Bowling Rules And Regulations

Understanding bowling rules and regulations makes bowling more fun. If you plan on joining a league, it only makes sense that you would want to understand the basic rules before getting involved. A general understanding of the the rules will ensure that play goes smoothly and that no one feels they've been treated unjustly. Bowling rules and regulations exist to make the game flow rapidly and orderly, and to maintain a standard of scoring across the board.

1. The Bowling Lane:  A regulation bowling lane is 60 feet in length and 42 inches wide. It has two gutters on either side, to carry balls that go out of bounds past the pins. There should be an approach area of 15 feet leading up to the head of the lane. There will be a foul line marked at the border of the approach and the lane; bowler's are not permitted to cross the foul line.
2. The Bowling Pins: Regulation bowling pins are fifteen inches in height, with a circumference of fifteen inches at their widest point. Pins are arranged in a triangle formation at the far end of the lane.
3. The Bowling Ball: Regulation bowling balls are of a circumference of no more than 27 inches and must weigh from ten to sixteen pounds, although in non-professional play eight pound balls are sometimes used. They can have two or three finger holes, depending on bowler preference.
4. Bowling Shoes: Bowling is not done in regular shoes, as they can damage the wooden surface of the lane. There are a wide variety of shoe styles to choose from.
5. Game Play: Bowling rules and regulations state that each game is made up of ten frames. Each player takes turns bowling one frame at a time. The objective is to knock down all the pins with the ball, and each player has two attempts per frame. if the bowler knocks down all the balls on the first throw, play moves to the next player.
6. Foul Throw: If a bowler crosses the foul line in the process of rolling the ball, it is considered a roll, but any pins knocked down are not counted. If it happens on a first throw, the pins are reset before the second roll takes place.
7. Bowling Scoring: After a frame, the number of pins knocked down are counted. If all the pins are knocked down on the first roll, it is called a strike and earns ten points plus the total of the next two rolls by the same player. If all the pins are not knocked down on the first roll, the player gets a second roll in that frame. If all the pins are knocked down on the second roll, the player scores ten plus the number of pins knocked down in the first roll of the next frame. If all the pins are not knocked down after two rolls, the player receives points only for the number of pins down.