| The Origin |
|
 |
Games involving rolling of a ball to hit a desired target
date back to the Stone Age. One historian has traced the origin of
bowling to as far back as ancient Egypt, and another to ancient
Germany. However the evidence of bowling being played goes back to
England in 1366, when King Edward III outlawed it to keep his troops
focused on archery practice. | |
| One of
the earliest bowling fans was Britain's Sir Francis Drake. History
records that in 1588, while the formidable Spanish Armada sailed up
the English Channel ready to attack, Drake and his officers were
bowling a friendly match. Completely unfazed as the Spanish Armada
sailed right past him, Drake insisted on finishing the game before
going into action. |
|
| In
1895 American restauranteur Joe Thum held a meeting of representatives of
the various regional bowling clubs and the American Bowling Congress was
born. Standardization came in soon after. |
| The original bowling game used nine pins. However a 1841
Connecticut (U.S.) law made it illegal to maintain "any ninepin
lanes", because of the gambling that accompanied most bowling games.
Almost overnight bowling alleys introduced the tenth pin.
|
|
Bowling got a real boost after the replacement of hard wood
balls with balls made of rubber in 1905.
The introduction of
the pinspotter and automatic scoring further helped increase the
game's popularity.
Today, bowling is popular all over the
world. A major attraction of bowling is that it does not require
exceptional athletic skills. Although the best bowlers are highly
skilled, almost anyone can enjoy the sport. In India bowling alleys
are a recent phenomenon but are increasingly catching on as a good
way to unwind after work for the whole family.
Parents can
use bowling to teach children elementary physics and mathematics.
Most alleys have light-weight balls which kids can use. Some alleys
provide special bumpers when kids are bowling to block the ball from
going into the gutter too soon. Used correctly, they can add several
pins to a youngster's score to help boost his self-esteem.
|
 | |
|
| Equipment |
|
| Bowling Lane |
| The lane is 19.16 m (62 ft 10 3/6 in) long and 1.06m (42 in) wide.
|
|
| Pins |
| Pins are placed in a triangle with the apex being 18.29 m (60 ft)
away at the end of the lane. |
| |
| Height
|
381 mm (15
in) |
| Circumference
|
14.97
in |
| Weight (wood)
|
1.42 - 1.64 kg
|
| Weight
(synthetic) |
1.47 - 1.53 kg
| |
|
| Ball |
| Circumference
|
Not more than
685 mm (27 in) |
| Weight
|
Not more than
7.26 kg (16 lb) |
| Diameter |
3 and a 1/2
in | |
| It
has one thumb hole and two finger holes. |
|
| Pin Spotter |
| Pin Spotter is an automatic machine used to put up the pins again
if the bowler knocks down all the ten pins. |
|
| Rules of the Game |
|
 |
A game of ten pins consists of ten frames. A player delivers
two balls in each of the first nine frames unless a strike is
scored. In the tenth frame, a player delivers three balls if a
strike or spare is scored. Every frame must be completed by each
player bowling in regular order. Scoring is progressive and points
are awarded for the number of pins knocked down.
| |
|
| Strike |
| If all the pins are knocked by the first ball it is called a
strike. The player is awarded 10 points plus the score of the next
two balls bowled. Thus your score will be 10 (for the strike) plus
the pins accumulated on the next two balls. If you score a strike in
the 10th frame, you are entitled to 2 bonus balls. In a game of ten
frames a player must bowl twelve strikes continuously to bowl a
perfect game of 300 points. |
 | |
| |
| Double |
| Two consecutive strikes is a double. The count for the first strike
is 20 plus the number of pins knocked down with the first delivery
following the second strike. |
| |
| Triple |
| Three successive strikes is a triple. The count for the first
strike is 30. |
| |
| Spare |
| If
you knock down all the pins in two deliveries it is called a spare. You
get 10 points plus the score of the next ball is awarded as bonus.
|
| |
| Open Frame/ Error |
| If
you fail to knock down all the pins in a frame, your score is the actual
number of pins knocked down unless the pins left standing after the first
delivery constitute a split. |
| |
| Split |
| A
split is a setup of pins left standing after the first delivery, provided
the head pin is down and: |
|
1.
At least one pin is down between two or more standing pins; i.e., 7-9 or
3-10.
2. At least one pin is down immediately ahead of two or more
standing pins; i.e. 5-6.
A split is usually designated by a (0) but
any other symbol may be used. |
| |
| Legal Delivery |
|
| A
legal delivery is made when the ball leaves the player's possession and
crosses the foul line into playing territory. Every delivery is counted
unless a dead ball is declared. A delivery must be made entirely by manual
means. |
Pins to be credited to a player following legal delivery shall
include:
1. Pins knocked down or off the pin deck by the ball or
another pin.
2. Pins knocked down or off the pin deck by a pin
rebounding from a side partition or rear cushion.
3. Pins knocked
down or off the pin deck by a pin rebounding from the sweep bar when it is
at rest on the pin deck before sweeping dead wood from the pin
deck.
4.Pins that lean and touch the kickback or side
partition.
All such pins are termed dead wood and must be removed
before the next delivery. |
| |
| Illegal Delivery |
|
| When any of the following occur, the delivery counts but the
resulting pinfall does not: |
1.
A ball leaves the lane before reaching the pins.
2. A ball rebounds
from the rear cushion.
3. A pin rebounds after coming in contact
with the body, arms or legs of a human pinsetter.
4. A pin is
touched by mechanical pinsetting equipment.
5. Any pin knocked down
when dead wood is being removed.
6. Any pin knocked down by a human
pinsetter.
7. The player commits a foul.
8. A delivery is
made with dead wood on the lane or in the gutter and the ball contacts
such dead wood before leaving the lane surface.
If an illegal
pinfall occurs and the player is entitled to additional deliveries in the
frame, the pin or pins illegally knocked down must be re-spotted where
they originally stood. |
| |
| Pins - Improperly set |
When bowling at a full setup or to make a spare, if it is
discovered immediately after the delivery that one or more pins are set
improperly, but not missing, the delivery and resulting pinfall counts. It
is each player's responsibility to determine if a setup is correct. The
player shall insist that any pin or pins incorrectly set be re-spotted
before delivering the ball, otherwise the setup is deemed to be
acceptable.
No change can be made in the position of any pins left
standing after a delivery. That is, pins which are moved or misplaced by a
mechanical pinsetter shall remain in the moved or misplaced position and
shall not be corrected manually. |
| |
| Pins - Rebounding |
| Pins that rebound and stand on the lane must be counted as standing
pins. |
| |
| Pins - May Not Be Conceded
|
| No
pins may be counted that are not actually hit as per the norms above, and
only those actually knocked down or moved entirely off the playing surface
of the lane as a result of a legal delivery may be counted. |
| |
| Pins - Replacement |
| Should a pin be broken or otherwise badly damaged during the game,
it shall be replaced at once by another as nearly uniform in weight and
condition with the set in use. The tournament officials shall determine
whether pins shall be replaced. |
| |
| Dead Ball |
| A
ball shall be declared dead if any of the following occur: |
1.
After a delivery (and before the next delivery on the same lane),
attention is immediately called to the fact that one or more pins were
missing from the setup.
2. A human pinsetter interferes with any
standing pin before the ball reaches the pins or picks up any downed pin
before the ball stops rolling.
3. A player bowls on the wrong lane
or out of turn. Or one player from each team on the pair of lanes bowls on
the wrong lane.
4. A player is physically interfered with by
another player, spectator or moving object or by the pinsetter before
delivery is completed (while the ball is moving). In such case, the player
has the option to accept the resulting pinfall or have a dead ball
declared.
5. Any pin is moved or knocked down as a player delivers
the ball but before the ball reaches the pins.
6. A delivered ball
comes in contact with a foreign obstacle.
|
| When a dead ball is called, the delivery does not count. The pins
standing when the dead ball occurred must be re-spotted and the player
allowed to re-bowl the delivery. |
| |
| Foul |
|
 |
A foul occurs when a part of the player's person touches or
goes beyond the foul line and touches any part of the lane,
equipment or building during or after a delivery. A ball is in play
after a delivery until the same or another player is on the approach
in position to make a succeeding delivery.
When a foul is
recorded the delivery counts but the player is not credited with any
pins knocked down by that delivery. Pins knocked down by the ball
when the foul occurred must be re-spotted if the player who fouled
is entitled to additional deliveries in the frame.
| |
| |
| Deliberate Foul |
| When a player deliberately fouls to benefit by the calling of a
foul, the player shall be credited with zero pinfall for that delivery and
not allowed further deliveries in that frame. |
| Largest Bowling Centre |
| The Fukuyama Bowl, Osaka, Japan has the largest bowling
centre with 144 lanes. Earlier the Tokyo World Lanes Centre in Japan
was the largest bowling center (252 lanes) but it closed.
|
|
| Handicaps |
| Handicaps are additional points given to bowlers in league or match
play to give them an equal chance of winning when they bowl against other
bowlers with higher averages. |
| |
| Style of Play |
| A
game shall be played on two lanes (a pair) immediately adjoining each
other. Members of competing teams, trios, doubles and individual entrants
shall successively and in regular order bowl one frame on one lane, and
for the next frame alternate and use the other lane until five frames are
bowled on each lane of the pair. |
| |
| Scoring |
|
Most bowling clubs have automatic scoring. However for your
information:
Except when a strike is scored, the number of pins
knocked down by the player's first delivery is to be marked next to the
small square in the upper right-hand corner (some alleys use the left hand
corner) of that frame, and the number of pins knocked down by the player's
second delivery is to be marked inside the small square. A strike is
marked as a (x) and a spare as a (/). If none of the standing pins are
knocked down by the second delivery in a frame, the score sheet shall be
marked with a (-). The count for the two deliveries in the frame shall be
recorded immediately. |
 |
| |
| Important Championships |
|
World Championship - This championship for men was
instituted in 1954. For women the championship began in 1963.
Asian
Games - Bowling was introduced in the Asian Games for the first time
in the Xth Asiad at Seoul. |
| |
| Famous Names |
| Ed. Luther
(USA) |
At
Milwaukee Wisconsin on 28 August 1971, he created a record of
highest pin fall in the individual men's event scoring 5963 in 28
games. |
| Sandra jo Sherry
(USA) |
In
June 1987 at Helsinki, she scored a record 4894 in 24 game series in
women's championship. |
| Albert Aflic
Brandt (New York, USA) |
He
has the world record of scoring 886 out of possible 900 in the
sanctioned 3 games on 25 October 1.939. |
| Mark Roth (b.
1950) |
In
Professional Bowler Association competition he has won a record sum
of £ 1,278,68 1. |
| Jeane Maiden (b.
10 November 1957) |
At
Saloon, Ohio, on 23 November 1976, she created world record for the
women by scoring 864 in 3 games. |
| Thomas Jordan
(USA, b. 27 October 1966) |
For three sanctioned games and out of the possible 900, he
scored 899 on 7 March 1989 at Union, New Jersey, USA.
|
|
| The Indian Scene
|
| The Bowling section of the Royal Golf Club established in 1887 is
the oldest bowling club in India. Maximum team titles in the East India
Rinks have been won by B.L. Burman and R.S. Bengani. They have won 3 each
as captains. V Dhawan was the first to win the All India Singles held at
Calcutta in 1987. All India pairs title was also won in Calcutta by R.S.
Bengani and C.R. Sharma in 1957. In 1988 Jackie Lewis won the All India
Singles title (women) at Calcutta at the inaugural tournament.
|
 |
| Terms |
|
- Angle - Direction taken by the ball as it enters the 1-3
pocket
|
- Approach - The part of the alley upon which the bowler
takes the run to the delivery.
|
- Arrows - Dart-like markers out on the lane 12-16 feet used
by the bowler to keep the line to the pins.
|
- Boards - Refers to the boards that run the length of a
bowling lane.
|
- Brooklyn - Hitting the head pin and adjacent pin on the
opposite side of the alley from which the bowler released the ball.
Hitting the 1-2 pocket for a right-handed bowler or hitting the 1-3
pocket for a left -handed bowler.
|
- Curve
Ball - Type of shot that travels in a wide, sweeping arc due to a
spinning action.
|
- Double
- Two consecutive strikes.
|
- Error - The failure to knock down any remaining pins on
the second attempt of a frame.
|
- Foul
Line - Line at the end of the approach marking the beginning of the
lane; a sliding foot or any part of the bowler's body touching the lane
beyond the foul line results in loss of all pins made on the roll.
|
- Frame - One of the ten divisions of a game; the
corresponding box on the score sheet.
|
|
|
- Hook - A ball that is caused to curve from the outside in
on its way to the pins.
|
- Lane - The 60 foot-long area from foul line to pins. Also
called the alley.
|
- Leave - Pins standing after the first ball of a frame.
|
- Lofting - Tossing the ball in the air upon delivery.
|
- Open
Frame - A pin or pins left standing after the second ball.
|
- Perfect
Game - It means a 300 - the highest score achievable in one bowling
game.
|
- Pit
- The area at the end of the lane behind the pin deck.
|
- Pocket - The gap between any two pins.
|
- Rack - The trough structure holding the balls beside the
approach.
|
- Six
Pack - Another term for six strikes in a row.
|
- Spare
- The knocking down of all ten pins with two attempts in any frame.
|
- Split - Leave of two or more pins with intervening space
where pins have fallen
|
- Straight Ball - Type of shot that has no spin or action.
Rolls in a straight line.
|
- Strike - The knocking down of all pins with the first
attempt in any frame.
|
- Turkey - Three consecutive strikes at any time during the
game.
|
| |
| (With inputs from
The Hinduja Sports Foundation Encyclopedia) |
| |
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