Bowling is a sport that is played in which players attempt to knock down pins by rolling a ball into them. There are various types of bowling that exist throughout the world but the most popular is doubtless the style referred to as ten-pin bowling. The earliest forms of bowling are believed to have existed in Egypt as early as 3200 B.C. with the Dutch first introducing the game to America during the 16th century.
There are two main forms of bowling: indoor and outdoor. Outdoor bowling takes place on a lawn with players rolling balls usually with the goal of getting the ball as close as possible to a certain point. This is drastically different from indoor bowling which is the form Americans are most familiar with.
An indoor bowling ball is made of a combination of rubber, plastic urethane, and reactive resin. The ball is extremely hard, varies in weight and color based on bowler preference, and typically contains three finger-holes (this is in ten-pin, balls for other types have no finger holes). In most types of bowling, the ball is thrown down a lane that is made of either wood or an imitation. A lane’s regulation length is 60 feet and has a width between 41 and 42 inches.
As was mentioned earlier, there are many different types of bowling played throughout the world. In addition to ten-pin, there exists Candlepin, Duckpin, five-pin, and nine-pin skittles; these are all types of indoor bowling. One major difference that sets the styles apart involves the pins used. Ten-pin uses pins that are 15 inches tall and have a diameter of approximately 4 ¾ inches (at the widest part), Candlepin uses “double-ended” pins that are exceptionally tall, and Duckpin uses small pins that are only just over 9 inches tall and just over 4 inches in diameter (at the widest part). It is also important to note that Duckpin bowlers use a ball that is significantly smaller than that used by ten-pin bowlers.
In ten-pin, a game lasts for ten rounds, which are called frames. A bowler receives two chances per frame to knock down as many pins as possible. If a bowler knocks down all the pins on the first try it is called a “strike”, if they knock them all down on the second try it is called a “spare”; if all the pins are not knocked down after two tries, the bowler receives a point (called a pin) for every pin knocked over. The tenth frame is unique in that each bowler can receive up to three chances instead of two. A perfect game (300 pins) is bowled when a bowler gets a strike on every frame.