Ten pin bowling, often referred to simply as "bowling", is a sport that involves rolling a ball, called the bowling ball, towards a setup of ten pins at the end of a lane. The objective of the game is to knock down as many pins as possible and to end with the highest possible score amongst all the players.
Bowling Area and Setup
The playing area (18.29m x 1.05m) includes a long narrow lane. At the end of the lane is a setup of ten pins arranged in a triangular pattern with four rows. There is one pin in the front row, two in the second row, three in the third row and four in the fourth row.
On either side of the lane is a gutter serving as an obstacle that may prevent the bowling ball from reaching the pins if the ball happens to roll into it.
Before the lane is a "run up" - a space that the player can utilise to help create momentum before releasing the bowling ball onto the lane. At the end of the "run up" is a "foul line" that separates the "run up" from the bowling lane. Crossing the foul line incurs a penalty.
The Pins
There are regulations and guidelines for pin size, weight and weight distribution.
The Bowling Ball
The bowling ball must be no greater than 8.5 inches in diameter and weigh no more than 16 pounds. There is no lower limit to how light a ball may be, although the lightest ball used is the 6 pound ball - most often by children and elderly individuals with back injuries.
The Frames
A game of ten pin comprises of ten frames. During the first nine frames, a player is given two opportunities to deliver the ball and knock down all the pins unless a strike is scored. The turn then shifts to the next player in the game. In the tenth frame, the player has the opportunity to deliver three balls if a strike or spare is scored.
Each player takes turns to deliver the bowling ball twice for each frame in a sequential order until all ten frames have been played.
Scoring
Each pin that is knocked down is counted as one point. The total number of pins knocked down is recorded for each delivery, unless a strike is scored. The total number of pins knocked down during a frame is then recorded.
A Strike
A strike occurs when the first delivery of the ball in a frame succeeds in knocking down all the pins. In the event of a strike, the score is denoted by an "x". The score earned for a strike is 10 plus the number of pins knocked down during the player's next frame.
The bowling of two consecutive strikes is called a "double". The number of points earned for the first strike is 20 plus the number of pins knocked down with the first delivery of the ball following the second strike.
The bowling of three consecutive strikes is called a "triple". The number of points earned for the first strike is 30.
The maximum score in ten pin bowling is 300. To achieve this, a player must bowl 12 strikes in succession.
The Spare
A spare occurs when a player succeeds in knocking down all the pins within a frame, that is, within two deliveries. It is denoted on the scorecard as a "/". The number of points earned for a spare is 10 plus the number of pins knocked down during the player's first delivery in the following frame.
Gutter Ball
If the bowling ball rolls into the gutter or fails to knock down any of the pins, the score is marked on the scorecard as a "-".
Further details on ten pin bowling scoring can be found in the article "How to Keep Score in Ten Pin Bowling".
A Split
A split occurs when a player fails to knock down all ten pins in a frame after the first delivery and two or more remaining pins are separated by a gap of at least one pin.
This is just a guide to the rules of ten pin bowling. For a more detailed listing of the rules, The World Ten Pin Bowling Association has a PDF on the rules of ten pin bowling.