to different lane conditions.
  • Mental Game, which includes a variety of subjective factors such as coachability, adaptability, practice regimen, ability to stay focused, attitude, commitment, ability to perform under pressure and sportsmanship.
  • Team Play, which includes, but is not limited to, the intangible, but crucial ability to be a positive factor in building rapport, confidence, and a winning attitude among the team members and coaches.
The committee uses a ranking system to determine their selections. Each member ranks the individuals vying for a spot on Team USA and the average for each member is determined. Those players who are in the top for each member are added to the team.

Discussion is then done on the remaining athletes and those who were in a top spot of at least one member’s ranking are moved forward to another round of ranking. This continues until the team is selected.

A sample ranking sheet is below:
Sample Ranking Sheet
REPLACEMENT TEAM USA MEMBERS
If, during the calendar year, an athlete is unable to continue as a member of USBC Team USA by voluntary choice (resignation), because of injury or ineligibility as defined by international federations rule(s), a replacement may be named if there are USBC Team USA competitions left in the year. The National Selection Committee shall confer at the time of replacement and may name a new at-large member from the pool of athletes who were eligible for such selection at the most recent USBC Team USA Trials/U.S. Amateur Championships.