Difference between revisions of "Bowling" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
(start of the article, copy and pasted from a word document)
 
m (changed the US-centric PBA to the international WTBA)
Line 1: Line 1:
Bowling is a sporting activity in which players attempt to score points by rolling a ball to knock down target objects.  There are many different forms of the game in different parts of the world, however the most popular form in North America and globally is Ten-Pin Bowling, the type of bowling associated with the Professional Bowler’s Association, an internationally recognized professional sports league.  As an amateur recreational activity, bowling can be traced as a popular game all across the globe.
+
'''Bowling''' is a sporting activity in which players attempt to score points by rolling a ball to knock down target objects.  There are many different forms of the game in different parts of the world, however the most popular form in North America and globally is '''Ten-Pin Bowling''', the type of bowling associated with the '''World Tenpin Bowling Association''', an internationally recognized professional sports federation.  As an amateur recreational activity, bowling can be traced as a popular game all across the globe.
  
Types
 
  
Indoor Bowling:
+
==Types==
  
Ten-pin Bowling: the most popular form of bowling, it is played indoors on a flat wooden or synthetic surface, usually covered in oil.  A regulation bowling ball is no more than 27 inches in circumference, and a regulation bowling pin is 15 inches tall and weighs between 3 pounds, 6 ounces and 3 pounds, 10 ounces.  A regulation lane is 60 feet long and 41 to 42 inches wide.
+
 
 +
'''Indoor Bowling:'''
 +
 
 +
 
 +
* '''Ten-pin Bowling:''' the most popular form of bowling, it is played indoors on a flat wooden or synthetic surface, usually covered in oil.  A regulation bowling ball is no more than 27 inches in circumference, and a regulation bowling pin is 15 inches tall and weighs between 3 pounds, 6 ounces and 3 pounds, 10 ounces.  A regulation lane is 60 feet long and 41 to 42 inches wide.
 
The ten pins are arranged in the following manner:
 
The ten pins are arranged in the following manner:
  
7  8  9  10
+
 
  4  5  6
+
7  8  9  10
    2  3
+
  4  5  6
      1
+
    2  3
 +
      1
 +
 
  
 
The “1 Pin” is also called the “Head Pin”.
 
The “1 Pin” is also called the “Head Pin”.
  
Five-pin Bowling: played in Canada, this form of bowling uses only 5 smaller pins and a small rubber ball.  The five pins are arranged in a V-formation.
+
* '''Five-pin Bowling:''' played in Canada, this form of bowling uses only 5 smaller pins and a small rubber ball.  The five pins are arranged in a V-formation.
Nine-pin Skittles: this is a variant played in Europe, from which the form of Ten-pin bowling evolved.  The nine pins are arranged in a diamond.
+
 
Candlepin Bowling: a variant played in Canada and New England, with thinner pins that are shaped evenly at top and bottom, and with smaller bowling balls.
+
* '''Nine-pin Skittles:''' this is a variant played in Europe, from which the form of Ten-pin bowling evolved.  The nine pins are arranged in a diamond.
• Cocked-Hat Bowling: a game popular in Germany and other places in Europe, using a smaller ball and three regulation sized pins.
+
 
• Duckpin Bowling: a game in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada using shorter, fatter pins and a smaller ball.
+
* '''Candlepin Bowling:''' a variant played in Canada and New England, with thinner pins that are shaped evenly at top and bottom, and with smaller bowling balls.
• Feather Bowling: a Belgian game similar to Italian bocce lawn bowling in which oddly shaped bowling balls are thrown towards a feather.
 
  
Outdoor Bowling:
+
* '''Cocked-Hat Bowling:''' a game popular in Germany and other places in Europe, using a smaller ball and three regulation sized pins.
  
• Lawn Bowls: popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, the game is similar to bocce and players roll asymmetrically shaped balls (called “bowls”) towards a small white target ball (the “jack” or “kitty”).
+
* '''Duckpin Bowling:''' a game in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada using shorter, fatter pins and a smaller ball.
• Bocce: an Italian outdoor lawn game, players roll spherical bocce balls to try and get closest to a small white or yellow target ball (called the “jack” or “pallino”), knocking out an opponent’s ball if necessary to get closest.  The player who rolls closest to the target is awarded points.
 
• Petanque: an outdoor game, originating in southern France, similar to bocce, in which players throw small metal balls (called “boules”) towards a small wooden target ball (called “cochonnet”).  The game is usually played outside on dirt, grass, or gravel, and has similar rules to bocce.
 
  
Rules:
+
* '''Feather Bowling:''' a Belgian game similar to Italian bocce lawn bowling in which oddly shaped bowling balls are thrown towards a feather.
  
Games of bowling are arranged in sets of ten frames.  Each frame consists of two chances for the bowler to throw.  The player is awarded one pin for each that he knocks down, however, if a player knocks over all ten pins on the first throw, this is scored a strike and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next two throws.  If a player knocks over all ten pins after the second throw, this is recorded as a spare and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next throw.  The tenth frame of a bowling game consists of two normal throws, plus a bonus third roll if the player knocks over all ten pins in his first or second attempt.  A player can therefore record three strikes in the tenth frame, unlike other frames, in which he could only score one.  A perfect game in bowling is a score of 300, or twelve consecutive strikes.
+
 
 +
'''Outdoor Bowling:'''
 +
 
 +
 
 +
* '''Lawn Bowls:''' popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, the game is similar to bocce and players roll asymmetrically shaped balls (called “bowls”) towards a small white target ball (the “jack” or “kitty”).
 +
 
 +
* '''Bocce:''' an Italian outdoor lawn game, players roll spherical bocce balls to try and get closest to a small white or yellow target ball (called the “jack” or “pallino”), knocking out an opponent’s ball if necessary to get closest.  The player who rolls closest to the target is awarded points.
 +
 
 +
* '''Petanque:''' an outdoor game, originating in southern France, similar to bocce, in which players throw small metal balls (called “boules”) towards a small wooden target ball (called “cochonnet”).  The game is usually played outside on dirt, grass, or gravel, and has similar rules to bocce.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
==Rules==
 +
 
 +
 
 +
'''Games of bowling''' are arranged in sets of ten frames.  Each frame consists of two chances for the bowler to throw.  The player is awarded one pin for each that he knocks down, however, if a player knocks over all ten pins on the first throw, this is scored a strike and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next two throws.  If a player knocks over all ten pins after the second throw, this is recorded as a spare and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next throw.  The tenth frame of a bowling game consists of two normal throws, plus a bonus third roll if the player knocks over all ten pins in his first or second attempt.  A player can therefore record three strikes in the tenth frame, unlike other frames, in which he could only score one.  A perfect game in bowling is a score of 300, or twelve consecutive strikes.
  
 
Scoring was done largely by hand until the 1970s, when automated scoring systems were put into place at many commercial bowling alleys.  These computers would read the number of pins left standing in the lane and score the games accordingly.
 
Scoring was done largely by hand until the 1970s, when automated scoring systems were put into place at many commercial bowling alleys.  These computers would read the number of pins left standing in the lane and score the games accordingly.
Line 40: Line 56:
 
There are many variations on the scoring of bowling.  A popular form is Low-Ball Bowling, in which players attempt to score the least amount of points by aiming for just one pin (the seven or the ten).  Games are scored just as normal bowling, with the exception that gutter balls are always recorded as strikes, and if a player throws the ball on the second attempt and does not hit any pins without going in the gutter, this is recorded as a spare.  Therefore, a perfect game of Low-Ball Bowling would be a 20, one point for each attempt throughout ten frames.
 
There are many variations on the scoring of bowling.  A popular form is Low-Ball Bowling, in which players attempt to score the least amount of points by aiming for just one pin (the seven or the ten).  Games are scored just as normal bowling, with the exception that gutter balls are always recorded as strikes, and if a player throws the ball on the second attempt and does not hit any pins without going in the gutter, this is recorded as a spare.  Therefore, a perfect game of Low-Ball Bowling would be a 20, one point for each attempt throughout ten frames.
  
Terminology:
 
  
Strike: a strike is when a player knocks down all ten pins on his first attempt in a frame.  It is recorded as “X” and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next two throws.  Three consecutive strikes would constitute 30 points for the first of the three strikes.
+
==Terminology==
Multiple Strikes: two consecutive strikes is referred to as a “double”; three strikes in a row is typically called a “turkey”; four strikes in a row a “four-bagger”; five in a row a “five-bagger”; and six in a row a “six-pack”.
+
 
Spare: if a player knocks all the standing pins on his second attempt, a spare is recorded with “/” and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next throw for that frame.
+
* '''Frame:''' a frame is a unit of measurement throughout the game.  In ten-pin bowling, there are ten individual frames, which consist of two attempts each.  A frame is completed upon knocking down all ten pins (with a strike or spare) or by throwing two attempts, whichever comes first.
Mark: a mark is a score, either a strike or a spare.
+
 
Open: open is the opposite of marking, when a player leaves pins standing on a frame and therefore does not achieve any added scoring to the frame.
+
* '''Strike:''' a strike is when a player knocks down all ten pins on his first attempt in a frame.  It is recorded as “X” and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next two throws.  Three consecutive strikes would constitute 30 points for the first of the three strikes.
Foul: stepping across the foul line while throwing a ball results in the recording of a foul “F” and the player is awarded zero points for the throw.  A caveat of the rule is that the player must actually release the ball for it to qualify as an attempt.
+
 
Gutter Ball: there are two gutters at either side of the lane, and any balls that go into the gutter are therefore null and the attempt must be scored a zero.
+
* '''Multiple Strikes:''' two consecutive strikes is referred to as a “double”; three strikes in a row is typically called a “turkey”; four strikes in a row a “four-bagger”; five in a row a “five-bagger”; and six in a row a “six-pack”.
Split: a split is a combination of pins left standing that have a gap in them.  Splits must not include the head (“one”) pin, and though they do not affect scoring, splits are generally acknowledged on the scoresheet by placing a square box around the player’s first attempt, the one which results in the split.  A well-known split formation is the seven-ten split, which involves the two back corner pins only, and is difficult to knock down.
+
 
 +
* '''Spare:''' if a player knocks all the standing pins on his second attempt, a spare is recorded with “/” and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next throw for that frame.
 +
 
 +
* '''Mark:''' a mark is a score, either a strike or a spare.
 +
 
 +
* '''Open:''' open is the opposite of marking, when a player leaves pins standing on a frame and therefore does not achieve any added scoring to the frame.
 +
 
 +
* '''Foul:''' stepping across the foul line while throwing a ball results in the recording of a foul “F” and the player is awarded zero points for the throw.  A caveat of the rule is that the player must actually release the ball for it to qualify as an attempt.
 +
 
 +
* '''Gutter Ball:''' there are two gutters at either side of the lane, and any balls that go into the gutter are therefore null and the attempt must be scored a zero.
 +
 
 +
* '''Split:''' a split is a combination of pins left standing that have a gap in them.  Splits must not include the head (“one”) pin, and though they do not affect scoring, splits are generally acknowledged on the scoresheet by placing a square box around the player’s first attempt, the one which results in the split.  A well-known split formation is the seven-ten split, which involves the two back corner pins only, and is difficult to knock down.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
==Organizations==
 +
 
 +
 
 +
The '''World Tenpin Bowling Association''' ([http://www.wtba.ws WTBA]) is an international organization that oversees the rules, qualifications, and rankings of professional, semi-professional, and distinguished amateur bowling championships and federations.  It was formed as part of the Federation International de Quillers (FIQ) in 1952.  The WTBA oversees the designation of the World Ranking Masters, an international professional bowlers ranking system.
  
Organizations:
+
The '''Professional Bowlers Association''', otherwise known as the '''PBA''' ([http://www.pba.com PBA.com]), is a competitive bowling league for professionals.  It was formed in 1958 by Eddie Elias, an attorney from Ohio.  Formats for PBA events typically are played in 64-person tournament format, with head-to-head matches leading to a final game.  Players typically alternate lanes in these matches, and prize money is awarded to the top finishers in an escalating format.
  
The World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA; www.wtba.ws) is an international organization that oversees the rules, qualifications, and rankings of professional, semi-professional, and distinguished amateur bowling championships and federations.  It was formed as part of the Federation International de Quillers (FIQ) in 1952.  The WTBA oversees the designation of the World Ranking Masters, an international professional bowlers ranking system.
+
The '''United States Bowling Congress''' ([http://www.usbc.com USBC]) is an amateur bowling organization formed in 2005 by the merger of many previously existing bowling organizations in North America.  The USBC oversees many amateur bowling leagues and tournaments.
  
The Professional Bowlers Association, otherwise known as the PBA (www.pba.com), is a competitive bowling league for professionals.  It was formed in 1958 by Eddie Elias, an attorney from Ohio.  Formats for PBA events typically are played in 64-person tournament format, with head-to-head matches leading to a final gamePlayers typically alternate lanes in these matches, and prize money is awarded to the top finishers in an escalating format.
+
The '''British Tenpin Bowling Association''' ([http://www.btba.org.uk BTBA]) is the United Kingdom governing organization on ten-pin bowling.  It was formed in 1961 and produces the official rules for ten-pin bowling in the British IslesThe BTBA oversees the '''Premier Tenpin Bowling Club'''.
  
The United States Bowling Congress (USBC; www.usbc.com) is an amateur bowling organization formed in 2005 by the merger of many previously existing bowling organizations in North AmericaThe USBC oversees many amateur bowling leagues and tournaments.
+
The '''Premier Tenpin Bowling Club''' ([http://www.ptbc.co.uk PTBC]) is Britain’s version of the PBABowlers compete for championships and prizes in a similar format to the PBA.
  
The British Tenpin Bowling Association (BTBA; www.btba.org.uk) is the United Kingdom governing organization on ten-pin bowling.  It was formed in 1961 and produces the official rules for ten-pin bowling in the British Isles.  The BTBA oversees the Premier Tenpin Bowling Club.
+
The '''European Tenpin Bowling Federation''' ([http://www.etbf.dk ETBF]) is a governing organization on ten-pin bowling in Europe and runs the European Bowling Association tour.
  
The Premier Tenpin Bowling Club (PTBC; www.ptbc.co.uk) is Britain’s version of the PBA.  Bowlers compete for championships and prizes in a similar format to the PBA.
+
The '''European Bowling Tour (EBT)''' is similar to the PBA and, along with the '''Asian Bowling Federation''', competes internationally for the World Tenpin Bowling Association’s '''World Ranking Masters''' championship.
  
The European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF; www.etbf.dk) is a governing organization on ten-pin bowling in Europe and runs the European Bowling Association tour.
 
  
The European Bowling Tour (EBT) is similar to the PBA and, along with the Asian Bowling Federation, competes internationally for the World Tenpin Bowling Association’s World Ranking Masters championship.
+
==References==
  
References:
 
  
*Agne-Traub, Charlene and Joan L. Martin & Ruth E. Tandy.  ‘Bowling’, eight edition.  Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN 0-697-34539-4
+
* Agne-Traub, Charlene and Joan L. Martin & Ruth E. Tandy.  ‘Bowling’, eight edition.  Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN 0-697-34539-4
  
*Lasser, Eric S. and Fred Borden & Jeri Edwards.  ‘Bowling: The Handbook of Bowling Psychology’.  Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology, 2006.  ISBN: 9781885693686
+
* Lasser, Eric S. and Fred Borden & Jeri Edwards.  ‘Bowling: The Handbook of Bowling Psychology’.  Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology, 2006.  ISBN: 9781885693686
  
*Zumerchik, John.  ‘Encyclopedia of Sports Science’.  New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1997.  ISBN: 0028975065
+
* Zumerchik, John.  ‘Encyclopedia of Sports Science’.  New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1997.  ISBN: 0-028-97506-5

Revision as of 05:59, 11 June 2007

Bowling is a sporting activity in which players attempt to score points by rolling a ball to knock down target objects. There are many different forms of the game in different parts of the world, however the most popular form in North America and globally is Ten-Pin Bowling, the type of bowling associated with the World Tenpin Bowling Association, an internationally recognized professional sports federation. As an amateur recreational activity, bowling can be traced as a popular game all across the globe.


Types

Indoor Bowling:


  • Ten-pin Bowling: the most popular form of bowling, it is played indoors on a flat wooden or synthetic surface, usually covered in oil. A regulation bowling ball is no more than 27 inches in circumference, and a regulation bowling pin is 15 inches tall and weighs between 3 pounds, 6 ounces and 3 pounds, 10 ounces. A regulation lane is 60 feet long and 41 to 42 inches wide.

The ten pins are arranged in the following manner:


7   8   9   10
  4   5   6
    2   3
      1


The “1 Pin” is also called the “Head Pin”.

  • Five-pin Bowling: played in Canada, this form of bowling uses only 5 smaller pins and a small rubber ball. The five pins are arranged in a V-formation.
  • Nine-pin Skittles: this is a variant played in Europe, from which the form of Ten-pin bowling evolved. The nine pins are arranged in a diamond.
  • Candlepin Bowling: a variant played in Canada and New England, with thinner pins that are shaped evenly at top and bottom, and with smaller bowling balls.
  • Cocked-Hat Bowling: a game popular in Germany and other places in Europe, using a smaller ball and three regulation sized pins.
  • Duckpin Bowling: a game in the eastern parts of the United States and Canada using shorter, fatter pins and a smaller ball.
  • Feather Bowling: a Belgian game similar to Italian bocce lawn bowling in which oddly shaped bowling balls are thrown towards a feather.


Outdoor Bowling:


  • Lawn Bowls: popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, the game is similar to bocce and players roll asymmetrically shaped balls (called “bowls”) towards a small white target ball (the “jack” or “kitty”).
  • Bocce: an Italian outdoor lawn game, players roll spherical bocce balls to try and get closest to a small white or yellow target ball (called the “jack” or “pallino”), knocking out an opponent’s ball if necessary to get closest. The player who rolls closest to the target is awarded points.
  • Petanque: an outdoor game, originating in southern France, similar to bocce, in which players throw small metal balls (called “boules”) towards a small wooden target ball (called “cochonnet”). The game is usually played outside on dirt, grass, or gravel, and has similar rules to bocce.


Rules

Games of bowling are arranged in sets of ten frames. Each frame consists of two chances for the bowler to throw. The player is awarded one pin for each that he knocks down, however, if a player knocks over all ten pins on the first throw, this is scored a strike and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next two throws. If a player knocks over all ten pins after the second throw, this is recorded as a spare and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next throw. The tenth frame of a bowling game consists of two normal throws, plus a bonus third roll if the player knocks over all ten pins in his first or second attempt. A player can therefore record three strikes in the tenth frame, unlike other frames, in which he could only score one. A perfect game in bowling is a score of 300, or twelve consecutive strikes.

Scoring was done largely by hand until the 1970s, when automated scoring systems were put into place at many commercial bowling alleys. These computers would read the number of pins left standing in the lane and score the games accordingly.

In bowling leagues, players are generally awarded a handicap, which is a number of pins automatically designated to a player based on his or her scoring average. Over the course of many games, a player’s average is determined, and to balance the playing field, players are awarded handicaps to level the averages. Bowling with handicaps is a strategy to determine how a player bowls versus his average game, rather than by gross score.

Fouls may occur in bowling when a player crosses the foul line at the base of the lane as they release the ball. If a player crosses the line, a foul is recorded as “F” and the player continues with their frame. If it occurs on the first attempt, ten pins are then positioned for the second attempt. If it occurs on the second attempt, the player is only awarded the score from the first throw, and the frame is then completed. Generally fouls are monitored by electronic sensors at the base of the lane, however, in some forms, fouls must be recorded by other players or a judge.

There are many variations on the scoring of bowling. A popular form is Low-Ball Bowling, in which players attempt to score the least amount of points by aiming for just one pin (the seven or the ten). Games are scored just as normal bowling, with the exception that gutter balls are always recorded as strikes, and if a player throws the ball on the second attempt and does not hit any pins without going in the gutter, this is recorded as a spare. Therefore, a perfect game of Low-Ball Bowling would be a 20, one point for each attempt throughout ten frames.


Terminology

  • Frame: a frame is a unit of measurement throughout the game. In ten-pin bowling, there are ten individual frames, which consist of two attempts each. A frame is completed upon knocking down all ten pins (with a strike or spare) or by throwing two attempts, whichever comes first.
  • Strike: a strike is when a player knocks down all ten pins on his first attempt in a frame. It is recorded as “X” and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next two throws. Three consecutive strikes would constitute 30 points for the first of the three strikes.
  • Multiple Strikes: two consecutive strikes is referred to as a “double”; three strikes in a row is typically called a “turkey”; four strikes in a row a “four-bagger”; five in a row a “five-bagger”; and six in a row a “six-pack”.
  • Spare: if a player knocks all the standing pins on his second attempt, a spare is recorded with “/” and the player is awarded ten plus the quantity of his next throw for that frame.
  • Mark: a mark is a score, either a strike or a spare.
  • Open: open is the opposite of marking, when a player leaves pins standing on a frame and therefore does not achieve any added scoring to the frame.
  • Foul: stepping across the foul line while throwing a ball results in the recording of a foul “F” and the player is awarded zero points for the throw. A caveat of the rule is that the player must actually release the ball for it to qualify as an attempt.
  • Gutter Ball: there are two gutters at either side of the lane, and any balls that go into the gutter are therefore null and the attempt must be scored a zero.
  • Split: a split is a combination of pins left standing that have a gap in them. Splits must not include the head (“one”) pin, and though they do not affect scoring, splits are generally acknowledged on the scoresheet by placing a square box around the player’s first attempt, the one which results in the split. A well-known split formation is the seven-ten split, which involves the two back corner pins only, and is difficult to knock down.


Organizations

The World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA) is an international organization that oversees the rules, qualifications, and rankings of professional, semi-professional, and distinguished amateur bowling championships and federations. It was formed as part of the Federation International de Quillers (FIQ) in 1952. The WTBA oversees the designation of the World Ranking Masters, an international professional bowlers ranking system.

The Professional Bowlers Association, otherwise known as the PBA (PBA.com), is a competitive bowling league for professionals. It was formed in 1958 by Eddie Elias, an attorney from Ohio. Formats for PBA events typically are played in 64-person tournament format, with head-to-head matches leading to a final game. Players typically alternate lanes in these matches, and prize money is awarded to the top finishers in an escalating format.

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) is an amateur bowling organization formed in 2005 by the merger of many previously existing bowling organizations in North America. The USBC oversees many amateur bowling leagues and tournaments.

The British Tenpin Bowling Association (BTBA) is the United Kingdom governing organization on ten-pin bowling. It was formed in 1961 and produces the official rules for ten-pin bowling in the British Isles. The BTBA oversees the Premier Tenpin Bowling Club.

The Premier Tenpin Bowling Club (PTBC) is Britain’s version of the PBA. Bowlers compete for championships and prizes in a similar format to the PBA.

The European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) is a governing organization on ten-pin bowling in Europe and runs the European Bowling Association tour.

The European Bowling Tour (EBT) is similar to the PBA and, along with the Asian Bowling Federation, competes internationally for the World Tenpin Bowling Association’s World Ranking Masters championship.


References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Agne-Traub, Charlene and Joan L. Martin & Ruth E. Tandy. ‘Bowling’, eight edition. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN 0-697-34539-4
  • Lasser, Eric S. and Fred Borden & Jeri Edwards. ‘Bowling: The Handbook of Bowling Psychology’. Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology, 2006. ISBN: 9781885693686
  • Zumerchik, John. ‘Encyclopedia of Sports Science’. New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 1997. ISBN: 0-028-97506-5