BOWLING, an indoor game played upon an alley with composition balls and ten maple pins (Lat. bulla, a globe, through O.Fr. boule, ball). It has been played for centuries in Germany and the Low Countries, where it is still in high favour, but attains its greatest popularity in the United States, whence it was intro duced in colonial times from Holland. The Dutch inhabitants of New Amsterdam, now New York, were much addicted to it, and from 1623 to 184o it was played on the green, the principal resort of the bowlers being the square just north of the Battery still called Bowling Green. The first covered alleys were made of hardened clay or of slate, but the modern alleys are built up of strips of pine or maple wood, about 1 x Sin. in size, set on edge, and fastened together and to the bed of the alley, the surface being carefully leveled and polished. The width of the alley is 41 to 42in. and its whole length about Soft. From the head or apex pin to the foul-line, over which the player may not step in deliv ering the ball, the distance is 6oft. On each side of the alley is a "gutter" about 3 tin, below the alley surface. Originally nine pins, set up in the diamond form, were used, but during the first part of the 19th century the game of "nine-pins" was pro hibited by law. The danger of restrictive legislation was largely removed with the addition of a tenth pin, resulting in the game of "ten-pins," the pastime in vogue to-day. The ten pins are set up at the end of the alley in the form of a triangle in four rows, four pins at the back, then three, then two and one as head pin. The back row is placed Sin. from the alley's edge, back of which is the pin-pit, loin. deep and Oft. long. The back wall is heavily padded with a heavy, swinging cushion which hangs 2 f t. 6in. from pit edge of bed, and there are seats for the pin-boys, who set up the pins and place the balls in the sloping "railway" which returns them to the players' end of the alley. The pins are made of hard maple and are 15in. high, 2 yin. in diameter at their base and 15in. in circumference at the thickest point. The balls, which are made of composition, may be of any size not exceeding 27in. in circum ference and 161b. in weight. They are provided with holes for the thumb and middle finger. As many may play on a side as please, five being the number for championship teams, though this sometimes varies. An umpire usually officiates at important games. Two alleys immediately adjoining each other are used; the teams roll one frame (two balls) on one alley, and for the next frame alternate and use the other alley, so alternating with opposing players until the game is completed. Ten frames con stitute a game, unless otherwise agreed upon. If all ten pins are knocked down by the first ball the player makes a strike, which counts him ten plus whatever he may make with the two balls of his next frame. If, however, he should then make another strike, ten more are added to his score, making 20, to which are added the pins he may knock down with his first ball of the third frame. This may also score a strike, making 3o as the score of the first frame, and, should the player keep up this high average, he will score the maximum, 300, in his ten frames. If all the pins are knocked down with two balls it is called a spare, and the player may add the pins made by the first ball of his second frame. This j seemingly complicated mode of scoring is comparatively simple when properly lined score-boards are used. A player must not allow any part of his foot to rest on the foul line during the delivery of the ball. Pins knocked down must be removed before the sec ond ball is played. The score board is always open to public view, kept by the players. The spectators must not interfere with the progress of the game. The tens of thousands of bowling clubs in the United States and Canada under the jurisdiction of the Ameri can Bowling Congress meet once a year to revise the rules and hold contests for the national championships, which consist of individual players, two-men teams, five-men teams, and the cham pions in all events. The highest totals in the first three events were rolled by Wm. J. Knox of Philadelphia, Pa., in 1923 when he scored 2,019 points, 618 points on his five-man team, 686 on his two-man team, and 715 in his individual contest. The highest scores rolled by a five-man team were made by the Nelson Mitchells of Milwaukee with 3,139 points in 1923. The highest scores rolled by a two-man team were made by C. Thoma and H. Thoma with 1,38o points in 1924. The highest score rolled by an individual A.B.C. champion is that of E. Votel of Braddock, Pa., with 731 points in 1926. At the loth A.B.C. national cham pionships, held in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1925, there were 2,200 five-man teams, 3,441 doubles and 6,817 individuals, a total of 24,699 bowlers, representing every State in America.
Several minor varieties of bowling are popular in America, the most in vogue being the "duck pin" game in which the regulation xx pins are 9iin. in height ; diameter, 4in. including rubber band; bottom of pin I ;in. Each player rolls two balls to each frame; all other rules of A.B.C. govern. Other games are : "cocked hat," which is played with three pins, one in the head-pin position and the others on either corner of the back row, and smaller balls are used. The maximum score is 90, and all balls, even those going into the gutter, are in play. "Cocked hat and feather" is similar, except that a fourth pin is added, placed in the centre. Other variations of bowling are "quintet," in which five pins, set up like an arrow pointed towards the bowler, are used; the "battle game," in which 12 can be scored by knocking down all but the centre, or king, pin; "head pin and four back," in which five pins are used, one in the head-pin position and the rest on the back line; "four back"; "five back"; "head pin," with nine pins set up in the old-fashioned way; "candle pin," also called "Kinsley" or "rubber neck"; "nine up and nine down," the same pins as with the regular game, the balls not exceeding 6in. ; the "Newport game," in which the player who scores the least number of winning innings is the loser, the pony or small ball being used.
The American bowling game is played to some extent in Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Germany. In the latter country, however, the old-fashioned game of nine-pins (Kegelspiel) with solid balls and the pins set up diamond-fashion obtains universally. The alleys are made with less care than the American, being of cement, asphalt, slate, marble or wood.