9th BTBA Senior National Championships 2026

9th BTBA Senior National Championships 2026

Stroud Bowl, Top Floor, Five Valleys Shopping Centre,
Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1QA

Singles, Doubles, and Fours

SATURDAY 9 MAY 2026

SUNDAY 10 MAY 2026

SATURDAY 16 MAY 2026

SUNDAY 17 MAY 2026

SANCTION NUMBER: 26/00723

The tournament is open to all BTBA or affiliated association members who are aged 50 or over before 31 December 2026

Entry MUST be made online via the BTBA Events Portal

 

Events

Male and Female Team/Doubles combinations will be entered into the Open Division

Open Women Division criteria
Singles and All Events
Division A 185 and over 170 and over Individual

Averages
Division B 184 & under 169 & under
Division C (Grand Seniors) Aged 65 or over as at 31/12/2026 Aged 65 or over as at 31/12/2026 Individual Age
Doubles
Division A 370 and over 340 and over Maximum Composite

Team Average
Division B 369 & under 339 & under
Division C (Grand Seniors) Aged 65 or over as at 31/12/2026 Aged 65 or over as at 31/12/2026 Age of both bowlers
4 Person Team
Division A 740 and over 680 and over Maximum Composite

Team Average
Division B 739 & under 679 & under
Division C (Grand Seniors) Aged 65 or over as at 31/12/2026 Aged 65 or over as at 31/12/2026 Age of all bowlers

To participate in the BTBA Senior National Championships all participants must be BTBA or affiliated association members at the time of bowling in the tournament.

The tournament is open to all BTBA or affiliated association members who are aged 50 or over before 31 December 2026

Grand Seniors 

Eligible bowlers (those aged 65 or over as of 31/12/2026, i.e. born in 1961 or earlier) can choose, on entry, whether to enter as a ‘Senior’ in Division A/B…OR…as a ‘Grand Senior’ in Division C — a separate Grand Seniors Division (non-average based) —paying the exact same entry fee.

Entering both Senior and Grand Senior divisions

Grand Seniors can also elect to play in BOTH a Senior Division AND the Grand Senior Division by paying the additional prize fund for the other division (i.e. £9 singles, doubles, 4-person team and £9 for All-events) and using the same scores.

All bowlers must meet the Grand Senior eligibility age in order to play in the Grand Senior Division.

Doubles and teams of four consisting of mixed age groups can only be entered into the Senior Divisions A or B.

Team England Selection Note

The BTBA National Championships is a mandatory event to be eligible for Senior Team England selection. Participation in the singles event is required as a minimum, although all events completion is encouraged. Tournament Management will assist bowlers to find a doubles partner or a team.

Squad Times

All players must register at least 30 minutes before the start of their squad.

Lane Maintenance will be after each squad

Saturday 9 May Sunday 10 May
Squad D002   Doubles and Singles    09:00 Squad D004   Doubles and Singles    09:00
Squad T002   4 Person Team              13:00 Squad T003   4 Person Team              13:00
Squad D003  Doubles and Singles.   16:30 Squad D005  Doubles and Singles.   16:30
Saturday 16 May Sunday 17 May
Squad D006   Doubles and Singles    09:00 Squad D008   Doubles and Singles    09:00
Squad T004   4 Person Team              13:00 Squad T005   4 Person Team              13:00
Squad D007  Doubles and Singles.   16:30 Squad D009  Doubles and Singles.   16:30

 

Entry Fees per Person

There will be an entry fee of £29.00 per person per event.  £9.00 of which will be prize fund.

Optional all-events of £9.00 per person per entry.

Prize fee will be returned 100% in prizes.

BTBA Tournament Sanction Fee £2.00

Total fee for an individual in all events will be £96.00 per person.

Total fee for an individual playing BOTH Senior AND Grand Senior all events will be £132 per person (includes £36 towards additional prize fund). Team Captains will receive confirmation of entry which will confirm total entry fees to be transferred (see below).

 

How to Enter

Entry will open on Tuesday 24th February and MUST be made online via the BTBA Events website

Click here..

Download .pdf copy entry form to complete for your records (optional) here…

CLOSING DATE will be midnight 1st May 2026.

Vacant squad places after the closing date may be filled by the Tournament Manager

Confirmation of entry will be emailed to Team Captains no later than 2 days after the closing date.

Payment must be made via bank transfer to:

Barclays Bank Ilford
Sort Code: 20 44 22
Account Name: British Tenpin Bowling Association
Account No: 20 20 33 43
Reference: Captain’s Surname SN26, (for example, BROWN SN26)

Please reply to your entry confirmation email or tournamententries@btba.org.uk when the bank transfer has been made.

Bank transfers must be referenced with the Team Captain’s name.  Once an entry has been paid and accepted no refunds can be made.  An entry may be sold to an eligible replacement on the authority of the Tournament Manager.

 

Tournament Managers

Will be appointed by the British Tenpin Bowling Association

General Playing Rules

This tournament is sanctioned by the BTBA, therefore the General Playing Rules and Tournament Rules of the BTBA, together with the following Special Rules, will govern this tournament.

  1. Eligibility: This tournament is open to BTBA Members or affiliated association members who are aged 50 on or before 31 December 2026. Bowlers aged 65 or over as of 31 December 2026 are eligible to bowl in the Grand Seniors Division.

BTBA Members must hold a current Competitive level Membership to bowl in Divisions A or the Grand Senior Division. If you need to upgrade your BTBA membership, please log in to the membership portal at https://btba.justgo.com/ and add ‘Competitive Membership’ to your cart. If you need help, drop us a message at admin@btba.org.uk

  1. Averages: Players entering average will be based on the highest league or tournament average at the time of entry. Both Free Fall and String averages will be accepted without differentiation
  • Current season’s average for 18 games or more at the time of entry being the highest in any league which the player bowls, or composite tournament average of 12 games or more (e.g. TenpinTour, ResDev & BigBear Bolts Tour, BTBA Tour), whichever is higher, but may not be more than 5 pins lower than the previous season’s average.
  • If the player does not have a current season’s average, last available season’s average for 18 games or more will be acceptable but may not be more than 5 pins lower than the bowlers highest previous average for any number of games. Nor may it be more than 5 pins lower than the players tournament average.
  • If the player is unable to declare an average, then they will be accepted in the highest division.
  • If the player’s entering average is based on a league or tournaments that have been solely bowled on Challenge or Sport Bowling conditions, the average will need to be adjusted to a standard average. The team captain must state in the Source of Average field on the entry form if the average for any player entering Division B is from Challenge or Sport Bowling league/tournaments.
  • The Tournament Manager may accept, reject or re-rate any entrant, if in their opinion, the highest average submitted does not conform to past performance of the team or individual. Winners’ averages will be verified after the event.
  • The team captain is responsible for the accuracy of all averages of the individual team members, and they in turn are responsible to him. Should the Tournament Manager find it at any time that the averages have been falsified or do not conform to past performance, the team shall forfeit all claims for prize money as well as their entry fee and will be subject to disqualification and suspension from the BTBA.
  1. Bowling Equipment: Altering the surface of bowling balls is only permissible outside the playing area and only during practice or between squads.
  • It is the responsibility of all players to ensure that their bowling balls conform to specifications. Spot checks may be made during this event.
  • All bowlers are reminded that balance holes are no longer allowed.
  • Any bowler who doesn’t use their thumb during a delivery cannot have a thumb hole.
  • The use of any foreign substance on bowling shoes or approaches is strictly prohibited.
  • Once competition has started, bowling ball surface alterations, including the use of abrasives, polishes, or cleaners, are not permitted.
  • Cleaners approved for use in competitive play may only be used during the practice period and only applied by hand and a soft cloth. See Rule 17 of the BTBA General Playing Rules.
  • Bowling balls must be thoroughly wiped with a dry cloth immediately after cleaning or altering the surface.
  • Breaks for lane dressing: Surface alterations are only permitted before the bowler’s first squad of the day or if a break for lane dressing occurs before a new event starts. No such break occurs during a Doubles and Singles squad, so no surface alterations are allowed during this transition.
  • Any ball found in violation must be removed from competition in accordance with BTBA Rule 17.
  • Bowlers must wear shoes which will not damage or disfigure the approaches. The use of any foreign substance on bowling shoes or approaches is strictly prohibited.
  1. Bowling Attire: Players must wear suitable bowling attire. Players will not be permitted to wear denim. Tailored shorts will be permitted. The tournament manager shall be the judge in all these matters.
  2. Ties: In the event of a tie for any position, the highest last game shall be used to determine who receives the highest position. In any situation where this does not resolve the tie, the penultimate game shall be used and so on. In the event of a tie for an all-events position, the team games shall be used first, followed by the doubles, and finally, if necessary, the singles games.
  3. Protests: In the event of a dispute, the Tournament Manager must be notified immediately, and a provisional ball bowled if necessary. Protests must be made within 30 minutes and confirmed in writing to the Tournament Manager within 72 hours. The Tournament Manager’s decision will be final, subject to appeal to the BTBA.
  4. Conduct: Players are prohibited from smoking (including E-cigarettes) and the consumption of alcohol whilst their squad is in progress. Any player whose conduct is considered liable to bring the game into disrepute will be disqualified from the tournament. Any individual so disqualified will be reported to the BTBA for consideration of disciplinary proceedings.
  5. Noise: Competitors can expect to experience some noise during the Competition from other players, especially during the Team Event. Competitors are prohibited from the use of air horns or any other type of mechanical noise making equipment.
  6. Rule Violations: If any person competes under an assumed name, bowls in place of a scheduled entrant who fails to attend, or is under suspension, then both the individual and any team employing them shall forfeit their entry and all rights to claim or retain any trophy or prize awarded in the tournament. Additionally, all persons involved may be subject to suspension.

Link to the entry form: Click here.