What a bowling facility is made of: the lane and oil system, pins, balls, shoes, the scoring system and the support equipment that keeps a centre running.
A bowling centre is assembled from a small number of equipment families. Knowing what each family does makes it easier to compare supplier packages and to plan maintenance. Equipment families Lane: a surface of wood or synthetic material about 60 ft (18.3 m) long and 42 in (1.07 m) wide, with ten numbered pin positions and an oiling system that changes how the ball rolls. Pins: the targets, usually plastic or rubber, about 15 in (38 cm) tall and 4.7 in (12 cm) in diameter, set in ten numbered positions that score differently. Balls: the balls rolled at the pins, made from polyester, nylon or vinyl material, weighing from 6 lb (2.7 kg) to 16 lb (7.26 kg), each with three finger holes. Shoes: bowling shoes with a non slip rubber sole and a slide sole, so the player can slide into the shot and stay balanced. Scoring system: the scoreboard or screen that records each frame, and often provides live statistics and game analysis. Support equipment: ball bags, ball racks, ball cleaners and return systems that keep the equipment usable and the floor tidy. Planning notes Lane count follows the measured floor, and the oiling system, pinsetter and scoring system are normally specified together because they have to work as one installation. Support equipment is easy to overlook at the planning stage but is what keeps a busy centre running day to day. For the terminology of these parts see bowling parts and terms. For an equipment package in a project, contact SPORTS ANT, or see bowling centre planning proposal.