1. A game in which balls are rolled at an object or group of objects with the aim of knocking them over.
2. The act of delivering a cricket ball to the batsman.
3. The playing of a game of tenpins or duckpins etc.
Indoor sport in which a ball is rolled into a target of standing pins. There are many forms of the sport, but the term “bowling” usually refers to the most popular variety, tenpin. The ball used in tenpin bowling is sometimes plastic but more commonly hard rubber. An official ball (one allowed in league play) must weigh 10–16 lb/4.5–7.3 kg and may not exceed 8.6 in/21.8 cm in diameter. Finger holes are drilled into each ball. Methods of gripping differ from bowler to bowler but most common is the underhand three-finger grip (thumb, middle finger, and ring finger).
Each of the bottle-shaped maple pins is 15 in/38 cm high, at least 5.25 in/13.34 cm in circumference at the neck, and at most 15 in/38 cm in circumference at the widest part. Pins are arranged in a triangular pattern at the end of a wooden lane 60 ft/18.3 m long from the headpin to the foul line. A bowler makes an approach toward the foul line, which may not be crossed, bringing the ball into a backswing and then swinging it forward for release. The ball travels down the lane, the object being to “bowl over” as many pins as possible. A game of tenpins is divided into ten frames. In each frame, the bowler has two attempts to knock down all ten pins. Each toppled pin is scored as one point. If all ten pins go down on a first roll, it is called a “strike” and counts ten points plus the number of pins knocked down by the bowler’s next two rolls. When all ten pins are toppled by two rolls, it is a “spare” and counts ten points plus the number of pins knocked down by the bowler’s first roll of the next frame. A per
fect game is 12 consecutive strikes, for a score of 300.
Whereas tenpin is called big-pin bowling, several other forms of the game are classified as small-pin bowling, the most popular being duckpin and candlepin. Both use a much smaller ball than tenpin. The stubby duckpins are 9.4 in/23.9 cm high; the narrow, tapered candlepins are 15.75 in/40.00 cm high and can stand upright on either end.
history bowling in its most rudimentary form can be traced to ancient Egypt. Bowling-type equipment was found in the tomb of an Egyptian boy who died about 5200 BC. Other ancient cultures enjoyed their own variations of the sport, but what is considered the precursor of modern bowling generally is dated to medieval Europe, where kegels (the pins) were knocked down by thrown or rolled rocks.
Ninepins, a Dutch version of bowling, was introduced to the Americas in the 17th century. By the 1800s it not only had become very popular in New England but had evolved into a major gambling activity. When Connecticut put a ban on “bowling at nine pins” in 1841, enterprising bowlers overstepped the law by adding a pin to the game–hence, tenpin bowling.
In 1895 the American Bowling Congress was organized, and under its authority the rules and equipment specifications of bowling in the US became standardized. In 1916 the Women’s International Bowling Congress was founded; today it is the largest women’s sports organization in the world. Professional bowling is a lucrative occupation for top contenders. The Professional Bowlers Association and the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour sponsor high-stake tournaments throughout the US and in several other countries as well (Canada, Japan, and Latin America have shown particular interest in the game). Bowling “alleys” are businesses run to attract recreational bowlers; often leagues are formed and competitions or league events are held at them.