Bowling Rules and Equipment Specifications

Bowling is a hobby that individuals throughout the United States enjoy. There are standard guidelines for the equipment used in ten-pin bowling facilities. These guidelines are enforced for competitive league bowling. It is responsibility of the bowling establishment to make sure their lanes meet these guidelines.

  1. Lane Dimensions

    • A bowling lane is 3 feet 6 inches wide and is 60 feet long from the foul line to the head pin.

    Pin Dimensions

    • A ten-pin bowling pin is fifteen inches high. The width at the widest point is just over 4 feet 6 inches.

    Bowling Ball Dimensions

    • The bowling ball may weigh up to 16 pounds, and can not have a circumference of more than 2 feet 3 inches.

    Bowling Ball Shape

    • Other than the finger holes and lettering on a bowling ball, the surface of the ball must be smooth and round.

    Lane Material

    • The bowling lane should be composed of either wood or a synthetic material. Typically, the lane is composed of 39 boards parallel to each other.

    Scoring

    • Knocking down all the pins on your first roll (a strike) gets you a score of 10 plus the total of your next two rolls. Knocking them down in two rolls (a spare) gives you 10 points plus the total of your next roll.

    Foul

    • Crossing or touching the foul line with either of your feet results in a foul and a score of zero on that roll.