| Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport and | | | | players participate in tournaments on both |
| recreation in which a player (the "bowler") | | | | the national and international stage. Because |
| rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or | | | | of the rise in popularity, many companies are |
| "synthetic" (polyurethane) "lane" with the | | | | now making bowling balls and apparel for |
| objective of scoring points by knocking down | | | | professionals as well as for recreational |
| as many pins as possible. | | | | bowlers. Bowling has also become more |
| | | | prevalent in the media in recent years, with |
| The 41.5-inch wide, 60-foot long lane is | | | | the continued popularity of bowling |
| bordered along its length by "gutters" - | | | | publications and the appearance of films |
| semicircular channels designed to collect | | | | centered around the culture of the sport. |
| errant balls which also pose an obstacle to | | | | However, the sport continues to face |
| advanced bowlers, because a straight ball | | | | challenges in garnering mainstream coverage |
| cannot be rolled on a regulation lane at the | | | | of the athletic aspects of the game. |
| angle required to consistently "carry" (knock | | | | |
| down) all ten pins for a strike. Most | | | | History |
| skillful bowlers will roll a more | | | | |
| difficult-to-control "hook" ball to overcome | | | | Origins |
| this. There is a "foul line" at the end of | | | | |
| the lane nearest to the bowler: if any part | | | | In 1930, British anthropologist Sir Flinders |
| of a bowler's body touches the lane side of | | | | Petrie along with a team of archaeologists, |
| this line after the ball is "delivered" | | | | discovered various primitive bowling balls, |
| (rolled), it is called a "foul" and no pins | | | | bowling pins and other materials in the grave |
| knocked over by that delivery are scored (The | | | | of an Egyptian boy dating to 5200 BC. Their |
| bowler is allowed a shot at a new "rack" of | | | | discovery represents the earliest known |
| ten pins if he fouled on the first roll of a | | | | historical trace of bowling. However, some |
| frame.). Behind the foul line is an | | | | dismiss these findings[citation needed], |
| "approach" approximately 15 feet long used to | | | | arguing that bowling originated in Germany in |
| gain speed and leverage on the ball before | | | | 300 A.D. The first written reference to |
| delivering it. 60 feet from the foul line, | | | | bowling dates to 1366, when King Edward III |
| where the lane terminates, it is joined to a | | | | of England banned his troops from playing the |
| roughly 24-inch long, 41.5-inch wide surface | | | | game so that they would not be distracted |
| of durable and impact-resistant material | | | | from their archery practice. It is believed |
| called the "pin deck" where each rack of pins | | | | that King Henry VIII bowled using cannon |
| is set. | | | | balls. In Germany the game of Kegal |
| | | | (Kegelspiel) expanded. The Kegal game grew in |
| The bowler is allowed ten frames in which to | | | | Germany and around other parts of Europe with |
| knock down pins, with each frame being | | | | Keglars rolling balls at nine pins, or |
| composed of up to two rolls. The tenth frame | | | | "skittles". |
| may be composed of up to three rolls: the | | | | |
| bonus roll(s) following a strike or spare in | | | | Ninepin bowling was introduced to America |
| the tenth (sometimes referred to as the | | | | from Europe during the colonial era, similar |
| "eleventh" and "twelfth" frames) are "fill | | | | to the game of skittles. It became very |
| balls" used only to calculate the score of | | | | popular and was called "Bowl on the Green". |
| the mark rolled in the tenth. Bowling has a | | | | The Dutch, English, and Germans all brought |
| unique scoring system (see below) that is | | | | their own versions of the game to the new |
| notoriously confusing to newcomers who | | | | world, where it enjoyed continued popularity, |
| attempt to score a game with multiple "marks" | | | | although not without some controversy. In |
| (strikes and spares). Bowling scores tend to | | | | 1841 a law in Connecticut banned ninepin |
| be unintuitive: if a bowler was to knock down | | | | bowling lanes due to associated gambling and |
| 9 pins with his first shot but miss his spare | | | | crime, and people were said to circumvent the |
| every frame, he would have a score of 90; if | | | | letter of the prohibition by adding an extra |
| the same bowler were to make all of his | | | | pin, resulting in the game of ten pin |
| spares and knock down 9 with the bonus ball, | | | | bowling. |
| he would have a score of 190. If he were to | | | | |
| carry all ten pins with each shot and strike | | | | Modern American ten-pin bowling is most |
| with each of his bonus balls in the tenth | | | | closely related to the German game |
| frame, he would have shot a "perfect game" of | | | | Kegelspiel. Germans were instrumental in |
| 300. | | | | fostering the game's popularity as they |
| | | | formed their own bowling clubs both before |
| Since being brought to the United States from | | | | and after the American Civil War. The first |
| Europe, ten-pin bowling (thought to be | | | | indoor bowling alley was Knickerbockers of |
| descended from the game of skittles) has | | | | New York City, built in 1840. The Brunswick |
| risen in popularity as its technology has | | | | Corporation's addition of bowling equipment |
| improved. The sport is most popular in the | | | | to their product line also served to increase |
| United Kingdom and the United States. Both | | | | the sport's popularity. In 1914 Brunswick |
| nations maintain national regulatory | | | | replaced their line of wooden bowling balls |
| organizations that govern the sport's rules | | | | with hard rubber Mineralite bowling ball. The |
| and conduct and many of those countries' best | | | | change was met with great approval. |