Bowling rules for lanes, pins, throws and scoring, plus the four common delivery styles: straight, hook, corner or horseshoe, and reverse rotation.
This guide covers the rules of ten pin bowling and the delivery styles a coach is likely to teach next. Rules Lane: built from synthetic material or a wood surface, about 18.3 m long and roughly 1.07 m wide. Pins: ten pins about 15 inches tall and 4.7 inches across, set in an inverted triangle. Throws: the player stands at the approach and rolls the ball at the pins; every pin knocked down scores. Frames: two balls per frame in most frames, ten frames per game. Knocking down all ten with the first ball ends the frame. Scoring: one point per pin. A strike scores ten plus the next two balls; a spare scores ten plus the next ball. Fouls: stepping over the foul line, or sending the ball into another lane, cancels the shot and it scores nothing. Delivery styles Straight delivery: the ball is rolled straight down the centre of the lane. It is the simplest style and the usual starting point for beginners. Hook: rotation is applied so the ball curves toward the pocket, which gives a better angle into the pins than a straight ball. Corner or horseshoe delivery: the ball is sent toward the outside of the lane and curves back toward the centre, which takes more control and experience. Reverse rotation: rotation is applied in the opposite direction so the ball curves outward after it contacts the lane, useful when the pins left standing are on the outside. Scoring vocabulary is collected in bowling terminology. For a beginner friendly rules summary see how to play bowling.