Bowling
- For the use of this term in cricket, see Bowling (cricket).
Bowling can refer to two distinctly different types of game. The first is played along an "alley", most commonly made of synthetic material imitating a wood surface. Historically, bowling lanes were made of wood, however most centers around the United States have upgraded to the synthetic playing surfaces. Several sports involve a ball rolling towards a target, in this case pins, here the players attempt to score points by knocking the targets down. Included in this group are
- Ten-pin bowling, which evolved from ninepin bowling in the 19th Century.
- Five-pin bowling, played in Canada
- Nine-pin skittles
- Candlepin bowling, played in eastern Canada and New England, is a variation of ten-pin bowling, where the player gets to roll a small ball three times per frame instead of two, and the fallen pins are not removed between throws.
- Duckpin bowling, commonly found in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada, is another variation of ten-pin bowling, where the player rolls three times per frame toward small, squat pins. A variant with pins encircled with rubber at their widest points, rubberband duckpin bowling, uses the same rules as ten-pin bowling.
The second group of bowling is played outdoors, usually on a lawn. Here the players throw a ball, which is sometimes eccentrically weighted, in an attempt to put it closest to a designated point. This group includes games such as Lawn bowls, Bocce Ball, and Pétanque.
See also
- Skittles — the sport from which "alley" based Bowling originated
- Skee ball — a game that plays similar to bowling
- Pin shooting — a pistol shooting game using bowling pins.
External links
- Bowling tips
- The Kegel - A historical game related to bowling